To further that philosophy I’ve recently created a Twitter account that I will use exclusively for fitness news. If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it is a way that people keep up to date on topics of interest by following users that share similar interests. Since I’m interested in losing weight I searched Twitter for people tweeting (posting) about weight loss. Using Twitter I can find interesting headlines then research them at my leisure. For example, another Twitter user I’m following tweeted about a study where people who drink diet soda are at a high risk of obesity than people who don’t. I can take this idea and learn everything I can about it. Then once I get enough information I can write a well researched article on it.

In addition to using Twitter to follow people that write interesting notes I can also tell all of you a little more about me and my struggle with weight loss. As my frequent visitors already know, I lost about 100 pounds in under a year, then I hit a plateau. I’ve become less motivated to workout and eat right because when I do I just don’t see the results I’m used to.

I need to reverse that trend, and I’m starting today. It is summer time here in the south I’m getting ready to get out and start being more active. As I do that I’m going to tweet about my challenges along the way, as well as post here about decisions I make and research I do. So if you’re interested in hearing about what I’m doing to stay healthy please follow me @OutdoorsyGeek on Twitter and I’d be glad to share my story with you!

As for exercise, don’t expect to be out on the treadmill for 45 minutes, that won’t help you get better quicker. Instead take a leisurely stroll outside. Walk to the post office or around your neighborhood. Make it a nice relaxing walk so you can enjoy the fresh air. This gets you out of the house with all of the germs and gives you a little exercise at the same time.

The bottom line when your sick is that you need to make getting better your first priority. If you can get yourself healthy quicker then you’ll be able to get back to a vigorous workout so you can start burning calories again. If you have a disease that will be with you for a while and need to find ways to continue to lose weight while your sick your best option is to talk to your doctor. Your doctor has the experience of working with others with your specific conditions and can monitor your health while you begin the new exercise routine. Be sure you take the doctors advice, and don’t over-exert yourself. The last thing you want is for your exercise to cause you to be less healthy than you are today.

Rollerblading was the primary method I used to lose weight. Every day (weather permitting) I put on my inline skates and went out to the local park. On days that I really didn’t feel like exercising I may have skated a little less, but I made sure I went for at least 20 minutes. If you don’t already own a pair of rollerblades, you can purchase a good pair from your local sports store for about $80. That is less than the start up fees of most gym memberships! That’s an excellent way to lose weight on a budget if you ask me. You don’t need to rollerblade to lose weight, there are many other great exercises out there. You could jog, bike, follow a workout video, or swim. You should ensure that you pick at least one high endurance exercise. The most important things to remember when you select an exercise that is that you pick something you enjoy. This is needs to be an exercise you can use to challenge yourself, and motivate yourself to do every single day.

Hiking is another exercise that can be a lot of fun. Because this frequently require more travel time than your daily high endurance exercise you likely won’t be able to do it every day. Hiking is an excellent exercise that you can do on a budget because the only cost involved is a sturdy pair of shoes and occasionally a minimal parking fee. Hiking is also a good choice because you can do it with your family, so instead of spending money on a movie or a dinner out you can take your family for a hike. If you pack a picnic lunch you can make a day trip out of it, and not only will it be good for the budget because it is cheaper than other activities but it will also help you lose weight because you will be active all day long.

Wii Fit is also a great way to lose weight, and it is so much fun! If you’ve already purchased the Nintendo Wii for your children you can buy the Wii Fit for under $80. There are a number of great exercises included in this game including Rhythm Boxing which is a very great way to lose weight without spending much money. Additionally the Wii Fit includes a number of strength training exercises which are essential if you want you manage your weight on a budget. The most important thing a gym membership offers is the use of their weights and exercise machines. No mater what you do you need to focus on building muscle mass as well as doing cardio workouts. The more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn at rest so even if you don’t use the Wii Fit you should make sure you schedule a daily routine to do push ups, sit ups and other exercises. If you do end up purchasing the Wii Fit you won’t just be buying one game, there are a number of other games coming out in the near future including Golds Gym Cardio Workout which is scheduled to be released in March 2009.