(For more information about my dieting and weight loss, click here. For more information about the specific foods I eat, click here.)
That’s a myth. Seriously. It is. So here’s my first “official” article about losing weight:
How To Lose Weight for Nearly Nothing
A myth that people tend to believe is that they can’t lose weight because they can’t afford it. There are multiple reasons for this and multiple little myths within the larger. So we’ll go through each one a step at a time:
1. “It costs too much for the supplements required for dieting.”
Well, yeah. Those supplements are expensive. But you want to know why this is a myth? Because you don’t NEED them! I started my diet without any extra help from supplements or pills. The only supplement I use right now is a protein supplement so that I can build more muscle. That only costs $12 at your local Wal-Mart and is easily a good supply for about 2 weeks.
2. “You have to use those exercise machines and they are expensive or the gym membership is expensive.”
Who needs machinery? Walking is free. Sit-ups and crunches are free. You’ve probably got heavy items around the house, so weights are free. Heck, I lift my daughter for my bicep curls. She’s not exactly free though. Kids are expensive. Especially girls. But since I already pay for her, might as well get full use of her, right? (That was a joke. So no gasps from the parents about to throttle me.) And this one leads us to another myth:
3. “But I need to use those machines. I weigh too much to do sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, etc.”
No you don’t. Did you know you can do a push-up against a wall? Sure! As you get stronger, you can lower down to a chair. Then as you get stronger, the floor. And then finally, the ultimate, is on the floor with your feet in a chair. Crunches are not nearly as bad for your back as sit-ups. And you don’t need to push too hard to get the full effect. You can actually do them slower to isolate the muscles for longer and build them quicker. Speed is not an issue when gaining muscle. Less reps with more weight is the key.
4. “But the food! The food is expensive! All that fat-free and sugar-free and taste-free stuff costs tons of pennies!”
Yes. The “dieting” food costs money. But you don’t have to spend it.
5. “What?! I need those foods! They make be burn calories faster!”
You don’t need special food. The secret to dieting that the makers of those diet foods don’t want you to know is that you can eat anything you want within reason. No, you can’t eat a gallon of ice cream in one sitting and expect to lose weight. But, you can take your favorite foods and limit the amount you eat and increase the number of times you eat it. Sure, I use Slim-Fast bars, but I can buy a month’s supply for only $60.00, and that handles 2/5 of my eating for the day. The rest is oatmeal and homemade meals, which also don’t cost much. Our grocery bill went DOWN after the diets got started in the house because we weren’t spending $5.00 for a package of chocolate chip cookies every other day, or $5.00 a piece for those large bags of sugary cereal. You end up eating LESS, and it’s still the stuff you like. I have pizza every week. EVERY week.
Let me see, I’ve covered the food, the pills, and the exercise. Ahh, yes…
6. “It costs too much TIME to exercise and diet. I can’t eat 5 times a day like you do.”
No. It doesn’t. If you’ve seen my videos, you’ll see me doing a chair dance at the end. That’s exercise. I do that at my computer all of the time while I work. And eating 5 times a day is easy. The snack bars I use are easy to much while doing other things. I just ate one while writing this. So don’t tell me you don’t have the time. The time you don’t have is the time at the end of your life that you’re losing for being out of shape! Did you know you can increase your life expectancy by almost 50% just by losing 10-15% of your body weight if you’re obese? Seriously. I’ve lost 20% of my beginning weight so far. So if I was going to live to, let’s say 50, because I was severely obese, well, now I’ll live more like to 75 just from losing that weight and keeping it off. 25 years! Why save minutes now when you can save years later?
So even if it’s truly hard to find the time, make it. Do push-ups every time you pass a wall. Eat homemade/natural foods that can fit in your hand (like sandwiches, burgers, carrots, etc.) so that way you can eat them while doing something else.
So, now you don’t have any excuses. It doesn’t cost extra money or time to lose weight. As a matter of fact, you will SAVE money and time.
DIET DIARY
Numbers from Today
Blood Sugar: 124
Weight: 283.6
Food and Exercise from Yesterday
Fluids: Water (16 oz - 5 times a day)
Exercise:
The “Pre-Brush Routine” by Dennis Rosato on Israel’s Fat Man Unleashed.
Meal 1:
Oatmeal
Multivitamin
Snack 1:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 2:
Cheeseburger
Fries
(From a local diner)
Snack 2:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 3:
Oatmeal
Now for the video portion of my diet diary:
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By Steve v4.6 on Jan 3, 2008 |
Excellent post. It doesn’t cost anything to lose weight. My own loss of 112 pounds over the last seven months actually cost me less- because I was eating less of the more expensive crud I formerly consumed with gusto: fast food, pre-made stuff you just heat at home, and a lot more.
