What is your WHY?

Options
1…4042444546

Replies

  • dmwh142
    dmwh142 Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    1. I don't want to have a lot of health issues because I am anti-drug. I've watched doctors put my parents on one medication after another and then more to fix the problems the first medications caused. That is not for me. 2. I am 54 and don't expect to have any grand children for at least 6 - 10 years. I want to be able to play with them. 3. If I am going to live into my 80s or 90s I want to feel good.
  • KosmosKitten
    KosmosKitten Posts: 10,476 Member
    Options
    Wow, I just have say not only was that an amazing post to read, but it was very inspiring. Kudos. :)

    My why is multi-faceted and probably intersects with a lot of reasons others have:
    • I want to live to be 100 (assuming I don't die of something that's unpreventable, that is)
    • I want to live long enough to see my son grow up and see what he does with his life.
    • Really, really, really want all my music/concert shirts to be loose fitting (as opposed to tight) so as to help prevent wear on them when I wear them.
    • Not interested in dying from something that was otherwise preventable. Both my father and my step-mother have diabetes (as a result of their job and their diet) and I have no interest of going down that path.
    • A big reason for me: I am tired of being depressed and having a generalized anxiety disorder. Diet and exercise probably won't change that (as in, I will still have both), but I know from prior experience that exercise in particular and being out in the sun goes a long way toward making me feel more on the up and up. So far, I manage both without medication and I want to continue to do so. If I can avoid taking extra medications, I will do so.
    • And of course, I want to prance around in cute lingerie and clothing that's a bit more revealing and feel good doing so.
  • brookielaw
    brookielaw Posts: 814 Member
    Options
    Once upon a time, I weighed nearly 400 lbs. Everything hurt. I was beyond unhealthy, I had one foot in the grave. Then I lost a significant amount of weight, got into a relationship with my best friend, got pregnant, got married, and gained a lot of weight back...not all, but enough to be beyond unhealthy with one foot in the grave again. And then I realized I had a beautiful tiny human that was in danger of losing her Mom way too early. I realized that I was becoming a different version of myself that was not the version that my husband fell in love with. I realized I wasn't going to be a very good parent if I couldn't keep up with my girls, and that the littlest one in particular was going to learn from me. What kind of example is a Mom that sits on her rear eating junk? So I make sure to make better food choices because they make me feel better and give me more energy.

    I exercise because it makes me feel good. It relieves stress. It gives me the energy to keep up with her. I swim because I love to swim. We walk a monthly 5K as a family because it feels good to accomplish something as a family and because Little Bit will see this as the norm. I box because punching stuff is fun. I lift because I'm strong and it makes me stronger, and because I love it. I do yoga...well, because it's available at lunchtime on Wednesdays at work and varying my routine helps with weight loss. I will compete in a triathlon in May because I love medals.

    It's definitely safe to say that the biggest part of my why is my tiny human. I don't want her to have the same struggles I've had. Being the fat kid sucked. Being the super morbidly obese adult sucked even more. I have to lead by example. I keep going because the current version of me that is half the size of the 2012 version of me is a lot happier and can do a lot more. I'm half the size I was because I keep going, and I also keep going because I'm half the size I once was. Every time a family member, colleague, or friend tells me that I inspire them, it gives me the fuel to keep going, so that's what I'm going to do....get busy living.
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
    Options
    I love reading your "Why's". Keep them coming.
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    Options
    My whys have changed over time...

    Originally, 2 years ago, my why was my wife... I felt like she was ashamed of me (she wasn't but I felt like she was and what I think is what matters in that situation.)
    Turned out that was a dumb reason and wasn't enough to motivate me in the long term.

    Once my divorce/separation were moving along I started doing it for me. And I've been much more successful. I do it for me and my health and to prove that I can. I was to be strong and fit and able to do whatever I want to do. I don't want to feel like my weight is a restriction.

    Plus there's also a real vain side of me that wants to look super hot (I mean I already think I do but you know what I mean) and the sad truth is that being at a better weight is better for my future relationships. People are more interested in starting to talk to you and getting to know you and your personality when you look good. At 280 I didn't look all that good. Plus see above about weight not being a restriction. I'm more outgoing and fun to be around.

    So I did it (and am continuing to do it) for me. For my whole self and my entire life and well-being.
  • Amylynn2093
    Amylynn2093 Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    my why...in all honesty...I got sick of being the fat friend...I got sick of my hip hurting...my confidence level was never the issue but when you get a bunch of women together shopping and you get "those looks" I got sick of it...

