SABOTAGE!

24

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,443 Member
    Having a workout buddy has helped me the most. Whenever I don't feel like doing it, knowing she is expecting me makes me go anyway. I would have quit a long time ago with her.
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    Stephanie Garibaldi-Ainsworth
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWHMM58H1W3071DXEWThNZ9gdNaMi43EHNtizAQJvBs_ju6dRXtQ
    I was stationed with Steph in the Navy and back then she was a bean pole. I stumbled across her years later on FB and she has been a huge inspiration as an athlete, enoumous help as a trainer and a good friend.
    http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/p/lbeb-athletes.html
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
    My mom was probably the first person who inspired me to lose weight. She lost 50 lbs, and that, more than anything else, showed me that drastic weight loss was entirely possible by just changing the way I ate and getting more exercise.

    The Success Stories forum here was really motivational to me. I was a lurker on the forums for a couple years before I became an active poster myself, and that was where I spent most of my time on MFP.

    And for the past year, I'd say the people on my FL have had a big impact on me, not just in terms of diet and fitness, but in understanding the struggles that other people go through and how everything that has happened to a person is a component of who they are right now. It's easy to make assumptions based on 5 seconds you spend looking at a stranger, but you have no idea where they've come from, what they've learned, what they feel that maybe you're feeling, too. I have always been too uptight for my own good and too willing to mold myself into whatever other people think I am, and I feel like, over the past year especially, I have outgrown that in large part because of the people I interact with on this site. I see bits and pieces of myself in so many of them, and it makes me think "Get over yourself, Casey. You're not as weird as you think you are."
  • LiftHeavyWeights
    LiftHeavyWeights Posts: 336 Member
    My husband who has always supported my efforts whether it's getting the food I want or equipment I need to work out at home. He done that for all of our 30 year marriage. MFP friends who encourage, give me ideas and are just there when I check in daily.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
    While support is awesome, I do better and greater things with people telling me I can't do something or expecting me to fail. I'm competitive and I love to prove people wrong.

    With that in mind, my dad, his wife, and my former friends and SOs are my biggest motivations. I spent a lot of time being angry, bitter, and resentful towards them. I finally used those emotions to turn my life around because I was sick and tired of being exactly what they expected me to be. I also stopped seeing myself the same way they did and realized I deserved more than they give me credit for. It goes without saying that I also love my MFP friends and they make me want to be a better person because of how much they inspire me.

    And, of course, being clean makes me so grateful each and every day... I am so, so lucky that I have my life back.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    I have to say that IRL, once people saw weight drop from me and asked what I was doing, I haven't really met with anything but support. a few work friends knew early on and are always super supportive. My husband is awesome and supportive and I've been an insiration for him to start working out again and watching how much he eats. I'm so happy to say that I wouldn't even have a bad story to relate if someone asked me for one.

    And of course, I've made a few good MFP pals who I enjoy discussing weight/health issues with because I don't want to annoy IRL people all the time with that topic :) Thanks for the positive thread... good for a Friday on what's felt like a very long week.
  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
    Myself. Cause at the end of the day, I'm the one who makes the decision about what I eat/do not eat, and it is I who gets up at 4am to get my training done first thing in the morning. I'm freaking awesome!









    ...............that and there really isn't anyone IRL who I can think of lol :ohwell:
  • Besides my MFP friends,

    My Husband. Mind you, he still offers me cookies, candy, etc all the time. Eats whatever he wants, and stays skinny. He also eats in front of me when I'm done for the day. In the beginning those things irritated me. The temptation was hard, but I knew if this was going to work, I had to control myself. It wasn't his responsibility to change.

    Aside from all that, he's my biggest cheerleader. He constantly tells me how proud he is of me, and listen to me ramble about fitness or food, all with a smile on his face.
    I really like this. My boyfriend is the same way but he is the ONLY person (besides my MFP friends) that have been encouraging the entire way. I'm especially thankful for his encouragement on days when I feel fat and ugly despite being a lot thinner than I was before.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    Myself. Cause at the end of the day, I'm the one who makes the decision about what I eat/do not eat, and it is I who gets up at 4am to get my training done first thing in the morning. I'm freaking awesome!

