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Old 05-14-2008, 01:41 PM   #1  
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Default What motivates you?

I have been back to dieting for a while now. Admittedly, I have had about as many bad days as I have good days lately. I have had a lot of trouble staying motivated to eat right, and I have had couple medical/physical issues stand in the way of exercising. Mostly, it has just been a matter of weak will power. That is, until the other day when my sister and I started talking about her getting married. Her boyfriend hasn't popped the question yet, but he has ordered the ring and we all know it's going to happen. She told me to be prepared to be asked to be a bridesmaid. When she said that I was so flattered and so excited! I realize I am her sister, and why wouldn't she ask me? But I have 2 other sisters, both of which are married, and neither asked me to be a bridesmaid. The one getting ready to be engaged and I are pretty close, so it makes sense, but hearing that just got my blood pumping! I have been looking at dresses and thinking about all the things I can do. Without really thinking about it I assumed I would be ordering my dress in a few sizes smaller than I am now because, DUH, I am going to work out so I look good! It was instant motivation. For the first time in a while I got really excited about how good I will look when I lose more weight, and that is a huge motivator to me. I am so glad something finally kicked me into gear and got me excited to lose weight again! I lost 45 lbs last year and I felt SO good...then I gained back about 25-30 of it and felt like I could never do it again. I am at a point where I am so excited to drop what I lost last year and then some. WOO HOO for sisters getting married!!!

Sorry for rambling!

What has you motivated?
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Old 05-14-2008, 01:56 PM   #2  
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In the past I was very motivated to lose weight to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. (That seems to be a big one, eh? )

I've been motivated to continue when I was coming up on my one year anniversary.

My wedding is coming up in 5 months, so that's also motivating.

Beyond that, thinking about my future slimmer and healthier self. I'm one of those people who have always been overweight. I'm excited to find out what I "really" look like.

Having made a commitment to this, also keeps me going!
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:01 PM   #3  
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I actually try not to focus on motivation, because it is fleeting.

For me the key is planning. Planning everything each day, from exercise to all foods. I know when I wake up what my day is going to contain and when I am going to exercise, what I am going to eat, and what time I am going to eat. If something comes along to disrupt the schedule, I have a basis from which to work instead of from nowhere.

Having this plan helps me be consistent, rather than motivated. And for me, consistency has been what works.
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:15 PM   #4  
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I think this is a really good question. I've been thinking about motivation today, because I keep starting to lose weight (so I do have motivation) but I don't keep it up (lack of stick-to-it-tiveness). So maybe motivation isn't enough.

What gets me motivated is: knowing that I feel pretty on the inside, and wanting to look pretty on the outside. Wanting to wear pretty clothes. And mostly, wanting to be a healthy role model for my daughter.
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:15 PM   #5  
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ok this sounds really vain but I'm not I swear, anyway my motivation is this scene kinda thing that I have in my head of me being slim and wearing the clothes I want to and walking into somewhere where all the people know me and them noticing and making compliments (or at least being jelous lol).
ok for example walking into one of my classes at college.
its got to be a place where the people know me though because them noticing means something, not just randomers.

(whilst writing this post I have been very good and eaten an apple lol)
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:24 PM   #6  
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Mine's a wedding story too, but not in the same way as yours. For me the impetus to start my weight loss was seeing myself in my maid of honor's dress in the pictures from my sister's wedding. I looked so miserable and unhealthy and fat, and I hated that I was ruining my sister's wedding photos. Of course she doesn't feel this way, because she loves me, but *I* felt that way, and that was enough of a motivation to get me started. I still haven't looked at her entire wedding album. Maybe when I reach goal.

What keeps me going is all the little changes. Like being able to fit into smaller clothes, and feeling more confident in them. Walking up stairs and having more breath than before, having the energy to work out when I get home instead of just eating junk and watching TV.

