I have been doing okay. In fact I am very excited to lose weight now. But I worry because it seems like I have been here before and then given up.
so the things that make me want to lose weight. Of course, for me, so I have more energy so I feel better. But this just doesn't seem to take me all the way to goal???
So will the fact that I want to take my daughter swimming this summer. I want to have the confidence to leave my house in a swim suit. Maybe that will get me to summer.
There are thousands of reasons I want to lose weight. I even have a list I keep. So why haven't I done it yet?? What is wrong with me.
I can't stand to look the way I do. In fact sometimes when I look in the mirror I want to run for the fridge. How does this make sense????
I have been there before. I was sooooo happy. I know how it feels to wake up every day and enjoy picking out what I will where. I loved shopping. Now I dread my closet and I do not shop for me EVER!!
Just thoughts on motivation and what does it take to actually go all the way to goal. I don't want to struggle like this forever. What is wrong with me????
I'm not sure why, but I think we are conditioned to think that nothing we do is good enough, that we don't deserve to spend all this time and money on ourselves and do what it takes to really lose the weight, and let's face it, our fat habits are always there, we make a daily choice to make thin choices, but we know the other way of life and sometimes it's easier.
For me this time, the motivation is my old age. I am only 32, but in the past couple of years I have cared for a number of clients who have really awful lives because they never gave up their fat habits, diabetes, crippling arthirits etc. My parents both have type 2 diabetes, neither of them are obese, and both have osteoporosis.
I want to be around for a long time yet, and when I am sixty, seventy and beyond I want to have the energy and ability to do stuff, like travel, steal other peoples grandkids and take them on holidays, go on volunteer projects, whatever it is that I want to do, I don't want to say, I can't because of my health.
This time is very different for me. Before it was about appearance, and let's face it, if I really cared THAT much about my appearance I never would have got into this state in the first place.
I have a few things that are motivating me. One is my cousin's death on this past Christmas day of a heart attack. He was only 36 - but he was overweight. Now my two little cousins are left without a Daddy. I don't want that to happen to my little girl.
The second thing was being asked 3 times over a two week span when my "baby" was due. Well, I had her FOUR years ago! Sheesh.
The third is both my dad and aunt getting diagnosed with type II diabetes in December.
You say that when you look in the mirror you want to run to the fridge. Was there ever a time when you weren't overweight? Then focus on those images rather than the current one. Post pictures of yourself when you were at your optimal weight...put them on your bathroom mirror, your fridge, etc. Buy the swimsuit of your dreams in a size or two smaller than you can wear and hang it where you will see it everyday. Focus on the results instead of the now and see if that helps keep you on track.
I used to run to the fridge over anything painful! It's difficult to see myself as I am now. I'm mortified and disgusted by how I look right now. And rather than deal with those feelings and confront reality, it's much easier sometimes to shove food in our mouths to numb the pain and make it all go away - temporarily of course. When I confront reality as it is though...Yes, I am still larger than I would like to be. I'm not really disgusting at all. But I'm not healthy either. Or happy with how I look. But only I can take hold of the reins and change my reality. To run to the cookie jar every time something is not pleasant is only my way of ignoring my reality. And I have figured out that I must acknowledge my reality and take responsibility for what I have done to it.
oooh this is a good question, what motivates me is shopping for cute clothes! I used to want to look good for others, but I've realized, it doesn't matter what others see, I want to look good and be able to run after a bus without being breathless for... me! yes, me, me, me, I'm so selfish. lol
My cousin is getting married July 3rd... I'm not sure how much weight I can reasonable lose by then (gonna see how the first month goes first!), but I'm hoping I'll be stepping out to that wedding in a nice new dress as a much thinner me for all my extended family and friends to see (I live 3,500 miles away from them so they won't see me as I lose it... makes it all the more fun when they don't see you for 7 or 8 months and then you show up looking good!).
Motivation is something that is different for each and everyone of us! Mine came to me about 2 yrs ago I was having heart problems and I decided that seeing how the doctors couldn't find any reason for my pains that I need to lose weight not only for me but so that my boy would have his mom around. I was on a roll til I was dx'd with endo and the treatment that failed added weight as well. Got rid of that then life got too stressful and of course I dealt with it in the wrong way. Now I have learned how to deal with it and am begining to get my life back together and hoping that the weight goes as well.
My clothes fitting better is a continuous motivation. My goal weight or even fitting into size whatever is an something of an abstract concept at the moment but getting up in the morning and not worrying about trying to shoehorn myself into just-washed jeans is the nicest thing in the world.
Motivation for me is seeing results. Going shopping at regular stores and trying on clothes that actually look good is the best feeling in the world. I also stay motivated by keeping one of my old belts that I wore at my highest weight...I've lost ten inches since then and I'll wrap it around my new waist just to see how it fits now...literally my hips now are as big as my waist was! It's amazing and total motivation.
I'll tell you a funny story. I used to peruse the fitness magazines for photos of fitness models to put inside my refrigerator and cabinets for constant motivation. I lived alone so it was no big deal and after a while, I didn't think much about them being there.
Several months after I put them there, I had some people over for a Pampered Chef party. The Kitchen Consultant opened the refrigerator door and there's a muscular chick in a swimsuit. Considering I didn't know her very well, I was pretty embarrassed. I explained the motivation technique but she didn't seem to be convinced.
What motivates me?
Well...first of all my nieces and nephews. I want to be able to play with them and not sit back because I'm too tired, too out of breath, or too embarassed to be around people!
Pretty much, I want to be healthy.
What Motivates You??
