What got you motivated?

Shana67 wrote: »

Twice in my life I've gone on huge weight loss kicks. The first was when I was 28 (235 lbs) and realized that I was being left out of activities with my friends, because they didn't think I could handle the activity. Also, my younger brother pointed out to me how unhealthy I was AND my sister's wedding was in 6 months and I couldn't fit into the LARGEST bridesmaids dress offered. I lost 90 pounds over the course of 2 years.

Fast forward to today (started at 215, now at 187). I just decided that I would NOT be starting my 50s as an overweight person. I just turned 49 on Sunday (the 24th), and as I already mentioned, down 27 pounds from January, with 27 to go. I think I can lose those additional pounds this year for sure

Awesome job! My motivation is similar in that I was to feel fit and healthy well into my 50's, 60's and beyond. I love being active and trying new activities that a physically demanding and I don't to have to pass up on anything that interests me. I see my mom, who is 57 now, and how she struggles with her weight, but also with having enough energy, stamina and strength to do alot of physical activites. I don't want to feel limited because I didn't take care of my body when I was younger.

I just decided that it was time..I had done the "I'm losing weight for (insert event)" this time I did it for me. Just ME. I started slow and have consistently built going on a year and a half. I lost 60 lbs total and have totally transformed my body. I have days where I have no motivation..but it is my discipline that keeps me in gear. I have worked hard for it all..and I still have goals to reach...I'll never become complacent again.

Each thing you do towards your goal..be little or big..is a step in the right direction. Good luck!!

kt_kat_88 wrote: »

I have been trying so hard to get motivated for a long time now and I just end up making excused. So many times I thought I had hit a point where I would change. Hitting the 200 lb. mark, being put on blood pressure meds, even vacation and high school reunion. Each time those events happened I would think to myself "this is the time to change" but it never happened.

So what helped you get motivated to finally make a change to a healthier you?

look in mirror and breathing hard my clothes so type on me I am trying it not easy.

I had 2 motivation points. The first was January 1, 2000. Having reached the new century alive, I decided that I had the genetics to live to be 100 and I should start acting as if I wanted to. In the following year I lost 100 lb without even trying. That was just an attitude adjustment. The second was 3 months ago when my Dr. told me that my HDL was low.

Purging my room of what no longer fits me, and what stopped making me happy. Serious life changer!

A lot of things motivated me this time to really stick to it. A lot of things have happened over last few years that resulted in a lot of stress, bad habits, and weight gain. I'd make half attempts to lose weight, but wasn't consistent. I think a lot of people who know the old me, did kinda pressure me to get back to my normal self. But that nagging just made me dig in my heels and resist.

One day I just went out and bought a FitBit and I got serious. I didn't tell anybody...I just quietly started going to the gym, I quietly quit drinking soda, I quietly started counting calories...it was like my secret thing; I didn't feel the need to tell anyone, my actions would speak louder than anything that I could say...and I figured that at some point when I finally made enough progress someone would notice and then they would know.

I got tired of going out with my bf and having people be like oh is that a friend or a cousin, or something equally ridiculous....and for him to have to clarify that I'm his gf, like we don't look like we should be together. I got tired of breaking into a sweat just from walking (the worst!). I use to be able to walk in a store and buy anything I want and know it would look good....but it became a struggle to find anything that would even fit anymore, and I refused to say well maybe you need to look in plus size! I missed wearing heels! On the day that my bf and I get married I want to be able to say I got the wedding dress I wanted....not the dress that fit. I don't want to look fat in wedding photos. I didn't want to be on high blood pressure medicine or get diabetes. I'm not the same person at this size...I'm not confident, I don't want to dance in public or do anything that might bring attention to me. I genuinely didn't really care about my appearance anymore. OMG the list was endless!

One day you'll just get tired...tired of it all, and make the decision that YOU have to change! It's not easy and there are days that I want to just say forget it. The weight isn't coming off as fast as I would like, there are weeks when I feel like why am I doing this because nothing is moving (not an inch or lb)...but I truly believe that this time I'm going to get there. I shake off the bad days, because yes they will come...but I just get right back to it.

