Getting and staying healthy isn’t all about losing weight. But losing weight can be one of the many steps in your fitness journey, and it can help you feel and look better overall. While there are many different tips and tricks available for losing weight and staying healthy, much of this advice comes with a hefty price tag. The typical weight loss programs might not be within your reach if you are on a budget. Below are a handful of tips to help you lose weight, get in shape, and stay healthy without breaking the bank.
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Losing Weight
Losing weight is one of the most sought-after parts of anyone’s fitness journey, as it allows you to be more confident, have more mobility, and generally feel better! At its core, losing weight is all about what you eat, as it requires you to have more calories going out of your body than going in. This creates a calorie deficit. There are many different ways to create a calorie deficit, but you want to make sure you still feel full and satisfied while not over-eating.
Pump Up Your Water Intake
Increasing your water intake is one of the best ways to remain feeling full and satisfied without over-eating. Drinking a lot of water keeps you hydrated throughout the day, but it will also aid your digestive process and better equip you to know when you are actually satisfied. In addition, drinking water helps your skin, attitude, and energy levels, and there are truly endless benefits to drinking large amounts of it. Of course, you should be doing this anyway, but it is even more vital when trying to lose weight.
Skip The Gym Membership
An expensive gym membership might not be the best course of action for you if you’re on a budget. This is especially true when there are days you don’t even go to the gym. Paying $40 or more for a membership can take up a useful spot in your budget. Instead of keeping a gym membership, choose instead to run outdoors or do some pilates or yoga in your local park. You will be working out, but you’ll also be getting much-needed fresh air!
Stick to Whole Foods
Weight loss supplements can do more harm to your body than good, according to recent studies. Generally, a good rule of thumb to follow is that if you can’t pronounce any of the ingredients or don’t know what they are, don’t eat them! Especially when trying to lose weight, sticking to whole, natural foods is the best course of action. You’ll feel and look better, and your body will thank you for not filling it with processed garbage.
Eat a Lot of Protein
High-protein meals are proven to help keep you fuller for longer. This is great for when you are trying to lose weight, as you will be less inclined to snack on things when you don’t feel hungry. Foods high in protein can include meat, beans, certain green veggies, or protein powders/supplements.
There are many budget-friendly protein options. You don’t need expensive steaks. Purchase foods like canned tuna, ground turkey, eggs, or canned beans. If you fill your meals with a lot of protein, you will feel much more satisfied and can go longer until you are hungry again. To calculate how much protein you should have a day, divide your body weight in pounds by 20 and multiply by seven.
Staying Healthy:
Staying healthy and losing weight can mean two different things. Many people want to stay healthy or live a healthy lifestyle. Some people may even have a few extra pounds, yet they are more interested in their health than losing weight. In actuality, this is how it should be. Prioritizing your health over your weight is more effective in the long run. There are a lot of healthy activities that you can do throughout the day that don’t promote weight loss or staying in a calorie deficit. If you are at your goal weight or don’t want to focus on weight loss, below are some budget-friendly tips you can use to stay healthy and maintain your current goals.
Keep Moving
This tip is vital for everyone, especially those who want to stay healthy in their everyday lives! Always keep moving, whether through formal exercise at the gym, walking on a home treadmill, or playing with your kids in the park. Tracking your steps is one great way to ensure you’re getting enough standing and movement time in, and you can usually do this right from your phone.
Buy Non-Perishables
Buying non-perishable food items is one great way to maintain your healthy eating patterns without breaking your budget. For example, canned beans or veggies, stable grains like pasta or rice, and tea or coffee are great things to stock up on that won’t go bad in your pantry. It’s always good to keep some of these non-perishable items in stock in your home so that, even if you don’t have a meal planned, you can always have something healthy to eat.
See also: Budget-friendly Ways to Meal Prep
Meditate
While this tip is not food-related, it can be an incredibly great practice for those trying to stay healthy to meditate! Meditation is a centuries-old practice that dates back to early Eastern religions. Meditation can help ground your body and soul in the moment, remind you to be grateful, and re-affirm your goals in your health and wellness journey. Meditation can also give you a peaceful moment during your day to decompress and prepare for the day or week ahead.
Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals out instead of just haphazardly throwing food together is one of the best ways to stick to your budget and stay on your healthy eating patterns. For example, if you go to the grocery store buying only the things you need for that week, you won’t be as tempted to cook something else or order delivery when mealtime rolls around. Additionally, planning your meals allows you to pick out things you want to eat, not just things you have available in your fridge.
Related: 8 Delicious Budget-Friendly Dinner Ideas For You
Make Grocery Lists
Like the last tip, making grocery lists is essential for staying healthy and on your budget. If you go to the grocery store without a list (or when you’re hungry), you will usually pick out many things that you don’t need or won’t eat before they go bad. To prevent this from happening, go to the grocery store after you eat and make a list. And don’t pick up anything outside of the list you don’t need. This will keep your grocery bill smaller and your meals less confusing!
Keeping Weight Off For Good
Staying healthy and losing weight certainly aren’t easy feats. However, if you have a plan and stick to it, you can do both of these things on a budget and sustain them over time. To keep weight off for good or truly stay healthy, you need a strong will and determination to divorce your unhealthy habits. While new habits are difficult to start, they get easier to maintain over time!
