What's your motivation?

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Michelle_J
Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
in Motivation and Support
Everyone has a reason that they are on this website. Whether it is to lose weight, get healthy, look and feel better… My inspiration is my grandmother. She’s passed away last year. She was morbidly obese. Over the years I watched her weight go up and down, up and down until she finally gave up trying to lose weight. She didn’t over eat but she didn’t eat healthy either. There was never anything low fat or fat free in her house. And she didn’t get any form of exercise. And her day revolved around what they (her and my gpa) were having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I saw the way people looked at her when she walked into a restaurant, like she didn’t belong there. I always felt like I had to protect her from those looks, fat jokes. And I did protect her. Before she passed away she weighed 382 lbs. I know bc her hospital bed was also a scale. All of her health problems were a direct result of her weight. Her knees were bad bc they were carrying so much weight. Her COPD-bc she was overweight. Diabetes, heart condition, high blood pressure-all brought on by her weight. When she fell at home, it took 5 men to pick her up. I saw the pallbearers struggle to put her casket in the hearse. I love my grandma so much and want to be as good of a mother/wife/grandma/woman as she was but I refuse to live my life overweight like she did. She gave up. I’m not giving up. Maybe if there was a MFP 40 years ago then she would have had the support and encouragement of wonderful people like you. Maybe things would have been different for her. Maybe she wouldn’t have missed out doing things bc she couldn’t walk for very long. Maybe she’d still be alive. Maybe. So my grandma is my inspiration. I like to think she’d be proud.

What’s your motivation?

Replies

  • melody6387
    melody6387 Posts: 49
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    :flowerforyou: THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!! Mine is a little funny, but I'm tired of my kids drawing me as a CIRCLE and not a STICK...
    lol!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!
  • makeupinmanhatten
    makeupinmanhatten Posts: 155
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    That's very inspiring :) my motivation is my dream to be a makeup artist! I know that the field of fashion and beauty is very quick and tough to judge, so I'd like to get in shape :)
  • Gogo76
    Gogo76 Posts: 581
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    My motivation is the new boat that we just bought! I wanna look hottttt this summer!
  • arwamya
    arwamya Posts: 304
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    :flowerforyou: THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!! Mine is a little funny, but I'm tired of my kids drawing me as a CIRCLE and not a STICK...
    lol!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

    hahahah that's so cute and it cracked me up lol !
  • Melroxsox
    Melroxsox Posts: 1,040 Member
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    That was an amazing inspiration. I am so glad that I read your post about your Grandma. She sounded very dedicated to her family. Sometimes it is hard to focus on many different goals all at once, like most women have to do in their daily lives. I find this extremely difficult(and I don't even have kids yet!) But its better for everyone if we do set aside exercise time for ourselves as well as healthy eating. Mixed with work, school, kids, LIFE...., this can get very strenuous and stressful. But if we can all just get in the rhythm of things, we will be on our way to Healthy happier human beings! Not to mention our families not having to worry so much either:) My inspiration are all of the dedicated, devoted active individuals on MFP that have truly been successful! If it weren't for this site, I would've given up long ago, and I thank God that I haven't!
  • kmax71
    kmax71 Posts: 7
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    that's a great post! My motivation is to be more active with my family. At my current weight, my legs & knees hurt. I can't walk very far and have no energy. It's not the way I want to live my life. I don't want to end up like your Grandmother either. I'm sure she never wanted to spend her life like that..it's a very sad existence.
  • ce_fit
    ce_fit Posts: 299 Member
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    A couple of motivators right now;
    1) My son is getting married in June, I do not want to be the rotund Dad in the wedding pictures, and;
    2) We are off to the Mexican Riviera in August, do not want to walk around with the stomach hanging over the swim suit.

    Yes us males can be vain to!! :smile:
  • arwamya
    arwamya Posts: 304
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    My motivation (s)

    1.My 25 grand shopping spree , my reward for reaching my dream goal
    2.My mom..every time someone compliments me on my weight loss in front of her the expression on her face is priceless * been an obese messed up kid,teen . Never listened to her and she never forced me too . I'm blessed to have her :)*
    3.My Ex , even though he left me because he didn't want to hurt me i have a feeling it was because of my weight. No hatred but i want him to realize what he's lost out on.. not just someone who loved him like no other would but someone who's drop dead gorgeous!
  • arwamya
    arwamya Posts: 304
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    A couple of motivators right now;
    1) My son is getting married in June, I do not want to be the rotund Dad in the wedding pictures, and;
    2) We are off to the Mexican Riviera in August, do not want to walk around with the stomach hanging over the swim suit.