    Now I am one of the smallest in the group...my hip doesn't hurt and my confidence well is the same...

    and no it wasn't to find a man..I got him while I was fat and got fatter after I found him...
    MikePXstream wrote: »
    Hey everyone,
    More often than not, I see the same statement come from a lot of people about their fitness journey. "I started up, but then I quite xx amount of days later." Or, " I made it 2-3 months, but couldn't keep up with it." So I started thinking, what is it that keeps people from continuing on? What was it that kept me going on? I read or listened to a small segment by Darren Hardy called Making the shift, I believe that was it, and he touched on the subject of what is it that drives us to pursue something. The main reason, your WHY has to be strong enough.

    Imagine that you are on a high rise building and there is a skinny platform about 30 feet long going from your roof top to the building across the way from you. You are asked to cross to the other side. Chances are, you probably don't want to. Now imagine there is a $10 bill on the other side. You might be more tempted, but is it enough to really make you want to do that? Probably not. Now, imagine your child or loved one is in danger on that other side. I'm willing to bet that you are going to do everything you can to get to that side. What changed? Your WHY changed. Crossing a 30 foot platform just for the thrill of it or $10 wasn't a big enough reason why, but a loved in danger might be.

    Now, imagine applying that same mindset to your fitness journey and life style change. Is your WHY big enough? I believe one of the reasons why some people don't make it past that few day or couple month period is that there WHY isn't big enough, so the willingness to stick it out and achieve their goal isn't really there.

    My why goes beyond wanting to look good in shorts or have 6 pack abs. Mine is to avoid a hereditary disease and live long enough to see my children's children grow up. My family has a history of diabetes. Both great grandparents, my grandfather, mother, and uncle all have or had diabetes. My uncle was just diagnosed a few years ago, and my mother, god bless her, lost the fight a few months back. A couple of years ago I weighed the most I ever had, didn't care what I ate or drank because I assumed I would be one of the lucky ones that the disease skipped. I then realized that was a bad mindset, so I changed it. I made the choice to want to eat better, exercise, and prevent the possibility of contracting diabetes and being insulin dependent. I did not want to leave it up to chance. Sure, I would exercise a little, go for a run here and there, eat something healthier, but my WHY wasn't defined, Therefore I was inconsistent and not really doing myself any favors. So, I changed my WHY.

    I understand that at times, life can get in the way and slow us down. An injury, drastic change in your lifestyle routine, but when it boils down it it, your reason will remain the foundation for your success. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or you have been making a lifestyle change for years. Do you truly know why you are exercising? Do you really know why you have chosen to eat a little cleaner? When you understand why it is important to YOU, you are more likely to succeed and stick with it.

    I hope this has you thinking a little bit. If so, then what is your WHY?

  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
    Options
    amylynnbanek2093 wrote: »
    I started for others.... to look good. I stayed for me. After losing 60 pounds I feel great!!

