I’m out of shape and I need to lose weight!
Traditional Paths To Lose Weight
I’m out of shape, there, I said it with only a tear in the corner of my eye. In the past, I would go searching for a gym membership at some fitness club. The pricing for the fitness clubs that I could afford would range from $40 to over $90 a month. The of course you could always hire a personal fitness trainer (but this is definitely something that I couldn’t afford). Finally at the uber-high end of paying for fitness you could buy membership to a country club. I would faint if I told you the pricing for this luxury (some are over $20,000 per year)!
Now to be fair, there are perks in joining fitness clubs and country clubs that go beyond the goal of losing weight and becoming more healthy. Socialization is one such goal, Prestige (or bragging rights) is another. For someone at my level of income, I can’t afford such luxuries.
Cheap Ways to Lose Weight
Over time, I learned that there are cheaper, although not as exciting way to lose weight. Below is a quick list of some of the easy ways to be healthy both physically without spending a ton of cash:
- Purchase a weight bench and weights or some other piece of proven fitness equipment (and use it!).
- Exercising to morning fitness programs on TV.
- Take strolls around the neighborhood at night (of course you need to live in a safe area and go with a buddy).
- Calisthenics – pushups, situps, leg squats combined with a sensible diet works wonders really!.
- Mowing the lawn.
- Taking the dog on walks (good for the dog and you, of course you need to have a dog…)
The methods above are things I’ll be doing in addition to the next topic below!
Getting Paid To Lose Weight
I’m not talking about getting huge, then going on some diet losing half your body weight (blob to babe) kind of deal…
My idea is to find ways to get paid while losing weight, it’s that simple! So let’s say that you have a buddy that has a law mowing business. You should talk to him and see if he has work for a few hours to five hours per week that you could get paid for. Of course you would have to be reliable and stick to it for at least a year. This approach could be a win-win for both you and your buddy.
Another approach would be to make videos about it and post them on youtube. Of course you would have to be entertaining… Perhaps while doing your video you can dress up as something silly (like Fred, nuff said!). This approach is a long shot, but it could be a lot of fun to do in the process!
Oh, one finally point on getting paid to lose weight, if you do find a way to make money while losing weight, use the money for something that rewards you for doing so (I’m not talking about buying ice cream either)! I mean something like a small vacation after a few months of losing weight work, or maybe a small shopping trip to the store, or paying down extra on your debt… Make the money gained by losing weight targeted to something fun or rewarding!
Thinking to Lose Weight
The point of this article is that you don’t have to let the past define the technique you use! You can think outside of the box on this and come up with entirely new ways to make fitness work for you! You might even come up with a system that is so much fun that you can market your idea and become rich (Zumba comes to mind)!
So today, I’m officially back on the weight lose wagon and I want to make a little money (or at least do it cheaply) while doing so!
MR
I always believe that in order to lose weight you HAVE to diet. Exercise alone won’t do it. My friend who is a nutritionist always tells me this: Diet to lose weight. Exercise to get healthy.
I agree, I’m going low carb this time around (it works well for me).
Amen. Exercise is only half the battle. You have to monitor what you put in your mouth. Keep a lean diet and you will see the results. I am on a meat, vegetable and barely any fruit diet. It’s the only way you can truly get shredded.
Sounds like a great path you are following! Eventually I would like to be on such a diet (or perhaps I should say style of eating) too.
Well, I don’t believe that you have to necessarily diet provided you burn enough calories. Michael Phelps did not diet but burned tons of calories. Now if you aren’t training for the Olympics, dieting might be required. But I suspect eating healthily would be a first good step.
I have new motivation after going to the financial blogger’s conference. I was surprised how many people were in great shape!
As for diet, I’m going low carb (maybe south beach)…
Buy 4 hour boy! Great book not that expensive will be a good start.
I am trying to get paid to lose weight…I am in the midst of trying to set up a body-fat loss competition with friends.
Sounds like great strategies!
I especially like the body-fat loss competition (as long as nobody goes too low in body fat…)
It is very simple eat less and increase your activity. I lost 35 lbs a long time ago and kept it off. Now I enjoy being active and eating well.
All true. The funny thing is I don’t eat a lot now, but I don’t move enough either. I’m still down from the beginning of the year though 🙂
Have you tried eating smaller meals throughout the day? 7am, 10am, noon, 3pm, 7pm… It’s suppose to keep your blood sugar rate stable and help you eat less.
Good idea about making money. Maybe advertise in craigslist that you can help move or something like that. 🙂
Nice Add! I like the craigslist idea! I need to use Craigslist more often…
smaller meals would be good to. I think perhaps after I lose 30 or 40 pounds I’ll do that.
I feel your pain. Blogging by itself doesn’t lend itself to physical activity. Add this to a desk job and you really have to search to find exercize time, not easy with a family.