Three motivating factors:
Developing Type 2 Diabetes and staring mortality straight in the face because of my appalling lifestyle.
My family depend on me.
I want to see my Grandchildren.

When my scale said "too heavy to give reading" this morning. Time to put in work! 222 to lose.

I've always been in the range between 180lbs to 200lbs. If i hit 200, I'd be motivated to work my way back down. But always i'd slowly creep back up to 200.

I'm 200 now. But this time I am doing it for a different reason. I've been having nagging foot injuries - plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis etc. It may be from playing too many sports on consecutive days so maybe I'm getting a bit older and I need to rest my body more. But these nagging issues have made it even difficult to walk for long periods at times. It's very frustrating to be in this immobile condition so I'm working on losing the weight to reduce the stress on my feet. Being able to walk around pain free is my motivation...

After being overweight for many years and not really caring because I was basically healthy and felt good, my heart started doing weird stuff and I got a pacemaker for no precisely identifiable reason, my blood pressure went up and my cholesterol went up. I basically had a choice, start taking care of myself or live on pills for the rest of my life. Te decision was a no brainer. Im down 25 lbs with 39 to go.

kt_kat_88 wrote: »

So what helped you get motivated to finally make a change to a healthier you?

What helped motivate me to become healthier was realizing in summer 2008, at my father's memorial gathering, that I hadn't exercised regularly in over a decade and had gained around 75 pounds during that time. I got a new bike and started cycling regularly, working up to 125-mile day rides.

Unlike my experience with running in the 1990s, though, all that exercise didn't produce much weight loss. I got serious about that in fall 2012, after developing lower back pain and borderline high blood pressure. Physical therapy helped with the pain, but not the blood pressure, and I was also getting tired of feeling squished into airplane seats and having to deal with my gut when lounging on the sofa. So I started to get serious about eating less. I discovered MFP when leafing through Consumer Reports at my sister's house after New Year's Day 2013, and decided to download the app, create an account, and give it a try. 65 pounds later, I'm still here, and maintaining for the last 17 months.

This may sound superficial but I was tired of wearing large sized clothes. On a recent shopping trip with my mother I tried a gorgeous dress but three different sizes didn't fit, after that I got so angry I almost cried. Then I realized the only person I could be angry at was myself. From that day on I have logged my food and exercised almost daily. I have picture of be 12 years ago hanging on my refrigerator as motivation.

brb_2013 wrote: »

I don't have huge motivation, but rather a desire for a semi normal life. To be able to shop at any old store I want, have a closet full of clothes I know fit my body properly (basically I want a real adult wardrobe). I don't want to be uncomfortable on air planes or for traveling by car. I want to be able to have people comment on my appearance and not have it kill me inside.

Just basically to be normal. I'm having to use pounds lost as a guide but really it's just normality that I desire,not even perfect health or whatever. I don't need to over analyze every nutrient or train for marathons or have perfect macros.

I think I know what you mean. That desire for normality actually messes me up sometimes because tracking calories is not technically normal. Eating at a calorie deficit is not normal. The phrase "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" cracks me up because there is no way I am willing to count every morsel of food, or eat below maintenance for the rest of my life.* BUT. But but but - this is the road to normal. And on the way I am adding some habits that WILL stay with me for the rest of my life, Lord willing and the Creek don't rise.

*Other people feel differently about that obviously.

Kind of a weird one, but...

My son wanted to take boxing. It was three nights a week for 1.5 hours. I quickly learned that watching boxing practice is one of the most boring things ever. So, I started going to the gym during his practices. I wanted to lift weights and stumbled onto Stronglifts 5X5. Seeing the progress was the real incentive to keep it up. I'm over two years in, and doing my first powerlifting competition in less than two weeks.

I'm recently out of a long-term relationship and have been using alcohol and food to make myself feel better (it wasn't a terrible breakup...just sad) and I woke up on New Year's day next to someone that I didn't know feeling like I was going to die. I decided that January 1st was the worst I was going to feel all year and I needed to work on myself before I could be in good, working order for someone else. I then made a 100 day goal and decided to start setting time goals instead of weight goals. Plus I'm turning 30 this year and I want to wear a bikini in November!