We are now in January and as we all know this is the month that we all start thinking about losing weight, and being fit and healthy. After the holidays in December, we all gain a few kilos. I must admit that I have gained not just a couple of kilos but much more than that! I can’t even bear to put myself on the scales because I know I will be crying! But you know what? I must do it as it is the only way to realise that I need to do something about it.
I just need to get my mind focussed on the goal, which is keeping fit and healthy. Last year I was up and down, losing and gaining weight. I felt like a yo-yo! It is really annoying to see how you gain weight so easily when it takes you longer to lose it. It is just ridiculous, how we do that to ourselves, right?
I have become more unfit since I started blogging. I’m not sure if this is something that happens to other bloggers but I seem to stay stuck in front of my laptop all day long! My laptop and my phone are an extension of my body! It is just crazy! It is definitely an addiction and I must say, a bad habit. Even though this is my fulltime job, I need to find a balance to get myself back into a healthy state of mind and do as much as I can to get fit.
I think eating healthier is something that I can do first and I’m sure with determination I can succeed but my main problem is doing exercises. OMG, I feel so lazy to get out and do some exercises. I know that I can do exercises at home but I never do! I just need that little bit of will power to kick my ass and push me into getting out to the park to do speed walking for at least 3o minutes. This is what I used to do before and it actually helped me a lot.
So I’m now trying to organise myself to get back to that healthy state of mind. The thing is that I don’t want to spend lots of money to be able to achieve this. I should be able to do this without going bankrupt at all, LOL! I know I’m being exaggerated but you can be so silly and start spending so much money on healthy meals, nice sports gear (you can get fab and great deals on Fabletics), some healthy subscription boxes, etc. The list of things you can spend on is endless. We live in a consumer based society so we tend to see a lot of great products out there but we need to make sure we always keep things to a budget.
Theseย are some ideas of how you can keep healthy on aย budget:
- Send your husband to do the food shopping! I know this sounds funny but to be honest I’m such a big spender that for us it works really well. He is the one who does the food shopping and he is good at keeping to a budget and only getting the things we need. If you don’t have a husband like mine, you could make a note of what you need first and stick to it so when you go to the supermarket you don’t buy more than that.
- Another tip is to do your food shopping online. This is a really good way to keep on track of what you are buying and for how much. I know this is not for everybody as sometimes you end up with substituted products which can be a let down but I think you can specify that you don’t want substitutes so then you will have to deal with the missing products on a small shopping trip to your local supermarket.
- Buy ingredients to prepare a healthy meal like a veggie soup for example and freeze it for the week. Nick cooked a delicious and super healthy veggie soup yesterday and I was like: “Wow, this is so tasty that we should have this more often, so let’s do more and freeze it”. This is not rocket science, but it actually works. You could also get fresh veggies from Hello Fresh.ย
- Try own brands from the supermarket. We do this a lot and you know what, you will be surprised by the quality of these products. We shop a lot in Asda, Sainsbury’s and occasionally at Tesco and we have not had any issues. This is worth trying for sure.
- An obvious one will be to cut down on meat and try more substitutes like legumes, beans, eggs. Also, buy quinoa. It is a super power food that comes from my country and it is what the Incas used to eat making them strong and healthy. It is just amazing how good this can be for you.
Theseย are some ideas of how you can keep fit on aย budget:
- Walk everywhere! As I mentioned before, I need to do this more. I have decided to do 30 minutes walk in the park every morning! It is now a must for me. I can’t keep having excuses for this!
- Choose walking instead of driving. This one goes together with the previous one. Can you believe that my daughter’s school and nursery are walking distance but I choose to drive? Yes, I know what are you thinking! And I don’t blame you! Lazy me! But my only excuse for this silly behaviour is that I will gain more time to do my work! It’s sad really as I think I will be more productive if I keep my body active. This definitely helps with your mind.
- Use free apps to keep track of your weight, measurements and calorie counting. This is something that has helped me a lot in the past. I loved checking my weight and measurements. It was nice to see the improvement. I didn’t use to do this every day as it is better if you do it weekly so I was looking forward to doing this each Monday morning. Regarding the calory counting this could sound crazy to you but it actually helped a lot. I lost 13 kilos just doing this. It is great!
- Use YouTube videos to do exercises. There are so many out there now. The options are endless. It is actually good to have so many to choose from!
Check out this video below fromย My Voucher Codesย that was put together recently with some great tips on how to stay healthy on a budget.
I think this video is really good and has some fantastic tips. I like the one about not going food shopping when you are hungry! That is so true! How many times have I ended buying the whole store because I was dying of hunger, LOL! The tip I didn’t like though was the one about getting a cold shower. Oh no! I will never do something like that -- not even in the summer! I love at least a warm shower. Do you Agree?
Do you have any more tips to help us to stay healthy and fit on a budget? What do you think of the video?
*Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you allย โค๏ธ
Franca ย 💋
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Thank you for the ideas and some positive words ๐ i’ve started on a big weightloss journey this month but I feel so focussed, I have lost 11lb in 3 weeks so far and it means the world to me ๐
Interesting, makes you feel better doing exercise and eating correctly, which can be difficult at times.
Still busy swimming, Pilate and line dancing, which is great fun meeting lots of people and good exercise.
Great post Franca,
Yea, January is finally here and what most people are busy thinking right now is how to make more money in 2017, forgetting that their health matters most.
Just like you, I’m equally super addicted to my laptop and mobile phones, I use to think I’m the only one who does this until now. Honestly, I wish there’s a way I could detach myself from them sometimes so I could focus more on other important areas of my life, especially my health.
Well, I’m a man, and I’m yet to get married (probably this year) ๐ but, I do know that my dad usually does all the cooking shopping as you suggested, and I love it.
I guess I will also be doing same when I get married ๐
Thanks for sharing Franca.
Cook from fresh and eat all your left overs. That’s what we do. And we shop at Lidl. Love that place.#kcacols
Great tips. I’m a big fan of meal planning and using my local market for fresh fruit and veg, ever since we started using it we’ve not only been eating healthier but have saved a fortune too x
#KCACOLS
Thanks for the ideas! I’m terrible for over spending when food shopping! My trouble is that I plan all of these amazing, healthy meals – then am too tired to be bothered to make them once I get home from work! So I end up putting the same old pasta or rice dish on that’s easy. #mustryharder lol. This should have been my new year’s resolution! #KCACOLS
I shop online which I think really helps. We’ve had a few unsatisfactory substitutes before bjt on the whole it’s great and saves time and money. I also do workout from the Body Coach YouTube channel and have recently started power walking with friends. Good luck with your healthy choices x #KCACOLS
Love the tip about getting the hubby out to the shops! I think it would half work but we’d probably be living off of Pepsi Max and Galaxy counters haha. Some great tips, thank you! x #KCACOLS
These are some great tips! I really must walk more. It’s so easy to just grab the car keys, especially in miserable weather!
#KCACOLS
Since I started blogging I have gained a lot of weight, then lost it all – mainly because I was pregnant haha! Now I’m pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy size after eight months. I think the long walks with the pram have helped! #KCACOLS
Some great tips. I totally send my husband to do the shopping and it stops me buying loads of rubbish. He says he noticed how much money we’ve saved since I stopped going. Great idea about youtube workout videos too. I’ve just discovered there are loads on my Amazon Prime too that I can use without paying extra. #kcacols
Excellent tips Franca. I am really bad. I find that eating healthily takes prior planning and preparation whereas unhealthy eating is just a lot more convenient. Fresh veg goes off so quickly. Thanks for the tips. You’ve energised me to try harder. Pen x. #KCACOLS
I love exercising but I too just feel far too lazy and tired to actually get up and do it. My partner keeps telling me it’s just a mental thing and I should tell myself I’m not tired and have loads of energy – it’s definitely not a mental thing haha #KCACOLS
These are great tips Franca. I’m terrible for eating healthy and really need to start focusing properly on food. I tend to eat out the go and have a hankering for take ways. I definitely need to start planning meals and focusing on my health more #kcacols
Great post! I have tried most of your tips but I think sending my husband to do the shopping would be awful he’s so impulsive! lol We really need to try and swap meat for alternatives, thats a great tip. #kcacols
Food shopping when hungry is a killer for my bank balance..I can never resist the bakery aisle if I’m hungry haha. I have started walking everywhere I can instead of driving..and I’m pushing a heavy pram with 2 kids so I count that as my exercise haha. Really useful tIps here xx #KCACOLS
Good tips! I used to go to the gym but these days, when I’m managing to find the time for it at all, I go running or exercise at home – it’s definitely possible to be fit or free. I always buy own brands, and do my big shops online. I know that getting the reduced items & then freezing them or cooking them straight away, plus the irregular fruit and veg some shops do now are also ways some people save money on getting the fresh fruit and veg and healthy foods. #KCACOLS
I am terrible for shopping when I’m hungry it’s so bad! I don’t mind cold showers you know especially in the summer I’d be quite happy #kcacols
Great ideas! I think blogging does take the time of other hobbies, maybe fitness blogging is the way round it #kcacols
Lol maybe that is the way forward! ๐ x
This is exactly what I need to read right now, I have a 7 month old and need to lose some weight ready to go back to work in 4 months time! Thanks for the tips, although I could never send my husband shopping as he would come back with half of the supermarket. I completely agree with the online shopping – helps us lots and makes us meal plan!
#KCACOLS
I have been trying so hard to stay healthy and get fit after my little one I love reading any advice and tips!!! I didn’t realise how expensive being healthy was. #kcacols