what is your motivation

[Evelynp1503]

Hello all, 

my name is Evelyn. i have started using fit bit back in April.I'm trying to get down to my goal weight 190 pounds  form my original weight  of  344 pounds.  i have been over weight  my entire life.  and Ive  had an emotional eating  problem since i was small.  but now that Ive gotten older, and now i have my beautiful niece who will be turning one this year.  she is my motivation . i want to see  her grow old and  have children of her own.  that alone is enough  motivation to push me to become health . but tell me what is your motivation. just general well being? a  wedding  or  a new  dress . let  me know down  below  and feel free to send a frend request .  help motivate me  to keep my steps up every day . 

[patzwz]

For me it's a combination of a few things. I used to be quite fit before. Over time I started noticing that everything started to take more effort and it took a lot out of me. Walking, cycling, weight training, I hardly had the energy anymore. I lost my job which meant less movement, fell into a serious depression and I started gaining weight fast. At only 30 I have to say those things are hard to deal with and it's yet another blow to my already low self esteem.
I recently found out the cause of a lot -not all, but a lot- of it is hypothyroidism. I'm still in the middle of a bunch of tests and stuff, but somewhere in my head things clicked. I don't want to give in to it all without a fight. I want to feel fit again, I want to be happy with my body, I want to feel like there is a future for me (the whole thing of love and kids etc) and I want to know I'm doing everything I can to reach my goals one step at a time. My brother is expecting his first kid so I'll be a first time aunt soon. I'm gonna be the best auntie I can be and while I accept hypothyroidism brings some boundaries and limitations to my life, I'll stretch them as far as I responsibly can to be as healthy and happy as possible. For others I love, but most importantly, for myself. Hopefully somewhere along this line it will also help me gain more confidence which should also have a good effect on the quality of life 🙂

[Algenon]

I really do not have anything special...I have been trying to lose weight for years and finally found that adding in the extra steps helps a lot. 

[kroman]

Great motivation!  I love this post because motivation is something that I need lots of!  I have several motivating factors... one is to keep up with my two kids.  One is to keep up with my younger husband!  I really want to look like I did just two years and 30 lbs ago (had my thyroid out and gained a ton of weight as a result).  I also have a high school reunion in one year and so does my husband.  Also, my youngest sister wants me to run a half marathon with her in the fall... I can only barely jog around the block right now, but I don't want to let her down!  I really really hope that this 1/2 marathon hanging over my head will be the goal that finally pushes me to some results!!!!

[petals88]

Evelyn,

I joined weight watchers last year and it was the best thing I did for myself.  Not only do they help with incouragement but it changes the way you see food.  you should try to walk each day with the weather being nice.  You just need to keep the final goal in mind! being healthy and living longer.

I would love to keep in touch, feel free to touch base when ever you need to.

[Evelynp1503]

i have been using  My Fitness Pall  to track what im eating . i find that it helps  jut knowing what im  eating everyday . . and that it lets me know  if a ate to much or not . i have thought of weight watchers .  i just  dont have the money to do it sadly 

[fit_gramma]

5 year odl granddaughter is my motivation. heparents are in the military and she is currently in Germany, but she will be sending the summer with Gramma and Papa in Wisconsin.I need to have the stamina to keep up with her, we also want to encourage her to ride a bike as she if fearful of it and also teach her to play softball. I felt if i wanted to teach her how to hit a ball and run the bases i better be able to it as well.

My other motivation was turning 50 this year, i could be fifty and be upset of it would be "Fitty". I decided to be Fitty and have lost nearly 35 lbs since mid January. I joke that it took 25 yrs 8 months to lose the baby fat after i had my 2nd son. funny, yes, but sadly it is the truth, this is the lightest i have been in 25 yrs and feel great.

I am happy were i am with my weight loss now, but 10 more would be amazing.  motivation is a moving object for me and l am loving the chase!

[sakurasin]

Your motivation is awesome! Mine is that I'm getting married in 16 months and after that we will try for a baby. I've been stuck around 210 pounds for years and I'm just tired of being so unfit.

[ShannonBoord]

Being an RN, I feel I must be somewhat of a healthy role model for my patients, plus I want to look and feel good.  I've used food in the past as my "drug" for depression, anxiety, etc.  3 years ago had gastric sleeve gastrectomy and lost 90# but regained ~30# caring for my terminally ill Dad.  Now I have 3 grandchildren that I need to stay healthly for! 

[sjwilson]

An "Oh! Are you expecting your second?" From an old neighbor I ran into at Walmart. 

I had my son in August 2012... because of an issue with my first choice of birth control, I had to switch to Depo Provera. Even after having my son I stayed around 140 lbs, right about the size I was before I got pregnant. I was on Depo from September of last year through May of this year. I had noticed the 40 lb weight gain and realized I should be going to the gym, but as a college student, wife, and mom I felt like I had absolutely no time. 

This comment set me off. Ready to get a little bit healthier.

