Nurse Practitioner Schools

100 Terrific Tools to Lose Weight & Stay in Shape without a Gym Membership

It always starts with good intentions. You finally go to the gym to start a membership. You plunk down your hard earned cash for a sign-up fee and obligate your self to a year-long, no escape, contract.

One month later, your gym pass is gathering dust. Don’t waste your money by joining a gym. You have all the tools for physical fitness around your house and outside. So suck it up, cringe when you get your monthly gym bill and get back in shape for good with these tips on how to lose weight without a gym membership.

The Basics of Slimming Down and Toning Up

1. Better Ideal Body Weight Calculations – Just what is your ideal weight? Height, age, and all manner of things are factors in this, so make sure you’re setting realistic goals.

2. Get plenty of sleep. While some find the witching hour ideal for exercise, less sleep will make you less healthy, and effectively negate the reason for exercise.

3. It should go without saying, but alternate your workout days to train different muscles. Overdoing it can cause a lot of pain.

4. Here’s another no-brainer. Check the nutrition facts of everything you buy. Makes you reconsider those cookies, huh?

5. It really does make a difference; be sure to get the appropriate shoes for your level of exercise (running, jogging, etc.).

6. Try working out in the morning, when you’ve got more energy.

7. Go food shopping on a full stomach. This keeps you from stocking up on present and future binges.

8. Give yourself, at minimum, two rest days from exercise a week.

9. Avoid eating in front of the TV whenever possible.

10. Take your multivitamins.

11. Packing your own lunch is the single best way to avoid the unhealthy food rush at work.

12. Free food is no excuse to overeat.

Dieting Tips to Keep You Satisfied and Out of the Gym

13. If you must get your fast food on, make your own menu. You can list only healthy things, and avoid impulse buys.

14. Grazing works. Eating small, healthy snacks throughout the day can keep you from overdoing it on a big meal later because you’re starving.

15. Drink lots and lots of water. Not only is it healthier than sugary sodas, it helps keep you filled up, deterring unneeded snacking during the day.

16. Speaking of sugary sodas, don’t assume sugar substitutes make everything A-Ok. Diet Coke or not, studies frequently link gratuitous soda intake with obesity.

17. Ditching the beer (or at least reducing your intake) is a great way to reduce caloric intake. The same wisdom applies to beer as applies to soda: just because it’s a “light beer” doesn’t mean you should assume it’s great, health-wise.

18. Try to get at least 2 fruits or veggies at every meal.

19. Mom was right—a really big breakfast can help deter overeating throughout the day.

20. Start taking home half (or more) of your restaurant food.

21. Grab smaller plates for your meals.

22. Switch your whole milk to something lower, like 1%.

23. Be sure not to skip meals and binge later.

24. Nutrition Site – Another heartbreaker: most pastas are more or less a great enemy of weight loss. Avoid it when you can, portion when you can’t.

25. Work through that pantry. You’ll be keeping the house clean, and avoiding eating out.

26. Throwing a party? Give away that leftover food to friends and families when it’s over, so it can expand their waistlines and not yours.

27. Get lots of grains in your diet. Whether you get naturally grain-filled dishes or just sprinkle it on, add it your diet and you’ll have the strength to skip fatty dishes down the line.

28. The Nutrition Source: Protein – Along the lines of staving off hunger, rock protein whenever you can. You may feel bad about adding to one meal, but it keeps you from snacking between meals.

29. An apple a day really does keep the doctor way. At the very least, it keeps you filled up and facilitates weight loss.

30. Channel your college-era self and embrace cereal as an anytime meal. It’s a great alternative to a really fattening dinner.

31. If you’re regularly exercising, make sure to bring some carb-loaded for needed energy.

32. If you’re drinking a smoothie as a meal, remember that overdoing it with sugar can pack pounds on.

33. Trying Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or Weightwatchers might provide the extra kick in the pants for you to shed pounds.

34. Sugar’s Effect On Your Health – Give up sugar consumption as much as you can. For things you just can’t live without, sugar alternatives can work, but only in moderation.

35. Substitute, substitute, substitute; even fast food places have options now to replace your fries with a side salad or something equally healthy.

36. Appetizers can be entrees. There’s no reason to choke down a steak when all you want is your favorite chips and dip.

37. Ease up on mayonnaise. Consider replacing it with mustard when possible.

38. When Is a Salad Unhealthy? – Make sure your salad is really healthy. If the croutons are drowning in dressing, the answer is probably “no.” 39. If you have to go fried, onion rings are better for you than fries.

40. Another “grandma was right” moment: freeze large dishes to provide yourself meals throughout the week.

41. Here’s one for health and general cleanliness: soak up all of that extra grease on your pizza for a cleaner, healthier meal. No more embarrassing greasy spots on your shirt!

42. Add variety to your meals. Try new things. You eat less of a newer thing, keeping calories at bay.

43. Give low calorie frozen dinners a try. It’s not for everyone, but if you can replace your 2000 calorie pizza with a 300 calorie one, more power to you.

44. Stop the midnight food runs. If all else fails, you’ll still get midnight munchies—do whatever you can to make sure you don’t satisfy them through fast food visits.

45. Though you should try to ditch them as much as possible, diet sodas are still much better for you than regular sodas.

