Hi friends, and thanks for stopping by to read lose the weight, not your wallet. This is about ditching diet brands for real life!
My getting serious about weight loss began on July 29, 2018. Every year on the anniversary, I publish a post about how many years I’ve been maintaining the weight loss. The past couple of years I’ve switched gears a bit and also talk about other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. This means being healthy in other parts of our lives such as finances and emotional well-being.
I recently published Year Six of Maintaining a Healthier Lifestyle and thought it would be helpful to my readers to revisit how I went about losing weight and keeping the pounds off. While not breaking the bank! No expensive diet brands needed. We all know the way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. What kills us is the willpower to stay on track.
I didn’t spend money on a gym membership that I was just going to quit. Instead I used my feet, rode my bike, and did exercise videos on YouTube.
So let’s revise how I lost weight without spending a fortune. This lighthearted post shares how I dropped 40 pounds without diet programs, prepackaged meals, or pricey memberships. Just real food, free support, and figuring out what works for me.
Lose the weight, not your wallet
Are you trying to lose weight on a budget? You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not out of options.
I know the temptation. There’s a new ad every week: sign up now, get your first month free, freeze away the fat, buy our magic bars and soups and shakes… It sounds easy, right? Except it usually comes with a hefty price tag and a freezer full of plastic trays.
I’m here to tell you – you don’t need any of that.
I lost 40 pounds. Not with a brand-name weight loss program. Not with pills or shakes or anything prepackaged. Just me, some lifestyle changes, and a whole lotta patience. And I didn’t go broke doing it.
Been there, bought the frozen lasagna
In the past, I did try one of the big-name programs. Jenny Craig was running a promotion, something like “first 20 pounds free,” and then a dollar a pound after that. I think I only wanted to lose 15 or 20 pounds at the time, so it felt like a bargain. No sign-up fee, no pressure.
The guy I was with (we’ll just call him the deadbeat) actually paid for a lifetime membership. That sounded impressive… until the location shut down. When he tried to go to another Jenny Craig office, they had no record of him. Apparently computer systems in 1994 weren’t too sharp on customer retention. Oops.
I do remember the weigh-ins and weekly group sessions, though I couldn’t tell you what we talked about. And we bought the meals because that’s how those companies make their money. It’s not the advice, it’s the food.
You don’t need a program, you need a plan
Here’s the thing: if you feel better with the accountability of a group or a counsellor, I totally get that. Everyone’s different. Some people thrive on structure and encouragement from others. And these days, there are plenty of free online support groups to fill that gap – Facebook communities, Reddit forums, even YouTube channels where people share their journeys. That kind of support doesn’t cost a dime.
As for the food? You don’t need prepackaged frozen meals with a smiling face on the label to eat healthy. In fact, I found that by cooking for myself – real food, in normal portions – I had more control, more variety, and (surprise!) better flavor.
I didn’t count every calorie or follow a rigid diet. Mostly I ate a lot more spinach salads and drank smoothies. I cut back sweet treats, did more exercise videos I found on YouTube, and made better choices one day at a time. And it worked.
My year to a healthier lifestyle
I made it one year! Yeah! Check out A Year to a Healthier Lifestyle written on July 29, 2019.
I didn’t do anything fancy. No boot camp. No miracle products. Just a slow, steady shift toward healthier habits. Mostly cutting out bread, potatoes, and pasta, as recommended by a man I met a car dealership. My pants began to feel loose. Yeah, and that’s when it cost money – when I had to buy new pants!
I remember one day in the spring when I decided to go for a bike ride. This meant putting my bike in the car and driving to the park with a bike path. Before I left the house I put on my biking shorts and tossed my blue jean shorts into the back seat to wear after the ride. I was stopping at the grocery store afterwards and didn’t want to be prancing around in tight bike shorts.
Here’s a picture of me in those shorts taken the previous September on a trip to the Oregon Coast.
In the above photo I’d lost 10 to 15 pounds in the previous 10 weeks. That Oregon trip was about the last time I wore the shorts that year. The next time I planned to wear them was after that bike ride a few months later. OK. I finished my ride, put the bike in the back of my car, and pulled on my blue jean shorts over my biking shorts.
They promptly fell to the ground! LOL!
