What is your WHY?

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  • pattyjoshockley
    pattyjoshockley Posts: 53 Member
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    Great post. Knowing your "WHY" is a great tool to stay motivated on those days when you just are not feeling it to continue. I have a bunch of post it notes on my desktop that list all the reasons I want to lose the fat and be healthy. I read them frequently. I also have a list of things I have seen as progress like fitting into old clothes and not getting winded walking up a few stairs. I have 74 more lbs to lose and it's starting to come off more slowly. I need the motivation of "WHY" am I logging my food and finding time to exercise etc. My biggest why is that I want to feel good in my body again. I used to be pretty fit. I had a series of stressful events that led to severe depression and a 106 lb weight gain over just a few years. At my highest weight I was feeling ill every day. It was hard to roll over in bed and my feet and knees were hurting all the time. I've lost 32 lbs and feel so much better.

    WHY is my best motivator. I revisit this question just about every day.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Because after being 143 and size 4 before meeting my boyfriend and now being 165 and a size 10, I feel like a big fat whale. I don't like feeling fat. It's uncomfortable. I may be perfectly in my BMI window right now, but I'm not happy.

    BTW, I don't blame him for any of it. I'm the one that stuffed my face.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    My why isn't big enough yet. :\ I really stuggle this time of year. Not because of the holidays, but because I don't work outside much this time of year. It's so hard when your exercise and diet routines can't be consistent all year. At least for me it is. I am working on it, though. And making slow progress.
  • AliciaStinger
    AliciaStinger Posts: 402 Member
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    OP, I'm sorry about your mom. Nice job changing your mindset, defining your why, and doing what you need to do to be there for those you love.

    I am turning 24 next month. I'm "obese" according to the BMI scale, but I don't feel that big. I'm also not especially self-conscious, although it sure was a confidence boost 35 pounds ago (before I had surgery, fell off the wagon in recovery, and gained it all back) when I was able to wear size medium shirts instead of extra large, and there weren't "fat rolls" on my back. My size doesn't bother me and I'm not in immediate mortal danger. I just want to be fit.

    I want to be able to run if I need to get to a loved one in danger, or away from a crazy person. I want to be able to keep up with my younger brother (who is three years younger than I am, but in 2014 alone he ran six 5K races and did a stair climb to benefit a foundation for firefighters). I want to be strong enough to lift boxes the next time I move, which is in less than two years. I want to get some of this weight off my knees, hips, and especially my back. I have enough back problems and pinched nerves; it's something I hope will evaporate with more stretching and less weight. I don't want to get tired out easily, and I want my energy back. I have a lot of reasons that affect me in big ways every day, but still don't add up to the why I need to get my butt in gear the way I know I should.

    But my real why is the effect I've had on others. When I had lost 35 pounds before, my best friend started losing weight, too. When I gained it all back, both of us lost our motivation. A recent ER visit confirmed my fears that my friend's health is much worse than I already knew it was. My friend has lost some weight - actually, about 25 pounds, which is awesome - and I'm really happy; I think if I start losing weight, it'll keep things rolling, and honestly, nothing would make me happier than to see my best friend get healthier.
  • aSaltandBattery
    aSaltandBattery Posts: 82 Member
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    I don't want to be infertile because of PCOS and I'm at the point where having a baby could be a true possibility in the next couple of years. If I want it to happen then I need to work for it.
  • jtarmom
    jtarmom Posts: 228 Member
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    Excellent post. I was thinking about this the other day - my WHY is that I want to be a healthy and active as long as possible. I want to be able to dance at my son's wedding (youngest is 2, so that's a ways off) and I want to be able to run around with my grandkids some day.

    And I'm sick of saying I want to lose weight. I don't ever want to say that again. EVER.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    I see people who are 10 or 15 years older than me really struggle with weight-related issues. I want to lose the extra weight now while I still have the time and energy to do so.
  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
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    palwithme wrote: »
    I see people who are 10 or 15 years older than me really struggle with weight-related issues. I want to lose the extra weight now while I still have the time and energy to do so.
    Good for you. I'm 67 and have been overweight for 25 years. The funny thing is, I'm a thin person stuck in this fat body. It's only when I look in the mirror that I remember what I'm living in. Well that is not totally true; I remember it well when I try to do something that my body won't allow.

