So I've been around for a few days now, reading some of the posts in here. I have noticed that most of us have the same struggles with staying on track, picking a plan (and sticking to it) and most of all, many seem to not enjoy exercise at all.

I know the typical motivators: "I want to be thin and attractive" or "I want to be healthy." Our identities get so wrapped up in the way that we perceive ourselves based on our weight. I made a post about this on my blog (or maybe it was my "about me" page). For me, I couldn't lose weight for a long time purely because I didn't *want* to. I was the fat lady. That was who I *was* and a *part of me* not something that I could simply shed easily (on an emotional level). Things changed when I quit smoking and stopped identifying as "a smoker" (I don't even consider myself an X any more). Now I'm able to separate what I am from what I do (in this case, overeating).

I'm sorry for rambling on. I wanted to talk about what my motivation is to lose weight. I will confess that I definitely want to look better. I know I look good when I'm slimmer. I will also confess that health plays the single biggest factor. I am not diabetic and my blood pressure is on the low side of normal. I'm not horrifically unhealthy except for all of this weight, but I don't want to *get* diseased either.

However, my biggest motivator are the things that I want to DO. Pardon me while hormonal emotional lady starts to cry lol

I want to go hiking in the Smoky Mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. I want to go ice skating again without worrying that my ankles aren't strong enough and that I might break one if I fall (which is likely, since I'm so out of practice). I want to go horseback riding on a trail, or maybe even for sport at some point during my life.

There are other things, but most of my motivations are due to a desire to be more active. Activity isn't what is holding me back, it is what is pushing me forward. I've been doing strength workouts for my upper body and yesterday I noticed that there is a contour to my bicep. Nothing for the triceps yet, but the bicep is looking good. And both major muscle groups of my shoulders are beginning to feel bulkier. My abs feel stronger, as do my hips. My legs are the one area that is failing me. It's absurd, since I walk daily and wear Skechers Shape Ups. I can feel them working, but my legs just aren't building. I need to try something else. My butt is definitely getting more defined though lol

Is anybody else particularly motivated by the desire to be able to be more active (i.e. improve stamina)? What are your motivations for losing so much weight?

I started listening to "Inside Out Weight Loss" It is a free podcast on iTunes. And she talks about motivation and how there are two types: "away from" motivation and "towards" motivation. "Away from" being like if you ahve a pair of jeans and you need to lose 5lbs to be able to button them again - that would be away from, b/c you want to move away from not being able to fit in your jeans. "towards" motivation would be a goal your moving towards = I want to lose 35 more lbs.

She talks about having BOTH motivators to focus on... b/c moving away from something, you only need to do so much to get away from it and then you need to towards goal to keep you going.

I am moving away from being unhealthy. I am not unhealthy, but if I had remained at 250 lbs, I would have been nearly guarenteed diabetes later on in life given my family history.

I am moving towards being a fit 170 lbs.

It also helps how GOOD I feel eating well and exercising. It like there is sunshine on my insides. And if I eat crap, that happy feeling goes away.

ALSO - I would like to state for the record that I have been ENJOYING exercise. If I try something and don't enjoy it - I just don't do it. I am not going to torture myself for the rest of my life doing something I don't enjoy. I have been running and doing 5k's and really enjoying trying to improve. And lifting weights and seeing definition in my arms is exciting!

Seeing pics of myself naked always does the trick for me ugh I hate it

I'm only 34, and haven't been overweight/obese all my life. "Only" the last 10 years or so. I have had type 1 diabetes since I was 11, and I have two young children.

I wanted to do it for a variety of reasons. Like you mentioned, look better, be healthier. In addition to those, I was starting to have a lot of pain. I would hobble out of bed in the morning b/c my feet and ankles hurt and were stiff. I was suffering from plantar fasciitis. I knew from previous experience that exercise would help that. I was having heart palpitations. My diabetes was under ok control, but I was starting to have some side effects from it (that are pretty normal after having it for 23 years, but I didn't want it to get worse). I was generally getting frightened that my children would lose me at an early age b/c of something I *could* control, even though it's definitely not easy.

I was getting to the biggest sizes sold in stores, and my self esteem (and therefore sex life with my husband) had plummeted. I am in hardly any pics with my kids, and it made me sad. Finally, I don't want my kids to be embarrassed by me b/c of my size.

So, here I am. 40 pounds down. No more heart palpitations. No more foot pain. I can even wear shoes I couldn't wear in the past couple of years b/c they used to make my feet hurt so much. I have the stamina to do many more activities with my family. My diabetes control is getting a lot better, and I'm no longer in the largest (or near largest) sizes sold in stores now. I actually fit in things from the "regular" section, which is HUGE for me. I'm not as moody, and don't get as cranky about things anymore.

I draw my motivation from that.

Oh definitely! But that has EVOLVED into my motivation. It wasn't my initial motivation. Ten years ago my motivation was purely vanity. Then it evolved into health motivation as my BP went up, my resting HR went up, my cholesterol went up and my blood sugar went up. That became my ultimate motivator, not that I needed one. I have been trying for ten years. My success started to happen once I made a commitment to be on plan for a year no matter what. By doing that, the scale lost all its power and I no longer felt the need to quit because I thought it was too slow.

