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  Frugal Weight Loss

Staying fit obviously is a matter of will power.  For far too many people, it becomes far too complicated and hits where it hurts, the checkbook.  Here I want to share with you the alternatives to pre-packaged diet plans, trendy and expensive diet pills, expensive gym equipment, or pricey clubs.

Eating Habits

Of course, one of the first things to take a look at is what you eat.  I cannot recommend more highly the free online resource of www.fitday.com .  This completely free tool makes it easy to track your food consumption. At this site, you can fill in a virtual food diary. It's simple to input your information, and it will show you what you've eaten broken down into fat/carbs/protein and alcohol.  It is the most amazing eye opener and probably the best tool I've found for keeping food consumption on track.  Best of all, it costs nothing.  They also have some amazing software you may purchase, but the tool mentioned above is absolutely free and  very user friendly. 

Keeping your calories between 1200-1500 and doing it in a healthier way is much easier when you virtually see where the calories are coming from in a easy to read pie chart.  In no time, you'll see what you need to change to keep your fat low, your protein high, and try to keep as many carbohydrates as possible whole grain.

Whole Grains

You can be sure that any of the expensive pre-package diet meal plans are going to include only whole grains for the carbohydrate portion of their meals.  You don't have to pay for those plans to reap the same reward, do it on your own!

 You don't have to cut carbs altogether, in fact, complex carbs will aid in your weight loss struggle.

Eating and drinking too many calories causes weight gain, not too many carbs. All carbs are not created equal, and those that are refined, processed, and contain lots of added sugar increase your hunger and the likelihood that you'll eat too much. Eating the right carbs, like whole grains, makes you feel full and helps you control your appetite and your weight. Whole grains have a much lower glycemic index than their processed counterparts.

Experts state that diets filled with high glycemic index foods may lead to overeating, obesity and adult onset diabetes. However, low-glycemic foods take much longer to digest, thereby providing your body with a slow, steady supply of energy.

This simple change means switching to whole wheat pasta, brown rice and  whole wheat bread whenever possible.  Read the labels!  Enriched wheat is not the same as whole wheat and will not give you the same benefits.

Exercise

Of course everyone knows they need to exercise.  You don't need to spend a lot of money or join a club.  If you're looking for motivation, again, you have to look no farther than the Internet.  Try visiting www.sparkpeople.com.  This is another completely free site with online tools and message boards to help you get and stay motivated to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Once you've found that motivation, you need an exercise you enjoy. Again, there's no need to buy pricey equipment or join a gym.  It's no great secret that all it takes is about 30 minutes a day of getting your heart rate up to start losing weight.  The trick is find a way to enjoy exercise.  My current new find?  Something we already owned, our kids' Dance, Dance Revolution!  My holiday pounds are dropping off quickly because they asked for this awesome item for Christmas. Half an hour passes quickly, and I'm often going much longer simply because it's so much fun that I'm not even realizing the time.

This is just one example of things you might enjoy, that will get your heart rate up and you may already have around the house.  Do  you have a dog that loves a good walk?  A couple toddlers that love games such as duck, duck, goose?  It doesn't have to FEEL like a workout, it just needs to be enough to get that heart rate up and your body moving.   Take out that old dusty exercising step that you used to use and forget the tapes that went with it, put on your favorite television program or try a music channel so the time flies while you step away.  Mix it up, be a little creative with what you have, but keep that penny in your pocket while you do!  Save it for that new wardrobe you'll be needing.

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