6 ms·

Ok, but there's also an environmental (and one completely reasonable mental) factor: I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) most o

by flkiwi 1y ago

Ok, but there's also an environmental (and one completely reasonable mental) factor: I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) most of the year and there are few public outdoor spaces generally thanks to rampant overdevelopment, I hate gyms and toxic gym culture, I have a quaint bungalow that doesn't have space for equipment, I work an intense job that keeps me focused for hours at a time, I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods, etc. Much like fighting climate change, placing all the responsibility on the end user without changing some of the social conditions is a flawed approach, even if there are some things individuals can do to help. Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy.

netdevphoenix 1y ago
Calisthenics and bodyweight exercises require no equipment and can be done at home
- j1elo 1y ago
  And some exercises can be really intense, too! I have to repeat this over and over to people who complain about not being able or wanting to go to a gym: just start from (carefully) doing some squats or any other youtube-guided exercise in your living room! anything else is just an excuse they're forming in their head to cover for their lack of will to do it. Try to do Saitama's training (from anime One Punch Man, just a tongue-in-cheek way to mean do lots of push-ups and squats) and afterwards tell me you don't feel like you've done some serious exercise!
atrus 1y ago
> Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy. If that was true, then literally everyone would be fat in your area. You can learn to cook, you have room for bodyweight exercises. You don't need equipment to feel really sore the next day! It's not going to be easy, it will be miserably hard, but it is possible.
- flkiwi 1y ago
  That's quite a leap. Some people enjoy gyms. Some people run at 3am. Some people have bigger houses. And yet, our area has much higher obesity rates than average. It also doesn't address the larger point that _it doesn't have to be this hard_.
  - dgfitz 1y ago
    Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that. Maybe set 1 goal a week, or a month even, and then add to them. For example, only drink water. It’s all the body needs for hydration anyways. No soda, diet soda, alcohol, slurpees, etc. Black coffee if you enjoy a cuppa in the morning, no sugar. (Good black coffee is such a joy) Then set a rule about only eating 3 meals a day, however you define meal. No snacks in between. Losing weight, even accounting for hormones, really is a diet thing. Exercise daily burns like… 100-300 calories, which is a small fraction of basal metabolic rate for a grown human.
    - andrew_lettuce 1y ago
      One I try to do (not always successful) is no eating after 9/8/whenever PM - no matter how hungry. You could make any variation you want, but the food we eat later tends to be bad for us, bigger portions and not really enjoyed, plus impacts your sleep. It's hard but you're likely not really "starving"; going to bed slightly hungry is a good mental exercise too
      - dgfitz 1y ago
        Yeah, “no snacking” would have been my next suggestion, but I was worried about coming off as too preachy. My spouse and I work full time with 3 kids between ages 3-11. We are very busy, all the time. We have both lost a noticeable amount of weight in the past 6 months following these kinds of “rules” if you will. People who says they’re too busy are sadly fooling themselves. We don’t even exercise! Well, maybe at night sometimes…
    - flkiwi 1y ago
paulcole 1y ago
Isn’t it just a more fun way to go through life to believe that you do have enough mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence to be healthy? I just don’t get the appeal of throwing my hands up and going, “Yep, somebody needs to care more about me than I care about me.”
- chneu 1y ago
  Americans, and lots of folks, love excuse culture and the "victim" mindset(life happens to them, they dont have agency). It's really easy to blame someone or something else than to just be honest with themself. It's always so and so's fault, or the corporations, or the government, or the climate, or you just had a big bad day, or something. It's rarely "This is really hard and I doubt I have it in me right now" or some other honest answer.
- flkiwi 1y ago
  I knew I'd run into this reaction. Here's the secret: an individual can be fully dedicated to a cause, but the weight of surrounding circumstances defeats them. See, e.g., food deserts. No, it is not more fun to go through live believing you have enough mental fortitude only to have context tap you on the shoulder the moment you take that first step. I don't, for the record, disagree with much OP's point, though I do have some misgivings about "food addiction" being explanation for everyone's struggle with weight (I don't think that's his point, really, but it's clearly what his experience has been and it's the focus of the piece). His approach mirrors my own (successful) approach with any of a number of challenges. I just question the effectiveness as a complete solution.
  - paulcole 1y ago
