Fitness on a budget

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catherinet89
catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am looking to get back into a healthier lifestyle. I have always been overweight even obese which I am now considered again. I lost over 100 pounds a few years ago and have gained back 50 pounds in the last five years. My living circumstances have changed dramatically and I also fell into depression and anxiety which I am now trying to work through. I want to lose at least 70 pounds to get to a healthy BMI. Im 5'2 and weigh 201 pounds.
The problem is that my finances don't allow me the luxury of a gym membership or the ability to buy at home fitness tools such as dumbells ect. All I have is my body and a jump rope to work with right now.
I love doing bodyweight exercises and HIIT training but Im not sure if it will be enough to get to my goal.
When I lost the 100 pounds I was able to go to the gym 5-6 times a week I had a PT and I worked a very physically demanding job (stable hand) so it was really easy for me to drop the weight and build conditioning/muscle.
Now to my question(s):
What are your tips for someone who doesnt have access to a gym or alot of fitness tools.
Do you have any youtubers you could recommend that offer at home fitness videos?
Any other random advice?

I greatly appreciate any tips and tricks or recommendations for reading material/videos
Thank you
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Replies

  • emmies_123
    emmies_123 Posts: 513 Member
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    Tips/youtubers: Jessica Smith TV. She actually has a "exercise video" category labeled "no-equipment workouts".
    http://jessicasmithtv.com/exercise-videos/

    General advice:
    -Calorie loss comes from creating a deficit. Log your body stats on MFP and choose your weekly goal, MFP will calculate how many calories you should eat daily to stick to that goal. The deficit is already calculated in so no need to try to stay under that goal total. If you exercise, try to only eat back half the calories earned.

    -Start with small lifestyle changes and work your way up. Trying to change too much at once can lead to frustration.

    -Remember that you are your own unique person. Do NOT compare yourself to others who have different goals and different lifestyles. Also, each person has a different method that works for them, there is no one "right way" to eat or exercise

    -Remember that you don't have a due date for weight loss (and any you set yourself are arbitrary). Go at your own healthy, maintainable pace to avoid anxiety and stress from invisible deadlines

    -If something you try doesn't work for you, try something new. Try walking outside, or workout routine inside, or find a strength routine that you can do with water bottles/items in the house. Try finding substitutions to your high-calorie foods so you aren't cutting out everything you enjoy (healthier bread choice, different condiment at dinner, grill instead of breaded, etc)

    -Each day is a new start. If you go over calorie goal or don't exercise for a day don't let it get you off track all week. Wake up the next day and start fresh with good decisions.

    I hope this helps you get started =) Friend me if you want company on your journey =)
  • mamasara2
    mamasara2 Posts: 194 Member
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    I love the basics- crunches, lunges, push ups, planks, walking, and most of my "weight lifting" is moving 50lb bags to feed the cows.

    Pinterest is loaded with ideas!

    You don't need a gym membership to get in shape. You've got this!!
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    Thanks guys that makes me feel a lot better!
  • emmies_123
    emmies_123 Posts: 513 Member
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    Lol I'm clearly too tired to type correctly:

    "WEIGHT LOSS comes from creating a calorie deficit", my current sentence is a little redundant.

    Other than typos, I hope advise helps
  • carolemack
    carolemack Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I have lost 45 pounds since January and the only exercise I get is walking my little dog. More important than exercise is your diet. Limit sweets, sauces, gravies, and eat lots of protein. More fruit and vegetables will also help fill you up in a healthy way. You can do it...take it one day at a time.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    I love Leslie Sansone. I pay $5/mo for the "Your Daily Walk" program. It's called a walking workout but I get a fantastic cardio workout from it by increasing the intensity. She also does some basic strength training.
  • mamasara2
    mamasara2 Posts: 194 Member
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    If you have Amazon Prime, they have a ton of fitness videos to work with. I never knew until tonight. Haha!
  • Chihaku_Zeal
    Chihaku_Zeal Posts: 33 Member
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    I'd say go on YouTube and look up some home workouts. Those are always a great method if you don't wanna spend on a dumbbell set. I'd also look up some workout apps on your phone. You'd be surprised with what you can find on there. Also, if you manage to save up a little money, spending 10-15 dollars on a resistance band can also be a good idea. Hope this helps! :3
  • thechiopodist
    thechiopodist Posts: 216 Member
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    I don't know where you live, but here in Dorset, UK, many of the parks have outdoor gyms. They are spread out around the perimeter of the park, so you walk or run between them and do each in turn.
    If you don't have them, then just getting out and walking is great free excersize, try to find hilly areas for an extra challenge. If you find a regular circuit, you can start timing yourself and do it faster each week.
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
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    Use You Tube videos there are hundreds. Walking if free. Leslie Sansone Walking videos are great.
  • mamasara2
    mamasara2 Posts: 194 Member
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    You got me thinking a lot about ways to get exercise in without a gym membership. My brain likes to make up excuses as to why I can't run or lift weights or so even go for a walk. Funny thing, though, since you started this thread and got me looking for free fitness opportunities I've been finding them everywhere!

