Comments on: Frugal weight loss

By: Abraham

Abraham — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:36:07 +0000

I like to go for weight loss programs for having myself good looking and maintaining it through out. This is a good weight loss program must be followed by one who is really willing to get slim.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:25:17 +0000

I don’t have much to add except that myfooddiary.com was also very useful for me. You can take a tour of the site to see if it would be useful for you.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:12:56 +0000

I have recently faced this problem, as I am trying to get pregnant and this birth will hopefully be a VBAC. That means I have to be in much better shape, but we couldn’t afford a gym membership. I scoured Craigslist for about a month and finally found a good treadmill for $100. This is much cheaper than a gym membership, and I bought a brand that both my sister and mom have, and the best part is, if anything ever needs to be replaced, you can go to the website and replace any individual part. My sister’s treadmill has lasted her 11 years and it’s still going strong, which is why I was great buying a used one (But BE PICKY!!!). As to the WeightWatchers – totally go for it. It is absolutely an investment.

By: Iva

Iva — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:08:53 +0000

Spark People will also help Hope in the accountability department – especially with so many groups that she could join!

It’s a fabulous website and helped me lose 40 lbs! I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:07:18 +0000

First of all GREAT JOB on losing weight!! I’m also a weight watchers member. And the support and morale at my weekly meetings keep me going, not just the accountablity at the scale. But foremost myself and my husband have put my weight loss in God’s hands.

One tip to share is be sure and check out your local library for weight watcher cookbooks and other inspirational books. If your local branch doesn’t carry any then request and have them sent to your branch. I have found that losing weight has boosted my energy level enabling me to do more and given me more confidence eventhough I have only lost only 24lbs with about 80 more to go.

We have save money by eating at home and not out since I know exactly what I’m cooking. Also I found a wonderful Sunflower farmers market next door to my meeting. They have AWESOME deals on produce. Good luck on the weight loss journey.

By: Shari

Shari — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:17:20 +0000

I also have been getting out of debt with Dave’s “Total Money Makeover.” Following along those lines, I use what I like to call the “Total Diet Makeover!”
I have put on about 20 pounds over the last five years due to health issues and the use of Prednisone. The weight went on easy, but wasn’t coming off. I was walking a couple miles a day and lifting weights two days a week, but it wasn’t helping. I realized I was just plain eating too much!
So, now with a little planning (about 5 minutes each morning) I “spend” my daily calories on paper, on purpose, just like a food budget.
I figured if I could stick to our financial budget like I had been, I could stick to this dietary budget. I just eat the meals I planned out on paper, and that is it. NO extra snacking! I have felt hungry for the first time in a long time, and stop eating before I’m stuffed. I am learning to say no to myself and be disciplined in my money and food life. I have started to lose weight and feel better about myself.
It didn’t cost a penny! Hope this helps

By: Shannan

Shannan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:12:58 +0000

I also am on WW and I have found that the online access is a lot more extensive then at spark. I have around 70 lbs. to lose. I have successful lost the weight before my baby! (now 20m old) So I do know it does work. A good way to excercise without the cost is to walk around the mall..before they open is a good time. I have started a blog to help all WW’s with meal planning and recipes. Check it out…it is just in the baby steps right now and is in process of getting a new look so check back for the big reveal. http://www.chubbiechica.blogspot.com

By: Allyson

Allyson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:08:29 +0000

I’m a registered nurse and I lost 70 lbs with Weight Watchers. I am an avid couponer and am always looking to save a buck. But I also believe it’s important to take care of your body (you’ve only got one)! So… my suggestion would be to keep going to Weight Watchers (Like someone mentioned, it’s an INVESTMENT) But maybe since you’re not really using the gym membership find alternative forms of exercise that have been mentioned earlier(ie: walking in the mall, etc…) Good luck.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:08:17 +0000

One other support group alternative is Overeaters Anonymous. There are meetings in most cities as well as online. They don’t require specific diets but the key component of the program is following a food plan (much like the spending plan in Debtors Anonymous). No official weigh-in, but accountability is definitely built-in. Not exactly WW, but maybe a good option for folks who can’t pay for it.

By: Evie

Evie — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:03:26 +0000

I have tried (and failed) most of the diets that are on the market today. I just recently joined Weight Watchers with my daughter and, I have to say, that this is the best program ever. It is not a diet, it is a way to learn how to eat properly. This program is worth the money that I am paying, just to see the look on my daughters face when she loses weight each week. Also, the online interface is worth its weight in gold. Food diary, meal planning, all of it. Money is tight, but this is something that I would find a way to pay for.

Just my opinion.

Eve

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:56:47 +0000

I too have been going to WW on and off for the last 20 years. I was at a point where I thought it was the only way I could loose weight, but cannot justify the cost.

