What is YOUR motivation?

_whatsherface

I didn't look in the mirror or at a picture and say, "You're fat, you need to lose weight." My motivation was just one question I asked myself over summer vacation from work and that was, "Why not?" I'm home from work, I can take my son to the daycare at the gym where he can socialize. It was better than sitting around, eating because I'm bored, over eating and gaining more weight. Now that I've been back at it for almost 60 days, I still have this attitude of, I can either sit around and get more fat and damage my organs, or I can make a comitment to myself to get up 3x a week, eat better, feel better and maybe lose some weight (:

zoeysasha37

Mine was definitely looking in the mirror. I was unhappy with my body and would envy other women that had nice bodies. Finally I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got to work :-)

verastromness

I was just thinking about this the other day. People often tell me, "You have to have a WHY." All I know is I don't feel like I'm having a full life when I neglect taking care of myself. Not always easy to stay motivated. Since I have SOOO many bad habits.

cvaj09

Being happy with the way I look. I'm still unhappy since I've gained 50 pounds in the past 2 years.

irisheyes321

Hi,

I will be forty next June and I am going to enjoy it

seltzermint555

I weighed 307 and hated photos of myself for the first time ever, but that wasn't enough. I started realizing I couldn't keep up with everyone like I did when I was 260-270 for years, so I got scared about health problems in the future and started eating less and walking a LOT. That got me to 270. Took over 4 years though.

At 270, I met my now-husband and started eating a LOT healthier by following his example. That only got me to 262.

I decided to join MFP because an online friend lost a lot using it, and I was honestly quite peeved that my new healthier eating didn't result in a bigger loss after 1 year. That made losing MUCH easier for me and I've now gotten down to 173.

What keeps me going is the realization that I am no longer obese. At 5'8" I'm still overweight but not obese, for the first time since I was 11-12 years old. I want to stay in the 150-170 range for the rest of my life. I want to stay average sized forever. When I get old, I want any health issues to come from natural causes and aging, not from being morbidly obese. I don't want to need a XXXXL coffin when I die.

cardozojoann

What motivates me is I want to he healthy and confident in my body. My highest weight was 194lbs post pregnancy. But I would lose weight then gain it right back for 5 years. Few months ago I decided I really need to focus on my health. Since then I lost 22lbs with the help of T25, shakeology and eating healthy. I promised myself I will never go back to the way I use to be.

Sabine_Stroehm

People in my family die young. Usually of diet and lifestyle related illness. I don't want to die young.

TheSatinPumpkin

Not even to perform basic hygiene like cleaning /wiping after myself was up there.

cwolfman13

Being healthy and fit is awesome...

mcpostelle

My first and primary motivation is myself. I am beautiful, intelligent, and inquisitive on the inside and it should reflect on my outside. It is time for me to show the world that I not an ugly duckling, but a swan.

Little side motivators are slimming down as a F U to my ex, some family members, previous friends, and current people that avoid me due to my weight. Just watch and learn b*tches. :glasses:

Also, I want cute SMALLER clothing. I'm tired of folding and washing my current sizes - makes me feel a bit depressed.


Edit: Spelling.

dianesheart88

Got really tired looking in the mirror and finding it difficult to do things simple things like just bending over. I want to feel proud of my body.

Also, I got a little tired of people blaming my heart disease on what I eat. Even my Dr tells me that for my age it is not even close to normal to see issues and blockages like mine - it's not possible for them to be caused only from food. But, if taking better care of myself can 'help' my situation that's a motivator.
One more thing...my mother has for all my life 'talked' about losing weight, but never acts on it. She's 72 now. I refuse to do that.

sartezalb

1) I was amazed at how quickly and easily I became clinically overweight when I wasn't watching myself. I realized that if I want to maintain a healthy weight, I absolutely have to stay vigilant.

2) I have a tailored suit that doesn't fit anymore. It looks great, and I want to get back into it. :-)

3) Training for a career in medicine, where I'll undoubtedly be advising people on how to eat and exercise better. I need to be able to practice what I preach.

jordipie55

When I "graduated" into plus sizes. I cannot explain the sinking feel in the pit of my stomach when I couldn't fit a normal L. I also hate hate hate it when I look at the ground and there's this big ol' belly (I call it Bertha) in the way. A bunch of little things like that kind of added up and made me go, "THAT'S IT, I'M CHANGING THINGS NOW."

gcbma

Nearing 300, and told I'm diabetic at 25. Reason plenty. Haven't looked back. And won't.

jennylilac

My therapist told me if I didn't do something now (just turned 40) in as little as five years I would probably not be able to hike with local Girl Scouts anymore.

marinabreeze

For me, the motivation to lose weight is a few things taken together:

- I'm 33 and would feel awful every morning as I would wake up with aches and pains. I shouldn't feel like this in my 30s.

- I want to have children and I have PCOS. I need to make a lifestyle change to regulate my hormones and increase the possibility of conceiving and carrying a child to term.

- My DH is wanting to lose weight also as he has gained about 50 lbs over the last 2-3 years (he was overweight but not obese to begin with), and it's the perfect opportunity to support each other in our healthy lifestyle goals.

- My dad passed away at the age of 57 from diabetes related complications. You would think that would be a motivating factor at the time he died, but at first it was not. But recently, I noticed that there's a picture of my dad and myself as a toddler, and a picture of myself recently sitting side-by-side on the mantle. My dad was the age I am now in the picture, and it looks like I'm almost his size. That is really scary. That was the last straw for me.

lessismoreohio

My motivation = I don't want to end up with the obesity related illnesses I see in my friends and family who are 10 years older than I.

As you get older, the weight related aches, pains and illnesses really add up. It really is true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

LisaGirlfriend

My clothes were way too tight and I felt uncomfortable and I was avoiding the scale.

