Losing weight without weight watchers or a gym

Last year, I took small steps towards my health goals.
One of my goals was to run comfortably in the 10s. I was able to reach that goal in July.
Another goal was to lose weight. I used the Weight Watchers App in order to do that. I even blogged about it here at SimplyCintia.com.
Our finances got really tight and I had to give up on my Weight Watchers membership. The first time I joined Weight Watchers, I had to cancel my membership because of tight finances. I think I cried back then. Once that was over, I resolved to use the skills I learned to keep going.
This time there were no tears and my resolve was there.
I will be honest and tell you that I felt a little lost at first.

The holidays were right around the corner and I didn’t want to gain all the weight I lost.
I remember telling myself that I couldn’t give up. I remember telling myself to use what I had. For years, I’ve had a food journal as well as two other food tracking apps. The apps do the same thing as the Weight Watchers app. They help me track my intake so I can reach my goal.
Once I left WW, I gained a little bit of weight (4 lbs). I remember telling myself not to give up. So I kept eating well, exercising and tracking as well as I could.
I always knew that if I track, I lose weight.

The holidays came and I was blessed to have a lot of time at home with family. Being at home meant that I could keep my exercise routine. I also made sure to enjoy the special foods of the season without losing sight of my goal of arriving at a normal BMI.
My weight remained the same throughout the holiday season. Once we celebrated the new year, I was tracking my food closely and I kept the exercise routine going.
This week, I lost 2 of the 4 lbs I gained. I’m happy and encouraged to keep making progress towards my health goal.

When I looked at the total number of pounds I want to lose in 2019, I was discouraged. Then, I looked at my goal for 2018. The number was bigger. Small progress is still progress.

Here are a few tips for people who like me, do not have an excessive amount of money to invest in weight loss and exercise:

• find a free App where you can track your meals. A regular journal works wonders too. Just use what you have and be consistent.
• find a free exercise you can do. Walking in your neighborhood is free. Going to the city park a few days a week is free. Just use what you have and persist.
• write your goal and keep it in front of you. Some people are able to lose weight for life in a short amount of time. Others do it gradually, over the years. Regardless of the length of time, don’t bury your goals, keep them in front of you. Just use what you have and don’t hide your goals.

Using what we have is how we start. Believe you can reach your goals. See yourself at goal. Just use what you have and you will get there.