What did you buy that helped you lose weight?

hjohnso5
hjohnso5 Posts: 8 Member
in Getting Started
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!
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Replies

  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    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.....?
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    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
    BattyKnitter Posts: 503 Member
    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!
  • Anna022119
    Anna022119 Posts: 547 Member
    Food scale (already owned a human scale) and a couple of easy cooking books with calories accounted for (Hairy Dieters, UK).

    Good luck!
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 494 Member
    edited March 2019
    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
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Food scale, a couple of cookbooks, and Powerblock weights (well, I didn't buy them, I asked Santa for them).
  • Hungry_Shopgirl
    Hungry_Shopgirl Posts: 329 Member
    Another vote here for a digital food scale. Everything else is a nice bonus to add down the road.
  • sundaylouwho
    sundaylouwho Posts: 112 Member
    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
    hjohnso5 Posts: 8 Member
    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
    poisonesse Posts: 573 Member
    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
    poisonesse Posts: 573 Member
    @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
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    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
    poisonesse Posts: 573 Member
    @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
    AJB1014 Posts: 1,380 Member
    A nutri bullet, a scale, and a high quality protein powder.
  • kodiakke
    kodiakke Posts: 379 Member
    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.

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