

Ask HN: How do you motivate yourself to exercise or eat healthy? - source99


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DrScump
Besides look in the mirror?

But seriously, in my case, I'm determined to never become an insulin-dependent
diabetic. I was over 340 lbs. 16 years ago (and believe it or not, I was _not_
a big eater compared to male peers), then I read about low-carbohydrate eating
strategies, and had slow but significant success (lost over 120 lbs in a
20-month span).

But getting back to the question: my motivators were/are: 1) appearance 2)
staving off degenerative disease (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) 3) activity
enjoyment (e.g. hiking, volleyball, etc... weight is a limiting factor and
contributes to injury)

My biggest problem is maintaining a regimen when I am _not_ getting results.
This is how I derailed in the first place in my late 20s -- despite running
4-6 miles 2-3 times a week, I couldn't lose an ounce.

Also, keep up on current science: for example, you could expend a lot of
effort doing something that isn't that helpful if you a part of the population
that is a low genetic responder to cardio (see the University of Bath study as
covered in Michael Mosley's "The Truth About Exercise" on PBS). In my case, I
also exhibit the classic symptoms of AD-36 exposure, so I have a tougher row
to hoe.

~~~
mrfusion
Wow AD-36 is interesting! I never knew that. I'm curious if we could give it
to people having trouble gaining weight?

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neiltholland
The thing is that once you get your diet and exercise routine right 'for you'
then the issue of how to keep it up goes away. It's so self-reinforcing that
you would be hard pressed NOT to eat and exercise well.

The hard part is getting it right for you. I like to run and I've run my whole
life so exercise was never an issue, guess I lucked out there. I've tried
going to a gym many times and it just is not for me, for example.

Whereas it took until my 50s to figure out that a low-carb diet was right for
me. Before I had a terrible sweet tooth, but now you couldn't pay me to eat
sugar.

So my advice is to try lots of things without getting hung up on the dogma
associated with each, until you find the things that click.

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partisan
By understanding that change does not happen immediately. I read somewhere
that it takes 60 days to form a habit. Rather than look for changes, I looked
to form a habit of walking every day for an hour. I've lost 25 lbs in the past
three months. I didn't see the slightest bit of a difference in the first two
weeks, but I kept going. Make it a habit and you won't need to motivate
yourself.

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nashequilibrium
Its not about being motivated, its about designing your lifestyle, if you want
to eat outside but the table is inside, move the table outside. Design your
life so that you have to workout, rather than fighting temptation just don't
have crap in your cupboard. Sell your car and buy a bike.

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staunch
Exercise: make it part of your commute, by biking or walking to work. Or
something you enjoy, like hiking, cycling, basketball, tennis, etc.

Eating healthy: remove everything you shouldn't eat from your home and only
eat food out of your home. Eat Soylent for one meal a day.

~~~
cblock811
Have you played with Soylent at all for flavoring btw? I'm curious if people
are doing that or just going with it plain.

~~~
staunch
I'm drinking it plain and quickly, like medicine. It's not offensive but I
don't want to become offensive or boring over time.

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mbelev
I think it is not too hard. For myself I am just feeling a lot better when I
eat healthy and go to the gym. I am more productive and more alive. I can
learn more, work more and so on.

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AnimalMuppet
I had peripheral neuropathy (tingling in my hands and feet). It turned out to
be a vitamin B deficiency. But while we were trying to figure out what was
causing it, one of the options was that it was an early onset warning for
diabetes. I asked the doctor what to do now so that I didn't get diabetes in
five years, and he said, "lose X pounds". That set a target weight for me, and
gave me a pretty strong incentive to try to hit it.

In actual fact, I tend to run about 2-3 pounds above my target, but I take
stronger action above that.

