You don't need to join a gym to lose weight. Opportunities for exercising on your own abound, and making changes in your diet and lifestyle will yield more results than anything else. Exercising on your own takes discipline, and you may need to enlist the help of friends and family members in order to succeed.
Step 1
Set clear weight-loss goals. Knowing how much you need to lose and in what period of time will make it easier to figure out a weekly goal. For lasting results, aim for 1 to 3 lb. a week.
Step 2
Measure how much you walk during the day with a pedometer. For weight loss purposes, aim for at least 10,000 steps per day. Clip a pedometer to your clothes or wrist. Once you've reached the minimum of 10,000 steps a day, aim to add a couple of thousands more a day for better results.
Step 3
Take up a sport or activity you love. Anything from tennis to swimming to cycling is fine, as long as it keeps you moving and interested. The more you love the activity, the easier it will be to stick to it. Taking dance classes, going out for hikes in the local parks and even gardening can all burn a considerable amount of calories.
Step 4
Aim for some amount of activity on most days of the week. Take a yoga class, walk or do push-ups and jumping jacks at home for at least 30 minutes a day. If you get bored easily, do a combination of activities and exercises.
Step 5
Set up a healthy meal plan. To figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, use a calculator such as the one available at FreeDieting.com. The amount of calories that will lead to weight loss in your particular case will depend on your age, height, sex and even starting weight.
Things You'll Need
- Pedometer
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