How to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight on a Budget

Weight loss differs for every individual.  Some choose to workout at high-end gyms and select the most expensive diets in hopes they are more effective whereas others just seem to lose weight with ease.  For a typical individual, weight loss needs to occur in unison with the family budget.  Paying for a gym membership is a great start for anyone on a family budget, but the weight loss aspect is where you should be creative in order to save some money.  Some helpful hints are listed later in the article to help support your weight loss goals on a budget.

How to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight on a Budget

For most individuals, the family budget is pretty tight.  However, this should not hinder you from reaching your weight loss goals.  Listed below are ways to be successful on a weight loss program while on a tight budget.

• Gym Membership. This is your first step for any weight loss program.  While a tight budget may not be conducive for a gym membership, it is a good idea to spend the extra money for a membership.  Try not to get the cheapest gym pricing either.  You want to make sure your gym can offer group fitness classes, personal training, and have sufficient equipment for you to get through your program.  The gym is a great idea because the behavior of leaving the house to go exercise means that you are dedicating an hour per day for you and your health.
• Diet is the primary avenue to achieve your weight loss goals and this is where you can save significant money so that you can afford a gym membership.  First off, meal-plan throughout the week.  Meal planning will help reduce your costs at the local grocer and it will help prevent splurging out on those nights you do not want to cook.  Second, the money you save by lowering your portions with your meals and watching what you eat will limit how much you spend at the store, which will reduce your grocery bill significantly.  Once you are efficient at meal portioning, not only will you set yourself up for weight loss success, but you will be able to afford your gym membership easily with the money your save from the grocery store.  It is a win-win.
• Sit Less. Reducing the amount of time you sit during one time will help your body break up its fat-storing process and will help keep you lean.  One simple way to prevent long periods of sitting is to walk more frequently [1].  Set your alarm clock on your phone to go off every 30 minutes if you are at work and plan to sit for much longer than this.  Walk around for about 5-10 minutes and sit back down.  Repeat this process as much as possible to get cheap results for weight loss.
• Purchase In-Season Veggies. Part of your weight loss program needs to include high consumption of vegetables.  Not only are they low in calories, but vegetables add a high level of nutrients and fiber, in addition to keeping you full for a long period of time.  Consider purchasing your vegetables in-season to help reduce costs at the grocery store [2].
• Early Morning Calisthenics. Calisthenic exercises are exercises using body weight which add great value when no gym equipment is around.  Start your day with a light jog in place for two minutes followed by maximum reps push-ups, crunches, and body weight squats.  Repeat this two more times to get a quick, 7-8 minute early morning quick start to your daily calorie burn.

Cooking for Yourself

Over the next three months, work hard to stay on your budget.  In addition, conquer your weight loss program by following the simple tips above.  Your challenge is to cook at home more often.  Once per month is a good reward for eating out, just heed caution as to what you choose to eat.  For a list of 31 healthy recipe options, refer to this link.

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