What's the REAL reason you want to lose weight?

I want to be able to look at pictures of myself without obsessing over how I look. I want to wear anything while feeling confident and have a costume fitting where the costume doesn't have to be let out for me. Also, I don't want to have to lie about my weight anymore.

I'm 37 years old and had a TIA a little over 2 months ago. Basically, its the symptoms of a stroke but they come and go within a few minutes. It shows that you are on the verge of having a major stroke if you don't get it under control. With my lifetime chances of a stroke very, very high now (not to mention the other ickies like diabetes and high blood pressure) it was time to make a change. I have no intentions of stroking out before I'm 40.

I also am planning on hiking the Wonderland Trail in 3 years and the PCT in 12 years... and it would be absolutely impossible to do being so overweight.

Note: This is NOT bragging, it's my gratitude list.

I have EVERYTHING any person could ever want and need to be happy; I have a great husband I've known since I was 14, we have 4 incredible children, a nice new SUV, a roof over our heads, the internet, live within 15 different parks, the ocean, the mountains, the dessert, Hollywood and Las Vegas, I have great friends, I have a great job that allows me to be a SAHM, a full refrigerator and pantry, running water, clean clothes, etc.

BUT, my husband is disabled and has a heart condition. He nearly died after a work injury in 2008, of which afterward he developed en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhabdomyolysis. I almost lost the love of my life, the father of our children, my best friend. That was a wake up call; not only do I need to take care of him, but I NEEDED/HAVE to take care of myself.

God forbid something like that happens again, and I lose him. Mentally, physically, I don't know if I have the strength to raise 4 kids on my own. I don't want that to be an option, so I'm taking what preventative measures I can to assure our health and well-being first; eating healthy, exercising, encouraging lots of water, love, laughter, relieving stress and anxieties.

So, in a way, my wants of weighing less, are somewhat vain. I want to be as healthy as possible to keep up with my family, to protect them, take care of them, and if I can't be a good role model, how can I expect them to live healthier lives?

To be hydrodynamic enough to make a qualifying swim time for an open water swim I want to do.

I need to be at a safe weight to have a baby... and to look hot for a while before a baby wrecks my bod lmao.

For both my physical and my emotional health. I didn't feel healthy when I was at my worst, and I was too terrified of going to the doctor to have it confirmed. And sitting in a puddle of tears all too often because I was fat, ugly, and old did nothing to help me physically or emotionally.

Being fat I could and am fixing. I feel healthier at 41 than I did for most of my 20's and 30's. And as I continue to lose weight I feel more beautiful again.

And now that my emotional self is healing, I'm working with the doctor to fix the minor medical issues I do have.

Well, I want to be able to buy clothes out of normal stores and I want to enlist/commission into the military--- my ultimate goal.

I'm not particularly attractive, I've accepted this, and I have a body full of stretch marks, so I won't look much better when I finally reach my goal weight. I just want a better life for myself. I don't want to suffer from preventable health problems at 30, 40, 50. I'm already having symptoms and it's scaring me--- my limbs tingle throughout the day.

I also want to get back into running. I used to run over a decade ago when I took an ROTC class. I enjoyed it. I just want to be the best version of the current me.

I'm not sure what the infatuation is with being "thin". I'm a guy and not really attracted to overly skinny women. Maybe it's just me but a "healthy" looking women (proportionate muscle and weight to height) is much more appealing. Maybe because I'm a big guy and afraid I'd break a woman who's really thin. Anyway, I'm losing weight for my own self satisfaction. I want to be able to look in a mirror and say, "Yeah, I'm hot," whether anyone else thinks so or not. Also, sex is so much better when both partners are in great shape, much more endurance, no body angst, more flexibility and no extra padding to get in the way. So, I guess it's as much for my partner as it is for myself.

My desire for weight loss was to become the best version of myself.
I wanted to..

• look my best
• feel great
• and live well

My husband because he is absolutely perfect and deserves the hottest wife ever. And my son, so he can be proud of me and hopefully as he gets older, I influence him to take care of himself as well.. (he's a chubby monkey hehe)

Oh, and clothes. Can't forget the clothes.