The 7 Free and Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Losing weight is not always easy, or free. It can be extremely expensive, when you add up the price of healthy foods, gym memberships, fat burning teas, nutritionist fees, etc… So, here are seven ways to lose weight that are easy, and free!

There’s no hidden fees, gimmicks, or wasting time. You can start implementing all of these things into your daily life to lose weight today.

Just a quick disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, or certified health guru, etc. 

These are just 7 things that I have implemented in my own life that make me feel healthier, happier, and more confident in my own skin.

And that’s really the goal, right? To be a healthier version of the great person that you already are!

And that leads me to another disclaimer… None of these 7 tips alone will help you lose all the weight that you want to shed off. Becoming a healthier you and sustaining those weight goals can only come through a balanced, healthy diet and regular exercise.

It’s all about your lifestyle. And these 7 tips PLUS eating and exercising in a balanced way will put you on the right track for achieving your lifestyle goals and becoming the best version of yourself. 

(Psst. Be on the lookout for some BONUS tips all throughout this post. Yay extras!)

#1. Drink a cup of water right before eating a meal. 

Not only is hydration so important, but filling up your stomach with some water right before you eat any meal or snack will trick your tummy into making it think it’s more full than it actually is!

I love doing this when I’m starving at a restaurant while waiting for my food – chugging a bunch of water makes me feel less hungry and helps me to not eat my brains out in public when my food eventually comes to the table. It’s a way to cut down the cals and curb your hunger!

BONUS TIP!

Try to eat foods that have a high water content – fruits and vegetables, salad, soups, applesauce – in order to boost hydration and make you feel full without piling on those extra calories. 

#2. Don’t eat any food after 8pm. 

Where are my midnight snackers at? Trust me, I am right there with you, but sleepy time is essential for your body to burn fat. Yes, your body can burn fat while you are sleeping. Let your body do the weight loss work for you!

Unfortunately, if you eat late at night, you aren’t giving your body a chance to burn off the fats already stored in your body from the meals you ate that day.

Every night is like a little mini fast – give your body 10-12 hours to burn off all the fuel you have stored by not eating after 8pm until the next morning.

#3. Eat breakfast! 

You’ve all heard it before: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” While it may not be essential to weight loss, eating breakfast can definitely help!

If you follow the above tip by fasting at night, it is even more important that you jumpstart your metabolism in the morning by eating breakfast! In this scenario, eating actually can help you lose weight.

If you are one of those people who don’t wake up hungry in the morning, you don’t need to force feed yourself. Always listen to your body first and foremost.

However, in my own experience, when I eat something light and nutritious in the morning, I find that it stops me from overeating later, and gives me energy to get through the beginning of my day, especially if I’m brave enough to go to the gym.

#4. Find the type(s) of exercise you enjoy the most AND be consistent with it.

There are so many different ways to exercise out there, and at least one of them will work for you. Do you hate exercising? Time to try a different kind of exercise!

For me, I have always despised running. I just can’t stand it. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to get into a steady running routine, but I always give up because I just don’t enjoy that kind of exercise, no matter how good it is for me.

I LOVE dance, aerobics, and biking, so I tend to strive towards those kinds of exercise when it comes to cardio. Instead of lifting weights, I like to do yoga or pilates to tone my muscles instead! 

Find what works for you, whether that be running, playing basketball, swimming, hiking, climbing trees, walking your dog, kickboxing, cycling, etc.

Try a bunch of different exercises until you discover something that you LOVE and makes your body feel great. That’s when you will find yourself settling into a steady, consistent exercise routine. 

#5. Find healthy alternatives for your favorite junk foods (instead of cutting them out of your diet completely).

If a positive attitude improves your mental health, then why can’t a positive diet improve your physical health? Keep it positive by adding healthy food into your diet, instead of subtracting those “unhealthy” foods from your daily diet.

It’s difficult to completely cut off one kind of food from your life. I have tried to go gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, even cookie free! Most of the time, I end up binging on that thing that I hoped to completely cut out of my diet for good. It’s like going cold turkey after being a smoker all of your life.

Instead, I choose to find alternatives for all those yummy foods I just can’t give up. Rather than cookies, I eat a big bowl of fresh fruit. I have rice cakes or sourdough instead of white bread. To replace a slice of cheese, I’ll eat a slice of avocado. You see how it goes! Positivity, not negativity.

Add healthy items, instead of just taking away the bad. 

BONUS TIP!

If your personal goal is to go gluten or dairy free (or sugar-free, or meat-free, whatever your heart desires), use this strategy to slowly wean yourself off those foods instead of cutting yourself off all at once. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Give your body time to adjust to your new diet! 

#6. Treat yourself. 

I believe that you can enjoy chocolate cake and still lose weight!! Yes, you can enjoy all those delicious, totally unhealthy treats you love to pieces AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT. 

Becoming a healthier, happier you is all about balance. There, I give you permission to eat your chocolate cake – in moderation. 

Reward yourself for working out 5 times this week. Treat yourself for only drinking water for the past 48 hours. Give yourself a sweet present for eating salad for lunch every other day.

Losing weight is hard work, and it’s not the end of the world if you eat a candy bar or a bag of chips every now and then. Don’t make yourself miserable – give yourself credit for your hard work!

Encouraging yourself through rewards will only make you more motivated to meet your next goal! 

#7. Follow social media accounts that INSPIRE you to be more healthy, fit, and happy.

Now, I am not saying to go on Instagram everyday and cry over pictures of models with “perfect” bodies and “perfect” lives. That’s not inspiration.

There are so many passionate people out there making blog posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, tweets, etc. about their own journeys to becoming the best version of themselves, and they want to help you achieve that goal too!

Find those people who will encourage you to fight for your own fitness in a healthy way – both physically AND mentally. 

If you want me to make a post about the people online that inspire me to pursue my own health and fitness, comment below! 

Well there you have it – my seven free and easy tips for pursuing your weight loss dreams.

Remember, weight isn’t everything, and there’s more to you than your outward appearance. You are special because you are YOU, and if you appreciate yourself for it, so will everyone else! 

Let me know if you like fitness/health posts like this and want me to do more! I know for a fact that there are more free weight loss tips out there, and I would love to test them out and share the results with you.

Comment below your favorite weight loss tips, and be sure to tell me what you want me to write about next!

Happy Exercising!

Danielle xx