What Motivates You?

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Moobs92
Moobs92 Posts: 16 Member
in Motivation and Support
Simple question.

Why did you start? Was it because of a person? Medical? Perhaps just tired of being overweight?

I myself, a mix of things. Partially because a Kroger worker was talking about me and my moobs XD. And yeah, I use that as my username to just poke at myself lightly, but will admit overhearing that was hurtful, especially as a guy. But I also use that as motivation and helped me accept that "Dude...it's time to prove some people wrong. Cause you are a fatass homie."

But another reason is that I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror without wanting to vomit. Live a better lifestyle, avoid diabetes that runs in my family, be there for my son to watch him grow.

And also feel like getting fit would improve my social life since I completely put it on hold cause of my weight. Always turn down gatherings with friends and never even attempt to swoon a lady I have interest in. All cause of my weight. This might be a misconception, but I do feel like being fit would help me make more friends (since I see most people always hang with the fit guy or girl) and help me gain the confidence to go out.

Anyways, I want to hear what motivates you?
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Replies

  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
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    And also feel like getting fit would improve my social life

    This has always been my motivation. (I just want to be loved, LOVE ME DAMN IT). But honestly getting much fitter hasn't really solved anything. If anything it made it worse because I spend all my time doing fit person stuff. I suppose my age could be a factor too. So nowadays I try to tell myself that I'm trying to improve my fighting in martial arts, and push my body just to see how far I can take it.

    Your mileage may vary. I get a little envious because once in a while a guy will post about how he lost XYZ lbs and suddenly became James Bond. It used to be inspiring lol. Maybe if I can lose just a little more....
  • Moobs92
    Moobs92 Posts: 16 Member
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    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    And also feel like getting fit would improve my social life

    This has always been my motivation. (I just want to be loved, LOVE ME DAMN IT). But honestly getting much fitter hasn't really solved anything. If anything it made it worse because I spend all my time doing fit person stuff. I suppose my age could be a factor too. So nowadays I try to tell myself that I'm trying to improve my fighting in martial arts, and push my body just to see how far I can take it.

    Your mileage may vary. I get a little envious because once in a while a guy will post about how he lost XYZ lbs and suddenly became James Bond. It used to be inspiring lol. Maybe if I can lose just a little more....

    It's funny. I've heard this before. One of my friends said your social life goes to absolute hell cause all you want to do is, as you said, fit people stuff. He said it becomes an addiction after you see the changes. And honestly, I'm okay with that. I want that addiction. And this could be seen as petty (cause it kinda is) but I like to imagine people's faces, the ones that would tell me I can't or made fun of me for my weight, when they see me actually looking good. I can only imagine right now what that feeling is like, but man...I bet it is so sweet and I want a taste of it.
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
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    Not gonna lie, it's pretty sweet when you run in to someone who hasn't seen you in over a year and they don't recognize you so they look at you super funny. :)

    I think if ladies/social stuff motivates you, it's fine. Just keep it in mind that it might not be the dreamland we wanted when you get there. People also tend to really frown upon men who openly admit that's their motivation, so, unless you're okay with being ragged on for being a "thirsty", "desperate", "simp", it's something best kept to yourself, and just say, "I'm losing weight for myself" instead. I don't understand societies hatred of men who admit to want to meet partners, but it is what it is.

    I just openly admit it now because I've been alone for more years than my sanity will allow and don't really care what people call me. No one can tell me what would make me happy, but me, and if that means human companionship, they can't tell me I'm wrong.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I wanted to improve my health and add adventure to my life that being sedentary wouldn't provide. And being able to have a family one day.

    As for social stuff, that is more complex than just being a "fit girl/guy" and suddenly everyone likes you. I think for some, fitness increases confidence and a willingness to try (and even fail) to make friends or meet potential SOs. That's why some people may become more like "James Bond" but it is not something that magically happens. You have to have confidence in being yourself and doing what you like to do. Over time, you will meet like-minded people and maybe even someone special. All sorts of people make fitness an "addiction" so I think that you can still build social groups and go to the gym :smile:

    @Geocitiesuser- You have come a long way and should be proud of yourself. However, I notice you are super self critical, and still call yourself names like "chubby" from your Success Stories post. I think you have nice posts to other people- why don't you give yourself some credit? Strong self-doubt and negativity is a hard wall to breach with new friends (much less new potential SOs) because people can take your words (even self-directed) and think, "wow, if he is so critical of himself, what does he secretly think of me?" I know from your other posts your are a pretty thoughtful guy. It is a shame that you aren't more positive about yourself and your success because you really should be.
  • Moobs92
    Moobs92 Posts: 16 Member
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    Geocitiesuser wrote: »
    Not gonna lie, it's pretty sweet when you run in to someone who hasn't seen you in over a year and they don't recognize you so they look at you super funny. :)

    I think if ladies/social stuff motivates you, it's fine. Just keep it in mind that it might not be the dreamland we wanted when you get there. People also tend to really frown upon men who openly admit that's their motivation, so, unless you're okay with being ragged on for being a "thirsty", "desperate", "simp", it's something best kept to yourself, and just say, "I'm losing weight for myself" instead. I don't understand societies hatred of men who admit to want to meet partners, but it is what it is.

    I just openly admit it now because I've been alone for more years than my sanity will allow and don't really care what people call me. No one can tell me what would make me happy, but me, and if that means human companionship, they can't tell me I'm wrong.

