Ask HN: What do you struggle with?

Everything worth doing and about half of the things that aren't.

If I had to pick one thing, it'd be my weight. I've lost 150lbs and have been keeping it off for years. People who've never lost a significant amount of weight (north of 50lbs) probably can't understand what it is like to have to fight your body every day of your life. I have to avoid temptation as much as possible, which means keeping only enough food in the house to survive for a week and avoiding social functions, among other things. If I know there's food somewhere nearby, I'll be distracted thinking about it until I either eat it or go somewhere else. I have to meticulously track my caloric intake and keep it under 1600/day average just to maintain, even with 6+ hours of the gym each week. They never tell you that part about losing weight, that the damage to your metabolism is already done and will never function normally again.

Do you have any idea what it is like to be compelled to eat? To be unable to stop yourself? to hate that you can't stop yourself? I'm going to guess not, it's awful. And you know what the worst part of it is? How easy everyone seems to think it is. Oh, you're having trouble with overeating? Here, let me parrot some bullshit clickbait nonsense from the internet.

Exactly the same (minus the family). In my mid-30s and every time a friend settles down I feel a little drawn toward the path of my parents, but without any real compelling reason other than social pressure. It might have to be something I simply do out of boredom rather than desire.

When you're going through hell, keep going!

You can do something, with ideas like starting locally, experimenting with your habits, setting a good example. Do you have time to practice cooking? Try out some meatless/meat-substituting recipes. You don't have to give up meat, it's not a black or white deal but can be any way works for you, with exceptions or specific days. Do you feel you have persuasive writing skills? You could write to local and state stakeholders about environmental sub-issues you feel confident about. There's always a little to do.

Did you know the last U.S. marital rape exemptions were withdrawn in 1993? The world rarely changes radically.

I'd say I struggle with a few things, but I'll pick one. I overcomplicate and overthink things. If I get into something, like a new hobby, I go in to "engineer mode" and think about all the complexities of what I'm trying to do, and end up going nowhere. Or other times, I will purchase a slew of materials I don't initally need because "I'll need them later" and end up getting bored with the hobby before they ever get used. Recently I've been trying to keep things simple and iterate.

On that note, I also struggle with maintaining interest in new hobbies after the first "hump", and go away from it for several months or years. By the time I work up interest in it and get back into it I start from square one essentially. I feel like I've been getting better at it with age, my mind has "slowed down" a bit in a good way and I find focusing on things has become easier.