Losing weight does not have to cost you any more than you already spend on groceries, and can actually save you money in the long run. Regardless of what supplement manufacturers, diet books and weight management companies want you to believe, losing weight is matter of mastering a simple equation. You must create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. You can do this by reducing your caloric intake, moving more or combining the two strategies. One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so to lose 10 lbs. you must create a 35,000 calorie deficit.
Step 1
Figure out how many calories you burn in a day. Type your activity level, weight, age, height and gender into a calculator like the one found at CaloriesperHour.com. Lose one pound per week by eating 250 calories fewer than this number and burning 250 more calories daily. At this rate of loss, you can safely lose 10 lbs. in two and a half months.
Step 2
Use a free online food diary, like thedailyplate.com, to make sure you are hitting your calorie targets and not over- or under-eating. Strive to consume a minimum of 1,200 calories per day as a woman or 1,500 as a man to prevent nutritional deficiencies and energy depletion, recommends Medline Plus.
Step 3
Skip processed snack foods, fast food and chain restaurants, your favorite coffee shop and vending machines. Save money by preparing food at home like grilled skinless chicken, brown rice and in-season vegetables. Drink water instead of soda or energy drinks, which come with a high caloric and monetary cost.
Step 4
Avoid pre-portioned "snack packs" as these cost up to 279 percent more than bulk packages, reports the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Purchase bananas, apples and oranges, which come in their own naturally pre-portioned packages and offer nutrition and fiber with fewer calories. Carry your own healthy, inexpensive, portion-controlled snacks such as five whole grain crackers with a tablespoon of natural nut butter, two tablespoons of raw almonds mixed with an equal amount of raisins or homemade hummus with cut-up vegetables.
Step 5
Practice proper portion control. Eat just three ounces of lean meats and a ½ cup of starch at most meals. Save money by making the food you do buy last longer. Consume a lot of green vegetables to provide fiber and nutrition without a lot of calories. Stock up on frozen vegetables when they are on sale and peruse a local farmer's market for deals.
Step 6
Exercise at home rather than at a gym. Do a cardio circuit in your living room that consists of a minute each of jumping jacks, tuck jumps, jogging in place, walking lunges and speed skaters; repeat these exercises six times for a 30-minute workout that burns 270 calories for a 150-lb. person. Strength train using bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups.
Step 7
Cancel your cable and take up a more active pastime than watching television. Take a walk in the evenings with your pets, friends or kids. Watching television exposes you to commercials for unhealthy foods, weakening your resolve, and discourages you from getting up and burning calories, notes the Harvard School of Public Health.
Step 8
Fire the maid and the lawn service. Burn up to 250 calories daily by doing an hour of household chores like vacuuming, mowing the lawn and scrubbing the showers. If you add these chores to the 250 calories burned through exercise and the 250 dietary deficit, you can lose the 10 lbs. in just over six weeks.
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