    > No, it is not more fun to go through live believing you have enough mental fortitude only to have context tap you on the shoulder the moment you take that first step. It is also possible to have enough mental fortitude to read beyond the first item in a list that you yourself wrote about an hour ago. Yes, you can’t mental fortitude yourself out of every situation. But you can be committed to change and figure things out. Or you can just say “Nah, I’ll let somebody else fix things for me. I’m sure I’m high on their list of priorities.”
xnx 1y ago
You're absolutely right. Almost everything in the US is (intentionally or not) working to make and keep people fat. The most effective steps are those that make better choices easier by default. I have very weak impulse control for junk foods in the house, but much better control in the grocery store, so I try my best to keep high-calorie and low-satiation foods out of the house.
andrew_lettuce 1y ago
I don't disagree with you, but also don't think (based on what you described) that you're a great example of the environmental components. Compared to say someone who hasn't known non fat as a norm for generations and doesn't have a grocery store for miles you actually recognize the issue and problems. It sounds like you have a lot of tools and resources to overcome systemic aspects but prioritize other things. There's no doubt you brought up relevant components, but individual and environmental in your case don't seem at all mutually exclusive.
- flkiwi 1y ago
  I appreciate the response, but I'd caution against extrapolating from a list of examples intended to represent a generally comprehensible set as a representation of my (or anyone else's) full life context. I mentioned the food desert concept elsewhere, and there is zero doubt that generational health and simple food geography are a major driver of health for many people, often in surprising ways.
am17an 1y ago
Do indoor HIIT 20 minutes a day, and find a better way to eat. Your post seems like you the very little mental fortitude to change tbh.
4gotunameagain 1y ago
Is everyone around you obese ? I bet not. Sure it is more difficult for some people than others, but what would be the alternative ? Ban or regulate fast food ? I want to be able to have a guilty pleasure once in a while, I am careful with what I eat in general. Why should I be deprived of that ?
- flkiwi 1y ago
  I've seen statistics that ~64% of my state's residents are obese or significantly overweight. That's a pretty stark number. I honestly don't know how I feel about things like sugary drink bans. Objectively they're part of the problem, but I feel like emphasizing urban rather than suburban development would be a more effective tool. A bit hard to put the genie back in the bottle where I live (the next county over has 0% undeveloped land, and most of it is suburbs). I would rather destroy the market for things than ban the thing. Personal lifestyle changes play a role in that, as others in this thread have gleefully noted, but health education does too. Vice taxes are probably one solution, but only if the money is actually going to be used for effective programs, which is almost certainly not going to happen in the political environment where I live.
  - 4gotunameagain 1y ago
    I'm with you on sugary drinks. It is an industrially produced edible drug. I do not know whether banning is the answer, but in my opinion Ultra Processed Food (which is not food, it is edible industrial products) should be clearly marked as such. The way tobacco is marked in the EU.
Affric 1y ago
I used to believe this until I decided to eat right
ericmay 1y ago
> I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) Work out in the early morning or late evening? > I hate gyms and toxic gym culture Stop hating gyms. Stop over-analyzing "toxic gym culture". Get off social media because that's the only place this exists. Nobody in the gym cares about you or what you're doing as long as you aren't harming someone else, breaking equipment, etc. > I have a quaint bungalow that doesn't have space for equipment Give Crossfit Linchpin a try - they have 5 workouts/week including "no equipment" workouts. > I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods, etc Yes but you don't have to prioritize those foods. > I work an intense job that keeps me focused for hours at a time This is fair. We all unfortunately have to deal with this in some fashion, but even then you can probably find 15 minutes/day to exercise in a way that you enjoy, if you want to. > Much like fighting climate change, placing all the responsibility on the end user without changing some of the social conditions is a flawed approach Our environments shape us. For sure. If you are surrounded by a bunch of obese people encouraging you to drink milkshakes all day and making fun of you for working out, that's going to be hard to overcome! But just like climate change, you can't control these social conditions, or at least you can't have much of an effect. But you can make a difference in your own life according to your own principles. Often times it just means being "less bad" instead of giving up. Blaming corporations or the built environment is a convenient excuse you can use again and again and never have to overcome.
- andrew_lettuce 1y ago
