Why did you choose to loose weight?

I'm approaching middle age. I was always accustomed to a fast metabolism with no weight issues. But then I took a desk job! And quit smoking! And started eating a lot!

So now I've packed on a bit more extra me than I used to have, and it's having negative affects on my functionality and general well-being. I mean, yeah, losing the weight has the added benefit of aesthetics, but mostly I just want to be able to put on my socks without running out of breath.

I chose to lose weight to live a healthier & happier lifestyle. I am already feeling results -8 lbs in.

Although the health benefits cannot be dismissed, in all honesty, I looked (but more importantly felt) unattractive and it had a massive impact on my self confidence. I went through a denial phase of "oh i'm not that big" and used that excuse, mentality and the comfort of a happy relationship to allow myself to eat whatever I wanted, when I wanted and ignored the consequences. It wasn't until I was in the right place mentally that I was able to commit to the diet/exercise needed to start losing and once it started coming off, I felt so much better about myself - not just physically but my self worth. Getting compliments both from people I knew and strangers was also a massive boost. I never thought that other people's opinions could affect me so greatly but it really did. I always had younger, skinnier friends who got all the attention and suddenly realised one day that I was actually "hot". I don't really believe it still some days but when I look back at old photos and see how far I've come, I always feel proud of myself and that's a great feeling.

life or death; my Dad died age 51, so did one of his brothers; cholesterol, diabetes, congenital heart disease, organ failure, fatty liver, malfunctioning kidneys; you name it, being overweight leads to it, so I took what I saw was the only way out, & quite frankly I feel 20 years younger good luck everybody.

I'd never been overweight before and I just didn't feel like me anymore so I decided to stop using food to make myself feel better and get back to being me.

I've always thought about losing weight but never took action until I went to Florida last year and couldn't fit on one the roller-coasters That was a big wake up call for me.

So are you asking why I wanted or are you asking what the final trigger was that caused me to find the right mental space to actually be able to lose weight?

The first question is pretty similar to most I suppose. Felt like crap, looked like crap, had no energy, and I was sick of being winded and tired all the time.

The trigger was a combination of things. Some health issues my brother was having, plus falling in love with first cycling, then bike racing, and deciding that I was putting so much time, effort, and money into bikes and training that it seemed dumb to not put in the effort to get rid of the extra weight that was holding me back.

1. My babygirl
2. My health
3. me

It's because of my family history of heart problems, high blood pressure and strokes. I was long overdue to start taking better care of myself and LOSE weight.

lose |lo͞oz|
verb ( past and past participle lost |lôst, läst| ) [ with obj. ]
1 be deprived of or cease to have or retain

loose |lo͞os|
adjective
1 not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached

Health, family history, the whole bit played a factor, but honestly it was two reasons...

1) I started to feel uncomfortable in my own skin
2) I did not want my boyfriend to start to see me the way I was seeing myself.

Thanks for sharing your stories you all! My reasons for wanting to lose weight are:
1. Feel more confident about my body
2. Look better in clothes
3. Embrace a more healthy & active lifestyle

My clothes stopped fitting and I just didn't feel like me any more.

I lost 40 lbs last year but then got pregnant with my daughter and gained 90 lbs during the pregnancy!! I lost 55 so far but want to lose the other 35 plus an additional 30 to get to my final goal. The weight affects my movements in playing with my baby girl and really affects my relationship with my spouse. I know I really need to lose this weight and I'm ready now!!

The other day I wanted to paint my toenails but I struggled because my belly was in the way!!
I used this website to lose weight before a few years ago and it worked, but I slacked off after I reached my goal weight. No excuses. I don't have a specific reason to lose weight (a wedding or anything like that). I just want to feel better and of course look better.

I just turned 69 and my blood pressure was getting a tad too high. My goal is to lose ten lbs and then lose some more. I'm very active, doing cardio on tmill and strength training with free weights. I find that I needed to track calories and exercise and this site is helping me maintain discipline.