What is your WHY?

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  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    my superficial why is I don't want to be a fat bride.
    other whys include: I want to be the good looking wench at the renfaires. I want to not be asked if I'm pregnant. I want to not always be out of breath. I want to hurt less and less weight will help that. I want to shop in Juniors cause they have all the best clothes.

    mostly: I just don't feel like this is really who I am and I want my outside to match my insides.
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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    @moyer566 Sounds like a good reason why. Allow me to get you to think a little deeper. How will it make you feel once you are able to shop in the junior section? Why is it so important to you to have the outside match the inside. If you can answer that, your answer will be the true driving force to help you succeed! ;)
  • greengrassgala
    greengrassgala Posts: 15 Member
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    I have a few responses to the "why" question.

    1. be healthy for my family (I don't want to die of a preventable disease)
    2. have energy (I want to be able to dance and hike without feeling overwhelmed)
    3. look good (look good, feed good)
  • allaboutthefood
    allaboutthefood Posts: 781 Member
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    My why:
    1: To enjoy the small things in life, bike riding, playing at the park with my kids etc..
    2: Health reasons
    3: To feel good about myself and comfortable in my own skin
    4: Energy, to have the energy to do things for myself and my family
    5: I don't want a stiff sore, slow body and mind anymore
    6: To be around to see my grandchildren (If I am blessed to have them)
    7: To be able to ride the amusement park rides with my kids.
    8: Healthy mind and body helps fight off depression
    9: To get my family living a healthier lifestyle
    10: I still have a long way to go, but each day I am feeling stronger, healthier and happier and I don't want that to go away.
    Thank you for the great post. and I wish you all much success on your journey
  • Debarella
    Debarella Posts: 16 Member
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    'Cause this is not who I have been most of my life. I do not like feeling tired, bloated, in pain & depressed.

    I am on my way back to having energy, fitting into my favorite jeans & skirts, getting stronger & enjoing my family, friends & life again.

    I really enjoyed all of your "whys" it sounds like we are all on a wonderful journey to healthy!
  • suffecool23
    suffecool23 Posts: 4 Member
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    I had let myself go and got to a point I'd never thought I'd be.

    My why is because I want to be back to where I feel good about myself.

    I had been athletic and fine in school but once I had an injury and had to weigh myself, at my max, I knew I had to make a change.

    I have to remind myself it's scientific and basic. At my start was 240 and weighed in today at 217 and I have work to go, but like what I've done.

    Hoping other friends can help out on this journey.
  • TravelinGal7147
    TravelinGal7147 Posts: 50 Member
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    Of course as with others I have a multitude of whys but recently a new one cropped up. I want to stay mobile plain and simple. Right now I "just" have a tendonitis on my left leg. Now there may be mutiple causes but lets face it folks excess weight does not help this at all. All of a sudden I think what happens if it gets worse? what happens if it occurs in the other leg. Bye, bye independence. hello assisted living. Npw I am prone to being dramatic and this is a worse case scenario but it is a powerful why and it has me motivated!
  • lisasweetlisa
    lisasweetlisa Posts: 14 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Mike my WHY is:
    I have been losing and gaining weight my whole life. Tried almost every diet drug out there.

    But 2 years ago my mom gave up on living and gained the most weight in her life. She was to have stints put in and more or less died on the table. Her heart was working less than 33%. She had diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and all that went with it. I have 5 brothers and all but one is a diabetic. I will not go on diabetes meds.

    So, that was my first WHY. My highest was 315 lbs. I went down to 280 to stay off of diabetes meds.

    But at 46 I was diagnosed with AFIB. It was so bad I had congestive heart failure when I finally went to the emergency room. I had an episode with the congestive heart failure I couldn't breath scared the sh t out of me and my husband. Doc said get healthy. So, after 9 mths thinking it over on JAN. 1st I started the South Beach Diet.
    One mth later back in the hospital with afib.

    I have not given up, I will continue. I don't want to die so young like my mom at 71. I want to see my grandbabies. I don't need a $10,000 doctor bill every year. And yes I want to look and feel better. I want to live a great life with my husband.

    So, Now I use the South Beach Diet as my guideline. I do have a treat occasionally. When I plateaued I joined Planet Fitness and do cardio and strength training. I lost 27 lbs since Jan. 1st. My goal to get down where the doc will be happy 165. My personal goal as of right now 200.

    I had friends that decided to do the New Year's resolution and try and lose they lasted not even 2 weeks. And because they failed they are constantly offering me sweets and crap to see me fail I think.

    But I am not trying to lose I'm trying to live differently, better, healthier.
    My WHY to just plain live a good healthy long life with my husband. That is more important than anything.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    MikePXstream wrote: »
    @moyer566 Sounds like a good reason why. Allow me to get you to think a little deeper. How will it make you feel once you are able to shop in the junior section? Why is it so important to you to have the outside match the inside. If you can answer that, your answer will be the true driving force to help you succeed! ;)

    I want my outside to match my insides.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Great topic!

    Why...

    Dad died of weight related issues diabetes and congestive heart failure. The fork did him in.

    I have a few friends that are were way overweight. I was right there with them.

    I didn't want to be that guy. I wanted to live a long fun happy life.

    At 6 months in, it was working and I had a good nutrition plan I could live with and believe in.

    I added more exercise and time and pounds kept marching on.

    It was a reality. It is easier to believe in something you actually see happening and not a dream

    Now looking back at over 115 lbs gone, type 2 diabetes gone, high blood pressure gone, high cholesterol gone....

    It does work. Why? It is a save your own *kitten* situation for me. I have a great life and I want to keep it. I want to drop maybe 20 lbs, I don't know for sure. Time will tell.

