My question - WHY ARE YOU LOSING WEIGHT?

Greatful1981

Hello. I would like to know others reasons for losing weight. I want to find my true reason for wanting to lose and I need ideas.
So what's your reason?

Replies

middlehaitch

I was over fat for my height and weight.

Cheers, h.

Bex953172

How will you find your true reason by listening to others? Your true reason is personal to you.

Also whatever your reason is, it doesn't have to sound good to other people..
It just has to be your reason.

For example why do you have a MFP account? To lose weight? Okay and why do you want to lose weight? Surely you must know why..

diannethegeek

My true reason is mostly vanity and I'm cool with that. I could cite health or longevity or whatever, but I just wanted to look better.

braewe

This is going to sound downright disgusting but on vacation this year(aug 1-5) I realized I was having trouble being able to reach to clean myself after using the restroom. That was THE final straw. No way was I going to ask anyone to wipe my rear for me.

So far every time I /really/ /really/ am bored and want to reach for the package of cookies or chips, I just remind myself of that. Had a couple trips to McDonalds, but except for one day I've stayed under my calories. Of course, I broke my toe yesterday morning(didn't think I did, but today's dr visit confirms. Just the little toe but owwww) so the exercise isn't there but it will be. I need to research things I can do without nudging the toe, at least for a couple weeks.

Hope y'all weren't too grossed out, but up to then I just plain didn't care! Seems most of the publicity was, if you're happy, you're fine, stop criticizing. My mother and sister were both models, so maybe there was some stubborn, 'I don't care if you guys are bone thin, not me' going on there too.

sardelsa

I'm just shedding some weight to lean down after a bulk.

middlehaitch

braewe wrote: »

This is going to sound downright disgusting but on vacation this year(aug 1-5) I realized I was having trouble being able to reach to clean myself after using the restroom. That was THE final straw. No way was I going to ask anyone to wipe my rear for me.

So far every time I /really/ /really/ am bored and want to reach for the package of cookies or chips, I just remind myself of that. Had a couple trips to McDonalds, but except for one day I've stayed under my calories. Of course, I broke my toe yesterday morning(didn't think I did, but today's dr visit confirms. Just the little toe but owwww) so the exercise isn't there but it will be. I need to research things I can do without nudging the toe, at least for a couple weeks.

Hope y'all weren't too grossed out, but up to then I just plain didn't care! Seems most of the publicity was, if you're happy, you're fine, stop criticizing. My mother and sister were both models, so maybe there was some stubborn, 'I don't care if you guys are bone thin, not me' going on there too.

Hooray for the practicalities of life.

Since you are mobility challenges with your poorly toe, spend the next couple of weeks really getting your logging up to par.
Use a digital food scale for everything solid, inc prepackaged stuff, measuring cups and spoons for liquids only.
Double check your entries with package info, mfg websites, and the USDA data base.

Just log what you eat normally, then work on a reasonable deficit and nutrition.

happy tracking and toe recovery.

Cheers, h.

estherdragonbat

I lost the roulette spin and got my very own obesity-related complication. Well, not exclusively mine. Just not one that tends to get most of the press. No heart attack, hypertension, or T2D. The veins in my legs shrieked out their agony at having to carry my Obesity-level 3 torso... and collapsed. From what was explained to me in a laypersons' (i.e. dumbed down) version, my excess weight put too much pressure on the veins and also compressed the ducts that carry lymph fluid. So, when I got some cut or scrape or bug-bite, I developed cellulitus. Now, normally, when there's a wound, the immune system kicks into gear. But that lymph fluid couldn't get through the ducts. So my leg erupted in water blisters and I had a weeping wound on my calf that took multiple courses of antibiotics and daily nurse visits (to change the dressing) to heal.

My GP sent me to a vascular surgeon who ordered the tests and told me what was going on. And that this condition could be managed and treated, not cured. And the treatment and management? Compression stockings and weight loss.

It took almost three months for that wound to heal. For the first month (until the vascular surgeon cleared me to walk), my GP had told me to either take a taxi or a wheelchair, because walking could heat up my leg and prolong the infection (I don't drive). But three months of trying to pin down when the nurse was coming and make sure I'd be home. And hope they gave me enough advance warning that I could shower before they got there, because the dressing couldn't get wet. And there were a few times where they would call to say that they were just about to turn into my driveway, was this a good time and I'd grit my teeth, think longingly of that shower, and say, "Fine".

Plus, I now get to worry about building up tolerances to antibiotics, since it looks like any flare-ups need multiple courses. Generally, if I have an infection, it's not a question; of course I'm taking it. If I'm having a procedure done where the standard is to prescribe something just in case—like when I had dental surgery and they wanted me to take one for a week, starting the day before the surgery—again, no problem. But when the doctor says, "Hey. Until the lab work comes back, we won't know if it's an infection or a virus. Would you like me to prescribe you an antibiotic just in case?" I make them aware of my issue and why I'm reluctant. Sometimes they tell me that it's probably better to take it. Sometimes they agree with me that whatever it is, another day or two without treatment won't be a big deal. But the fact that I need to take into consideration that building up a tolerance is a real thing that could come back to bite me is annoying.

