Spill the beans... on cheap ways to get in shape this "summer"

Idiophreak

I'd echo what everyone above has said re: running. It's free and on your doorstep. More specifically, I'd recommend finding your local parkrun and trying to do that as frequently as possible - running amongst other people is much easier and less scary. When no racing, running as slowly as possible for as long as possible is the key to weight loss. Finally, I've found strava.com to be incredibly motivational for both running and cycling - gives you times to beat, targets and you can see what your friends have been up to, too.

The only bit of kit I'd particularly recommend is a medicine ball. I bought a cheap one from Argos with Nectar points and it can ruin my abs in a 10 minute session...brilliant for building core strength.

stewb

Cycle and walk as much as poss. Cycling is usually quicker than anything else for journeys of a mile or two - door to door and rarely are there parking problems. Find safe routes using back streets if you're not confident. Lots of councils print route maps with good back street routes and off road paths.

Also, if you need to lose fat (not weight!), you need to retain muscle mass to get in good shape. That means some form of resistance exercise if you are reducing calorie intake, or you will lose fat and muscle.

Finally, a little known fact. As you lose fat, and especially if you don't work on retaining muscle, your calorie need falls. If you go back to your old diet your weight will go up quickly, as you don't need as many calories. This is why people rebound from diets to a higher weight and body fat % than before they dieted. I highly recommend the Body Fat Solution book by Tom Venuto if you want to know more about successfully losing fat and keeping it off.

Cedges

I have recently joined The Back to Netball Scheme aimed at ladies that have not played for a while (mostly since school) or have never played - Its ideal for someone like me that is enthusiastic but not very fit and therfore terrified at the thought of joining an already established league type team. Local sessions can be found by googling "Back to Netball". Session prices vary but are generally cheap - mine in East Dulwich, South East London is only £3 and a new one is going to be starting near London Bridge soon that is free - can't get cheaper than that!

And I've just got rid of my car and bought a bike - only £130 from Decathlon with lights and I'm trying to cycle most places locally - I've been using google maps cycling direction to plan my routes to avoid main roads and bus routes.

:j

electrobix99

Eat less and move more :-)

Jude4488

The golden rule of weight loss is a freebie: Not all calories are created equally.

It is a lot easier to fill your belly and feel full with fibrous veg which is low-calorie, fat free and full of your essential vits and minerals. On the other hand calorie dense foods like sugar in all it's forms from cake to coke is hi-cal and has zero nutritional benefit.

This will also help you achieve the calorie deficit you need (consuming less calories than you burn off in a day) to lose weight while also feeling full.

Exercise is a catalyst to the above. I recommend bodyweight exercises, google bodyweight plans. A chin-up bar is a cheap investment which is fantastic for developing upper-body strength, toning up and burning calories.

The beauty of putting on a little muscle in this way is that muscle, unlike flab, is metabolically active. This means that it needs calories just to be maintained. So it's a double winner, you lose fat putting it on and you continue to lose fat (by burning more calories) by keeping it on!

Digdug_2

I have lost a shed load of weight by taking up roller derby - a contact sport played on roller skates, mainly for women but there are men's teams too. Most teams will take on newbies from scratch and teach you how to skate. It is incredibly good exercise and so much more fun than going to the gym, plus you make some great friends and have a laugh!

Totally agree about cycling - of course you have the initial investment in the bike (I paid £70 for a second hand one), but I think I have more than recouped that in saved bus fares! Plus you feel so much better for it.

If you have a Wii in your house make the most of it. You don't need to buy the expensive Wii Fit with the balance board, there are loads of other workout games. My favourite is Exerbeat which has all different aerobics based classes, even karate! Much more fun than doing the same exercise DVD over and over, plus it motivates you to try and improve your scores.

:j

sjg666

I've been dieting on and off (mostly off!) for the last 14 months as my BMI had crept up to the 'overweight' catergory after leaving a physical job for a desk job. Have managed to shift over a stone.

