What keeps you going?
 

Yesterday, Someone from this site suggested I make a list of the reasons I want to be lose weight. That way when I'm struggling I can look at it and keep myself motivated.

So far I have:

So I can fit into my purple dress for the summer
So that I'm able to run around with my boyf's daughter more and have more energy
So I can buy prettier underwear and feel sexy again (everywhere I find pretty underwear, they NEVER have my size.)
So I have more confidence


I just wanted to know, why are you losing weight?

I also have a horrible picture from my holiday last year that makes my arms look really fat. I know the top Iwas wearing wasn't very flatterin, but this year I don't want to look back on my holiday pics and not want to post them on facebook or get print outs.

What keeps me going?

My son!
My beautiful FH ( future hubby)
My wedding next year!
Fashion!!! I wanna buy something sexy not what ever fits!

I also wanna add, when I hit my goal weight I'm going to get professional photos done with my FH and son. I avoid the camera, I only have two photos of me and my 2 1/2 year old son together ( I tear up thinking about that tbh)

I'm so with you with the fashion thing! Shops that sell the latest fashions only go up to a size 14/16 and that really annoys me.

I feel like a skinny person trapped in this body. I love fashion but I can't fit into any of the nice stuff! Or it fits, but doesn't look nice on me...

It´s a very good idea to make this kind of list:) Never thought about it before..
Here is mine:

To feel attractive, healthy and good about myself
Not to think what if I were skinny... (like if a boy doesn´t like me or something else)
To feel comfortable being naked with my new very athletic boyfriend
To fit into all the jeans I have in my closet (it´s ridiculously expensive to buy jeans in Iceland, you don´t find them for under 100 dollars)
To not feel horrible when I see pictured of me out, when I actually thought I looked good
To not feel like I am wasting my potential, because I have ,,such a pretty face" ugh hate this sentence! And I´m really lucky with my built when I´m thin, don´t mean to sound egocentric but when I´m thin I have the ,,perfect hourglass figure".
To not be the fat friend no one wants to hit on (all my friends are skinny)
So I can feel cute and feminine
So I don´t weight more than my boyfriend

Originally Posted by icelandgirl90:
Not to think what if I were skinny... (like if a boy doesn´t like me or something else)

Thats such a good reason. I'm always thinking if I were skinny..

This is very good. I do IOWL podcasts along with my diet and and in the very first episodes she talks about towards and away from motivation.

Many people are motivated by an away from motivation, (like, not to be fat anymore). It's what lights the fire and gets us started, but often people flicker out because they never planned a towards motivation. Having both what you don't want, and what you do want as motivation increases your chance of success.

My away from motivation is these rolls of fat I've seemed to accumulate. Looming health conditions (diabetes and now stomach cancer run in my family... while I'm relatively healthy, minus a thyroid problem... and my blood work is still good... adult onset diabetes because of weight runs rampant on my dad's side of the family) Also, I'm tired to my joints hurting. Specifically my hip and knees!

My towards motivation is- it might sound so cheesy or too simple- I want to play with my daughter. I want to take her to the beach and not feel self conscious. I want to take her to a water park and not be the so focused on how I look as opposed to having fun with her (and making sure she's safe.. can't swim yet :lol: ). I want to take her to amusement parks and not worry about fitting on the rides with her. It's sad because just about 6 months ago I had resigned myself that she'll just have to go on rides with my brother. But no. I want to go on rides with her and do all those things. Dammit!

LR

This is a great idea, and I bet you're going to catch a lot of inspiring thoughts on this thread. ;)

When I started, what kept me going was that I made a commitment to myself to stay on plan every single day no matter what for one year. It didn't matter if I was having a bad day...I was on plan. It didn't matter if the scale was stuck...I was on plan. I became very routine oriented so that it eventually became such an engrained habit that I couldn't help but stick to plan. And I chose a plan that was completely sustainable, so sticking to it was not hard. I went to the gym every single weekday and if I didn't feeling kicking it hard, I did something gentle that day. But I still had to do something. And for diet, I stayed within my calorie range. This means if I knew the evening's events would involve cake, I could plan for it.

Now what keeps me going? The life I have achieved! I love this new body. My fitness goals and achievements keep me highly motivated. I can run six miles now, and could do more but I haven't had more than an hour to give. I can do 38 push-ups in a row. I can roller blade, play basketball, clean my house, do dishes without my back hurting and my confidence is through the roof.

My motivation has been slipping lately and even though I've stayed on plan I find myself asking what it's for so I'm glad you made this thread.

