I was raised to hate wasting food. “Think of the starving children” my mother, once an impoverished child herself, implored. Guilt combined with a lack of willpower to make throwing away food a cardinal sin. Only recently have I been able to overcome the effects of my upbringing and bad habits to be able to say “enough” and put down the cheesecake. How did this happen? Thanks to deprivation.

There are few areas of fitness where I’ve experimented quite as much as with gyms. As a child I was too skinny, as an adult too fat. I’ve been trying to find the right equilibrium since forever. I’m closer now than ever before but it took a lot of trial and error. Now, after much frustration and needless expense, I exercise at home. Here are my veteran thoughts on gyms and why I no longer use them.

Most personal trainers will tell you not to trust your scale. Since bodyweight fluctuates daily, even hourly, many fitness professionals go so far as to use only photographs in gauging progress or disallowing weight measurements altogether. When I set out to lose weight I decided to take a very different approach, determined to truly and scientifically understand how weight loss happens. One of the most surprising things I discovered was the link between daily weight fluctuations and motivation.

Good news for those looking to get into shape; it is entirely reasonable to get decent gym equipment for free or almost free. The cumbersome and expensive nature of these items, while usually a problem, can work to your advantage. Here are a few proven techniques on how to make this happen.