  You overly discount the intimidation of gyms, but I agree you can definitely find one that works for you. They range from young & beautiful to very specialized and accepting. I suggest you try a community run or neighborhood (doesn't have to be your neighborhood!) as these tend to be very low key, and probably significantly cheaper. Motivation for gym work can be a huge problem; what suggestions do people have for that?
  - flkiwi 1y ago
    For me, it's the YMCA down the street. (Surprise! I said I hated gyms and toxic gym culture, but I didn't say I didn't find one I enjoy.)
chriskanan 1y ago
Different gyms have very different cultures. Try going to different ones to see if there is one you like. For example, Gold's Gym has a lot of bodybuilders whereas I've found the YMCA is mostly older folks trying to stay active.
zffr 1y ago
The article is about being fat. The primary tool to lose fat is diet, not exercise. Losing weight is all about removing things from your diet. It’s accessible to anyone if they are willing to tolerate a little hunger.
liveoneggs 1y ago
Don't attempt to exercise for weight control. It's impossible.
Telemakhos 1y ago
> Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy. This isn't what you want to hear, but "mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence" are not things that are supposed to be defeated by "it simply being difficult." In fact, some of them (especially "fortitude" and "commitment") strongly imply that the circumstances in which they are applied should be difficult. If you're somewhere hot and humid (I used to live in Florida, so I understand) or have a job that keeps you in a chair all day, go for long walks around four or five in the morning: you'll avoid the heat and feel ready for your morning work. If you hate toxic gym culture, look into different gym cultures. The US gym chain "Planet Fitness" makes a big deal about explicitly rejecting gym-bro culture in order to foster a more inclusive environment. Consider, however, that gym-bro culture might exist for a reason other than simple jackassery: people stick with something difficult when they undertake it with friends, and they have more fun doing boring things when they do them with friends. If you start going to a gym with a friend or group of friends, you might find that you enjoy it more and that the difficulties you describe become easier.
tejohnso 1y ago
Yes, trying to live a healthy lifestyle is definitely an uphill battle in many (probably most) areas. I think the part the pisses me off the most is when I'm trying hard to get my kid to eat well, and he suddenly has to deal with a chocolate craving because of a commercial he saw on television. Or some parent yells out "Who wants ice cream!?" after soccer, at 8pm, when he's supposed to be sleeping an our later. What is "toxic gym culture" though? I've been to gyms off and on for months at a time in different cities (and countries) and all I see are people trying to become stronger, or lose weight, usually with headphones on minding their own business.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
mproud 1y ago
These all seem like excuses and generalizations. However, I will agree with you — it’s more difficult. But being a little difficult doesn’t mean it has to be laborious, torturous, or even nearly impossible. You can choose how you want to be and how you want to feel. * “It’s unpleasantly hot,” but that is kind of irrelevant. Unpleasantly cold could be a deterrent. I live in a climate that changes wildly with the seasons, which is annoying, because I have to have different routines depending on the time of year. There are few climatically perfect situations. * “I hate gyms,” but maybe it’s certain aspects of gyms, or you had some bad experiences at a gym. * “I have a quaint bungalow that doesn’t have space for equipment,” but you don’t have to have a lot of equipment. All you need are a few dumbbells, and a treadmill is nice but also very much not required. * “I work an intense job,” but so do many people who find time to work out. Things like standing desks help, walking during meetings, finding the time during lunch, before work or after work. And sometimes time-intensive jobs help distract people from eating, which can be a useful tactic. Time management is hard, but it’s not impossible. And if your job sucks… well, that’s an entirely different conversation. * “I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods,” but most countries do. Cheap soda, cheap fast food, grab and go snacks… absolutely! All of this makes eating healthily difficult. What you’ll need to do is learn how to cook for yourself. It’s an incredibly important skill that will help considerably. * “Responsibility is on the end user,” and yes, it sure is! But you can get help. You are not alone! There are resources — support groups, diet and fitness programs, indoor and outdoor activity groups, nutrition, fitness, and life coaching. * “It won’t be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money,” but that’s what you have decided to tell yourself. In reality, you don’t need a lot of time, space, or money. If you have more, sure, it’s easier. But it’s more doable than you are giving yourself credit.
kmoser 1y ago
I'm not saying it's easy but two things that might help you would be to find a gym buddy and/or personal trainer, and wear earphones to shut out the world around you while working out. Dealing with toxic gym culture is minor compared to the advantages of getting good exercise.

