None. I know, rude.

I don't mean to imply that exercise isn't beneficial for weight. It is, but not the way it's sold to us. 

The problem is that the question is a product of diet culture. Calories in, calories out. Formulas. Protocols.

• If I have to make myself move more, then what's the exact thing I should do until the problem goes away?
• What's the absolute best or hardest thing to do, regardless of whether I like it?
• What workout will make it possible not to address why I don't move substantially most days?

You can see where I'm going here. I commend anyone for wanting to move more, but this approach is a band-aid at best. At worst, an ill-fitting suit soon to be discarded. 

Would it surprise you to learn I didn't start an actual workout routine until I'd lost about 45ish pounds (of the 55)?

And even then, it was to improve performance, not lose weight. I wanted to be stronger and have more endurance; that was it.

Unlearning fitness culture allowed me to build the right foundation for movement. I started gently, outside, with only things that felt good. I slowly increased duration and difficulty, always careful not to shove myself around.

I had fun, took deep breaths, and thought my own thoughts.

It's sort of crazy that what I just described is antithetical to every method of fitness sold to us (or the commodification of exercise I refer to as fitness culture) because long after the latest craze has been abandoned, I'm still out here moving every day.

Read on to see how I did it. 

I'm doing a series where I outline how I approach day-to-day life differently now that I am no longer overweight. You'll get a look under the hood, as it were, of healthy weight living.

Like a BEFORE & AFTER–but your life.

While bodies vary in metabolism and calorie needs, the issue with modern obesity is environment. Specifically, our food environments.

Diet culture says make good 'choices' or count or fast or whatever nonsense they can come up with next. You can see where that's gotten us.

Before 1960, the obesity rate was less than 10%. That means the people who think their size is a biological dysfunction would've had no problem with their weight before the rise of highly processed foods.

Therefore, it makes sense to focus on behavior, rather than biology. How we shop, socialize, and self-soothe, among other things.

Navigating the world we live in now.

This is part 5.