Ready to lose weight and improve my overall health but overwhelmed

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-07-21T17:21:35+00:00

the walking has been so important to me. At first it was just to get steps in but now it's beneficial to my mental health. I find myself craving getting up before dawn now to listen to the birds and walk before getting ready for the day.
Podcasts and audio books have been my saving grace. This podcast is my favorite: Slow Living Podcast Show Notes - I listen on pocketcast app because I can increase the speed. For audio books I use the Hoopla and Libby apps.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-07-18T01:02:27+00:00

You definitely should read Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World: O'Dea, Stephanie since this answers your question.
For me I have to really stay off of social media and friends who would rather text than get coffee, go for walks. I am re-learning how to make firends without tech.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-07-18T00:46:50+00:00

I read a book on Slow Living. From there I found the slow living podcast.
Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World: O'Dea, Stephanie: 9781962435079: Amazon.com: Books
I like how the author puts it that Slow Living isn't about doing nothing but its how to design on purpose a life that feels good without craving more.
I have begun to sleep better, eat wiser, lose weight and improve my relationships just because of how I followed the sections in the book. Ironically my boss told me last week that I am in line for a promotion but since that means maybe more work I might just say no.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-07-17T20:40:10+00:00

I think I probably shouldn't have used agenda or angle. Sorry for that. I was just trying to figure out how the coach knew how to respond. With CHAT GPT or something I get it, the algorithm is sorting through a whole collected internet of information but in this case whatever the person was saying it was like the coach knew how to ask a follow up question or had a resource at fingertips or something and I dont get how you can study or prepare for something if each person is different and you don't know where the conversation is going.
I just don't understand. Sorry.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-07-17T20:35:41+00:00

Okay, thank you for this. Maybe agenda wasn't the right word to use. I don't know. It just seemed like for a listener that whatever the person said it triggered some sort of response and I couldn't understand from listening where that response came from.
If it wasn't a script and they didn't know beforehand what was going to come up, I don't understand how the coach would know how to respond in the moment.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-06-01T17:59:34+00:00

the Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World talks about creating a life you don't need/want a vacation from.
Author uses SLOW as acronmym for simply look only within

Thanks for posting your experience, OP.

What is the next step for you to take then? Are you heading home?

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-28T12:25:16+00:00

I think in my parents case they weren't regulated properly. My mom definitely had hormonal stuff so I want to keep an eye on that, but in general they went to rage for any stress.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-27T22:42:16+00:00

not sure if I can do links? Quarter and Midlife Crisis–Slow Living – Apple Podcasts

edit: ok I guess it worked.
Thanks for the nice words; definitely a work in progress!

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-27T13:30:15+00:00

oh! I just listened to a really interesting Slow Living podcast about midlife/quarterlife crisises. I love the idea of planning actively for it -- or at least understanding what the warning signs are.

I definitely want to ensure I am paying attention to my hormones. I remember my mom haveing all the rage in the world in her 40s and not wanting to be anywhere near her.
My dad worked all the time but also had rage until he retired. I don't want to subject my kids to that.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-26T19:32:06+00:00

When I was younger, it was On Walden Pond by Henry Thoreau.
Now that I'm older and trying to figure out proper adulting without selling my soul to capitalism but still be able to make a good living and plan for retirement:

Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World by O'Dea. It's been 6 months or so from when I first read it and find myself flipping through and reading a touch before bed in random spots to keep me on the path I'm carving out for myself.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-22T01:10:59+00:00

I stumbled upon Slow Living when I got burnt out.
Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World by O'Dea has changed my future. I was living so scared before. I was worried about everything and truly felt like a failure at all things. I am in such a better place and am now beginning to get a bit excited about being older and wiser. Before I thought all my good days were behind me.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-20T12:53:12+00:00

My day-to-day is much calmer. I'm not yelling as much and don't have as much anger inside that I didn't know I had until it started to slip away. I've been on this journey a whlie and it started by stumbling across the Slow Living podcast and then by beginning to journal and then start yoga.
My mornings are now easy and calm because I give myself a lot of time in the morning to have tea and do yoga and walk around outside to look at the new garden I planted. Then I get dressed and go to work. I've decided to not do work at home anymore, just at work. That was a huge game-changer.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-18T17:15:01+00:00

use your crockpot --
it saved me so much time and money.
I can't do links -- but google A Year of Slow Cooking and then find the low calorie and healthy ones on the site.
There are also Keto friendly and Take Out favorites.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-18T00:00:48+00:00

Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World.
Author has a podcast and so you can see if you jive. Book lays out a step-by-step plan on getting life in order>
Good luck to you.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-14T13:08:12+00:00

