[juliastl27]

cute clothes.

thats it.

(edit) alright alright thats not *it*. i hate being fat and i feel embarrassed and antisocial when i am.

but the clothes are a lot of it....

[MARLA26]

My motivation flew the coup for awhile. Now I am back.
I want to feel better.
I want to wear a smaller size.
I have a lot of clothes packed away in boxes. If I can drop another 20 pounds I will have a whole new wardrobe!
WOW!
I NEED TO START LOSING AGAIN.
( I have started my new diet today)

[thexfiles]

You guys are all really inspiring me I also LOVE seeing all the results that everyone is getting! It makes me feel like change can really happen for me! I'm starting the 30 Day Shred today so I'll need all the support and motivation I can get lol. My goal seems so far away at this point, oy!

[seabiscuit]

This is an AWESOME thread!

Motivation is so important and I have struggled with a lot on the weight loss and emotional eating journey. Right now what is keeping me going through what is a rough patch of weight gain from meds, is:

that I want to go on ski trips again

I want to live longer

I hope to reverse or at least help make a lot of my medical conditions that are exacerbated by weight, easier to live with

nicer clothing!

feeling better about myself


I think a lot of us, or at least I'll speak for myself when I say I go through patches when it's easy to lose motivation. I find it important to keep sight of the big picture though, long term goals. For me, I have about 90 lbs to lose, but my initial goal is to lose weight, not gain, then lose a few pounds, then under 200, one thing at a time. If I look at it and say 'oh no, I have all these 90 lbs to lose, how will I do it- I'll feel overwhelmed and want to give up.' It is a matter of perspective for me.

At the end of the day, it can also be a question of, do I want the cookie/treat or the success ?

Amy

[juliastl27]

Originally Posted by thexfiles

My goal seems so far away at this point, oy!

i have to go in mini goals. thinking about losing 37 more lbs is too much to handle. right now im thinking about getting to 185, then im going to move on to 179 and i havent thought beyond that. thinking about 37 lbs feels WAY too overwhelming. i can deal with losing 2 right now. then ill move forward

[MrsTryingAgain]

When I mentioned to a co-worker that I was trying to watch what I eat, exercise & be healthier, she asked me why? Now, realize that she is in her early 20s & of slim build. She asked if I was doing it for health reasons or for astetics.
Definitely health. I can't fool myself any more. I've got far too much weight on my frame. I'm not getting younger. And I've also lied to myself that I won't possibly die at a "young age". Yes, my mom is a alive & pretty darned healthy for a woman in her mid-80s. Dad however died at the age of 71. He had COPD, but he also had HBP & ended up dying of a massive heart attack.
I've blinded myself to the fact over the years that I have Mom's genetic makeup but I ALSO HAVE DAD'S! I can't have it both ways. Dad's blue eyes but Mom's health...I can't pick & choose my genetic make up.
So my motivator is health. I'm tired of being tired all the time. I also hate getting winded when I have to do physical things (housework, shopping). The physical changes are just a bonus.

[bingingerrday]

Because I hate my life and myself. Nothing more, nothing less.

By the way, how do you get those weight trackers in your signature?

[thexfiles]

You shouldn't ever hate yourself completely! I understand what you mean though, you may dislike yourself, but never hate yourself. Remember that you're great no matter what, but in losing weight you're deciding to change for the better because you want to. It will make you feel great and it will allow you to be an even MORE awesome person.

As for the tickers, I went here to the 3 fat chicks ticker page. It's hard to find so I just searched for it in google.

But some people have to wait 20 days for their signature editing option to come up (I'm still waiting for mine).

[shcirerf]

To the OP.

There are so many things that motivate me.

My mother has always been obese, at 74 she has so many health problems, I don't even know where to start.

I raised my kids different. They are healthy, athletic, and strong. Eat mostly good, with the now and then indulgence. Their chosen professions require good health and athletic ability. AKA SWAT Sniper!

I understand that at 25, living a healthy lifestyle seems tough, but, as you age it gets harder and harder, and the health issues will catch up with you.

Better to figure it out now, rather than later!

