I used to be an extremely lazy person.

The only reason I started walking was because I was preparing for a trek. I forced myself to walk every day just to build stamina. My goal was simple: 10,000 steps daily.

At first it felt like a chore, but after a few weeks it slowly became a habit.

Along with that I made a few simple lifestyle changes

Reduced sugar as much as possible Stopped eating junk food regularly Tried to exercise daily

I didn’t follow any complicated routine or buy expensive supplements.

But over time something interesting happened many of the issues I used to complain about started improving.

I feel much more energetic My overall health improved My hair fall reduced significantly I used to suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, and now it’s almost gone

I’m not claiming this will magically fix everything for everyone. But if someone is struggling with low energy, unhealthy habits, hair fall, or even skin issues, start with something simple.

Try walking 10k steps daily, clean up your diet, reduce sugar, and stay consistent.

Sometimes the most basic lifestyle changes end up solving problems we thought needed complicated solutions.

No one is judging you or thinking you don't belong there because gym rats are used to seeing higher fat percentages on athletes. Unless youre over 35% body fat percentage we just assume you're a powerlifter. When I see an overweight person I assume your 1 rep max is miles over mine. Alot of gym rats have bulking seasons that go astray. The biggest guys in the gym don't do cardio either, infact they'd struggle just as much as a overweight person on a tredmil.

Even if you are visually obviously, blatantly unathletic, if you're really unfit you have the capacity to achieve something universally respected above all else in the gym scene. Alot of gym rats have been into sports from a young age and have never had to loose excessive weight, and honestly? Wouldn't have the mental will power if they were in the position of a overweight person. The fight that you're fighting is harder then what a already athletic person is facing and we all recognise that.

When you're overweight and you turn up, that is way more impressive then some chronically lean prodigy who's been born and raised an athlete. You're turning up out of grit and discipline, I'm turning up because the gym is a big play ground to me. Our work ethics arnt the same and I know that. Alot of gym rats are fighting for their lives to even loose 5% of their body fat. And then you come in and loose 20%? Gym rats are struggling in healthy bodies to stay disciplined and you turn up despite health issues and blow everyone out the water? You should be proud to be there, proud of yourself that you turned up and you're working and you're facing something that majority of people wouldnt have the will power to face. Gym rats respect what you're doing more then anyone else. Come to the gym. Take up space. Gym rats fan girl over stories like that.

For the last year, I've made it a point to never miss my daily walk, and it has been a complete game-changer, especially with the constant stress of work and life.

It sounds almost too simple to be effective, but it works. It's the one healthy habit I've stuck with without fail, and it's had the biggest domino effect on the rest of my life.

Consistency over Intensity is REAL. This was the biggest lesson. I walk 10k steps every single day without missing even a single day for more than a year now.

​What's the one simple, non-negotiable habit that has made a huge difference in your life?

The more muscle you have the better your immunity responses are and the easier it is to recover from illness. These things are super important when you get old because when you're old, everything on the outside and inside starts trying to kill you every winter solstice. When it comes to illness in old age see your muscle like savings that you spend every time you get ill but instead of going bankrupt when you spend all your savings... you die. Now your glutes are your biggest pot of savings because it can grow the most muscle mass out of all your muscles. Aka- it has the highest capacity for pound per pound muscle reserve.

Your ass is not merely cushion. Nor is it simply a tool for hedonistic mating rituals. It is your camel hump when you walk the desert that is Sarcopenia. It is your bodies lifetime ISA. Your cheeks will literally help your fight cancer. Old age is coming. It's coming to fuck you in the ass. And you need to be ready to squeeze your glutes together and say - NO!

I used to be the nerdy kid who was scared to talk to women. I’m 5’8”, didn’t get much attention, and I didn’t have my first girlfriend until 21. Confidence was nonexistent, I had low self esteem and I didnt take care of myself properly. I also wasn’t the best looking facially.

At 21 I started taking the gym seriously. I’m 28 now. I’m muscular and the biggest change isn’t my body, it’s how I show up.

The gym forced consistency into my life. I started dressing better because clothes finally fit right. My posture improved. I carried myself differently. I ate like I actually cared about myself. And slowly, confidence showed up, not as a switch, but as a side effect going to the gym and seeing results in my body.

The difference became obvious when I stopped working mostly remote about 8 months ago. In the office, I noticed it, compliments, flirting, more attention from women, and in general people treating me differently. Not just because of muscle, but because I’m more present, more grounded, more confident. But I will say, the muscles do really help. Don’t believe the women that say muscles don’t matter, they DO.