46. Try light syrup. It’s one of the few calorie saving, no taste loss switches you can make.

47. How to Steam Your Dinner – Steam your veggies. It’s healthy and yummy.

48. Make the switch – and it’s a hard one – from fried food to grilled food.

49. Don’t super size your fast food order.

50. If water doesn’t float your boat, try drinking energy-boosting tea.

51. Share dessert with your spouse. She thinks it’s romantic, and you’re both being healthier.

52. “Fun size” can mean “healthier.” If you must succumb to a candy bar, get its little counterpart instead of a whole bar.

53. If you’re planning an Italian meal, remember this rule: red sauces are better for you than cream-based sauces.

54. Start leaving food on your place (just a few bites). This saves calories, and gets you out of the American “I must clean my place” mentality.

Fat Burning Work Out Ideas – Gym Membership Not Included

55. About.com: Running and Jogging – Jog around your neighborhood. It’s a great way to meet neighbors and stay in shape.

56. Home exercise is a way to skip the gym. Whether you get a complicated Bowflex or a simple treadmill, you can bring the gym to you.

57. Take the dog for a walk, especially around something scenic like a local lake. It helps you get a great view and a great body.

58. The Lawn Mower Weight Loss System – Make the switch to a push lawnmower for calorie-burning outside work.

59. Try jumping rope for a fun, easy way to torch calories.

60. Turn stressed times into running times for a waist-reducing emotional boost.

61. Try swimming as a fun weight-loss alternative.

62. In moderate weather, hiking is another great way to get your heart pumping.

63. Try to forgo the elevator and take the stairs. You’ll burn pounds, and your coworkers will thank you for the extra room.

64. Attending a sports event to watch your child? Use breaks to walk around—you’re losing weight and still being a supportive parent.

65. For those of an athletic bent, joining local sports clubs is a great way to burn weight, have fun, and meet friends.

66. Try to walk around the house during commercials.

67. Put a pedometer on yourself. Use this as an excuse to slowly scale up the number of steps you take each day.

68. Speaking of increasing the number of steps, it starts at home. Move trash cans, clothes hampers, and other go-to items further away—you’ll increase your daily exercise and barely notice.

69. Along the same lines as the previous entry, park your car further away from your destination when you go out.

70. Start biking to school or work. You’ll burn calories and save gas money, too.

71. Burn Fat With Resistance Training - Deliberately weigh yourself down with a book-filled book bag to add resistance training to your daily routine.

72. Try to walk around when you’re on the phone. Bonding time becomes exercise time with one easy step.

73. Walking to the grocery store burns calories, and also keeps you from buying too much stuff.

74. At work, go to a coffee shop down the street for your caffeine fix. It’ll taste that much better, and you’ve burned calories.

75. Start using the bathroom on different floors. It forces you to use the stairs and shed a few more pounds.

76. Fun, Fun, Fun: The Best Exercises for Quick Weight Loss – Go dancing!

77. Do an extra half hour of house chores. The place will look great, and so will you.

78. Did you know gardening burns calories? Beautify your home while you beautify yourself.

Treat Yourself to a Little Something

79. Come down off the favorite food ledge slowly. Find alternatives to your favorite flavorful ingredients that taste good and are lower in calories, fat, etc.

80. Fill up on tasty broth-based soups.

81. Remember, skipping the gym doesn’t mean you can’t get a personal trainer.

82. Sex is actually a great way to lose weight. Find the right way to pitch it to your spouse, and those headaches she has might even go away.

83. Karaoke fans rejoice—singing can actually burn calories. Remember if you’re getting sloppy drunk in order to sing and burn calories, it becomes something of a wash.

84. Spicy chili peppers can actually boost your metabolism. And they taste great, too. 85. Sorbet can be your healthier-than-ice cream tasty treat. Indulge yourself occasionally.

Keep Yourself Motivated and Develop and Routine

86. Listen to your favorite music when you workout. There’s a chance that you’ll have fun instead of just staring down the clock.

87. Set goals for yourself. As simple as it stands, having a plan burns more weight than a disorganized “hopefully I’ll exercise at some point during the week.”

88. Just because he/she’s happy doesn’t mean you should be. Don’t let a well-meaning spouse/significant other’s “you look great, honey” derail you from your goals.

89. Get your cardio in by jogging at a few local parks. The change of scenery will be refreshing.

90. Find friends online to keep you in track. Even if you don’t have the time or money for a personal trainer, they can help you with accountability.

91. Use photos to keep track of the weight you’ve lost. For the extra-brave, post them on Flabb – the positive energy from comments noticing your weight loss can go a long way.

92. Keep your eyes on the prize. Set a daily calorie intake limit; this will give you an easy goal to shoot for each day.

93. Listen to audiobooks while you exercise.

94. Let important dates (high school reunion, trip to the beach, etc) motivate you to get in shape.

95. Dig an old shirt out of the closet that is now too small. Use that as your target for losing weight.

96. Change your exercises up frequently. It keeps your mind and body from getting bored.

97. Give yourself a moderately far-off goal, such as a triathlon, that gives you something to train for.

98. Log how fast you can run a certain distance, and aim to lower that time whenever you run.

99. Make deals with yourself concerning exercise. These can include “if I go an extra 3 miles today, I’ll buy myself a book tonight.”

100. Concentrate on what’s important; living a longer life with your loving family may just be more important than the chocolate bar you want to eat.

These tips will give anyone a great starting point for trimming their waistline. With any new fitness or diet plan, you should consult your doctor to make sure its right for you. Just remember to keep at it and push yourself past the plateaus. You’ll see a thinner, happier you in no time.