We're here to lose weight, right? To get rid of our FAT so we can have more FUN in our lives?

How many of us hate the idea of losing weight because of all the hard work, all the restrictions, all the things we just don't want to do to get somewhere we have to be?

I'm sure there are a lot of us.

Let's work together to come up with ways to turn our FAT into FUN!

Fun for me is getting in shape while playing sports. I love softball and the sprinting gives me that extra oomph for my cardio. I also love to listen to my favorite podcast, Scene/Unscene, movie reviews. They crack me up. I actually start laughing out loud in the gym.

I'm having fun working out. I am realy starting to looooove walkin on my treadmill. I think thats why I know I'll do it this tim. I am ACTUALLY enjoying myself.

I had an absolute BLAST the year I was losing. I couldn't wait to get on that scale every Monday morning and see my hard work pay off. I weighed myself every day, but only recorded it on Mondays. I knew every time I said no to one of "those" foods I was one step closer to my goal. I actually ENJOYED turning down food.

I enjoyed every workout, if not the actual work itself, but just knowing that again, I would be one step closer to losing the weight.

I kept challenging and challenging myself trying to manipulate that scale. It was FUN.

I also set up rewards for myself for every 10 lbs. A new handbag, a new wallet, a new lipstick. ANYTHING but food.

I loved watching my clothing become enormous on me. I loved waiting for my bones to pop - collar bone, hip bones, shoulder, wrist, etc... It WAS FUN!!!

I loved banging into people who would see me and say things like, "you're melting away", "where's the other half of you" and on and on.

Oh and then it was FUN (& very new) having people ask *me*, yes *ME* for advice on how to lose weight.

I LOVED being able to buy smaller clothes. LOVED that I had to keep on changing my underwear size, bra size too. LOVED and had FUN packing up my too large clothing and hauling them off to charity.

It was truly the most thrilling year I have ever had.

Yahoo RockinRobin!! That's what I'm feeling now! I love the challenge and like you said every good food choice and every workout getting me closer to my goal! Awesome!!

I'm down from a 24 to a 18 and I'm about 10lbs away from the size 16 jeans I use as a motivator (I can do them up without laying down!! LOL...but they aren't pretty...YET!).

I use dress sizes as my mini goals (approx 20lbs loss to each new size) and than I splurge and get something (or somethings ) in my newest size.

We're going to Florida the end of March and I will most definately be in a 16 by then...I will buy myself some pretty new outfits for the trip and it's really working as a motivator for me...I can't wait!! I haven't been in a 16 since universtity!!

My only thing is that I can't step on the scale everyday. The ups and downs of water weight and such drive me crazy! I was down to 251 on Sunday, I stepped on the scale this morning (and I knew I shouldn't have!) and I was up to 253! I've been doing this since September so I know that water gain or lack of BM's or other factors can play a part in this...but I also know that come my next weigh in everything will be back to normal and I'll see a loss. BUT if I saw a gain earlier in the week I punish myself instead of celebrating the loss. In my head I feel like it should have been more. It was very self defeating. So...once a week works for me!!

Hey Kiki, you've got to find what works for you. If you don't want to weigh every day - don't. It's perfectly okay. For me, I've learned to live with and know those fluctuations.

I avoided that scale for close to 15 years. 15 years. Now mind you, I knew I was obese - morbidly obese, in fact. But I can't help but think (could be wrong) if I would have FACED that number, stared it in the face - every day things may have been different. For me frequent weighing is a way to stay in tune with my body, my HEALTH. It helps keep me accountable - to myself. It doesn't work for everyone though. We've all got to find what does for ourselves.

I can hear the excitement in your post. Keep up the amazing work. Well, I know that you WILL, I mean, why wouldn't you? You've got some size 16's calling out to you. Florida should be beautiful in March. What FUN!!! Enjoy. Enjoy.

I love you guys! You are so excited and that is so inspiring! Kepp the tips coming! Remember, everything we post in these forums is helping to change someone else's life!

I am trying to keep it fun, its hard.

I did buy myself an iPod for Christmas so I could take it to the gym/rec centre or dance around in the kitchen with my kids. (I got a little boom box I could plug it into)
I like that.

The check will be here really soon so I can excersise at the rec centre. I am actually very excited about that! I may even join a water aerobics class and I am looking forward to that! I am looking forward to a lot of things now.

I'm such a BOOB i have to have fun or i won't do it LOL Whatever makes it fun for anyone, go for it! I like really annoying pop music (lady gaga will be the death of me), I like making the silliest CHARTS! I put tons of goofy pix on it, and make stickers for myself (yes i'm that silly), and i LOVE my little chart of what i walk - i check the distance and log it each day, and i'm 'walking my way' across canada! hahahah what can i say, it makes me happy

Thanks Rockinrobin! I hear you on the stepping on the scale and facing the facts! I wish I had the nerve to face them earlier...I often can't believe it took me to 36 before I came this bright revelation, that I was fat! But what matters now (I remind myself of this often!) is that I have taken control...I am no longer in denial and I am making positive changes!! Yeah!

Oh, I took my own advice to make the weight loss journey fun today and went shopping!! For the first time ever I bought a fitted blouse! High heel black boots, jeans and a white fitted blouse and guess what? I feel great in it!! I also bought a 1X cami and a new bra (a whole cup size smaller)!! Holy cow!! It felt good!! I love that shopping is fun again, it used to be painful and I hated it!

Thanks for the post Redreine! Sometimes we even need to remind ourselves that this journey should be fun! Challenging yes, but the rewards are SO worth it!!

Trazey - I am SO with you. Including the cheesy pop music. When my elliptical broke, I did "freestyle step aerobics" on my back porch step, music blaring, dancing away. The ellip is fixed but I still do it one day a week. Because it is RIDICULOUSLY fun. And also? Heart rate through the roof.

My fun is cooking. So I come up with complicated, detailed, DELICIOUS recipes that are really healthy and I go to town making them. Love, love, love it.

Trazey, I love you!! You never cease to make me smile! I can picture your motivational posters with little stars on them! and it is certainly working for you!!

Hahaha! I am totally the type to make charts with sill stickers and whatnot!

My thing is, I like to choreograph dances to songs. I'm a youth group leader, and we sing this song by the Newsboys called "Breakfast", and I made up a dance to the chorus, and it brings tears to my eyes seeing those kids doing my dance moves being all excited about God.

Visualizations and positive affirmations are a big part of my healthy lifestyle change. To me, one of the most fun things about this weight loss journey is when I meditate and visualize myself at goal weight, doing all the things I'm holding myself back from doing now because I'm just not quite ready yet. It's coming though - I can't wait.