DRIVE

minerdesigner59

What drives you to lose pounds? What keeps you maintaining that loss? Any ideas on how to keep that drive to stay at your goal?

AnnPT77

Choose relatively easy tactics that minimize the need for drive: That's what works for me.

Losing weight may be a project with an end date, though it'll be a long project for any of us with a meaningful total amount to lose. (I lost 50ish pounds; took the better part of a year.)

But next comes staying at a healthy weight. That's a forever endeavor. I can't sustain drive forever. (I've been maintaining in a healthy range for 7+ years now, after around 30 year previously of overweight/obesity.)

So: Eating routines that are ideally pleasant, but at minimum tolerable and practical; fun ways of being active. That's what helps me.

What those look like would vary individually, I think: No universal best formula.

pony4us

I agree, no drive just pick an easy lifestyle. I picked a goal weight based on maintenance calories. Took a slow route to lose 30-35 pounds, the last 3-5 we were snowbirding for two months so I "test drove" maintenance for that time, no scale, just eyeballing food and logging and by the time we got home I was magically at goal, so no transition to maitenance. At my age (75) and height my maintenance calories are only around 1400. I 'm only six months into maintaining but this was a weight I maintained for decades and was overweight for a shorter period of time.
I weigh myself, log food and watch my portions, wine, desserts etc. without obssessing. If I see creep up I start to be more careful with portions, going back to weighing food but so far so good.
I think the biggest thing is to weigh yourself somewhat regularly to see if you start to trend up and continue to see how your clothes fit.
If you need drive maybe change the drive to some fitness goals, again something you enjoy and look forward to.

cmriverside

I think you have to find that within yourself.

Self care comes to mind. Nothing good comes from being over-weight. Nothing.

I have found so many benefits, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually to being at a healthy weight. Weight is a burden in every sense of the word. For me it brought fear of health problems that would have been self-inflicted, lack of energy, pain both physical and psychic, embarrassment, worry. I was never happy when I looked in a mirror. I knew it was wrong and bad for me. I've had so many personal profound insights from weight loss.

What are the benefits of being over weight? Being able to be gluttonous at a picnic? Eating five peoples' shares of the limited resources of the planet? ...

Self care. Self love.

It's SO worth the temporary adjustment and learning new things.

ninerbuff

Self love and not wanting to deal with health issues that some of my relatives experienced. It sometimes boggles my mind when I hear all the meds they are on, how their joints hurt, how they can't participate in physical activities, and just how frail some of them are. I workout everyday within what I can do that's just challenging enough to keep me fit. A lot of it is still on par on what I did in my 30's.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

herringboxes

Motivations:

Age better - I’m afraid of aging like many people I’ve seen who just kind of give up using their bodies. I see people buying chairs that stand them up, who can’t walk even short distances, can’t enjoy activities, who are in pain. Of course we can’t all avoid that kind of thing but most of us can improve it, I think.

Reduce dementia risk - I could include that above, but I feel it merits its own point. Reducing insulin resistance and increasing blood flow reduces dementia risk. I am quite motivated to do what I can there, let me tell you.

Enjoy life more now - it’s easier and more fun right now to hike, go to museums, go to the mall, dance, walk the dog, travel, and so much more if I’m fit.

Endorphins are a hellavua drug - and I get a nice hit when I work out.

rosiekin

My initial drive was deteriorating health, mainly dangerously high cholesterol, coupled with the fact that being obese was having a negative affect on my mental health. I’d been overweight most of my adult life, and had successfully lost considerable amounts of weight on numerous occasions, but I had never been able to maintain my weight, and usually piled it back on very quickly, and always with an additional few pounds as well.
In 2014, I lost 5 stones in 10 months, and over the following 6 months or so, while reverse dieting to try and find my maintenance calories, I lost a further stone to stone and a half. I maintained that weight loss until 2020, when during lockdown I started walking, and since then I’ve Iost roughly a further stone.
My drive to maintain my weight, is purely down to the fact that my life is so much better than it was when I was about 8 stones heavier than I am now. Losing weight isn’t a magic cure to all of life’s challenges, and my life is far from perfect, but I every day I am thankful that I am no longer overweight, and I appreciate the health benefits that come with that.

xbowhunter

The only way I can maintain is to not drink alcohol on a regular basis.

When I drink, I over-eat, and the excess drinking calories don't help either.

I am a much better version of myself when I don't drink.

It wasn't easy to kick the daily habit, but I am so glad I did...

Corina1143

Maintaining for years on the way down has been easy for me. Losing is another story. I lose 30 or 40 pounds, lose steam, maintain a whiiiiiile. Rinse, repeat. I'm so close. I hope I can hold on just about 13 more pounds.