WHY? and WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Wow... some great responses!!

Here's some of mine...

1. I am turning 40 in a few months. I want to be a hot 40, not a pudgy, dumpy, frumpy one.

2. If I ever get good enough at belly dancing to perform, I want to be trim & have a toned belly... I don't want the rolls to do the dancing.

3. I want to wear things like hip hugger jeans and cropped shirts without the muffin top spillage. (that's just gross)

4. If I am pinstriping at a car show and my picture ends up in a magazine again... I'd much rather be the hot redheaded pinstriper chick instead of the chunky one.

5. I like tying my shoes without having to undo my pants, or getting short of breath because my damn gut was in the way.

6. Sex! When I am in better shape, I feel less conscious of the rolls, even though its the man I've been married to for almost 15 years. Besides, now that I'm in a lot better shape... its so much more fun and acrobatic! And my libido is coming back. :reddevil:

7. Easier to sit in a small welding booth when your ass doesn't hit the sides if you turn around.

8. Easier to get under a car, bend over the front fender to get to the motor etc. if you aren't packing the excess baggage.

9. Airplane seats. 'Nuff said.

10. I want my husband to have a hot wife.

11. In that vein... my sister in law and I decided our husbands should both have hot wives. I don't want to get left behind. Yeah, its a friendly sort of competition we have going. But its good because we inspire each other.

12. I may not have children of my own, but I want to be a good example for my nieces and nephews. If my nieces want to follow in their crazy aunt's footsteps and learn how to play with power tools, weld, etc., I want to be healthy enough to be around to teach them.

13. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity... they all run in my family. The women on my mom's side of the family are all pretty much huge and unhealthy... I don't want to go down that route.

14. Sexy lacy bras

15. I like to be able to dance, walk around, do martial arts, etc. without my knees hurting because there's too much weight being put on them.

16. pencil skirts

17. Muscle tone!!!

18. Knowing I have the potential to be a hard body.

19. I want to not be embarassed to have my picture taken. I'm not that much anymore, but I was before I started seriously losing weight.

20. Regaining my self confidence, wild dressing style, and crazy personality that I had in such abundance in my early 20s. She's coming baaaack!!!

(Probably add more as I think about it)
 
I'm not sure if I posted here already, but I'm going to again :)

All my life my self-esteem has been shit, and I've always been very very shy even though I'm not what is considered "fat" I definitely do consider myself that.

After losing 10 pounds, I already am starting to feel more confident so I'm excited to lose thirty more pounds.

I also just want to be healthy. I don't want to get really really fat by my early twenties. If I hadn't started watching my diet and exercise, I know for sure I'd definitly hit 200 (if not more) by the age of twenty.
 
Clothing sizes: Why do stores sizing systems differ so much??!

To Phoenyx: I hit 40 on June 15. I was just bloody determined that I wasn't going to be Fat and Forty. Educating friends and family was one of the biggest steps. Saying 'No' in a calm but firm way, can be an enlightening thing.

One thing I want to say that I think is a pretty important issue is how sizing differs from store to store - MASSIVELY.

Cut a long story short ... I just got paid and decided to splurge a little. All I can say is what crazy, crazy sizing systems there are out there. I went from fitting quite snugly into a UK size 8 up to a UK size 14 in one day of trying on bits and pieces (we're talking 8 or 9 items across different high street stores).

The outcome of my trying-on session today is that there is just no such thing as a perfect '8' or '10' or ... whatever. In fact, with the UK sizing system (and everywhere else, I think, having lived in NYC in the past), in two shops today I discovered I was a perfect (in their sizing terms) Size 11!! In other words, I'd have bought the skirt I'd tried on had it been an '11'. Why don't manufacturers make size '11s' or size '13s' or size '15s'... or size 'anythings' inbetween what's deemed the standard size chart.

Bottom line? The majority of high street stores appear to work to completely diverse size chart agendas anyway.

Would love feedback from others on the whole sizing system:

- which shops make you feel better about yourself on the way they label their clothes
- which shops make you want to curl up and cry?

Susie X
 
what inspires me?

I want to stand next to my sister and be the pretty one for once =p or at least have people look at me too.

