What motivates you?
 

I don't mean the typical "what do you want to do when you reach your goal weight" kind of motivators, but what do you have around that helps motivate you to keep on track? Pictures? A pair of clothes hanging around your room you can't wait to fit back into? Quotes? Affirmations? Etc.

I guess just the progress that I have made so far. I've come too far to quit now! Plus I bought a bikini for summer so i want to look half decent by december. And in the short term my boyfriend bought some t-shirts for me that are arriving in a few days/2 weeks so I want them to fit!

Right now two things- a photo of me at 16 when I was a size 11, and a pair of size 14 jeans sitting by my bed, waiting to be put on- I can put them on but I can't get the button done!

I am with Beerab...... the jeans motivate me. I know to some size 14 is "big".... but oh it is so awesome to know I can wear a 14 and I can shop in the "normal-- un plus sized" clothing section.

I was a little bummed b/c I messed around and I am not going to make my "goal" WL by my year anniversary..... then I get to thinking.... last year this time I was almost 270 pounds, I just flew to Virginia to see my son graduate AIT.... and the seatbelt on the plane was TIGHT, and I was in a 20--- needing to be in 22.

So, that is what motivates me!

There are a couple of things for me...

One thing is that I ONLY measure myself once a week, so generally it's over 2 lbs that I've lost...and I just keep thinking "okay if I keep doing this well I could reach my goal by next summer and totally buy a cute swimsuit"...lol.

I think this site has helped me a lot as well. I use it to hold myself accountable...I post in a weekly weigh in thread, and Its also a great place to look at other people's goal pictures and motivate yourself.


Oh, and I have two huge plastic bins under my bed with all my old clothes that don't fit anymore. I've got everything from medium to XXL shirts, and from size 11 to 20 jeans....so I guess I'm excited to get back into some of the clothes I used to love (although I haven't gone down a full size yet...it's taking FOREVER)...lol.

=D

I have a picture of me 70+lbs heavier hanging on my fridge and every time I look at it it reminds me of where I came from and how hard I have worked to get where I am and how much I will NEVER go back there again.

Clothes always motivates me...I love getting all dolled up to go out or of course the ever dreadful swimsuit season - and I live in South FL - that's motivation right there. I've been a little too careless lately so I MUST GET BACK ON TRACK.

The feeling I get when shopping in 'normal' stores like Temt & Valley Girl & Rockmans was awesome so this is now motivating me to get back on track

Hm, I would say that right now that my biggest motivation is my desire to stay committed to plan and loose the weight so that I can FEEL young again while I'm actually STILL young. The weight I put on after high school (about 50lbs or so) really cut into my energy levels and consequently made me feel sort of "old," so the thought of shedding enough weight to have the energy (and subsequent confidence) to truly be myself again is what motivates me the most.

Aside from that, the massive tangle of denim on my bed representing the sizes of jeans I've worn over the past 3 or 4 years motivates me a lot, too. ;D

i want to set a good example for my daughter...i want her to see me living healthy and grow up to do the same

I just want to make my family proud of me, they say they've been worried for ages and it makes me feel ashamed to think that at my PEAK (early 20s) I'm sooo overweight. So I crack a smile everytime I see the numbers on my scale go down.

at the gym tonight: looking at my triceps while i did rowing and thinking "keep going! no more waving arms if you keep doing this! it IS worth it!" i hate being jiggly!

i hate that i can't wear the clothes i want to wear. i've always looked at clothes and weight as "yeah okay i can get 'that' on but just because i CAN wear it doesn't mean i SHOULD wear it." i want to look like i SHOULD wear "it"!

possibly shallow reasons: my best friend is absolutely gorgeous and turns heads in ANY place we walk into. i want to give her competition!

biggest motivator: telling myself that if i'm unhappy, it's nobody's fault but my own. remembering that 2 years ago i was mad at myself for being fat, out of shape, and unhealthy. 2 years later i'm still all those things and still mad because i didn't do anything about it. i don't want to look back 2 years from now and say, "dammit and i STILL didn't do anything about it!"

biggest motivator: telling myself that if i'm unhappy, it's nobody's fault but my own. remembering that 2 years ago i was mad at myself for being fat, out of shape, and unhealthy. 2 years later i'm still all those things and still mad because i didn't do anything about it. i don't want to look back 2 years from now and say, "dammit and i STILL didn't do anything about it!"

That is great that1girl! It hits close to home!

I stick post-its next to my bed to motivate me to get up and go for a walk, and stay on plan for that day. They are the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see when I get up in the morning.

I write things that I know will press my buttons, like "Show the world you can do it! Show yourself!" or "Don't just lie there and feel lazy and defeated" and my personal favourite.... "Don't let people think they are better than you!", that is a good one because I work in magazines, with a lot of fashion girls who look down their noses at you because you are overweight!

I change them sometimes, but I always make them 'kick up the butt' kind of statements. I need to be a bit hard on myself. But I'm finding it really works!

Good luck and stick with it. WE CAN DO IT!

Thanks so much Nikki! That was the kind of answer I was looking for (they were all great, but I was looking more along the lines of this)! Great idea!!!!