The best things that have helped me:
My biggest problem is that I'm a serious junk food snacker so "Substituting" is great - you still get to eat the things you like and are used to and don't get too many cravings for REALLY bad things - such as:

1. Thick white bread toast for small loaf of wholewhat bread (smaller & thinner) - I went from Kingsmill thick toasty to Hovis Wheatgerm (which is also cheaper)
2. Regular crisps for supermarket value - they're cheap as they're half the size but still tasty! (I've found the Tesco ones to taste better than Sainsburys but haven't tried Asda).
3. Warburtons Thins make a FAB substitute for bread or rolls for a sandwich. They taste lovely and are only 100 calories each.
4. Just 2 dark chocolate squares of chocolate when you want something sweet.
5. If you want a dessert for after dinner (as I tend to!) chocolate mousses are brilliant. Caburys Light mousses (4 packs) taste FANTASTIC! You wouldn't even know they're a 'light' option. Or Tesco Light Choices are good too - and cheaper.

I also decided to buy a cross trainer (around £100 from Amazon) rather than joining a gym that I probably would never go to and can't make any excuses as I don't even have to leave my flat! These and exercise bikes do also pop up now and again on Freecycle and the freebies section of Gumtree which would make it even more of a bargain.


Also fitness DVDs are cheap and brilliant (as long as you're strict enough to do them properly and not just take a break every 2 minutes). A couple of the well known ones also seem to be on youtube if you want to sample before buying (as there are a LOT of them out there).



Use a free calorie tracker (I use myfitnesspal on my phone AND online). Make sure you list EVERYTHING though - including drinks. You'll be so suprised at the nutritional values of some of the things you take in.

Idiophreak

electrobix99 wrote: »

Eat less and move more :-)

Just in case anyone takes this too seriously, I really don't find this to be the best approach.

I've tried a number of combinations over the years...and the best I've found for sustained weight loss? Eat more and move more. If I try cutting back on food, whilst increasing exercise I find

1) I feel weak during exercise. I can't push as hard, burn as many calories or build as much muscle.

2) I get sick very frequently, causing breaks in training.

3) I start to develop an unhealthy relationship with food.

It should be noted, of course, that I generally eat a decent diet anyway...so if I increase my exercise, I quickly rack up a significant calorie deficit, which causes the above effects...


Another "rule" that's worth mentioning on this thread is "treat weight loss as a by-product". Train for a race, an event, a tournament, or just play a sport you enjoy...don't focus on losing weight, just focus on having fun and doing your best. If you've your nutrition right, the weight loss will fall into place, but it won't seem nearly as arduous as stepping on the scales every morning and counting calories...

WelshWoofer

pauliboo wrote: »

Does anyone know anything that a physically disabled person can do?

I go to physio every week, but the exercises aren't going to lose me any weight.

I have arthritis in my hip and lower back so walking is out of the question.

My sister has cerebral palsy and balance issues so I bought her a chair based exercise DVD to try. Its improved her strength and tone and combined with healthier eating can help you lose weight.
Go to Amazon and search chair based exercise. Loads of books and DVDs should come up - also try ebay. You shouldn't have to pay more than a few pounds.
Good luck !

chilledbunny

Someone mentioned alternate day fasting - which isn't for everyone ( I certainly couldn't do it long term) but I am trying the 5-2 plan - 5 days of normal eating, and 2 days of restricting your calorie intake. I split them up (i.e. have a normal eating day in between my 2 restricted days). I've only just started, so can't comment on the results just yet!

The recommendations I've seen are for women to have 400-500 calories on a 'fast' day and men around 600. There are lots of health benefits too (lower cholesterol and other markers, supposed to help the brain and stave off dementia) - check out this week's horizon program on BBC iplayer (available for next 4 days) which is all about this topic to find out the amazing results the presenter got after 5 days on the 5-2 plan. An added bonus is saving money on food.