A lot of what I read here doesn't really seem sustainable over a lifetime. Seems to be a lot of extreme stuff here, both on the calorie side and workout side of things. Just an observation from a 60-something who's managed to stay in pretty decent shape since he got into "shape" at 30 when I started running and doing some weights*. Stuff like not drinking sodas and chowing down fast and junk food certainly is sustainable but not so sure about the extreme dietary stuff thrown out here. Sames with the crazy intense workouts everyday for the rest of your lives, not so much. Is this really going to work for decades?
*
So long ago Nautilus circuits were all the rage. It's too bad it didn't last as it was a valid concept, one set for each machine in a series not resting between. Nice combo of weight training (not body building) with some tangible aerobic benefits. Problem was the free weight guys would sit their asses on some of the Nautilus machines for five or six sets waiting forever between them, pretty much killing any circuit routines. Still a pet peeve as now guys sit on machines dinking with their cell phones for several minutes between sets. They waste so much of everyone else's time.
Wonderful post. Particularly the Nautilus circuit! These high-intensity, metcon workouts are all the rage now, but you have to pay $150/month for a CrossFit to avoid the amateur bodybuilders that sit on machines.
Perhaps these different approaches are sustainable and enriching for others, but it would not have facilitated a healthy, enjoyable life for me. Until my arthritis, I enjoyed my runs and gym trips, and just tried to make indulgences worth it.
I would say the diet portion was much easier then than it is in today’s society.
Good luck to all! I hope everyone finds a healthy lifestyle that makes them truly enjoy the process (aka, life) and it will be easy to stick with!