Why Do You Want To Lose Weight

For me this is what changed everything. Tomorrow marks 5 months of my new life of living at my Maximum Potential and Fully Expressing my body and it's capabilities. I went from not being able to do a pull-up, to doing 4 to 6 (depending on if I do a dead hang) not being able to do a chin up to doing 8 to 10. I went from 38 push-ups during a 45 minute workout, in horrible form, to 259 push-ups (with corresponding 123 pull-ups and chin-ups, in 30 minutes. Best of all, I dropped 70 pounds, bringing my total weight loss from my highest weight to 140 pounds lost. I can see my upper abs (YAY!)

My question for all of you is what is your reason why?

Why do you want to lose weight? Why'd you start this life changing journey?
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Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    there are too many to list, but the main one would have to be i was just sick of being seen as a fat guy and i was finally ready to do something about it
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    My reasons were all health related really. I didn't set out necessarily to lose weight, just clean up my diet and start getting better nutrition. Also, as a former athlete I wanted to get some semblance of my former fitness back.

    I lost a good 20 Lbs or so pretty slowly before finding MFP...basically just cleaning up my diet and I started moving a little more. Once I got down to around 200 Lbs I was feeling a lot better and turned up my fitness some more and started tracking my calories and nutrients and lost another 20ish Lbs.

    In the process I've cleaned up all of my bad blood work which was my highest priority and original intent. Losing the weight has been great and I'm glad to have my fitness back, but really getting my blood work under control was the most important for me.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    In 2009 I was 7 pounds away from my goal when my husband died. It didn't take long for me to gain back the 30 pounds plus a few more. After dealing with the emotional side of that loss and working on moving on with my life it just felt like it was finally time to get rid of the physical reminder of how I dealt with it. I've had some setbacks since but I'm not giving up.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    To be less fat.
  • sjanejack
    sjanejack Posts: 158
    I want to lose weight because I'm tired of being overweight and I want to not be overweight for the first time in years
  • soccerstyle3
    soccerstyle3 Posts: 1 Member
    I want to lose weight because I am a competitive soccer player who is overweight. It is my dream to play soccer professionally and I have started taking my steps to get there. My coach told me that before the fall season started I should "lean up" to improve my ability as a soccer player. I play on an extremely competitive team so I also want to lose weight so I have nothing that is holding me back, that might end up getting me kicked off the team. So basically, I want to be able to follow my dream into pro soccer
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
    Sick of being fat and overweight. I want to wear clothes that make me feel good rather than something you want to camp in!
    Also want to volunteer with St. John's so want to get fit and healthy to enable me to something worthwhile.
  • simplyshannal
    simplyshannal Posts: 188 Member
    My reasons are two-fold. I want to be super healthy for my son and family but I also want to surprise my husband when he returns from deployment. Homecoming is an emotional event alone but seeing his face when I am 120lbs lighter and feeling him lift me off the ground in that 1st hug in 12 months will be the best feeling in the world!
  • guinevere96
    guinevere96 Posts: 1,445 Member
    I have literally been overweight since I was a toddler, and now at 18 im ready to start my life! I already have some medical issues and im just ready to live a happy, healthy, active life.
  • kristen_karg
    kristen_karg Posts: 41 Member
    i want to feel better in my own skin, i don't really care what the number on the scale is i just wanted to be happy and proud of myself!
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 842 Member
    to be around for my daughter
  • shaynepoole
    shaynepoole Posts: 493 Member
    It was health related for me -- I starting having back pain constantly

    That was much more my wake up call than all of the silent and deadly issues I had developed from carrying around the extra weight...

    And now, with 190lbs gone, I was able to reverse a lot of the weight related conditions... so all in all, it was more than worth it as I feel better and am healther, now at 43, then I ever did before
  • CindyMarcuzAdams
    CindyMarcuzAdams Posts: 4,007 Member
    Looking good, feeling good, being sexy are all good reasons. But my main reason for losing weight is to be normal. To be able to be lost in a crowd. No more WHERE'S WALDO... oh there she is.
  • SandraJN
    SandraJN Posts: 305 Member
    I'm 61, insulin resistant, have high risk for heart disease and developing high blood pressure. I have the big round middle, which is a health disaster waiting to explode, so I must take weight loss seriously to stay alive and well.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    started for health reasons...I was 40...fat...high cholesterol...stroke disease runs in the family...my joints hurt...sciatic nerve pain

    continued after all that was under control (25lbs in) because I didn't want to be the "fat friend" anymore either...that took another 10lbs..

    After that I thought why not continue...I like what I see as far as fitness goes (Lift heavy) and another 10lbs wont hurt me either...puts me at my prepregnancy weight (he is 20) so I did that next...

