Reasons for starting the weight loss journey

Iona_EllenRose

Hey,
What's your reason(s) for starting to lose weight?

Bxqtie116

1) To look healthy
2) To feel healthy
3) To be able to buy normal sized clothes
4) To not have any health problems
5) To not be classified as being obese

That's my top 5 answers.

Karen_can_do_this

1. I want to be small but strong
2. I hate feeling so uncomfortable in my own skin
3. I want to stop the body contortions every time I need to wipe myself after going to the loo. Actually, all pelvic area hygiene area attendance is a pain and I'm not getting the area clean enough.
4. I feel so much better and healthier and bouncier when I eat properly.
5. I want to look smokin hot (yes I'm being very vain lol)

pdgoffin

I've always been overweight. Not outrageously so 5lbs above the top of 'normal' so about 15 above the middle of the band.

But since we had kids, various life changes and stresses have meant I went up by a few pounds here and a few more there until in May this year (2016) I was 210lbs (BMI about 32, I think) with bp 180/95 and my doctor asked me to come in for a blood test to check for diabetes, etc.

Well, for whatever reason, I felt like I really could do something now. I don't know what the psychological 'switch' was but I started on my weight loss journey then and by the time I actually had the blood tests 3 weeks later* I was walking an average 12000 steps a day and had lost 9lbs. My bp had fallen to 134/80 in just that short time too. Wonderful thing, walking.

Anyway, the blood tests came back and I'm clear on everything so I consider I've caught myself in time and I am determined to hit my target - to be in and stay in that 'normal' range. I've now lost just over 30lbs and have about 20 more to go.

I'm lucky I don't have to go into work in August because I don't have many clothes that fit right now. I look ridiculous in the ones I was wearing in May and though I can get into the one I intend to wear next month, they are 'snug' so there's a reminder there if I do feel I can take a fews days off the program that I really can't! (I've not felt that way yet.)

Anyway, getting back to the question..

I don't really have A reason. I've never been happy being overweight, we all know it's unhealthy, etc. It's just that, right now, I'm in a mental state to fix it.

*I was not an urgent case and the dept was short staffed because of holidays so I couldn't get an appointment until then.

kommodevaran

I was overweight.

caradack1985

I'm fat and I don't want to be.

And I'm weak and I don't want to be.

Its pretty much that simple!

lc63

To be comfortable in my own skin and not dread social outings etc as I cant find a thing to wear that I feel comfortable in! Also, more energy, general happiness and general health. I really find working out gives me more energy and gives my mood a boost in the right direction. 20 pounds down ideally probably another 20 to go. Im enjoying the journey and feeling great!

Sued0nim

Iona_EllenRose wrote: »

Hey,
What's your reason(s) for starting to lose weight?

Rubbing thighs ...convincing myself that buying that stuff that makes thighs not rub together when I wore a skirt was normal ...not needed for 2 years (tick)

Always completely stunned by the fat old woman who followed me round just to jump in front of me when I passed a reflective surface or someone pointed a camera at me...seriously who was that beatch? I think she died or moved away (tick)

Asthma, anxiety..various health issues ..now mainly gone (tick)

Feeling middle aged and becoming invisible ...no longer ...I strut now (tick)

Wanting to gain back my physical confidence and sense of attractiveness ...positive reinforcement from family, friends and strangers (tick)

After decades of yo-yoing, never wanting to have to start another diet ever again (tick)

Fed up of hating shopping and buying clothes cos they will do (tick)

Craving energy, strength and vitality (tick)

trigden1991

To be the best version of myself.

Morgaen73

I wanted to be able to wipe my butt again.

zyxst

I wanted to wear more than one pair of khaki jeans for the next 40 years.

formylover

Because i would like to keep my clother and not buy larger ones and for my asthma

shadowfax_c11

Because it is part of my overall efforts to continually improve myself. I have made massive positive changes in my life over the past several years and getting control of my weight and relationship with food is the next big challenge.

Machka9

I was struggling cycling up hills ... and I couldn't fit in my cycling jacket anymore!!

