Is there such thing as bad motivation to lose weight?
Replies
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Bad motivations:
1. Body dysmorphia - you are quite healthy and attractive, but see yourself very differently
2. Eating disorders (related to 1 frequently) - you have a psychological issue with control and food
3. Abusive relationships - an intimate partner or family member is coercing you to lose weight by withholding love and support or making them contingent on your weight loss.
The first two reasons mean you need to see a psychiatrist promptly for treatment.
The second reason means you need to cut someone out of your life by whatever means necessary, and seek to recover from the trauma of abuse.
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One of my reasons for losing weight was definitely vain and wanting to have a better body. Now that I've lost some weight, I like that I feel better and feel I look better in my uniform and that helps keep me going. I'm also happy that I can run faster/farther, my cholesterol numbers are lower, I feel better physically, and I can do things I couldn't do at a higher weight - those are also great reasons for continuing on my weight loss journey. But I definitely have some vain reasons too
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I don't think it is wrong at all. We all have our own reasons to loose weight. For me the vanity thing was not there at the start (it was health and control over my life) but it most certainly a reason now.
Whatever reason you ahve it is in the end about you - from that perspective any reason could be given a label slefish - Well so what?
As long as it is a reason that is within the realm of helth and yourself your reasosn are your own.0 -
GoCleanGoLean wrote: »(for example, it's not very good to lose weight because you hate your body)
I think losing weight because you (generally, not YOU) hate your body is as legit as wanting to lose weight to look good in a crop top. If someone looks in the mirror and doesn't like what he/she sees, it makes sense to change it. Not enough muscle? Lift weights. Too heavy? Lose weight. Too thin? Gain weight.0 -
In my opinion the only bad reason really is to do it for someone other than ourselves and even then it's only bad because you're relying on someone else for your motivation who may or may not be around for the whole journey.
OP don't worry about what your cousin thinks, it's your journey not theirs and whatever you want to do for yourself is your own business.0 -
It all has to do with the tactic and mindset used to lose the weight regardless of the end goal.
If you think:- Your value as a human being is based on how you look, how much you weigh, or external factors
- You are worthless if you don't have x, y, z or look like x, y, z
- You don't deserve self love or any love until you've reached x,y,z external goal
- You hate yourself and think there's something inherently not good enough about you vs. others (not the way your body looks, but literally YOURSELF)
- You base your value and worth on what you have vs. what others have
If you use:- Self hatred, guilt, shame, and punishment to achieve your goals
etc.
This is the wrong way to go about it because no matter what you achieve you will always be unsatisfied. Self hatred doesn't go away and isn't reliant on outside circumstances; it's an internal issue. In my experience and opinion treating your body with respect, love, and care and exercising or eating according to your specific goals IS NOT the same as hating one's self. Quite the opposite, it's loving yourself enough to accept that you aren't where you'd like to be and pursuing a plan to get there.
Now if someone doesn't like what they see in the mirror and they have the ability to change it... what's the SELF LOVING thing to do? Sit there are feel sorry for themselves? Feel like they will never look the way they want to and why even try? What about saying that if they *really* loved themselves they'd just accept "themselves" (and by that i mean their current circumstance) and make no effort to change something that genuinely makes them unhappy?
No! Change it! Nothing is more empowering than to realize that we are worthy of living the life the want to live.
P.S. We only have one life to live and one vessel to live in. Taking care of your body, looking a certain way, and treating your body with respect and love does not make you "vain", "selfish", or any of the other things people like to throw at others who make them feel inadequate about themselves.7 -
I don't think there are any "bad" reasons for wanting to lose weight. I think it may vary by age and by person and we all have our own reasons. Ten years ago I wanted to be thin for vanity reasons only and now that I'm 48 I want to be thin for my health and so I can breathe when I walk up a flight of stairs and so I can chase my kids and play with them when summer gets here, that kind of stuff. It depends on what season of life we are in as to why we want to be thin.0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »I don't think there is such a thing as bad motivation, except when you want to lose 30 pounds in one month for reunion or something. When my mom gains weight every year after visiting my grandmother, she loses it because buying a new wardrobe would be too time and money consuming, and she keeps it off all year. That's as good a motivation as any.
Forgot this one! I agree that bad motivation can be wanting to lose an excessive amount in a very short amount of time. That can only mean you will re-gain it quickly when you go back to a normal way of eating because wanting to lose weight so quickly can mean you will do anything to lose it and it's not usually a way that you would keep doing for the rest of your life either.0 -
Yes. Unpaid athletes trying to lose weight (crazily in most cases) to make a weight class. Dancers are also notorius for losing weight just to look good on stage regardless of their skill.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Yes. Unpaid athletes trying to lose weight (crazily in most cases) to make a weight class. Dancers are also notorius for losing weight just to look good on stage regardless of their skill.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Oh god, yes. i didn't even think of this.
I know a couple competitors (figure) who have dieted down so harshly that they were being hospitalized after their competitions. One with dehydration the other with liver and kidney issues from abusing diuretics and i'm assuming some sort of preworkouts.
i also know a girl that was my size (when i was a gymnast i was 5'3 and 108 pounds) who lost another 10 pounds so she could pull off a catch and release move in gymnastics.0 -
I want to lose the weight bc I want to look good in tighter jeans lol0
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It's ironic that with bodybuilding/fitness competitors that on the outside they look so great, but you KNOW that on stage it's probably the most unhealthy state that they are in based on dehydration, diruetics, and pretty much depleted in energy. Also their immune systems are at their weakest.rainbowbow wrote: »Yes. Unpaid athletes trying to lose weight (crazily in most cases) to make a weight class. Dancers are also notorius for losing weight just to look good on stage regardless of their skill.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Oh god, yes. i didn't even think of this.
I know a couple competitors (figure) who have dieted down so harshly that they were being hospitalized after their competitions. One with dehydration the other with liver and kidney issues from abusing diuretics and i'm assuming some sort of preworkouts.
i also know a girl that was my size (when i was a gymnast i was 5'3 and 108 pounds) who lost another 10 pounds so she could pull off a catch and release move in gymnastics.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1 -
I am all about vanity..especially when it comes to cutting the last few pounds. Also it is the reason I am bulking, otherwise why on earth would I be doing this to myself!! Haha
I would say it's about health. But that's really just the first part of my weight loss. I'm already there. Now it is about vanity.
Vanity isn't bad unless you are putting others down or consider yourself better based on looks. We all struggle a little with that, and need to remind ourselves that they have issues we don't know about.
Eating disorders are a bad reason, but they need another kind of help.0
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