Fastest Free Way to Lose Weight

Losing weight can be difficult, but it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. You can have a healthy steady weight loss without joining clubs, buying special food, paying dues, going to a gym or any of the other ways that people pay to lose weight. In fact, if you eat out at restaurants or fast food places a lot, it may save you money. It does take some planning and determination, but getting to your ideal weight can be absolutely free.

Planning

• Before you begin your weight loss plan, you need to do a little bit of planning. How much weight do you want to lose? According to the Mayo Clinic, aiming for a one to two pound loss per week is healthy and realistic. This means that you have to reduce your calorie intake by five hundred to a thousand calories per day, through a combination of eating less and burning off more. There are many free resources online that will show you the calorie count of foods, as well as free sites such as Sparkpeople, with tools to help you plan and track your diet.

Food

• Find out how many calories per day you need to eat for weight loss. Use free online resources as much as possible. Start to plan your food a week at a time, using a variety of healthy low-fat recipes. Make sure that you get a variety of foods each day, and add treats to the menu, too. Don't starve yourself or make the food plan too harsh; just subtracting some of the worst foods from your usual diet is sometimes enough to start your weight loss. Plan to make this a journey that takes time, not an overnight cure.

Exercise

• You don't need to join a gym or health club to work out. Some of the best and most fun workouts are free. If you haven't exercised in a long time, begin by walking. Even slow strolling or short walks can help in losing weight. If you can only go one block today, aim for a block and a half next week. Slowly increase your stamina until you're ready for other activities. If you're in a bit better shape, have fun with your exercise. Play frisbee or catch with your kids. Walk or run with the dog. Go rollerblading, play basketball, bounce a ball against a wall, hike in the woods, climb stairs in a big building, dance to the radio or favorite CDs. Anything that makes your body move and makes you sweat counts toward exercise for the day, so use your imagination.

Results

• After the hard work, you deserve to see the results. Make a chart for your wall with a graph to mark your weight each week. Make a paperclip chain, adding one clip for every pound you lose. Add a new pushpin to a design board for every pound or half pound of weight loss. However you commemorate the loss, don't forget to treat yourself for milestones. New books or CDs, new earrings or t-shirts, a day of pampering at home, a new herbal tea flavor. You deserve a treat for every five or ten pounds lost. Just don't make it any of the food you've been avoiding. Food shouldn't be a treat anymore, just fuel for your body to make it move more.