LynnBBQ72

My initial reason was pure rage - my cousin posts absolutely every detail of her life on Facebook, but she had weight loss surgery about 3 months ago and never mentioned anything about it. She only told her parents and my mom, because my mom watched her kid while she was in the hospital. My mom told me about it, and I thought... ok, that's her decision. But now my cousin is posting all this stuff about her losing 50 + pounds, needing new clothes, how happy she is, etc. When people ask how she did it, she told them it was all hard work - diet and exercise. NO MENTION OF THE SURGERY! She outright lied about it and I got so angry I decided to prove people could lose weight without surgery. All of her friends are overweight and she lied to them!

Now, only 11 days into the diet / exercise routine, I feel so much better that I don't need the anger to keep me on my goals. I know there will be days that I just want to eat junk and lay around, so I will probably have to revisit the anger at some point. But I won't let it be the only thing that drives me.

iecreamheadaches

I started because I honestly don't like myself. Not just physically (though that was a good part of it), I just felt crappy all around. Depressed, anxious, very overweight. I've lost 30 lbs in the last 7 months, could I do better? yeah. Am I happy with that number? Absolutely. In these 30 lbs I've learned to like myself a little more and I haven't been as depressed (this stint I've been in and out of the last two weeks not included) either. Is it hard? yes. Am I going to give up? No. I might fall off and be a little slow to get back up but I keep pushing. Slow progress, is better than no progress and it's more about loving myself and bettering myself than losing the weight.

SingingSingleTracker

Iona_EllenRose wrote: »

Hey,
What's your reason(s) for starting to lose weight?

That's easy for anyone to answer.

For me...

First reason - I had gotten overweight for a few years in my 40's and wanted to reverse that.
Second reason - my cholesterol numbers had risen and required statins to lower them (l'm off the meds now as losing the weight took care of it).
Third reason - less weight means less of me to carry around (up hills, up the stairs, on the bike).

End result: back to my healthy weight that I was before I got off track for a few years in my 40's.

bbordner

I used to be the skinny kid. So much so that I was often teased about it. Stayed that way for a long time, until my 30's, then it started to slowly creep up. I looked at a picture of myself from about a year after I retired from active duty and was appalled at how heavy I had gotten (guessing around 210~215, didn't have a scale at the time). Lost some weight over 2 years, but didn't get serious about it until three months ago and am almost out of the "overweight" category for most forms of measuring such things.

srecupid

Last summer I went to a concert in Chicago and it was super hot. I had a deep dish pizza designed for 1 person and a beer. On the ride home I felt like crap and asked myself "why am i doing this to myself?" and the next day I started recording everything i ate and lost 80 pounds. I still have days where i do something stupid like walking 2 miles to dairy queen and eat a blizzard and ask myself the same question but, it's much less now

ksz1104

Well... in 2013, I was doing boot camp classes several days a week, sometimes twice a day. I was in the best shape of my life!! In Dec of 2013, I got pregnant but continued to do bootcamp through May. Had a quick delivery (I think the exercise helped). I have not done one lick of exercise since my last bootcamp session. I have gained 25 lbs.. I weigh more than I did when I started bootcamp! And, to top it all off, I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I had gestational diabetes but I never thought I'd be one that ended up developing type 2. So, to be very blunt, I need to get my fat *kitten* in shape so I can hopefully get off this medication.

ksz1104

srecupid wrote: »

Last summer I went to a concert in Chicago and it was super hot. I had a deep dish pizza designed for 1 person and a beer. On the ride home I felt like crap and asked myself "why am i doing this to myself?" and the next day I started recording everything i ate and lost 80 pounds. I still have days where i do something stupid like walking 2 miles to dairy queen and eat a blizzard and ask myself the same question but, it's much less now

Well at least you walk two miles!

ksz1104

iecreamheadaches wrote: »

I started because I honestly don't like myself. Not just physically (though that was a good part of it), I just felt crappy all around. Depressed, anxious, very overweight. I've lost 30 lbs in the last 7 months, could I do better? yeah. Am I happy with that number? Absolutely. In these 30 lbs I've learned to like myself a little more and I haven't been as depressed (this stint I've been in and out of the last two weeks not included) either. Is it hard? yes. Am I going to give up? No. I might fall off and be a little slow to get back up but I keep pushing. Slow progress, is better than no progress and it's more about loving myself and bettering myself than losing the weight.

