There are non profit organizations out there that do want to support people in healthy lifestyles. You don’t need expensive programs to loose weight but you do need support. The two programs I found out about are TOPs (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) and Champs which is run by The Canadian Diabetic Association. Both of these programs are under 100$ a year to join. They both have weigh in and support meetings which are educational in nature. I choose to go to the Champs meeting just because both my little ones are in school on that day. There is also Overeaters Anonymous which is a 12 step program based on Alcoholics Anonymous. There were not any OA meetings in my area but I do see that eating for some of us is like a drug, well at least chocolate is for me.

There is also some amazing free online support for losing weight my favorite site is You On A Diet this site is amazing register and you can have daily healthy eating tips sent to your e-mail addy also there are lifestyle questionnaires that you can fill out to determine your real age. There are also customizable meal plans that give you the shopping list for what you will need for a weeks worth of food. Also the forum is there if you can’t get out to a support meeting for losing weight.

Yoga has been a huge help to me over the last year, I feel that I have gained back a lot of strength from doing yoga not to mention some peace of mind. I started by using the video, ‘Yoga For Dumbies’ presented by Sarah Ivanhoe you can take it out from your public library an good online source for yoga poses and information is the ‘Yoga Journal.’ The best thing next to eating healthy that you can do for your health is to walk. There is so much evidence to support walking as one of the safest and most effective way to get exercise.

The phrase “Walking is man’s best medicine,” allegedly spoken by Hippocrates two millennia ago, is even more timely today. This fact is particularly true in industrialized societies where new technologies have not only changed the way we work but, even more profoundly, have also affected our life styles by reducing the physical effort of most of our daily activities . Source

Walking is great it’s free you only have to do 30 minutes a day so really there is no excuse not to do it I know when I get into the routine of walking I lose weight and feel so much stronger. I like walking to because it can be social if you are in the mood for that. Or you can do it by yourself. The same is true for yoga. It’s nice to know there are cheap and free supports out there for those of us that are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.