1. Quality of sleep. I’ve been sleeping much better since I’ve been getting fit. Very nice side benefit.

2. I’ve become much less clumsy. Apparently using your body more makes your brain more aware of it.

3. Honestly? Sex gets a lot easier. Less like a chore and more like a fun exercise.

4. How much it takes to get me tired now. I used to feel sluggish midway through work. Now I’m more energized.

5. Easily finding clothes that fit, and also actually feeling comfortable in your body. And I mean physically comfortable, not just mentally.

While I was out of shape, no matter what position I was in I always felt uncomfortable like something wasn’t right. I’d shift positions and still feel the same. Not anymore.

6. The sex is so much better. My dick seems bigger. And I like feeling myself in the shower and stuff.

7. Honestly, the biggest advantage for me was how I can fit almost anywhere without touching anyone. For an introvert, this is a godsend.

8. It’s so much easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape, after a while your day doesn’t feel complete unless you worked out. Eventually you start looking forward to it rather than dread it.

9. Food starts to taste better. I don’t know if your taste buds change, or what, but once you ween off crap food (high in sugar, high in fat, high in salt, high in things you can’t pronounce) things like steamed veggies start to taste freaking amazing, the subtle flavors really begin to shine.

10. General mobility is so much better to climb ladders, bend over, wash your body in the shower.

11. Social life, dating, hunger, happiness, good skin, fuck everything gets better. Machines are made for working.

12. MENTAL HEALTH. I don’t claim to be in peak physical condition but even taking the steps to get fitter completely uplifts my mood and mental health. If I haven’t been to the gym in a week everyone knows about it!

13. Shaving my legs is easier. My belly doesn’t get in the way and my legs have far less fat!

14. My posture is way better. Used to have very weak back muscles, and standing with proper posture was exhausting so I didn’t. Now it’s the default. Also, standing properly just by itself makes you look much trimmer, so that’s a big plus.

15. You’re more motivated to do things that require energy. Tasks as stupid and simple as getting out of your chair to plug something in that would previously make you grunt and complain suddenly become an “activity” that you view as beneficial because it’s movement and movement now = good.

At least, for me. Things like walking the dog around the block suddenly became “an opportunity to move” rather than “a chore”.

16. My ass looks great.

17. Getting out of bed in the mornings feels so much easier.

18. Amazing how just about everything you do is easier. And you didn’t even know. But now, the door opens easier. Bam. Seatbelt? Yeah, comes straight across and clicks in with zero effort. Bam. Getting dressed in the morning and no sitting down to put the pants on. Bam. The 20 min walk to the office when its 90 degrees out? Not a single drop of sweat. Bam. It’s all just easier.

19. Being able to walk a lot more without my legs chafing.

20. People listen to you when you speak. I didn’t notice this while overweight but after losing the pounds it was obvious.

21. I can go longer without getting hungry.

22. Can fit between parked cars.

23. The biggest benefit is the energy you have. If you have energy you don’t need naps, you can get up earlier in the day and accomplish more. It also comes with an increased sense of well-being and self worth.

24. Cuts on my body heal twice as fast when I’m running 30-40 miles per week. I can also remove the lid off of a jar of spaghetti sauce, no problem.

25. I stopped snoring/ having to use my CPAP. Wonderful and totally unexpected.

26. Honestly just enjoying looking at yourself. I’ve developed a bad habit of checking myself out now every time I go past a mirror because I’m still not used to the fact that this is me now.

27. Spending significantly less time deciding on what to wear. Everything fits. Everything looks good.

28. Most surprising thing was the space between the steering wheel and myself got a lot bigger. Didn’t think of that until I was driving to work today.

29. Insane horniness and rock hard erections. I’m still quite overweight but exercising every day turns me into a fuck machine. It’s addictive.

30. Fewer to no back problems. Im a 22 year old IT student so I mostly sit. My back started hurting so much at the and of the day that I started to see a doctor. Once I started working out, all the back pains disappeared immediately. The second I notice my back hurting again I know I’ve been slacking and go to the gym.

31. Severe anxiety = Gone. I know when I start getting stressed or worrying about things I have no control over, a good 2-3 mile run and hitting some weights curbs the negative feelings. May not be the case for everyone, but it has majorly helped me.

32. Your knees don’t hurt when walking up stairs.

33. Not wheezing when you eat. Or tie your shoes.

34. I have less (see: NO) acid reflux and fewer heart problems.

35. You get more enjoyment out of blowjobs when you can see your penis.

36. Water becomes delicious.

37. I poop so much less. Less often, less volume. Because I eat less. Duh, right? Turns out when you’re consuming 1600 instead of 3500 calories a day, you poop less. I don’t know why this surprised me, but it did.

38. I can see the dimples in my face again when I smile.

39. I am a lot more aware of what certain foods do to my body; I can tell when a high sodium meal elevates my heart rate.

40. Blood pressure improved dramatically.

41. I look great, I feel great and I get sooooo many comments in public.

42. Putting on socks and shoes. My gut doesn’t get in the way anymore.

43. The air conditioning is brutal. I always have to wear a jacket now. I’m scared of what’s to come in the winter months.

44. I can do my job better (IT field tech, so there’s a lot of squatting and having to be on the floor).

45. I have so much more energy, I almost never feel lethargic. The only times I feel lethargic are when I stray away from my diet and eat a bunch of shit food.

46. My shyness and social anxiety, especially around people of the opposite sex, reduced a lot as the improved posture adds to self confidence.

47. I’m still working on getting in shape, but the fact that I can finally dance to songs that I like the way I want to is pretty cool. I almost forgot I could dance because I’ve been out of it so long.

48. The amount people seem to care about you grows immensely, which is pretty disappointing.

49. If I’m walking to my car that’s 10 minutes away and it starts raining, I just jog my butt there like it’s no big deal.

50. Confidence. Calmness. Balance. Self-worth. Self-respect.

To paraphrase Henry Rollins, no one can lift that weight for you.

Whatever life throws at you, whatever happens, you and only you earned being in shape. You can’t buy it. You can’t get it given to you. The only way to obtain it is through putting in the work. That alone does wonders for your mental health. Add to that the benefit of stress relief with all the endorphins that are released and your outlook will change.