What is the fire that keeps you going?

Two things, I think. The fact that since I changed my diet, I feel SO much better. And the fact that I am 41 years old, and I know if I did not make changes, my health would have probably started to fall apart before too long. I am still young enough to want to enjoy life, and I was killing myself slowly with my fork. No more.

For the first time since I was very young, I feel in control and I'm happy when I look in the mirror. I am not going back. Yes it's a daily struggle sometimes to not but I am going to win. I have given away all of my clothes that are more than one size bigger than I am right now so I don't have a choice, do I? I am in the process of regrouping and getting ready to push toward losing the last 25 pounds. I know I will have to buy more clothes but, yeah, I'm ready. And besides my mother who wears a 12-14 is going through her closet and giving me all of her large size clothes, well at least some of them. I told her I bet she never thought I would be wearing her sizes. I weighed what she weighs now when I was 12, 140 pounds, and was already 5 inches taller than her. She's 5'1" and I'm 5'7".

I realized one of the motivations I have when I was flying from Chicago to Los Angeles yesterday. I want to be one of the people who you hope sits next to you on the plane rather than one that you pray passes by and sits next to someone else. It's a fine line but, to me, it's such a strong implication of so many different things that I aspire to be.

Feeling like I have the CONTROL...not the food controlling me. I sure wish I would have "discovered" this power many years ago, but it is never too late-onwards!

I always, always think of my before and pic (that's my avatar). The before pic is just not someone that I want to be or am ever going to be again.

When the man who raised me committed suicide I was 6 months into my lifestyle change. He was so proud of me and I was finally doing the hard work needed to lose the weight. I felt lost, hopeless and I stopped for a moment. I had to handle cleaning up the mess he left behind (literally) and getting the funeral set up. I had no energy to go walk, cook or function. I started smoking again and drinking liquor on the stairwell at night. My roommate walked out about a week after and said "what the hell are you doing? This isn't solving anything Sarah" and I screamed. I lost it. I had kept it together for everyone, I hadn't even cried until that moment and she cracked my case. She sat next to me and just held me while I mourned the loss of my biggest support net. I realized he couldn't handle this life but I can. I gave the cigarettes to my roommate and went for a walk to clear my head and it worked. It was a relief to get back in tune with my body and it reminded me why I was doing this. I wanted to live and I couldn't letyself waste anymore time delaying my happiness. It wasn't all smooth sailing and I had 2 back injuries the following year but by that point I was able to modify my diet and still lose weight without working out. I had to "give up" on intense training but I knew that if I worked hard and consistently I could get back to walking and pilates eventually. There will be times when there really is no point in working so hard for a few nbers on a scale but once you feel the changes on the inside I think you start to change the way you view the outside. It went from trying to be the smallest to wanting to be the healthiest. Haven't been sick in a couple years and my bloodwork is beautiful. I will take health over a smaller weight any day. Don't give up because there really won't be a finishing or stopping point. You will need to maintain and that is no small feat. It may seem less overwhelming if you make small steady changes that snowball into a weight dropping, health machine

The results is what keeps me going. As my body gets lean, and the inches come off. Those results are addicting, and I want more.

Because every woman in my family is seriously overweight, and I never have been until now... I walk into a room with them and they kind of smirk and say "Ahhhh you've finally put on a few pounds, knew it would catch up with you sooner or later"
Ummm, I don't think so, don't get used to it, cause it aint staying long.

There are several things.
My dad died at age 55 from a heart attack. He never did try to take care of his health, and never felt well enough to enjoy his life. When I am 55, I want to feel good enough to dance and hike a mountain trail with my hubby, to crawl around on the floor with my grandchildren and keep up with them at the zoo.
And I have other goals that I am working toward besides just weight. Right now, it's a healthy pregnancy and a smooth delivery (eating right and exercising helps that immensely!) I had just gotten into a size 6 for the first time in YEARS right before I got pregnant, and it felt great (was at a12-14). I want to get back there as soon as possible. I really want to reach the next rank (martial arts) in the next year. I want to go to instructors clinics and be ready for more when the guys are collapsed in sweaty heaps. I want to be able to do 100 consecutive pushups.

I like picking up heavy *kitten*.

Losing weight makes everything look bigger. :glasses:

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.

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?

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

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.