So I've been reading this book:

Grogan, Sarah. Body Image Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women
and Children. New York: Routledge, 1998.

And it's really fascinating, and I think a lot of us could learn from it. It's all about body image and culture, and (partly) why Americans feel the need to be skinny.

One of the figures it gives is from a 1994 study done by Drs. Brownell and Rodin, who found (at the time) that
25% of diets of obese people lead to successful, long-term weight loss, while
5% of diets of non-obese people lead to successful, long-term weight loss.

Non-obese includes all the people in the "overweight" or "normal" bmi categories. Why? Apparently, it's because of the reasons for dieting. Obese people tend to establish better support systems for themselves (in part) because they are dieting for health, while non-obese people tend to diet for aesthetic reasons rather than health reasons (and have a weaker support system).

So thanks to everyone at 3FC for being part of my strong support system!

Anyway, this has me wondering- what is your reason for losing the weight.
PICK ONE, even if it's both. Is it MORE about how you look, or about your health?

To a certain extent both... but mostly (about 80%) for my health. I need to reduce risk factors that can cause my blood clotting disorder to kill me and weight is the biggie!

I'd like to read that book I think.

I guess I never answered, so here goes. I want to say health, and it is largely health, but at this point appearances are getting the best of me.
When I was heavier, it was about 90% health. Now, beauty has a bigger piece (probably 40% beauty, 60% health on my worst days).

Beauty is my main reason. I've been alone for a long time and I want to feel attractive to the opposite sex. The more I lose, though, the healthier and stronger I feel so it really is a win-win.

I'd say to be fit and look good. Health is another issue. I used to worry about diabetes all the time. Percentage wise: 60% fitness, looking good 20% and health 20%.

Aren't more people dieting because more people in the US are obese? I did not diet because of society's pressure to be thin, I lost weight because at 200 lbs, I could no longer tell myself I was a "big girl" who "carried weight well" - I was fat. After losing 4 grandparents much too early, I also wanted to reduce my risk of cancer/disease - health was an important concern to me.

Right now I am trying to lose weight solely for health reasons. I am sure as I get healthier I will start thinking of other things. Beauty is appealing to me, and sure I want to look better, but it isn't why I'm doing this. Watching both my diabetic parents wreck themselves is what is motivating me to lose weight. I don't want to end up the same. I am insulin resistant right now.

Thanks for that. I've requested a copy from the library.

Can my answer be "none of the above"?

Right now my motivation to lose weight is to stop hurting! My knees, feet and back...ugh. As well, I don't think I've ever been this uncomfortable before. I can't sit in booths...my legs hit my stomach going upstairs. You know. It's just icky.

My health (or more accurately, health scare) is what triggered this undertaking in the first place, but the major motivating factor was really the desire to live a normal life... to fit comfortably into lawn chairs, buckle my airplane seat belt easily, not lose my breath while tying my shoes, shop at regular stores, enjoy having my photo taken, ride any roller coaster, stop wearing down the inner thighs of my pants, stay cool on hot days, etc. Looking good also plays a role, but more as an additional source of reinforcement after having lost the weight.

I have always been rather healthy, despite some knee problems I had as a teenager -- which has gotten better since I walk daily and the muscle around my knee has built up!

I've never had problems with my blood pressure or anything of that sort, or had any health problems that were weight related. But at one point I realized I was getting really big and I was afraid that the health problems would start eventually from a poor diet and lack of exercise. I wanted to remain healthy and prevent any further damage that may occur in the future. I also want to have kids and I knew that being overweight isn't the best condition to try to conceive or carry a child in.

But of course part of me does it for the vanity. I want to feel beautiful -- inside and out.

Mine is vanity, pure and simple. I've not seen any real ill effects from my weight. I just don't like how I look in the mirror. I want to be confident in my clothes and feel good about myself. The reasons may be shallow but the side effects of losing the weight make it totally worth it!

My VERY blunt late grandmother (may she rest in peace but how I miss her) once said to me... "No use wasting being pretty on being fat" LOL I can still hear her voice saying it.

same here. I also want to have more energy and be more fit, to prevent any health problems that come with age later. if I'm not careful with my weight it can get out of control anyway, so I need to learn to make this a life style, not just a diet.

my biggest is health; i cant afford health care if something were to happen, i need to look after myself now, rather than later.
But also, i wanna look good to me. I know i'll never be super thin, and i dont care, id like a firmer smaller image of me in the mirror is all.

I started losing weight for my health, I wanted to feel better and I did not want weight related health issues, but now that I can see myself getting smaller the better I want to look. So ultimately i want to be healthy and fit, but looking good will be a very very big bonus.