What Inspired You to Lose Weight/Get in Shape?

[rozlips]

I've actually had a lot of things inspire me. There's the usual, I want to be healthy and able to participate in activities with my family. I want my dh to find me attractive and sexy. But to be honest the thing that panicked me was hitting 200 pounds. Everyone I know who has ever been that big were never able to lose it, and it scared me to death. I had plenty of folks tell me I didn't 'look bad' for all my body's been through over the past three years (miscarriage, myomectomy, gall bladder surgery, 3 months bed rest, arthritis, c-section). But I didn't want to look 'not bad' I want to look DAMNED GOOD! And not damned good 'for my age,' but damned good period. And I have to add, though I'm actually ashamed to say this, but I keep seeing these really large women out in the stores who have to use those little motorized carts. Now obviously, their weight may not be the reason why they have to use those things, but I don't ever want to be so big that I can't move around under my own power. I know that, especially with my arthritis it may someday come to that, but my weight is something I can do something about.

Well, now that I've written a soliloquy, what motivated y'all?

[HoneyDew]

I have never really had any major weight problem, but all the women in my family do. I mean bigtime!!! I just can't let it happen. I even had an aunt ask me when I was going to get fat, too.

Besides that our society makes it so easy and can practically trick us into unhealthy eating and lifestyles. I strive to stay on top of the game. And it is a fun thing that I like having in common with my boyfriend. We count calories together and compare out workout stratagies. It's fun.

I also like looking and feeling younger than my age and running around with my 11 year old son.

Oh, yeah, the sexy part is nice, too. :)

[BMoreFlyy]

My motivation was being healthy. Or to put it plainly staying healthy. I don't have problems now and I didn't want to gain some because of weight issues. Also, I will be teaching a kindergarten class soon and I know I'll want to run and play with them, so I want to be in shape for that reason as well.

[pink_flower]

I was sorta scared into it. When my mom was intitally diagnosed with cancer my family and I attended a seminar given by a nutritionist, anyways I was pretty amazed at how much control we really have over our own health and how much BAD food is out there. Its all about choices. Its easier said than done and of course somethings are inevitable but every little bit helps. My mom has had 2 reoccurences but each time she bounces right back, the doctors are always impressed on how strong her body is at fighting the disease. I contribute it to her change in eating habits (and much prayer).

On a less serious note I also want to look GOOD too! :lol:

[lalabanks]

Let's see... I wanted to look nice in clothes and swim wear. Wanted to be healthy and have more energy and lately its been a stress reliever.

[MizAvalon]

The over 200 lbs. thing must really be true. I've heard from several friends that once you get into the 2's, it's damn near impossible to get out.

[chocolate01]

The day I stepped on the scale an it said 200 pounds. I felt so horrible, I just could not believe I had let myself get to the point. I had also started experiencing lower back which I know was a result of how heavy I was. That was 2 years ago and I am now down to 165. My ultimate goal is to lose 15 more pounds and maintain at 150.

[mkh_77]

Remembering how I looked naked at 18 and knowing that I can achieve that healthy body again if I take care of it through healthy eating and exercise. I had a myomectomy, too, and that really opened my eyes to eating better, exercising more and being more conscious overall.

I too see heavy people out and about and think to myself that I don't want to struggle to get around like I see them doing, and I think of how uncomfortable it must be for them. As un-PC as that may be, I don't want to be like that.

[lonesomedove]

My motivation was my pride and self esteem. I've always been physically fit, never thin, but a healthy size 8. Over the course of 4 years, I had gained about 25 pounds, and wasn't able to fit my clothes or my uniforms for work. I dreaded going shopping for clothes and everytime I walked up stairs I would be out of breath, I decided enough was enough, that I needed to get myself together.

[Nay]

I've literally been a size 3/4 all my life. So I've never had a problem with my weight per se. But being slim and being healthy are two different things. I want to be healthy! I want to be able to jog/hike/run without it being an ordeal. I want to not just look good on the outside, but know that I'm a bad mutha on the inside ;)

And the more I exercised, the better I felt, and the more I was motivated to keep it going and bump it up a level.

And now it has all come full circle where I've come to realize that I can hit the treadmill all I want, but if I don't fuel my body with the proper nutrition, I'm still just turning my wheels.

And I can truly say that I am now in the best shape I've ever been in, inside and out!!

[Shoediva]

I was tired of not liking the way I looked in my clothes. After having my daughter 6 years ago, I only gained 18lbs during my entire pregnancy and lost it all in about 6mos of giving birth. But then I notice every time it was time to pull out the summer clothes, none of my clothes fit anymore. I would then go trecking to the mall to by new ones and then the next summer the same cycle, this went on for about 3 years and then last summer I was like this is it I have got to do something about my weight.

