What is your WHY?

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  • justjambo
    justjambo Posts: 20 Member
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    Cancer.

    My mum and I were diagnosed within two weeks of each other.

    I have learnt a lot since diagnosis, I am on an anti cancer diet which is very similar to the paleo one (Dr David Severan anti cancer diet) and have learned that diet not only helps you if you have it, but in order to prevent it too. Especially taking green tea and turmeric daily.

    I also know that obesity definitely increases your risk of cancer, even being overweight is sufficient enough to increase your risk quite dramatically.

    I caught mine in time I believe. Now it is time to give my body the chance to continue to live. No matter how long it takes me. I at least have to meet this half way.

    (And the refusal to have photo's taken)
  • Froody2
    Froody2 Posts: 338 Member
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    Great thread.


    My why was purely health related. You can't be as fat as I was (and still am) without dire health consequences. I'm a nurse and look after people who've abused their bodies in lots of different ways - I didn't want to end up in a nursing home or dead, like a lot of them do.
  • OliveC81
    OliveC81 Posts: 2 Member
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    My why's: Because I just started a new career in healthcare and want to not be out of breath when things get busy; I want to play with my kids and not get tired; I want my legs/feet/back to stop hurting; I want to feel better; and I want to look better for my husband.
  • InevitableButterfly
    InevitableButterfly Posts: 340 Member
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    1. Two heart attacks, and I don't want a 3rd one as it might be one of those 'third time's a charm' things.

    2. 80.5'' circumference. I am 6'8'' around and only 5'9'' tall. O_O

    3. Family - I love them and now that I have them I don't want as much time with them as possible.

    4. An old dream - I've always wanted to figure skate.

    5. Life dream - I will be going to medical school and by the time I graduate I want to be healthy and look healthy so that my patients are more likely to take me seriously.
  • melb_alex
    melb_alex Posts: 1,154 Member
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    It can't be any more succinct or simpler than wanting to be the best version of yourself, longevity with life and health and reaching that state of confidence where you feel you can achieve everything in life and of course asthetics plays into it.
  • D0II
    D0II Posts: 4
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    I just feel out of shape and too chubby for my height, even though I'm normal weight.
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
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    My "why"s are:
    - To look better for myself and my boyfriend.
    - To not have thigh chafing and be able to wear a swimsuit with more confidence.
    - To be able to walk, jog and run longer distances and not get disappointed when I am already winded.
    - To improve my health and not have to take all the pills my parents do for blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. They aren't that overweight, which is why it is more frightening to me.
    - So I can live a more exciting life than sitting at home.
  • MrMax
    MrMax Posts: 73 Member
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    I was diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri. Being overweight can make the symptoms worse and if the PTC is bad enough, it can cause blindness. I already have some vision problems in one of my eyes because of it. I don't want it to get worse and I don't want to have to get brain surgery. It's really given me the motivation to finally start making some changes.
  • mickey9694
    mickey9694 Posts: 74 Member
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    I saw a pic of myself from a few years back and wanted to look like that again. Only about 20 lbs. or so to go
  • yungibear
    yungibear Posts: 138 Member
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    For every one of my previous weight loss attempts, it was to look better and perhaps appear more approachable (Something like that. My self-esteem was almost nonexistent). Today, I have been at this exercising and eating better thing for about 3 months now. This is longer than any other time I had tried losing weight! I hope that I can double this time ... and hopefully, be able to keep doing so year after year!

    This time, my motivation is to preserve my mobility. My mom is sedentary (and had not really exercised in her youth) and I see, first-hand, what my fate will be if I do not get active, now. Her back is completely immobile, her legs have atrophied, and she does not go out or do much because she has so little strength. I do not want a life like that when I am in my 60s. I want to be able to be free to do what I want, whether it is traveling, cooking, or seeing my future family.

    Eating better just seems to go hand-in-hand with exercising, so naturally, the weight started to come off.
  • Fattackler2013
    Fattackler2013 Posts: 142 Member
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    I restarted my healthy eating plan because I've been fed up for a long time about the way that I look and feel about myself. I've realised that if I continued eating the way that I was then I could end up dying early or I'll get to a stage where I'll never be able to get in shape and be happier again.(my mental health was being affected) I wanted to feel like I could walk relatively far and not feel so out of breath at the end of it.