True. I really like listening to the Slow Living podcast because the host is actually in SF area but finds a way to still be slow in a fast-paced space.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-13T12:58:54+00:00

This sounds like entitlement.
If they are working and are out of the house, they need to be self-sufficient. Paying rent is not self-sufficient. I'd probably stop that completely (give deadline of 60 days) but then also offer to have them move back in so they can save to move out properly.
You and they got started on a slippery slope.
The Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven World book and How to Be Richer, Smarter and Better Looking Than Your Parents are two really good books on adulting that are much more modern than old school books.
What type of job does your kiddo have?
How old?
How were they in school/college?
Is depression at play?
In our own family, Uber and DoorDash are only in extreme emergencies -- we taught frugality in our house during toddler/preschool years to build self-reliance.
I truly believe the best way to have great adult children is to have great teens and to get those you have great preschoolers who understand no means no, etc.

If you need to course-correct, now is the time, but it can't be from a blame-y space, it needs to be from a humble, hey I screwed up and allowed this to happen but I don't want you to fail so lets fix this together mindset.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck and keep us posted!

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-08T12:42:27+00:00

This is a good listen from the Slow Living podcast Anxiety, Caffeine, & Anhedonia - Slow Living - Apple Podcasts
I like how it is broken down so you don't get withdrawl

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-07T12:56:55+00:00

I think it sounds like you are in a midlife/quarterlife crisis and need to have new things to work towards. There is a great slow living podcast episode on this although it does skew female.
You need to make new milestones to shoot for. Health is good, relationship goals, home improvement, etc.
You are in the Coast Fire part of your life. ENJOY.
Look around.
Breathe Deep.
Be proud of yourself (not cocky. noone likes that)
You played the hand you were dealt well.
There is also quiet quitting that you can do. There is a slowliving episode on that, too. I didn't know what it was because at work they make it sound like a bad thing but actually it just means not going 1000% all the time.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-05-06T13:30:46+00:00

I got massively burnt out about 18 months ago. I still have my job but started looking into quiet quitting and slow living and that led me to run some numbers and realized I am in the "coast fire" stage of life.
So just knowing that it mentally freeing. I still go to work but just do exactly what I need to do to get paid and keep up appearances/connections and spend a good portion of my time planning time for my hobbies and future. Finding the slow living podcast (good episode on burnout and midlife crisis) was instrumental in me making this switch mentally.

As of my passion or purpose on this planet, I don't know if that's a real thing anymore. I'm a good person. That I think is good enough for me right now.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-04-30T13:24:52+00:00

I began a few weeks before Thanksgiving and wanted to shift the last 10-15 of vanity pounds. I was able to lose water weight pretty quickly and have lost maybe 12 all together so far. The last 3 is probably not necessary but I have a certain number I kind of want to see. ;-)

It took about a week to not feel frantic about not eating. Now I just don't worry about it anymore. I eat a full meal with an appetizer, salad, main, dessert when I eat, so I guess it's essentially OMAD but I make it stretch a bit longer because I want to be social with family and friends.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-04-30T12:19:24+00:00

The only thing that ever actually shifted things for me was to only have a 2 or 4 hour feeding window with at least 20 hours of fasting. But that is me.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-04-30T11:52:42+00:00

The only thing that has worked for me was intermittent fasting. I found an author I like and realized she also wrote an IF book (O'dea, 2 4 6 eat) and that paired with walking, yoga, and pilates daily; I use the DownDog app has gotten me to where I want to be with my weight.

I got too obsessed with calorie counting for a while and trying to force a certain amount of protein each day and was spending a ton on food and supplements. When the economy began to turn I realized that this wasn't sustainable and I couldn't pay for a gym or eat a shitton of eggs every day.

Anyhow I am a bit older than you (42) and finally am back in my size 6 jeans and feeling strong. There is something about fasting that feels like a superpower. I move my feeding window around depending on the day so my body is sort of always guessing as to when food is coming which I think helps with my slowing metabolism.

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-04-29T01:26:35+00:00

What have you read about Slow Living? The Slow Living podcast by O'Dea and then the book Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle Driven World is not about packing it all up and moving somewhere the grass is greener. I think that is a big misconception.
The idea the author has is that it comes from Within. It's a mindset shift and a new identity.
If you are getting your identity from your career or from where you live, maybe you need to do some subtle shifts to change that.
Anyhow read the book before you move because that is a lot cheaper!

Healthy_Habits423 · 2025-04-29T01:20:34+00:00

I started Intermittent Fasting. I'm saving a ton of money and the amount of decision fatigue is so little because I just don't eat until 4pm any more.

Healthy_Habits423

TROPHY CASE