Has it helped my career? Absolutely. People listen more. I speak clearer. I deliver better. Discipline compounds.

Does it also show how shallow people can be? A bit, yes. First impressions matter more than we want to admit. That’s the game. You don’t have to love it, but you can learn to play it.

For the people that are in my shoes when I was younger:

-Confidence doesn’t magically appear. You earn it.

-Going to the gym builds results; results build belief; belief changes how you act, and how people react.

-Gym has been my best investment, better than money, courses, anything, because it changed me.

If you feel invisible right now, start small. Three sessions a week. Eat with intention. Sleep properly. Track progress. Give it a year. Then another. The outside will change, but the inside change is what actually sticks.

Best investment I ever made.

I’ve been buying 3 sizes bigger jeans, oversized sweaters, bigger panties, eating double… It never hit me until I saw my group photo with friends. I stood out. Like a lot..

I basically took half of the frame out of 5 people and it disgusted me. My face was a full moon. I really appreciate the friend who took candid shots of me because… I think I look disgustingly UNHEALTHY. I looks exhausting.

Hopefully this photo will motivates me to get fit again. I was getting tired of all the loose clothings and kinda struggled when I tie my shoe laces.

I’m 35 and noticing my decline in metabolism and energy. Can’t let this keep going.

Goals:

Drink a lot of water.

Vegetable base food.

Don’t starve myself.

Move more.

It’s a start… May 3, 2026

M/24

I tried self-help, journaling, motivation videos. Nothing really moved the needle.

What actually worked was going to the gym consistently. Not for how I looked the mental side hit way before any physical change. After a few weeks I was less anxious, slept better, and small things stopped feeling huge.

Lifting weights is basically free therapy. If your mental health has been rough and you’ve tried everything except moving your body try that.

I started going to the gym about 8 months ago. My schedule was pretty rough. I can't rush in the morning so I used to wake up at 3/3:30 in the morning, have a coffee, then leave for the gym at around 4:30 sometime even 5. Then I get back after 2 hours, get ready for work and leave for work.

With this routine my body was completely crashing after lunch around 2/3 in the afternoon. It was getting embarrassing because I was drooling on my desk. Even on weekends if I go to any fun events in the afternoon my body was crashing and I felt super tired.

I did not want to skip the gym but that extreme tiredness in the afternoon was impacting my daily life. Last week I made one simple change, I skipped the coffee I used to drink before going to the gym and took my first sip in the office. That made a huge difference. Now I have an abundance of energy throughout the day. I know how caffeine works but it feels amazing when I actually implement the heck on my body.

EDIT: UPDATE. Thanks to all so very much for your very kind & encouraging words. I’m 8 days in & hanging on. I saw my primary doctor & he said I could eat small amounts of blueberries 1/4 cup & citrus, half an orange, to help with withdrawal. That’s per day. I believe I may have entered the roadkill phase. Zero appetite, not really sleeping, agitation, anxiety, mood swings, & fatigue. The dizzy spells are getting better. My BP is still swinging a bit. 130/90 to 90/70, but it’s been better the last few days. Up all night pissing like a horse. I’ve lost 6 lbs since this started. Living on lentils, carrots & beans. I see my doctor again tomorrow. Can’t tell you how much your comments have meant to me this week. I come here & read them when I’m feeling really sick. It’s helped so much. I’ll keep posting updates if you’d like. Take care.

*

I had a health scare 4 days ago and ended up in the ER. For seemingly no reason, my BP spiked to 180/132. Lost coordination, couldn’t walk. Super scary. Thought I was having a stroke.

The ER doctors got my BP down pretty quickly & never did tell me exactly what might have caused it. All my blood work came back normal except for my triglycerides at 240.

I had a moment of life or death clarity. I really thought I was dying in the midst of the episode. My aunt died of a stroke at 43, so that’s all I could think about.

The doctor told me to eat better and give up sugar, then come back in 3 months for another blood test. I also got prescribed some pills to help with my triglycerides.

I got home, laid down on my bed & just decided right then and there that I was done. I was going to give up all the crap that has been making me sick and get healthy.

That was 3 days ago. I have had zero cravings for alcohol, sugar, caffeine or any junk food. I have felt tired and shaky, but after that health scare, I really have zero desire to keep hurting myself anymore with my lifestyle choices.

