If paid to do so, would you get your health in order?

Yes, but only if I had a future worth living healthy for.

@RedDeerGuy1 So right now, if it were an option, could you excercise in small amounts all day and make time for healthy foods only? No more soda, pizza or any preservatives?
There’s no wrong answer, I’m just very curious on how to motivate others in bad shape.
I truly understand mental health affects many people and can lead to severe health issues. Feel free to expound if you’d like.

ummmm, I do it currently because I want to have the best quality of life currently. I don’t need payment for that.
It is my choice and my benefit to live a healthy life style, not eat foods like this, exercise everyday, and do things for my emotional well being.

Money means nothing compared to ones health.

I think there’s some type of program where you bet the program x amount of money, to lose y amount of weight. Can’t think of any specifics.

@KNOWITALL I am in that situation now. I can do some good things for myself, with the income that I have. I just need some hope that it will be worth trying in the end.

@Forever_Free . I would opine that you simply have self pride. Self respect is a rare thing these days. If you respect yourself, you take care of yourself, and tune your body for your lifestyle…

Corporate America is pressing this now in a different way. If your share your health bio measurements like BMI, blood work, etc, you get healthy reductions in your medical insurance.
Sharing Health data like this is not for everyone, nor should become the motivator for leading a healthy life.

Only if that includes a personal trainer that tells me to do it. Every. Single. Time.
Because after some time, I would just stop doing it.

@MrGrimm888 Indeed you are correct. What started as a watchful eye on my health based on genetics or health issues of my aunts and uncles turned into not making bad choices. It evolved into becoming a Personal Trainer and Certified Instructor in my 20’s and 30’s. It stuck as a part of me. Yes damned proud of it as well as setting an example for my daughter.

Even Einstein fought to keep his tobacco pipe. From National Geographic Genius episode on cable TV.

@ragingloli That’s interesting to me. Of course I have no idea what shape you’re in physically, so it may not be as bad as I was.

@All So several years ago my primary told me I was obese. I weighed about 215lbs and didn’t exercise, drank sweet tea 24/7, and my blood panels were not good. I was pre-diabetic and climbing, my self-love plummetwd.
But hearing my Primary of decades use that word-OBESE-hit me like a sledgehammer. So I changed it all.
So I’m exploring what motivates individuals here psychologically, to see what will make others take it seriously.
For me, that one word/label did it, which seems odd because I knew already but didn’t care to change.

I put a large amount of effort into eating a low FODMAPS diet from the dr.s advice when she diagnosed me with I.B.S. It has helped me considerably.

Getting rid of apples in my diet is helpful. Even the apple juice in my favorite Tropicana watermelon juice. An apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away in my case. Apples did the opposite.

On a side note usually it’s the veggies and fruits that I cannot digest, and I can eat the unhealthy foods without pain.

I wonder if my bad food diet from school years was in fact on the right track. As I would dislike any food that made me sick.

I’d sign up for a program like that. Actually, I am doing that on my own. I want to feel better and enjoy a better quality of life. I am building up my aerobic capacity by exercising and running.

I wonder how much money such a program would save. I’m guessing the payback would be great.

Imagine a program that offered a payment for someone to lose a percentage of their weight or reduce their BMI by a certain amount. That cold save on diabetes expenses, joint surgeries, enable the person to work and be active longer, etc. It could be a credit on your income taxes. An annual physical would be required to verify the data.

@LuckyGuy Exactly, I think we can do it and help improve lives and fix some mental health issues both

@KNOWITALL
It is really simple: I am super lazy.
And I am hovering around a stable 80kg.

I try now, results are inconclusive at best.

@ragingloli haha! I think most people are inherently lazy but here it’s turning into a crisis.

@Acrylic Good for you!! I just turned 50, and my back stopped going out and I just feel really good. I want to help some of my friends and family.
We went hiking last week and my 34 year old friend (not fat but out of shape) really struggled to breathe and get up the mountain.

@KNOWITALL There are health insurance companies that will subsidize gym memberships for enrollees.

@janbb Yes, ours did years ago but no longer does. It was a great benefit, I used it a lot.

It seems like the answer would be obviously yes, but I do firmly believe that you have to be motivated from within to change your habits and getting some kind of reward externally may not be enough. And I speak from experience because I have a number of different health issues where I do really have to watch what I eat and the amount I eat, and yet it’s sometimes a struggle. And if I’m totally honest with myself, I don’t even know if getting a payment would be enough motivation sometimes. I’d be willing to give it a try though!

@LifeQuestioner I believe you’re right, but I’d love to find common factors in thos of us who changed.
If your doctor tells you you’re obese, let me kbow how that affects your motivation. Ha!!

@janbb that’s great if insurance companies would do that, as far as the gym memberships are concerned, but the person still has to be motivated to go to the gym and exercise. If they don’t have that self motivation, all the free gym memberships in the world aren’t going to help.