    That's right, girl!! We should give ourselves some props. Out of nowhere I'd just had enough and got off my lazy, fat butt and did something. Haven't regretted a minute of it yet. And now that I've dropped a noticeable amount of weight I have tons of people at work complementing me and asking me how I've been so successful, several of whom are now trying MFP.
  • Mainly, my trainer. The wealth of knowledge he's bestowed upon me over the last year in regards to fitness and nutrition is unparalleled. I could go on and on about how he's influenced my success, but most of you probably don't care, so I'll stick with the TL:DR version. :smile:

    This. The feels. A good trainer is worth his/her weight in gold. I love my trainer so much - he's completely changed my mind about fitness and food. It's been life changing. I feel like I should hold a parade in his honor lol
  • My Friend P, who faithfully goes to Zumba twice a week, and who will point out that my "too big" jeans look tacky, and make me go shopping.

    My co-worker who has this 6th sense of when I am running late in the morning and shows up with greek yogurt and fruit or something else tasty and healthy.

    The last person... really isnt a "person" at all....... my dog, a 75 pound Belgian Malinois, who DEMANDS that I walk him at least an hour (if not more) a day.
  • itsmyvwbeetle
    itsmyvwbeetle Posts: 272 Member
    Mainly it's me. My husband goes along with what I do. If I am eating healthy and working out then he is at least eating healthy. If I am not watching calories then neither is he!!

    However, I always try to be the motivating friend. I provide as much positive encouragement to everyone I know who is trying to make their lives better. I try to be the cheerleader in the corner :) I am the one that reminds people to get their run in, who asks friends if they are ready to work out with me (after they express desire), who asks how their eating day has been and what their activity is going to be. Ya...I'm that friend, the one you love when you are doing the "healthy thing" but the one that holds you accountable even when you arent :)
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    I'd say my husband has helped, he makes many accomodations regarding meals, and has actually made some changes himself to lose weight. He and my mom listen to me ramble on an on about various ingredients or new recipes, and my younger sister has always been supportive and offers encouragement. She's a work-out fiend and has the body to show it, but never makes me feel like I'm fat or lazy.
  • mssag
    mssag Posts: 23 Member
    My wife.

    We both put on a lot of weight over the course of our relationship. All the dining out in the early years, the convenience foods after having children.

    We were both sick of it. Whereas I walked around just being disgusted with myself and unhappy, completely sedentary, Lucy started counting calories.

    Then she started working out; simple stuff at first.

    Then she was doing HIIT daily. The results were happening faster and faster.

    I realized that maybe I wasn't doomed to an ever-fattening abyss of shame and cookies. Maybe the reason that most of America was so damned fat was not because it was inexorable, but rather because they didn't DO anything about it.

    I started counting - it was made so much easier by my wife preparing nutritious home made meals and having already calculated the calories per serving for herself.

    With that incredible advantage, I got my eating under control. Small changes began to happen. I quit smoking. More changes. I started Couch to 5K. Faster changes. I hit my goal weight. I wasn't happy with how I looked but at least I wasn't having to wear tents as garments anymore [figuratively].

    By this time she had started weightlifting. The results were immediately apparent. I saw her developing the physique I wanted - - strong, healthy, normal human anatomy. Eventually I sucked it up and asked her to teach me her lifts.

    I started lifting too. My whole world changed.

    I am deeply grateful to my wife Weese17 for having such an amazing will, and for inspiring me to fall into with what Taso once called "the virtuous cycle".


    Aww, I love this.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    My partner's friend recommended MFP to her, so she (My partner) joined and signed me up as well.

    Didn't even use it for the first month and then decided for various reasons apathy was no longer an option.

    Made practically all the noob mistakes on here in the first couple of months...didn't know what a macro was, over training, under eating *gasp* not lifting etc

    Started paying attention to the threads and discovered that there are amazing, intelligent, humorous, inspiring people on here who are willing and often do help and started adding to my FL with some people I feel honored to share virtual space with.