Oops. Just remembered I’d lost about another 15 pounds since I last wore them.
So there I was in the grocery store walking around holding my basket in one hand, and holding up my shorts with my other hand! Ha ha! Pretty funny! Yeah, I bet most of us would like to have that problem more often.
Eventually the number on the scale went down – by around 40 pounds.
All without signing a contract, buying a meal plan, or drinking a chalky shake called “Sunset Vanilla.”
You can do this – for free!
If you’re on a budget and wondering if weight loss is out of reach, let me say this loud and clear: you can absolutely do this without spending a fortune.
Forget the gimmicks. Forget the branded boxes of food. You already have the most important tool: you.
So take a deep breath, make a plan, find your rhythm, and trust yourself. You got this!
You don’t need to pay for change – you just need to start it.
My exercise tips
I’d like to share some YouTube videos that helped me and perhaps you’ll find them useful. Once you start watching these types of videos, YouTube will give you suggestions on similar videos.
Let’s start with yoga for equestrians. And you don’t have to be a horse rider to do this video. It goes slow and has a lot of stretches.
When will I ever get rid of my muffin top? I’ve been using this video to lose love handles for years. Hope springs eternal. But at least it’s exercise.
I also like Yoga by Adriene videos. Her voice is so soothing. She has so many videos, including for beginners. Click here to see her YouTube channel. Below is her bedtime yoga video.
And look at this. Adriene also has a yoga video for equestrians that I’ve been doing a lot lately.
I’ve got into the Walk at Home aerobic videos. The video below is a little weird. It conks out about 9 minutes and 13 seconds and comes back again at 9 minutes and 40 seconds. But I do like the routine.
Sometimes I do Wake Up and Walk. I should just probably do it more often… It’s more of a gentler walk.
Lately, this is the video I’ve been doing more often when I need more aerobics to keep the fat burning. Notice how the students change up during the class? Ha ha! The good thing about these videos is that you can be as energetic as you like or just walk in place if it’s too much for your current fitness level.
Food choices
I’m a vegetarian. Even if you are not, you might find incorporating more vegetarian meals will help with weight loss.
Check out an article I wrote last year when I was housesitting in London, England, aptly titled How to Keep Eating Healthy While Housesitting.
My breakfast is pretty basic. I like overnight oats, which means preparing them the night before to put in the fridge. If the weather is cold, then I’m cooking my oatmeal.
See my recipes for Chocolate Strawberry Overnight Oats and Super Easy Overnight Trail Mix Oats.
Don’t panic about buying the chocolate protein powder mix. I can’t afford those tins that cost $30 – or more! I used to buy a can of Carnation Breakfast Essentials but Nestle discontinued it to promote Boost powder mix. It costs less than $20. I buy it either in the Walmart pharmacy section or on Amazon.
This Boost powder is what I use for my chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie that I sometimes make for breakfast, but more commonly for lunch.
What else do I have for lunch? Not usually a sandwich anymore! Remember I cut way back on bread, pasta, and potatoes. Lunch might be a salad or yogurt. Sometimes I buy wraps. I put salad in and maybe some other protein I have on hand like chick peas that I’ve mashed with a fork. Other times I’ll spread the wrap with peanut butter and put a banana on top and roll it up.
In the colder months I’ll have soup for lunch. Due to being a travelling housesitter, it’s easier for me to buy a can of soup. Though sometimes I’ll still make a veggie barley soup.
Dinner is almost always salad. But it could just as likely be soup, especially if the weather is cold. I like to make chick pea cakes – just like veggie burger patties – to go with my salad. I’m also just as likely to buy veggie burgers at the store. But have you seen the prices on them lately?!!!
And before I forget, I like to make my peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal bake. It’s normally for breakfast, topped with a scoop of Greek vanilla yogurt. But it’s good for any meal. Yummy!
Lose weight, not money
I hope today’s post has give you food for thought instead of thinking about food to put in your stomach!
There are plenty of free exercise videos on YouTube. If you need peer support, do a search on Facebook or Reddit. These are all free places to find advice and encouragement.
And be sure to read some of my posts that I’ve linked in this article to inspire you and give you ideas on foods to eat and get started on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
Best of luck!
xoxo
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on August 21, 2025.
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