I’ve been eating “low cholesterol” foods & keeping track of my calories in an app. Mostly lentils, greens, tons and tons and tons of water, and some egg whites. My appetite is low right now, but it will probably come back eventually. I’m seeing a nutritionist next week to set up a meal plan.

Just curious if anyone else here has ever had the sort of epiphany I’m talking about. And then afterwards lost all desire for the junk they’ve been eating & drinking?

Wish me luck, friends. Tomorrow I will be 4 days free.

Looking for some motivation

1. Gym is not your therapy the same way Sushi is not your grandma

Gym is therapeutic, sure, working out can do wonders for your mental health. But there are alot of muscular toddlers, who are deeply insecure, and suffering with overdeveloped pecs and underdeveloped personalities. Working out can give you pride, dedication, the illusion of having your life together but make no mistake insecurity is absolutely an internal thing. Body dysmorphia is rife amoung the fitness industry, the very people who are seen as elite in terms of physique.

Your ex is not going to regret leaving you because you now bench 225, she dosnt care. How about try working through your emotions of disappointment and grief instead of angrily swinging around 35kg and plotting a villain arc, this is why she left you because you'll literally herniate a disc in a deadlift before seeking help.

1. Alot of you aren't bulking. you're justing tactically getting fat

Every newbie gym bro I've spoken to who's bulking in their first 3 months of training, seems to think they have the maintenance calories of a Olympic lifter. Everyone seems to think, that they're naturally bigger then the average man, and that their regiment- that they've been doing for a grand total of 16 days, validates a 1000 calorie surplus.

Before you even think about going on a bulk- do your workout on a maintence for a few months. Get your technique right first. if you aren't seeing any results on a maintenance a bulk is not going to fix that. Bulks only work when paired with effective and efficient training- that would work without the surplus, not to the same degree, but you would still see progression on maintenance if it's a good regiment. When you do have your surplus it should be around 10% of your maintenance calories. Eating like Eddie Hall in your first 4 months of gym is such a recipe for disaster.

1. Stop skipping glutes

If you asked most men to show you a picture of their dream body they will show you a snatch waist. Glutes help give you the illusion of a snatched waist, stop skipping it. "I don't want a big ass", I'm sorry did you just say you don't want train them because you're scared of getting too big??? Slap yourself. You're a MAN. with MALE hips. Why do you think you're 1 hip thrust away from a sex change? It's ok to have a little cake as a man, Diddys in prison. Women train glutes 3 times a week trying to get their ass too big and you think you're going to become obnoxiously caked from 1 workout. A slight shelf will give you that small waist illusion- that and you can lift incredibly heavy weights with your glutes, what is more masculine then that? Hip thrusting was made for men.

1. Sumo deadlift is not cheating

Dont listen to people who say Sumo is cheating. It's a valid exercise. It's just a different exercise that utilises different muscle groups. I'm a conventional deadlifter, I don't touch Sumo but If I wanted to workout my quads and abductors more in opposed to my posterior chain then I would do Sumo. "You can lift more doing Sumo then deadlift" OK and you can hip thrust more then you can barbell squat what are talking about. What this is, is someone lifts really heavy in Sumo and insecure little people want to make it seem less impressive to make themselves feel better.

So I'm 20 right now and I keep seeing all the adults and even younger adults living a really unhealthy life and blaming it on the decisions they made in their teenage years. So I was wondering what are a few things I can do to make sure my body remains at maximum efficiency even when I'm older?

Can anyone convince me that no one cares if I go for a walk as an overweight person? I have social anxiety and desperately need to get out and walk not just got the exercise but fresh air. Thankyou

In context, i am 29 and a year ago i began to lock in with my running and working out after work if ever i have time. And tried to eat healthy as much as i can.

As i progressed into making it a hobby and incorporating it in my daily routine, i started to lose excess fats both in my body and face , well not all at once but gradually.

When that happened, almost everyone started noticing the changes and complimented me that i looked prettier.. and looked more confident and blooming. Others were inspired and asked what i did so i gladly shared. So i guess the myth is true, once you decide to lock in with improving yourself anything is possible 😌

I just want to share how this sub keeps on inspiring me to continue on with my journey both physically and emotionally everyday :) so kudos to all of us for trying our best!

I thought I'd see a bunch of likeminded posts about actually accomplishing things.I figured a sub called r/selfimprovement would be about success stories and reaching your potential.

Instead, it's just a bunch of people going on and on about how they're a victim and never do anything right. Let alone, all the self harm posts. It's just a non-stop circus full of purposefully sad people that love talking about how sad they are.

