What is your WHY?
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This is an AMAZING reason!! I wish you well! You've got this!0
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Lost for words. Truly amazing. 0 -
My WHY? I just want to be healthy and strong; and have those sexy arms. Oooh la la!!
If I'm healthy and strong, everything else falls into place. 0 -
Mike, your comments really touched me, because I have the same hope, to avoid diabetes. My mom has it and it is awful! Her whole family had it as well. I had done really well on my weight loss journey until last year when I back slid and am up 25 pounds. I'm just getting back on the journey and your post is just what I needed to read! Thanks!0
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I love who I am as a person. I feel in order to show this to my body, I have to take care of it. If a person loves something, you cherish it and take care of it! I love who I am so I want to love the body that contains who I am! Love myself all over! hahahaha. Hope that made sense!?0
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I'm glad it gave you a spark. I completely understand. I wasn't able to see my mom as often as I would have liked because we lived a couple states away. I kept trying to get her to move to where I was, and she would keep telling me she was making the plans to do so, but it was just to appease me. I didn't know how bad it was until I went out to see her about a month before she passed. I don't know if I could have done anything more, but I wish she would have been more truthful with me. Keep the faith, hold on to you reason tightly, and let it fuel you. Thank you for sharing.Mike, your comments really touched me, because I have the same hope, to avoid diabetes. My mom has it and it is awful! Her whole family had it as well. I had done really well on my weight loss journey until last year when I back slid and am up 25 pounds. I'm just getting back on the journey and your post is just what I needed to read! Thanks!0
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bump, for motivation if I ever lose sight of my WHY 0
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Although part of my reason is vanity and to prove everyone else wrong, I am doing it for myself. I want to be able to do more physical activities that I enjoy but I am embarrassed to do because of how I look. I want to be stronger and I want to be able to take care of myself. I think it would give me that boost of confidence that I really need in my life.0
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Don't be embarrassed and forget about what everyone else thinks. When you learn to let go of that, you would be amazed of how much you can acomplish. I used to be the same way, worried about how people would see me or judge me. I have the skinniest legs known to man for a guy. I used to hide it, wear pants more than shorts because I got tired of being made fun of for my chicken legs. But you know what, I don't care anymore. That is the way I was meant to be, and no matter how many squats or calf raises I do, I will still have these chicken legs. Embrace what you have, continue to make positive changes for yourself, and the confidence and ability to do all the things you want will be right there for you. Thank you for sharing.Although part of my reason is vanity and to prove everyone else wrong, I am doing it for myself. I want to be able to do more physical activities that I enjoy but I am embarrassed to do because of how I look. I want to be stronger and I want to be able to take care of myself. I think it would give me that boost of confidence that I really need in my life.1
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I did it to fix my health and my life, and that was motivation enough. But it fixed neither. I have bad knees that ended my running just as I was really starting to enjoy it. I have asthma. Now I'm getting arthritis in my knuckles, and my hands were never even fat. My life isn't improved much, either. My social anxiety is better, but I still have no tolerance for spending much time around people and I realize now I never will.
I suppose I'm in a bit of a blue mood today and I shouldn't even be thinking about this. Maybe tomorrow I'll find a bright side.
If not, I can always get fat again.0 -
My why is simple. IM ENOUGH. This isn’t for anyone else…..
This isn’t for my boyfriend who doesn’t want me to lose my shape
This isn’t to compete with my best friends who have always been small
This isn’t for the stares or the looks by others
It’s time to come out of my comfortable life where hearing this like “you aren’t fat you are thick” or “but you have a great shape” or “I don’t see you as fat that’s just you” allow me to stay complacent in that lifestyle. I am enough and I am changing one day at a time
Thank you for this amazing post 0 -
♥ this post This time will be different for me.
-I lost my father to a heart attack 6 months ago and my oldest sister is having issues with her heart at the moment. I don't want that to be me, EVER...
-I lost weight unhealthily before and gained it all back. The thing that I miss most of all is my self esteem. I NEED to have that back. I do understand that self esteem and weight don't have to be related but to set out and do this the RIGHT way will be a huge confidence boost for me. I want to prove to myself that I CAN make goals and stick with them!0 -
Actually, it was when my sister chose her bridesmaid dresses and I tried them on...and felt matronly. I hated how I was protraying myself and resolved to change. I feel so much better about myself, and even though I still have abit of a ways to go...I am getting there and am much stronger and healthier!0
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My WHY are numerous things:
* I want to feel better physically.
* I want to stop the trend that runs in my family (once the women get a certain age, they just let themselves go. I love them to
death but do not want to continue that trend!)
* I want to be able to enjoy doing things with my kids without feeling too tired or blah.
* I want to enjoy my grandkids when that time comes.
* I want to look better.
* I want to be able to wear the "cute clothes".
* I want to be a good role model for my kids.
* I want to look my best for my hubby.
Well, there they are. Not neccessarily in that order.0 -
These are they WHY answers I have listed in my profile:
It's time. I want to be around for my children.
