Ask HN: How do I get fit and healthy as a software engineer?
I want to caution you against obsessing over solving your problems with some great fitness overhaul. Part of your problem is not being able to muster the energy and the willpower to make that kind of change in the first place. Instead - think small. What is the lowest hanging fruit on a habit level that will give you a little more energy and boost your feeling of being in control.<p>To give you an example, I recently gave myself a huge energy boost at hardly any cost by just improving my breathing and sleep. This is what I did. 
1. Started going to bed early enough so no alarm was needed. 
2. Bought air filter for my bedroom (300$). Fixed a bunch of allergy problems and improved my sleep with no added effort on my part. 
3. Noticed I often wake up tired with a dry mouth. Did some research on healthy breathing patters, particularly at night, and found that I was probably mouth breathing. Fixed this problem by taping my lips at night for 10 days in a row (sounds weird, actually no big deal). I now wake up after 7 hours of sleep feeling fully awake.<p>The energy and clarity I gained from these small habits then actually gave me the space to try and build an exercise habit gradually. Because my schedule is such that exercise needs to take place in the morning this is helped by feeling more energised and awake in the morning. I also noticed that because my body is better oxygenated in the morning i have far fewer aches and pains than I used to.<p>The point is that there are some changes in life, like exercise or overhauling your diet, that, while undoubtedly beneficial, require a level of clarity and mental focus to have a chance to be successful. If those prerequisites aren&#x27;t met it just becomes another stick to beat yourself with. Just examine yourself with kindness and see what the easiest way is to give yourself a boost. Good luck!<p>EDIT: typos