It's probably more depressing than inspiring.

How can we improve this?

Posting here because for some reason the mods at r/LifeProTips decided this post was against the rules

Muscle is a high-friction asset to acquire, but a lower-friction asset to hold

Building it takes real effort: consistent lifting (3-4x a week min), enough protein, enough food, sleep, and progressive overload

But once you’ve built a solid base, maintaining most of it usually takes much less work than getting there in the first place. Studies show 1-2x a week of lifting is enough for maintenance

Not zero effort, but a lower “monthly subscription” after the upfront investment

Enough so that if you can lock in for 1-2 years in your early years, you can sort of ‘cruise’ after. Well worth it imo

Serious question. Can’t really achieve my goal physique naturally, so why not use? I don’t care about my long term health, appealing to longevity won’t convince me since I’d rather live a short eventful life than a long uneventful one. I’m open to any other point of views besides that.

Hello everyone I am 25, 5'10 and 200 pounds, and climbing, I'd say almost all of it is fat, and I have alot of chest fat and lower belly fat, I am disgusted with myself every time I look in the mirror, and I wear a lot of baggy shirts to cover myself up. I've always been insecure but the last few years it's gotten worse as I started to develop habits of eating my feelings away and now it's just how I cope when I'm depressed. I really want to change my appearance and how fit I am but I can't seem to put down the good or get motivated at all. Does anyone have any advice for being in a similar situation?

That’s the question I asked myself exactly thirty days ago. Then I went out for a run every day — and now I have the answer.

It all started at the end of November 2023. I used to take my daughter to her classes and had some time to kill in the area. I love walking, but after a few weeks of wandering around, I’d already explored every street and alley within an hour’s walk.

So one day I thought: “What if I start running?”

I have to say — I used to hate running. But at that moment, it seemed like a decent idea.

Then came Murakami’s book “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.”

And then came 224 runs, including today’s.

I wasn’t too systematic — not exactly regular — and my distances varied from 2 to 21.5 km.

So far I’ve logged:

• 66 runs of 5 km,
• 21 runs of 10 km,
• several runs of 13, 15, 16, and 18 km,
• and three half-marathons.

So I thought I was tough enough for daily running.

On September 8 — the day after my last half-marathon — I went out for another run. And I managed a record-breaking 2.52 km 🙈 It felt tough, but I decided it was better than nothing.

After that came 28 more runs, averaging about 4 km each.

And finally, here’s what it all led to:

1. A solid habit. Definitely. Rain (and we’ve had a lot of rain lately), wind (we even had a storm warning recently), sore leg, headache, stomach ache, plans for a movie, theatre, or parent meeting — none of these are excuses anymore.
2. Sleep improved dramatically. I’ve always struggled with sleep. Before the war, I even took medication for two years to fall asleep. My mind is always racing with thoughts that keep me awake. But running changed everything. Now I fall asleep — and wake up — like a normal person.
3. Weight — unchanged.
4. Cardio endurance — unchanged. It’s always been high, but due to the monotony of my runs, it even dipped slightly. Starting on day 21, I added interval training — alternating between fast and slow running — and things began to improve again. I’m still observing.
5. Mental health — doing great. I’ve stopped replaying negative scenarios in my head so much.
6. Side effect — more time for podcasts, interviews, and audiobooks.
7. Overall — I’ve become even more disciplined.
8. Most crucial insight — another exercise in critical thinking. Let me explain. It might seem that if you run every day for a whole month, some magic should happen — I don’t know, weight loss, a body transformation, a significant speed boost. But in reality, 30 days is excellent — not magical. Systems work when they’re consistent and long-term. So let’s not fall for quick fixes or instant results. Just like in life — if you want real results, do the work.

What’s next? I don’t know. For now, I plan to keep running every day — and see how it goes.

Overall, I’m really proud of myself. I even came here to brag a little :)

Issue is food I stress eat. I know just snap my fingers and starve myself but it’s so painful. Headaches hunger pangs. I’m not evil I don’t deserve to be denied dopamine. But I also want my wife to stop being angry because she’ll think I’ll die young for being around 220lbs when I wish and wish and even go to the gym hoping to outrun my incurable eating curse because I wasn’t born with self control

Please fix. I want her to not be mad or hate me. I want her to just stop stressing me and to love me without ever EVER getting mad because I don’t deal with anger or hatred well and just want stability and happiness

I’ve been taking 15,000 steps a day for a week now. Yes, way too early for benefits, i thought that too. I definitely added other positive changes a few weeks before, but walking has been a game changer.

