Both of my parents were too young to have been taken by cancer and it's something I worry about in the back of my mind. I'm also afraid of developing diabetes like they both did. And I did start having several health issues a few years back but they've all but disappeared since losing the amount I have (although I still admittedly have a ways to go).

Plus I'm tired of having such a big stomach (I'm an apple) and I would so love to get out of the plus-sized sections of the stores. So yep, I'm a little vain too. ;)

I'm not gonna lie, my biggest starting reason was pretty much pure vanity. I want my body to be beautiful like I believe my face is. I want to be able to shop wherever I find something I like, not just the stores that carry the overpriced, not particularly good quality "fat people" clothing. I want to be the kind of girl that gets checked out and hit on by random strangers, like someone else said.... Just to know people notice me.

Someday, I desperately want to have kids. It's the only thing that has never ever changed once in my life - I have always wanted to be a mom. This isn't something that's going to happen soon, since I'm only 19, but it's extremely important to me and I think about it all the time. I want to be able to set a good example. I want to teach my kids good habits from the start so they don't have to struggle to teach themselves those habits later in life like I'm doing now. So that's been a motivator for me.

I have an amazing boyfriend. I love him to death, he's definitely one of the best things that's ever happened to me... ANd he makes me want to be a better person. He doesn't pressure me to lose weight - He loves me regardless. But I feel like he deserves better than where I am right now, so a little bit of this is for him.

To be honest, the health stuff was the least of my worries, because aside from the fact that I'm fat, I've had no real health issues to speak of.

Oh, some shock value for people I don't see too terribly often would be pretty awesome, too. ;)