    My why is definitely to be healthier. I am Type II diabetic and there are probably 2 or 3 other medications that I can drop once I reach my goal weight. That alone will save money which is not a bad motivator. But the motivation is to be as healthy as I can.

    I have a bad low back which limits the exercise I can do, but I have found some that I can. I am motivated every time I step on the scale and see it has gone down a pound. I have been at 230pounds for years and started on MFP in mid October. I am down 24 pounds and thrilled to death. I know when I reach 175 or 180 I'll be much more mobile and not have the back and leg aches. One doctor told me that my body wasn't built to carry around that much weight.

    One day I was on the internet looking at possible vacation spots. I mentioned a couple to my husband and he said something to the effect of "you can't walk and go do or see anything, so why go on vacation". That really hurt, but being the truth it also hit home.
    My why is I want to be able to enjoy my retirement and not let excess weight stand in the way. I can do this!!
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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    Many more great reasons why you want to change. Just remember, change does not happen without action. You can find your why, you can lay out your plan on how you are going to achieve your goals, but if you do not take action, you will not reach your potential. Already through different social media platforms I have seen numerours people say, " after Christmas, I am going to start exercising and eating right." Or, " After the holidays, it is time to get serious!" Really! After? Why after? Start now! Jump start your body now, then keep going. I used to say after such and such. Not any more. Now it is, what am I doing today, tomorrow, for the week! I have a plan, I have a schedule, and I am sticking to it. I am not waiting for "After". So, I encourage you. If you are starting with, "after the holidays I am going to....." Stop it! Start doing now. If you want it, you gotta take it! Happy Monday everyone!
  • Samenamenewlook
    Samenamenewlook Posts: 296 Member
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    Why?

    Because I've been healthy before. I found myself constantly talking about what I "used to" be able to do. I realized that being proud of who I was then keeps me talking about it. If I get rid of the "I used to" talk, I can start working on the "I will" talk and at some point be back to "I can". I can be proud of who I am again. That's a huge goal so I focus on smaller things to be proud of during my journey. The journey is something to be proud of in itself. Making myself and all of those who believe in me proud is my why.
  • TuffChixRule
    TuffChixRule Posts: 190 Member
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    My "why" started after looking at pics of myself from August 2014 (not that long ago) and seeing an obvious spare tire and very large legs. Noticed I was wearing my brother's cargo shorts that even a year ago were kind of loose on me were now tighter. Also didn't help that my size 0 daughter was standing next to me with a sort of digusted look. I didn't want to be the fat mom anymore! Also my doctor is threatening to put me on cholesterol meds if I don't bring my numbers down. Already on high blood pressure meds which I don't want to be on anymore.
    My family also has a history of diabetes and being overweight is par for the course. I am not going to be another family statistic.
    I started right before Thanksgiving, which is probably the hardest time to try to watch your eating, but I got through it with MFP! Everyone on here is amazing :)
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I have lots of reasons to do it but continuing to do it is psychological effort. This is work, not sudden inspiration. Just plain old work and practice.
  • BobPickle123456789
    BobPickle123456789 Posts: 6
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    Why is your WHAT?
  • Archerychickge
    Archerychickge Posts: 606 Member
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    What a great thread...

    My WHY... Because I finally got tired of looking in the mirror and wanting to cry because I was so ashamed of how I looked. My health was crappy, I felt crappy, and I looked crappy. I finally got to the point where I thought "What do I have to lose by buckling down and just doing it?" So I did.

    It was hard at first but I was lucky in that I started seeing positive results pretty fast. My clothes looked better on me, I slept better at night (no more apnea!! Yea!!!), and the more weight I lost, the better I felt not just physically, but emotionally.