    But I keep on because it is so much better. This is a goal we can reach. It is a place we can stay.

    I feel like taking those first steps was faith. After that is was believing it would continue to work. There was some substance to the faith.

    Best wishes in your journey and don't give up on yourself!

  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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    These are all excellent answers. I love them all. You truly dug into why you want to do this. It is so important. It's not just a bumper sticker slogan or a gimmick. It is truth. When I first started out, I just wanted to look good, get the 6 pack abs, be ripped and toned, etc. But as you all read earlier, it became more than that for me. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look smoking hot. That is a good goal to have and you can have that too, when you strive to better yourself all the way around. It will happen naturally. Now, I still don't have the 6 pack abs, but my core overall is stronger than it ever was before, so I don't have to worry about throwing my back out every few months. My energy levels are higher, so I don't need a Dr Pepper or Mt Dew to get me through half may day (I still have my coffee in the morning, I can't give up everything) ;) and I am just as healthy now, if not more so because I eat better, than I was when I was in the army 16 years ago. It's all in consistency, having a plan, and going for it every day.

    I have been sick the past 4 days and it is driving me nuts that I can't exercise right now. I know my body needs the rest and all its energy to heal itself, but because I have been so consistent for the past couple of years, it hungers for exercise. It is such an amazing high, I can't explain it. My wish for you, is that you will experience that high, if you have not already.

    Thank you for sharing. Keep them coming!
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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    Hi, I haven't check in on this thread for a while, so I thought now was a good time. How are you doing? How is your journey coming along? Have you been able to hold on to the reason why you want to be healthier and more fit? HAs your why changed since the first time I asked you this question? Please share.
  • VervainHelsdottir
    VervainHelsdottir Posts: 4 Member
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    I suppose there are a lot of whys. This discussion has been very inspiring to me, so I want to thank everyone who's shared their stories. As for my personal whys...
    I've slowly, pound by pound, grown out of many of my favorite clothes. I can't bear to part with them, and the longer I wait the fewer opportunities I will have to wear them. I know this may sound like a superficial reason, but understand that I am a maker at heart, as is my mother. Some of the things I no longer fit into are handmade Victorian ball gowns that my mom and I made together. I don't fit in a party dress that I wore just a few months ago. My calves are too thick for my favorite boots. I can't keep clothes that don't fit, and I don't want new clothes.
    Second, diabetes runs in the family. That seems to be a big one for a lot of people. I already have some other weird health issues--SVT, scoliosis, not great teeth... I don't need more to worry about.
    Ever since I was very young, I've been in love with belly dance--I actually am comfortable enough with my body that I don't mind dancing in front of people with bare tummy and bare arms, but I am actually not in good enough shape to be able to belly dance well for a reasonable amount of time. I want to be able to be good at it AND look good in the costumes.
  • Peachswii
    Peachswii Posts: 4 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I gained 10 lbs... My clothes are starting to get tight, I want to lose that fats so i'm taking the challenge :)
  • asgentr
    asgentr Posts: 228 Member
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    I had a baby at 39 and my mother died at 58. I want to be around as long as possible for my girl and put her on the path to a lifetime of health.
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
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    VervainHelsdottir wrote: »
    I suppose there are a lot of whys. This discussion has been very inspiring to me, so I want to thank everyone who's shared their stories. As for my personal whys...
    I've slowly, pound by pound, grown out of many of my favorite clothes. I can't bear to part with them, and the longer I wait the fewer opportunities I will have to wear them. I know this may sound like a superficial reason, but understand that I am a maker at heart, as is my mother. Some of the things I no longer fit into are handmade Victorian ball gowns that my mom and I made together. I don't fit in a party dress that I wore just a few months ago. My calves are too thick for my favorite boots. I can't keep clothes that don't fit, and I don't want new clothes.
    Second, diabetes runs in the family. That seems to be a big one for a lot of people. I already have some other weird health issues--SVT, scoliosis, not great teeth... I don't need more to worry about.
    Ever since I was very young, I've been in love with belly dance--I actually am comfortable enough with my body that I don't mind dancing in front of people with bare tummy and bare arms, but I am actually not in good enough shape to be able to belly dance well for a reasonable amount of time. I want to be able to be good at it AND look good in the costumes.

    I think you have some strong reasons why. I think everyone has a vain or superficial reason they want to lose weight. There is nothing worng with that, but I think your stronger why is the health issues that run in your family. Those were for me. Wanting to be around for a long time for my kids is what keeps me going. I think you have some deper why's in there. If you don't mind, expand a little more on that. Why is the avoiding diabetes or other health issues so important to you?
    Peachswii wrote: »
    I gained 10 lbs... My clothes are starting to get tight, I want to lose that fats so i'm taking the challenge :)

    That's a good start, but I think you have a much deeper reason than that. Why do you want to lose the fat, other than your clothes are starting to get tight?
    asgentr wrote: »
    I had a baby at 39 and my mother died at 58. I want to be around as long as possible for my girl and put her on the path to a lifetime of health.

    Your mom was so young. I'm sorry. My mom died at the young age of 62, so I understand. I too want to be around for my kids and show them the right path. That's why I stay consistent with this life change everyday and keep leading by example. How do you think you will feel when you know you have placed your daughter on the right path?
  • DBrooks1979
    DBrooks1979 Posts: 350 Member
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    @rorysmommy
    Why not do it so you can see your daughter grow up and you can be active with her as she does.

  • DBrooks1979
    DBrooks1979 Posts: 350 Member
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    My why's for getting fit...

    I want to avoid diabetes which runs in my family,
    I want to be a healthier and better husband,
    I want to be at the weight I was as a Marine
    I want to live long and not deal with unnecessary health problems
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    My why? Sex, that's why.

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