Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, and many of these people want to lose weight. Bookstores are fully stocked with diet books, and television commercials promote expensive weight loss methods, including home gym equipment and weight loss shakes. Although you can spend a lot of money trying to lose weight, it is not necessary. You can still succeed at losing weight using fast and free methods as long as you have determination and put in the necessary effort.
EXERCISE MORE
You need to burn more calories than you consume when you want to lose weight. Exercise is essential to losing weight, and while you can join a gym, exercise can also be free. Brisk walking, jogging, dancing and even gardening can be excellent, no-cost forms of exercise. You need to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes, five times per week, but you may need more exercise to lose weight.
LIFT WEIGHTS
Add weightlifting to your exercise routine. Lifting light to moderate weights two to three times a week can tone your muscles, which can help you lose fat and inches. Increasing your muscle tone can also increase your weight loss because muscle burns more calories than fat.
CUT CALORIE INTAKE
Cut your daily calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories each day, which can help you lose up to two pounds per week. Keep a food diary in which you record everything you eat, which may reveal sources of extra calories that you can reduce. Following an expensive diet is not necessary; simply eat more fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.
DRINK MORE WATER
Increasing the amount of water you drink can benefit your weight loss efforts. Drinking more water can actually save you money compared to the cost of expensive coffee beverages and sodas, especially if you drink tap water. Drinking eight to 10 glasses of water each day flushes out extra fluid retained by the kidneys, which can decrease retained water weight.