What got you motivated?

tempuress_82

Im 5' 2" and when the dr scale hit 184 lb i almost ran outta that room bawling ( it was the exact weight at full term prenancy with my 1st in 2003 and here i had to see that number AGAIN in 2015) ...because almost 200 on a short girl looks even MORE worse then it sounds! Idk how..( maybe my physically demanding job) but i did shed 10 lbs by december 2015! ...now i JUST started my cardio and 4-8 mile walks only 10 days ago ...i allow myself soda capp or frapp every 3 days ( only choice of one or the other ever all) aside from that its water water and more water!!!! ...i honestly have NO idea what i weigh right now but i will say one thing...im fitting into jeans i havent been able to wear since 2008 ! My shirts are dangling off of me as if i dont know how to shop for myself...and my confidence and energy level is through the roof!!!

bwogilvie

kt_kat_88 wrote: »

So what helped you get motivated to finally make a change to a healthier you?

What helped motivate me to become healthier was realizing in summer 2008, at my father's memorial gathering, that I hadn't exercised regularly in over a decade and had gained around 75 pounds during that time. I got a new bike and started cycling regularly, working up to 125-mile day rides.

Unlike my experience with running in the 1990s, though, all that exercise didn't produce much weight loss. I got serious about that in fall 2012, after developing lower back pain and borderline high blood pressure. Physical therapy helped with the pain, but not the blood pressure, and I was also getting tired of feeling squished into airplane seats and having to deal with my gut when lounging on the sofa. So I started to get serious about eating less. I discovered MFP when leafing through Consumer Reports at my sister's house after New Year's Day 2013, and decided to download the app, create an account, and give it a try. 65 pounds later, I'm still here, and maintaining for the last 17 months.

kgirlhart

I don't know what really got me motivated. My husband and I went on a cruise last summer for our 25th anniversary and I wanted to lose weight for that but I never did. Then one day about a month after the cruise I just decided I was tired of being fat and tired all the time. I was tired of weighing more than my husband who is 7 inches taller than me and a man. And I decided to start logging my food in mfp. I also started walking my son's dog (he had just gone off to college) and I think having the empty nest has helped me some too. I think that the weight loss has kind of been my new project since I'm not involved in all the parent activities I was doing before. I guess in a way I just finally decided that it was time to start focusing on me.

Anabug81

This may sound superficial but I was tired of wearing large sized clothes. On a recent shopping trip with my mother I tried a gorgeous dress but three different sizes didn't fit, after that I got so angry I almost cried. Then I realized the only person I could be angry at was myself. From that day on I have logged my food and exercised almost daily. I have picture of be 12 years ago hanging on my refrigerator as motivation.

brb_2013

I don't have huge motivation, but rather a desire for a semi normal life. To be able to shop at any old store I want, have a closet full of clothes I know fit my body properly (basically I want a real adult wardrobe). I don't want to be uncomfortable on air planes or for traveling by car. I want to be able to have people comment on my appearance and not have it kill me inside.

Just basically to be normal. I'm having to use pounds lost as a guide but really it's just normality that I desire,not even perfect health or whatever. I don't need to over analyze every nutrient or train for marathons or have perfect macros.

saramickeydee

brb_2013 wrote: »

I don't have huge motivation, but rather a desire for a semi normal life. To be able to shop at any old store I want, have a closet full of clothes I know fit my body properly (basically I want a real adult wardrobe). I don't want to be uncomfortable on air planes or for traveling by car. I want to be able to have people comment on my appearance and not have it kill me inside.

Just basically to be normal. I'm having to use pounds lost as a guide but really it's just normality that I desire,not even perfect health or whatever. I don't need to over analyze every nutrient or train for marathons or have perfect macros.

