Along the cheapo journey, you'll try out different tools and tricks to keep you on track. You'll learn quickly that some of them prove to be crucial and while some of them are just nice to haves. You'll also discover that some things you think are somewhat or pretty important are actually crucial. Unfortunately, it's only until you try to do without them and things start falling apart when you realize just how critical they are to your success.
My dashboard example from the other day is evidence of that. I've already started seeing a weight improvement, bringing my weight back under the dreaded 170 mark the last 2 days. I'm confident now that I'm back on track because there's no mathematical way I can gain weight as long as I'm running calorie deficits every day. Like a sticky note on my screen whenever I unlock my phone, I now have a single dashboard showing me my input/output at a glance. I underestimated the importance of this when I left Fitbit. Now I know.
Anyway, onto the list:
Far and away your number one tool is the scale, and this goes with any weight loss management plan. The scale is your most powerful defense against weight gain. If you can force yourself to face the scale every day (ideally first thing in the morning after using the bathroom and before you eat), your weekly average weight will absolutely tell you if the sum total of everything you're doing is working or failing. (You'll also know this by the fitment of your clothes, but your scale will be the leading indicator.)
Your weight can fluctuate every day but only at most 3-4 pounds of your true weight. If you're hitting around the same number 2-3 days in a row, guess what? That's your true weight. The first step toward making adjustments is facing reality, and the scale is the reality check.
Number two on the list is a nutrition tracker. There is simply no way for most working adults to eat whatever you want without limits and hold your weight down. Some programs like Weight Watchers try to simplify the process by assigning points (and selling you their food with pre-calculated points, natch), but the principle is the same. Fortunately, most of these apps are free, unless you decide to upgrade to premium features, which for most people is dumb and unnecessary.
Clocking in at number three is your step tracker. 80% of weight loss is calorie intake control, but the other 20% is how you spend your time. If you only laid in bed and ate 1200 calories every day, you would still lose weight, however, normal people don't or cannot do that.
At least for this cheapo, it's pretty difficult for me to stay under 2500 calories per day, which is enough for me to gain weight if I'm not hitting my step targets every day. If you have a smartphone, you already own a step tracker. Just make sure you carry it with you as much as possible, if you don't end up purchasing a separate tracker.
Number four on my list is a food scale. I suppose that this could be optional if you only ate pre-packaged food so that you know exactly how many calories you're eating, but most people can't do that for every meal and snack. A food scale also prevents you from fudging numbers, which can have a huge impact on the tabulation of your calorie intake. Measuring out your servings also prevents a handful of chips snowballing into an "aww screw it" situation where you end up housing half the bag. Believe me, you do not want to eat half a bag of Doritos and weigh the remainder to see exactly how many calories you just ate.
Number five for me is my Kitchen Safe. I'd definitely consider this an optional purchase, but it's pretty useful for work for preventing you from overindulging in your vice foods all at once. This is particularly helpful after office parties where hording leftovers can sustain your snack supply for weeks. It's $50 but pays for itself in no time and many times over if you use it to maximize your cheapness.
My dashboard example from the other day is evidence of that. I've already started seeing a weight improvement, bringing my weight back under the dreaded 170 mark the last 2 days. I'm confident now that I'm back on track because there's no mathematical way I can gain weight as long as I'm running calorie deficits every day. Like a sticky note on my screen whenever I unlock my phone, I now have a single dashboard showing me my input/output at a glance. I underestimated the importance of this when I left Fitbit. Now I know.
Anyway, onto the list:
Far and away your number one tool is the scale, and this goes with any weight loss management plan. The scale is your most powerful defense against weight gain. If you can force yourself to face the scale every day (ideally first thing in the morning after using the bathroom and before you eat), your weekly average weight will absolutely tell you if the sum total of everything you're doing is working or failing. (You'll also know this by the fitment of your clothes, but your scale will be the leading indicator.)
Your weight can fluctuate every day but only at most 3-4 pounds of your true weight. If you're hitting around the same number 2-3 days in a row, guess what? That's your true weight. The first step toward making adjustments is facing reality, and the scale is the reality check.
Number two on the list is a nutrition tracker. There is simply no way for most working adults to eat whatever you want without limits and hold your weight down. Some programs like Weight Watchers try to simplify the process by assigning points (and selling you their food with pre-calculated points, natch), but the principle is the same. Fortunately, most of these apps are free, unless you decide to upgrade to premium features, which for most people is dumb and unnecessary.
Clocking in at number three is your step tracker. 80% of weight loss is calorie intake control, but the other 20% is how you spend your time. If you only laid in bed and ate 1200 calories every day, you would still lose weight, however, normal people don't or cannot do that.
At least for this cheapo, it's pretty difficult for me to stay under 2500 calories per day, which is enough for me to gain weight if I'm not hitting my step targets every day. If you have a smartphone, you already own a step tracker. Just make sure you carry it with you as much as possible, if you don't end up purchasing a separate tracker.
Number four on my list is a food scale. I suppose that this could be optional if you only ate pre-packaged food so that you know exactly how many calories you're eating, but most people can't do that for every meal and snack. A food scale also prevents you from fudging numbers, which can have a huge impact on the tabulation of your calorie intake. Measuring out your servings also prevents a handful of chips snowballing into an "aww screw it" situation where you end up housing half the bag. Believe me, you do not want to eat half a bag of Doritos and weigh the remainder to see exactly how many calories you just ate.
Number five for me is my Kitchen Safe. I'd definitely consider this an optional purchase, but it's pretty useful for work for preventing you from overindulging in your vice foods all at once. This is particularly helpful after office parties where hording leftovers can sustain your snack supply for weeks. It's $50 but pays for itself in no time and many times over if you use it to maximize your cheapness.
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