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The challenge of finding the time to exercise resonates with me. Before having children I always managed my weight effectively through exercise. But since being a dad I have been around 10% heavier than I would like. I used to think there would come a point where I would find the time to exercise as much as before, but after five years and with two kids I realised that will probably never be the case. For the first time this year I started calorie counting (using Nutracheck), and found I can lose weight in a way that I find manageable. I had always resisted that approach, partly because it seemed unachievable and I thought I couldn't make different food choices, but I have found it is actually very manageable. Sorry this sounds like an infomercial for Nutracheck!
The other thing is understanding your motivations. Do you want to feel more active and fitter, or do you specifically want to lose weight? They aren't necessarily the same thing. The one thing I can say for sure is that whatever your motives, ordering a cargo bike was an excellent choice. Nothing brings me more pleasure than feeling active while spending time with my kids in an environmentally friendly way. Money well spent.
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Tl;dr incoming, but abusing this thread for therapy;
I need some accountability so I'll make a tentative promise to check back here. No idea what weight I am now, will need to see where our scales ended up in the move (that happened over 14 months ago...).
Stopped commuting when I started WFH about 4 years or so ago which lost me 80 - 100 miles a week on the bike. Then I had a kid (great excuse to not have the time to exercise and then comfort eat/drink). Had a minor mid life crisis and bought an MTB, went out once with @Dammit, which was great fun, but would have required too much of a time commitment on days where I couldn't really spare it, so sold that. Then I got myself a "nice" road bike, which started to help for a bit. I was getting out most evenings and at times that didn't overly burden ms_com with solo childcare. I was starting to go further and faster while also fitting into cycling clothes better. Then that bike got nicked, wasn't insured (because I was lazy and was about to sort it when we moved with the new house insurance) so didn't get replaced. As a result I've now done a grand total of fuck all exercise in about 14-16 months, with minimal amounts in the preceding 30. I have a cargo bike on order (due this month, hopefully) that will hopefully get some movement back into my day to day routine with nursery drop offs and grocery shopping. I tried running around the park that is literally next door, but a combination of boredom and self confidence issues meant that didn't go anywhere (literally and figuratively).
Subsequent lockdowns, general pandemic malaise, mental health dips have all contributed to me being in what is probably my worst physical condition. I'm sure I've been heavier, but I was still playing rugby and cycling then so had some semblance of fitness and resilience. I just feel like a mess now. It takes a lot of inner dialogue to just be able to get out and see people/be seen by people. Even recently, I went to go and help Henry with a bit of gardening, something I wouldn't have done just previously. But I decided it was something I wanted to do so offered my time before I could talk myself out of it. It was great, I thoroughly enjoyed the company and it was awesome to do something productive with someone else. I still felt embarrassed and ashamed the whole time. But, it made me want to get out and see people more, and I need to get over/resolve the self confidence issue somehow.
So, I'm 40 in a month and I am thoroughly over being upset by all of this. Things in many other respects are looking up so I feel like I have the cognitive capacity to better deal with it. I'll start with my current weight when I can find my bastard scales and work it out from there. Reducing the beer will be one big thing, not because I feel I have a problem with alcohol per se, I don't find myself looking for the escapism of booze or anything like that, it was just a very easy boredom remover (dark, cold evenings, not able to do much else for either fear of waking mini_com or just not being arsed to). And the snacks, christ the snacks. They snuck in over the holiday period in full force. Again, kind of comfort eating/treat yo'self for not being able to go and see my folks over Xmas. Too many takeaways yada yada yada.
I'll still have a beer and the odd pizza, just not 3 or 4 nights a week.