5 budget busting buys for successful weight loss

When it comes to losing weight you don’t need to spend any money but that doesn’t stop the average person spending around £160 every time they start a new diet. This January be smart with your pennies to lose those extra pounds, swap the expensive fads and super foods for some practical accessories for a healthy (and cheap) approach to weight loss. ​

5 of the best budget busting buy

1. A food and drink diary. Keeping track of your own progress is one of the most powerful tools for weight loss. You can use anything from a cheap notepad to a free app on your phone, some good ones include MyFitnessPal, Calorie counter+ and My Food Diary.
   
   Food diaries help you to focus, reflect and take action. It’s not just about writing down everything you eat and drink for weeks on end. To get results you need to take some time to reflect on your diary. Ask yourself what went well and most importantly (if you’re not getting the results you want) what could you improve and do differently next week.  
   
   
2. A mindfulness app. Mindfulness is about living and being in the moment and when it comes to losing weight this could be a vital skill to learn, especially if you are prone to emotional eating. For some great apps check out Calm or Headspace. If food is your default when stressful times happen then finding a way to manage those feeling without turning to food for comfort is going to be more successful than any diet out there.
   
   
3. ​​Measuring spoons and smaller plates. No matter how healthy your diet is, healthy portion sizes are key to successful weight loss. Using smaller plates and bowls is an easy first step to reducing portion sizes and can be brought for less than £5, but don’t go too small, aim for about a 9inch (24cm) plate. Measuring spoons are great if you know what a healthy portion is, for a spoon with more guidance try The Carb Spoon® www.spoonit.co.uk.
   
   
4. Tupperware. Batch cooking is a great way to plan and prepare for busy days. We all know that when we’re in a rush healthy meals go out the window and quick snack foods or takeaways replace all our good intentions. Cooking in bulk saves you time and money, whilst also ensuring you have a healthy back up meal in the freezer. You can also use little Tupperware pots for portioning healthy snacks for the day, like fruit and nuts. For something a little bit more funky than your average plastic Tupperware www.redcandy.co.uk/happy-jackson-snack-boxes-set-of-4
   
   
5. A set of kettlebells. Exercising with weights is called resistance training which increases the size and strength of muscles and in doing so provides a host of benefits, but don’t worry you don’t need to resemble the hulk to see results. When you lose weight it’s not just body fat that you lose, its muscle too. By doing some regular resistance training you limit the amount of muscle you lose which helps maintain your metabolism. Resistance training at home 1-3 times per week is the easiest and cheapest way to incorporate it into your lifestyle. There are some great free workout videos on YouTube or for some resistance training using your body weight go to www.nhs.uk/Livewell/strength-and-flexibility