Are you doing it for someone else?

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Well, this past week I've F'd up big time. Let me give a little background. I started losing weight back in November. The reason I did it was because of a woman. She was my girlfriend, and I loved her more than anyone I've ever loved. But she left me last year. One of the reasons was my weight, and I thought that was the deciding reason. So I eventually decided to start losing weight. Partly to spite her, partly for vengeance, and slightly to better myself. Over time, I stopped hating her, and I thought that if I ever saw her again that I'd thank her for pushing me to fix my weight. As it turns out, I got that chance.

She came back into my life last week. It was a little awkward. All that stuff I'd thought about telling her went right out the window. She cried to me and told me she was sorry for leaving me and that she still loved me. And I was really ready to take her back. But we talked about it and decided that it'd be for the best if we didn't get back together. So she left again. It's like something snapped inside of me, just like when it happened the first time. I realized something. I wasn't doing it for me. I was losing weight for her. Not to spite her, or to get petty vengeance, but so that she might approve of me again. But I knew that it wouldn't work, and she did too. Off she went, and there went my reason for bettering myself. I binged for a few days. All those crappy foods I used to like, but slowly I've been taking a hard look at myself. I don't want to go back to where I was. So here I am, and I'm going to try again. But this time, it's just for me. It still hurts, and I don't know how long it'll take for me to be okay, but I'm not going to trash the progress I've made.

If any of you have been doing this with another person as your reason, I want you to think hard about it. It's not a bad thing to do it for someone else. Other people in your life can be a great motivator and a fantastic reason to lose weight for. But if it's the sole reason, you won't sustain it. You need to want it for you, and I understand that now. I'm a little scared that I won't be as diligent as I used to be, but I'm going to try as hard as I can.
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Replies

  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    For myself.

    However, I must admit.. My mother is the reason that I gained MY weight .-.
    Headed back in that direction soon and dreading that it may happen yet again. Just awful.

    Aww, you're still young, you could try to find other reasons to motivate you? Have you any other interests, perhaps?
    Focus on something else you'd want in life, perhaps someone new?
  • ComradeTovarich
    ComradeTovarich Posts: 495 Member
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    Well, for right now, I just don't want to lose all the progress I've made. I dread getting that fat again. It was gross and I hated myself for it. So I guess my goal right now is to do it just because I don't want to be this way anymore. I'm just a little afraid that it'll be easier to fall off the wagon now. But I realize it's all mental, and I'm definitely going to try my hardest to get there. :glasses:
  • MagickDio
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    Yes and no. I'm doing it to feel better about myself, for certain. People tell me I don't need to lose weight- I'm also doing it because of them, because it's not their choice- it's mine. I'm doing it so my children have a healthy role model as they grow. I'm doing it so that certain "friend" who thinks they're so much hotter than anyone else actually starts to feel a little like she's not the only attractive person in this world. I'm doing it so all those people that looked at me all sympathetically with their heads on one side when I was fat and said "but you look lovely!" will suck in their breath and think "wow" the next time they see me. I'm doing it so that the family members that had spiteful fun at my expense when I was struggling with my weight will have to choke on their mean words. So that all the people who watched me sink lower into the misery of an anusive relationship and did nothing to help me will have to acknowledge how strong I was and how strong I continue to be without them. I'm doing it for all the people who don't think they can- my BMI was almost 37 and now it's just below 25. It can be done. I really want for someone who hasn't seen me in five years to be unable to recognise me. I want to get fitter, stronger, healthier and slimmer. I want to be a UK size 10, (US 6) which means I have to drop a size and a half.
  • lucylousmummy
    lucylousmummy Posts: 348 Member
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    i'm doing it for my kids (sort of), i had a huge wake up call when i had to lay down for 5 mins to catch my breath after walking up 13 steps, i realised at the age of 33 i was eating myself into an early grave, i didn't want to leave my kids without a mum, also i didn't want my kids to be made fun of at school because they'd got the fat mum
    i set myself a goal i'd be comfortable with, and although it was still in the overweight weight range, it was the weight i'd managed to maintain for the most part of my adult life........i hit that weight nearly 2 years ago
    so had about 18 months off the diet due to going through some family stuff but maintained all but 10lbs of my weight loss, i came back here january, and the rest of the weight loss is just for me because i really do want to be a healthy weight
  • Froggymcconnell
    Froggymcconnell Posts: 92 Member
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    For myself.

    However, I must admit.. My mother is the reason that I gained MY weight .-.
    Headed back in that direction soon and dreading that it may happen yet again. Just awful.

    Aww, you're still young, you could try to find other reasons to motivate you? Have you any other interests, perhaps?
    Focus on something else you'd want in life, perhaps someone new?

    Sorry to point this out but your mother is not the reason you gained weight! did she hold you to knifepoint or gunpoint?

    People who gain weight need to accept responsibility for themselves!

    I wish you all the best in losing weight but you will get nowhere in life if you don't accept responsibility for your own actions.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    Well, for right now, I just don't want to lose all the progress I've made. I dread getting that fat again. It was gross and I hated myself for it. So I guess my goal right now is to do it just because I don't want to be this way anymore. I'm just a little afraid that it'll be easier to fall off the wagon now. But I realize it's all mental, and I'm definitely going to try my hardest to get there. :glasses:
    If you need a friend to help you keep accountable, please feel more than free to friend me. :flowerforyou:
    Will bug you daily about your food and calories, long as you bug me too haha.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    For my future wife.

    Or, more to the point, to help me fine one :P.

    However, also because I like doing various (like off road motorbike racing) for which fitness helps.