My motivation is...
to avoid dying an early death like my father did because of weight and heart problems.
to never wonder if someone is judging me because i'm overweight or that i'm losing out on a relationship because someone finds fat unattractive.
to be the beautiful young person i can be and not waste my 20s being overweight.
to prove to myself that i am capable of doing amazing things if i just put my heart to it.
to help those who've always wanted to lose weight but never got around to it by being a good example.
to be strong and have more energy.
to feel good about my appearence.
to surprise my ex when he gets back into town in April.
to actually see what I look like "skinny" since I've been overweight since I hit puberty.
to prove all of the doubters wrong.

Great thread and I so relate to what so many of you have said! Here are a few of mine....

> I want to stop thinking about being overweight 24/7

> I want to have a life again. I don't see my old friends who remembered me as being 30 pounds lighter.

> FASHION! I want to wear short skirts and shorts again. Chubb rub sucks.

> I want to get a good nights sleep again. Being overweight makes it harder to roll over in bed and everytime I move from one side to the other, I wake myself up.

> I miss the attention I used to get from guys. (But right now I'm struggling with being uncomfortable when I get it)

> Getting fit - no more heavy breathing from walking up one flight of steps.

> I'm disgusted that guys think that I am desperate for attention and I'd jump at the chance to be their "call girl". (this is MY perception - may not be true)

The new things that I can do.
The new clothes that I can wear.
Knowing that I am extending my life.
Being an example to my children.
Feeling better about myself.
More energy.
No allergies.
Feeling pretty for the first time in a really long time.

- Costumes. It's always about the costumes, nothing motivates me more. I started this diet because I missed my favorite costume, which I'd long since grown out of. I now fit into it just fine, but my eyes have turned to new ideas, ones that would require me to be at least a size smaller. The anticipation and glee get me up onto that treadmill and keep me there even when it hurts.

- Habit. In the early days it was a struggle to stay motivated. But by this point it's actually become routine to keep going, keep trying, to get back up after every fall. I do still slip up, but I never let it last.

- Gratitude for what I've achieved. My health especially... 85 lbs ago I was pre-diabetic, developing sleep apnea, and always exhausted and miserable. Now, the doctor calls me "very healthy". I will never let that be taken away from me again.

Good thread! Need this right now!!

- To fit back into my WHITE sz 8 jeans
- To be able to wear BOOTS again (calves too fat)
- To be able to fit into all the CUTE clothes i have hanging in my closet (I refuse to get rid of them)
- To not be embarrassed to be NAKED in front of my boyfriend
- To be able to wear something SLEEVELESS without a "cover up"
...and the absolute BIGGEST reason of ALL....

- TO BE ABLE TO WEAR A BIKINI WHEN WE GO TO JAMAICA IN AUGUST!!!

I WILL be 50 lbs lighter by then dagnabit!!! I refuse to go on vacation FAT!

For me, I have a medical condition where my extra weight causes fertility issues. The hubs and I have started talking about having a baby, and I really don't want to go through the kind of struggles I've heard about. So my motivation is that I want to have a healthy home for a future child.

-A kickass pair of jeans waiting for me in my closet
-To no longer have any excuse to hold myself back ("I can't do that, I'm too fat, people will judge me")
-I'm already gorgeous, so I can't wait to see how I look once I lose 25 pounds
-To impress everyone I know once I am done losing the weight
-To look in the mirror and go "awwwwww yeaaaaah"

Health.

Nothing else. I am not motivated by fitting into new clothes (I hate to shop!) or looking better (I think people should love me for who I am, not for what I look like) or to claim success (I think it's a failure I let myself get so heavy!) .

But health? To feel like I'm on top of the world... to sleep amazingly well, to feel full of energy, to not have to take any medication, to be able to do anything I want, with no limitations? That's priceless to me.

So, even if the scale doesn't go down, I know that everything I do today is taking me to a more optimal state of health, whether it's weight loss or getting stronger or better cardiovascular health.

When I started back in late December, I didn't have a motivation. When I lost my first 10 pounds, I drew up this small list:

- Be able to do the splits and put my feet behind my head.
- Walk up 5 flights of stairs without being out of breath
- Put on clothing without having to think about how best to disguise bulges.

Now that I can do all three of those things after 3 months, I'm aiming for:

- Run 10 miles.
- Be able to push a wheelchair bound person for longer than 30 minutes.
- Feel comfortable having photos from the side being taken - AKA spontaneous snapshots.

To have a life worth living.

My motivation to start losing weight was that I've been unable to conceive. I want desperately to be a mother, and am willing to do everything in my power to make that happen.

But, while that's still a strong motivator at this point, it's not the only one. Maybe not even the primary one anymore.

I am doing this now in large part because it feels SO GOOD to be proud of myself. Not feeling better about myself because I weigh less, but because I'M the one making it happen. I never thought I could do this, never thought I had the strength or determination to do it - and yet I AM doing it, every single day. The pride I feel is addicting.

