This list of Christmas gift ideas for weight loss originally began in 2009 but has been updated every year since then! (We’ve also published newer weight loss gift ideas posts: check out Healthy Christmas Gift Ideas for Weight Loss in 2014 and Healthy Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas!)
It’s a great list of Christmas gift ideas for someone trying to lose weight or live a healthier life. If you are looking for a gift that will help someone strive for a healthier life then you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve decided to make a fun list of cool health and fitness related gifts I think every health conscious person would be happy to give or receive, whether they are in the process of losing weight or just trying to stay fit and live healthy. The list includes gifts in all price ranges so you will be able to find something for everyone. I chose to list things from Amazon because it’s a trusted retailer with competitive prices.
(Note: not everyone likes getting stuff related to fitness and weight loss… so make sure the person won’t take it as an insult but a gesture to help their journey!)
Christmas Gift Ideas For Weight Loss
Calorie Management System
This is an excellent gift idea for anyone serious about calories in, calories out weight loss. If they like to see numbers and concrete evidence, this is a great gift. I’ve used the Fitbit One for a while and highly recommend it as a gift.
The Fitbit One is a perfect gift idea for someone wanting to lose weight or just move more. It’s also one of those gifts that you won’t feel awkward giving since it’s used by all types of people – fit and unfit alike. It’s a great gift for under $100. Get it here: Fitbit One Wireless Activity Plus Sleep Tracker
Other Fitbit options and calorie management systems:
- Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker
- Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband
- Fitbit Charge Activity/Sleep Tracker
Even better, FitBit is offering free shipping right now: Free shipping with orders over $50 at Fitbit.com!
Active Gaming System
WII FIT. If you don’t have a Wii, consider picking one up for yourself or as a gift this season now that the price has dropped. They are great fun for the whole family and great at keeping you active when you could be sitting. And for the specific fitness focus gift, consider giving Wii Fit
.
There are a ton of awesome accessories to get with the Wii and Wii Fit that make the experience even better, including: Wii 5-In-1 Fitness Bundle (contains several useful accessories), Wii Fit Workout Kit
, Wii Fit Yoga Mat and Ankle/Wrist Weights Combo
, Dumbbell Set for Wii
, Wii Fit Balance Board Silicone Sleeve
. Any of these are great options if someone already has a Wii and Wii Fit.
Also consider another great Wii option – EA Sports Active and EA Sports Active: More Workouts
.
Fitness Equipment
A good idea for anyone who wants to workout at home on their own or travels a lot. You can buy relatively inexpensive equipment like dumbbells or resistance bands. You can also spend a bit more on the following items to really give someone a great gift that will jumpstart their new lifestyle:
Fitness Equipment Gift Ideas Under $1oo
- Reebok Balance Board
- Black High Density Foam Rollers – Extra Firm – 6″ x 12″ Round
- Gaiam Total Body Balance Ball Kit (75cm)
- Valeo MB10 10-Pound Medicine Ball
You can also spend a bit more on the following items to really give someone a great gift that will jumpstart their new lifestyle.
Fitness Equipment Gift Ideas Over $1oo
- Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair)
- Horizon Fitness EX-69-2 Elliptical Trainer
(ellipticals are great workouts for anyone)
- Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike with Pulse
- TRX Suspension Trainer Basic Kit + Door Anchor
- Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine with PM3 (Black)
(rowing machines are a killer full body workout)
- DeskCycle Desk Exercise Bike Pedal Exerciser
(excellent gift idea for someone that works a desk job but wants to exercise more)
- LifeSpan TR1200-DT5 Treadmill Desk (2013 Model)
(most expensive gift on this list but it’s amazing and personally I’d want one!)
Pedomoter
PEDOMETER. For a while this was my favorite fitness gadget. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy, and it encourages you to take more steps and be more active in your daily life. You can even give one to a loved one and tell them you will wear one too, as either support or a challenge, depending on which will fire them up. The Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer is one of the best according to ratings and reviews.
Biggest Loser Kit
If you know someone who is a huge fan of the show, consider giving them a package with several Biggest Loser brand items. Things you could include in your “Biggest Loser Kit” gift:
(books)
- The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program to Transform Your Body, Health, and Life–Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show!
- The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start
- The Biggest Loser Fitness Program
- Biggest Loser Family Cookbook
- The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps
- The Biggest Loser Success Secrets: The Wisdom, Motivation, and Inspiration to Lose Weight–and Keep It Off!
- Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life
(winner Ali Vincent’s book);
(dvds)
- The Biggest Loser Workout, Vol. 1
- The Biggest Loser Workout, Vol. 2
- The Biggest Loser: The Workout – Boot Camp
- The Biggest Loser Workout: Power Sculpt
- The Biggest Loser: The Workout – Weight Loss Yoga
- The Biggest Loser: The Workout – Last Chance Workout
, and the crazy hardcore yet super effective Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred
.
