List of Free Resources for Weight Loss

Here is a comprehensive list of free resources for weight loss.  You don’t have to buy a single thing (outside of groceries) to lose weight.

There are so many companies out there trying to sell you weight loss.  Their pill, powder, shake, bar, or wrap is going to make the difference in your weight loss, for three easy payments of $19.99.

But you don’t have to pay a dime for weight loss!  I’m serious, you actually don’t need to purchase a thing.  So here is my list of free internet resources for weight loss.  I will continue to update this as much as I can.

Please make sure to consults a physician before beginning any new exercise programs or changing your eating habits. 

Free Calorie Counting Information

The foundation of weight loss is achieving a sustainable calorie deficit.  Therefore you need to find out exactly how many calories you need to consume, based on your height, weight, age, and activity level.  

This Calorie Calculator is very reliable and straight forward, just make sure you are honest about your activity level.  If you’re looking for a little more explanation and direction, I highly recommend the video above from Jordan Syatt.  He makes figuring out your calorie deficit easy and goes over how much protein you need to include.  

free resources for weight loss

The other half of counting calories is tracking your food.  I have always used the MyFitnessPal App.  It’s easy to use and has a ton of nutrition information in the database.  

But sometimes, it really helps to just use an old-fashioned notebook and pen.  I can keep a small notebook with a pen in my purse and I’m more likely to record my calories with that.  Try to figure out what works best for you.

Free Nutrition Information

To understand the the nutritional content of any food, you need to be able to read the label.  Check out our post on Reading Nutrition Labels Quickly & Easily.  There are a few main things you should look for, like ingredients, calories, and protein to name a few.  

But if you need more information on what are the components of nutrition and how they stack up check out mynutrition.wsu.edu/nutrition-basics.  It’s a detailed but concise list of everything you need to know for understanding macronutrients and micronutrients.

And for an in depth description of nutrition and how it affects us uniquely check out Chris Kresser.  He has a Functional Medicine practice and stresses the important of whole foods and their effects on health.    

Free Exercise Information

No matter what type of exercise you want to do, I can guarantee you can find videos on YouTube of it.  And there are so many websites that break down all different types of activities from beginner to expert.  

If you need simple, adjustable routines that you can do at home, check out fitnessblender.com.  It website with tons of awesome, creative, and challenging workouts for free.  A similar site is PopSugar.  You can find lots of workouts from 7 minutes to an hour, from dance to Pilates.  

For those who are exercise beginners or want to start with something low impact and simple to perform, check out Dana Landgren on Instagram.  She has amazingly easy but effective workouts that can be done in 20 minutes.  I guarantee you will work up a sweat and feel it the next day.

For those who are looking for something more challenging, or who want to get serious about their gym workouts, I recommend: bodybuilding.com and Athlean-X on YouTube.  Bodybuilding.com has detailed information on exercises and how you can create simple workouts for yourself.  

free resources for weight loss

This is the bible of building muscle and you can learn so much just skimming their articles.  Athlean-X has fantastic videos on form and methodology.  He is research-based and focuses on performance and longevity.  

And I can’t forget to recommend taking at least a session or two with a physical therapist or certified personal trainer.  Just so you can learn proper form, safety practices, and muscles cues to ensure you can be as effective as possible.  Sometimes you can find free sessions or classes at local gyms or through your city’s recreation center.

Free Healthy Recipes

Thankfully healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland or boring.  Gone are the days of choking down boiled brussel sprouts and unseasoned chicken. There are tons of great blogs and websites with countless healthy and simple recipes.  

One of my favorites is 100daysofrealfood.com.  A blog by Lisa Leake, a mom who converted her family to real food and never went back.  Her philosophy is based on Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, check out our post What is Real Food? to learn more.  And her recipes are super simple and the ingredients are common and low price.  Best of all they are made with zero processed foods and just nutritious whole foods.  

Another favorite of mine is Cooking Light.  Their recipes are a little more advanced, but are low calorie and absolutely delicious.  They are full of flavor and have so many creative combinations.  I love their Chicken Piccata, I think its better than most restaurant’s version.

No matter what you need when it comes to your weight loss journey, you can probably find it online.  Things work best when you keep it as simple as possible.  Real whole foods, simply prepared, and activity and movement every day.  

Focus on the small steps, like just improving your breakfast by making sure it includes protein.  Don’t overwhelm yourself and reach out to your support system when you need.  

free resources for weight loss