Lose The Fat—NOT The Pocketbook

By Hannah Wright

It is summer time and you know what that means…family vacations, weekends at the beach, and hot days spent at the pool. Whatever your plans are, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to shed the big baggy sweatshirt and start sporting around a bathing suit. Are you ready for that? Better yet can you afford to be ready?

It’s crunch time now to lose the weight you’ve gained over the past few months. But that can be really expensive and most of us would rather spend that money on our vacation. Now the question is how can you do both? Here are a few ways to lose weight without spending money:

1. Go for a walk. Walking is one of the most underestimated forms of exercise. A person who weighs 175 lbs. or more can burn 300 calories per hour, just by taking a brisk walk. It is a lot easier on your body and you don’t have to pay to take a walk around the neighborhood. It is completely free and it allows you to get some fresh air at the same time.

2. Make your own protein bars. Protein is needed when trying to build lean muscle mass, but have you ever paid attention to the price of one of those? They can be really expensive and it adds up quick when you are making them a regular part of your diet. Make your own instead. Here is a great recipe to make your own protein bars.

3. Find a workout on TV. Early morning television usually includes fitness programs ranging from yoga to aerobics to weight training. This is a great way to lose weight because local broadcasting is free and these stations generally show a different workout everyday giving your workout variety. If you still have the luxury of dish or cable, look for the channel dedicated to personal fitness twenty-four hours a day. That way finding time in your busy schedule becomes easier and you can set aside time for specific workouts that you enjoy.

4. Do yard work. Get outside and enjoy your yard! Yard work is another great way to lose weight without spending money. An hour of gardening burns about 256 calories and works your arms, legs, and back. Mowing the lawn burns approximately 175 calories per hour depending on how hard you have to push your mower. Plus, doing yard work helps save you money because you are not paying someone else to do it.

5. Drink water. Everyone can afford to drink water…tap water. This is such an inexpensive way to lose weight and losing weight requires the intake of lots of water. The body uses fluids to flush out the system and keep itself hydrated allowing you to be active. Water is also great for an appetite suppressant. If you drink lots of water throughout the day then you are helping yourself eliminate unnecessary snacking and overeating. It’s understandable that drinking water can get a little boring after awhile. Flavor it up! There are powder drink packs you can buy that are relatively cheap, but that can do so much when it comes to adding a little bit of low-calorie flavor.

6. Stop eating out. Eating out can be really expensive and won’t help you lose weight. The obvious problem is never knowing how many calories you are eating when you sit down to eat that greasy burger and fries. Portion control is another problem with eating out. Combo meals are big and there is a lot of emphasis placed on super sizing your meal. By not eating out, you can have more control over what you are eating, and also control over what you are spending. It is more costly to eat out then it is to eat at home–unless you are buying off the value menus at fast food places, and we all know that won’t help the waist line at all.

7. Chew gum or brush your teeth. If you are feeling hungry between meals or while you are fixing a meal, instead of snacking, try brushing your teeth or pulling out a piece of gum to chew. Everyone has experienced the taste of food right after brushing. Not that pleasant. So by chewing a piece of mint gum or getting in a quick brush will help you fight the temptation to snack.

8. Hold it. Holding in your abdominal muscles for ten seconds is the equivalent of doing a sit-up. Next time you’re stuck in traffic or standing in line at the grocery store, don’t get angry at the wait, just get in some much needed ab exercises.

9. Go to grocery store with a plan. This is a big one. If you go to the grocery store with a list of things to buy then you aren’t as likely to buy all the junk you see, because you will know what you want before you get there. Also, don’t go to the store hungry! Going to the store hungry just makes you want to buy anything that looks good, and usually in this situation, everything looks good. If you want to stick to a diet and a budget, then eat before you go and go with a list.

10. Do housework. Housework always seems to be a drag, but think about why that is. It is a lot of work! Work that can be turned into calories burned. Just by doing chores such as ironing, cooking, washing the dishes, and dusting for half an hour you can lose 80+ calories. And more vigorous chores such as vacuuming and sweeping can help you shed 110+ calories per half hour. And don’t forget about washing windows. The up and down movement of washing windows really gets your heart rate up quick and has the potential to burn a lot of calories. Plus, you probably haven’t even realized how many windows you have to clean, and when you do inside and out–that’s a lot of work. It’s a great way to be active and you’ll enjoy the view when you are done.

Learning these simple tricks will help to lose weight in order to look good for your summer plans. But don’t spend all your money doing so. There are simple ways to lose weight and get great abs without spending money.

June 11, 2009 Posted in: Basics to Losing Weight, Exercise