@KNOWITALL I actually have a doctor’s appointment this Friday and last time I went to see her a couple months ago, I had lost about 15 lb from the time before. I have not been doing so well this time so I’m sure I have gained some of that back. It’s just so hard! I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. And the crazy thing is that some of the healthier things to eat for diabetes are the things you want to avoid with kidney disease. So I feel like I’m beating my head against the wall trying to find healthy stuff to eat. You don’t want a lot of protein when you have kidney disease. With diabetes you’re supposed to eat more whole grains, but it’s actually the opposite with kidney disease. With diabetes you can eat most any vegetable, although you do have to watch the starchy ones like peas, corn, and beans. With kidney disease, the vegetables that are okay to have are on an even smaller list. I wish I could hire somebody or find a book which just takes all three of those things and then gives very comprehensive lists of what I can have. Maybe when my job calms down in a month or so I can start making some sort of compiled list on my computer myself.
People that only have one health issue don’t realize how hard it is. I remember when I found out I had diabetes and high blood pressure back in 2015. Back then, nobody said anything about kidney disease, but probably I wasn’t doing as badly with that back then. Anyway, I remember that several friends and family members gave me diabetic cookbooks. Great, right? Except in looking at the recipes, all of them were very high in sodium and would have been horrible for my high blood pressure. Maybe I should publish a book of recipes for people with all three conditions and get rich. Except I’m not much of a cook so I probably wouldn’t be very good at doing that.

@LifeQuestioner Maybe check out Paleo. That’s what I switched to last fall per my new priimary.

@KNOWITALL is that the one where you eat all natural foods? I’ve looked at that before but I also know that I’m not much of a food prepper, and I worry that it would be too hard to stick to.

@LifeQuestioner I agree with you – Internal motivation is the key.

If offered $5 I would do a push up. Would have to double in price every push up after that.

@RedDeerGuy1 I was thinking the government can just pay us to workout and eat right, like a salary. In this inflation, it’s even harder to afford healthier foods.

My Alnond Milk is $3, while whole milk is $2.50. All my nuts are closer to $10. A bag of spinach greens is almost $4.

Meanwhile I could eat a McDonalds burger for 2 for $5. It’s ridiculous.

For me it’s time right now I have none to spare. If I had just a couple extra hours a day, I would be doing more physical things.

@KNOWITALL it certainly is ridiculous! And yet poor people often get looked down on for being obese, when people don’t realize that the issue is often that they can’t afford to buy healthier foods. I read this really interesting book a couple years back, and I’m sorry I can’t remember the title now, but it was about this journalist who for a while lived the lifestyle of people who don’t get a living wage. And one of the things she discovered is that if you don’t have a car, you have to live close to where the jobs are, and many of those are in the city and there are often not a lot of options for healthy eating. Also, she couldn’t afford even the rent on it normal apartment but rather had to stay in a hotel type situation. She was lucky if she had a hot plate in a refrigerator and so she often just went to the local convenience store to get whatever they offered because she had no way to keep leftovers or cook her own meals. It was a real eye-opener to read and to realize what many people go through.

@Blackwater_Park If it was your job, would you do the exercise thing for a year? What if they paid you ¾ of your current salary, would you consider it for a longer, better quality life?
Time is such a factor in America for many people.

For myself, I may walk in the morning before work (I walked in the city Pre-Covid on lunch hour), exercise or lift around 8pm. But I don’t have kids either, so I have time to invest in myself. Many of my friends have home gyms so the kids are with them.

Absolutely. I’m someone who loves physical activity.

It really depends. I don’t think money could motivate me to do intense cardio workouts or run marathons. But walks or a leisurely bike ride, yes. I’d do more of that if I were paid. Of course, over time, the extrinsic motivation might override my intrinsic pleasure, and then I’d quit doing those things for fun. That would be sad.

For healthy eating, I’m totally predictable and human: if it’s convenient, I will eat it. Unfortunately, frozen pizza is more convenient than a homemade salad…but I think if I could be paid to do meal prep, chances are I’d eat much healthier. I like a lot of healthy food and most of my favorite recipes are reasonably balanced. But I like cookies, too. I wouldn’t agree to be paid for going on a diet of only healthy food. I really believe in “everything in moderation”.

@LifeQuestioner That book was “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” by Barbara Ehrenreich. It’s a great book!

@jca2 yes, that’s it! It was an incredible read!

@longgone Okay, what if I told you that it would add 10 years to your life?
Or that exercise and diet changes could actually prevents aging pains?
Or that if you aren’t using your muscles, you’re conversely LOSING your muscle?

Would any of those resonate with you? I gotta say the endorphins and seratonin are the best feeling, comparable to orgasm. Haha!

@longgone Just using you as a sounding board because your answer reminded me of the old me. Ha!!

Longer lifespan: if you could guarantee me that, I’d be tempted. But how much would I need to exercise for that reward?

Prevention of aging pains: not as appealing. I guess I don’t believe in that. I do think staying active prevents aging pains, but I don’t think you need to be running or lifting weights. I think walking and occasional swimming is enough. I could very well be wrong.

Maintaining muscle: yeah, I do care about that a little. I would like to be stronger.

Thinking about this more, I’m realising that even happiness is not motivating enough, because I totally believe that the endorphins feel great. But first, you have to get through the pain – that’s extremely demotivating. Running, especially, makes my sinuses hurt so much it feels like my head is exploding.