Now though? I am highly motivated every single day by the things I can DO! It's amazing and never ending. I now enjoy things like going on hayrides, which I used to dread. I can hike, bike, run, go to the fireworks, fit on roller coasters, fit through the turn stiles, fit in any chair but especially those at the theater, fit comfortably always in bathroom stalls without resorting to the handicapped stall, go up and down stairs, sit on the floor indian style without my legs falling asleep, cross my legs, etc.

These things bring me such joy that it makes me happy even where I am, not yet to goal. It makes me content to lose slowly every month. I never knew how much joy part way to goal could bring.

WOW where to start

When I first started (50lbs I lost and gained back)

I met a man I thought i was going to marry who said he wanted to be with me for the next 50 years and I realized the way I was going i would be lucky to make it 10.

The second time around I sprained my ankle and I literally thought (as I hoped to my car at 10pm at night with no one to call for help) that 360 lbs was too much weight to put on one leg, and heaven help me if someone has to put my heavy behind on a stretcher.

I have a closet full of clothes in smaller sizes and I remember losing weight and wearing them comfortably and I want that again permanently, lol

Looking at websites and stores and KNOWING I will one day be able to shop at places other then the few plus size stores in my area.

I go out alot and I love heels but the weight makes them uncomfortable, I want to rock a nice pair of platform heels comfortably (if that is even possible)

Everyone in my family older than me is on some form of medication and most have a bag of pills they take. I refuse for that to be me.

Also at the time of my sprained ankle my BP, which had normally been low had started to creep up.

Also I enjoy my exercise. I just don't enjoy ALL exercise. I'm not a walker or jogger, but I'm the queen of exercise DVDs. I'm also one for variety, for me thats what keeps me going.

I give myself a monthly goal of min and when the scale is not my friend its nice to have that to help me feel like I've achieved something. I also like when I've done a DVD a few times and I'm keeping up with the people on the TV like I made up the routine


I also have discovered I really like strength training

I love that I can walk up stairs with no knee pain, I can out walk some of the smaller people I see on my commute and I want to move be faster and stronger.

My house is so much cleaner because i have so much more energy.

I love the healthy food I cook and enjoy trying new recipes(actually planning to take a few classes because I'm so into it)

A few people I know have passed away from health related reason and I don't want that to be me.

I have 2 "little old ladies" (70+) at my job who move like they are much younger, live and do things.One went to Antarctica for her 70th birthday. I want that to be me. I want to move and travel and live, and be a hot granny


Bottom line I guess is that while I want the scale to go down, my biggest motivation is that my quality of life goes up.


I like my custom plan and I think most of us have come to realize you need to be able to do this long term.

Fear.

Pain.




Fear. I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I've always known I was insulin resistant, and have known I had PCOS for years... but kept thinking I wouldn't be one of the vast majority of IR/PCOS folks who get diabetes.

Pain. I overdid some exercise a couple years ago, and have suffered off-again-on-again tendinitis (more on than off in the past year) since then. Some days it's so bad I can barely drag myself to work. I do NOT want to be in a scooter or using a cane in my 40s (I'm 46).

Those are the big two. Pain and Fear. Other things come and go (want to hike and canoe, hate small chairs, etc.) but those two are pretty consistent motivators.

What motivates me:

Knee pain
My 5 yr old telling me she doesn't want me to die
Not having any bigger sized clothes around to fit into if I gain weight (aka not wanting to be naked)
Heart palpitations if I go off plan for a day
Seeing an average sized woman in the mirror
People who are watching to see if I will gain it all back
Blogging

I agree with so many of the others above. But I also want to find love and I know I can't look until I feel better about who I am and that is losing weight. I've lost over 50lbs so far and people are really noticing. I'm feeling GREAT. I am on my own custom program -- slow and steady. Basically choosing to eat healthy - non-processed food and increase my activity level. I've really noticed my fat turning to muscle and I think that has an impact on my slow loss. But reward is now having to get new clothes and becoming healthier each day. My confidence in talking to others has improved - so look out guys!

I second Lyn2007. Blogging has been invaluable.

Thank you all for the responses! It is very exciting to talk to other people who are actually doing it. My husband and I have been talking about rewards for losing the weight and it's amazing how natural they have become.

An interesting OT story: I've been doing a lot of knitting and crocheting for the winter, mostly for gifts. For the first time in my life, I'm finishing one project after another. As a result, my husband doesn't complain when I want to get more materials. This means more projects, which equals more FUN.

I think that there is going to come a time where the natural consequences of weight loss are going to hit me that way. For example, not eating pork = less heartburn = happy Becki. It also means losing more weight because I sleep more consistently and breathe better, giving me more energy which means more exercise.

It's really interesting to know how other people think. I like the process of getting to know others in a similar situation to mine.

Great stories!
Many things motivate me, but the main reason is my health. I don't want to be put on pills for high cholesterol or have high blood pressure. I also don't want to end up with diabetes as it runs in my family.

I used to weight in my 130's, 20 years ago, and I want to hit forty (1.5 years), and feel better and look better like I did 20 years ago.

I used to be a part-time personal trainer at the gym. I enjoyed it to the max. I want to get back into it, but I want to be smaller and look the part.

I also want to feel better, fit in smaller clothes, and also find the love of my life. Being smaller will give me more confidence and I'll feel better about myself.

I want to wear shorts, go horseback riding, ride a rollercaoster, ride on a plane to see friends/family!