I want to buy cute clothes when i got shopping with my cousins and friends

I want to have the energy to run with my friends and play around

I want people who haven't seen me in a couple years to say "WOW you look amazing!" ( which happened last night!!!!! )
I want to stay healthy my whole life. Since terrible things run in my family
 
I didn't see this thread before, I've got quite a bit to rant on.
Why:
I'm the only one of my friends who isn't in amazing shape.
I want to be able to wear nice clothes, right now buying anything nice seems like a waste since I won't really look good in it. Plus, they don't make nice clothes in my size alot of the time. Going into a place like Express (for men, or have they dropped the for men part?) or even sometimes H & M (i know, right?) they don't have my size.
I don't want to sweat like a pig in the summer. Its disgusting. I hate it.
I don't want to act like it doesn't bother me when people make comments about fat people around me. My friends do it alot and even though they don't even pertain to me, I get uncomfortable.
I think it would make my mom really happy.
I hate being the fat one in the family. I have some company, but of all the "kids" (my 2 brothers and my 5 cousins) I'm the only fat one.
I'd like to be more athletic. At 260 I was still an excellent skiier. I can't imagine what I'll be able to do when I'm fit (thats my motivation to get to the gym, if I meet my december goal, I'm buying a snowboard).
Girls. Girls. Girls.
I'd like to not feel embarrassed when I go out. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Its bad. I have very low self-esteem because of my weight. I carry it well at times, especially in certain shirts (light weight shirts with collars do wonders.) I just don't like it.
I want to be healthy.
I don't want people to look at me funny(rolling their eyes) when I say things like "thats too sweet for me" or "thats too greasy" because FAT = you love all sweet and greasy food.
I want to be living not dieting.
Hats. They look funny on my big head. I don't care for them, but it would be nice to wear them If I felt like it.
I love to swim. I dont like subjecting people to my body.
Girls.
This may sound weird but my self image is not a fat man. Its an athletic man. Its how I think of myself and its strange but Its true.

What Inspires Me:
Girls.
Other peoples success stories/before and after pictures.
Mirrors.
 
another inspiration.

Realizing I am in better shape and weigh less than I did 10 years ago. That gives me the incentive to kick it up a notch and shoot for being in better shape than I was 15, and even 20 years ago.
 
Remembering what it feels like to look as good as you possibly can! Another older but goodie that constantly goes thru my mind when trying to lose weight: "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" :D
 
I started looking at weight loss many years ago. Tried to control it but never really understood how or even the real reason behind it. In July i realized i was very unhappy at work(i'm a hairdresser). I had been thinking about leaving for over a year but the thing that keep me going were the clients i were pleasing. once i realized what kinda of damage the stress from work did to me and my relationships i understood what needed to be done. i had to leave the shoppe. After 3 weeks of depression i knew something had to be done to become a happy person again. But then, i realized i hated MYSELF!
In order to love my boyfriend like i loved him before i needed to love myself! The gym has made me feel liberated, energized, and ready to be ME.
Now i can enjoy living again! What inspires me.. is to be FREE
Stephie
 
eliksir said:
I'm inspired by watching myself in the mirror and it's not pleasant view.
Click to expand...

Boy do I know that feeling!!! I was there.

Now the inspiration is seeing the reflection shrinking, noticing, hey! My stomach's flatter, there's muscle tone... that type of thing!
 
The best motivation I ever heard of was a guy who gave his lawyer a check for $10,000 (I think it was 10 grand - it was big money either way)

If he didn't hit his weight loss target in the defined time period, the lawyer was instructed to give the check to the American Nazi Party.

Needless to say, he lost the weight.
 
Im doing this for 2 reasons: The first is to improve my athletic ability so that I can keep up with the rest of my team at practice.
Second, is to feel better about myself. Maybe wear shorts for the first time since i was 14. To boost my self-esteem and go out and enjoy life rather than avoid it. I dont want to feel self-conscious anymore.
 
What the heck, I'll add my $0.02 into the mix.
1. Because I've been abusing my body with food and tobacco for too long and I'm 43 now. When the heck am I supposed to start this out right? NOW!!! If I expect to make to 44...

2. Because I love my Wife, and when your weight and lung condition start to reduce your stamina and make... err... certain activities more difficult... DAMMIT, its time to fix that....

3.I'd like to see my kids graduate from college...

4.Because it sucks feeling like crap all the time...
 
any ideas?

have just began to have a healthier life style and trying to obtain healthier eating habits. i do have regular work hours but still stay up very late and cant help myself to have a bunch of snacks all the time. My significant other is doing her best to motivate me but most of all im fed up with "THAT" bulge that is falling out of my jeans every time i have to bend over to put on my shoes or pick something up. Still trying to push myself to go to the gym, so far no luck. Any ideas anyone ?
 
I am doing this for alot of reasons other people are doing it. I'm doing it to feel better about myself. Raise my self-confidence and self-esteem. I want to be around (God-willing) for my daughters and for my husband. I want to feel good in my clothes. I want to feel healthy and energetic. I want to feel sexy again. I want to be proud that I conquered this thing that has been my biggest problem since before I was a teenager....conquer it once and for all.
 
Well...where do i start? I've always been big, i've have always been fairly active but always found it really difficult to lose a significant amount of weight. Then I met my husband who loved me for who I was and actually found me sexy! I still wanted to lose but only lost motivation after just not losing much weight regardless of healthly diet and exercise, and besides, My husband loved me, I was happy.

