What motivated you to lose weight?
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beckyjo1987
Posts: 9 Member
I've been having some high calorie, low exercise days (weeks?) lately, and I've gotten lazy when it comes to my commitment to a healthier lifestyle. I've always been a self-motivator, but for some reason, this whole weight loss thing has never really grabbed my attention like so many other things I've wanted to accomplish.
When I first started to realized that I was gaining weight a few years ago, it was just the number on the scale that angered me. To lower that number, I tried diuretics. That obviously did nothing for me long term, and it was one of the worst choices I could have made to lose weight. What can I say, I was unresearched and naive.
A year later, I was getting married, and who doesn't want to look gorgeous for her wedding? I had a 4 month free pass to a gym, and I was on the elliptical for 45 minutes, 3 days a week, with about 15 minutes of strength machines added in. I lost a few pounds, the unseemly pooch on my ribs, and some belly fat. I was not happy with my weight at my wedding, I I regret not trying harder. I gained probably 10 pounds within a month afterwards, and it stayed there for a good 6 months.
That's when I saw a picture of myself (last 4th of July), and my heart just sank. How in the world did I let it get that bad? I'm only 5'1", so the 10-20 pounds of weight that I'd gained was so noticeable. That picture is what motivated me to really kick it into high gear and shed the pounds. I'd lost 15 by January, but gained 5 back and plateaued. I'm still plateaued, but confident in the science of EM2WL.
I was thinking about something that could really motivate me now that I've gotten stuck in this rut. I think I found it. I want to be in good health and good physical shape before I become pregnant for the first time. My husband and I are ready for babies (!!!), and I don't want to be sedentary during or after pregnancy, so I have to really start making real habits that I can commit to for the long run.
Sorry for the long post, but as I was thinking about all of this, I was wondering if any of you would like to share what motivated you to start losing weight and living healthier? I'd love to hear your stories!
Becky
When I first started to realized that I was gaining weight a few years ago, it was just the number on the scale that angered me. To lower that number, I tried diuretics. That obviously did nothing for me long term, and it was one of the worst choices I could have made to lose weight. What can I say, I was unresearched and naive.
A year later, I was getting married, and who doesn't want to look gorgeous for her wedding? I had a 4 month free pass to a gym, and I was on the elliptical for 45 minutes, 3 days a week, with about 15 minutes of strength machines added in. I lost a few pounds, the unseemly pooch on my ribs, and some belly fat. I was not happy with my weight at my wedding, I I regret not trying harder. I gained probably 10 pounds within a month afterwards, and it stayed there for a good 6 months.
That's when I saw a picture of myself (last 4th of July), and my heart just sank. How in the world did I let it get that bad? I'm only 5'1", so the 10-20 pounds of weight that I'd gained was so noticeable. That picture is what motivated me to really kick it into high gear and shed the pounds. I'd lost 15 by January, but gained 5 back and plateaued. I'm still plateaued, but confident in the science of EM2WL.
I was thinking about something that could really motivate me now that I've gotten stuck in this rut. I think I found it. I want to be in good health and good physical shape before I become pregnant for the first time. My husband and I are ready for babies (!!!), and I don't want to be sedentary during or after pregnancy, so I have to really start making real habits that I can commit to for the long run.
Sorry for the long post, but as I was thinking about all of this, I was wondering if any of you would like to share what motivated you to start losing weight and living healthier? I'd love to hear your stories!
Becky
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anybody?0
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Mine is simple.
I got fed up of looking in the mirror and being totally disgusted with what I saw.0 -
chronic dieter that always failed
this time i decided to stick with it0 -
2 back fat rolls! I'm down to one!0
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I had to take charge of my life once again, and live in victory. I was letting food and my utter dissatisfaction with the way I looked drive me crazy. And I was determined my kids deserved better than I was giving them. I have been on many diets over the course of my life, but I knew there was no looking back this time.0
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So many things have motivated me to lose weight...here are a couple of them. They may be vain, or weird, or whatever, but here they are...
