Wow— what an incredible start to this writing. I deeply appreciate all of the feedback and the warm reception that my first piece received. It gives me confidence that my mission is solving a real problem that hits home to many. First, A Few Disclaimers…
Up until college, my understanding of “diet” only went as deep as “food” versus “no food”. As a lifelong ADHDer, my medications always drastically suppressed my appetite, to the point of sometimes not eating anything all day except a 20mg pill in the morning. So while consistently having meals was a step in the right direction, frozen pot pies and takeout wasn’t exactly what my brain was crying out for either. Learning how to cook senior year (and since then) has made such a dramatic change in mental clarity, energy, and strength.
Throughout the pandemic, I also learned how dramatically better I felt after fixing my sleep schedule and consistently exercising. Exercising for your brain, with the effects on your body being a nice side effect, has proven to be a much better motivator for me than trying to get huge muscles. I think this is because the effects of exercise on your brain can be felt pretty much right away, an instant reward, whereas it can takes months or years to notice your muscles getting bigger.
These articles are great so far. I’ll be spending some time catching up :)
Ben, thank you for the thoughtful response. I certainly empathize with the "finding the right motivator" sentiments. I have found that by changing my kpi to something very attainable (30 minutes of elevated heart rate per day) I am not only able to stick to that goal, but in the process I have become stronger than I ever have been. I too, was so focused on gaining weight and getting stronger (especially after seeing how strong Trev was) but the desire for instant gratification always left me discouraged.
I hope you enjoy the other pieces and I look forward to your well thought out responses as well. Hope 2023 is filled with healthy habits.
Up until college, my understanding of “diet” only went as deep as “food” versus “no food”. As a lifelong ADHDer, my medications always drastically suppressed my appetite, to the point of sometimes not eating anything all day except a 20mg pill in the morning. So while consistently having meals was a step in the right direction, frozen pot pies and takeout wasn’t exactly what my brain was crying out for either. Learning how to cook senior year (and since then) has made such a dramatic change in mental clarity, energy, and strength.
Throughout the pandemic, I also learned how dramatically better I felt after fixing my sleep schedule and consistently exercising. Exercising for your brain, with the effects on your body being a nice side effect, has proven to be a much better motivator for me than trying to get huge muscles. I think this is because the effects of exercise on your brain can be felt pretty much right away, an instant reward, whereas it can takes months or years to notice your muscles getting bigger.
These articles are great so far. I’ll be spending some time catching up :)
Ben, thank you for the thoughtful response. I certainly empathize with the "finding the right motivator" sentiments. I have found that by changing my kpi to something very attainable (30 minutes of elevated heart rate per day) I am not only able to stick to that goal, but in the process I have become stronger than I ever have been. I too, was so focused on gaining weight and getting stronger (especially after seeing how strong Trev was) but the desire for instant gratification always left me discouraged.
I hope you enjoy the other pieces and I look forward to your well thought out responses as well. Hope 2023 is filled with healthy habits.