I can relate to pretty everything you lot are saying! I think I'm going to print all of these thoughts out and stick them inside my diary. So whenever I open it I'll think of you all with the same ambition as me. And from your tickers I can see how well you're all doing! That's going to be me. Watch this space!

I think the most important thing that I've read in this thread is people who are wanting to become mothers. I'm at University at the moment, so when my degree is finished one of the first things I would like to think about is having a child of my own. I don't want to have to wait 4 years til I graduate, and then struggle to conceive and have to wait even longer.

- so I can be as active and athletic as I know I am
- shop in every store
- to feel good, look good, and not be scared of pics at my sister's wedding
- have better self-esteem with regards to my body
- add years to my life
- run a 10k
- skydive!
- be able to do 10 regular push-ups
- wear high/calf boots
- wear high heels without committing shoe-icide
- better footwear in general, without having to find wide sizes
- go to the beach without wearing a suit of armor
- be able to surf competently
- earn a black belt
- find jeans without having to go on a hunt and search expedition
- never set foot in lane bryant again
- take pictures at special events, vacations, etc. without being terrified
- not get "the lecture" from my doctor
- hot girls!

Originally my motivation was to not be in pain when I put my jeans on LOL, then it became to run in a 5K race, now it is to not be embarrassed at the beach this summer. I get on that treadmill and just think about my thighs and rear view, then I tell myself to throw all my stress out there on the ground and run over it. Feeling great and looking good are my constant motivators, but my daily motivation changes.

For me its a number of things,
- Just to be and feel healthy.
- To wear clothes that are comfortable and when living in Florida no one wants to spend summer in hot dumpy clothes.
- Feel like going to the pool isn't going to be weird.
- Keep my joints and muscles from hurting, sleeping better.
- Pictures, i'm tired of avoiding, or dreading photos especially since I love having pictures to look back at.
- To not feel weird when I run into someone that had seen me last about 80lbs ago.
- I used to be athletic, I want to be that again.
- To not feel uncomfortable in smaller seats.
- The anxiety and depression that could be lessened by health and exercise. (HUGE one foe me) Maybe be able to not take anti anxiety meds ( or as much)
- To have people get to know me before they make harsh judgements based on my weight.
I know its a lot but its helps to write it out, that alone serves as motivation.
Oh! one last thing! I like to move my ticker down!:lol:

I have lost the weight and am now maintaining, but one of the challenges I've discovered in maintenance is sometimes I feel goal-less. It's like, "I got to goal weight, now what?" Fitness goals have never inspired me that much, really. But in reality, I DO have a goal. My goal is to be roughly (allowing for daily fluctuation) the exact same weight tomorrow that I am today. And the same weight a week/month/year/5 years from now. That is my goal.

But when I was losing, I didn't have many specific things I was working towards, I just wanted ALL of it. I wanted the confidence, the self esteem, the beauty, the clothes, etc. And a lot of the things that I "got" when I got to goal weight surprised me with how much they thrilled me. Just little ways my everyday life has changed now that I'm thin compared to when I was overweight.

A few things that I didn't even realize I wanted but absolutely love now that I'm thin:
- Going into pretty much any clothing store (American Eagle, Hollister, A&F, GAP, etc), grabbing a small top and a size 0-2 pair of jeans and having them fit. Shopping is infinitely easier now which actually makes it fun! Sometimes I don't even try stuff on, I just flit around the store thinking "Oh that's cute" and sure enough, it fits when I grab it out of my closet to wear. Much better than going back to the dressing room a hundred times trying to find a halfway decent pair of pants or something.

- The random comments people make about my size. NOT compliments, but just statements that I'm thin. They state it as matter-of-factly as if they were to state that my hair is brown. Somebody was telling me a story about a girl they knew, and when they described her they said "she was an itty bitty little thing like you." It made me smile all day.

- Meeting new people who have ONLY known me as skinny-Megan as opposed to Megan-who-was-overweight-but-lost-a-bunch.

- People treat me more like a lady. Some of this is because I make more of an effort to be girly, and I carry myself with more confidence. But now doors magically open in front of me and people are always offering to carry things and such, haha.

- Claiming my femininity! This is kind of similar to being treated like a lady, but it's more personal. When I was overweight and lumbering and felt awkwardly large, I definitely didn't feel pretty or feminine. I'm not a curvy volumptuous woman, but I embrace my willowy lithe dainty version of feminine beauty.

There are lots of others. I still have self esteem issues, I still have problems in my life (I think somewhere in the back of my head I assumed I'd lose weight and my life would be magically perfect), I still have "fat days" and I'll never be a swimsuit model, and I still get frustrated with calorie counting and such from time to time. But all in all, it is 100% worth it! Having a body I'm proud of is better than I could have ever imagined.