I realized that I didn't want my life to be structured around nursing visits and basically housebound. If weight loss could minimize the flare-ups (and yes, I got the stockings too!), then enough was enough.

That was 22 months and 105 pounds ago.

Greatful1981

Thanks. So some is to lean down for fitness, some feel their too fat and some for vanity.
All good reasons!
Mine is to lose weight so I can be smaller. But! I believe that it might be easier to lose weight if I dont focus on losing weight so I'm looking for something to focus on that will in turn drop weight off my body. I'm really struggling with the mental part of losing weight....

middlehaitch

It depends on your weight, and if you want to be a smaller version of you, or a smaller version with a more sculpted, firmer body.

If it is basic body composition as opposed to being over fat, look into weight lifting.
A recomp will hold your weight while you strengthen and resculpt your your body.

If you want to lose a few lbs-
Start lifting 3x a week at your NEAT calories (don't change how many calories you eat because you are exercising) the calorie burn from lifting will slowly have you losing a few lbs.

If you have more than a few pounds to lose, start counting calories. You don't have to change what you eat, just how much you eat while fulfilling your nutritional goals.

Cheers, h.

margbarco

I have a family history of Hypertension, Atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol.

Unfortunately, I take after that side of the family. Nobody is/was obese or anything, just has/had the dreaded, deadly belly fat. I have it too at the age of 43. I look normal and proportioned all around, except for my unsightly gut

I read about what contributes to belly fat and have been trying to change my lifestyle in many ways, forever. Weight loss is just one aspect of my goal.

bergk24

I just had a disc removed due to cauda equina. I want to be able to put the least amount of pressure on my spine as possible to prevent further injury. I also want to be able to run again and weighing less helps.

Greatful1981

margbarco wrote: »

I have a family history of Hypertension, Atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol.

Unfortunately, I take after that side of the family. Nobody is/was obese or anything, just has/had the dreaded, deadly belly fat. I have it too at the age of 43. I look normal and proportioned all around, except for my unsightly gut

I read about what contributes to belly fat and have been trying to change my lifestyle in many ways, forever. Weight loss is just one aspect of my goal.

Is mfp helping get rid of the gut? Guts run in my family too....I have one but it's not huge...yet!

andreamariexoxo

I have a lot of reasons. The main ones being to be healthy, to be able to go jogging for fun, to eventually have a nice toned body, and to live a long life hopefully. The smaller, “petty” reasons is to wear cute clothes, make exes wish they were still with me, not take up so much space when sitting down, stuff like that lol

kommodevaran

Greatful1981 wrote: »

I would like to know others reasons for losing weight. I want to find my true reason for wanting to lose and I need ideas.

So some is to lean down for fitness, some feel their too fat and some for vanity.
Mine is to lose weight so I can be smaller.

I think that might be a waste of time - you either want to weigh less (and be smaller, stronger, healthier, prettier), or you don't. But it might be that you're not sure why you should bother doing what it takes to lose weight, which is something a bit different, and I have ideas about that. I think I see where you are mentally.

I was fat. I hated being fat, but I had lost weight before, and regained, and neither the weightloss process nor the regain was fun, so I was reluctant to start. But one day I decided I hated being fat more than I hated the idea of doing something about it. So I set out, like I had before, eating meals, more whole grains, vegetables and fruit, low fat, cutting the junk, walking for 20 minutes every day. I lost some weight and was happy about that.

And it would have ended as before if I hadn't been exposed to "new" ideas right at that time, and from various angles and in the right sequence. I started to see things differently, to think differently. At some point, it dawned on me that I had become fed up with the lifestyle that made me fat, not just with being fat. So I was ready for a permanent change. And that the restrictive diet I used for weightloss, was no good for weight maintenance.

MFP gave me - because I was ready, I suppose; most newcomers wince at the idea - a new perspective: You can eat what you like in moderation. There are no healthy or unhealthy foods; your diet as a whole and over time is what determines your weight (and what you can do about your health with food). There are no superfoods. There are no fattening foods. Weight is maths. Weight is mind over matter. Weight is not magic. It was exactly what my parents had told me. I was able to accept that I had just been an arrogant little brat who had been swayed by diet gurus and sciency sounding woo, and instead of thinking critically, I had let articles and TV shows scare me, and overinterpreted nutritional guidelines. It was so liberating. I let my preconceptions go, one by one. I started to cook more from scratch, because using enough fat, sugar and salt to make food just right, produced delicious meals. I started to feel more competent and confident, and I practiced more because I liked it, so I got even better. I tried out different meal schedules and macro setups and discovered I am flexible and adaptable.
I discovered that meal planning is essential for me.
I discovered that I can tolerate cravings. I discovered that I control what goes into my mouth, and that it's easier if I'm strict when I grocery shop.
I discovered that I can eat whatever I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
I discovered that my preferences change with attitude and exposure and time.
I discovered that sticking to meals and just have an occasional treat, is sufficient to maintain weight.
I discovered that I sometimes just want to get out, and walk, or dance, or play - I love being moderately active; it's strenuous, monotonous exercise and long boring marches I hate.

