Also, visiting this forum and seeing that all the hard work can pay off with positive results! Thanks everyone!

LuvA1exa - I agree completely with that motivation!

My big motivation is that my husband and I are ready to start a family and I want to have a healthy pregnancy We have been married for two years and together for 7, it is time!! My only issue is that sometimes my family makes comments like "why do you want to get pregnant now and regain all of the weight you just lost?" this is frustrating and I want to tell them that I do not plan on gaining 50 lbs just because I am pregnant and eat what I want, when I want. Sorry for the long rant

What has kept me going has been thinking "If not now, when?"
If I don't lose weight and become healthier now, am I going to try to do it at 65, like my mother currently is, or at 80, like her mother was before her?

I'm 41 and have spent my entire adult life in a battle against my weight.
That battle has been mentally draining and emotionally exhausting. I don't want to still be waging that all-consuming war when I'm 45, 50, etc.

I wish I had conquered this years ago - decades ago - but I'm darn well gonna conquer it now.

I had the exact same experience. I used to run regularly years ago when I was about 70lbs heavier than I am now. At the time, I felt surprisingly light on my feet. This week I've gone running twice and couldn't believe what a difference I felt without those extra pounds. I can't wait to start a regular running routine again (if only this crappy Alberta weather would cooperate!)

I agree about the crappy Alberta weather JenJen! Hee Hee Its nice to know that you feel the same way! With the extra weight gone, its like the body is craving exercise and to get moving! Maybe we can get outside to run in July! hee hee

This thread rings home for me. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences.

Like many of you, I am sick and tired of the extra weight. I have been "trying" to lose weight for so long, but never really committed to it. I have joined so many programs thinking "this will do it" but "it" never worked.

For now (mainly for financial reasons) I will be doing an alternative version of IP. But it seems to fit my busy lifestyle and I am very motivated. More than I have felt in a longtime.

I am in my mid forties and am concerned that if I don't do this now, my health will pay a big price. I also want to do this for myself, to prove once and for all that I can accomplish this goal. I am really fortunate to have the rest of my life together, but for years this goal of losing weight has been high on my list. It would be awesome to not have this on my 2015 New Years Resolution list.

This forum, my bridesmaid dress for my best friends wedding and my wedding dress.

I've been motivated to keep going this week because I know if I stop that I will just gain it all back again... Plus, physically, I feel so much better on this diet.

I have lot's of motivations, the first was that I don't want to have back surgery and breast reduction surgery in order to stay out of a wheel chair. That's what got me started. I also have two young healthy daughters that I need to be more active for, I raise them alone and I want them to know that mommy takes care of herself and them. I work hard and go to school to better my mind and our lives, but its important I better my health. Now what keeps me motivated is the changes I see and feel in my body and my energy levels. Seeing these changes keep me going. I wear the wedding ring my dad wore when he married my mother (my dad died a year ago) and it used to barely fit on my ring finger now it's falling off!! My shirts are all too big, and I'm waiting on my pants to get a little looser! There is so much to motivate me! Also I remind myself "why quit something you've worked so hard to start?" It's like sawing through half your arm to free yourself but then not finishing and remaining stuck.. I know graphic metaphor but that's how I feel about it. Its hard to stay OP some days but if I quit now I just tortured myself for nothing!

Carbluver & ipcali

I didn't trust myself either but soon found the IP plan to be self motivating b/c it was the easiest plan to stick to that I'd ever done. It has more structure than other plans I'd tried. I think I needed that.

I needed to take weight off my knees and feet as the most immediate concern... I was having more and more difficulty getting up the steps into my house. I was also concerned about a strong family history of diabetes... one by one, several cousins have been diagnosed with diabetes and I was afraid I was heading in that direction, also.

And, I also wanted to be a better example for my husband. He is on insulin for diabetes and he does not take care of himself at all. He often used me as an excuse to bring home loads of candy and sweets. He would say he was bringing me a treat, but he sure helped himself, also! So, I stressed how important this IP is to me and he has been supportive-- no more candy or sweets brought into the house. I have no idea what he's eating when he's at work, but I'm hoping my behavior and success will be an encouragement to him.

Also, I like getting smaller clothes!!

Getting the weight off to help my joints was another motivating factor. After 3 operations on my back (including one fusion) I was barely able to climb the stairs. Getting the pressure off my back, hips, knees and ankles has done wonders for my pain levels. My surgeon is just delighted - told me that every pound I take off is 9 lbs of pressure off my ankles (not sure his numbers are right) - that means I have taken more than 1000 lbs of pressure off my ankles. Unbelievable.

9 lbs of pressure for every pound lost?? Wow! I am so glad that I can already tell a big difference in my pain level. I hope it goes away completely one day.

Speaking of pressure on the joints and what not, I noticed when I did this last round of reboot that after losing a few lbs my knees somedays felt like they were almost numb. Like as if they were expanding if that makes sense. Anyone else experience this at all?