Many people who want to lose weight complain that following a healthy diet is too expensive. Some healthy foods, like chia, almond milk and even some supplements can indeed be pricey. But, the good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot to maintain a healthy diet and lose weight properly.

The best way to lose weight, actually, is to accomplish small challenges day by day. First of all (and more important than adopting a diet plan), you’ll want to choose a method that helps you establish limits on the calories that you eat day-to-day. Each day is a new and unknown challenge. Instead of focusing on the food itself, focus on calories. You can choose to eat a certain amount of calories, sometimes more than you are used to, sometimes less. By following calories alone, you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying expensive food. You can eat what you are used to, changing out quantities and ingredients with fewer calories as needed. There are apps which can help you track your calorie intake.

Another easy tip to follow is a simple one: Don’t go to the supermarket when you are hungry. When we do that, usually we buy more than we need. So, focus on establishing a budget, make a list with all that you need for that day (or for the week, if you’ve planned out your meals) and make sure you are not hungry.

You should also be careful with some diet plans. The Dukan diet plan, for example, is very restrictive as far as what you “should” eat, and some ingredients for the recipes are very expensive, such as almond and rice flour. So, before adopting a specific diet plan, be aware that you will likely spend more than you are used to, and you’ll probably experience extra stress when you discover that some ingredients aren’t available at your local market.

Then there’s exercise. Exercise is beneficial for everyone, especially for those who need to lose weight. Maybe you already know that you will need some comfortable clothes and a good pair of running or walking shoes. That’s true; running and walking are the two of the most affordable forms of exercise you can do for your overall health. If you’re starting with running, take it easy. You don’t need to run 5 km on your first outing. Work on gaining strength and distance gradually, challenging yourself every day.

If you’re looking for another option, take the bike out of the garage and enjoy the scenery while you ride. If you need to change your routine up to stay motivated, there are also many fitness apps that can introduce users to a variety of exercise routines, and they cost less than a gym. (Several are free!)

A limited budget is no excuse to avoid exercise and healthy living! Just do it, as they say.