    My youngest and I shoot hoops at the barn every evening after I lift a 50 lb bag into the golf cart and then again out of the cart to give the cows their cookies. It's crazy kinda of hot during the day so we hide out in the air conditioning a lot. I remembered this morning that I can do lunges every time I walk down the hall. And do squats before or after every time going to the restroom. I have a little $30 trampoline (rebounder) that's been hiding under my bed for years. I jog on that thing at least once a day with the tv going.

    The possibilities are endless when it comes to free ways to get into shape. Don't need an expensive pair of running shoes, or a gym membership or even specially designed weights. Heck- our ancestors managed to stay in shape without all that stuff! So can we.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,874 Member
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    Get a decent pair of walking shoes. They don't have to be overly expensive, just something you're comfortable walking in. Walk briskly. Walk up hills and stairs now and then ... perhaps more frequently as time goes by.

    When I lost 50 lbs, my main exercise was walking as part of my commute, walking at lunch, and climbing flights of stairs on breaks at work.

    And then I cycled on the weekends. But going on a hike would be nice too.
  • joseccastaneda
    joseccastaneda Posts: 267 Member
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    Try convict conditioning. All body weight exercises.
  • jigsawxyouth
    jigsawxyouth Posts: 308 Member
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    ladyhusker39 wrote: »
    I love Leslie Sansone. I pay $5/mo for the "Your Daily Walk" program. It's called a walking workout but I get a fantastic cardio workout from it by increasing the intensity. She also does some basic strength training.

    I second Leslie Sansone!
    She has videos on Youtube (free) and I ended up buying a bunch of her dvds on the cheap from Amazon and Target. Her walking videos are what got me back into working out. Her walks range from 1 to 5 miles and it's all inside (which is nice for days when it's too hot!)
  • joemac1988
    joemac1988 Posts: 1,021 Member
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    Can I be a well-intending meanie poopy head? Lol.

    Are you truly making it a priority? My gym costs $20/month. That's not much more than a Netflix subscription. I'm obviously not privvy to (or trivializing) your financial situation, but personally if I had to choose between Netflix or the gym, I'd choose the gym. The same can be said to people that "don't have time". We all have the same amount of time, but it will be spent how we prioritize it.

    I totally get that your priorities likely aren't the same as mine, but sometimes it's healthy for us to re-prioritize. Best of luck!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    joemac1988 wrote: »
    Can I be a well-intending meanie poopy head? Lol.

    Are you truly making it a priority? My gym costs $20/month. That's not much more than a Netflix subscription. I'm obviously not privvy to (or trivializing) your financial situation, but personally if I had to choose between Netflix or the gym, I'd choose the gym. The same can be said to people that "don't have time". We all have the same amount of time, but it will be spent how we prioritize it.

    I totally get that your priorities likely aren't the same as mine, but sometimes it's healthy for us to re-prioritize. Best of luck!

    I second this.

    You don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars.

    And if you literally can't spare a nickel(and I've been there) The sidewalk is free.

    We're also about a week away from the beachbody resolutioners putting their gear on craigslist.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    10 bucks a month. planet fitness.
  • ginjennie
    ginjennie Posts: 80 Member
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    Outside and outdoor is free. I exercise and walk or jog daily and it has greatly reduced my stress, improved my health, mindset and so far have lost over 70 pounds. Also used fitness blender as well as there are loads of them to choose from.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    At one point we had two gym memberships. Once I introduced my wife to Fitness Blender on the TV, she's pretty much stopped going. They are really good and free (someone mentioned them already).

    Right after I had lost my weight a few years back, I found a program called Supreme 90 Day. It was like the poor man's version of P90. There are zillions of these floating around still. All you would need is an exercise band to do it. I thought it was a very good, basic lifting/bodyweight program. I think I paid $10 for it.

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