getting fit seems pointless to me as i don’t enjoy exercise or less food/healthful food. isn’t life about finding joy? help change my mind

@promiseokon There's no law that says you have to work out. People on the internet love to rail and complain against fat people as though it's some moral imperative - but it's not. You're a human being with agency and there's no requirement to diet and exercise, despite the fact that many people have chosen to moralize it. If you're happy the way you are, you do you.
 
@promiseokon I do CICO and I still often eat. lot of mg favorite “junk” foods but still lose weight because I’m within my caloric limit for the day. Exercising isn’t the best bud it will get me a little bit closer to my end goal
 
@promiseokon I’ve hated exercise every time that I’ve tried to get into it, until this time. When I made it less about “getting skinny” and more about extending my life, it became much less daunting. Now I look forward to my workouts and want to see improvement because I know it’s making my muscles stronger and my heart healthier. Yes, I LOVE to eat and I LOVE to nap. But, I can nap after my workout. I can eat unhealthy things I love in moderation, like a true dessert once a week. My body doesn’t NEED unhealthy things, my mind wants sugar. You can’t go into it with negativity. Mindset is everything.
 
@promiseokon What type of exercise have you tried? I used to think exercising just meant running, cardio, etc. But now I’ve found what I really enjoy- which is strength training.

Maybe running isn’t for you. Maybe full out strength training isn’t for you. There are so many ways to do fitness. Just taking a 30 minute walk a day, or trying to hit your 10,000 steps is a great start that can easily be implemented any day.

Yoga is another great one that involves you moving and pushing your body without the sweaty, out of breath grind. Highly recommend Yoga with Adriene for that.

Fitness Blender is also a great resource when you’re starting out, because they have so many beginner friendly videos. Another reason you might dislike working out is because you’re going too hard too fast. Try a workout like this and see how you like it:

https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/low-impact-beginner-cardio-workout-feel-good-recovery-cardio

Fitness isn’t one size fits all. Neither is eating healthy. You don’t have to exercise 5 x a week for an hour a day or get rid of all the foods you love. For eating, I suggest just adding more vegetables/fruit in, or even experimenting with healthier recipes for either lunch or dinner. For some recipes, I recommend these websites:

https://www.budgetbytes.com

https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com

The smallest changes can make the biggest changes, which leads to a sustainable, healthy and enjoyable lifestyle in the long run :)
 
@evilemu14 the exercise i’ve done has been typical cardio stuff, the stuff i’ve been told is good for burning fat. usually using the elliptical. strength training does sound less daunting but can i burn fat that way?
 
@promiseokon Absolutely!! In fact, it’s even more efficient at burning fat, as it continues burning calories after you work out and increases muscle mass, which all also increase the amount of calories you burn over time. Fitness blender also has a ton of strength training videos aimed at beginners as well- they’re actually how I got started with strength training. Definitely try it out!

Even starting with bodyweight and then adding weights is a great route to take, as your body gets used to the movements first.

I can not recommend strength training enough. It makes me feel so strong and bad ass, which is something I never get from traditional cardio.

Something like these;

https://www.fitnessblender.com/vide...at-and-tone-high-and-low-impact-modifications

https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/low-impact-cardio-and-total-body-toning-workout

Gives you the benefits of cardio through strength training movements :)

Something else to add too- you don’t have to work out 5-6 times a week for an hour. Just doing 3 x a week for 30 minutes can do wonders for your body. I recommend picking 3 of the full body workout videos and trying them out and see how you like it!
 
@promiseokon It's way easier to manage your diet than to rely on exercise for fat loss. Dial in your diet, eat at a deficit and think of exercise as a way to get stronger and make your body feel so much better.

Weightlifting is fun as hell, highly recommend you try it.
 
@promiseokon Have you actually tried it? Like honest to goodness put in effort for a sustained period of time? There's probably at least one form of exercise out there you would enjoy. You don't have to be jacked or whatever - there's definitely an in-between level that will give you plenty of health benefits. Progress not perfection.

As for food, you have to adjust. Your palate has probably been shaped by junky foods that are supposed to trigger all the right places in your brain. They've been engineered to do that. You learn to enjoy other foods more when you break away from those hyperpalatable foods because you can taste the nuanced flavors.

There's also health in general. Being obese will not do you any favors. Think you're miserable when trying to exercise now? Try getting up off the couch in a few decades after your joints have been carrying around an extra 100 pounds everywhere. Does time spent with family make you joyful? Does being able to move freely make you joyful? If so, invest the time and effort now so you can enjoy that for years to come.
 
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