The Cheap Man's Weight Loss Plan

Eventually, the thrill of success on the scale wanes and you find yourself just looking to maintain your new waistline. You're not really losing any more weight when you have a string of low calorie, high activity days, and you don't really gain much if you pig out here and there. It's easy to become complacent. Unlike many other plans, the Cheapo lifestyle does not require long gym workouts just to keep your weight in check. Workout-centered diet plans always struck me as a huge liability as it would seem that you were always just one extended nagging injury away from ruining everything. When I was in my 20's, I was a maniacal runner, logging about 40-50 miles a week. I wasn't on a "diet" per se. I used to eat somewhat reasonably, but I just was a serious runner. That's all you needed if you wanted get in and remain in great shape. I used to love going to the gym and being the fastest runner on the treadmills while getting on before others started...

I've spent a lot of time talking about how gym memberships are a complete waste of time and money. For most people, they make about as much sense as skipping all your errands to spend the day taking joyrides up and down a toll road. The fact is, we all have chores that need to get done around the house which all represent opportunities for exercise and cost savings by not paying someone else to do them for you. They may not be as physically demanding as splitting wood, but they all involve doing things that need to get done anyway and, more importantly, occupying your time by doing something other than eating, the leading cause of fatness. Now, I'm not proposing that you start tilling your garden with a fork just to keep yourself out of the kitchen. There's always a delicate balance between efficiency, exercise, cost savings and enjoyment of the task at hand when deciding where to spend extra money for efficiency's sake. For example, I know that I could get my...