Having trouble sleeping at night? If you have excess body fat, this could be the cause of those sleepless nights. Obesity and excess fat have been linked to increased risks for sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep issues. This means that taking steps to lose weight can put a stop to you losing out on sleep, and these free and budget-friendly tools can help.
Fitness Trackers
If you work in an office or at a desk, it can be tricky to remind yourself to get up and get moving. That’s why it may be helpful to invest in an Apple Watch or fitness tracker, so you can see how many steps you’ve taken and calories you’ve burned each day. You can even find refurbished watches if you’re concerned about costs, or you can use an Apple promo code, special online discounts, or cashback offers from sites such as Rakuten.
Nutrition Apps
Nutrition is another key to fighting obesity and body fat, but keeping track of calories and other stats can be difficult on your own. Thankfully, you can use free apps to easily manage what you are putting into your body and what you are putting out. Apps like MyFitnessPal offer free versions that should supply all you need to maintain your weight.
Workout Apps
While you are downloading nutrition apps to your smartphone, you should also think about downloading a few exercise apps. From yoga to running, there are free apps that make it easier to work out at home and reach your fitness goals. As an added bonus, you can connect most apps to your new watch or tracker, for a truly integrative fitness and weight-loss experience that will still cost you a lot less than those monthly fees and memberships at a local gym.
Sleep Trackers
In addition to nutrition and fitness apps, you can also use your smartphone or new watch to improve your sleep habits. This is important because, in addition to obesity causing sleep problems, poor sleep is linked to increased body fat and obesity, so you need to get plenty of rest if you want to avoid this unhealthy cycle. Luckily, some of the best sleep apps are also free to use, although you may need to make in-app purchases to access certain features.
Self-Care Habits
You may already know that self-care can improve your sleep but did you know that self-care can also impact weight-loss? This is because by taking steps to reduce stress and focus on your mental health, you may end up uncovering deeper reasons for any excess body fat and you can focus on improving your body from the inside out. Wondering how to practice more self-care without spending a small fortune? These budget-savvy self-care tips may help you out.
Food Scales
Understanding the nutritional value of your meals and snacks can help you reduce your body fat, but you also need to understand portion control. Because you can use your food-tracking apps to eat the healthiest foods in the world but if you are eating too much of those foods you may not see the scale move at all. So try to limit your meals and snacks to a single serving by using everyday items as visual references when eating, to enhance your weight-loss efforts.
Healthy Hobbies
Did you know that your mood can affect your weight as well? When you are bored, stressed or anxious, you may end up eating to soothe those emotions. This can also lead to cravings for processed foods and snacks that can make losing body fat much more difficult. So the next time you feel like reaching for sugar or fast food, take a moment and check in with your mood. If you feel like eating due to boredom, think about practicing a new and low-cost hobby instead.
Getting into better shape and getting rid of extra body fat doesn’t have to involve expensive gimmicks — all you really need is a focus on a few essential areas of your health and wellness. Having a few free or low-cost apps and tools can make sharpening this focus a little easier, so you can reach your weight-loss and sleep goals.
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