There’s a huge misconception that dieting and weight loss programs are an expensive affair and it’s just that – a misconception! On the contrary, the right kind of diet with the correct strategies would not burn holes in your pocket at all. Also, if you think hitting the gym is absolutely necessary to melt away fat, it’s very much possible to lose weight, staying at home, and without spending hours together on the treadmill. Nor is it imperative to spend money on gimmicky fat-burner pills, appetite-suppressant tablets, sauna belts, detox drinks that rarely work. If you desperately want to lose weight to get lighter, healthier, and fitter, but the budget constraints are pulling you back, read about some amazing ways to lose weight on a tight budget.
1. Start on the Rati Beauty Weight Loss Diet: You can loose oodles of weight without losing a lot of money by following diets on the Rati Beauty food. The healthy food that we put you on is not expensive and we encourage you to eat the right kind of food, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, keeping in mind nourishment, so that by the end of the diet, you would not only look better, you would start feeling better. It’s easy to follow these diet programs because they are inexpensive and people of all ages can follow them. Not about bland food anymore. A healthy diet should comprise of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats, and all the weekly diets on Rati Beauty Weight Loss programs are about that.
2. Clear out the Kitchen: The best place to kickstart your weight loss journey is the kitchen, not the gym! Clear your kitchen/fridge/pantry of processed, junk, and packaged food with toxic ingredients such as transfat, monosodium glutamate (MSG), instant noodles, high fructose corn syrup, etc. The theory of “out of sight, out of mind” works here because when you clear out the kitchen of unhealthy food, you no longer reach for such food to satisfy hunger or cravings. (Also Read: Foods from the Supermarket that are Terrible for Weight Loss).
3. Twelve Fridge Staples That Will Help you Slim Down: If there’s one thing that is standing between you and weight loss – it’s your refrigerator! People with the strongest will power fall prey to the goodies inside the fridge and that’s where most dieters falter because fridge is the shortest route to curb hunger pangs when you are watching tv or feeling just bored. If you are serious about weight loss, it would be prudent to clear up the pantry and fridge of junk and processed food that are rich in calories that can totally ruin the journey towards achieving a healthy weight. To satisfy cravings, fridge is the first area we turn to and if we can stock it with healthy food, you have already cleared that path to successfully reaching the goal weight. Also, here’s a tip – stock healthy food at the eye level so that it’s not a case of “out of sight, out of mind,” and it becomes easier to reach for them the moment hunger strikes! In this post, we have listed out “12 Fridge Staples that Will Help you Slim Down.”
4. Inexpensive Protein Sources: Since we all know protein is a must for weight loss, instead of expensive protein powders, here are some natural options – lentils, chickpeas, black beans, spinach, and eggs to your diet to burn more calories, build muscles, and lose weight. When you consume protein, it increases the levels of the satiety hormones, reduces your appetite, also reducing the hunger hormone “ghrelin.” Here’s a list of “17 Cheapest Protein Sources at the Grocery Store.”
5. Workout at Home: It’s extremely essential to come out of sedentary lifestyle in order to burn calories, and slough off fat layers. And the truth is that you can get a good workout anywhere, even in the comfort of your home. Yoga and HIIT (high intensity interval training) are some awesome ways to burn calories at home. Keep aside at least 40 minutes for exercise from your busy routine everyday to break sweat and burn layers of extra fat and drop weight.
6. Sleep for 7 Hours or More Each Night: Lack of sleep can make you gain weight, and that’s a hard fact. Managing to get even 5 hours of sleep is not enough because low sleeping hours severely lowers metabolism (the mechanism which torches extra calories), increases appetite, keeps you hungry all through the next day, affecting the functioning of major fat-regulating hormones and enzymes such as ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol. So, do not wake up from the bed till you get at least 7 hours of sleep.
7. Eat More Veggies: The water and fiber in fruits and vegetables will keep you full and satiated for long hours and with fewer calories. To lose weight, you must get into calorie deficit and there’s no need to abstain from food completely, just eat the right kind of veggies and fruits. You can find more details on the Rati Beauty app.
8. Eat out Less, Cook At Home: There are multiple benefits of eating homemade food – you can cut loads of calories, be sure of healthy ingredients, cut out bad ingredients like transfat, etc. And you get to save lots of money while doing so. Also, avoid ordering food from outside – food delivery apps on your phone may tempt you to give into cravings and order food from outside often. Limit eating out to once a week and you will see the weight dropping with completely home-cooked food.
9. Look for Local Produce: Fresh and nutritious foods, grown locally, retain their nutrition and flavour better than imported, processed and expensive food. Contrary to what everyone thinks, you can lose weight by eating basic dal and chawal, but do practice portion control while doing so. Here are 10 Tips to Portion Control For Weight Loss.
10. Superfoods are Inexpensive: Blueberries, kale, avocados, collard greens, kohlrabi, acai berries are considered “superfoods” the world over with their high antioxidant and nutrient levels, and they are not only good for overall health, they help boost weight loss a great deal, but let’s admit, these superfoods are a bit expensive and not easily available; however, there are innumerable superfoods in India that do not get their due importance. All of them are nutrient-dense food pack high levels of vitamins, protein, fiber, micronutrients, minerals, healthy fats, antioxidants – all within low calories, and do not cost much either. In this post, we list out 30 Inexpensive Indian Superfoods you Should be Eating Often for Weight Loss.
11. Water Preloading: Water preloading is an effortless way to boost weight loss. Experts recommend to consume 500 ml of plain water half an hour before each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Such a quantity of water before the meal will significantly stretch your tummy and as a result, there would be lesser release of the hunger hormone “ghrelin.” This means you would feel full with less food and fewer calorie intake. It is an effective strategy to tackle overeating and can apply the same technique while heading out for brunch, lunch or dinner. Load up on water and reduce the chances of overeating.
12. Grocery Shopping List: Kickstart your weight loss journey by decluttering your pantry and kitchen, and get rid of all junk and readymade food items. Shop for healthy food and make use of this list of “99 grocery items that any dietician would approve” when you go out for grocery shopping. It’s not all about burning calories, it’s also about not adding any extra or empty calories that can get stored up as fat in the body.
13. Practice NEAT activities: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, also known as NEAT, is the amount of energy we use for everything in our daily life, barring sleeping and exercising. Using the stairs instead of the lift, squatting on the floor to lift something up, walking while talking on the phone – every activity we do while being on our feet, comes under NEAT, and the same applies for household chores. All these activities help to burn tiny amount of calories through the day, and when they add up, you have torched up a significant amount and are now on your way to drop excess weight pretty soon.
14. Cut Out Processed Food Completely: Processed food come packed with loads of calories, sugar, salt content with preservatives and made out of refined flour; sweets, candies, chocolates, biscuits, cookies, fast food, sweet beverages, colas, all are processed food that are low in nutrition and high on calories. Cut them out completely to drop weight.
15. Give up Sugar: Removing sugar from your diet can be a complete game-changer in your life. If you are dreaming about a lighter version of you, then completely give up on added sugar.
16. Drink Loads of Water: If there’s one golden rule you should absolutely follow if you are trying to lose weight – it’s to drink as much water as you can. Plain water affects fat loss in more ways than one – it helps to flush out toxins, curbs appetite, has absolutely no calories, boosts metabolism, and boosts the fat-burning process.
Additionally, destress, relax, sleep well, practice meditation, and find hobbies that would lower stress. Most of us turn to high-calorie, high-sodium, sugary delights when we are stressed out. Chronic stress, just like sleep deprivation, can completely stall weight loss, so do relax and find ways to take your mind off stress.
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