Hi everyone. So long story short-- I am not a healthy person, but I want to become one-- unfortunately I am quite overwhelmed by the process, as well as the excess of information online . . . I'm moderately overweight (definitely not obese though,) and I have an atrocious diet (I'm talking fast food with a large pop four through five times a week as the main part of my diet.) I don't get much exercise either (though this is partly due the climate I live in-- its minus thirty degrees outside right now. Of course like most people I want to live to an old age and have a fulfilling life (not to mention I want to be a Federal Agent which has strict physical requirements,) and I've come to the conclusion that to do that I need to be physically and mentally healthy . . . Currently I'm neither. (The mental health I'm already seeing a psychologist for.) I've tried to become healthier before, but despite wanting this I am very bad at sticking to anything for more than a week or so. I really wish I was more disciplined . . . So I'm asking two questions really. Firstly, what kind of things should I do to become healthy? Both regarding diet and exercise? Secondly, how can I make sure I have the willpower/discipline to see it through in the long term? Thank you in advance for any help. ---------- Post added 4th Jan 2017 at 03:03 PM ---------- Also heart/artery health is a particular concern for me.
Hello TRG Mental health/fitness and physical health/fitness are never completely decoupled. I'm not go over nutrition and exercising advice, there are tons of sites with plenty of good information. Your therapist will probably talk with you about your mental health a lot better than I could, so no need to cover that. I can however tell you ( if you didn't know already ) about a phenomenon called somatization ( also here is a link Somatization ) Our brain has a lot of control over our bodies, and not all of it is completely understood yet. The body sometimes acts up in dd ways because of the psychological issues. Sometimes we put on weight as a subconscious defence when we feel under assault (not necessarily physical assault). That extra fat is armour we subconsciously layer on us to protect us. Stress (from school, from gender identity, from performance anxiety at work) is a form of attack. That's not all though. Low self esteem buried in the subconscious mind is also a reason why many people can't stick with something for a few weeks or so and resort to atrocious diets. Their subconscious mind sabotages them, it tells them: "you don't deserve to be fit because of this and that, better grab another serving, that the only way you'll feel better" . There's also of course the strictly scientifical/chemical part, with omega3/omega6 balance tending to be out of whack for many people especially true if the meat you consume is not grass fed but grain fed, and sugar addiction, balancing correctly protein/carbs/fat intake depending on what you want to achieve .... and all of those are important to sort out, (nutritionists can help you with that, and there articles all over the web explaining the processes in great detail) . But in order to get the mental fortitude to do that, and to stop acts of sabotage from your subconscious mind, it is very important to first address any psychological issues and be aware of somatization . (&&&)
Good for you! I think the best way to keep up your willpower and motivation is to keep it simple. Do not jump into any crazy exercise regime or over analyze your diet. Yes, of course, cutting out fast food is an excellent idea but start with something easy and make changes as you get used to things. Maybe start by switching from pop to water then switch to homemade versions of the food you're eating. Then if it's burgers, for examples, try chicken instead of beef and then fish and only half a bun. See? As for exercise, you have to do something you enjoy or you'll never keep it up. Do you like dancing? How about putting on some music for 15-20 minutes and dance your head off? Once you start to get used to moving your body you could look into something new to try. Maybe by then the weather will have improved and you could get outside.