Also:
- Weigh less than I did at my wedding
- Weigh less than I did at my prom
- Have more sexual confidence
- Buy a LITTLE black dress
- No chub rub
- Be carried over the threshold
- Weight less than my husband
- Pin-up photos!
- Wear heels comfortably
- Boots that fit my calves
- Run a 5k
- A bathing suit without a skirt
- Purchase a Victoria Secret bra
- Get an outfit at a "regular" size store
- No under-gut sweat
- Horseback riding
- Kiddie rides with my babies
- Flirting, wolf whistles, cat calls
- Feel "as good as" skinny girls
-Inspire my sister to get healthy too
-No back fat0 -
My WHY: taking responsibility for my own happiness.
I have always been so focused on making the people around me feel special and important, while secretly hoping that people would just do the same for me. I always felt like it was my job to make them feel good about themselves and that it was their job to make me feel good about myself. But even when I would receive a compliment I would graciously accept it, but then doubt it.
It is not anyone else's job to build my self esteem. This is something that I am doing for myself, and I feel amazing. Now every compliment I get, I think to myself, "yeah, I am looking pretty good today" without a single doubt about it.
Thanks everyone for sharing your WHYs.2 -
My Why:
I got sick of not feeling comfortable with how I looked and with feeling so out of shape. I want to look good. I might be having a bit of a mid life crisis, lol.
I got fed up with myself for whining about it and not doing anything about it. I got fed up with myself for giving in to wanting to eat away my stress or fill up emptiness that had nothing to do with an empty belly.. I mean - sometimes that still happens but I don't stay in that spot anymore and throw in the towel for one bad day - I got sick of that. I'm not that person. I make things happen and I can make this happen too darn it!
My why is that I want to quit wishing and start doing. I irritate myself when I 'blah blah blah' wish away my life while eating cake. :P0 -
Spent my first 34 years unhappy. HIding from the world. Not feeling pretty enough, smart enough, good enough etc. I started my own business in 2011 and realized I had to make a change physically as well as professionally. Took some time to really get fully committed. But when I started crossfit fed 2013 a switch flipped in me.
I am happier than I have ever been. I am comfortable in my own skin for the first time in my life. I see the endless possibilities in my life and I am just disappointed I waited to really get motivated til I was 34. HOWEVER I will say the first 4 months of 35 have been the best yet!!!! Looking forward to the rest!0 -
I have several Whys.
The first is my shallow why – my daughter is getting married in November and I really want to look great in all of the pictures. I just need to get my behind in gear and get it done.
My second why is to be able to do more fun activities with my husband and with any future grandchildren I may have. We love to go hiking and kayaking and losing more of the weight will make this much easier. I lost 50 pound prior to MFP and I am able to hike longer and thru higher mountains but I know if I can get these last 50-60 pounds off I will be able to fly over the hills and mountains. I also want to be able to get myself in and out of my kayak without any assistance from anyone.
My third and what should be my main why is my overall health. My grandmother, mother and her sister all have had to have knee replacements because of deteriorating cartilage in their knees mainly caused by being overweight. When I went with my mother to her consultation before her last surgery the doctor told me this was hereditary and it could possibly happen to me. I do have some knee pain but hopefully with my weight loss I will not have to have any kind of surgery. But if I do at least with less weight my recovery will easier and I will be able to get back on my feet quicker. Also both my grandmothers had diabetes and my mother is borderline diabetic and I don’t want this to happen to me. So far my numbers look good so maybe I have already gotten enough weight off to prevent this.0 -
My main reason is that I just want to be able to look in the mirror and feel good about myself...but there's a lot that goes into that. The first is purely physical, as it is with many of us. I want to wear that smokin' hot dress or that bathing suit and not feel like a beached whale trapped in a contraption. lol. Don't get me wrong, I love me. I am awesome and fun and professionally ambitious and creative etc etc. But I know that by allowing myself to get this out of shape and heavy, all I'm doing is hurting myself. I travel a lot and therefore love to hike but I get so tired and winded I find myself skipping these kinds of activities. I don't want to miss out anymore. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that my weight gain has a lot to do with my bad knee. All that extra weight on my joints is not good!
So feeling good about myself when I look in the mirror isn't just about looking good in that dress but to know that I am accomplishing something *for* myself.0 -
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I don't want to look like this EVER again!!!!!!0 -
I want to look better than I do already and keep looking better as I age. I'm seeing way too many hot mamas in their 40s, 50s,60;s etc and I want to be like them in my 40s, 50s, 60 etc. Hopefully Ill live another 50 years, God willing.
That's my reasons for now. Nothing to do with impressing others as I have always got compliments and even now people wonder why I want to continue to lose so no issues with others putting me down. I'm my own worse enemy. May be a little of a control issue or having control of something in my life..my weight and appearance.
Also, if I can commit to my appearance and health then maybe I will commit to the other projects in my life wholeheartedly.0 -
This is a really good OP and yes it did get me thinking. I'm new here, and just filled out this question in my profile, but I realize I didn't answer it completely.