    And just for general long term health - my mum pointed out that if my grandparents had been fitter, likely they wouldn't have had the issues with dementia so much (to be fair, all in to their 80s, though it was noticable on my maternal Grandmother's side that if she'd kept her health up in those last few years she'd have done much better as made a big recovery when we finally got her into a home where she was forced to eat regularly etc.)
  • jh270593
    jh270593 Posts: 33 Member
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    Me and my ex broke up in january after i had put on approx 2 and a half stone in the 4 years we had been together. It was a really hard break up which i still think about alot to this day. At the time i was very self conscious about my weight/looks and wasnt happy with my body but did not make any attempt to fix it until we broke up. Whether i felt like i was doing it for him im not sure, i am only half a stone away from the weight i was before i met him so i am very close but am i happy yet? Not fully i dont think! I havent seen him since and i probably wont see him unless it was arranged but part of me would like to see him just so i can stand there and have the confidence knowing i look good!
  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
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    Nope. Losing weight, doing more exercise, giving it everything I've got is all for me (selfish I know but I don't care) :-)
  • WorkInProgress323
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    Well, for right now, I just don't want to lose all the progress I've made. I dread getting that fat again. It was gross and I hated myself for it. So I guess my goal right now is to do it just because I don't want to be this way anymore. I'm just a little afraid that it'll be easier to fall off the wagon now. But I realize it's all mental, and I'm definitely going to try my hardest to get there. :glasses:

    It is so easy to fall off the wagon! Believe me. I gained the 30lbs that I lost back and I have been kicking myself for 3 years over it as I try to lose it again. I am finally learning that I can enjoy the crap that I love and stay within my calorie limit.

    All I can say is, from my experience, gaining, losing, gaining.... it just makes it harder to lose and it really messes you up mentally.

    Good luck!!!!!! I know you can do it :smile:

    Btw... I am doing this for many reasons, my health being #1
  • JulsiePie
    JulsiePie Posts: 166 Member
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    I'm finally doing it because I want too....I'm doing it for me.

    But that's not the only reason I'm doing it...I want to have kids and I want to be healthy during my pregnancies and be a healthy example for my future children.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
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    For myself.

    However, I must admit.. My mother is the reason that I gained MY weight .-.
    Headed back in that direction soon and dreading that it may happen yet again. Just awful.

    Aww, you're still young, you could try to find other reasons to motivate you? Have you any other interests, perhaps?
    Focus on something else you'd want in life, perhaps someone new?

    Sorry to point this out but your mother is not the reason you gained weight! did she hold you to knifepoint or gunpoint?

    People who gain weight need to accept responsibility for themselves!

    I wish you all the best in losing weight but you will get nowhere in life if you don't accept responsibility for your own actions.
    Sorry to point this out, but you do not know the situation I was growing up in and I am not about to share it on forums.
    I do not know you and do not wish to share the rest, plain and simple.

    Go on and shoo and do your own thing, I'll do mine. Kthx.
  • MCarbary
    MCarbary Posts: 48 Member
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    I'm doing it for my gf :)
  • AlexiaLupis
    AlexiaLupis Posts: 27 Member
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    I'm doing it for loads of people. Firstly I'm doing it for me. Secondly I'm doing it for my partner, he loves me just as I am but I feel like he deserves a real piece of arm candy! Also doing it for my mum, she's always tried to help me lose weight but I wasn't ready. And lastly I'm doing it for my children-to-be, if I'm blessed with children then I want to be able to run around with them!
  • Schmiznurf
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    I am doing it for my son and for all the women who live near me, so they have something good to look at.
  • jerrodh
    jerrodh Posts: 10 Member
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    For me, for my wife, and for some number of other persons that don't exist yet.
  • Joanne_happygramma
    Joanne_happygramma Posts: 207 Member
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    Nope. Losing weight, doing more exercise, giving it everything I've got is all for me (selfish I know but I don't care) :-)

    It may appear selfish but putting yourself first just naturally ends up being a benefit to others, so keep it up!!

    In my first marriage I kept trying to lose weight to please my husband, he was very controlling and at the end of the day the only thing I could control was my weight so I packed it back on to spite him (wow did I show him!!!) This time I am doing it for me, not to find someone, to keep someone, just for me and my health.

    And as long as I am happy and healthy, my new husband, my son and my grandchildren benefit.
  • CyanideVii
    CyanideVii Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm mainly doing it for me. My father passed away in December and he was my only family. I needed a healthy distraction and goal. I love my body even though I'm overweight. I love the shape of it but would love my stomache to be smaller. I have a lot of people tell me I don't look over 200lbs. I've love to get to somewhere around 160-180(5ft4) even though I'd still be considered fat. My moms side of the family think a size 2 is borderline fat. I've lost weight before and the smallest where I was miserable at was a size 10. I was more comfortable and confident as a size 13, even more comfortable as a size 15. I will always be "large" and I will always have curves(my family hates that too and hates my boobs) Things are really tough right now so this weight loss is for me. I've dropped 17 lbs and I feel and see the difference. I have a ways to go and I'm happy I foudn this site. I used to use "LoseIt!" but they switched to mobile only. With MFP it was cute seeing the "oh youll lose this much weight if everyday was like today" and ect. It kept me moving on.
  • epigirrl
    epigirrl Posts: 54 Member
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    I started last fall for ME and my own realization that I looked and felt like crap. After a month or two of success and feeling better than I had in a long time, I started to also be motivated by impure thoughts related to a secret crush I had on a colleague.

    After almost 9 months, still motivated by my own selfishness AND my now not-so-secret (at least not secret to him) lust for said colleague.
  • Ldbg289
    Ldbg289 Posts: 236 Member
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    Nope I'm doing it for me ans me alone. The funny thing is the guy I like told me to slow down on weight loss, but I'm not happy with me the way I am.