    Now that I have hit that goal weight I am sitting at maitenance...for the summer...and this fall if I feel like it I will go down another 10lbs...which will put me at 145...and that is where I stop...that puts me mid range weight wise...but the only reason for me to do that is for BF%...
  • Shadowmf
    Shadowmf Posts: 40
    At first it was to look like my skinny slender sister but as I progressed I realized my asthma became less intense and I started feeling better so it shifted from vanity to health. :)
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
    I started because I was sick of being a Fat Man and because I wanted my wife to be attracted to me........my motivation to continue is for Me only....for me to be happy with me.
  • milmomto2
    milmomto2 Posts: 84
    To feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to Rock being over 50 and fabulous. To be hot for my husband, to feel good about myself, and to be healthy and happy.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
    Health and looks, simple as.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I want to rock my later 40s and feel more comfortable in my own skin. And I want to get fit again. I was a competitive athlete and I hate feeling weak and slow. No longer!
  • Phoenix__Rising
    Phoenix__Rising Posts: 9,981 Member
    To combat depression, T2D, Pcos and to look good in clothes and heck nude too.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    My reasons were/are pretty vane :embarassed:

    I was always small even after 2 kids, then I gained about 45-50 lbs in 3 years. Saw myself in a reflection and thought who's that fat chick....BIG wake up call. Still in denial, must have been a health issue...blood tests, nope healthy as can be...I did this to myself and that thought alone more than my image disgusted me. So here I am.
  • getfitwithlee
    getfitwithlee Posts: 24 Member
    Why do you want to lose weight? Why'd you start this life changing journey?

    I want to look good naked. I want to shop and have no restrictions on sizing. No one likes to be in the plus size section with all the stretchy clothes. And again i want to look good naked lol.

    I started because i was sick of not being able to job a mile without being out of breath. I was a former basketball athlete and its kind of embarrassing to see your old friends and you're the only one who is out of shape. I want to live longer and set an example for my 6 year old daughter about health and fitness.
  • shinisize
    shinisize Posts: 105 Member
    After having my son I was still a full 20lbs heavier than I had ever been in my life, and 35lbs higher than my happy place. I am uncomfortable, absolutely lack confidence in myself, and have yet to find any pants besides sweat pants that fit in any reasonably comfortable manner. I want to get back to a size where I am physically and mentally comfortable so I can be a happy, healthy mother who actually wants to go places and do things!
  • Delaware_Jen
    Delaware_Jen Posts: 5 Member
    I'm tired of being tired after walking up a flight of steps. I'm hoping the "pins and needles" feeling I get sometimes in my upper left thigh will go away. I'd prefer not to get diabetes.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I have a host of self conscious issues. Most of my life I've hated everything physically about me but my weight. Was so glad I was skinny. But, a few years after starting college that changed and I got a bit bigger, still in the "normal" range, but actually borderline overweight BMI.

    So, for years I struggled trying to get back down while avoiding eating disorders. Luckily, I absolutely love food and hate vomiting so no chance of anorexia or bulimia anytime soon.

    Then, I noticed a common theme among my family. My Grandma, my dad, and ALL my sisters (3 of them), started skinny and got larger. Grandma and dad developed diabetes and sisters continue to be larger. So, health became a major concern for me in addition to pure vanity.

    TL;DR: Vanity, then health became a concern.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Health, functional strength, being able to do fun things like handstands, v-sits planche and 200 mile backpacks. I like the idea of being lean and mean and able to do a lot of gymnastic bodyweight moves while having the lean weight to do long distance hiking.
  • mimieon
    mimieon Posts: 182 Member
    I have been overweight all my life - until last fall when I reached a healthy weight. When I hit the obese mark januari 2013, I was so sick of feeling uncomfortable in my skin, flabby, tired, and depressed. Also, I was getting heart palpitations more frequently, and had a foot injury that I figured wasn't helped (and maybe partly caused) by my weight. Thats when I decided to just do it. Now it is mostly just for vanity - I feel comfortable in my skin (though not yet in a bikini), fitter,and pretty healthy.
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
    I had a heart attack in January at the age of 53. I was a smoker, sat in my recliner all day due to two failed back surgeries and ate chocolate, chips and crackers all day long. It was a huge wake up call and I decided it was time to do something positive and embrace a second chance at life. I feel better than I have in 8 yrs, I am stronger and my chronic pain is no longer debilitating. I am actually grateful that I had the heart attack or I may be still sitting in my chair not participating in life.
  • sprucey85
    sprucey85 Posts: 64 Member
    Mine are:

    Want to be fit and healthy
    Fed up of being fat
    Hate clothes shopping because it's so bloody difficult to find anything in my size, seems to be really popular or they don't go that big
    I avoid having my photo taken because of being so fat so would be nice to actually look half decent in a photo for a change