by flkiwi 1y ago

netdevphoenix 1y ago

Calisthenics and bodyweight exercises require no equipment and can be done at home

j1elo 1y ago
And some exercises can be really intense, too! I have to repeat this over and over to people who complain about not being able or wanting to go to a gym: just start from (carefully) doing some squats or any other youtube-guided exercise in your living room! anything else is just an excuse they're forming in their head to cover for their lack of will to do it. Try to do Saitama's training (from anime One Punch Man, just a tongue-in-cheek way to mean do lots of push-ups and squats) and afterwards tell me you don't feel like you've done some serious exercise!

atrus 1y ago

> Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy. If that was true, then literally everyone would be fat in your area. You can learn to cook, you have room for bodyweight exercises. You don't need equipment to feel really sore the next day! It's not going to be easy, it will be miserably hard, but it is possible.

flkiwi 1y ago
That's quite a leap. Some people enjoy gyms. Some people run at 3am. Some people have bigger houses. And yet, our area has much higher obesity rates than average. It also doesn't address the larger point that _it doesn't have to be this hard_.
- dgfitz 1y ago
  Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that. Maybe set 1 goal a week, or a month even, and then add to them. For example, only drink water. It’s all the body needs for hydration anyways. No soda, diet soda, alcohol, slurpees, etc. Black coffee if you enjoy a cuppa in the morning, no sugar. (Good black coffee is such a joy) Then set a rule about only eating 3 meals a day, however you define meal. No snacks in between. Losing weight, even accounting for hormones, really is a diet thing. Exercise daily burns like… 100-300 calories, which is a small fraction of basal metabolic rate for a grown human.
  - andrew_lettuce 1y ago
    One I try to do (not always successful) is no eating after 9/8/whenever PM - no matter how hungry. You could make any variation you want, but the food we eat later tends to be bad for us, bigger portions and not really enjoyed, plus impacts your sleep. It's hard but you're likely not really "starving"; going to bed slightly hungry is a good mental exercise too
    - dgfitz 1y ago
      Yeah, “no snacking” would have been my next suggestion, but I was worried about coming off as too preachy. My spouse and I work full time with 3 kids between ages 3-11. We are very busy, all the time. We have both lost a noticeable amount of weight in the past 6 months following these kinds of “rules” if you will. People who says they’re too busy are sadly fooling themselves. We don’t even exercise! Well, maybe at night sometimes…
  - flkiwi 1y ago

paulcole 1y ago

Isn’t it just a more fun way to go through life to believe that you do have enough mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence to be healthy? I just don’t get the appeal of throwing my hands up and going, “Yep, somebody needs to care more about me than I care about me.”

chneu 1y ago
Americans, and lots of folks, love excuse culture and the "victim" mindset(life happens to them, they dont have agency). It's really easy to blame someone or something else than to just be honest with themself. It's always so and so's fault, or the corporations, or the government, or the climate, or you just had a big bad day, or something. It's rarely "This is really hard and I doubt I have it in me right now" or some other honest answer.
flkiwi 1y ago
I knew I'd run into this reaction. Here's the secret: an individual can be fully dedicated to a cause, but the weight of surrounding circumstances defeats them. See, e.g., food deserts. No, it is not more fun to go through live believing you have enough mental fortitude only to have context tap you on the shoulder the moment you take that first step. I don't, for the record, disagree with much OP's point, though I do have some misgivings about "food addiction" being explanation for everyone's struggle with weight (I don't think that's his point, really, but it's clearly what his experience has been and it's the focus of the piece). His approach mirrors my own (successful) approach with any of a number of challenges. I just question the effectiveness as a complete solution.
- paulcole 1y ago
  > No, it is not more fun to go through live believing you have enough mental fortitude only to have context tap you on the shoulder the moment you take that first step. It is also possible to have enough mental fortitude to read beyond the first item in a list that you yourself wrote about an hour ago. Yes, you can’t mental fortitude yourself out of every situation. But you can be committed to change and figure things out. Or you can just say “Nah, I’ll let somebody else fix things for me. I’m sure I’m high on their list of priorities.”

