what is your (next) goal?
Are you looking to lose weight to look good for your wedding in 6 weeks? Are you looking to flaunt 6-pack abs at the beach? Are you wanting to lose weight to improve your health? To keep your diabetes under control? To ensure obesity or high blood pressure is not something you need to see the doctor about but take control?
Determining your (next) goal is vital to pick the method. If you want to lose weight for your wedding, then listening to me talk about sustainable eating and sensible training is NOT the game to play. But if you are keen on long-term health, on learning (and continuing to master) a skill, then we are on the same wavelength and can continue interacting.
unable to walk up flights of stairs or tie your laces
The realisation that you need to do something about your health and fitness comes about. The murmur of it has been going around at the back of your head for a while. You've ignored it until you hit rock bottom.
Rock bottom varies for each of us. For someone who played sport all the time in school, being unable to walk up a few flights of stairs might be the realisation they need. For someone who did yoga, being unable to tie their shoelaces might be a sucky feeling.
Hitting rock bottom is not that bad a thing. Because now you will take action.
choices
The urge to fix things immediately, to fix them right now can cause you to make poor decisions. But that drive is also the fuel you need for escape velocity - to make a running start. That's why most things will work if you are starting off. As Coach Dan John says, most things work for 6 weeks. You can use that to your advantage - do it for at least 6 weeks. And during this time, figure out your next step.
It is tempting to figure out 10 next steps but don't. Figure out the next best step. , all us will come to the realisation that long-term health and General Physical Preparation is a great path to go towards. But until then, what do you do?
Make a choice.
bad choices vs not so bad choices
Elimination diets, fad diets, drastic amounts of lifting or running - all of them do sound like bad choices. As long as you are not going to do long-term physical harm to yourself, don't overthink it.
Unfortunately, we do not know if they are bad choices or not. Even if you hire a coach, unless you buy in and align on the way forward, it will not lead to progress. A good choice can still be a bad choice - because it is not the right one for you at this moment.
But there are terrible choices and you need to avoid them. If you won't ask your mom to do it, don't do it. Let's start there, by eliminating the most stupid ones.
A lot of issues occur because we listen to people playing different games than us.
you will evolve
Some people, and I have encountered many students, start off a lot more enlightened and smarter than I did. They join us, clear about the long-term. They train, learn skills, and don't hurt themselves.
But most folks are similar - results now, and by any means necessary. Stay off sugar, lift weights in the morning and go running in the evening, and all that kinda stuff. It is okay. As long as you are moving in the right direction (and you need to figure that out), you will be fine.
Give yourself time to evolve. Do what you feel is apt for you today. Because you said no to something today does not mean it is not right for you tomorrow.
Today, you and your goals and intentions are different. Do what works for today.
Tomorrow, as you evolve, ideas that did not make sense will sound different. Sound right.
Give yourself time to evolve. Give yourself space and freedom to evolve. Don't tell yourself "You are this way" and contain/constrict yourself.
What is the game you are playing today?