    I am learning to look in the mirror and really like what I see (clothed at least, but I'm getting there!) and can see that I AM worth the effort to look and feel my best. I AM worth being able to hear and take a compliment at face value (And I'm getting ALOT more of them these days!).
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
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    My why is simple, I have no end date. I am sure I would have quit "again" if I had one. Some specific event or end date would have been a finish line that I may have gotten discouraged with if I hadn't hit a certain goal. Incorporating eating better and regular exercise into my life indefinitely makes more sense to me in the long run.
  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
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    40andFindingFitness wrote: »
    My why is simple, I have no end date. I am sure I would have quit "again" if I had one. Some specific event or end date would have been a finish line that I may have gotten discouraged with if I hadn't hit a certain goal. Incorporating eating better and regular exercise into my life indefinitely makes more sense to me in the long run.

    That is a very good point! I am doing this to get healthy and look and feel better, but I know this is a new way of living (eating right and exercising) for me. I do have a goal weight but that is not the end of the journey....only the beginning.
    I must say that it is a little discouraging to read so many posts from people that lost all the needed weight, to only put it right back on. But then it only reinforces that this is a forever journey.
    I know I will probably log my intake forever. That is the only way I can see what is causing a weight change and allow me to do something about it fast.
    We can all do this!
  • JoAnn0209
    JoAnn0209 Posts: 3 Member
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    What an inspirational website! So good to see positive, encouraging words from others to help boost me along. I have been a compulsive over-eater who grazes continuously, and I need to overcome this problem in my life. I remember this problem causing me great emotional stress since I was 6 years old (61 years!). When I was 7, my doctor gave me my first diet plan because I was close to having a stroke. My blood pressure was so high I hemmoraged through the nose. Since then, every day of my life I am either starting or continuing a diet of one kind or another. Some of my diets last an hour, and some last a year. In my early 20's, I binged and purged and was able to keep my weight down. Then one day I stopped purging. Since then I have continuously lost and gained weight, mostly gaining.

    My whys are that I want to get in shape. I want to lower my cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar A1c so I no longer have to take 15 prescription pills a day and one injection a week. I want to lower my weight by 80 pounds so my back, knees, and other parts of my body do not hurt. I want to improve the quality of my life and the length of my years. I want to increase my energy and enjoy the life I have left. I also want to feel good about the quality and quantity of the foods I put in my mouth, and how often I eat. In addition, I want to look better. Further, I want to be able to buy clothes in the regular departments, not "Women's" Departments. I don't want to feel ashamed of myself any longer and I no longer want to self destruct.
  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
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    Who has experienced noticeable energy increases? When did it show up? I know I still have 50 pounds to go, but I have lost 24 pounds and doing better with exercising and I still don't notice any extra energy. :'( I am not about to stop but would like a word of encouragement.
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
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    DamitJanit wrote: »
    40andFindingFitness wrote: »
    My why is simple, I have no end date. I am sure I would have quit "again" if I had one. Some specific event or end date would have been a finish line that I may have gotten discouraged with if I hadn't hit a certain goal. Incorporating eating better and regular exercise into my life indefinitely makes more sense to me in the long run.

    That is a very good point! I am doing this to get healthy and look and feel better, but I know this is a new way of living (eating right and exercising) for me. I do have a goal weight but that is not the end of the journey....only the beginning.
    I must say that it is a little discouraging to read so many posts from people that lost all the needed weight, to only put it right back on. But then it only reinforces that this is a forever journey.
    I know I will probably log my intake forever. That is the only way I can see what is causing a weight change and allow me to do something about it fast.
    We can all do this!

    I was one of those people who lost a lot of weight (not all the way to goal though) only to gain it back. At one point I figured I was supposed to be fat. Yeah, I know. When I stopped giving myself an ultimatum of, "I'll lose xx lbs by xx date," I started to get excited about losing weight. For once in many, many years, I have not been gaining. I've been losing and maintaining, and losing and maintaining since August 2013. I've never kept any significant amount of weight off for that amount of time so I think by changing my why and my process I was able to get it right. I'm still a work in progress but I'm happy that I have not had to start over... again.
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
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    DamitJanit wrote: »
    Who has experienced noticeable energy increases? When did it show up? I know I still have 50 pounds to go, but I have lost 24 pounds and doing better with exercising and I still don't notice any extra energy. :'( I am not about to stop but would like a word of encouragement.

    For me the energy kicked in after about a month of working out at the gym. When I started doing more cardio it went through the roof; however, the spurts come and go.

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