What did you buy that helped you lose weight?

hjohnso5

I’m currently restarting my weight loss journey after losing ~60 pounds three years ago, but have unfortunately gained it all back. My question for those who have had success - are there any tools that you purchased which made your journey easier?

I am trying to prioritize my health, and if that means spending more money to be healthy, I’m ready to do it!

RunnerGrl1982

Best of luck to you! You got this.

I'd say the only worthwhile investment, if you don't already have one, is a food scale. Nothing fancy. Just a food scale.

lalalacroix

Yup. A food scale.

SueSueDio

Another vote for my food scale. Best "weight loss aid" I ever bought!

andysport1

A recipe book = no need to buy take out.

amusedmonkey

I already had a food scale, but I didn't have a bathroom scale. I'll say it's been the best investment along with developing the habit of weighing daily, even when I overeat. Starting the day with the perspective of my weight helps me halt gains earlier than I would have without. There were times I just didn't care and gained anyway, but I kept weighing myself daily because it meant as soon as I started to care, I sprung into action instead of being in denial and dragging it out until I regained everything I lost.

Satisfiedwithbetter

First, rent and watch the “The Perfect Human Diet.” . Second, start investing in Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body. Finally, eat the Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body.

Health has more to do with the quality of food we put in our bodies than everything else combined times ten.

david54life

I agree a food scale and a human scale weighing your self daily and creating a calorie deficits you will lose weight

rainbow198

For me my Nutribullet was definitely a game changer. At first it just helped me to get in my fruits and veggies in protein smoothies.

Eventually I experiment with new fruits and veggies in my cooking and I actually started to enjoy and crave them for the first time in my life.

I started to feel so better and my digestion improved as well. This made me want to keep going and continue to eat healthier.

Later on I started using it for other things such as making the base of my homemade protein bars, sorbets and nice cream, soups and I ground my flax seeds and oats for oat flour too.

Also it's great that it doesn't take up much space and the clean up is really easy.

sijomial

Food scale - very educational where my calories were coming from.

Gym membership (OK, a few gym memberships) - made a huge difference to my strength and fitness.

Bicycles (OK, a few bicycles) - made a huge difference to my fitness.
Garmin bike computer (OK, two of them) - lets me explore beautiful countryside without getting lost.
Membership of a long distance riding association - inspires me to challenge myself.

Couple of books (Lean Muscle Diet by Alan Aragon & Lou Schuler, Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters) - knowledge is power.

neugebauer52

I have been puzzling about this question all morning.... So what did I originally buy to gain all that weight? Maybe lots of food? and drinks? And.....?

NanzyBoek

As someone who loves throwing money at things instead of just taking the sound advice of the above comments, let me tell you, I have bought lots. Work out videos, Exercise equipment, On-line programs, Workout apps, Meditation apps, recipe books, Pills (over the counter miracle kind) etc.

It all works IF you use it. I dont. Ya seem to get caught up in the hype but than I dont use it more than once or twice.

Bottom line: MFP is perfect. Yes a food scale is a big part of that. A blender is amazing and easy to integrate into your routine. Honestly a blender I have consistently used. Even if Im not "dieting". Find your food. What I mean by that is find the recipes of things you LOVE to eat that are good for you. Then add more.

Good luck!

Cassandraw3

The biggest thing for me has just been counting calories accurately. But if I did have to pick a purchase, I would say getting a jogging stroller. It means I don't have an excuse not to run. Plus my son will use it to get me to take him to the park. Those extra couple calories burned (usually 200-300) really helped me.

BattyKnitter

Count me in for another vote for a food scale! Also I really love Beachbody workouts so Beachbody on Demand has been a great subscription for me. But as far as exercise goes just find something you enjoy doing!

zeejane03

I started out with a food scale and a floor scale (for weigh-ins). Lost 50lbs with those very basic items.

Later on I added a good pair of walking shoes, a Nutribullet (for my green smoothies), and then a weight trending app (Happy Scale for apple, Libra for android).

I've been in maintenance for years now and have kept things pretty simple

zeejane03

Satisfiedwithbetter wrote: »

First, rent and watch the “The Perfect Human Diet.” . Second, start investing in Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body. Finally, eat the Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body.

Health has more to do with the quality of food we put in our bodies than everything else combined times ten.

I had hoped the whole paleo craze had run its course, looks like someone is still trying to make money off of it though sigh....

amusedmonkey

zeejane03 wrote: »

Satisfiedwithbetter wrote: »

First, rent and watch the “The Perfect Human Diet.” . Second, start investing in Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body. Finally, eat the Whole Foods that are nutrient rich sources of fuel for your body.

Health has more to do with the quality of food we put in our bodies than everything else combined times ten.

I had hoped the whole paleo craze had run its course, looks like someone is still trying to make money off of it though sigh....

It's an old "documentary" banking on that craze at the time. Nothing we haven't heard before, and not much real practical value.

bronaghCPM

I recently bought some nice leggings and running tops, and was surprised at how much it affected my motivation. So if you are shallow like me, maybe some exercising gear that you like and feel good in??

