Hi everyone!
Here I have found lots of successful ladies and I am so impressed with all that I have seen here.
Maybe it would be a good idea to put here, in one place, what has motivated you to become successful this time. I am sure the most of us has tried so many times before. What have made the difference and kept you going?
Whas there any "AHA" moment?

I am so proud of all of you

Someone here said something to the effect of "motivation is not required. Commitment is." It resonated with me. I don't have to FEEL like doing it, I just have to do it. Today I REALLY didn't feel like working out. REALLY didn't feel it. I almost quit 3 times during the workout and I rarely get that way. Usually once I get started I'm fine but not the case today. I was so UNMOTIVATED because the scale and I have been having issues the last week and I am discouraged with the whole thing- not being rewarded for my efforts with weight loss.

However, I just finished 50 minutes of Turbo Jam because I am committed to change. Thing is, even if I don't lose weight, I am healthier and my only other alternative is to do nothing which guarantees more of what I DON'T want.

I started by making small changes and committing to accept a less than perfect effort. My biggest obstacle in weight loss has been perfectionism. Letting go of that has been and continues to be a struggle. But I'm doing it.

Great thinking! And I think you are doing it great! :-)

Just do it! NIKE

I guess I didn't have some grand A-HA! moment with a heavenly choir and flashing neon lights, but I did realize something.

I ate like crap.
I looked like crap.
I felt like crap.

So I quit and began trying to change everything about my life that I wasn't happy with, which was my looks and health. Ta-Da! It didn't take too long to figure out that it was time to make a lifestyle change and stick to it.

Now it's been close to six months and I'm still commited because, honestly... I've put in WAY too much work to give up now. I feel better and look better and I know it'll only get better from here!

Getting out of breath carrying my laptop bag up the stairs to my office and the vision in my head of my SIIL in a bikini...

I watched a 2-year old jazz choir video and was amazed at how much thinner I was. Or rather, amazed at how much worse I looked in the videos from our recent concert. It was a pretty loud wakeup call.

A friend dragged me to a "Bikini Boot Camp" a year ago. It was a 6-day a week workout / food diary / lifestyle change program. Well, I didn't finish the boot camp (turns out I CAN'T kick box) but they got me to kick a 25 year old Diet Coke habit. Turns out that dehydration caused a lot of my arthritis problems. Also it got me watching what I eat. Lost about 20 pounds in 7 months. Then I started exercising and lost another 10 in the next 2 months. I got to the point where men give me the once over again - and I get the evil looks from women occasionally! Even if I'm very married, it still feels good.

I've been on break the last 6 months, and even quit working out a month or so ago. What got me going again? Swimsuit season is here - and I'd really rather not go out in one. That isn't fair to me or my child!

Oh, and that 30 minute workout in the mornings gives me more energy for the day. I feel better!

You are giving the great comments. I thought that I need inspiration from abowe :-) or something else. Now that I see that some of you don’t like it but do it - it helps me realize that is normal. Going up and down is normal. Everything is normal, but we just have to keep going no matter what.

I have realized now that I have lost 40 pounds in last year and gained back 26 so I was so depressed before this topic and forum. I thought I got it under control and than realized I don’t!

Now I realize that its life time commitment, not just for a year or two and that I should start over with small steps again. Small steps, one by one, and they add up!

Anyone else?

LOL - No - while I'm sure some do, I do not enjoy watching what I eat or exercising. Just the results! I regained about 10 lbs during my "break". 5 on the holidays, and my typical 1 pound per month.

The problem is that I like food that's not good for me. I also like healthy food. I guess that would mean all food - therefore the problem! I'm just a person who has to make choices.

And for example, its 5:30 am. Do I mess around here, and finish that Mega-Sukoku, or go work out? I know which I'd rather do, but I'm off to join Sean T for 30 minutes then get going for the day.

i'd love to be able to say that i was motivated by a desire to live a healthy lifestyle and just have a long and healthy life, but that would be dishonest. at the end of the day, i'm doing this for purely superficial reasons. i want to be hot. i want guys to check me out. i want to find a husband. i want to wear clothes because i like them not because they fit. i don't want to be the fattest person in my social world. i don't want to be the fattest person at the bar or restaurant or party. also i haven't been to a beach in years. the feeling stronger and healthier is awesome, but i guess for me the sad truth is that is just a side benefit, albeit an awesome one. i know weight loss and healthy lifestyle is supposed to be much harder to stick with and maintain long term if you're doing it for external reasons rather than simply for yourself or your health, but i'm hoping i'll be an exception.

I was sick of being fat and doing nothing about it, I wanted my life back. I wanted to be fully happy for once. I wanted to walk out in jeans and a t-shirt, and be able to fit in jeans. I always loved outdoor activites, but I never could do them because of my weight. Anyway theres tons of reasons,but Im glad I did something about it and took control of my life

My AHA moment happened last summer... I had gone to the beach with a bunch of friends. All the girls in our group were in bikinis but me... well, me, and a girl who was pregnant at the time, lol. I dunno, I guess it just hit me that I am in my 20's, and I have never known what it's like to feel good about my body. I was tired of being embarrassed about how I looked. I was tired of always apologizing to my husband. I was tired of being the "token fat girl" in my group of friends. I vowed that by this summer, I would be in a bikini, and I would be healthy and feel good about myself. And so far, things seem to be going that way. I may not be in a bikini until the END of summer... but I'll be there.

Yay littlemoonrabbit! I know how you feel. I don't necessarily want the bikini goal, but I would love to wear the outfit I always wanted. Olive cargo pants (low riding kind) with a black tube top, my hair pulled back into a braid. I'm a dork but thats what I want. Good luck everyone. I still have to lose 50ish pounds but I can do it!

Be healthy and actually live my life.

Well, I can understand that part - I dont want to be the largest in the group. You know, when you enter the room full of people on some business gathering or so and the first person you spot is me! I also want to be melted in the crowd.

And, about being hot - I got upset when Man start to notice me and that was the reason why I gain back the weight. I felt uncomfortable everyone commenting on me. AND I FELT SO SMALL! I was not, trust me! Anyone with that experience?

You inputs are so inspirational to me that I made it true my first day, without a big problems. Thank you all for that!