I’m currently enjoying having a sauna very close to home. It doesn’t feel like exercise, but it certainly gives my heart a workout to get really hot, and then plunge into a cold lake.

@longgone I’m jealous! I hear that’s really good for your body, too.

Oh I have days I just walk, just now getting to where running a block doesn’t kill me haha!
My next appointment is May 5th, so hopefully he says the weight loss portion is done, and I can focus on rebuilding muscle ans maintaining the weight. Right now I have demoralizing loose skin that’s driving me nuts.

Speaking as someone who has laid dying in a hospital for over two years, I can guarantee it sucks.
If you don’t take many risks, and don’t take care of yourself, that’s likely how it will end. Slowly. A living nightmare.
Sound grim(m)?..
Apologies. But thinking you’re ready for that, is different from experiencing it.
I wasn’t the only tough guy I saw dying as I spent all that time in different ICUs.
To say my survival was miraculous isn’t a foolish thing.
Doctors guarantee that if I weren’t in very good shape, when I was diagnosed with end stage liver failure, I wouldn’t have survived for such a long time. Let alone survive 11 hours of surgery. My blood work suggested that surgery would kill me. But. I was already dead, so…
I was 194 lbs a few months ago.
Keep in mind, I’m 6’5 and was a muscle bound 300 lb gym rat before my diagnosis.
I made myself stand, and walk six hours post op. Haven’t slowed down since.
I’ve been eating a protein heavy diet. Lots of fish, hummus, beans n rice, and protein shakes.
I do free weights and rowing machine, for about 1½ hrs, then just abs for 25 minutes, on strength days, and hike on conditioning days, with a little ab work.
I’m up to 220 lbs now.
I’m crazy painful. But. I am constantly getting stronger, and better. I have “abs.” I’m wrapping my new liver in muscle.
I’ve started some of my old MMA training. Should have my canoe in the water this week.
The feeling of gaining strength and endurance each day, is addictive.

I’m not out if the woods yet. I’ve reached the 6 month post op milestone. But. The road ahead is daunting. Fuck it. I hope the road is ready for me…

It’s all in the mind.
You’re in charge of your body.
Working out, is like paying bills. Can’t skip.
You can get double rewards from working out to music. Explore all kinds of different tunes. Expand your mind.

We owe it to ourselves, and loved ones to stay in shape.

And…..

You want to be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse...

@MrGrimm888 That’s inspiring, thanks!!! Also I am soo happy for you to get on your beloved water. Hugs.

I have been working hard on improving my health for years, so the paycheck is long overdue. It’s been a long hard road, but I’m getting better.

@KNOWITALL . That’s why I share such intimate details of my life here. It’s meant to be a warning, and an inspiration. I was given 4–6 days to live in November 2020…
Every second since, has taken a LOT of work.
To me. The best parts of my life have always been when I have done something that shouldn’t be possible. But we’re all capable of such things.
What’s so cool about being an animal, is we can customize our bodies to suit our desires.
All of us should ask ourselves, “what would I like to do?” If it’s anything from being one of the more athletic people in this world, or a couch surfer, you still need to be in good shape.

Motivation. That’s the key.
”The distance between a goal and an achievement, is discipline.”
We already get paid, to stay healthy. And we use that physical “currency,” to buy time, and quality of life.

I hope everyone will meet me in the Mansion’s gym.

@MrGrimm888 ‘We already get paid, to stay healthy. And we use that physical “currency,” to buy time, and quality of life.’

Love this!!

@MrGrimm888 It sounds like your greatest luck was in the medical care you were able to get.

@KNOWITALL If your doctor tells you you’re obese, let me kbow how that affects your motivation. Ha!!

omg too funny! A friend and I were talking about exactly that! It seems like when you’re at the doc’s for any reason they say, “Well, if you’d lose some weight…”

Got an earache? “Well, if you’d lose some weight…”

Broken finger? “Well, if you’d lose some weight…”

And what’s with doctor’s scales? for me, they always say I weigh exactly 10 lbs more than I do at home on my scales!

@smudges Oh yes!! The cure-all. Funny enough it really worked for me.
I still tgink calling me obese to my face was rude but it got the job done I guess. Haha!

Probably, I would. Great question.

@janbb . The first few weeks, they were just trying to get me prepared for a “comfortable” death.
But. I absolutely give credit to MUSC, right here in Charleston SC.

I’m just adding that I was in great shape before I was diagnosed. So. That helped me overcome tremendous odds.
And that a strong mindset goes a long way.

Physical and mental conditioning, are important.

@JLeslie I remember I started chunking up working an 8–5 FT, then 7p-11p PT. Ate horrible and just wanted to party or sleep. Before that I ran after work with my dog and was very fit.
People are just so busy now.

@KNOWITALL When I worked retail and was on my feet all day 45–60 hours a week it was impossible for me to exercise and I didn’t eat very health either. In fact, during the Christmas season it was a lot of candy and really bad food. I truly believe it shortened my life. I was on my feet, so it was some physical activity, but being exhausted everything else goes to pot.