Your Goal : Fitness or Looks ?

michellekicks

I started out wanting fitness. Now I'm fit. Very fit. But I can still get stronger and faster... so I still want to improve my fitness, but my diet is all about looks. If I wanted to focus ENTIRELY on fitness, I wouldn't eat at a caloric deficit, which I do... to burn off the jelly belly. So it's balancing fitness and looks for me.

EDIT: As a runner, I get faster if I'm lighter too.

lambchristie

The honest answer its both.

Shreddingit84

Its all about looks baby!!
Fitness just follows!

turtleball

I'm here because I want to feel comfortable in my body...that means being able to hike for miles, AND look awesome while I do it.

Why does it matter to you what someone's motivation is? "abusing their fitness skills"? That's a little silly. And condescending.

Exactly~^

I want to look better, and feel better mentally and physically. But I tell ya one thing, when I drop this weight i'm hitting the mall to "abuse my fitness skill"

ndj1979

Looks. Definitely. I could care less about the fitness part of it.
Think of it this way, if you could have a killer body, never have to work out and eat whatever you want, would that NOT be the dream?!
If I could maintain a six pack while eating a diet of only fast food, I would never do another minute of cardio again.

i actually enjoy picking heavy stuff up, so I would keep crushing weights even if I did not need to ….

shafstar

i actually enjoy picking heavy stuff up, so I would keep crushing weights even if I did not need to ….

I've got a house move coming up if you're interested :bigsmile:

ndj1979

i actually enjoy picking heavy stuff up, so I would keep crushing weights even if I did not need to ….

I've got a house move coming up if you're interested :bigsmile:

that might be a little too heavy for me…but I can deadlift your car...

MelanieBreuning

Both!
I love feeling healthier and stronger and at the same time... ya know I'm 18 I wanna look good :P

ShiraDarling

Both, absolutely. Who doesn't want to try to look their best?

Calliope610

Fitness is my goal. It wasn't the fact that I was wearing size 22W stretch pull-on jeans and 2XL shirts and that I didn't turn any heads (at least in a good way) that finally motivated me to try to lose weight. It was the fact that I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes, got winded walking up 3 steps to get to my front door and just felt like a big blob all the time.

My goal is strength, stamina and endurance and if I just happen to look better as I perform better, that's the icing on the cake.

RoyBeck

Looks for me too.

sarahertzberger

For me it's both, I want to be fit, healthy, and strong, but I also want to look great!

madds2

Both! I have always been a "big girl" but I turn 50 this year and see from other peoples experience it's never too late to lose that weight. I want to be able to say "I can do that". I'm a nurse and see too many obese patients with multiple health problems that can't get back to their healthy self. I don't want to be one of those people I see pushing their grocery cart through the store leaning on the handle bar for support because they can hardly walk.

mybelovedrebel

Looks. Definitely. I could care less about the fitness part of it.
Think of it this way, if you could have a killer body, never have to work out and eat whatever you want, would that NOT be the dream?!
If I could maintain a six pack while eating a diet of only fast food, I would never do another minute of cardio again.

I get a lot of stress relief from working out too. I like the team effort that comes with some of my work out classes, a sense of community and belonging where I work out, and even if it didn't change my looks fast food makes me very ill. You might be young enough to where fast food doesn't make you feel awful. If so, enjoy it...that changes as you age!

Sashoi

I wanna look sexy, is that a crime?

mybelovedrebel

Does anyone actually work out solely to be more "generally fit"? I mean, if weight lifting/running/etc. made absolutely no difference in a person's appearance, no one would be in the gym.

Before I learned more about why I had failed before, and managed to succeed now, I was willing to work out and eat right just to lower my A1C level (diabetic blood sugar level.) Being fat but not diabetic (and therefore not guaranteeing to be a burden to my child) as long as I could get fast enough to outrun my kid if he bolted into a parking lot or street was enough for me, honestly. I still can't see the difference in my body 50 pounds later, but the compliments and the clothes I am putting aside for donation this week tell me otherwise.