    Yes us males can be vain to!! :smile:

    Yes that's true . Most well ALL men want to look HOT ..some are brave to admit :P congratulations on your son's wedding in june :)
  • heathersouthern09
    heathersouthern09 Posts: 18
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    My husband is my motivation hes in the army and deployed right now and i want to look hott when he gets home! i konw he loves me either way and dont care about my weight but this is not the way he married me and i want to make him proud like he has me!
  • fitmom4ever
    fitmom4ever Posts: 130
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    Like you, my inspiration is my grandmother, but in a very different way.
    At 85 years old, she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to spend the morning hours praying and doing her devotions, then riding the stationary bike before heading off to work as a home health aide. I have watched her lift people heavier than her off the floor after a fall, or help them in and out of the bathtub. She administers medications daily, but doesn't need to take any herself as she is the model of perfect health. She cleans house and cooks for people that can't do it for themselves, many of whom are much younger than she is. She worked for years in the hospital kitchen as a dietician, and has always prepared healthy, balanced meals, with tons of great, low cal snacks in between. Recently she fell on ice and broke her arm, and still did not stop exercising and doing all she could for others. She attributes her health and vitality to eating right, never smoking a cigarette in her life, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, and taking her multivitamin every morning.
    I want to live that long as well, and don't want to spend the last few years of my life sick, frail, or overweight. She is one of the strongest women I know, body, soul, and spirit, and I want to model myself after her as much as possible.
  • Nigel99
    Nigel99 Posts: 498 Member
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    I just want to be in better shape and stay in good health as I'm getting older. I have always been in excellent health (despite not exercising a lot, and being slightly overweight), and I'd like to stay that way as I get older. Have to be able to see my daughter continue to grow up and watch her adult successes.

    Last summer, I decided to get out more and did some kayaking and hiking. I had no problems kayaking for long stretches, but I really struggled on some trails that I hiked - panting and having to lay up against a rock to rest. I wasn't struggling at all with most daily activity, and love to take the stiars, but any extended activity was really tough. I'm looking forward to doing some hiking and other things this spring and summer, and not having to wonder if I'm going to pass out or collapse on the way up the mountain.
  • melody6387
    melody6387 Posts: 49
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    :flowerforyou: THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!! Mine is a little funny, but I'm tired of my kids drawing me as a CIRCLE and not a STICK...
    lol!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

    hahahah that's so cute and it cracked me up lol !

    lol...me too!!
  • Bmorrow
    Bmorrow Posts: 169
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    That is so sweet! I feel the same way...I have watched everyone around me, mostly in my husband's family, be affected by weight and all the problems that come along with it, whether they were invited or not and I think, especially at my age, that if I can keep myself from having to take meds and treat disease that is brought on by obesity, then WHY WOULDN'T I????? I really just don't get it, and I hope I never do!
    Keep up the good work...let a healthy legacy be what you pass on to your children.

    Today, my 30 yo son said to me," Mom you know the women on MFP are so inspirational...and I include you in those women."
    That's my motivation!
  • Michelle_J
    Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
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    Like you, my inspiration is my grandmother, but in a very different way.
    Your grandma sounds like an amazing woman. You are blessed to have her as a role model.
  • starrrs
    starrrs Posts: 2
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    Concerts, weddings, and looking sexyyyy!. lol Oh an a vacation for November.
  • almeria1
    almeria1 Posts: 25 Member
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    My health, my self esteem, and to feel great when I become pregnant! I need to love myself everyday and be proud of what I look like! I had gained 30 pounds and have lost 15 and I already feel great! I cant wait to be back to my normal weight and feel Im actually ready and healthy to get pregannt!
  • lklein
    lklein Posts: 215 Member
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    Well my boyfriend told me if I got back down to what I weighed when he meet me he would get his 6 pack back, so that motivates me alittle. But really I want to love eating healthy and exercising. I see so many people that dread going to the gym or turn their nose up at veggie or "healthy food". I have never really stuck with it for the long haul and I want to prove that I can do it!

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