1) My children--both of my children were large at birth, and since they were born, I've always had this nagging voice in my head saying "teach them healthy eating habits, or they'll grow up to be overweight and have an unhappy childhood/life because of it"...weird? Maybe, but I'm just being honest. And how can I teach my kids good eating habits if I don't follow them myself??? :ohwell: I want my kids to grow up being active and healthy...sue me
2) Having NO clothes that fit me comfortably. And I refused to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe because I had allowed myself to gain weight. I've had 2 children, and my youngest will be 2 at the end of the month...I think I've used the "baby weight" excuse long enough...:huh:
3) Just feeling lazy, uncomfortable in my body, and generally out of shape. Flat out, I just got sick of it, and finally decided to REALLY do something about it this time. Like, really get serious. I now feel better about myself then I have since before I had kids (probably since just before/after I got married, actually), and I want that feeling to last, dammit! :grumble:0 -
Some of it's just plain vanity - I want to look HOT!
Most of it is health related and showing my kids a good example. My mom was always on some kind of diet or exercise kick, but it never lasted very long. She's now still overweight, eats horribly, has adult onset diabetes and high blood pressure. My dad is also obese and has high blood pressure. My husband's family has a large history of obesity on his father's side. His dad and one of his uncles are the only two that could be considered overweight instead of obese (i'm talking aunts/uncles/grandparents on his dad's side that are/were all over 300 lbs easy). My father-in-law also has adult onset diabetes and high blood pressure. My husband was a chubby kid despite being active because of all the unhealthy foods his mom offered him. I know my oldest would be exactly like his dad was were it not for all the sports we have him in and the knowledge we are trying to give him with the food we offer him. All my kids will makes poor choices when we aren't around to monitor them, but they are kids and will hopefully really grasp all this one day. My husband, my boys and I are all potentially headed down that road if we don't take care of ourselves and I want to avoid it at all costs.0 -
I am 43 and my mom is going to be 65 soon. Last Christmas she fell and broke her wrist and ankle. She looked so feeble coming home from the hospital and having to be carried in by the men. She is aging right before my eyes and is so feeble for her age. It was enough to kick my butt back in gear. I want to be strong.0
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I've been overweight for a long time, and I've tried to lose before, but never really committed to it until this time. Mostly I think I just realized one day... I've spend some of the better part of my life at this weight, and I'm coming up to my mid-twenties, and this isn't what I want for myself at all. I don't want to just lay around all day being depressed, I want to be proactive and try to change things. I decided that want the body I always wished I had but have never gotten, and I know the only way to do that is to buckle down and get serious. I don't want to be self-conscious about my belly straining against clothes anymore, or the way my thick thighs rub against each other, or how my arms are flappy and my back has rolls. I plan on being the healthiest I've ever been before I'm 26, when I plan on being at least close to moving out of state to be where I'd really like to be. New body, new life, right?0
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Needing to et back in pre-pregnancy clothes because I refuse to buy anymore clothes in a larger size.0
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My sore back, and getting out of breath doing anything! Finding MFP gave me the confidence that I had the tools to conquer this thing! I couldn't do it on my own.0
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I looked in the mirror one day and saw my Mom (whom I love dearly but is VERY unhealthy because of her weight/diet). I knew my son deserved a better role model and that I deserved a healthier body.0
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I stayed with friends that ate like crap the whole six months I lived with them. I saw that they lost weight doing WW and that's what got me started. That was seven years ago. I have lost weight and kept it off but now I want to be lean and strong. My husband is in the military and he works out everyday. We push each other to eat better and exercise. We want to be around to watch our son grow up.0
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Sick and tied of being sick and tired. I have always been heavier, sometimes more than others. Never counted calories or dieted before March. I had no energy. The kids are grown and on their own, just me and my wife. Some say are telling me I am in a "midlife crisis". Grew my hair out bought a motorcycle and wanted the energy to enjoy our new freedoms! My wife had gastric bypass so she lost a lot of weight and by supporting her I lost some and felt better, so I decided to see if losing more would make me feel even better! So far so good. The tired part is still there most times because I don't sleep very well anymore. But I feel better even sleepy. Lol0