I have been using a website called thedailyplate.com. It has been terrific. It must be similiar to spark people. It is FREE and I just pop in everything I eat and it automatically counts calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc. I have found almost every food I eat is in it’s library so I don’t have to enter anything other than the item. It tells me how many calories I should be eating based on my current weight and the amount of weight I would like to use.

I also enter my weight weekly and the website charts my weight loss (9 lbs in 4 weeks!)

I HIGHLY recommend this to WW junkies who can’t justify WW prices.

By: Wani

Wani — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:38:56 +0000

My husband and I had pretty good results when we went through a free online bible study for people with eating issues. Check it out at:
http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/lords_table/

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:59:27 +0000

I’ve been doing a series at the Frugal Bookworm about the “Financial Costs of Obesity” with some alternatives for how we can make changes and lose weight. Please come on over and read the posts and join us! Tomorrow, I’ll be doing a special post on “Emotional Eating” and how it’s affected me lately.

By: Katie L

Katie L — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:34:54 +0000

I was overweight AFTER the baby weight came off from my first pregnancy, so I decided to train for a triathlon in order to get to a healthy weight before trying to become pregnant again. I found a lot of (FREE)support (including weight loss support & online accountability groups for weekly weigh-ins) at http://www.beginnertriathlete.com. Thinking of exercise as “training” helped me make it a priority, and it felt GREAT to cross the finish line. 18 months after my daughter was born, I finished my second sprint triathlon and had lost 35 lbs. My favorite part about triathlon (or any of its component sports) is that so much of the training can be done outside– good for the body and the soul!

By: Melynda

Melynda — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:02:08 +0000

Don’t skip breakfast! I know it is popular to think you shouldn’t eat when you are not hungry – and for the most part this is true, however, when you eat breakfast you tell your metabolism to start and you wake your brain up. Feeling tired and sluggish during the day will only make you crave more food so start the day off right with a decent, healthy breakfast and you can help save yourself extra calories, fat, and money food costs later in the day.

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:04:23 +0000

(1) I’d like to say don’t feel bad about not going to the gym as much as you would have liked.

(2) Think about what has worked for you in the past, what is working for you now. Are there activities you did when you were younger, maybe hiking or tennis that you could get back into now?

(3) You’ve lost 25 lbs in 3 months ~ that is great success.

(4) Having a personal trainer may be a good option for you. If you aren’t going to keep your gym membership, perhaps you can look into online personal training. Just be sure to check credentials. One place you may try is http://www.created4excellence.com. If that doesn’t work for you, let me know as I have another link someplace.

(5) Be proud of your accomplishment and keep up the great work!

By: Celeste

Celeste — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:12:54 +0000

I am also a WW member–in fact I just made it to my goal weight 3 weeks ago! After 15 months of paying the monthly fee, I can honestly say it’s worth every penny! I also have a gym membership. The amount of energy I have and my new outlook on life is priceless.

That being said, I know these things do hit the pocketbook. But here’s a couple of bright sides:

1) for WW, when you do make it to your goal and maintain for 6 weeks, you become a Lifetime member and there are no more dues as long as you continue to maintain!
2) think about the cost of being unhealthy–healthcare costs and medication costs are through the roof and they will only get worse! Take care of yourself now to save some of this!
3) on a much smaller scale, I’ve found that losing weight has also helped me fight gas prices–I use my bike and walk so much more than I ever did before!

Keep up the great work!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:05:14 +0000

I found out about this website from somebody once, and I’ve been passing it on ever since– I used to do Weight Watchers Online, but also had to cut it to save money. There is a similar, free alternative called Spark People (www.sparkpeople.com) that lets you track your food (and you get to choose what aspects you track: calories, fat, fiber, carbs, etc.) and your exercise. You get little trophies as milemarkers. AND, they have an online community you can become a part of in order to help motivate you, if you need that accountability or interpersonal support from others attempting to lose weight.

It’s very customizable and easy to use, and they even have recommended meal plans, recipes and other health information. I highly recommend it!

By: Ann

Ann — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:33:39 +0000

Another vote for http://www.sparkpeople.com– it can provide the accountability that Weight Watchers does through either the tracking programs or through the groups.

By: Suzy

Suzy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:10:11 +0000

Although I have never had a weight problem to speak of, the book that transformed how I thought about food was The Weigh Down Diet by Gwen Shamblin. It is a biblically-based weight loss program, and it makes so much SENSE it was stunning to me. I truly now don’t give a second thought to whether or not what I am eating is “good” or “bad” and whether or not I should feel guilty and like a failure for eating something “bad”. Deliverance from the shackles of guilt! It changed my life!