    Yeah I understand. I don't go around saying that, or even say why I do what I'm doing when asked. I just say to be healthier is all. Cause I totally get you on men getting ragged for being honest about what pushes them. I honestly don't know what to expect when or if I make it to that point. I can't say yet cause I never been there, but I certainly felt a flame ignite after hearing that kroger worker laugh it up with her friend (who was older than me but certainly not in any kind of shape). Again, I may just be petty. My motivations or at least some may be, but they get me in the gym, it gets me fired up and helps me go all out when I'm in there.

    The only thing I can expect if I make it is that I will have more confidence. But I also don't want to become some who forget where they started and become the stereotypical dbag. I'm sure we all know one of them. Being fit isn't about being better than another, it's about being a better you than yesterday.


  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Having been thin for most of my adult life, I just didn't feel like me when I was overweight. I've always dieted and exercise for health.
  • moonstroller
    moonstroller Posts: 210 Member
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    I want to be able to do thing things I enjoy doing, snow shoeing, biking, hiking, running, etc., without feeling like I'm going to collapse after a mile or two.
  • chadfite67
    chadfite67 Posts: 7 Member
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    Seeing results and feeling good motivates me.
  • work_on_it
    work_on_it Posts: 251 Member
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    i want hot selfies. i never share them... but i like taking them and being like... awwwww yeah.

    Vain... I know. I lost 60 pounds last year... i've put 20 back... so here I am again.

    If I get healthier in the process... cool. I don't really want a social circle... so ... more selfies for me.... yay.
  • Niki_Fitz
    Niki_Fitz Posts: 948 Member
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    Things that motivate me: I want my pre-baby strength and leanness back, along with the self confidence I had with that. I want to be able to carry my 34lb little guy up the stairs without my knees hurting because of my own extra weight. I want to feel ok self-esteem running errands in my scrappy mom clothes. And when I go out I want to feel graceful and - ok - kind of hot.
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
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    moonstroller wrote: »
    I want to be able to do thing things I enjoy doing, snow shoeing, biking, hiking, running, etc., without feeling like I'm going to collapse after a mile or two.

    This is it for me too. I want to be strong. If I want to go rock climbing I want to be able to do it right. Also, my hubby wants to get fit too so we want to be that hot sexy couple.
  • LovelyJ384
    LovelyJ384 Posts: 11 Member
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    The main motivation for me is my health. Having high cholesterol at 33 yrs old sucks. So my goal is to lose the weight so my doctor can be amazed. I hate how they always tell me how obese I am.
    Plus I want to improve my self esteem and make all the ladies at my job jealous of my new body. Haha! :DB)
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
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    LovelyJ384 wrote: »
    The main motivation for me is my health. Having high cholesterol at 33 yrs old sucks. So my goal is to lose the weight so my doctor can be amazed. I hate how they always tell me how obese I am.
    Plus I want to improve my self esteem and make all the ladies at my job jealous of my new body. Haha! :DB)

    My hubby has high cholesterol too and he's 32. He's working on diet and exercise as well to bring it down.

    You can do it! I've seen it done. Things like high BP, high cholesterol, and diabetes type 2 can be reversed with diet and exercise.
  • mca90guitar
    mca90guitar Posts: 290 Member
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    Mostly want to be healthy, avoid diabetes as a few family members have it now including my father and to go harder in my hobbies ( mountain biking mostly).

    Will admit being able to take of the shirt and not feel embarrassed is a good motivator. Haven't been able to do that since I was 7.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    Mostly medical. I developed an obesity-exacerbated situation. Specifically, the veins in my legs collapsed (refluxed), partly due to my legs having to support quite a bit more of me than they were designed to do. First I found out about it was when a bout of cellulitus on my left shin turned into lymph edema, which left me with a weeping wound that took almost 4 months and seven courses of antibiotics to heal. (The first 2 were of a single antibiotic that got the cellulitus under control and, at least initially, the wound seemed to respond. Then one course each of two more antibiotics they thought couldn't hurt and might help while they awaited the lab report. Finally they found the right one, but it took 3 courses of it to heal.) But the lymph edema led to a referral to a vascular surgeon, who diagnosed the vein issue. Both he and my GP pointed out that weight loss was the single best thing I could to manage it. (It's not reversible; just controllable.)

    However, after the cellulitus diagnosis, before I got all the news, my parents had come in from out of town. My dad had a gastric bypass a few years back and one of my sisters a few years earlier. Dad was urging me to get on the wait-list for the same. I'm 5'3 and, at that time, I weight 254 lbs. I really didn't want to go under the knife. I'd seen how my dad couldn't eat certain foods. (Later on, I did some Googling and discovered that beans and whole grains are on the list of foods to avoid post-surgery. I'm a vegetarian. I saw the surgery as an even worse idea for me. But this was months later, after I'd joined MFP and started seeing results.)

    So, I guess my motivations are 1) avoid another lymph edema flare-up 2) avoid weight-loss surgery 3) improve overall health and lengthen life expectancy.
  • JetJaguar
    JetJaguar Posts: 801 Member
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    I have two kids and I need to live long enough to put them through college.
  • nissarayna
    nissarayna Posts: 70 Member
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    JetJaguar wrote: »
    I have two kids and I need to live long enough to put them through college.

    This.
  • JJS1979
    JJS1979 Posts: 177 Member
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    To feel good and have energy. Like many, I have yo-yo dieted my whole life and the one thing i noticed is when I am overweight, eating bad and not moving I feel like garbage. After 10 years of up and down weight gain I changed the way I thought about it. I didn't set a weight goal, pants size goal, body fat percentage goal, etc, I simply made it a priority to get to the gym and eat healthy. The most important thing I did; I said to myself whatever I am doing now I need to be able to do 1 year, 5 years, 10 years and 20+ years from now.

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