[epifania]

I saw old pictures of a healthier me, and I wanna go back to that happy place where I used to be. As simple as that.

[Em Coconut]

I wanna start to really live...
I wanna be able to wear whatever I want and not feel uncomfortable about it.
I wanna be able to feel good about myself
And when I go back to school next fall, I don't wanna be the "fat girl"...not again...

[CleverName]

Originally Posted by freelancemomma

As we often say on this board, it's not about motivation but about commitment. Make the commitment. On the days when you don't feel motivated (and there will always be those days), the commitment will carry you through. Not that it's easy. It's taken me 55 years to make the commitment to exercise four times a week. But now that I've made the commitment, my previous excuses have fallen away. There are many mornings I don't feel like jogging, but I simply push myself out the door and then it becomes easier. Same with eating. Yesterday I was a lot hungrier than usual (for no particular reason) and had to white-knuckle it a bit, though I did have a couple of snacks. Commitment, not motivation.

Do it while you're young, you won't regret it. Good luck!

F.

Thank you for this, freelancemomma, it is really good to hear this.

[thexfiles]

Here are my full motivations...some of them might seem stupid, they sometimes even feel trivial to me, but here they are:

1) I want to meet the one and feel comfortable with them and not worry about myself (all my past relationships have had an underlying tension because I was always worried about how I looked).
2) I want to wear the styles that I really love (sure you can "make them to fit you" but they'll look better on me if I feel comfortable in them).
3) I want to live the longest I possibly can
4) I want to just feel better in general
5) If I commit to this, maybe I'll commit better to other things.

I just find it so hard to START and actually get off my desk chair or get off the couch. I almost feel as if I'm dragging myself down because I don't want to change, but I HAVE to. I just need that official kick in the butt to get me going! The hardest part about this is that I have no one else to work with me. My parents are too busy (but both are overweight) and my friends are all too busy or moved away.

Oh how will I do this. How can I convince myself that it's good to start going and not good to think too much about it until I've convinced myself to just forget it.

[heathermichigan]

Originally Posted by thexfiles

I just find it so hard to START and actually get off my desk chair or get off the couch. I almost feel as if I'm dragging myself down because I don't want to change, but I HAVE to. I just need that official kick in the butt to get me going!

Oh how will I do this. How can I convince myself that it's good to start going and not good to think too much about it until I've convinced myself to just forget it.

From someone who has started and stopped countless times and then managed to lose 80 last year, you just need to DO IT. That may seem harsh, and I don't mean it to be, but you just can't overthink it. Just do something. Do it now.

For me, the diet is easier than the exercise, so when I had to restart this year from my 30 lb regain (personal issues, etc), I started there. I'm 100% on plan 90% of the time, and just a little off the other times, and it is always planned. I'm easing back into an exercise routine right now.

And you must, must, must depend on yourself to do it--not a friend, not a coworker, not a family member. They might give up, but you won't. Come to these boards for virtual support, multiple times a day if you need to. There are threads you can post on to weigh in daily, put your food choices and exercise every day to stay accountable, etc.

We are all in the same boat together. We all have to figure out how to make it work. Propel yourself forward--don't give yourself an option--and you will find your motivation in your success.

[Moving Forward]

I had a few things happen that scared me into starting my weight loss journey. First, Kaiser mailed me out a letter this summer about considering their medical weight loss services. I initially shrugged off this letter and felt insulted. Then I realized that my husband hadn't got one, nor had anyone else I mentioned the letter to. Then, after being a size 14 for at least 20 years, I found myself suddenly needing to buy bigger work clothes. I was mortified and very depressed on that shopping trip. Shortly after, a friend of mine sat at my kitchen counter for hours and talked to me about her health issues and weight loss. Somewhere in the midst of this conversation, I committed to myself to return the size 16 clothes and lose the weight.

I returned those clothes months ago and my size 14 wardrobe is fitting well again. Buying a new, smaller wardrobe, is a huge motivation for me now. I'm also highly motivated to no longer fall into the "overweight" category anymore. I have to agree with the sentiments about commitment. My motivation waxes and wanes, but my commitment is what has kept me going.