Espressocycle

I'll chime in with the absolute best cardio machine for a home gym - the Tony Little Gazelle. They're $130 new but you can always find one on Craigslist or wherever for $30. No motors, no computers - just a drop dead simple full body workout. Home elliptical machines are garbage and getting to the gym is hard.

Anna022119

Food scale (already owned a human scale) and a couple of easy cooking books with calories accounted for (Hairy Dieters, UK).

Good luck!

durhammfp

A kitchen scale that measures in grams/pounds/ounces; a human scale; a decent pair of walking shoes--that's about it for me as far as things I thought I needed to buy. I already had an umbrella (useful for walking outdoors in the freezing rain, lol.)

One thing I wish I had thought of, and what I recommend, is getting a kitchen scale that can weigh up to 10 or 11 pounds at least, in case you want to weigh an entire pot of something.

I have also found it helpful to track my ten-day trending weight but I did not buy an app for that. Instead, I borrowed a google sheets template from someone else. There is a link to a free template in the middle of this article: https://medium.com/technology-liberal-arts/the-data-diet-how-i-lost-60-pounds-using-a-google-docs-spreadsheet-80adce62cf5c. I am posting this link here because I find the spreadsheet useful. I am *not* advocating the writer's method for weight loss. It works for him and may not work for others. Personally I am an omnivore calorie counter. To each his or her own. :-)

Also, a free app I find helpful is Google Fit, simply for tracking steps.

Though the template in the article above, as well as the app, are Google-based products, I am sure there are non-Google free alternatives out there somewhere.

I started losing weight on Oct 1, 2018, and so far I am down 34 pounds from an ultimate high of 202.

kimny72

Food scale, a couple of cookbooks, and Powerblock weights (well, I didn't buy them, I asked Santa for them).

Hungry_Shopgirl

Another vote here for a digital food scale. Everything else is a nice bonus to add down the road.

sundaylouwho

Espressocycle wrote: »

I'll chime in with the absolute best cardio machine for a home gym - the Tony Little Gazelle. They're $130 new but you can always find one on Craigslist or wherever for $30. No motors, no computers - just a drop dead simple full body workout. Home elliptical machines are garbage and getting to the gym is hard.

How long have you used yours? It looks interesting, but we had a bulky elliptical for a while that I barely used.

hjohnso5

Thanks everyone - I truly appreciate the responses! I plan to buy a food scale ASAP. Would anyone recommend a heart rate monitor to track calories burned?

poisonesse

An accurate food scale that weighs ounces to the second decimal place and grams. It is SO eye opening to find out how many calories you're really eating, and you won't get that with measuring cups and guesstimating!!! My second purchase was an accurate body weight scale. Yes, you can lose weight and reach goal without one, but you can't really judge on a day to day basis how well you're doing, not just by looking at yourself in the mirror. So for the mental aspect, the feel good aspect, a good body scale is a must. Other than that? A good data base on foods, such as MFP, FatSecret, or FitBit.

poisonesse

@sundaylouwho I owned one of Tony's Gazelles for over 20 years, just tossed it a few months ago. At the time I tossed it, it still worked perfectly, but from keeping it outside on a lanai (porch) for years the electronics in it died, so no idea how hard I was working or how much burn I was getting. And... to be honest, I live in central FL now, it was just too danged HOT! lol Now I use recumbent exercise bike, set up INSIDE where it's cooler. (Couldn't do that with the Gazelle, I'd put one of those foot thingies through tables/furniture/etc with my furniture set up.)

Cassandraw3

hjohnso5 wrote: »

Thanks everyone - I truly appreciate the responses! I plan to buy a food scale ASAP. Would anyone recommend a heart rate monitor to track calories burned?

The best way to figure out if calories burned are accurate is to monitor progress. All heart rate monitors are just taking a guess based on formulas. They are not able to tell you the exact calorie burn.

I have a smart watch (Samsung Gear Sport) and a separate heart rate monitor strap (MyZone). My Samsung watch has been fairly accurate in guessing my daily calorie burn. The MyZone strap grossly overestimates calorie burn (by 150-300 calories for an hour workout). I monitored the accuracy by entering calories out vs calories in for estimated weight loss in an excel spreadsheet for a few months and my progress was right in line with what the numbers said. Neither are necessary, but it was fun for me gathering more data.

poisonesse

@hjohnso5 FitBit! If you just want to know steps/mileage/calorie burn, you just need the little Zip, that's all I have because it's all I need. If you need something to also track heartbeats, sleep, etc, then you'd need one of the more expensive wrist bands.

AJB1014

A nutri bullet, a scale, and a high quality protein powder.

kodiakke

sijomial wrote: »

Food scale - very educational where my calories were coming from.

Gym membership (OK, a few gym memberships) - made a huge difference to my strength and fitness.

Bicycles (OK, a few bicycles) - made a huge difference to my fitness.
Garmin bike computer (OK, two of them) - lets me explore beautiful countryside without getting lost.
Membership of a long distance riding association - inspires me to challenge myself.

Couple of books (Lean Muscle Diet by Alan Aragon & Lou Schuler, Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters) - knowledge is power.

I sense a trend here... okay, a couple of them.