so, what was the REAL motivation?

blushingmama

I put on weight while being sick and unable to do much but sleep and eat for 2 years. It got to the point where I couldn't drive, turn my head or tie my shoes.

Once I started to feel well, I promised myself I would take care of my body. I would push myself to do things that were uncomfortable because I had the ability to do so! I will never take the small things for granted again. Battling for your health makes you appreciate the challenges.

amymichelle1226

When I got on the scale and I was in the 160's! Six years ago I weighed 110....I'd never seen the 160's and it terrified me and made me incredibly sad! Thankfully it was enough to kick me in the butt.

capnrus789

Better sex with my wife. Stamina is a good thing.

cassiegal724

years ago I was quiet heavy and a neighbor made a comment about how she wasn't worried about me if I went to her house when her husband was home alone. She didn't say it because she trusted me, OR him. She said it because I was fat (she had made other remarks too). I was determined to make her worry.

Your neighbor sounds like a *****.

For me, it was when my dr said I was pre-hypertensive. I have high blood pressure in my family and I knew that I was overweight. I didn't realize until that point tho how overweight I was! When I calculated my BMI and it was 40, that was disgusting! So glad I took my health into my own hands and ~65 lbs later, my blood pressure is normal B-)

omma_to_3

I didn't have some big "ah-ha" moment like most people. I didn't really believe this time would be "it". The only thing I really thought about, as we adopted our third child, was that if I died tomorrow the kids would have like 3 pictures of me. So I guess I did it so I can be in more pictures instead of just behind the camera LOL.

kaylaandthestarcatcher

I want to be that stereotypical thin, fashionable, rude, little-dress-and-high-heel-wearing, Sex and the City-esque New Yorker.

Fashionable and rude? Check.

Now I just need to get thin, learn to walk in heels, and move to New York.

Elisabeth2506

I realised I looked like a stick man in a bubble. I've worked too hard at the gym all summer to not put the nutritional effort bit in too.

I can feel the muscles underneath the layer fat, I'd just love to see them too!

pudgeylou

Revenge.
I have all the pretty reasons too..for my health, for my kids, so I can be prettier. Blah, blah, blah. But when it comes down to it, I am losing weight and getting fit for revenge. It is a great big screw you to all those men who cheated on me and all those women who love beating me down every day with their stupid comments. I don't care what anyone says, anger is a great motivator and it has pushed me to lose 22 lbs already and I am still going strong.

chas218

I was 7 years old in 1980, and I don't remember exactly what my dad looked like that particular year versus the year before or the year after. My daughter just turned 7 this summer, and I realized she will eventually remember me as a fat guy. However, if I'm in decent shape, and stay that way, she won't know her dad as a fat guy, and hopefully my kids won't follow in my footsteps. In addition, I'd like to be around long enough for her to look back at the old pictures and say, "Wow you looked different back then!"

That was the spark. I keep repeating a sentence to myself when I'm out of breath and sweating on the treadmill or if I'm craving pizza: "My body is the vessel with which I hug my kids and make love to my wife, therefore I cannot give less than 100%."

Then I'm good.

paulhb

"I'm doing it for a few reasons.

A) I hate my ex wife, and I'm doing it to spite her
I'm actually incredibly vain and like buying clothes but I'm fat so I look terrible. I want to look not terrible. Maybe even hot.
C) I want to get laid a lot more than I am. Fat guys have a really hard time getting some. I think being skinner and in shape would make that easier for me.
D) I want to get some tattoos. But I want to finish losing weight before I get them. So they are a reward for me when I reach my goal.
E) I'd like to go skydiving, but I'm too fat. "

Heh! What that guy said! Well, soften it a bit. I don't hate anyone, but it's tough. Plus, i have been skydiving... a long time ago.

I am not in to tattoos at all, so my treat? I am going to buy one sick fitted suit, a la Michael Westin of Burn Notice. I won't be 170lbs or whatever he is, but I am striving for a muscular 210-215.

At my heaviest I was around 290 lbs. I started and quit MFP a couple of times, slowly working off fat. Over the last few weeks I have dropped over 10 though. I am down to 263. Very exciting.

I am using MFP, RunKeeper, Facebook (motivation), Wii.

azalais7

My daughter. I want to set a good example for her, so I reformed my entire lifestyle. We eat clean organic foods and excersize every single day. She works out with me and talks about mommy "exxxxerSIZING!!" (She is two) I do NOT restrict my calories below 2000 most days (still losing and close to goal) and I NEVER talk about my body in a negative way. We discuss how strong and capable our bodies are and we cook healthy meals together.

I would very literally move mountains for her, so this has been relatively easy. I am in the the best shape of my life, happier, healthier and showing my baby girl that you don't have to be hungry or go on some crazy diet to be fit and at a healthy weight. My hope is that she will never struggle with her weight or self esteem like I have in the past. Life is good.

This is completely and utterly awesome.

In my case, it was engagement photos. The one in my profile is one I actually like, even if I am still a little upset at how thick I look through the middle. Others in the set, though, really horrified me, and I couldn't focus on how happy I look in them. There's going to be an awful lot of photos of us when the wedding rolls around next year, and I want our joy to be the focus, not my anxiety about weight.