Workout DVDs
Workout DVDs are always a great option, especially for someone you know will or wants to workout at home. Any of the Biggest Loser DVDs listed above are great gifts, as are
- Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred
- Jillian Michaels Body Revolution
- Denise Austin: Boot Camp – Total Body Blast
- SWAT Workout: Ultimate Body Definition
- Workout: One-On-One Training with Jackie
- P90X Extreme Home Fitness with Tony Horton – Set of 13 DVDs, Calendar, Fitness Guide, Nutrition Guide, & Workout Log
.
Kindle
You might not immediately think of a kindle when you think of Christmas gifts for weight loss, but it is a great option! It’s the #1 Best-Selling, #1 Most Wished For and #1 most Gifted item on Amazon.com. People want it because quite frankly kindles are awesome. The recipient can even read healthy living books, watch inspiring videos, or read healthy magzines and blogs while they are working out with their kindle.
Go ahead and give the gift of reading by giving the Kindle Fire HDX 7″, HDX Display, Wi-Fi. The most wished for item on Amazon is always a great gift idea!
Healthy Living Magazines
Want to get a gift that keeps on giving all year long? Try magazines. Each month a new gift shows up! And the best part is you can get a bunch of year subscriptions to health and fitness related magazines for around 10 to 15 bucks, including:
- Health
- Fitness
- Men’s Fitness
- Women’s Health
- Men’s Health
- Self
- Runner’s World
- Weight Watchers Magazine
- Natural Health
- Shape
- Clean Eating
Healthy Food Books
A book on the right topic can change someone’s life. If you know someone trying to get healthy or struggling with emotional eating, consider giving them a book for Christmas. I recommend:
- In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
- Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
- Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food
- The Rules of “Normal” Eating
- Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works
For emotional eating (which I would only do with someone I know well) check out:
- books written by Geneen Roth
- Breaking Free from Emotional Eating
- When Food Is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy (Plume)
Or if you are looking for something humorous, I would suggest books by fellow bloggers:
- Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir
(written by Jennette the PastaQueen)
- The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl
(written by Shauna the DietGirl)
Healthy Cookbooks
As someone who needs recipes in order to stand a chance at cooking, I appreciate the gift of cookbooks. There are so many great ones out there for people trying to live healthier lives and lose weight. Here are some great ones:
- From Mama’s Table to Mine: Everybody’s Favorite Comfort Foods at 350 Calories or Less
- Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories
- Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
- The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes
- Cooking Light Complete Cookbook: A Fresh New Way to Cook
- Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great
- Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle
For a college student, try The Healthy College Cookbook (I would have loved getting this while I was in school!).
Kitchen Scale
Proper portion control is a huge element of success for healthy weight loss. Many people do not have a kitchen scale to weight out items for portion control, so perhaps you should give one as a gift. There are several great brands that sell them, depending on what features you think the recipient would appreciate. Check out these for good options:
- EatSmart Digital Nutrition Scale – Professional Food and Nutrient Calculator
, (really good one),
- Newline Digital Nutrition Calculator Kitchen Food Diet Scale, Silver
- Kitrics Digital Nutrition Scale
.
Healthy Snacks
Let’s be honest, food is expensive and everyone loves free food. So why not give out healthy treats for Christmas presents? You can bake your own if you have time and skill, or buy super healthy snacks like Glo Bars from Glo Bakery.
Or you can check out things like Clif Bars, which come in cool flavors like Iced Gingerbread.
Other snack ideas:
Gift Cards
Gift cards are always a safe Christmas gift. It’s a fall back option, of course, but gift cards are popular and a safe option if you don’t know what to get someone. I personally LOVE getting gift cards
, especially if it is to a store or website that I have lots of purchasing options with.
There you go! Several great Christmas gift ideas in every price range for people losing weight and staying fit! Happy shopping!!
Really great list, Mary… and I agree totally on the WiiFit since it helped me originally get off my backside and start moving! ; ) Is this your final week in Green Mountain? If so – I hope you have a heck of a great week – you’re quite the inspiration! : )
What a great post with so many ideas!!!!!! Love it! I saw a lady with that kindle & I had never even heard of it so it got my attention!
If you are into weights more, I love Oxygen Women’s Fitness magazine & they have a great Eating Clean magazine too!
I did a post today on the gift of fitness that does not cost money. It was another blogger’s post that I linked to if you want to check it out.
Thx for the great ideas and links!!!!!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..The Gift of Fitness; Food Donation from 266 =-.
Great list. Now, if I can find a Wii benefactor, I can take care of the rest.
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..Driven, I’m Driven =-.
Too bad we don’t have Cyber Monday :)
But I prefer WII Active Sports, it’s more intensive that Wii Fit (got them both).
What do you have planned for yourself?
.-= Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Sunday November 29th 2009 =-.
Great list! A lot of things on there that I would like :-)
There’s tons on that list that I like the sound of. Another one which is good (which my mom did for my dad a few years ago) is maybe get a few sessions with a personal trainer for them. My mom got a voucher for 5 sessions and my dad loved it so much he signed up for more later. But either way, it’s something fitness related and it doesn’t have to cost a bundle (you could get one or two sessions, or a group session!)