    My work out buddy is awesome.

    ETP group has also been an amazing help...Thanks Sara and SideSteele

    ETP link and Facebook page...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eat-Train-Progress/1451299741759830
  • morty1966
    morty1966 Posts: 250 Member
    Myself. Cause at the end of the day, I'm the one who makes the decision about what I eat/do not eat, and it is I who gets up at 4am to get my training done first thing in the morning. I'm freaking awesome!


    This is what I was going to post (except for the 4am wake ups, can't manage that). It was me that decided I needed to change the way I thought, and who followed the 'Beck:the diet solution' CBT programme, and it was me that worked really hard on eating well and exercising.

    Other people have been encouraging but it's up to me. You can only change yourself at the end of the day.
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    Definitely my MFP friends, they are all amazing and I love them. It's crazy how I feel like I've known some of them forever, and yet have never actually met them. My husband for supporting me, and listening to me constantly talk about my weight/my new workouts/my new NSV/all of that. Also, very important, my gym. The women in the child care area for taking care of my kids and being so sweet, and they all give me compliments and make me feel like a rock star. The front desk girls for actually wanting to talk and get to know me a bit, instead of just saying hi and bye on my way in/out. My trainer for helping me and pushing me when I need it and giving me awesome new workouts every month. Also, all the other trainers. It's really like a family. Even the gym-goers have helped me, and I really don't even talk to any of them more than the brief hi or something every once in a while. I feel like I accidentally stumbled upon the best gym in the whole world and I LOVE it. If it wasn't for the people there, I probably would've quit by now like I have every other time I've tried changing myself. My body looks so much better, I'm so much healthier, and they have even helped me change mentally. Can't say enough good things about my gym :smile:
  • Desterknee
    Desterknee Posts: 1,056 Member
    Besides my MFP friends,

    My Husband. Mind you, he still offers me cookies, candy, etc all the time. Eats whatever he wants, and stays skinny. He also eats in front of me when I'm done for the day. In the beginning those things irritated me. The temptation was hard, but I knew if this was going to work, I had to control myself. It wasn't his responsibility to change.

    Aside from all that, he's my biggest cheerleader. He constantly tells me how proud he is of me, and listen to me ramble about fitness or food, all with a smile on his face.

    This! Except he's my boyfriend, not my husband. He's proud of me, and that spurs me on.
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
    One day soon after I started dating my Love, he asked me if I wanted to go on a run with him. I said, “Sure!” confident that though I may not be able to run fast, surely a little lunch break run wouldn’t be an issue. I showed up at his work dressed in fitness clothes. We did a good warm up together and then began running. I was like a gazelle! We were running side by side in the sunshine, and it felt GREAT!! Until I hit my wall, not even half way across the parking lot. I found myself bent over, gasping, tears running from my eyes, my heart beating all out and I don’t know if I have EVER felt so lame.

    Instead of just getting his run in while I waited for him in shame, instead of putting me down in any way whatsoever, my Love walked with me, and I ran with him for the 20 seconds at a time that I was able. That was a huge turning point for my fitness journey.

    To this day, my Love applauds my strengths, and encourages me as I work to strengthen my weaknesses. He often works out right along side of me, and we do as much together as we can.

    I am a very fortunate woman, and thanks in part to my Love, I’m working to be a HOT fortunate woman- now heavy lifting and working on bettering my diet for results. ;)
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Initially, at least in the fitness department, a good work friend of mine was a huge inspiration. The same year I started with my weight loss, she was just coming back to work full time after having been out of work dealing with breast cancer treatments. She was signing up for triathalons and bike races and I couldn't help but think "If she can handle all of that, what the HELL is my excuse?!" I signed up for a 10k walk that was part of the same event as her bike race and spent the next several months improving my distance and time. Although she's now fully recovered and even a new Mom (yay!!!), I still keep that in the back of my mind.

    Also, my best friend and husband have both been huge supporters along the way. My husband is kinda clueless about what eating right means but that's sort of made it fun because I'm able to share what I'm learning and show him that healthy doesn't mean it tastes like cardboard. :)