What Got You Motivated?

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  • kgool
    kgool Posts: 177 Member
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    I posed this in the completely wrong forum, duh.
  • kgool
    kgool Posts: 177 Member
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    Posted this I mean.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
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    Money.

    Seriously, a lot of money. Last year my office's Biggest Loser Competition had an unprecedented amount of money in the pot (over $300). So, knowing I was pretty fluffy, I got in on it to try and win some money and lose a few.

    After that initial sign-up and my competitive streak kicked in I noticed a lot of physical progress before the end of the competition. The improvements in my figure, health and physical abilities kept me going well after the competition ended to where I pretty much doubled my competition-loss in the months that followed. After a while working out and eating healthy was just such a part of life its harder to drop it than keep at it.

    Then, of course, my boss raved about me to everyone. So, pressure to not gain it back. My parents got on the wagon losing weight - gotta keep setting that example.

    So, lots of reasons to keep going now that the initial incentive is gone.
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
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    The day after Christmas I was looking at the pictures taken by other family members of all the kids opening their presents. In one of those pictures I was in the background sitting on the couch. When I saw this picture, I didn't recognize myself and actually asked my wife "Who's the fat guy?" Needless to say, her answer scared the hell out of me and I started my diet that night.
  • kgool
    kgool Posts: 177 Member
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    The day after Christmas I was looking at the pictures taken by other family members of all the kids opening their presents. In one of those pictures I was in the background sitting on the couch. When I saw this picture, I didn't recognize myself and actually asked my wife "Who's the fat guy?" Needless to say, her answer scared the hell out of me and I started my diet that night.

    I had the picture experience too, especially when it's your face. I felt like I was in one of those movies wearing the fat suit.
  • tannaleigh
    tannaleigh Posts: 188 Member
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    My son was born with a severe heart defect. He spent the majority of his first year in the hospital, and recieved a heart transplant a week before his first birthday. I remember how sick he was before his transplant and watch him now. he is 2.5 years post transplant and you would never know the poor guy was ever sick... he makes me tired just watching him. Before I had him and since I have lived a pretty lazy life. if I wasn't at work, I was at home watching tv. pretty pathetic.... I have since had a second son, and with the help of his breastfeeding the weight is easily dropping off. watching the scale drop pretty quickly from 234lbs down to the 195 in the first three weeks after his birth really motivated me to keep it up... and the fact that now at 179 I can run and play with my oldest son without getting winded, its all been great motivation.... all of the above together have been keeping me on this path....

    that and the little bit of vanity I have... I would just love to look so good, my boyfriend can't stand it :)

    My sister also got clean in honour of my son, and she quit smoking and she now runs 10k 4-5 times a week. She has challenged me to run my first 5K with her at my side this fall.... and I will not let her down!
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    My dad had a heart attack last March at the age of 49. It was due to undiagnossed type 2 diabetes. He has always been heavier(like me) but always been a hard worker(like me) so we all thought he(like me) was healthy. Guess we learned our lessons. He had 4X bipass surgery 9 months after the attack on his 50th birthday. In this year has lost 60 lbs and is at the goal weight set for him by his doctors, is heading back to work part time, and is on the lowest dosages of his diabetes meds they can give him before being off them for good. I never want to have to put my kids through that and I want to be the best example for my 3 boys that I can be. The best part of all this is that my husband has been motivated to join me and is loving how he is feeling too!

    I love hearing everyones "aha" moments. Never forget them!
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
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    Wanting to get pregnant was really the last straw for me. After trying for over a year, I realized it may not happen for me unless I lose this extra weight. I hav ebeen unhappy with my weight for awhile now though, so that was just what pushed me over the edge.

    I also really really want to feel hot and sexy. I want my husband to hardly be able to keep his hands off me :)

    I am also looking forward to NOT being embarrassed by how I look in pictures. I will basically do whatever possible to avoid being in a picture, and as a result all our vacation pics are of scenery and not so much me or H.
  • AW30
    AW30 Posts: 14
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    Turning 30 and not liking how I felt and looked.
  • kgool
    kgool Posts: 177 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, very interesting seeing what got everyone started. I forgot to mention, feel free to add me as a friend, I only have a handful here and need more, unlike real life where I am a hermit by choice!
  • jend114
    jend114 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    to better myself for my 2 year old daughter.
  • djhavoc
    djhavoc Posts: 43
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    The mirror motivated me and my gut sticking out in pictures (yet the rest of me was okay) I can honestly say that I cannot wait till I reach my goal of at least a flat stomach this Summer will be my healthiest one yet!
  • Angiebug1969
    Angiebug1969 Posts: 152
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    I've seen my Mom's health deteriorate over the past 15 years... obesity, arthritis, heart disease & stroke... I don't want to go through what she's had to deal with! I know we all make our own choices, but I don't remember ever once seeing my mother exercise. She was "busy", and we lived in the country raising animals... so exercise just wasn't part of our lives.

    Now that I see what the dietary & lifestyle coices my folks made have done for their health... well, I have to do more & BE more for myself, my children & grandchildren!

    I've lost 50+ lbs since 2003 (and kept it off)... now I"m working on getting the last 15-20lbs gone permanantly! It's a struggle, but I'm healthy! I've become a marathoner (never running anything until I was 35 years old!), and have watched my children follow suit... becoming involved in all sorts of sports! THAT keeps me motivated... THAT keeps me focused! Now, if only my weight would cooperate!! LoL!
  • Pangea250
    Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
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    For me, it was simply TIME to do it. Sorry for the novel I'm about to subject you to...

    Specifically, though: for years, I have felt horribly about myself. I deal with a chronic, clinical depression on a daily basis, and I have for years. Make that decades. For about two years, my doctor and I tried medication after medication and then combinations of medication after combination. If you've never gone through it, you can't imagine. You try a med, have to wait a month to see if it works. No? Try another, wait a month. On and on. I'd gone on meds when I was younger for this, and never had such a hard time.

    After two years, I woke up one day and realized that the heavy wet blanket on me that slowed me down every moment of every day (how I describe my depression) was somehow a little lighter. I knew I'd found the medication that worked. Finally. I still didn't like myself very much or care about me at all. But something was just a teensy bit better.

    A few months later, I realized that maybe I had this whole weight thing backwards. I was waiting to feel better about myself in order to start losing weight. Who said that was the right order? I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was supposed to start LOSING THE WEIGHT FIRST. Maybe the feeling-better-about-me part would come later.

    Around that same time, I had an encounter with a mirror that I couldn't ignore. See, I have never been overweight until about 8 years ago. I've piled only almost 100 lbs in that time. In my mind, I'm still thin. I still look awesome. The problem with that is that every time I pass a mirror, I'm shocked and horrified at what I see. I'm reminded again at how disgusted I am with myself. I've done the best I can at covering this with clothing. But one day, I needed to attend mass in my dress uniform (I'm volunteer EMS). I had no choice: shirt tucked in. I was embarassed at how I looked.

    I started here at MFP just a few days later.
  • mericksmom
    mericksmom Posts: 222 Member
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    On new years when I was out with my son and my friend my son decied to pipe up all of a sudden and repetedly throughout the day would say "mama, you fat" "mom you need to lose weight" Doesnt help when I was with my friend who is very tall and very thin. I was mortified.

    I was happy at where I was with my weight but for my son (7 yrs old) I decided that I would try to lose weight for him as long as he kept supporting me. He is now not really worried about what mom is doing or how much I lost but he is more concerned about what he puts into his body. He still requests for fast food, but I keep remind him on how many more calories and salt and process stablizers in it that it isnt as healthy and that if I make a burger at home it would be much better than that.

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