I think I know what you mean. That desire for normality actually messes me up sometimes because tracking calories is not technically normal. Eating at a calorie deficit is not normal. The phrase "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" cracks me up because there is no way I am willing to count every morsel of food, or eat below maintenance for the rest of my life.* BUT. But but but - this is the road to normal. And on the way I am adding some habits that WILL stay with me for the rest of my life, Lord willing and the Creek don't rise.

*Other people feel differently about that obviously.

kt_kat_88

I posted this topic almost a year ago and I am happy to announce I have finally found my motivation and have been addicted to working out at the gym for about 3 months now. Still working out the kinks on the healthy eating but I am getting there.

What got me on track was in November, my doctor informed me that my liver numbers were extremely high. It could possibly be a fatty liver so I got told the normal diet and exercise. First thing I did was call a lady at church that I had become really close to and asked for her help as she was a personal trainer. She held me accountable to come to the gym at least twice a week and pushed me to give it my all. I am now going to the gym 3-4 times a week and am able to stay motivated even when she is not around. I never imagined I would become a gym rat but here I am.

quiksylver296

Kind of a weird one, but...

My son wanted to take boxing. It was three nights a week for 1.5 hours. I quickly learned that watching boxing practice is one of the most boring things ever. So, I started going to the gym during his practices. I wanted to lift weights and stumbled onto Stronglifts 5X5. Seeing the progress was the real incentive to keep it up. I'm over two years in, and doing my first powerlifting competition in less than two weeks.

GailLee4

My cousin has a photo of my three old aunts standing in front of a hanging quilt. She said she planned to take a photo of herself, her sister, and me in front of the quilt, and she wasn't going to be the fat one in the photo. We all began dieting for the photo to be taken almost a year later. We all took the challenge to heart.

kali31337

I'm recently out of a long-term relationship and have been using alcohol and food to make myself feel better (it wasn't a terrible breakup...just sad) and I woke up on New Year's day next to someone that I didn't know feeling like I was going to die. I decided that January 1st was the worst I was going to feel all year and I needed to work on myself before I could be in good, working order for someone else. I then made a 100 day goal and decided to start setting time goals instead of weight goals. Plus I'm turning 30 this year and I want to wear a bikini in November!

WenWheel

I quit smoking about 2 years ago and my weight skyrocketed. My motivator is that I don't want to go out in public anymore. I work from home so it's not that difficult. I'm fine getting in the car to pick up kids at school. It's when I have get out of the car that the shame and anxiety hit. I get invited to do things and won't go. I also just feel so terrible all the time and I ran out of blood pressure meds and can't bring myself to call the doctor's office because I haven't been there in awhile so they will require that I go in. It's silly and ridiculous but I don't want to hear that I need to lose weight. I know that. I know what I am doing is dangerous but I still do it. It is not rational. So, in order to go to the doctor, I have to drop some weight. I can't even believe I'm admitting this.

pamfgil

You appear to be thinking something will magically happen, also you appear to be setting the bar too high. If you want to try with low motivation change one thing, e.g. One meal at home instead of takeaway, or get a step counter and focus on increasing steps by something every week. Tell yourself you can't make any other changes for a month. Add another change after a month and see how you go

FreyasRebirth

This Ted Talk. Seriously. http://www.ted.com/talks/noel_bairey_merz_the_single_biggest_health_threat_women_face?language=en

ashcky

The realization that my son is special needs, quite possibly on the Autism spectrum (we're in the process of getting evaluation done). This made me realize that both my kids really need a healthy mom to advocate for them and keep up with them. Also I was having issues with my stomach that made eating anything miserable.

cgvet37

I have spinal arthritis do to my time in the service. I went from being very active, to being in constant pain. I also suffered a heat stroke in 2015. I started back in the gym after being put on non-narcotic pain meds. I won a free session with a personal trainer, and signed up. They helped me dial in my nutrition, and helped me regain my motivation. I saw I could once again train hard, without being in pain. I have lost 35 lbs, and now working on the last little bit. I was also able to stop taking blood pressure meds, and rarely have to take pain meds for my back.