I actually have a date in November, to meet someone I've been talking to about fitness online for 5 years. He too is on here and has specific goals too. We are both planning to reach our goals in time for our meeting. There is nothing like that to motivate me!

airangel59

Mainly what WAS my motivation was being diagnosed with Type 2 on May 11, 2012. BMI 44%
I Found MFP June 7, 2012

What IS my motivation now is the mirror. I what I see. BMI 21.6% and no longer on meds for DM, HTN, High cholesterol/lipids and I want to keep it that way

gonzanab

Foremost, my motivation is to see myself beautiful both inside and outside. I want to be proud of the person I am when I look in the mirror. When I workout and eat right, I feel better about myself. I'm working on the confidence part, but overall I know that by living this lifestyle that I am on the right track. I want others to see it too.

Sparks_wife2013

First off my main reason has been my health and wanting to be around for my sons and be able to play with them, and doing family things. Secondly, this is going to sound terrible but I used to be over 200 pounds I found a picture that gave me the thought to change my life but the last final reason was the show my 600 pound life. I'm afraid to get that big and lose sight of who I am and my health.

tjsoccermom

I'm motivated by my daughter's graduation next May. This is what got me started. But there's so many other things now, too. Actually wanting to be in pictures again, being able to bike faster than my teens, not snoring at night, buying size L clothes (sometimes even M in tops now), feeling confident again, not like I want to hide, being a role model for my kids...I can encourage them to work out and not be a hypocrite, preparing to bike in a JDRF fundraiser (daughter developed type 1 this year), not worried that I won't fit on a ride at an amusement park, and so much more. It really is so worth all the work that goes into losing weight and caring for your body. This is the only body we'll have, so we have to take care of it if we want to live as full a life as possible.

zenabby

Although I have been gaining weight slowly and consistently for the past 4 years (6-8 pounds a year) to about 30 pounds gain, I didn't really worry too much about it. I went from a office job to work from home job and looks and fitting into work clothes were not such a problem.

1) However, when I met old family and friends this year, everyone was shocked at my weight gain. My best friends and mom asked me to watch my weight.
2) My mom is not overweight but in her late sixties and is suffering from lifestyle problems - legs, bones, blood pressure, cholesterol etc. she can't walk that fast or play around with my kids (grand daughters)
3) I read a really fabulous book about working out and weight loss and how one without the other does not make sense. We don't want to lose weight, but we want to lose fat and build muscle. The science helped me.
4) I joined a interval training/boot camp like gym and saw these amazingly fit people who went through the whole boot camp with such ease. I am the worst there. I realized that I really can't run much or do most of the things I thought I could.
5) I don't want to look thin anymore. I want to be really really fit and toned. I want to avoid hyper tension and similar lifestyle issues (though they could be genetic). I want to be able to hike, cycle and run around with my now relatively young kids, but in the future with my grand kids. I better look after myself now.

I'm just getting started.

ukaryote

Must stay active enough to see my children settled in their own places. They have some disabilities and the gov'mnt takes decades to really get moving. Gotta stay in shape to give them the care they need and push the agencies.

sphkhn

Realizing I was the largest size at every store GAP, H&M, Victoria's Secret, TopShop ect! I couldn't deal with the jump from size 14 to 16. Being the biggest girl out of all my friends even though I was and still am the most outdoorsy and active. Being mistaken for a colleague who I always assumed was at least 50 pounds heavier than me! It was never a picture or something anyone said I always felt good about my body since I had been overweight since childhood. I never realized how much my weight was holding me back until now.

My motivation to keep going is getting my friends to run with me, having my mom who is skinny but weak want to tone up and be strong again, encouraging my dad who is a diabetic and 230 pounds to start being active. Having my step-grandmother get teary when she said how proud she was of me.

njax99

Looking in the mirror and seeing an attractive but very overweight person looking back.
Being 40 in 6 months.
My mum dying of Breast cancer and complications caused by diabetes.
Not wanting the seat belt on a plane to be tight!
Wanting my kids and husband to proud of me.
I teach swimming, I want to look the "part"!
Finally and I guess this is the kicker my husband of 22 years telling me he is no longer physically attracted to me and if I don't lose weight and start a healthier lifestyle he will leave me.

jenversuslife

Maybe TMI but I went to get more contraception and my nurse advised that I would possibly need to change my pill type due to weight gain (I'd gone up 6lbs in 6 months, obviously I was close to the brink to begin with). I'm the maximum I can be on this pill, I don't want to change contraception and potentially cause more trouble to my body due to hormones etc. I am going back in 4 weeks, and then 2 months after that and I want to prove I can be on this pill safely.

ana3067

My motivation:





and other images like these. I have an awesome B&W pic on my phone as my lock screen pic but I can't find it on Google.

ETA: because this is basically my long-term goal. So just need to remember why I'm doing what I'm doing even though some days I just want to be lazy and eat everything (I eat at a 20% deficit max from TDEE and follow IIFYM so I'm definitely not undereating, I just have a history of bored eating)

ctodd58

To realize on the outside the bad-*kitten* I know I am on the inside. Sounds silly -- I've always considered the tiger my "spirit animal," and when I perform athletic feats, I actually feel pretty predatory/powerful. It's exhilarating...don't want to pass that up.

mzfrizz15

I have a few.
#1: Diabetes runs on both sides of my family. My Mum was diagnosed in her 40s. I want to avoid it as long as I can!
#2: The shocking realization that I would wind up at 300 pounds if I didn't change my ways and fast.
#3: My knees have hurt since I was 18ish. I want to stave off osteo-arthritis for as long as I can. I cared for patients who had it and and it broke my heart.
#4: I want to feel like a normal person, instead of one of Jabba the Hutt's cousins.