    I also wanted to gain more confidence.
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
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    I'm constantly made to feel unattractive and ugly and I live a pretty lonely life because of it.

    My why? To prove them wrong.
  • drewmmm
    drewmmm Posts: 130 Member
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    I became less awesome. Srsly. I always kinda wanted to lose weight, but I was pretty content with myself (straight A student, medal winning athlete, earning my living at the age of 19, loving boyfriend of 4 years etc) so the fact that I was overweight wasn't really something that bothered me that much. Of course, I wasn't feeling good at the beach or in cute girly clothes or in anything tight but I had other things in my life that made me feel not good, but great about myself. Then, due to many factors (laziness included) I failed second year of my studies. My whole world came tumbling down. I started doubting myself. I started feeling bad daily. It took three months of feeling like c**p for my WHY to get big enough. It wasn't about cute clothes anymore, it was about will I or will I not take control of my life again. I decided I will. And it wasn't a big breaking point. I just woke up one day, started logging my food, put on my running shoes and never looked back.
    Now it's three months later, I'm 30 lbs lighter, almost at my goal, I'm passing my exams and my athletic performance improved. Take that life!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,594 Member
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    Initially it was extrinsic. I wanted to just get buff.

    It's now 30 years later and in that time my why became intrinsic. I still move like a lot of 25 year olds now. I can play sports. I'm still very strong. And I don't suffer from a lot of the maladies that men my age are dealing with.

    I also do it for a living and intend to inspire people showing them that age shouldn't be an excuse. It's never too late to start and there's always room to improve.

    I'll be doing this till I can't do it anymore. And I'm betting that's when I'm 100 year old.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • myladies3
    myladies3 Posts: 2 Member
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    My Whys are many...

    I wonder more why I allowed myself to keep the weight on for so long. I have been obsese for 23 years. I have amazing friends and family who accept me for who I am and what I look like. But always encouraged any attempt at weight loss full heatedly.. was me who always failed myself. So my reasons why at this stage in life...

    1. I would love after over 20 years to get off my blood pressure meds.
    2. I do not want to follow in my moms footsteps with diabetes and heart disease.
    3. I have arthritis in my hips, and had my right hip replaced in December (I am 46). Being in extreme pain 24 hours a day and being only able to walk with assistance from a cane or a walker before my surgery sucked.. but I didn't let it stop me.
    4. My 3 daughters are my main motivation, I want be there long enough to drive them crazy! They are 11, 12 & 16 and every day longer I can spend with them I will. By the end of this journey, they won't love me anymore then they do now if I am smaller. But they will be proud of me and learn from the journey we are taking everyday as a family. And hopefully my 3 active ladies will have learned a thing or two from me that will keep them healthy and happy.
    5. Really, who wouldn't want to look good naked.
  • jacquiearchambault
    jacquiearchambault Posts: 86 Member
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    Thank you for making me "Think", great post

    - avoid knee surgery - my weight caused multiple tears
    - avoid heart problems, diabetes or other health issues related to obesity
    - add a few years to my life by eating better and working out
    - having more energy and less joint pain
    - I do not want to be PLUS size anymore
  • SbetaK
    SbetaK Posts: 381 Member
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    My body was starting to remind me that I am not immortal. Nothing I can do about the time aspect, but the healthy living to improve quality of life was staring me in the face with a big WHY? If not now, when? Time is moving on! Great thread.
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
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    WOW...one pound to go...Congrats and thanks for sharing your journey.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    I'm tired of being the fat girl in my group.
    Tired of looking crappy in photos
    Tired of my knees and low back hurting.
    I'm active and I'm tired of dragging 30-40 extra pounds around when I walk/hike/zipline, etc.
    I'd like to eventually put on a bathingsuit again and swim without feeling like someone's going to roll me back into the water. :wink:
    And I'm hitting the age where my body is starting to do weird things. I don't want future health issues I can prevent now.

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