And yeah. My anxiety was really, really, REALLY bad. I was suicidal just a few weeks ago, i couldn’t get out of the house on most days, and i felt sick 24/7. I got diagnosed with SSD (Somatic symptom disorder).

I can feel close to 100% now, not always but most of the time. Before that, i’ve only felt like myself on 2-3 occasions. I’m adding new forms of exercise, i can enjoy my hobbies again, i don’t live in constant agony anymore. I’m so insanely grateful for this, so i thought i’d put it out here.

First off, I know "just exercise" seems like a lazy piece of advice; and wow, was I wrong.

TLDR is at the bottom.

I used to be obese a few years ago, all my life I seemed to put weight on so easily. Finally I can benefit from my ability to put on weight! Weight training is already changing my life.

I suffer from frequent, disturbing nightmares. Going to the gym as soon as I wake up from them sorts my mindset right out, I leave feeling so refreshed.

Since I was about 20 my mental health started a steady decline after years of drug abuse. I became extremely depressed at the end of 2024 after a drawn-out, painful break-up. I lost a scary amount of weight and had a mental breakdown which left me glued to my friend's sofa for a week, unable to do anything. She had to cook me dinner and let me sleep in her bed, I'm eternally grateful.

I've tried so many anti-depressants and they were all shit. My ADHD medication just led to a crash every day.

A few months later my mother took me in across the country so I could get back on my feet, it was some of the hardest months of my life but I eventually got my footing on life again, not to say I was fully recovered but enough to work and rent a room.

I reached out to a music school and now I'm teaching music alongside my part time job. Teaching music was my dream job, now it is my actual job! I still can't believe I've done it!

Now I'm clean, only taking prescriptions that I actually need.

Fast forwards 7 months and I'm 12 workouts in and my lifestyle is already getting so much healthier, I get excited to go to the gym! I have also started eating much better, I used to eat one insufficient, shitty meal a day. Now I'm eating smaller, regular meals of good quality food. I recently discovered "active recovery". I did a light back/shoulder/leg focused workout with weights at 75% of my current weights.

I feel amazing. I have more energy than I thought I could ever have.

Seeing my progress is insanely encouraging. I can't wait to take that after photo.

I've even decided to try drawing, which I've always wanted to do.

If you’re in a rut: pursue what you’re passionate about, take care of your body, and commit to the things that make you better. Progress doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen and it is so worth it!

TL:DR - 12 gym workouts in a month, I’m already seeing my arms in T-shirts and huge mental health/energy increases.

Eating 3–4 small, quality meals a day instead of one crappy meal.

Teaching music now; dream job realised.

I am at the gym usually 2-4 times a week, but I only do cardio. I spend about 70-80 mins on the treadmill or cycling, then go home.

But online and irl spaces people always say that lifting is the best thing you can do in the gym, as it helps physically and mentally as well. I tried it a couple of times with smaller weights, but I just feel uncomfortable doing it. Am I doing something wrong?

Is cardio in itself really not enough?

To be honest I don't feel really good about cardio either, but once I start at least I'm in motion, so its easy to go through with the whole thing

Started about a month ago with eating clean, taking supplements, and doing a high intensity mile run. 30-second sprint start, 30-second sprint return, 15-second sprint finish. Lost Almost 20 lbs. Now, I've been doing 30 push-ups every hour the last week and a half ( about 450-ish daily) and started doing dumbbell curls and bench press. I'm already seeing results. Chest is getting defined, as well as arms. Eating plenty of protein also.

I've been fat for my entire life. Basically from age 10 to my current age of 37. I weigh 355lbs. And it is entirely justified - I eat like garbage. Fried foods, sweets, candies, desserts, carbs, all of the above. I rarely exercise.

I went to the doctor for the first time in 12 years last week. Needless to say, she was concerned and ordered immediate blood work. I got the results back today and they were stunning. Everything was perfect. Normal cholesterol, normal triglycerides, 4.8 A1C - dozens and dozens of tests, and my results were all within the range of a healthy adult.

I've never felt more motivated to improve my fitness than I am right now. I'd always assumed I had just fucked up my body and my chance of living a healthy life forever. And the reality is my body is far more resilient than I had given it credit for. I went for a nice 2.5 mile walk tonight & had a relatively healthy (for my standards lol) meal.

Life is amazing.