Yeah, yeah, yeah - we all diet to lose weight (I know that). But why do we all want to lose weight? Is it to get healthy, to look good, to attract men, to fit in with your friends, because you think you ought to - or some other reason? It would be interesting to compare our reasons for wanting to be slimmer - and it would also be interesting to know what your targets are and why.

Personally mine is a health thing - my dad's side of my family has a history of dying early from heart problems and on my mum's side there is a tendancy to have early strokes and end up disabled for years and years. My goal is to walk in to my doctor's surgery and him say 'you are the right weight for your height'.

Of course looking nice would be a great side benefit as well - as would being able to walk in to any clothes shop and find clothes to fit me.

I don't remember any more! I know I want some muscles and to be able to look good in a crop top working out!

I want to be able to run like the wind! I want to get my black belt kickboxing, I want to be able to get through a weekend without diving into the Phish Food because "I deserve it" and "this is my last chance for a week".

Maybe I don't want to lose more weight, maybe I just have to concentrate on those things I've just written, perhaps that will have the added side effect of helping me lose weight.

I want to be able to buy the clothes I like and not the ones I fit into! I've never been big on clothes shopping anyway but this makes it worse.

I also want to feel more lively and fitter (although not doing much on the gym front at the mo).

to be healthier!
to look good in a swimsuit, bikini(if I ever lose enough weight and tone and stuff) and even, dare a say it, naked! lol
OoOoOo AND now I want to look good enough to look totally gd in a velour tracksuit! thats my reward for my next goal, if I make my next goal that is
but mainly to not have to worry about my weight and health and just grab wateva to wear and just not have to think.

I would love to wear a swimsuit again without scaring ppl away and buying clothes i love is also a HUGE plus for me, just not in plus size, LOL. But the main reason is because my weight has slowed me down. I have 3 kids that i want to keep up with and be active with. We have been here in UK for 2 years now and because of me we havent seen much of anything. This wonderful chance to soak in another country and their life and i am at home on the couch too tired and ashamed to go out and explore. So we have plans made for lots of sight seeing non stop for a WHOLE MONTH when hubby is home from Iraq so i need to be ready to roll!

I want to have confidence in my personal appearance. Though that should not be connected to a number on the scale.........it is for me.

I was thinking about this today, and actually the getting thinner thing is pretty much the least important thing in terms of the impact it's had on my life. I'm so much more confident, in touch with my own goals and willing to do something to achieve them.

This time last year I came home from work and sat home alone every night. This week I'm meeting up with some new running buddies tomorrow, doing yoga on Wednesday and going to Spanish lessons on Thursday. I can safely say I'd never have done any of that if I hadn't got the confidence that came from realising that I CAN DO THIS.

If I can lose weight, I can do anything.

For me it's about 90% wanting to be healthy, and 10% wanting to look better. Appearence never was much of a motivator for me (hence why I got to 16 stone 6lbs in the first place !), but when my dad got diagnosed with diabetes it scared the bejesus out of me and was just the kick up the backside I needed.

Prior to that, the warning signs were there, and I simply ignored them and buried my head in the sand. Now, my perfect trip to the docs would be to be there in the first place because I was getting a vaccination for some exotic trip or other, and have him say to me "You're in great shape!" rather than "I told you this would happen but you didn't follow my advice..."

Janey

I want to be fit, happy, healthy and be a beautiful bride when he asks (which we've established he will when we have some cash!) I'd just like to feel the outside matches the inside.

Oops! Slipped my mind. I want to walk 26.2 miles in my bra in ONLY 16 WEEKS!!! With my 3 beautiful and very skinny friends and sister.

That's a whole load of motivation when you write it down.

For me it started out by wanting to look better and being able to shop somewhere other than Evans for clothes !But after losing a couple of stone and going to the gym regularly i found i like the feeling of being that little bit fitter and i want to see how much farther i can go something like Lara Croft would be great (Well I can dream can't I )

Healthier, Nicer clothes, and mostly a smaller BUTT.

I also kind of team it up with taking care of myself. I recently was dx with bipolar after 2 years of struggling. Now my motto is to take care of myself. Some days are easier than others. Suprisingly this is one place I can control when other parts of my life seem out of control. I also have to take time to myself. I'm thinking of getting full spectrum light bulbs as well. Mostly I just want to feel better. Excercise is my worst enemy but it is also a mood elevater.

I actually enjoy the process. I love it here at 3fc and I am addicted to fitday.com. I just love the planning and scheming.

I think that the main reason that I made the decision to lose weight is because even though I am married and I know that my husband loves me for who I am, I dont feel attractive and I find myself uncomfortable being naked in front of him. I get very uncomfortable when he says how sexy I am. How can he find me attractive with all of these rolls. I also wanted to lose weight because I was feeling really tired and was having a lot of back pain and joint pain. Now that I have been losing weight and walking a mile a day, my joints feel so much better. I just have more energy and I feel happier about what I am doing. I have dreams all of the time where I can see myself, In those dreams I am never fat. I am always skinny and really hot. There is a lot of modivation in the little things.

Wow! So many different reasons!

Right - next question - how many people have tried dieting before AND why did those diets fail you? (They must have failed you otherwise you wouldn't be dieting now.)

What are you doing differently this time? Is there any one thing which you can recommend other people to try which you think is motivating or helping you in your journey to fitness this time?