[komposit]

I want to caution you against obsessing over solving your problems with some great fitness overhaul. Part of your problem is not being able to muster the energy and the willpower to make that kind of change in the first place. Instead - think small. What is the lowest hanging fruit on a habit level that will give you a little more energy and boost your feeling of being in control.

To give you an example, I recently gave myself a huge energy boost at hardly any cost by just improving my breathing and sleep. This is what I did. 1. Started going to bed early enough so no alarm was needed. 2. Bought air filter for my bedroom (300$). Fixed a bunch of allergy problems and improved my sleep with no added effort on my part. 3. Noticed I often wake up tired with a dry mouth. Did some research on healthy breathing patters, particularly at night, and found that I was probably mouth breathing. Fixed this problem by taping my lips at night for 10 days in a row (sounds weird, actually no big deal). I now wake up after 7 hours of sleep feeling fully awake.

The energy and clarity I gained from these small habits then actually gave me the space to try and build an exercise habit gradually. Because my schedule is such that exercise needs to take place in the morning this is helped by feeling more energised and awake in the morning. I also noticed that because my body is better oxygenated in the morning i have far fewer aches and pains than I used to.

The point is that there are some changes in life, like exercise or overhauling your diet, that, while undoubtedly beneficial, require a level of clarity and mental focus to have a chance to be successful. If those prerequisites aren't met it just becomes another stick to beat yourself with. Just examine yourself with kindness and see what the easiest way is to give yourself a boost. Good luck!

EDIT: typos

[moneywoes]

I've had dry mouth ever since I was a kid and also a habit of mouth breathing since my youth ( terrible habit that has cost me a lot today). What kind of tape did you use to tape your mouth, are there any risks I should be aware about?

[komposit]

I've tried a couple. In the end what worked best was some zinc oxide adhesive tape (the type you'd find in a first aid kit). Mind you, the point is not to forcefully tape your mouth shut abduction style. All you need is a small 2cm*1cm strip accross the center of your mouth. Breathing through your nose is the body default.

That said switching to nose breathing is not as easy for everyone. Chronic mouthbreathers often have clogged sinuses and a sensitivity to allergens. Making sure the air quality in your bedroom is good helps and there is a ton of other things you can do. Do checkout 'the oxygen advantage' youtube channel for some in depth material: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oxygen+advantag...

[throwaway091721]

Ah thanks! I do have sleeping problems - in that I wake up extremely tired even after a good 7-8 hrs of sleep and a very dry mouth. Will try this out.

[surds]

You should consider getting a sleep test. As far back as I can remember, I have always been tired and sleepy through the years. I just attributed it to being on less sleep due to my erratic schedule. But I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea at 29, after likely having it for a couple of decades or so.

Been using CPAP for almost 5 years now. Everyday is fantastically fresh with a regular ~7 hours of sleep. Can't recommend it enough. I am also on path to see if my Blood Pressure medicine can be stopped - since it is understood to be the side effect of Sleep Apnea in my case. Should become clear in a few months.

Also, been active for a year. Started just walking in the evening mandatorily - sometimes listening to podcasts, and other times just using it as a break from everything digital. Then, after a few months, split the walk-time into a morning and evening routine. Probably been regular at it for about 395 of the last 400 days. It's a habit now. Added running to the routine but it is a bit erratic still. Want to add HIIT / Weight-training to workout routine, but that hasn't stuck at all and will try again in a while.

As to the results, I am almost 11Kgs lighter from my max weight, feel healthy, BP is almost always normal, BMI is close to normal, resting heart rate has dipped significantly, and so much more. I track a ton of this info as it can help you stay motivated on the slow, low and tiresome days. :)

Wish you all the best - experiment and find something that suits you best!