Shape up on a budget- get the latest Credit Crunch diet and Fitness Plan

Shape up on a budget- get the latest Credit Crunch diet and Fitness plan!

New Magazine reported that from expensive home-exercise kits to costly health foods, it’s easy to spend thousands a year on your quest for the perfect bikini bod. But if you think being slim and healthy is all about flashing the cash, think again. There are plenty of ways to get thin on the cheap, and you may not even have to ditch the idea of gym membership to do so.

Martin Lewis, who runs the advice website moneysavingexpert.com and fronts five show It pays to watch, says, “You don’t need to spend heaps of cash on expensive products to get thin. All you need is to know the loopholes and to own a pairs of trainers!”

Cheap Eats

The average household spends £2,438 a year on food and non-alcoholic drinks. And when we go on a diet, we tend to spend more than we usually would on food rather than economising. But by following our tips on dieting the cheap way, this needn’t be the case…

• Make everything yourself. “Not only will it save you money, you’ll know exactly what’s in the food you’re eating and you can control how healthy your meal is”, advises Martin. For example, take a tip from Katie Holmes and eat soup. Make a big batch twice a week to keep you stocked up. Make your own veggie juices and smoothies like Jordan. These are very pricey in the shops, plus you get a lot more of the nutrients if you drink them soon after they’re made.
• Eat lots of inexpensive but healthy foods like fruit and veg, whole-grain (brown) rice, brown pasta and lentils. If you’re on a really tight budget, you could supplement meat (which is high in saturated fat) for other high-protein but healthier foods such as beans and tofu – which tend to be cheaper, too.
• Eats meals that fill you up to stop you eating more. Most nutritionists agree that you should have a good mix of protein and carbs at each meal to keep hunger at bay. Think beans on whole-grain toast, chicken or fish with vegetables and sweet potatoes, and three bean chilli with rice.
• Eat eggs. They are packed with nutrients, including protein and vitamins A, B, D and E. They are low in calories (around 80 per egg) and low in saturated fat. Research has shown that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight, too.
• Don’t eat processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, chocolates and ready-made meals, as these are costly, full of junk and will not help you lose weight!
• Use fewer ingredients and eat smaller portions. Eating slowly helps because it takes a while for you to feel full up when you eat.
• “Make a list before you go food shopping so you don’t but anything unnecessary and overspend”, says Martin. “Only take the cash you’ll need. Buy in bulk to save cash and look out for the reduced section and two-for-one deals. You can usually get discounts on food at around 7pm”.
• Shop around for the best bargains. Supermarket prices vary widely, from cheap discount stores like Lidl to the high-end Waitrose. Avoid smaller branches of a chain or corner shops because they tend to have high prices, although buying fruit and veg locally can sometimes be cheaper than in supermarkets. “You could order over the internet and try markets for a better deal”, says Martin.
• “Drop a brand level”, advises Martin. “For example if you normally buy Tesco’s finest range, just buy their normal range instead. You could save a third by doing this and just because it says it’s the finest, it doesn’t mean that it’s the healthiest.
• Ditch the booze. It’s full of calories, encourages you to eat more and is expensive, too. Even if you stick to the recommended female weekly limit of 14 units – that’s 14 small glasses of wine – you could be consuming an extra 1,120 calories a week.
• Don’t get any takeaways and avoid eating out. It’s much cheaper and should be healthier to eat your own, home-cooked food. Join forces with a group of friends and take it in turns to have each other over for healthy dinner parties to keep things varied.
• “Take food to work”, says Martin. “You’ll probably save about a fiver a day, or over £1,000 a year”.
• Drink plenty of water. If you can’t afford mineral water, use a filter or drink straight from the tap. Aim for eight large glasses a day. It will make you feel full, flush out toxins and save you money on calorific juices and soft drinks.
• Leave your cards and cash at home unless you really need them. Then you can’t nip into McDonalds or Starbucks if you fancy a burger or latte.

Cheap Workouts

There are plenty of ways to burn calories without burning a hole in your pocket too…

Go for a run – you’ll burn around 590 calories an hour, it’s a great cardiovascular workout and it gets you out in the fresh air, too.

Take up trekking or power walking. You’ll burn around 300 calories an hour with a brisk walk, and it puts less strain on your joints than running.

Integrate exercise into your everyday life.

Take the stairs. Work up a sweat doing the housework. Dance when you go out clubbing. Have really energetic sex!

“Save money on train fares or petrol by walking or cycling to work”, says Martin. Cycling is another great calorie burner – you’ll shift around 531 an hour.

Search the internet for free exercise guides to do in your own home. You can do sit-ups, lunges, press-ups, triceps curls and lots of other moves without any expensive equipment.

Make your own weights. Try tins of food, full water bottles, and sand-filled tennis balls and tennis-ball cans.

“Many gyms and fitness centres offer free day memberships and complimentary sessions to get your interest”, says Martin. “Or if a friend is a member, they may be able to get you a free guest pass. Just don’t sign up to a 12-month contract while you’re there because it could end up very costly. Try your council-run gym instead if you want cheaper membership”.

Credit: New Magazine

This entry was posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Diets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.