That's what started it, at least. But what really keeps me going on a daily basis is how much better I feel all around--more energy, taking pleasure in the work my body can do, feeling excited about setting and breaking incremental fitness goals, etc.

tnmyers23

My scare came this past January actually New Years Eve. To start with for the past 203+ years I have slowly gained weight and over the winter of 2011-2012 I gained an additional 30 lbs. Then on New Years Eve during the day I became very short of breath and was having chest pain. Knowing from experience it was time to get to the ER and once they did their tests and monitored me I got shipped to a larger town VIA ambulance and went though Cath Lab where they had to reopen up 2 of my stents. Once discharged I still had the chest pain and then 3 weeks later I am back in the local ER and being shipped back out of town again. That was it I knew if I wanted to be alive in 5 years something had to change. So I started watching I ate. I called my insurance company to see if they would pay for the gastric by-pass surgery and they told me no as it was cosmetic. I informed them I was doing this to stay alive not to look better but no luck. So I became dedicated to losing weight not to look better (which is a bonus) but to be alive to enjoy life.

I made this short and sweet other wise the story is so long but it is my journey and I have to keep reminding myself I don't want to go backwards.

snowgrrl83

Once upon a time, I was dating a guy...
I had noticed that when we'd go shopping, he would always pick out the baggy and big shirts for me to wear. I knew I had a "pooch" but was it really that bad?! Then, when I looked in the mirror one day and asked if I was "muffin topping" and he nodded.
Soon, he left me.
I cried and cried and cried. I was so devastated that I didn't eat for a week and lost weight. When he saw me again, 2 weeks later, and a couple of pounds later. He told me how great I looked.
He had left me, for a bikini model. She would send me nasty messages, telling me that I'm fat. The truth is, I've never been overweight, I weighed less than 120lbs.
I decided that I wanted to look better and get rid of my pooch. \
When I did, I got what I wanted back - my own dignity.
I got my pooch back - because I'm pregnant

LindaJWan

One word: cancer. Finding out you have a potentially terminal disease is a great motivator to wanting to get your body in shape and be healthy.

That is quite a motivator....I pray your fight is going well......

Elen_Sia

1) 100% pride and vanity.

2) I was determined to disprove the myth that one's metabolic rate dives after one reaches the magical age of 40.

3) Relishing the priceless reactions from male AND female friends when they see how badass I look and feel for someone in her early 40s. Lately I have been dying to run into a few people and show them I know how to take care of myself when I put my whole head and heart into it.

heretic911

Nice one OP!
The first thing that woke me up was when my Dad died of cancer, he was a great guy but he never took care of his health. Watching him die at only 68 scared me. After that my husband started working out, he has been overweight since we met, so I wasn't going to let him get in shape without joining in. January I started seriously on my journey and than I found out my husband cheated on me...guess I know what motivated him. About to get seperated and need to feel and look healthy and strong to go through all of this. On the evil side I would like him to regret losing me when he sees me in the future. So I have nothing but motivation now!!:bigsmile:

murf19

When I couldn't keep up with my kids. I'd say not now, maybe later etc... I now can play and ride all day with them! I'm a kid again at 47. I love feeling the high energy levels and looking good doesn't hurt either!!!

AnneC77

I have many reasons why I want/need to lose weight. I guess it truly started after I found my Grandfather after he had a Heart Attack, he had been dead for seven hours. I didn't realise it then of course. My family have a history of heart problems. Earlier this year my Mum got rushed to hospital with Diabetes, we thought she was looking after herself, it turned out she wasn't and now has to inject Insulin, she suffered from serious Pneumonia and had to have her lungs drained. I was terrified for her. Whilst she was in Hospital, she lost a lot of weight! A natural occurrence, which was good, but it made me realise that we can only look after ourselves. My mm is 20 years older than me, and I could not accept the fact that could be me in 20 short years! When she came out, she weighed less than me. Had gone from around 308lbs to about 210lbs. When I started on MFP, I weighed 245lbs. This scare made me think about my life, the excuses I made. I already felt that I would be a size 22 for the rest of my life. It was like I accepted that fact, like it was all I deserved. But lately (about 7 weeks ago) I was feeling differently about myself. I was sick of being the fat friend, the fat sister, the fat wife, the fat Mother that everyone laughed at. I deserved better, for myself, for my kids, for my friends and family. They should not have to worry about me, like I worry about my Mother, (she has put some of the weight back on.) I have tried many diets before and I truly felt like nothing could change for me, but I have been here 7 weeks, have lost 10lbs, a lot of inches and I was wearing a size 18 pair of jeans today! I am happier now that I kind of like myself more, that I realised I can and WILL do this, no matter what anyone says or does and I will be the one to make things change for me. So far it is working and I KNOW I will be a slim granny in 20 years time

Of course I want to look good and feel good too and I cannot wait until people faces turn and smile after that see the new me, I can't wait to wear fashionable and great looking clothes, I can't wait for the new me and she is well on her way to being here.

AliceRabbit13

I'm doing it for a few reasons.

A) I hate my ex wife, and I'm doing it to spite her
I'm actually incredibly vain and like buying clothes but I'm fat so I look terrible. I want to look not terrible. Maybe even hot.
C) I want to get laid a lot more than I am. Fat guys have a really hard time getting some. I think being skinner and in shape would make that easier for me.
D) I want to get some tattoos. But I want to finish losing weight before I get them. So they are a reward for me when I reach my goal.
E) I'd like to go skydiving, but I'm too fat.

This. Lol. But instead of 'I hate my ex-wife', I hold my ex-husband in contempt and I am determined to accomplish the goals he set for himself but never did (Chicago Marathon). And instead of getting laid more often, I want people to be jealous of my boyfriend that he has such a hot girlfriend. everything else though. Yes. Stay the course and continue to be awesome, dude.


For me, because I'm vain. I wanna be hot. And oh yeah, to be healthy and set a good example for my boys.

NMorse1907

I have had a headache almost everyday since May 3rd of this yr. After 5 different medications and a CT that thankfully came back okay, I realized that on days I didn't binge or eat like crap, my headache was barely there, if there at all! That is definitely enough to keep me motivated!