    That's awesome. Congrats to you!
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    Options
    Tired of feeling tired and achey. I have some slight medical issues that bother me that I know being thinner would take some of that away. I was always thin naturally until having my last child and know how it feels to be there. I want to be able to breathe easier and walk up stairs and not get out of breath, play with my child this summer. I'm going to be 49 this year and I want to get to a good weight and maintain for many years to come.
  • kajohnsonaz
    kajohnsonaz Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    My Why - I went back to being a full time student last June, and the long days and late nights studying in the cafeteria have wrecked havoc on my diet. I've gained 15lbs that have to go! I'm not making the time to cook and exercise properly and need all the advice and support I can get! Hoping that I can stay committed to calorie tracking and getting my workouts in.
  • abdulsaif
    abdulsaif Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Great post, thanks for sharing. My why is to be the best version of myself and promote the idea of living healthier, stronger and fitter is new sexy XD
  • Lioness_1978
    Lioness_1978 Posts: 3,938 Member
    Options
    I want to be healthy and fit so I can fully live my life to the fullest and never sit the sidelines again. I want to know I'm strong enough to try anything. To just walk around everyday in life being comfortable in my own skin. To set the example for my kids. To show them how to live a full life by taking care of ourselves and making ourselves our priority in a humble way. Because we are no good to everyone around us if we are not ok. My why I continue is also remembering how horrible I used to feel. And seeing others around me everywhere I look that feel the same. My why is to fight for them, to show them that if broken me can do this and change with all the adversity life threw my way. So can they! My biggest why is because I really know I deserve my best version of ME.
  • Icrizz
    Icrizz Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    My why is because I want to look in the mirror and not feel gross. I want to be able to run my hands down my sides and not feel rolls of fat. I want to have the control to not overeat. Basically, I just want to feel good about myself.
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
    Options
    Good morning! I love seeing new posts on here. It's so awesome and inspiring. Not only to me, but others as well. Thank you. How is your Monday going thus far?
  • mme1127
    mme1127 Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    My "Why" is pretty simple....
    I love being able to get dressed quickly in the morning. Not having to change pants or shirt a gadzillion times...and liking how my clothes fit, feel, and look...is all the motivation I need. Being able to pack light when I travel because I KNOW everything looks good, priceless! 20 lbs to go to reach my goal and have a hiking trip planned in May and a Caribbean cruise in Nov. Bring it on!
  • j_trea1
    j_trea1 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    My why really had to overcome alot of personal negativity and I am glad I have found it. I have always been one to go to the gym and lift, go running even though I didn't like it at all, or go hiking. I have always been pretty healthy and maintained at a comfortable weight for me. Then about 5 years ago I pretty much had two real bad car accidents with in 4 weeks of each other. I cracked the same rib both times, and have wound up with lumbar and cervical spine injuries with the latter causing minor nerve issues as well. I have been cleared by my doctors since the original injuries to continue exercising because it can help resolve some of the nerve issues, and keeping my core strong will help with the alleviate some of the pain with my lumbar injury. Well that didn't work out so well for me because I could not perform even half as well as I could before the injuries and I was self defeating because of it and gained 40 pounds. Since then I have started going to college because I have had to change jobs because of this as well, I was able to accept that change a lot easier. One of my classes caused me to reevaluate how I was looking at myself. I had been previously looking at myself as a damaged version of myself that couldn't do what I could before. Now I have figured out that I need to look at myself as a new version, version 2.0 if you will, that isn't damaged just different. So now I am motivated to return to a healthy weight for a couple of reasons. First, my hereditary health issues seem to be following my dads side of the family, and maintaining a healthy weight will help avoid at least some of those issues. Second, I am tired of not feeling as good as I did on a daily basis before the accidents. Third, I want to be as pain free as I can be without meds so I can enjoy doing things with my family rather than just grin and push through it like I have been doing. Lastly, exercising regularly helps me to effectively repack my emotional baggage so it becomes a part of a stronger me and not something to weigh me down. By the way losing the self defeating attitude made me feel like I had already lost 100 pounds at that point. We all have our why's for not doing it, we just need to find the stronger why to do it.
  • MikePXstream
    MikePXstream Posts: 965 Member
    Options
    j_trea1 wrote: »
    My why really had to overcome alot of personal negativity and I am glad I have found it. I have always been one to go to the gym and lift, go running even though I didn't like it at all, or go hiking. I have always been pretty healthy and maintained at a comfortable weight for me. Then about 5 years ago I pretty much had two real bad car accidents with in 4 weeks of each other. I cracked the same rib both times, and have wound up with lumbar and cervical spine injuries with the latter causing minor nerve issues as well. I have been cleared by my doctors since the original injuries to continue exercising because it can help resolve some of the nerve issues, and keeping my core strong will help with the alleviate some of the pain with my lumbar injury. Well that didn't work out so well for me because I could not perform even half as well as I could before the injuries and I was self defeating because of it and gained 40 pounds. Since then I have started going to college because I have had to change jobs because of this as well, I was able to accept that change a lot easier. One of my classes caused me to reevaluate how I was looking at myself. I had been previously looking at myself as a damaged version of myself that couldn't do what I could before. Now I have figured out that I need to look at myself as a new version, version 2.0 if you will, that isn't damaged just different. So now I am motivated to return to a healthy weight for a couple of reasons. First, my hereditary health issues seem to be following my dads side of the family, and maintaining a healthy weight will help avoid at least some of those issues. Second, I am tired of not feeling as good as I did on a daily basis before the accidents. Third, I want to be as pain free as I can be without meds so I can enjoy doing things with my family rather than just grin and push through it like I have been doing. Lastly, exercising regularly helps me to effectively repack my emotional baggage so it becomes a part of a stronger me and not something to weigh me down. By the way losing the self defeating attitude made me feel like I had already lost 100 pounds at that point. We all have our why's for not doing it, we just need to find the stronger why to do it.

    I really like your outlook on your situation. This is a powerful why and I am sure you will overcome your obstacles. If I can support you in any way, please let me know. Feel free to send me a friend request!
  • kellylynnshonting
    kellylynnshonting Posts: 108 Member
    Options
    My Why:

    •to quit missing out on my life because I am on the sidelines.
    •to make and put in the investment to my life that I put into others.
    •to love and nurture myself.
    •to be the best possible version of me that I can be.
    •to be more than just physically healthy, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    Options
    I do it for ME! The greatest project you will ever work on is You!
    -And yes the main reason is because I want to look good!
    ***it's that simple - I want to look good.
    This may seem selfish or whatever but when you stop and think about it, it does get deeper. All the things that follow and that come out of this.
    -improves my mood
    -confidence
    -health
    -inspiring others/purpose
    -and more

    So my initial WHY is to look good. :smiley:
  • Working_Hard4me
    Working_Hard4me Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    I want this bad for ME! I have gone through some health issues this year and most is 100% weight related. I am doing this for my health, to feel confident again, to feel great, and be able to run with my kids.

Categories