I've lost weight before. Both times I lost > 70 lbs and came within 10 pounds of my ideal weight. Both times I gained it all back, and then some.
The first time the weight came off effortlessly after my first husband died. Of course, it wasn't healthy-not at first. When I reached about 160 lbs I finally realised I was losing and started actually eating again, but healthfully, and exercising. Then I met HIM.
HE was a mistake, and I knew it the first time I saw him and thought in my head "Loser!" but I was still grieving and miserable. Long story short, I gained it all back, and topped out at 214, almost 20 lbs greater than my previous high weight.
I was lucky enough that he cheated on me only after three years of marriage. Wish he would have done it sooner. I'd like those years back. Anyway, another weight loss extravaganza took place. My sense of self-worth plummeted, as he left me for a girl half my age and half my size. Revenge dieting. I did everything right this time, exercise, careful nutrition. I felt great and looked great, but it didn't stick. I got over him and gained it all back, plus some. I topped out at 228 lbs.
Last December I went to the doctor and stood on the scale and watched the nurse balance me out at nearly 230lbs. I know how to lose weight. It's not hard at all. Calories in, calories out and exercise and sweat. I know how good it feels to get that burn, to feel strong. I never feel so powerful and in love with myself as when I'm pushing through a strength/cardio set, with my face dripping and my heart beating strong.
This last time when I gained the weight back, I realised something. I've lived my life for others, always thinking my happiness depended on their happiness. I thought my only worth was in what I could do for other people, and never what I could do just for me. I was a care giver to my first husband, who was multiply disabled. I was a counselor/fixit/therapist to my emotionally messed up second husband. Now I'm a care giver to my mentally disabled sister, my elderly mother, and my nearly adult autistic son. So much of my life is taking care of others, that taking care of myself is... well... it's better than chocolate to me. It's better than pizza, better than ice cream. It's like winning the lottery. It's almost as good as sex!
So I've lost about 27 lbs before I joined MFP. I've got 75-80 more to go, and I know why I'm doing it. It's the one thing in my life, the only thing I am doing purely for selfish reasons. I'm doing this for me 1 -
First of all, GREAT POST!!!
My Why is: I'm tired of being fat! I'm tired of looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I see. I want to be able to wear what I want, and not what my "size" allows. I want to wear shorts in the summer and not be totally self-conscious the whole time. I want to be healthy and fit! I want to rock a bikini. I want to prove to all the people who said that I can't, that I CAN.
I think of my ex-coworker who said, "I'll believe when I see it", when we had a discussion about weight loss. I think of my current coworker who talks about working out to the other girls in the office, but stops talking when I walk in the room, cause you know, I'm fat, therefore OBVIOUSLY don't know anything about exercise.:grumble: I can't wait to prove them both wrong.
But my biggest WHY and the one that matters to me the most is: I noticed how much my weight was affecting my relationship with my husband. NOT because he cares, but because I became so self-conscious about my weight that I couldn't be myself around him. I have always said that if anything came between me and my husband that I would kill it, so the fat has to die!! :devil:
ETA: Being down 24 pounds with MFP and another 10 prior to joining here. Things with the hubby are great! bow-chicka-bow-wow :smokin:1 -
My main reason is that I am sick of being so damn cold all the time. Since I am under the impression that my thyroid could function better, even if Kaiser doesn't feel like treating it, I want to do what I am able to get it functioning as optimally as I can through diet and exercise before I pay out of pocket to see a naturopath. In my mind this means breaking through the barriers of truly having to eat less and move more than I was, and in my perhaps biased mind, more than others seemingly have to. (Mom Dx'ed hypo @ age 10 and I have basically 80% of the Sx.)
I do also want children in a couple years and am already risking fertility by being a later mother, if I can change my shape and have fewer complications that seems rather win-win. Another major reason that I am kind of embarrassed to mention are the micro-aggressions I have recently noticed against my size. For some reason ever since one person in my life made it perfectly clear that their veiled insults were in fact very insulting I am having a hard time not seeing venomous content in other statements. Perhaps connected, I am also a person whose severe childhood trauma is clearly linked with their weight gain and since I am healing from that it makes sense that my body gets the opportunity to change with my mind.
Thanks for asking!!0 -
Awesome post, thanks! Also, awesome reasons from people on here.
Mine probably seems a bit shallow compared to some but honestly I just want to look good. I dont ever want to have to disgusted by myself or feel insignificant to everyone else when im in a group of people because of how I look. I was bullied in high school for being 'fat' - not that I particulary was, I just wasnt skinny and this has given me a serious lack of confidence in myself over the years. So, yeah I just want to look damn freaking hot in a pair of denim shorts ^-^ Also, I have just been diagnosed with PCOS...losing weight is the best thing to get rid of the issues this brings but this is more of a second reason!0 -
Don't like being the Fat one
..that's my why... 0 -
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My why is an 8 year old girl named Emma.
My own parents were absent and neglectful. I'm a fully engaged father who wants to be there for his daughter for as long as is possible.
Mike, this is a fantastic thread.
-Tex1
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