xnx 1y ago

You're absolutely right. Almost everything in the US is (intentionally or not) working to make and keep people fat. The most effective steps are those that make better choices easier by default. I have very weak impulse control for junk foods in the house, but much better control in the grocery store, so I try my best to keep high-calorie and low-satiation foods out of the house.

andrew_lettuce 1y ago

I don't disagree with you, but also don't think (based on what you described) that you're a great example of the environmental components. Compared to say someone who hasn't known non fat as a norm for generations and doesn't have a grocery store for miles you actually recognize the issue and problems. It sounds like you have a lot of tools and resources to overcome systemic aspects but prioritize other things. There's no doubt you brought up relevant components, but individual and environmental in your case don't seem at all mutually exclusive.

flkiwi 1y ago
I appreciate the response, but I'd caution against extrapolating from a list of examples intended to represent a generally comprehensible set as a representation of my (or anyone else's) full life context. I mentioned the food desert concept elsewhere, and there is zero doubt that generational health and simple food geography are a major driver of health for many people, often in surprising ways.

am17an 1y ago

Do indoor HIIT 20 minutes a day, and find a better way to eat. Your post seems like you the very little mental fortitude to change tbh.

4gotunameagain 1y ago

Is everyone around you obese ? I bet not. Sure it is more difficult for some people than others, but what would be the alternative ? Ban or regulate fast food ? I want to be able to have a guilty pleasure once in a while, I am careful with what I eat in general. Why should I be deprived of that ?

flkiwi 1y ago
I've seen statistics that ~64% of my state's residents are obese or significantly overweight. That's a pretty stark number. I honestly don't know how I feel about things like sugary drink bans. Objectively they're part of the problem, but I feel like emphasizing urban rather than suburban development would be a more effective tool. A bit hard to put the genie back in the bottle where I live (the next county over has 0% undeveloped land, and most of it is suburbs). I would rather destroy the market for things than ban the thing. Personal lifestyle changes play a role in that, as others in this thread have gleefully noted, but health education does too. Vice taxes are probably one solution, but only if the money is actually going to be used for effective programs, which is almost certainly not going to happen in the political environment where I live.
- 4gotunameagain 1y ago
  I'm with you on sugary drinks. It is an industrially produced edible drug. I do not know whether banning is the answer, but in my opinion Ultra Processed Food (which is not food, it is edible industrial products) should be clearly marked as such. The way tobacco is marked in the EU.

Affric 1y ago

I used to believe this until I decided to eat right

ericmay 1y ago

> I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) Work out in the early morning or late evening? > I hate gyms and toxic gym culture Stop hating gyms. Stop over-analyzing "toxic gym culture". Get off social media because that's the only place this exists. Nobody in the gym cares about you or what you're doing as long as you aren't harming someone else, breaking equipment, etc. > I have a quaint bungalow that doesn't have space for equipment Give Crossfit Linchpin a try - they have 5 workouts/week including "no equipment" workouts. > I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods, etc Yes but you don't have to prioritize those foods. > I work an intense job that keeps me focused for hours at a time This is fair. We all unfortunately have to deal with this in some fashion, but even then you can probably find 15 minutes/day to exercise in a way that you enjoy, if you want to. > Much like fighting climate change, placing all the responsibility on the end user without changing some of the social conditions is a flawed approach Our environments shape us. For sure. If you are surrounded by a bunch of obese people encouraging you to drink milkshakes all day and making fun of you for working out, that's going to be hard to overcome! But just like climate change, you can't control these social conditions, or at least you can't have much of an effect. But you can make a difference in your own life according to your own principles. Often times it just means being "less bad" instead of giving up. Blaming corporations or the built environment is a convenient excuse you can use again and again and never have to overcome.

andrew_lettuce 1y ago
You overly discount the intimidation of gyms, but I agree you can definitely find one that works for you. They range from young & beautiful to very specialized and accepting. I suggest you try a community run or neighborhood (doesn't have to be your neighborhood!) as these tend to be very low key, and probably significantly cheaper. Motivation for gym work can be a huge problem; what suggestions do people have for that?
- flkiwi 1y ago
  For me, it's the YMCA down the street. (Surprise! I said I hated gyms and toxic gym culture, but I didn't say I didn't find one I enjoy.)

