5 Cheap Tools Needed To Drop 20 Pounds

Are you tight on time, and working with a small financial budget? Do you have an extra few pounds that you want to lose this year without committing hundreds of dollars to a gym?  If you answered yes, then check out these 5 Cheap Tools Needed To Drop 20 Pounds.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using any of the links within this post.

About two years ago I decided to get serious about losing weight. I set a long-term goal to lose close to 70 pounds, achieving this goal would place me close to the recommended weight listed on the BMI chart for my age and height. At the time my main challenges were no extra money for a gym membership, no extra time to attend the gym with small children at home, and no proven knowledge on the proper way to lose weight. Despite the challenges, I still decided to give weight loss a try. As a result, I was fortunate enough to lose close to 20 pounds.

5 Tools I Used to Drop 20 Pounds

1.  Find a Comfortable Exercise Routine

Do you hate exercise? Well, so do I! Therefore to reach my goal I had to find a workout routine which I was comfortable with doing on a daily.  Earlier in my journey I tinkered with P90X yet found the videos very long, and the workouts to complicated for a beginner.

Next, I decided to try “>Hip Hop Abs by Shaun T, and I simply enjoyed it.  The videos were easy to follow, the workouts were no more than 30 to 40 minutes long, and the entire routine is done standing.

Yup, standing Abs!

2.  Choose a Quality Protein Drink

When starting a weight loss routine the most important tool for muscle recovery is a quality protein drink.  Adding protein after each workout was a necessary addition to my progress.

At the time Pure Protein was my drink of choice.  With 25g of protein and 3g of sugar, Pure Protein added the much-needed nutrients back into my body and aided me in the development of strength and leaner body mass.

3.  Drink lots of Water

Obviously, water is an important part of any weight loss routine.  Yet I struggled to consume it consistently, or if it was consumed it wasn’t the daily recommended ounce.

In order to successfully measure my water consumption on a regular, I decided to buy a Contigo Autoseal Grace Reusable 32oz Water Bottle.  Let me tell you how incredible this bottle has been, in keeping me accountable for my water consumption.

It is made using the auto-seal technology which seals the spout when the bottle isn’t in use.  This makes it great to carry around with you as there are no leaks. It also comes with a built-in carrying handle which allows you to go hands-free by snapping it onto a purse or backpack strap.

Finally, it comes with volume markings printed down the side of the bottle; this has been a tremendous help in letting me quickly eyeball the amount of water consumed or not consumed during the course of the day.

It’s also safe to add that this bottle saved me a ton of money because I wasn’t purchasing cases of water.

My little way of going green!

4. Weigh Yourself Often

The next tool needed is a reliable scale to track your progress.  For the majority of my journey, I used a Health O Meter Digital Scale it has an extra-large platform that securely holds up to 400 lbs.

The feature which I found most useful is the individual tracking;  each time you weigh in it saves your results and automatically compares your last results to your new ones.  It even calculates the difference and indicates pounds gained or lost compared to your last weigh in.

Amazing, Right?

Tip: Before purchasing a home scale I would use the scale in my grocery stores pharmacy (connected to blood pressure machine) to track my weight.  This scale was a great free tool to use as I shopped for extra fruit and veggies.  

5. Track your Progress

Finally, the last tool needed to drop those pounds would be a calendar or a cell phone memo app to log your progress weekly.  During my journey, I used the Memo app pre-installed on my Android phone to keep track of my weight.

First, log into the app and create a new memo labeling it “Weight Loss Journey.” Next, document the current date, your current weight, and save.

It’s just that simple!

Then make it your priority to view your memo weekly or biweekly (you choose) to log the date and your current weight.

I also used this to document any, additional steps taken which may have helped or hindered progress such as no carbs, all fruit, etc.

Check out my example below.

Weight Loss Journey

11/01/16: 207lbs- Baseline  (Starting weight)

11/14/16: 200 lbs (-7lbs)Daily workout, no carbs, increased fruit & veggies. Total Lost- 7lbs

11/28/16: 190lbs (-10lbs) Increased workout to twice daily; increased water intake before each meal. Total Lost -17lbs

12/7/16: 187lbs (-3lbs) Vacation week- Added Carbs, and Wine, limited workout.  Total Lost -20lbs

Well, I hope these five super cheap and easy tools to drop 20 pounds will bring you much success.  Please share your weight loss tools with me.  I would love to know what you use to get in shape on a budget.

~Monique