Well I wish I could take the high road here and say my #1 reason for losing weight is for my health but that's not entirely true. I'm probably going to come accross as shallow when I say this but my #1 reason for wanting to lose weight is to simply look better and to feel better about my body. I'm tired of being the "big girl," I'm tired of not being able to shop in certain stores or having to root through racks hoping I'll come up with an XL, I'm tired of being too horrified to wear a bathing suit, I'm just tired of not liking myself!

It also partially has to do with my love life, which I also mentioned in my blog. I have a very close friend whom I've had a crush on for years and he's made it clear that he likes me as more than a friend too...so great, he likes me the way I am, but that doesn't help my own insecurities! I don't feel worthy of him and that's a terrible feeling, and whether anything happens between us or not I know I'll feel the same stupid emotions about the next guy and the next one too. Many here have mentioned it's the new outlook on life and confidence that can allow one to find a boyfriend or husband (note: I am definitely not looking for a husband right now!) and I want that new outlook on life, I want the confidence, I want to be comfortable with my body!

As far as the health goes there are health benefits I'm looking forward to as well, like not being so sore and tired at the end of the day, not having such painful knees and having more energy to do all of the active things that my friends do like hiking, swimming, etc. etc. and simply having a HEALTHY BODY!

I, ultimately, am the same. I am doing it so I look better. I am also doing it for health reasons, but ultimately it is to look and feel better about myself.

I have always lacked confidence, and I feel, when the weight has gone I will be more positive to everything, including life, and feel more confortable being myself instead of prefering to be the 'quiet one in the corner'.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember and I'm just down right tired of carrying it around.

But THE BIG thing thats making me get through all this is that my hubby and I would like to try for our first baby in the next year. I don't want to have all the complications that come from being pregnant on top of being overweight. I want whats healthy for me and our future lil one. So until I'm down to an ideal weight I don't want to get pregnant.

I want my husband to see me as sexy again!
I want my clothes to fit better, or to have to buy smaller clothes
I want to be able to bend comfortably without smushing my fat and being
uncomfortable.
I don't ever want my son to be ashamed of me because I'm fat.

A big reason is to keep my childhood fat and my adulthood skinny. I want to look better...because I don't do the things I want to do now. I look like a cute little boy instead of a girl...so I want to be a cute little thin boy.

=X I can't fathom living with my boyfriend's mom being a glutton.

Wisher- I feel the same.

I know I should have loftier reasons for losing weight like my health or something but the real motivation is much less noble......

I would like, just once in my life, to wear a bikini and not feel ashamed.

I have a total fantasy in my head of playing in the pool, having drinks on a sunlounger and being totally comfortable about how I look, proud even. I know it's silly but it really gets me through those moments when I want a big bowl of cheesy pasta! ;)

(I also have that feeling of wanting to make my husband proud cause he's got a hot wife:D . He's so good to me and the weight is honestly never an issue with him- I don't think he notices either way but he does notice if another guy is checking me out which is weirdly a big boost to my self esteem.)

Hmm.This is a great question. At the beginning of the year I made several appontments. One for a physical, one to the OBGYN, one to the cardiologist and one to the dentist. That was enough to get me moving. I have a family hisory of diabetes and high blood pressure and here I was about to be another statistic.
I have two beautiful babies and a wonderful husband that I want to be around for. i figured that at the rate I was going, I wasn't going to be around to see grandkids and retirement. I knew that if I started making healthier choices, then the weight would come off. I started making me a priority instead of the last thing on the "to do" list, and so far, it's worked. My whole mindset has changed. I've finally stopped "trying" to lose weight and began loosing weight.
I too would like to buy things that are cute, not whatever fits.

I want to be the cute girl, not the cute girl that would be cuter if she lost weight.

I want to chase the kids without being winded.

I want to run without my knees killing me.

I want to be SEXY! I know this is more of a mindset, but it's hard to feel sexy when you've got things jiggleing everywhere.

I sat down and made a list of this a few weeks ago on my blog - some are selfish, some are health, some are superficial, some are downright silly. But it helps to read and/or add to the list when I get frustrated with trying to be healthier. Though, I don't think of this as reasons to lose weight or "get thin" but rather reasons to turn my lifestyle around - I can be healthy regardless of whether I lose weight (though weight loss is a side effect of my healthier life!)

Reasons:

1) Fend off diabetes - no threat now but plenty of family history and potential for problems.
2) No more back flab in a bikini.
3) Keep up with my future kids.
4) Prevent from passing my fat neuroses to my children.
5) My face will be less round.
6) Minimize threat of heart disease.
7) Stop obsessing over what others think of my weight.
8) Feel more confident in any clothes.
9) Have fun shopping with others.
10) Will be more outgoing with new activities.
11) Look darn good. Period.
12) Become faster at running.
13) Become faster at biking.
14) Become faster at swimming.
15) Be willing to learn rock climbing.
16) Can wear sexy heels again with less pain.
17) Stop feeling out of breath after climbing stairs or a hill.
18) Show up my mother.
19) Be proud of myself for the accomplishment.
20) Able to wear skirts without thigh chafing.
21) Get my navel re-pierced.
22) Make my tattoos look better.
23) Complete a marathon.
24) Complete an Ironman.
25) Have a healthy pregnancy when I have kids.
26) Set a good example for my children.
27) Help my fiance live a healthier lifestyle.
28) Look amazing in a wedding dress.
29) Turn 26 weighing less than I did at 16.
30) Wear trampy halloween costumes if I feel like it.
31) Not feel like a fool walking into a running store.
32) Live to play with my grandchildren without pain or limitations.
33) Be able to buy clothes in any store I walk into, even if I don't want to.
34) Be able to take clothes off the front of the rack, instead of automatically digging to the biggest size and praying it might fit.
35) Dump the "plus sized" label forever.
36) Be the "thin one" for once in my life.
37) Keep my boobs from growing and undoing the reduction.
38) Dance like a fool and not care who's watching.
39) Go back to Carnival at some point and wear the really skimpy stuff!
40) Beat someone in a race.
41) Be able to sit on my fiance's lap with confidence.
42) Be my own "foundation garment" - no more girdles!
43) Keep up with my running aunt when I visit.
44) Stop assuming everyone's looking at me for being so fat, and know they're admiring me instead!
45) No longer be part of the so-called "obesity epidemic."
46) Avoid aggravating the health problems I already deal with - GI issues, back spasms, etc.
47) Make my dad proud.
48) Be respected for who I am and less judged for being overweight.
49) Know that I can lose weight.
50) Leave a dressing room feeling good once in a while.
51) Surprise people to know what I used to look like.
52) Know that I've gotten healthy just for me, not for an event or a short time span.
53) Be confident when getting pictures taken.
54) I feel good when I'm active.

I will be honest:

1. I don't want to feel so uncomfortable all the time.
2. I don't want to hide from cameras anymore
3. I feel like I wasted my youth being embarassed.

i always think this is an interesting thread. And while I can think of a million reasons why I am losing weight, I think we all need to live our lives like we are the person we want to be. Quit waiting, go out and do the things you want to do - dance, do yoga, camp, make love with wild abandon. It's all a choice. good luck to all. xoxoxo

I am ready to get thin because I am tired of hiding behind padding. It doesn't protect me, it weighs me down. That is exactly why I cut my hair short, I had hid behind ankle length hair- I let the bangs grow down past my eyes and hid behind it. Well i am ready to put myself out there, I am ready for challenge, and I am ready to take advantage of life- so I am.