Greatful1981 wrote: »

But! I believe that it might be easier to lose weight if I dont focus on losing weight so I'm looking for something to focus on that will in turn drop weight off my body. I'm really struggling with the mental part of losing weight....

I think this is great insight. People struggle with weight because they focus on their weight, or weightloss. According to the SMART principle, you should set behavioral goals. You lose weight by eating less (and moving more). So focus on your food intake, and get in good exercise habits. Some people resent the idea of eating less and moving more, so it's smart to have a good routine for both so you don't 1) have to spend much mental energy to think and decide, or 2) feel deprived, restricted or forced. I have settled on three meals per day and walking - your life situation and preferences will most likely be different, so your optimal routines will also be different.

FireVixen_Fayth

My wife first and foremost. My transition, then for my self image and self confidence. My health and so clothes cost less too.

VictorSmashes

My true reason is vanity like many others. I would love to be skinny again. But my inspiration (though she rarely reminds me how much I should be motivated to actually lose weight) is not having thigh chafing, finding clothes that fit, and decreased joint pain from obesity. Seriously, I got a pressure sore from working (thighs chafing) a few weeks ago and I’m still fat so it’s still there. Plus I’ve taken to wearing ankle supports because my betty boop joints can’t hold my 220 lb body.

Whereas my motivation for working out (wow, eventually) is getting stronger and muscle burns more calories. Good luck finding yourself and your motivation.

Aine_60

Because I'm bursting our of my clothes and my bloaty tummy is uncomfortable.
Because if I don't take action now to get back to my maintenance weight, I'll be fat again like ten years ago.

livingleanlivingclean

Another vanity post. I was advised to not focus on being lean (health reasons, to try and work on wacky hormone/everything levels) - I gave up caring for a while, using the excuse that it was ok for my health.

Now I've got to a point where I've had enough of not being happy with my body, maintaining a higher bf% than I like for months has not made a difference to my health so I've decided to diet anyway and get back to a place I'm happy and maintain that.

sijomial

I'm cutting a few pounds in preparation for a 100 mile cycle event in September.

The reason I lost my excess weight was primarily health and doing everything to ensure I have as many good (healthy, fit, strong) years as possible. When you are in your 50's you have choices to make on how you tackle ageing.

amusedmonkey

There is no true reason unless you have one. You can't pick one up off the discount shelf. Why do you want to lose weight? If you don't want to lose weight, why are you trying to make yourself lose weight?

Personally, my reason for weight loss is simple: I don't like diabetes.

ETA: you said you were struggling with the mental part of it. Could you explain? You may get more helpful answers to that specific problem.

Gamliela

Got disgusted with myself and wanted to get healthy. Just sick and tired of sitting too much and eating too much really.
I agree its important to find your true motivation, so that when the going gets tough you can remember why you want to keep on keeping on!

emjay196363

Health. I hate the thought of ending up with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. If I get there, doctors and nurses and medications will be in control of my life and it will be my fault! I won't willingly give anyone or anything control of my life.

workinonit1956

At first, I wanted to try and get a handle on my uncontrolled high blood pressure, despite being on 2 different medications for it. I was always overweight but I fooled myself into thinking I could dress around it and look ok. When I went to my doctor last December for a sinus infection, she told me that my BMI was 31 and that my hypertension was uncontrolled. She was sensitive but I could see her concern and it hit me that something had to change.
I’ve been logging my food intake here since January, and since understanding exactly how this all works I have been losing steadily and actually pretty easily. I wish I had taken this approach years ago.

VUA21

To be the best version of me.

motivatedmartha

Because being fat is uncomfortable! And unhealthy! And limiting in terms of clothes and activity

Lounmoun

Better health, better quality of life mainly.

amgreenwell

I think it's very internal struggle for everyone. I know some people's "true" reason can be vanity. If that is yours, don't be ashamed, just roll with it.
My reason is to be healthy and able to play with my kids without being out of breath or so exhausted that I feel run down. I also like to look good in my clothes and by things that make me feel comfortable and attractive.

mulecanter

To look and feel good. Very simple.

erjones11

I want to do the things I can't do carrying all the weight. From hiking to biking and everything in between. I am a recreational active person (not exercise) at heart and I need to be in shape to be the me I want.

And yes I really like how I look and feel at 165 compared to 240. I am still getting used to seeing myself this way.

prettyshambolic

To look amazing in my wedding dress and not be the "fat wife"