What motivates you?

YOU CAN DO IT !!!! I do agree with the others about posting a picture of yourself to see everyday, although it may be depressing at first I think it will begin to remind you why you are choosing to be mindful and healthier and happier everyday! Or maybe not whatever you feel best with, but I keep pictures of myself looking not-so-hot to keep me upbeat about killing that fat that I hate with a fiery passion of hatred!

Your question was what motivates you? What motivates me is my future, and how I don't want to look back at my life and realize that me fitting into my 'skinny' jeans or me running long distances or me being 110% confident and uninhibited was only a fantasy I had in my mind to keep me in denial of what my life really was. I want to get REAL with myself and take control and be me!!! Not stay in the denial I am currently feeling! I don't want my only feeling of joy and satisfaction to come from a false source like a day dream. I want to look in the mirror and be the me I am. I am not being myself when I feel so different from who I am on the inside and in my dreams.

All the great looking people on my friends list

When I first started, I watched a lot of episodes of Ruby and the Biggest loser. I also love the Success Stories board on this site. All were very inspiring!

Boobies and buns, but then that's just me! Actually, pics of my fat *kitten* self..........

I have a lot of motivators. I too have been on MFP for a while... almost a year and a half. I have lost around 50lb... which is a lot slower than most people, but I am ok with it. We are changing how we live and that cannot be done quickly! I would write down all of your motivators and put them on your mirror, fridge, work out shoes, etc.

Example:

Short Term Motivators:
- I am in a wedding with a very form fitting dress in December!
- I want to go on vacation with my husband over seas and enjoy the plane ride and not be worried about people thinking I am a "Fat American".
- I want to be able to look awesome in a Bikini!

Long Term Motivators:
- To prove people wrong who thought I couldn't do this!
- To live a long healthy life with my husband.
- Become as healthy as possible, so when I decided to have kids, they will be healthy.
- To be happy!


now, what are your motivators?!

I either watch a past episode of the Biggest Loser or read a chapter in some type of weight loss book EVERY DAY. It sounds silly, but I have found that it helps SO much. I'm currently reading Valerie Bertinelli's book "LOSING IT" and "French Women Don't Get Fat."

Just losing the first few pounds and realising it isn`t so hard. I can still eat all the things I enjoy, have a glass of wine everything in moderation. slowly moving down clothes sizes. Family/friends saying how much happier and slimmer I look. Knowing that I never want to go back to being how unhappy I felt before.

I agree with the picture. I couldn't believe how I actually looked when picture was taken of me before I lost weight. I was devastated. It motivated me to get my rear moving. That and the fact that my 3 year old daughter told me she wanted to be fat like me when she grew up. I was like oh hell no, I've got to do something about this.

It's hard to look at how you really look. But it definitely does help.

Aww that is so sweet, children always say it as it is they don`t realise it can be hurtful they just say stuff out of love :-)

1. My before picture that is hanging on my fridge

2. The fact that my dad died of a massive heart attack the same week he would have turned 60

3. My mom who just had her hip replaced, has fibromyalgia, severe osteoporosis, and severe arthritis


I refuse to be like my parents!!!!!!!!

Old pictures of myself, success stories on MFP, all the news being thrown at you about "Fat America" and the health problems associated with it, observing the process (watching my clothes fit better, seeing muscles forming), etc.

There's something every day that motivates me. Whether something silly, like my BF smacking the tush going "wow" because of how firm it's gotten, or some near stranger telling me that they're "witnessing a transformation" or something huge like remembering that I no longer have to be on medications for a host of past medical problems.

...waiting for some magical motivational unicorn to come and force you to start you will be waiting forever.

Not true. I have a stable full of them. Just send me your checking account number and I'll send one to you.

Oh, but the rest is true. You just have to move. Move more the next day. A little more the day after... can I say just do it or do I have to pay Nike something?

I've toyed around with diet and exercise for quite sometime. The reason I feel it's working this time is I've made the conscious decision that I want it to work. Instead of thinking of all of this as a "diet", I'm thinking of it as a lifestyle change. I started with small adjustments to how much I was eating. Then I started an exercise program with a clear goal (Ease into 5K, similar to the C25K program). I post my progress on some of the boards here as well as Facebook. As a result, some of my friends have also started the program and we keep each other going. Moral of my story...YOU have to want it.

The progress is really motivating! I make before/after pictures every week, comparing my Day 1 photo to my most current, and after only 3 weeks, I can see a significant difference!

Also, I have a pair of jeans in my closet that I want to wear. I loved them and wore them 24/7 when I was a bit thinner...but I haven't been able to wear them in about 3 years! So whenever I get discouraged, I go upstairs, pull on the jeans, and think, "I bet these will fit in a few weeks!" I have to trim off about 4 inches from my hips to get them to button comfortably without creating a gigantic muffin top, but I'm getting there! On Day 1, I couldn't even pull them up over my bum!

Once I fit into those jeans, I'm going to buy smaller ones to use as motivation--I'll repeat it until I can get down to where I want to be!