To fit into my size 12/14 dress for prom (I have a little less than three weeks... to lose about one half to one dress size... I'm going a little crazy).

To fit into my size 12 dress for either Fine Arts banquet or Graduation.

To be able to wear a bikini next summer (this summer is a little too close... and not necessarily to wear a bikini to a beach... but to be able to put one on and have it actually look good on me... even if only somewhat so).

To be able to look in any store and know that even if the clothes don't look good on me... that they at least would fit.

Health. I want to be able to do things without my weight or lack of fitness to ruin it for me.

Confidence. I will never be the life of the party... but I want to be able to walk outside without worrying if my stomach is visible... and then try to cover myself up. I don't wear spanx or anything... so yeah.

And more... I know there's more. But right now... these are the big things.

Originally Posted by MusicalJess:
I think the most important thing that I've read in this thread is people who are wanting to become mothers. I'm at University at the moment, so when my degree is finished one of the first things I would like to think about is having a child of my own. I don't want to have to wait 4 years til I graduate, and then struggle to conceive and have to wait even longer.

I'll keep you in my thoughts :) We go in in July to get some more tests run (we're not in a HUGE hurry, but we'd like to be pregnant in the next year or so), and hopefully by then I can have lost enough fat weight that things will look more positive.

Originally Posted by mkendrick:
There are lots of others. I still have self esteem issues, I still have problems in my life (I think somewhere in the back of my head I assumed I'd lose weight and my life would be magically perfect), I still have "fat days" and I'll never be a swimsuit model, and I still get frustrated with calorie counting and such from time to time. But all in all, it is 100% worth it! Having a body I'm proud of is better than I could have ever imagined.

I think I'm going to struggle with this, I've always thought to myself "If only I were skinny I'd be happy" blah blah blah

I'm only at the beginning of my weight loss journey, but I need to work on my self esteem and body image also.
One of my biggest fears is working so hard to get to my goal and still feel like that fat girl in a skinny body. My mind needs to lose weight too, does that make sense? lolol

- so some of my clothes that are a bit snug will fit better, and I can buy new clothes in a smaller size :)
- every pound I lose gets me closer to my goal - and once I get to 166 every pound lost will be the lightest I've ever been!
- Getting a toned, tight, body is huge motivation for me :)
- Because I feel so much better

First and foremost is my health. The older I get, the more aware and concerned I am about cholesterol and heart health.

Second of all..and this is silly...an old "friend" of mine from fifteen years ago suddenly popped back into my life. In all honesty, way back in the 8th grade, I had a crush on a boy at school and it motivated me to lose quite a bit of weight. He turned out to be my first love, my first kiss, and my first broken heart. Recently, we found each other on facebook and have been reminiscing and talking a lot and would like to get to know each other all over again after all these years. So once again, despite him not knowing it, he is helping to motivate me back to being attractive and healthy. Funny how history can repeat itself.

Originally Posted by fancypants:
"If only I were skinny I'd be happy"

I think that all the time, or "If I were skinny everything would be perfect".

Honestly, it's life. If I give up now, I am accepting health problems and a shorter life span. I am not willing to do that so no matter the amount of effort or length of time it takes to do, I will fix this.

My baby boy. I want to give him the best life possible, and that means being as healhy, fit and happy as I can.

My clothes. I have clothes all the way from sizes 22 to size 4 in my closet. I am going to inch my way back into those 4's. I'm tired of wearing frumpy, ugly clothes.

My health. I'm not technically an unhealthy person right now, but I know that can easily change if I don't change.

Yep, those are my 3 main motivators.

My boyfriend's mom is obsessed with taking pictures. She takes pictures of everything, including her meals. When we see her, I have to duck for cover when she starts rumbling in her purse because I don't want anyone to take pictures of me. In fact, my weight loss journey started when she sent me a picture of me that she said was "cute". I would describe it as elephant-ine, and it set off a storm of tears and chocolate ice cream that ended in a diet plan.

I don't want to hide from cameras anymore. When someone wants to take a picture of me, I want to be sexy and confident and show off.

Mayday, I'm exactly the same. I hate having my picture taken! But I'm determined that when I'm finished with my diet plan, I'm going to feel confident in front of a camera :-D

Yip, In the last 5 years I'd say there is 5 photos of me, maybe less.
So sad! Agh

Aww no :( I love looking at photos, and remembering things. But if I'm ever in them all I can think is "eurgh!!" My boyfriend assures me I look fine in them but I hate having my picture taken

At the moment my main motivation is summer. I do not want to spend this summer covering up to the point that I am baking under my cardigans etc and actually avoid going out because of it on beautiful days. I will not be at my goal this summer but I will be infinately happier than last summer :D