chriskanan 1y ago

Different gyms have very different cultures. Try going to different ones to see if there is one you like. For example, Gold's Gym has a lot of bodybuilders whereas I've found the YMCA is mostly older folks trying to stay active.

zffr 1y ago

The article is about being fat. The primary tool to lose fat is diet, not exercise. Losing weight is all about removing things from your diet. It’s accessible to anyone if they are willing to tolerate a little hunger.

liveoneggs 1y ago

Don't attempt to exercise for weight control. It's impossible.

Telemakhos 1y ago

> Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy. This isn't what you want to hear, but "mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence" are not things that are supposed to be defeated by "it simply being difficult." In fact, some of them (especially "fortitude" and "commitment") strongly imply that the circumstances in which they are applied should be difficult. If you're somewhere hot and humid (I used to live in Florida, so I understand) or have a job that keeps you in a chair all day, go for long walks around four or five in the morning: you'll avoid the heat and feel ready for your morning work. If you hate toxic gym culture, look into different gym cultures. The US gym chain "Planet Fitness" makes a big deal about explicitly rejecting gym-bro culture in order to foster a more inclusive environment. Consider, however, that gym-bro culture might exist for a reason other than simple jackassery: people stick with something difficult when they undertake it with friends, and they have more fun doing boring things when they do them with friends. If you start going to a gym with a friend or group of friends, you might find that you enjoy it more and that the difficulties you describe become easier.

tejohnso 1y ago

Yes, trying to live a healthy lifestyle is definitely an uphill battle in many (probably most) areas. I think the part the pisses me off the most is when I'm trying hard to get my kid to eat well, and he suddenly has to deal with a chocolate craving because of a commercial he saw on television. Or some parent yells out "Who wants ice cream!?" after soccer, at 8pm, when he's supposed to be sleeping an our later. What is "toxic gym culture" though? I've been to gyms off and on for months at a time in different cities (and countries) and all I see are people trying to become stronger, or lose weight, usually with headphones on minding their own business.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

mproud 1y ago

These all seem like excuses and generalizations. However, I will agree with you — it’s more difficult. But being a little difficult doesn’t mean it has to be laborious, torturous, or even nearly impossible. You can choose how you want to be and how you want to feel. * “It’s unpleasantly hot,” but that is kind of irrelevant. Unpleasantly cold could be a deterrent. I live in a climate that changes wildly with the seasons, which is annoying, because I have to have different routines depending on the time of year. There are few climatically perfect situations. * “I hate gyms,” but maybe it’s certain aspects of gyms, or you had some bad experiences at a gym. * “I have a quaint bungalow that doesn’t have space for equipment,” but you don’t have to have a lot of equipment. All you need are a few dumbbells, and a treadmill is nice but also very much not required. * “I work an intense job,” but so do many people who find time to work out. Things like standing desks help, walking during meetings, finding the time during lunch, before work or after work. And sometimes time-intensive jobs help distract people from eating, which can be a useful tactic. Time management is hard, but it’s not impossible. And if your job sucks… well, that’s an entirely different conversation. * “I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods,” but most countries do. Cheap soda, cheap fast food, grab and go snacks… absolutely! All of this makes eating healthily difficult. What you’ll need to do is learn how to cook for yourself. It’s an incredibly important skill that will help considerably. * “Responsibility is on the end user,” and yes, it sure is! But you can get help. You are not alone! There are resources — support groups, diet and fitness programs, indoor and outdoor activity groups, nutrition, fitness, and life coaching. * “It won’t be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money,” but that’s what you have decided to tell yourself. In reality, you don’t need a lot of time, space, or money. If you have more, sure, it’s easier. But it’s more doable than you are giving yourself credit.

kmoser 1y ago

I'm not saying it's easy but two things that might help you would be to find a gym buddy and/or personal trainer, and wear earphones to shut out the world around you while working out. Dealing with toxic gym culture is minor compared to the advantages of getting good exercise.