Then in April of this year I had a blood pressure scare and that lit the fire under my feet. I knew if I didnt do something I would be setting myself up for health issue I didnt not want to have to endure. I want to be around for my daughter to see my daughter become a grandparent. As of April 1st I have lost 23lbs. dropped 2 dress sizes. I still have about 20lbs more to lose .

[cutebajangirl]

Well I was once 220 and I am now under 200 so it can be done. It was hard as heck though. Much harder than I thought it would be. My motivation was a scary blood pressure reading (even though I think it was due to stress more than aanything else). Thankfully as of my last check up my bp is 118/65 which is really excellent. My motivation was that I had alot of issues going on in my life and I wanted to get rid of them. So I decided to start tackling them. Weight of course was one of them. I want to lose 20lbs more as then I will be able to fit into Rave, 5-7-9 etc I use those cheap stores as a marker for size cause their clothes are cut so small.lol.

[FlowerHair]

I'm one of those who has never been "fat", but I haven't always eaten right. I have exercised regularly in periods of a few months until laziness took over.
When my friend and my mother got sick around the same time I just realized tha I have to take care of my health and the only way to do that is to eat right and exercise, boring as it may sound.
I'm so happy now that I can wear clothes I wore 10 years ago without problems and I feel a lot better about myself.
It's a matter of the body being my temple and my vessel through this life...

[Allandra]

I just wanted to be healthy and feel good.

[Poohbear]

I'm one of those who has never been "fat", but I haven't always eaten right. I have exercised regularly in periods of a few months until laziness took over.
Hey, you sound like me.

But I too started thinking about being more healthy and feeling good. When I'm not physically active, I will feel more tired or lazy at times.

I also think about how I was in good shape when I used to run track in highschool.

[GodMadeMePretty]

Hmmm. My motivation to stay small was the fact that my mother is heavy. And all of her uncles (my grandmother's 3 brothers) died from heart disease. They were all overweight and just about every one of their children was overweight (and there are a LOT of them - my mother is one of 11).

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I gained 40 pounds but I was underweight to begin with - wearing a VERY loose size 4 but never wanting to buy a size under 4. I looked better at 130 than I did at 117.

Then I wanted to get toned so I started working out more and not just casual maintaining exercise. THen I got pregnant and now my motivation is to get back to where I was pre-pregnancy.

I got up to 179 and I felt it in my ankles. My legs hurt from carrying all that weight. All I could think about is "how do people carry around this kind of weight." I'm sure it had a lot to do with the pregnancy, but in my hormonally challenged mind - it was only weight and I couldn't bear to be like that.

As soon as I eat something, I'm going out for a run. My husband needs to hurry up and cook my grits and salmon. :lachen:

[Ms Red]

My motivation? My dad died about 8 months ago of a massive heart attack and he was 52 yrs. old. I've never considered myself "fat" or "big" but I'm not a size 4 either. When I realized that life is too short to play around with your health, I started to get serious about losing weight.

I'm a size 14 now (biggest I've been) and my goal- no matter how long it takes- is to get to a size 6 or 8 and feel comfortable in my own skin. I am trying to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into my lifestyle. :)

[TrustMeLove]

Majority meaning like 11 out of 15 females in my family are overweight. People are heading towars the gastric bypass (sp) route...2 have already had it done and 1 is getting it done later this year..august or so.

I don't want that to be me. And im gainging the weight now im 21. Ive always been around 12-16 range..One time in highschool, I got up to 18-20 and it was around prom time so I dropped that weight quick..came back downt o a 16..

But, now im not satisfied with my 14-16..Since ive been home those pants have even gotten tighter.

Im like im 21 its not going to get any easier, I have certain plans and things I want to do and being the "big" person in the group isn't going to get it..Time to put my foot in the game..and loose weight get healthy...Death is imminent, so I need to live this life to the fullest in Christ and since my body is a temple take of it. So that I may be healthy to do the Lords work and enjoy the opportunities that he has given to me here while on earth.


-trust

[Cxshortie]

Not being able to fit comfortably into my old clothes and knowing that with my competition coming up, I would have to lift super heavyweight, which is something I don't want to do.

Also, I don't think at my current weight, I can conceive a child from my PCOS. Plus I want to be healthy. I want to be able to jog without getting winded.

[bluediamond0829]

My motivation and inspiration is because i know what its like to struggle with weight for majority of your life...my mom has had to struggle with her weight from basically the time she was pregnant so thats almost like 15 to 20 years of being overweight...this is a motivation or inspiration but to keep my Nanny from having things to say...she makes some negative comments all the time towards anyone that is not thin..having a closet full of clothes that i cannot wear but half of them....and my last one is seeing things at the mall in the Body Shop, Rave, 5-7-9, Forever 21 that will look good on me...