30 lbs is great progress!!

kristysaurus

After recovering from an eating disorder (anorexia) I gained a lot of weight and sort of flew on the other side of things (binge eating) and didn't really learn how to eat properly in recovery (just more, really). That plus going to university led me to a 160lb weight gain from my lowest weight. I tired every gimmick and fad diet in an attempt to lose weight. I was miserable, didn't want to do anything, hated my appearance, would avoid things that would put me in front of others or would potentially lead to judgement about my appearance. I knew my well-being was suffering from years of yo-yoing and an unhealthy relationship with food

Joined a program at a a fantastic local gym and here I am 9 mos later and even though my weight loss is slow and steady I'm able to focus on other fitness goals and not get caught up in what the scale says.

Karen_can_do_this

LynnBBQ72 wrote: »

My initial reason was pure rage - my cousin posts absolutely every detail of her life on Facebook, but she had weight loss surgery about 3 months ago and never mentioned anything about it. She only told her parents and my mom, because my mom watched her kid while she was in the hospital. My mom told me about it, and I thought... ok, that's her decision. But now my cousin is posting all this stuff about her losing 50 + pounds, needing new clothes, how happy she is, etc. When people ask how she did it, she told them it was all hard work - diet and exercise. NO MENTION OF THE SURGERY! She outright lied about it and I got so angry I decided to prove people could lose weight without surgery. All of her friends are overweight and she lied to them!

Now, only 11 days into the diet / exercise routine, I feel so much better that I don't need the anger to keep me on my goals. I know there will be days that I just want to eat junk and lay around, so I will probably have to revisit the anger at some point. But I won't let it be the only thing that drives me.

My (no longer) friend did that. Except she has used her so called success to sell certain wraps that really don't work.

kprimaverab

1. To prove to myself that I can do it
2. Avoid health issues in the future
3. To start my 20s off healthy and happy
4. To be a role model for my future children and my younger sister
5. To be the best I can be for my lover

IpakDaley

I hated the way I felt and looked at my heaviest. I refused to buy larger clothes again. My dad and oldest brother have had heart attacks. I wanted to improve my chances of avoiding that. It has been worth every bit of work to get back down to where I want to be.

rainbowtiedye

My husband wanted to join the National Guard, but was over the weight limit. So, we worked as a team and 3.5 months he lost over 40 pounds, passed his medical exam, was sworn into the Guard, and he leaves for Basic Training in October. We both worked to change our lifestyle to incorporate exercise, portion control, and living healthy. I'm so proud that he decided he wanted to join the National Guard, and didn't let anything get in his way. It was intense motivation for him, and his motivation motivated me.

joans1976

My dad. I take after him genetically in so many ways (more so than my mother) and definitely in where we hold our weight, body shape and eating habits. He had a big liver cancer scare in November 2015. It turned out to be fatty liver disease due to his obesity. Also, clogged arteries, pre-diabetic, joint pain and chronic back pain that he is on a slew of medications for. My dad is an amazing, loving, supportive father. I don't want to lose him earlier than I should because of his eating habits.
I have chronic back pain and want to someday have none. I want to be healthy inside and out. I became obese at the same stage of life my dad did, I'm just trying to prevent what I have control over.

Good luck everyone with your journeys!

malibu927

To avoid the health issues my parents have dealt with since their early 40s (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc...I'll be 35 next month and want to stick around!)

EternalSnow627

1. To be healthier
2. To not be obese anymore (as I am now)
3. Have better confidence
4. Not afraid of camera (hate looking at myself for how I am)
5. Able to buy cute clothes that I like and not just pick whatever fits.

PKM0515

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

Iona_EllenRose wrote: »

Hey,
What's your reason(s) for starting to lose weight?

That's easy for anyone to answer.

For me...

First reason - I had gotten overweight for a few years in my 40's and wanted to reverse that.
Second reason - my cholesterol numbers had risen and required statins to lower them (l'm off the meds now as losing the weight took care of it).
Third reason - less weight means less of me to carry around (up hills, up the stairs, on the bike).

End result: back to my healthy weight that I was before I got off track for a few years in my 40's.

You look fantastic and very healthy! (I think you just became my role model.)