[treefrogtoes]

What is everyone's big motivator? Is it a number on the scale that your trying to achieve? Or a favorite pair of jeans that you want to get back into? Is it a special day you want to look good for?

I really don't know what mine is. In the short term I really get pumped when that scale reads smaller week after week. If I have a big drop, my day is made! I feel invincible and it pushes me to do better in the week ahead so I can have another 'high'. I picked my long term goal for no other reason than it sounded good. I have no real date I want to be thin for or a real size/weight that I want to be. Heck, I woke up on Jan 8th and decided I didn't want to be fat anymore and started busting my butt to get rid of the extra weight. I changed my entire life overnight, litterally!

I haven't seen my extended family since Christmas or before so I'm excited to see if they will notice but I'm not sure when I'll see them. None of them know I'm losing weight and part of me want's to just stay in hiding until I can emerge out of my 'fat shell'! I saw a co-worker of Sam's yesterday (haven't saw her since Sept) and she mentioned that I looked like I lost some weight. What a great feeling! People noticing!!!

Anyway, I was just curious as to what your drive to success is...

[DishyFishy]

Congrats on your loss to date, Sara!

I've been overweight for most of my adult life and although I've had some success in the past, I've never stuck with it and reached my goal weight. I promised myself I'd do it before I hit thirty yet here I am--almost 39 and the fattest I've ever been.

I've been thinking about seriously dieting since before Christmas last year but I just couldn't get into the right mindset for it. Then I got up one day last week and I just knew that the time had arrived.

I went to some site on the 'Net and punched in my height, weight, and age, and it said that my ideal weight is 138lbs so I adopted that as my goal. I have no idea what I will look like at that weight but I'm determined to find out.

I've only weighed-in once so far but that loss has got me smiling inside, if you know what I mean. I know from past diets that the decreasing figure on the scale is a large part of what keeps me on track. Every time I've given up it's been because I hit a plateau that I couldn't seem to get beyond. This time I'm prepared for it. I remember being pleased when people commented about how much weight I'd lost but I'll need to drop at least a couple of stones before it becomes noticeable. (Not that I really see anyone much these days.)

So, I hit the big 40 next year and I'd dearly love to be at target then--I'm hoping to return to the UK to visit my sister at that time (finances and OCD permitting).

I've also got a pair of brand new jeans I bought over 20 years ago that I grew out of before getting a chance to wear them!! I've kept them all this time, even emigrating with them, and I'm determined that they will fit me again.

I'm looking forward to hearing what motivates other people. Great topic.

[anagram]

For me, it's improving my health. No real weight goal - just down. So even when my scale is not moving (and it's not moving much), I know I'm 45 or more pounds down from three years ago, my "numbers" are better, I'm able to do more and I'm more healthy than I would have been without the lifestyle changes. For some people three years would have brought goal but I'm not kicking me about not being there. I'm just continuing to improve my lifestyle though the changes are now sometimes modest. They do add up.

[willowgirl]

I have to be a role model for my 7 year old daughter. When I was her age is when I started to become the chubby girl and I know how that can affect your life. I want to be able to show her how too eat healthy and get exercise without being a total hypocrite

The other reason is total vanity. I want to be sexy, wear sexy clothes and turn people's head when I walk by

Pretty much vanity here. I don't need to be a skinny bombshell (curvaceous Goddess is fine, really...) but I'd like to wear normal close and not have "heavier" in the description of me when people talk about me. That'd be great.

But almost equal in importance is health. I don't really want cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. I also don't want to have a special coffin built for me if I die at 500lbs.

I think my "happy scale" number will be between 150 and 160, which are healthy BMIs for my height.

Great thread; can't wait to read others. Always, Apryl

[kclay61]

Mine is for health reasons - I started on WW, back in January of '04, lost close to 50lbs - then summer hit and we were off - we are bizzy bees during the summer - going here and there and going on trips with DH (he's a truck driver) so that meant eating at greasy spoons, etc.

Needless to say I gained every single pound back PLUS some

I had went to the Dr. for my 6 month check up (i'm diabetic) and she was not happy with my #'s. So, behind my back, so to speak, she got together with a dietician and came up with me a specified diet. So I'm following that and have been pretty darn good on it, I must say so myself.

So, it was either diet or die, I prefer to diet.

[jillybean720]

Health reasons are nice, but I can honestly say that since I don't have any of the usual symptoms of soon-to-be weight-related issues (high blood pressure, pre-doabetes, etc.), I don't think about that aspect of it as much as I should.

For me, I want to be healthy before I try to start my own healthy family. I want my children to not have to go through what I went through growing up as a fat kid. That's thinking of my future. As for the present...

