What is the fire that keeps you going?

CynthiasChoice

Lately, for me it's spiritual journey, focusing on forgiveness. First, accepting God's forgiveness for all my faults...those in the past, and those that continue in the present. Understanding and feeling the life-force of that grace...living in that grace...has made me realize that I want to forgive others also. As I've started to think about all the people in my life that have hurt me at some point, I've realized that I carry around a lot of grudges.

All those grudges are weighing me down - literally! But I'm not letting them go for my benefit, I'm letting them go because it now feels right. I'm craving harmony.

If God can forgive me, and I can forgive others, then maybe I can begin to forgive myself. That's what it takes to get back on track over and over and over again. Remorse is OK for a moment, but it has to make way for forgiveness, a peaceful heart, and hope for the future.

mustgetmuscles1

Losing weight makes everything look bigger. :glasses:

Freyja2023

For me it has been the fact that I am just too stubborn. I can sit on an idea for a real long time, but once I make up my mind to do it I won't stop till I have. It is like a challenge for myself. I also love the results.

UNTOLDSMILE

Mine came from wanting something more. Then when I really and truly applied myself to weight training, I began to love it. It's therapy for me now. I reflect on all my issues in my workout and feel much better after it.

Starla_

I want to keep living

stubbysticks

It's pretty simple: I like my life now. More specifically, I'm actually LIVING it, instead of sitting on the sidelines hoping no one notices me & reminds me of how fat I am, whether it's intentional or not. I don't always make healthy food choices but I am always aware of them & the nutritional value (or lack thereof). That in itself is far more responsible than I've ever been about my health.

I live an active lifestyle. I work out almost every day, even in planned rest days I WANT to do active things like walk with friends around the lake or go play racquetball. I still have the occasional lazy day, but I'm proud of the fact that they are few & far between.

When I don't feel like being responsible about my nutrition & fitness, I remember how easy it would be to slip back into my old fat habits then wake up one day in my old fat body. I've worked too hard for too long to take my new life for granted.

I don't have to convince myself to do what I do. The consequences of NOT doing it are motivation enough. Sucking it up through a halfass workout is better than not trying, because then I'd have to deal with the guilt of knowing I didn't do everything I could to keep this new life I've given myself.

You shouldn't have to look for reasons to improve your health. Do you have any good reasons NOT to?

ggof

iiiiiiiiiii am in control and iiiiiiiiiiiiiii decide .. not some suger-addicted, swimming-in-fat wimp who lives in my stomach or is it my brain LOL !

i can be my best friend or worst enemy .. i tried the latter and didn't like the results, so as the saying goes .. *if u don't want the same results, stop doing the same things* .. so i tried the former and it worked ..

i am happier, lighter, have more energy and confidence .. THAT in itself is my motivation to get to my goal (and stay there) !

MOTTO : THIS is your life, not a dress rehearsal !!

CyberEd312

That is an easy one...... This time it was a Total Lifestyle Change and nothing more..... Once you establish this as the rest of your life then you have no reason to fail....... Atleast that has been my approach, I began my new life in May of 2009..... Best of Luck

vvanm

It's bad enough getting old; I can't help that, but I am not going to be the old, fat lady. My health problems predispose me to gaining weight and then the weight makes my symptoms worse, in a snowball effect, so I refuse to continue that cycle. I don't want my daughter to wonder if she will be fat, because her mother was. When I was tempted to eat more, I thought about the setback, and how much longer it would take to reach my goal, and I wanted to not have to worry about being overweight as soon as possible!

blakhitman

It's so easy for me now. What poster above said is true, once you leave the "temporary weight loss diet" mentality and make it about changing your lifestyle it becomes what you are and then it becomes hard to leave it, missing a workout is painful now.

Nikkilynn32710

because THIS woman in this photo is not the same woman he proposed too and I refused to be bigger than my husband. All the mental arguments with myself over him cheating or leaving. I was tired of it so I fought for it.


and this is who I have become. I'm smaller than I have ever been even in high school and now its like a disease I just want to keep going and going to see what my body is capable of.

Tat2dDom624

First off, i know what the long-term effects will be when i lose the weight. Second, seeing everyone on my FL that are kicking *kitten* in striving for the same goal as i am. THAT really gets me motivated to exercise and stay focused on a daily basis, because i know what i'm capable of doing if i don't continue on with this.

someblackgirl

I want to look good. I want to earn my weekly rewards. I want to wow my hubby even more. I don't wanna end up like my mom with the meds and diabetes and whatnot. and a bunch of other stuff. Lol

Jstash88

Well, I think "choose your hard"....... Being over weight, uncomfortable in your own skin, hiding from cameras and mirrors, nothing in your closet fits hard, or man that was a hard workout, or gosh that was hard passing on those cookies, or it's hard to find filling foods at only 1200 cal a day....... NEITHER ONE IS EASY! They are both HARD, but one of them will give you the life you want and the other will rob you of life..... SO CHOOSE YOUR HARD.

vallemic

The scale.

atsteele

1. How I look (I'm vain)
2. How I feel (man, I feel like poop when I'm slacking off)
3. The hope that I might BQ if I stay on track

missbp

Several things for me.

1) My family, especially my children recognize that this is not a diet for me but a lifestyle. That is the example I wanted to set all along. And I really think my kids now see me a their mom who is healthy, energetic and fit. Not their mom who is on some diet.

2) Cute clothes. That quote ,"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Is true. For me anyway. There is no food that I could eat, that gives me the same charge as walking into my favorite stores, picking out clothes that I like (and not clothes that camouflage), trying them on, and realizing that I look good in them.

3) Confidence. As sad and superficial as it may sound, I know people saw my weight first. All of my best qualities were an afterthought. Now, when I am interacting with people, I feel like they see my intelligence, my humor, my style, and those are the things they notice first.

All of the above is enough to keep my on the path.

Michelle

Nightdust

The little surprises with my body while losing weight. Seeing my collar bones, feeling my ribs, having a smaller booty, catching a glimpse of myself in a reflection.. lots of little things. Craving healthier foods and exercise. Inspiration and encouragement. The way my boyfriend looks at me

sassybellex

for all the pretty dresses in size 6 i have in the wardrobe that is waiting for me.

jscheuf

I want to live a healthy lifestyle so someday when I have kids they will grow up being healthy and not have to struggle with weight like I did.

Above everything else, I think it is soooo important to find someone positive that will show you how far you have come. When I complain b/c my 4 mile run is slow my fiance will point out that less than a year ago I couldn't even run a mile. Not all people will be positive because they are jealous of what you are doing, but finding that person to point out how far you have come is SOOOOOO important!