In February this year, my world as i knew it ended when my husband died suddenly. I lost some weight, but through grief, and i decided that I'd try to keep it going. I needed something to focus on but I also felt that I wanted to be different, if i couldn't be with my husband then i didn't want to be the person that i was, no-one else would have the same me that he did, if that makes sense, i don't want to be alone forever, i'm only 35. I also went to the doctor to find out why It was so hard for me to lose.

I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, am insulin resistant and have developed diabetes. Now i know, its harder for women like me to lose weight. finally i have a reason (not an excuse) I just need to put in more effort than others or nothing happens.

So thats what i do.

I do it for me because i need more confidence, because i lost the person that made me confident and now I have to go it alone.

I do it for me for my health, because i finally know its not because i'm lazy, I sit there on my exercise bike in front of the tv (x-factor is usually best!) knowing that although he's laughing at me he's also incredibly proud.

I do it for me because i know that if i didn't i would be sitting on the sofa crying every night and it distracts me from doing that.

I also do it for my husband because i love and miss him so much. It will be a tribute to him when i have reached my goal weight and can start to think about building a different life for me, carrying him in my heart.

Its hard to have a new life forced on you when you were happy with your old one. However i also know that the health change is good and so try to be positive about it, i have yet to reach the stage where i feel that exercise is fun and makes you feel happy and energetic :) but after 6 months i will admit that recently it has got easier and i no longer dread coming home from work knowing that its bike night!

Betty.
 
Betty, My heart goes out to you. With all of the adversity that you've had in your life recently, you are pushing forward. Don't give up, keep it going. Stop in here and get publicly involved. You'l find lots of good people who'd like to hear what you have to say, and help out in any way that we can.

It's nice to get some support sometimes :grouphug:
 
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Betty said:
Well...where do i start? I've always been big, i've have always been fairly active but always found it really difficult to lose a significant amount of weight. Then I met my husband who loved me for who I was and actually found me sexy! I still wanted to lose but only lost motivation after just not losing much weight regardless of healthly diet and exercise, and besides, My husband loved me, I was happy.

In February this year, my world as i knew it ended when my husband died suddenly. I lost some weight, but through grief, and i decided that I'd try to keep it going. I needed something to focus on but I also felt that I wanted to be different, if i couldn't be with my husband then i didn't want to be the person that i was, no-one else would have the same me that he did, if that makes sense, i don't want to be alone forever, i'm only 35. I also went to the doctor to find out why It was so hard for me to lose.

I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, am insulin resistant and have developed diabetes. Now i know, its harder for women like me to lose weight. finally i have a reason (not an excuse) I just need to put in more effort than others or nothing happens.

So thats what i do.

I do it for me because i need more confidence, because i lost the person that made me confident and now I have to go it alone.

I do it for me for my health, because i finally know its not because i'm lazy, I sit there on my exercise bike in front of the tv (x-factor is usually best!) knowing that although he's laughing at me he's also incredibly proud.

I do it for me because i know that if i didn't i would be sitting on the sofa crying every night and it distracts me from doing that.

I also do it for my husband because i love and miss him so much. It will be a tribute to him when i have reached my goal weight and can start to think about building a different life for me, carrying him in my heart.

Its hard to have a new life forced on you when you were happy with your old one. However i also know that the health change is good and so try to be positive about it, i have yet to reach the stage where i feel that exercise is fun and makes you feel happy and energetic :) but after 6 months i will admit that recently it has got easier and i no longer dread coming home from work knowing that its bike night!

Betty.
Click to expand...

Betty, you and I are close to the same age and I can't even imagine what you are going through. I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and wow...what a strong person you must be to have survived that and even be able to talk about it now. I'm at a loss for words but honestly, my heart goes out to you too.

And you're not alone as far as insulin resistance and PCOS... I was just diagnosed last year and finally seem to be figuring it out and getting a handle on it only recently. There are a few of us here in the forum with it so hope you stick around and we can encourage eachother :). Drop me a line any time at my journal or pm if you want. Hopefully you start a journal too and I promise to swing by. *hugz* ~Lisa
 
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alright..what i'm inspired by is looking at myself in the mirror and hearing judgment and criticism..i don't like it.
another inspiration is my siblings and friends, how they can eat and stop when they are full, and they get in exercise without even trying; they just live their lives and don't worry about their weight, which is why they are healthy.
inspiration comes from the feeling of fitting into clothes that are a smaller size, and seeing that i lost a few pounds in the past months from the scale.
it's a great feeling when you ate healthy all day, and got an hour or two of exercise in, ya know?
 
There are three main reasons that I want to lose weight.....

1. To develop self-discipline (which I hope carries over to other areas of my life)

2. To feel and look attractive

3. To inspire others


What inspires me?

My husband - I want him to be proud to have me by his side (even though he loves me at any size). But most importantly, knowing that God is on my side and heaven is backing me up on my journey to overcoming an unhealthy lifestyle.
 
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