Create a blog, dedicated to your challenge. This seems like the perfect accountability partner. It might make a few bucks too.
I know, Yakezie lifestyle weight loss blogger group!
Hmmm, not a bad idea 🙂
I might consider that if I ever get time, right now I’m too busy as is or at least it seems like I am .
Hmmm, I really have to consider that, nice idea! The more I think about it the more I like it.
All the best on your quest, MR.
Cinching in an extra notch or two on the belt to where it’s a little uncomfortable, is a good little reminder that that extra muffin needs to stay on the table…
Very true, I would love to get down to an athletic shape again.
I loss 45 lbs in 10 weeks and kept it off. However, I tried so many things that failed before I found what worked for me. That was the most important lesson of it all. Essentially, many fitness programs work, but the key is finding what works for you.
The best I’ve done was 18 in 2 weeks. but it slowed drastically after those first 18 pounds.
I really want to change my lifestyle so that it’s not a temporary thing, but instead a permanent change in my lifestyle.
really creative! I always build in extra movement into my day. It helps keep the metabolism up
I think mowing lawns would be easiest for me since I have a buddy that has a small side business doing this already. The problem is that it’s fall, so even if I did start it, I would only be a few week max… I’ll have to keep thinking…
From a person who’s mom describes herself as “round like barrel”, I’ve always been paranoid about putting on too much weight.
Every time I work out, I feel so great afterwards and I wonder “why don’t I do this for myself more often?” I still haven’t figured out that answer yet. Periodically I’ll reach a point of being totally disgusted with myself and get back on the wagon, but it’s always been a yo yo thing with me.
I’m not sure I agree with the 80% diet, 20% exercise rule. I’ve never been able to lose weight with diet alone. I think the reason is mainly because I tend to gravitate to more crappy foods when I’m sedentary because I don’t have as much energy as when I do when I’m exercising. Plus, the last thing you want to eat is something greasy that will bog you down during a workout. Exercising actually helps me eat better in more ways than one.
I never really thought about it, but I sure you are right. When you exercise, you have more energy so you eat better because you feel better. Kind of like the multiplier effect in economics!
I’m actually thinking of creating a minimalist exercise routine. Where I do repeatable actions each day or on certain days. Perhaps staring the day with 3 sets of situps, pushups and leg bends…
Luckily, my metabolism still keeps me going. I do walk quite a bit and when I don’t walk that much, I am riding my bike to and from work. I like to kill two birds with one stone… just like your idea of mowing the lawn. I love the idea. Then again, I hate mowing lawns. I have done a life’s share of lawn-mowing and I’m only in my mid 20’s.
I hear you there! I started mowing lawns when I was 7… The bad thing is I was allergic to grass pollen, so I would be coughing the entire time with my nose running (talk about rough)…
Later I got allergy shots, so it’s not as bad, but still not fun…
Perhaps I can think of something better or even hard charity work! That would be a great win too.
I wish I could blog while running, then I would be incredibly fit.
I agree that it has to be a combination of diet and exercise, unless the diet is already very healthy. It is a matter of math: burn more than you take in. However, you do need muscle to help burn calories, and we all lose muscle mass as we get older unfortunately.
I am trying to get in as many outdoor activities as I can before the bad weather strikes. Yesterday I took an hour trimming shrubs and such and it was a workout for sure. I love if I can combine activity with productivity.
Awesome, that reminds me, I need to get out on the deck today and enjoy the sunlight!
It’s been an unbelievable October so far for great weather 🙂
I love the idea of doing physical activity that pays you, while you lose weight doing it. Exercise that actually accomplishes something (in addition to improved health) is my favorite kind. Well, except for scuba diving in the Caribbean, maybe that’s actually my favorite 😉
I’ve been scuba diving in a swimming pool, but that’s about it. I would love to scuba dive in the Caribbean… I’m so jealous…
Great idea with the lawn mowing business. Garden design and landscaping are other great ways to get paid while getting in shape. Many times, you’ll be moving heavy rocks, old wood, and garden supplies when redesigning gardens. You’ll start to see improvements in health in no time at all!
Nice Add! Landscaping would be a great workout 🙂
Another way to kind of make money (or rather save) is to swap a coffee date with pals for a run date and a coffee at someones house at the end of the run…. You’ll save your $2-$15, prob will avoid eating any cake and feel good off the endorphins.
Nice add! I like the social benefit that’s involved with such a coffee run too!
In the last two years I have been able to lose 30 pounds. Before that I always struggled with up and down cycles. What has worked for me is regular consistent exercise- something moderate for 30 minutes minimum 5 days a week and a good diet. I went vegetarian over a year ago and it made a huge difference. I feel so much better and look better too.
Best of luck with your quest. Keep up posted to your progress.
If I could lose 30 to 40 lbs, I would be pretty happy with my weight too!
Congratulation on your lifestyle change that made your weight control possible. What you accomplished is what I’m striving for!
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