I don't want to be afraid I'll hurt my bf if I'm *ahem* on top (TMI, I know, but ya'll know what I mean!). I don't want to have to shop for clothes in the plus size stores that don't have the cute things I want to wear. I really don't wear cardigan sweaters, polyester pants, and business suits all the time, which is all I can usually find in department stores and such. And, when I do actually find plus-size clothing in styles more age-approriate for me, they are so dang expensive! I watch my friends go to American Eagle or Gap or whatever and get awesome clothes off the clearance racks for like 10 bucks, whereas the clearance racks at Lany Bryant and such are still 19.99 or more. ARGH!

I can't wait to lose a whole bunch of weight and then go back to my little home town and see all the people who used to make fun of me in school so I can be like, "look what you're missing out on now cuz you were such jerks before!" mmm, I can't wait for those in-your-face moments.

Of course, I also have to be the maid of honor in my sister's wedding on April 22, 2006, so I'd like for my dress to look like a dress and not a trash bag. That would be nice, too

[PeachGirl]

I want to lose weight for myself, completely for vanity reasons. I wasn't always really big, I gained about 75 lbs over the course of 5 years (which is just makes me want to beat myself)

I'm trying to follow the idea of losing by becoming more healthy, which i've taken baby steps to try to accomplish, no more sodas, much much less fast food. I still have some bad habits but I"m taking them on one at a time, and I also have some bad days, but those days don't rule me, and I refuse to give up this life change I'm making for myself.

My first goal is to be a size 16. When I reach that goal I'm going to go out and buy a sexy little number for my husband to celebrate

[treefrogtoes]

Well as the concensus has it, we will all be healthy and sexy soon!!!

Next question I have for all of us who are oh-so-vain is what is your personal sexy size? I think mine is a 14 with a real hope of a 12.

[kykaree]

My motivation initially was for health reasons, both my parents have type 2 diabetes, and I am really beginning to worry about long-term consequences of being overweight. I am 33 (almost) now, and I felt like it was time to do it whilst I was still fairly young.

Now I am exercising regularly my motivation is to feel lighter so that I feel like doing more, and being more adventurous like trying abseiling (hopefully next year), canoeing and other stuff I have always thought about doing but felt too fat to try.

I feel sexy now at whatever dress size my body decides to be this week (it seems to change every time I try something on!!!)......... But I am aiming for a size 18 (UK size, that's a 14 to most of you!!!)

[Sandi]

I want to walk (even run) up and down a flight of stairs. Just a few short months ago, I too said that this weight hadn't really taken a toll on my health. Well, boy - did it ever happen quickly. I go up stairs OK, but I have to go down 2 feet on each stiar. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I am 37 years old!!!!! My muscles are achy. I just want to wake up in the morning and feel good.

Do you think my problem might be the extra 181 lbs that I am carrying around.

17 days ago I decided not to live like this anymore. DON'T WAIT until your health starts to slip away, fix it NOW!!!!!!!

[willowgirl]

Originally Posted by treefrogtoes

Well as the concensus has it, we will all be healthy and sexy soon!!!

Next question I have for all of us who are oh-so-vain is what is your personal sexy size? I think mine is a 14 with a real hope of a 12.

Well, I started a size 24 on the verge on of being 26 and am now a 20 (the lower half at least, boobs still make me a 22/24) and I am starting to feel really good about myself and actually *gasp* a bit sexy! All my late teen years and up to 21 years I was a size 14 and thought I was fat and looked like crap. I now WISH for that size and know that I would look really good, mainly because I know how to dress WAY better then I did back then (good bye Grunge )

So I am really looking forward to size 14 again, my old buddy, and am excited to meet size 12 and lower!!

[Sheila53]

Right now my motivator is the challenge I have with my daughter. She has gained a bunch of weight since she got married last year, and, since she's in the Navy, she has to maintain certain physical standards to advance. We need to get to about the same weight (she's a bit taller; I'm a lot older ) so whoever gets to 165 first gets to spend $400 on clothes. I will end up paying no matter who wins, but I really would like to be wearing a size 10, perhaps even an 8 if I get back into weight training, when I win that challenge!

[mabear]

Back in January I was toweling my hair after showering and I was so exausted that I thought I was going to pass out. My heart was racing and the air felt like it had no oxygen in it. I'm 39 and thinking it was no way to live. I've been gaining about 10-15 lbs every year for the past 10 years. I am afraid of what I would have been like in another 10 years. I decided I'd rather lose weight and be careful rather than stay at this weight and be careful. Unfortunately I decided all this while I'm pregnant lol. Not very surprising since I'm always pg. While I know that I will look better after losing its not a big reason. I mostly want to be healthier.

Catherine EDD#11 June 24th
hw/sw(pg)/cw/gw
272/258/237/155
mabear's homepage

[Sandi]

mabear - it blows me away that you LOST so much weight during your pregancy. Does this one feel different??? And do you plan on having more?