I do have some very inspiring friends who have lost a lot of weight and look very good, and it has made me want that for myself, but when I started I didn't really think that exercise and nutrition was going to be enough for me. As it turned out I was depressed, allergic to foods I didn't realize were making me sick, underestimating how much exercising I needed to do and I hadn't found exercise I didn't like, which all contributed to a big pile of fail in previous attempts. I finally put it all together, though.

QueenE_

Fitness.

JesterMFP

My goal is health - both physical and mental.

How I look is part of it. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, and aesthetics is part of that; liking what I see in the mirror, being able to fit into clothes I like etc.

That's only one part of it though. I like how being fit makes me feel. I like that I can manage depression with running. I like being able to go up and down stairs at work, sometimes carrying things, and not be out of breath like everyone else around me. I like being asked to carry heavy stuff, or surprising people when I can carry heavy stuff. I like having more energy, and sleeping better. I feel better knowing that I'm doing my best to avoid the diseases I'm genetically predisposed towards getting. My health used to be a big worry to me, and now it's not. I like being able to learn new sports (having been a completely non-sporty person) and the fact that I can realistically plan a trip now that includes climbing a big ****ing mountain.

Topsking2010

No question Fitness!!!


I was good looking even when I was obese!! LOL!!!

Therealobi1

No question Fitness!!!


I was good looking even when I was obese!! LOL!!!

love this answer

for me it was sheer vanity, but i think if you keep at it you will get both.

RunnerElizabeth

I started exercising because I was unhealthy and wanted to set a better example for my young child. I am relatively fit now. I can run 15 miles. I can do several chin ups, still working on pull ups. I can carry my 4 year old for 2 miles before I get grumpy. I still can't touch my toes (not flexible). I eat a decent diet. I've been able to control my asthma without medication due to exercise. I'm pretty strong, in useful ways too, and my cardiovascular health is great too.

I keep exercising because I don't want to lose what I achieved but also because I want to look better. So what? I think at some point, retaining fitness becomes a hard goal to keep so you have to mix things up.

ggxx100

Sheer vanity at first...but that made me approach it the wrong way, personally. I wanted to burn as many calories as possible and just spent my days on the elliptical and treadmill (which I DETEST). When I got into lifting the lightbulb went on and I focused on reaching my fitness goals rather than focusing on the scale. And what do you know, I got the body I wanted in the first place, minus the extra stress and forms of exercise that I despise.

Thorbjornn

Sashoi said:

I wanna look sexy, is that a crime?

Heck no. I think a lot of us want to turn heads and be a cut above the rest.

SimplyDenyse

When first got started I was all about looking good.. I was sick of feeling overweight and frumpy. Once I got a routine going and seeing progress I also started noticing how much better I felt. I go to the doctor so much less than before, things that bothered me dont anymore. I notice when I eat bad right away how it make my body feel. Now its all about being healthy.

2dayirunforme

Definitely both for me!

laddyboy

Health then feeling young.

miss_jessiejane

I just want to be able to kick doors in with no problem. That's really it.

Love4fitnesslove4food2

If you wanted HONEST answers then why would you start with an introduction as loaded as this..."Answer honestly please..... I'm seeing far too many posts focusing on how people want to 'look' and the transporter to it is excercise/diet. It's almost as if they're abusing their fitness skills?"

CantonMan1234

For me it's about being healthy. I went on a bike ride about 18 months ago and it was about 10 miles. I thought I was going to collapse and never move again when I finally got home. But by not giving up it became easier and easier. Then it was 15 miles and occasionally 20 miles. My speed increased and the time it took me to ride those same miles decreased. All the while my waist was shrinking. I will confess that I like being thinner than I was before I started, but the fact that I have more energy, have an easier time breathing and can enjoy a long walk with a friend or by myself are the things I value most. Oh I will admit that I am vain enough to like how I look and I hope to look better, but that is a by product not a goal.

RickNeedzToGetShreaded

To get hench.