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That is incredible. Good job on you, truly! I'm usually quite skeptical on the whole quantified self thing, but if it fits your personality type it can be a bi

That is incredible. Good job on you, truly! I'm usually quite skeptical on the whole quantified self thing, but if it fits your personality type it can be a big help to get you started at least. I'm old fashioned, I track my weight and workouts in a paper notebook and periodically enter my weight into a spreadsheet so I can spot any upward or downward trends. Do you think you could continue your new lifestyle if you ceased tracking all that data?

hluska 6y ago
I was very worried about that when I started but strangely, over the last 3.5 years, I have developed what I call 'healthy defaults'. I notice this the most with how I shop for groceries and eat in restaurants. Through tracking things, I have been able to form some very strong habits. Ultimately (for me at least), getting into shape and staying fit is about constantly keeping the habit and maintaining healthy defaults. Exercise is another area that has just become habitual. It started off as something I really hated but as I got more fit and started optimizing my nutrition, I got into an incredible feedback loop. The better I eat, the harder I can exercise, the more fun I have and the better I feel after. That creates a really strong feedback loop with my productivity - I can get more done now in six hours fit than I could accomplish in 10 hours fat. I think it would be very hard for me to go back but it's worth trying out. I might give up the app for a few months and see what I can do without it. If I've merely swapped addictions, it's positive (for me) but my tracking regiment is bad.
- FriedrichN 6y ago
  I've found that forming habits is the key as well. At the start you need all the help you can get until whatever you do becomes part of you. I didn't have such a long way to go as you did, but having had a BMI of well over 25 I know it can take you a while to get to where you want to be. If you told me three years ago I would be able to lift almost two and a half times my body weight, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm no star athlete, but I'm having fun doing it. That's what matters. Habits and enjoyment.
  - hluska 6y ago
    Two and a half times your body weight?? Holy crap friend, from a BMI of over 25 to that??? My hat is off to you - that's absolutely amazing. Is that a deadlift? I'm 100% with you - it is all habits and enjoyment. It's so hard to grasp that until you've been through it and somehow I feel like we lose a lot of amazing athletes every year because of that disconnect. I don't know but when I see someone with a BMI of over 25, I see incredible athleticism. Heck, at that point, life is exercise.
    - FriedrichN 6y ago
      Yeah, that's a deadlift, by far my best lift. I forgot who said it but the quote says "I've never seen a fat guy with small calves". I've tried to see how many times I could squat 60kg, I stopped at 28 because the burn was just too much. And that's just one set, I can rack it and walk away, you can't if that weight is you.
      - hluska 6y ago
        You're a really good person and I am enjoying this conversation. Thanks for sharing this - it's really cool how much we have in common. My former fat boy calves are my biggest ally as a runner. Running hilly courses is particularly fun - traditionally fit people can usually beat me on flats but I am very fast on hills. Heck, I was once big enough that every single day was hill day. 28 reps at 60kg is amazing. I'm going to try that out - I like deadlifts too and that sounds like one heck of a lot of fun.

hluska 6y ago

I was very worried about that when I started but strangely, over the last 3.5 years, I have developed what I call 'healthy defaults'. I notice this the most with how I shop for groceries and eat in restaurants. Through tracking things, I have been able to form some very strong habits. Ultimately (for me at least), getting into shape and staying fit is about constantly keeping the habit and maintaining healthy defaults. Exercise is another area that has just become habitual. It started off as something I really hated but as I got more fit and started optimizing my nutrition, I got into an incredible feedback loop. The better I eat, the harder I can exercise, the more fun I have and the better I feel after. That creates a really strong feedback loop with my productivity - I can get more done now in six hours fit than I could accomplish in 10 hours fat. I think it would be very hard for me to go back but it's worth trying out. I might give up the app for a few months and see what I can do without it. If I've merely swapped addictions, it's positive (for me) but my tracking regiment is bad.

FriedrichN 6y ago
I've found that forming habits is the key as well. At the start you need all the help you can get until whatever you do becomes part of you. I didn't have such a long way to go as you did, but having had a BMI of well over 25 I know it can take you a while to get to where you want to be. If you told me three years ago I would be able to lift almost two and a half times my body weight, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm no star athlete, but I'm having fun doing it. That's what matters. Habits and enjoyment.
- hluska 6y ago
  Two and a half times your body weight?? Holy crap friend, from a BMI of over 25 to that??? My hat is off to you - that's absolutely amazing. Is that a deadlift? I'm 100% with you - it is all habits and enjoyment. It's so hard to grasp that until you've been through it and somehow I feel like we lose a lot of amazing athletes every year because of that disconnect. I don't know but when I see someone with a BMI of over 25, I see incredible athleticism. Heck, at that point, life is exercise.
  - FriedrichN 6y ago
    Yeah, that's a deadlift, by far my best lift. I forgot who said it but the quote says "I've never seen a fat guy with small calves". I've tried to see how many times I could squat 60kg, I stopped at 28 because the burn was just too much. And that's just one set, I can rack it and walk away, you can't if that weight is you.
    - hluska 6y ago
      You're a really good person and I am enjoying this conversation. Thanks for sharing this - it's really cool how much we have in common. My former fat boy calves are my biggest ally as a runner. Running hilly courses is particularly fun - traditionally fit people can usually beat me on flats but I am very fast on hills. Heck, I was once big enough that every single day was hill day. 28 reps at 60kg is amazing. I'm going to try that out - I like deadlifts too and that sounds like one heck of a lot of fun.