And cookbooks are my candy … there’s a store nearby that sells only cookbooks and I’ve so far avoided it but I MAY have to visit soon (for gifts of course!)
.-= Gemfit´s last blog ..Intuitive eating vs. tracking =-.
I thought about that idea too. I think I am going to do another list that gives ideas like that… for this one I was trying to make it all stuff that easily can be found online, with no hassle.
I realised that after I posted (sometimes I’m a dimwit!)
.-= Gemfit´s last blog ..Verifying for Technorati =-.
Hehe. It is a really good idea though! I think next week i will do one of more creative gift ideas that take a little more effort to set up. :)
Great list. I’m still waiting for a heart rate monitor.
.-= TB-Milwaukee´s last blog ..Parent/Teacher Conferences =-.
This is enough to make an anti-shopper’s head spin! :-)
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..End of the Festivities =-.
Thank you for this great list Mary!
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Days 11 and 12 of "The Shred" =-.
EXCELLENT suggestions!! I can’t live without my digital sale I love it! My new absolutely favorite gadget that could be a good stocking stuffer is the Adjust a Cup 2 Tbsp size. http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=694353
It’s great for measuring out stuff like peanut butter, dip, condiments, etc. I found I was severely OVERreporting my ketchup and stuff. Great stocking stuffer idea at $3!
I LOVE that!! Great idea!
Holy Smoked Hotness Batman – that’s a great list. Thank you I’m RTing it now so my Twitter peeps think I’m in th know!
@laughitoff
Great ideas, Mary! I especially love to give and get magazine subscriptions! It’s like getting 12 gifts in one!
.-= Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Sunday School =-.
I love this list! Holy moly on the BL kit! Who knew? I also love http://www.collagevideo.com for workout videos b/c they give ratings and such.
Great job and thank you!:o)
Great gift ideas. I’m a big fan of gift cards too. My wife says we can’t get them for people and I never understand why… I think it’s the best gift ever! :)
.-= Blake´s last blog ..Want is not Enough =-.
This is a great idea! I am a big fan of Geneen Roth. I’d also add cooking classes…
excellent list of items. i have that pedometer and it works great!
.-= ernise´s last blog ..My weakness =-.
I would love ANY of those, except maybe the Kindle (I think I prefer it keep it old school when reading books).
The Wii and WiiFit are definitely on top of the list though, that way I don’t have to hijack it when I go over my moms house.
.-= Steve´s last blog ..Marathon Week Challenge Update =-.
We don’t have a wii fit, but just the wii, and I can say that no one in my house ever uses it. Once every few months there will be some random party game or a first person shooter zombie game (my personal favorite) but honestly no one uses it. I think if youre going to get a video game system then a xbox 360 is the best bet, and then the ps3. of course, I guess if you want just the fitness part, wii is the only one that has something, but still. My roomie has often thought of selling his since no one uses it. I read a lot but I don’t think id like a kindle because reading actual books gives my eyes a rest from a screen..
For xmas, I asked my family for a workout mat, and for one of those ipod holders that straps to your arm so you don’t have to hold it while you workout. Things I always want, but never end up getting for myself! I already got myself one of the workout balls, I have to blow it up cuz one of my roommates broke my last one. Good luck with shopping today. I forgot cyber Monday existed but it must have the other years I would rather be online shopping than working :)
Oh I thought of another fun fitness gift…www.groupon.com often has great deals on different exercise classes. You could go on there to the city nearest to whoever you’re getting the gift for, and buy them a couple of classes they might never sign up for otherwise. (they have spa things too sometimes, which are also healthy and relaxing!)
.-= merri´s last blog ..Thanksgiving 2009 =-.
Just started following your blog and wanted to say that I wish you the best. These are some great suggestions for gifts and will definitely be added to my list because I just started a weight loss program.
.-= Chubbers´s last blog ..Day 1 =-.
I’ll take healthy snacks from everyone. Really great tips. Thanks you are such a great help
that’s seem complete list.
thanks for share.
keep control the weight and whole body health.
thanks for the great list. with all of the stress and anxiety over the last year due to the economy, lord knows i’ve been packing on some pounds. gifts.com also features a holiday fitness guide featuring jillian michaels’ favorite gifts, which appeals to those starting out (ha me) and those seasoned athletes. if anyone’s interested, here’s the link to the guide http://www.gifts.com/ideas/jillian-michaels-wellness-guide
Great list! I will definitely have to get the Wii fit game. I hear its pretty fun haha.
Susan
I asked my cousin for ideas what she would like to have for Christmas. She said gift card or purse making craft. I don’t want to just give her the gift card. Is there a type of purse making craft that you know of?
Hi very nice post telling about weight loss thanks for great sharing.
.-= quick weight los´s last blog ..Nutrisystem Reviews =-.