[RachelR1113]

I have hypothyroidism, and have been struggling to lose weight for about 4 years now. I had my son back in 2008, got within 10 lbs. of my pre-pregnancy weight, and in that time, I've gone up about 40 lbs. I can't really blame it all on my thyroid, although I know that's a big part of it. I was just diagnosed last year, so things are somewhat but not completely stable--In fact, I see my endocrinologist in just over a week, so I'll know more where things stand then. Still, I'm tired of being tired all the time, I'm tired of none of my clothes fitting properly, and feeling like once I hit age 35, it was all downhill. I've got about a year & a half before I hit 40, and I want to be back at my goal weight (130 lbs.) by then!

[Suzanne123]

My motivation is that I want to feel like me again.  I have three kids and gained weight on each of them. but the biggest reason I gained weight was stress.  My husband has been diganosed with depression and alcohol depedency since  my youngest was just six months.   She is four now.

During that time I was totally focused on my kids and making sure we were ok, and as a result I didnt focus at all on myself.  Things have settled down now.  I am still married but not sure what the future holds.  My kids are doing great.  I am down to 186lbs and am focused on losing another 14lbs.  I really want to be a fit and active mam for my kids.  Plus I want to look good and feel good purely for myself.

[ShannonBoord]

Suzanne123-You can do it.  I have alcoholism and depression in my family and the impact it can have is immeasurable.  The fact that you are motivated to do this for yourself and your kids is the right basis for your journey.  Anything I can do to help you along the way, "just holler" [as we say in Texas]!  Good luck!

[UltraJosh]

I guess really my 2 main motivations for weight loss are my daughter and that I actually want to start living my life instead of just surviving. I've been overweight and depressed most of my life. I was diagnosed with sever depression 3 years ago. My depression and self hatred ruined my would be marriage to my daughters mother, and ruined another relationship after that. I need to change, to be a better dad, and over all a better person. I started working with a personal trainer since about the end of May this year, and she has helped me so much not only with my fitness goals, but getting me to see myself in a more positive light even now. Everything is hard right now struggling with all my demons, and trying to stay focused on my goal, but I know I can do it, and I'm ready for the change.

[dianahk]

Great motivation! My motivation was to stop living in pain and not become a diabetic like my whole maternal side of my family. I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have reduced my pain, reduced my weight, and got more active. I am not at my goal weight yet, but I love how I feel.

[daniraeallen]

I love this topic, thank you for starting it Evelyn!! My name is Dani and my motivation is wanting to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I was such an active kid that I never learned to pay attention to my weight and healthy eating because I could eat what I wanted and would burn it all off in my activities. I've gained so much weight since college and haven't been able to start shedding it until recently (I'll be 27 this year, so it's been a while). I've been using my fitbit to track my steps, my fitness pal to track my food consumption and Team Beachbody for the amazing amount of support the community gives eachother and for their at home fitness programs. Smartest investment I've ever made. I'm a few months in and down 20 lbs. ... now just 55 to go... i can do this! lol

[Sunshine-Connie]

I also joined WW in 2013. My goal is getting very close having lost 130 pounds in the past 15 months. I began walking last spring and could do a whopping 5 minutes but did that several times a day. For the 1st 6 months of walking I just walked laps on the cool deck around the pool in the pack yard. It is 68 steps around it. By the end of the summer I was able to go an hour 2 times a day in the heat of Phoenix. I have embraced the lifestyle change and truly changed my life expectancy! My Dr is ecstatic with my success.

Darling Daughter got my Fitbit FLEX for Mother's Day and now we have a friendly walking competition on a daily basis. She thinks it is unfair that I am retired and frequently walk 2 times a day! Ahhhh well she has to work for a living!

[ac7ss]

I want to be more comfortable flying commercially.
I was at ~340#, I am down about 50# in 16 months, still looking at another 60# for my first "Big Goal". I do celebrate every 10# or so, but what I am really noticing is how good I feel every time I see the scale edging a little lower and my being able to 'pick up the pace' and run more each time I go out.

[sabloke]

Chasing the elusive 6 pack! At 45 I want to be a good example for my son, who is 19 now. He said to me about 9 months ago, when I was 15% more heavier than I am now, that now way I can get abs showing at my age. Now? He thinks that's probable 🙂

[move2lose]

My motivation is my son, and hubby.  Health is always on my mind but the men in my life are my big push.  Next year we will be going to Disney, and the thought of telling my son that we can't ride that because mommy is too big just breaks my heart.  So, I have started weighing myself daily and logging everything I eat on fitbit...no matter if its good or bad.  My downfall is I have done MFP, Loseit, and so on, but I wouldn't always write things down.  Then I couldn't figure out why I was gaining.  Well this time I will do this right.   I currently have 60 or so pounds I'd like to drop.  I'm toying with making some of my private settings on here public for friends to see if that doesn't push me more to eat clean and exercise.  Just a thought.  Then I need to talk myself into doing it.  LOL