Dieting can be one of the most stressful periods of your life. While giving up a bit on food and exercising a bit more, your body is quite ready to deal with the money crisis your diet might cause. There are a ton of crash diets on the market that aim at taking your hard earned money from you. You can even spend hundreds of dollars a month to have your food mailed to you. With these ten tips you can forget about spending more money while you diet and focus on the task at hand, losing some weight. With the added stress of financial issues gone you will find that the weight will come off a little bit faster than it normally would.
1. Avoidance
We all know having junk food in the home while we’re on a diet is probably not a good idea. Those moments where we feel a little bit weak can turn into a full on fiesta of cookies if we aren’t careful. So, it makes sense to keep away from junk food altogether. When your at the grocery store try sticking to the fresh aisles so you won’t ever have to be tempted by the junk food in the center aisles. The shopping mall is another bad place to visit, because the smell of the food court tends to dominate the entire shopping area. The assortment of food at the mall is typically bad for you too. If you’re planning on doing some shopping make sure you eat first and keep the food court well out of site. Certain areas of town where fast food is rampant should usually be labeled a black zone, at least while you’re dieting. If you really feel tempted to pull over for something on your way home from work try backing a piece of fruit with you so you can ease the hunger pains without ruining your diet. Avoiding these things will really keep you on your diet and can also keep some money in your pocket.
2. Gym Membership
If you’re signed up for a gym you know how much the monthly cost can really set you back. If you’re already living on a tight budget and need a little extra exercise for your diet try dropping the membership for awhile. One you pay the membership fee and drive to and from the gym you’ve already wasted time and money. Instead try putting on your running shoes and taking a jog around the neighborhood. You might even get a group of friends together to start a jogging or walking club that can leave you feeling even more fulfilled with your diet. Yoga is another great activity that will give you the toning potential your looking for in the comfort of your own home. You can even catch free yoga classes on the internet or t.v. In fact, there are a lot of free programs on the t.v. that will give you a great workout without costing you anything extra. If you find your schedule is a little more cramped than normal then do exercise while doing household chores. There are many websites and videos dedicated to these exercises so make sure you do your homework before you begin.
3. Online Support
The internet can be a great asset when it comes to saving some cash on your diet. You can actually find free support groups that are dedicated to helping you take off the weight without receiving a penny. Many of the most popular weightloss systems, like Jenny Craig, will offer you free advice so you can get the weight off. If you don’t really feel like you need to join a support group then you should still utilize the internet to help you lose. There are a wide assortment of free healthy recipes online that can help you shed pounds. Sometimes, you might even get lucky and find free advice from personal trainers or question forums for doctors. These things alone can be a great addition to your weightloss plan and don’t cost you anything more than your internet connection.
4. In Season Foods
You can’t argue that eating fruits and vegetables are a great way to shed some of your extra weight. However, if you don’t know what to buy or how to shop for produce you might find yourself losing a lot of money that you shouldn’t be. When looking at fruits and vegetables you should always look for things that are in season. This is usually pretty clear at the grocery store because these items will usually be in abundance and will cost a whole lot less than some of the other foods. If you start aren’t quite sure what is in season then look it up online or ask your local grocer. Of course, you could always just follow the sales on items. By looking for in season foods you’ll save a lot of money, but will also be able to create some really tasty foods that will help you get rid of some of your excess pounds.
5. Know Your Body
Many people will often suggest a lot of diets for you to try, which could end up costing you a lot. The best thing to do is get to know your body. If you have a hard time eating meats then Atkins diet probably isn’t for you. If you feel weak eating fewer calories then you know you need to exercise more. You don’t have to take every piece of dieting advice that comes your way. Instead look up the diet and consider what it is actually targeting. If you’ve tried something similar or know the plan won’t work for you then there is no reason to pay money in hopes that a miracle might happen. You will know your body better than everyone else does, so simply look into everything before you try. It will save you time, money and stress that you could be devoting to something that might actually work for you.
6. Cheap Meats
It might not sound ideal, but if you’re on a high protein diet you might want to look into alternative cuts of meat. Meat can be one of the biggest expenditures in a grocery store, so getting put on a high meat diet can really put a wrench in your budgeting. Instead of ordering the prime cuts of meat try to think cheaper. There are many cuts of meat such as liver that are pretty low cost and pack quite a bit of protein and other nutrients your body needs to healthily drop the weight. Most organ cuts will be the best for the price and will help you provide your body with what it needs. There are even many recipes that can help offset some of your aversions to the cut if you don’t particularly enjoy the meat.
7. Portion Control
One of the easiest ways to cut down on spending while dieting is to utilize the portion control method. There are many reasons to keep track of the appropriate portions. Of course, getting the proper amount of nutrients and not over eating is one of the biggest incentives when it comes to keeping track of your portions. However, when you cook with portions in mind you are also making a lot less food. This will save you money and prevent you from throwing out the food you don’t actually eat. Cutting down on snacking is also a great way to cut down on the grocery bill. Try to eat a few small meals and if you really have to add a cheap snack in between. A piece of fruit is typically one of the best ways to eat cheap while still eating something that will work great with your diet.
8. Say No To Gimmicks
Everyone knows that the best way to lose weight is to each right and exercise. For some reason we always seem to fall into some gimmick or another though. Diet pills are one of the worst gimmicks out there. The idea of losing weight faster by taking a simple capsule is pretty ideal, of course we end up paying a good chunk of cash for something that doesn’t really help at all. Diet pills are also incredibly bad for the system and can actually cause you to gain weight by slowing down your metabolism due to dependance. Crash diets are another big no in the world of dieting. Most of them force you to buy shakes or food bars that don’t last you week and cost you quite a bit. You will also go nowhere with the perfect body in a week scams that you see on television. Chances are that is a work can cause you to lose 30 pounds in a week you won’t want to move by the end of the week.
9. Water Filtration Device
Water is the essence of life and you can never go wrong with drinking this zero calories beverage, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. When you are dieting try to drink as much water as possible, it will not only cleanse your system but will keep you filling full and energized for a long time. Drinking a class of water first thing in the morning can also jump start your metabolism so you will burn calories a bit faster each morning. Buying bottled water can be incredibly expensive though, which is why you should make sure you have a water filtration device in the home. This will allow you to have clean water whenever you want it, while keeping hundreds in the bank.
10. Dieters Unite
Although it might seem like a simple trick, finding others who are also dieting can be a huge help for you. If you can create a group for people who are trying to lose weight then you can guarantee some success on your end. Having fellow dieters will give you people to go shopping with. This will prevent you from eating fast food or buying from the junk food aisle when you know you shouldn’t. Dieters groups also ensure that you will always have a buddy to go jogging with so you don’t have to be alone while doing the activity. You can even have weekly luncheons where you share recipes and eat salads and other healthy potluck meals. With someone else always watching your back when it comes to your diet plan you will keep away from the expensive diet plans and stay on track with your health food craze.
It is no myth that dieting is pretty tough, but with these ten tips you can skip out on some of the hardships and cut down to the diet plan you know will work the best. With money out of the way and temptation put behind you you will certainly find a way to take the weight off and keep it off before you even notice how hard you’ve worked for your goal!
Author: Chelsey McQuitty
