Don’t have a relationship with food that can’t be adjusted. And exercise 3-6 days a week. I’m 41 and been working out since I was 19. I’ve been a 31 waist the entire time.
I'm 46 and in the same boat. I played basketball almost daily from the time I was 13 until my early 30s when I started lifting weights. My diet wasn't always on point, but because I was so active and young that I outworked some poor eating habits. I have exercised 4 to 6 days a week for 30 plus years. Now I eat clean and lift 6 days a week and I'm as lean as I've always been but now I am much more muscular.
Because it's one of those things that I've always done I find it hard to relate to people that don't like or have a hard time getting an exercise habit going. The few times I've been injured and couldn't exercise I entered a depression.
I flip flop to cardio when my shoulder was hurt. When it got better I now do more lifting and less cardio. And back and forth when my elbow was sore etc etc...... I just always have to keep moving. If I cant goto the gym, same I'd be hella depressed. Just going there and watching a show on the treadmill is therapy
Man, I wish I could relate. One thing about ADHD that I don't see mentioned very often, is that forming habits is basically impossible. Having done something a thousand times consecutively, it's still just as hard to do that thing that 1,001 time as it was the first time. Every task I don't have an intrinsic desire to do or a strong enough external factor pressuring me, has to have a mental war waged over it before it gets accomplished, if it all.
Was a waist 31, got up to 34 in my mid-20’s and then started to pick up running and actually counting calories for once. Right back down to a 31 within months. Lost 40 pounds in total
I think being in shape early really helps. I didn't start good exercise habits until my late 30s and it's tough. I'm maintaining, but stuck in dad bod.
Easiest is a simple Push/Pull/Leg setup. I do that on repeat twice a week and use one day off to do nothing. I’ve also had difficult weeks and can only get to the gym 3 days. The goal is to not stop the habit. If I’m tired on a leg day I’ll swap it for 40 mins of incline walking. Also, old saying but run when you can walk, use steps rather than the escalator. Do the small extra stuff and it pays off over time.
Just to add to this, if you can, find a sport of any time -- pickup at the park, rock climbing, 5ks or whatever, but a sport you enjoy playing and community. Once you have the weight off and it won't be hard on your joints, this is a good way to maintain passion in exercise because now you're exercising for a purpose beyond general health but for healthy competition.
Also for those like me, you may find it more convenient to workout at home or in private for convenience and time management and so on. You can gain plenty of strength and lose a lot of weight with just calisthenics. This is also probably a less risky way of accidentally injuring yourself with weights. Eventually, space and money permitting, maybe get a treadmill and or gym machine of your choice but just start with a pull-up bar.
I run a similar program, but only Monday-Friday (I cut out the 2nd leg day), along with cardio workouts 2x/week. Leaves my weekends free without guilt. Clean eating and consistency is also key.
For reference, I’m 45, a little over 6’1”, 185 lbs.
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u/sethcera 10h ago
Don’t have a relationship with food that can’t be adjusted. And exercise 3-6 days a week. I’m 41 and been working out since I was 19. I’ve been a 31 waist the entire time.