And now that I've been exercising for awhile, what keeps me going even on the days I just don't feel like it is knowing how hard it would be to work back up to my current fitness level if I let myself go. It's so easy to skip one day, then another, and suddenly you're blowing off the workouts for a month. Then you have to start all over building up your endurance, and I'm not going through that again! So I do it, even when I don't want to, and I'm really liking the results.
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Old 05-14-2008, 06:46 PM   #7  
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Being honest with myself and having a practical approach motivates me. This is a long-term thing I'm trying to do, and when I remember that I can't get it all done today, then that helps me just make small changes that add up. I don't beat myself up for making mistakes or not being perfect today, because that's de-motivating.

I also find it very important for my motivation to stick to my one big commitment of not eating sugar. It's the one change that makes everything else possible in my diet, and if I go back to eating sugar, the whole thing will crash down. It's just that important for me, and I've known it for 15 years, but it's so hard to deal with when I'm not being honest with myself (see point #1).

Seeing progress motivates me--small things like muscular changes, less aches and pains, more energy.

Being a good example to my kids and my husband, and making healthy changes for the whole family, motivates me. Having an ongoing dialogue with them about what is healthy and what is unhealthy too.

Having a couple of family vacations coming up this year--one to a big music festival, the other to the snow--motivates me. I want to feel strong and enduring, not like a limp, dead noodle. Vacations can be physically hard, and I want to be up for the challenge.

I vaguely have in mind clothes that I want to buy...lingerie...etc for when I am thinner, but that's not really a major motivator right now.
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Old 05-14-2008, 07:06 PM   #8  
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I don't want to die early, and I want to live to see my kids grow up. I was on the fast track to dying in my early 50s from some obesity related health issue. I just feel it. So that keeps me going. I want to live.
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Old 05-14-2008, 07:41 PM   #9  
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I think at my current weight and health I must have been destined for death before 30's or get a desiese or diabeties brought on by myself from eating junk since I was born and not doing any exercise all my life.

Also a bit of a motivation lol
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Old 05-14-2008, 08:14 PM   #10  
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I want to be healthy for the rest of my life! I'm doing this now so that when college starts for me in fall, I should at least be able to take my weight off the list of things to worry about.
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Old 05-15-2008, 01:45 PM   #11  
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We started a weigh loss challenge at work, and my friend is our team captain. I AM AFRAID OF HER! So, I am sticking to a food plan and exercising...9lbs gone so far!
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Old 05-15-2008, 02:05 PM   #12  
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I've been overweight for the majority of my life and half-heartedly would start diets only to slowly lose interest and return to my old habits. This time, I decided to lose weight because I felt like crapola! Constant headaches, depression, crankiness, acid indigestion, brittle nails, dry skin...and, finally, my knees started to ache just form normal activities like walking in the mall. I finally decided that enough was enough and I didn't want to live like this anymore. This is my motivation....to live a normal life where, physically, I don't feel like I'm 100 years old.
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Old 05-15-2008, 02:35 PM   #13  
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i have fits & starts of motivation, but it wanes, so i forget about it. I kind of have to be a mindless zombie about it, just do A + B = C, repeat. LOL, because unfortunately what motivates me is also my undoing!!! I absolutely LOVE to fit into smaller sized clothes, either old stuff or new stuff doesn't matter -- HOWEVER, once I'm wearing it I feel kind of awesome about my accomplishment...wow i'm so awesome I deserve a piece of cheesecake! wow I must be DONE dieting now! let's have some fried chicken! you see where I'm going with this LOL...so yah...mindless zombie
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Old 05-15-2008, 02:38 PM   #14  
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I want to give myself a chance at living the best life possible. I want to be the very best ME that I can be. I want to look my best and without a doubt, number one - FEEL my best. I want to do all that I can to ward off many, many preventable diseases. I want to be around for my grandchildren and be an active grandma at that.

I want to live life to it's fullest. It's about time, after wasting 20+ years being morbidly obese.
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Old 05-15-2008, 02:46 PM   #15  
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What motivates me?
Getting married at my goal weight!

Last edited by elisarae; 05-15-2008 at 02:46 PM.
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