I Turned ChatGPT Into My Fitness Coach—Here's What Actually ...
AI is everywhere these days, from work emails to wedding toasts. But could it help you reach your fitness goals? Maybe you’ve used AI to polish a cover letter for a job application. Or to get input on your dating dilemmas. I’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT in different parts of my life, but, until recently, I hadn’t considered its potential for my fitness routine. I was happy with my diet and workout strategy and the results I had achieved. However, when my routine got disrupted by three recent events, I turned to ChatGPT for advice.
How ChatGPT Helped Me During Oral Surgery
This spring, I had to go through two rounds of oral surgery. For two weeks after each procedure, I could only eat soft foods and had to limit my exercise. The first round of surgery, despite my efforts to prioritize protein, I found myself eating way too much Jello and mashed potatoes and feeling sluggish and out-of-sorts from more sugar and less activity than I was used to.
The second round of surgery, I wanted to do better. I asked ChatGPT: “Please create a meal plan with only soft foods suitable for recovering from oral surgery. I want each day to have 1600 calories, 120 grams of protein, and 25 grams of fiber while staying under 1500 milligrams of sodium.” ChatGPT came through with some great suggestions that I hadn’t thought of, like mashed avocado or pureed lentil soup.
Managing Fitness After Marriage
Contrary to what some red pill men claim, I don’t think women decide to eat everything in sight the moment they say, “I do” and the guy is trapped. Marriage does tend to lead to weight gain for both genders, but some data actually shows that men gain more weight than women after marriage.
For me, marriage definitely made my once-simple fitness routine more complicated. As a single woman, it was easy to stay fit. I had optimized my life for my fitness goals. I could work out whenever I wanted, there were never any tempting snack foods in my house, and I could meal prep on the weekend and eat the same simple combinations of lean protein and veggies all week.
Utilizing ChatGPT for Motivational Interviewing
Essentially, it was a guided journaling exercise. By the end of it, I had a list of small changes that soon had me back on track, like prepping some simpler ingredient combinations for my dinners, cutting back on the olive oil I put on my salads, and having my husband handle dinner clean up while I went for a walk.
Finding Alternative Cardio Workouts
I asked ChatGPT: “My gym is closing for a month and I need an alternative to the 12-3-30 treadmill workout. I hate running, and walking on a flat surface doesn’t raise my heart rate enough for Zone 2 cardio. What can I do?” It suggested everything from jump rope intervals to YouTube aerobics videos.
When to Consult a Professional
ChatGPT may not be the best fit for your situation. Research shows that it doesn’t do as well with recommendations for people with specific health conditions like diabetes. If you’re pregnant or nursing, you definitely want to run your nutrition and exercise routine by your physician as well.
There are some situations where I won’t turn to ChatGPT. For example, as I get older, I find myself prioritizing strength training more, to avoid the muscle loss that starts for women in our thirties. I want to age like Halle Berry! As I think about implementing OB-Gyn physician Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s advice about preparing now to age well, I'll probably book a few sessions with a personal trainer to make sure I don’t injure myself if I start lifting more.
