Son_of_Zeus
New member
This question was never in the fore-front of my mind until I reached the physical, mental and emotional deepest, darkest place in my life.
I was 30 pounds overweight. Eating everything that flashed in front of my face. And severely (I mean severely) hating myself and hating my life. The volume of my negative self-talk was very high. And I could hear it daily just nagging me. "You're a pig." "You're such a shame." "I'm never going to change."
Finally, I took control and made the decision to change. No fear. No regrets. No excuses. And one of the things that helped me make this drastic change was to figure out my WHY. Why did I want to lose weight? What were MY reasons? I can honestly say that I was never swayed by the media, or celebrities, or social media to change my mindset and body. But I looked deep down inside my very soul and mind to find the reasons why I wanted to change. Well, here were my reasons.
1. I wanted more energy. You could just imagine the lethargy I would feel being 30 pounds overweight. I was always tired. Always out of breath. Hated going to places like the mall where there were stairs. Hated going out with family anywhere, but mainly to parks and places that required a lot of walking.
2. I wanted to look and feel good. And I do. Not because I'm competing with a celebrity or the media. But I sincerely look and emotionally feel better about myself. My self-esteem has gone through the roof. Look, I'm all for this notion of loving yourself no matter how you look and no matter what your weight is. But honestly, it was how I looked that made me hate myself. And it's absolutely nothing against overweight people. As a matter of fact, I'll tell you this. Learning to love myself first is what gave me the extra motivation to lose weight. Honest to God. But, hating the way I looked has given me the extra motivation NEVER to reach that weight and size again. I suppose you can say that I have a "proper" fear of gaining weight. Where the fear works for me instead of against me by crippling me.
3. I wanted to be around. Let's face it, being overweight IS unhealthy. I don't care about all the "love yourself" and "be happy with who you are" talk and advice. That advice works. It really does. But it doesn't mean you have stay overweight. I'm all for the #bodypositive movement. And I do believe that significant change starts with how you see yourself at this very moment. But, I also know that you don't have to be overweight. The entire myth about genes preventing weight loss, or the talk about "this is just who you are" is just a mindset that keeps people trapped with being overweight.
Trust me when I say that "I get it." I truly do understand. It's not everyone's goal to be thin. It's not everyone's desire to have the body of a certain celebrity. But, if you're honest with yourself and truly KNOW why you want to lose weight and get fit, without the influence of outside sources, your reasons for fitness and weight loss will truly make you happy.
These reasons were mine. What are yours?
I was 30 pounds overweight. Eating everything that flashed in front of my face. And severely (I mean severely) hating myself and hating my life. The volume of my negative self-talk was very high. And I could hear it daily just nagging me. "You're a pig." "You're such a shame." "I'm never going to change."
Finally, I took control and made the decision to change. No fear. No regrets. No excuses. And one of the things that helped me make this drastic change was to figure out my WHY. Why did I want to lose weight? What were MY reasons? I can honestly say that I was never swayed by the media, or celebrities, or social media to change my mindset and body. But I looked deep down inside my very soul and mind to find the reasons why I wanted to change. Well, here were my reasons.
1. I wanted more energy. You could just imagine the lethargy I would feel being 30 pounds overweight. I was always tired. Always out of breath. Hated going to places like the mall where there were stairs. Hated going out with family anywhere, but mainly to parks and places that required a lot of walking.
2. I wanted to look and feel good. And I do. Not because I'm competing with a celebrity or the media. But I sincerely look and emotionally feel better about myself. My self-esteem has gone through the roof. Look, I'm all for this notion of loving yourself no matter how you look and no matter what your weight is. But honestly, it was how I looked that made me hate myself. And it's absolutely nothing against overweight people. As a matter of fact, I'll tell you this. Learning to love myself first is what gave me the extra motivation to lose weight. Honest to God. But, hating the way I looked has given me the extra motivation NEVER to reach that weight and size again. I suppose you can say that I have a "proper" fear of gaining weight. Where the fear works for me instead of against me by crippling me.
3. I wanted to be around. Let's face it, being overweight IS unhealthy. I don't care about all the "love yourself" and "be happy with who you are" talk and advice. That advice works. It really does. But it doesn't mean you have stay overweight. I'm all for the #bodypositive movement. And I do believe that significant change starts with how you see yourself at this very moment. But, I also know that you don't have to be overweight. The entire myth about genes preventing weight loss, or the talk about "this is just who you are" is just a mindset that keeps people trapped with being overweight.
Trust me when I say that "I get it." I truly do understand. It's not everyone's goal to be thin. It's not everyone's desire to have the body of a certain celebrity. But, if you're honest with yourself and truly KNOW why you want to lose weight and get fit, without the influence of outside sources, your reasons for fitness and weight loss will truly make you happy.
These reasons were mine. What are yours?