Who are you really doing this for?

jessicaOVO

Have any of you started your weight loss journey thinking you were doing this for yourself but you're actually doing it for others? How it affect your journey and did you ever make a mental switch?

Machka9

I was doing this for myself when I started and I continue to do this for myself.

Others don't come into it.

Cycling, however does. I've done this and continue to do this for my cycling.

ladyreva78

All of my previous attempts were for someone else (doctors, parents, friends, significant others...). And they all failed. I have a history of failure to look back on almost as long as I am old. (I was put on my first diet when I was 12...)

I didn't find success until I realized that I am the only person worth doing this for. I am, after all, the person who has to live with the consequences of my actions (both good and bad). No one else can walk that path for me. It was a bit of a bitter realization but also extremely freeing. I am responsibly for the situation so I will damned well get myself out of it.

As harsh as it sounds, I don't want to end up like my mother (obese and blaming my health problems on everything except my weight... and I eat right, so I should be losing weight... right? So my metabolism must be shot...). That future is just too grim for me to contemplate.

iris2811

I think if you are not doing it for yourself you will very soon lose motivation. Other may help or hinder but if you OWN it it makes you accountable only to yourself for both the wins and the stumbles along the way.

amusedmonkey

I'm doing this purely for me. Not even in the back of my mind does anyone else even remotely enter into the equation. Before I got diagnosed with prediabetes I was totally content with my weight and I wouldn't have considered dieting otherwise.

Lounmoun

I needed and deserved a better quality of life. I like how I feel and how much more I can do after losing some weight. That is motivating.

JustMissTracy

Everything I do fitness and nutrition wise is for me. The benefits also spread out to my family, friends and every person I meet, but it's for ME.

mskimee

I'm doing this for me, but I think also for my family. I don't want to be the "Fat Mum" at the school gates and I want to show my child how to eat well, exercise and be healthy in a world that seems to give kids the impression that if it's not covered in sugar or fried it's not worth eating!

neldabg

amusedmonkey wrote: »

I'm doing this purely for me. Not even in the back of my mind does anyone else even remotely enter into the equation. Before I got diagnosed with prediabetes I was totally content with my weight and I wouldn't have considered dieting otherwise.

SAME. I started out thinking and doing this for myself, and I STILL do this for myself. I don't think it's bad that people have others for motivation (for kids, husband, wife, etc), but I also think it's important to actually want to do it for yourself. It's not uncommon to see people struggle and fail with a profile that states loved ones as the top reason they want to get healthy. Until they decide that they truly want success, excuses be *kitten*, it won't happen.

billglitch

for me....family members say that i have lost enough, but i know better

MsAmandaNJ

I do it for myself. Although I'm thrilled that some of it has rubbed off onto the hubs, he's learning.

KANGOOJUMPS

nope, just me, I am the only one that matters.

lemurcat12

Only me. OP, are you concerned about your motivation?

TrynaGetHealthy2017

I was doing it for myself until I had my daughter!!! She needs a healthy mom to be around for a very long time, and I will not deprive her of that as long as I can:):) It affected me in the sense to keep pushing and never give up!!! Mentally still working on that part lol

nowine4me

In this instance, be selfish. It really is all about you.

nancybuss

I started for my kids. My 'good' cholesterol was Bad and I realized that I chose to have them later in life, I better do my best to be here as long as I can for them. And I started to change. No I have that cholesterol rockin' it really is much more for me... how I look and feel in outfits, etc. Even though i've struggled in the last year with some medical items, I keep moving! No matter that the scale and center are not exactly where I'd love them to be.

YOU are worth it!

Tacklewasher

Me.

My wife is thrilled that I'm losing weight, and that helps, but in the end I'm doing it for me.

CafeRacer808

I'm doing it for three people: Me, Myself and I.

Hiker_Rob

I'm sure lots of people do start that way but I would suspect they don't do it long if thats the case. The only reason to do it is for yourself because ultimately it's you who has to do the work and you wont do it long if you dont care.

cabwj

Absolutely 100% for me. However, it wouldn't hurt if an ex or someone saw me and thought "day-umm, I should have held onto that!"

KyleGrace8

You have to want it for yourself. I think that's why I yo yoed in the past... This time it's all for me!

Christine_72

It's a mix of doing this for me and my husband. He got sick of me always covering my belly or dimming the lights when i was niggedy. Even though he could care less about any extra podge, i just felt uncomfortable in the nud.

The kicker is that by trying to cover up certain parts all the time, it just drew his attention to them, whereas he wouldn't have even noticed otherwise.

crzycatlady1

nowine4me wrote: »

In this instance, be selfish. It really is all about you.

This. I've done this whole thing because the alternative was type 2 diabetes, and I didn't want to have to deal with that for the rest of my life. There's nice side effects of reaching my weight/health goals, but at the end of the day it's about my health and my long term well being

Adc7225

While I always knew at some point I would lose weight I can say that what started me was when my friend who was going to the gym started to look really good. I wanted to look better for him and that got me started. Moral of that story, I lost weight, got dropped because he felt I was getting too small and he stopped going to the gym and gained weight and I still go and manage my eating . . . we are cordial

Gamerchick00

I'm doing it because I'm now in my forties and feel like I've limited myself so much in participating in life outside of the household because I'm so embarrassed to be seen in public. I want to allow myself to go out and live more, and if I'm being honest, I simply won't cross that line now as much as when I'm healthier and more 'normal' looking body wise. I've tried, and I end up backing out of so many things because of body shame.

cheryldumais

Honestly it started out more for my kids than for me. I am 60 and didn't want to be old and sick and a burden to them. Now it is also for me because I feel so much better.

cwolfman13

jessicaOVO wrote: »

Have any of you started your weight loss journey thinking you were doing this for yourself but you're actually doing it for others? How it affect your journey and did you ever make a mental switch?

I was never on a weight loss journey...I'm on a health and wellness journey (I hate that term) that I just call "good livin"...losing some weight was a nice product of good livin', but only one tiny piece of the overall puzzle.

I started out with a bunch of bad blood work and my doctor telling me that at the rate I was going I would likely be very sick, if not dead by 60...I have a wife and at the time, a 2. y.o. and an infant...that was really an unacceptable outcome.

I do this whole good livin' thing for myself as well as my family so that I can be there for them for a long time to come.

kgirlhart

I am only doing it for me. My husband would probably prefer if I was about 20 pounds heavier than I am now. But I am not doing this for him and he is glad I am healthy now. I think he just kind of likes curvy.