[peterwwillis]

My humble advice: Don't be an armchair health & fitness expert. Read up on it for intellectual stimulation, but don't expect to learn any magical secrets to being in shape or healthy. All the magical secrets have been known for a long time, and they're really, really boring.

You should do whatever makes you happy [within reason]. You should probably not drink 10 sodas and 5 bags of chips a day. But if you feel like having one, fuck it, life is short. If you feel like standing at your desk, go to town! Don't expect it to fix your problems. Just enjoy yourself.

If you feel like lifting weights, do that too, but if you don't feel like it, ..... you get the picture. Be active, be healthy-ish, but in terms that you can enjoy in life. Some people like dancing. Some people like running. Some people like kicking the shit out of a heavy bag. That's the only real secret to health & fitness: learning to enjoy it and be happy.

(Personally, the only thing that made me adopt an active lifestyle was group exercise. Now that i'm more used to the routines I work out by myself or do sports. But if you find yourself having trouble getting started, try signing up for a group class with people who seem nice and a good instructor)

[kstenerud]

I've been doing 1 hour of high intensity exercise 6 days a week for a year now. What's interesting is how much my eating habits changed. At first I would try to avoid junk foods entirely, but that just led to cravings and I'd binge. So I opted for allowing the odd junk food, while also stocking my shelves with healthy snacks (like raw mixed nuts, for example).

What's interesting is that now I don't have any cravings for potato chips or candy bars whatsoever. In fact, just the thought of eating something like that is mildly repulsive. I drink water all the time now because most of the juices are too sweet for me (coconut milk is ok though), and eat unprocessed foods most of the time, not for some ideological reason, but because they tend to offer a MUCH more satisfying meal. Every now and then I'll eat a pizza, but I've found I end up feeling queasy afterwards. The high salt content (at least I'm guessing it's the salt content. You can certainly taste it, there's so much of it!) in most restaurant food leaves me with hours of a constant feeling of thirstiness that won't go away no matter how much water I drink.

The thing is, it wasn't something I decided I should do because it's good for me; it's just me following my body's cravings.

[enraged_camel]

>>But if you feel like having one, fuck it, life is short.

Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter.

I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?

[peterwwillis]

A bag of potato chips will not shorten your life. It's potatoes, vegetable oil and salt. You probably eat these things all the time. But since it's not a very healthy moderation of these things, it's better not to eat a ton of it. A soda is less good for you, but also won't shorten your life, unless you have a sensitive stomach or are a diabetic or something.

Trying to be in the best health possible would make me miserable. If you find it rewarding, then go do that. But please remember that others are entitled to live however they want (and preferably without someone telling them how unhealthy and short their life will be). I'll probably be dead by 70 from being too happy, which is okay with me.

[coldtea]

>Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter.

The second doesn't derive from the first.

If anything, "life is short, so don't obsess about its duration" is a better guideline.

>I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?

"Bad habits" are some of the most quality time people get to have.

[enraged_camel]

If you equate quality with pleasure, sure. If you equate quality with lack of subsequent pain and discomfort, no.

[coldtea]

If you value "lack of pain and discomfort", death would be a very good deal.

[boucher]

People have different yardsticks for quality.