By Saphrym on Jan 3, 2008 |
Wow! Great job Steve! And yeah, that’s the way I was too.
By Fat Man on Jan 4, 2008 |
I can’t seem to look away from the video…
Have you ever tried two a days?
Fat Man’s last blog post..Lifting Weights After Surgery
By Saphrym on Jan 4, 2008 |
Two a days?
By c5 on Jan 8, 2008 |
Wow…what self-control! The fact you can record everything down is amazing!:)
c5’s last blog post..Goldsmith Jewelry Giving Away 1-Carat Diamond Stud Earrings As Contest Prize
By June - how to lose weight quickly on Jan 25, 2008 |
wow Steve! 112 pounds in seven months is amazing! You must be so pleased. I have lost 70 pounds in 2007, and I thought I had done something remarkable until I saw your post! I agree that losing weight doesn’t have to cost a lot. Gaining weight costs plenty. All those pizzas and beer and fancy Starbucks drinks add up! I am using a form of mediation and something called EFT tapping to help me keep the weight off. Maintenance has always been the stumbling block for me.
By Saphrym on Jan 25, 2008 |
@June - So, explain the EFT tapping… I understand meditation, but what IS EFT tapping?
By June - how to lose weight quickly on Jan 25, 2008 |
It’s explained on my site at http://www.thinkyourweightaway.com, but in short, its a component of what people are calling the new Energy Medicine (although Eastern cultures have worked with energies for centuries). You tap with your fingers on energy points like the ones used in acupuncture. While you are doing this, you focus on what it is you are trying to accomplish. For example, if you are craving or obsessing about eating a bag of salted peanuts, for example, you focus on your craving while you do the tapping. The craving disappears like magic. It sounds weird, but its amazingly effective. There is a movie coming out shortly about tapping. It’s called Try it for Everything, and its the same bunch of people who did The Secret. I’m predicting tapping will become hugely popular once the movie hits. However, unlike The Secret, you don’t have to believe in it for it to work. It works whether youre skeptic or converted. EFT Tapping is good for many other things as well, such as removing phobias, curing post traumatic stress disorder and a whole range of other things. The official web site is http://emofree.com
By Saphrym on Jan 25, 2008 |
@June - Thanks for the information. It’s greatly appreciated. Do you happen to be a member of Entrecard? I couldn’t find the widget anywhere.
By June - how to lose weight quickly on Jan 25, 2008 |
No, I just discovered Entrecard. I’ll try and install it now and let you know
By Saphrym on Jan 25, 2008 |
@June - You do that. Because then I can stick you in my Daily Read.
By June - how to lose weight quickly on Jan 25, 2008 |
Hmmm. Looked into it a bit and I guess I better hold off until I get a blog up and running to complement the weight loss web site.
By Saphrym on Jan 26, 2008 |
@June - Make sure to let me know when you do.
By herbalpowerpack on Feb 2, 2008 |
Well i use the Herbalife product. They work for me very well. But the $$$ is a drawback. I am trying had to do the lifestyle change. I am a new Dady and i want to be there next year. 300+ pounds . but with a good diet pland and the products to help me in the tought spot. I am doing well , 2 pounds a week/every week so far. My doctors said that should be my target. Soon i will be under the 300.
Weightloss is not something easy. I know! I take it a day at a time and think about my little girl. That motivates me a lot!!
By krrey_boo17 on Feb 12, 2008 |
Hi Saphyrm! I just want to check if you’ve gotten my comment on my post for your EC contest. Its my latest post in my blog @ http://renderingsilence.blogspot.com ! Thanks and have a great week!
krrey_boo17’s last blog post..Saphrym’s Losing Weight For Nearly Nothing
By Dr. Kal on Feb 19, 2008 |
I lost and have kept off over 130 pounds without spending a large amount of money. It can be done. Money helps, but it is not necessary.
Dr. Kal’s last blog post..Overweight Children
By Nikolai on Feb 24, 2008 |
I blogged about one of your posts and included links to that post and this contest page. I hope to be a winner
Here is the page address: http://www.oblife.com/health-fitness/2008-02-24/losing-wieght-and-not-spending-money-doing-it/
Thank you,
Nikolai
Nikolai’s last blog post..Losing weight and not spending money doing it
By penny stocks list on Feb 26, 2008 |
thats nice piece of info
thank you for sharing it
good job
By Barbara LIng on May 5, 2008 |
Great article! I lost 50 pounds myself back in 2007 and agree with everything you wrote, especially
>> Who needs machinery? Walking is free. Sit-ups and crunches are free. You’ve probably got heavy items around the house, so weights are free. Heck, I lift my daughter for my bicep curls <<
I did the same thing.
Enjoy,
Barbara
Barbara LIngs last blog post..How kids can make money on the Internet online - The beginning of the experiment