What motaviates you?

[kgirl]

I am wondering what other's " aha!" moments were/are for sticking to this ? There is a time when we can start and be gun ho all about it for awhile..then, for some reason we find ourselves back to the same 'ol ways. Then, something happens..a mind set, an awakening..a special.."aha " time that you knew in your heart..you can..and will succeed this time around!..

What was your moment?

How do you stay focused?

What inspires you?
I have been up and down in weight so often, I am sure my body is confused! I have had eating disorders..been in the hospital for anorexia..then moved into bulimia...after a few years of over doing on laxatives..(up to 100 ex-lax pills a day) I slowly got some help.It took a few years for me to stop abusing my body so much. It has been a good 4 years since I went back into the bulimia stage of my eating. from there..I found I allowed myself to jest overeat a lot. For me, it was better then the reverse. Now..thru this board, I find I realize I have had alot trouble with carbs. Not being able to stop at one bowl of cereal..or one bowl of rice ..etc..I could eat it all till there was none left! I have learnt so much since my short time here. It all makes so much sense to me. Someone said on here..for some carbs are like alcohol to alcoholic..that was me exactly! I have never seen it like that before. I notice a difference in me eating this way. I eat when I am hungry..(which is something entirely new to me) I have restarted in phase one again. But I know in my mind, this is the one for me. I need to cleans my body of the bad carbs in me..restart from the beginning, and begin a healthier lifestyle.
I wonder why it is so easy to be harmful to ourselves sometimes? Some things in life can be a real challenge. Why is something as a basic need, like eating, so hard at times?
Well..I am determined to keep focused this time. To allow myself to eat better and feel good about it!

How do you keep in focus?
What was your "aha" moment?

[kibskix]

Re: What motaviates you?

I dont look at the past for my a-ha moments, because its easy to forget. I need future motivation, especially events I have to go to and things like that, so i've picked one for just about every month till I think i can hit my goal so that i'll stick with it.

my birthday in 13 days
a concert in may
family reunion in june
cuter summer clothes in july/august
my moms wedding in october
and if it takes longer than that, obviously thanksgiving/christmas seeing the family.

i think you have to keep setting goals for yourself even if you're at your target weight. "i'll be within 5lbs of this weight in 6 months" also not cheating is motivation for me, to be able to say 'hey i've done it right for this long!'

[momtomany1]

Re: What motaviates you?

This time around, what happened for me is that our work changed uniform requirements. We now wear dark jeans instead of black docker type pants. Jeans are an unforgiving garment... and I was not going shopping for size 22 jeans. I was at the point where the thought of clothes shopping almost popped me out with hives.

So when I heard about the upcoming change I knew what I had to do, and where I needed to be (ADBB!) and got serious. I now wear my 12's with pride!

Don't feel TOO badly about your choices in the past. You have been up against the marketing behemoths in the stores, that stupid faulty 'food pyramid,' the fast food tempters, and the pervasive belief that sugar is a food. You have to swim upstream to do lowcarb... so be a nice lean salmon!

[EverLosing]

Re: What motaviates you?

A huge motivator for me was being told I couldn't and wouldn't do it....that people never change. I'm doing it...and they gained half of what I've lost. People do change.

[momtomany1]

Re: What motaviates you?

OH I almost forgot, this is as good a place as any to put this. I had had to stop wearing my engagement and wedding rings, my fingers were just too chubby, so I was putting my 'eternity ring' in their place. I thought of trying them on last night.. and they fit! Snugly, but they are on! I am so happy I could cry...

[planetclaire]

Re: What motaviates you?

I'm a shallow person and am motivated by fashion Well, that's not entirely true! When I first started with this WOE it was because my blood sugar levels were indicating that diabetes was around the corner for me. I had just lost my FIL to diabetes the previous year...amputations, dialysis...not a future I wanted for myself. I had 3 young kids, I was scared. Scared straight! My doctor suggested low carb, and it was surprisingly easy for me to follow once I got thru the pain and suffering of the induction flu!

But then I got lazy with my eating and even though I was running alot - 25miles+ per week - I started eating more carbs again, and I started to slowly gain weight. So now I am back and I want to fit into all those fabulous size 8 clothes that I have!

[soon2bslim]

Re: What motaviates you?

-I want to be here for my kids and G-d willing for my grandkids someday.
-Also when we go on family hikes i don't want to be huffing and puffing and trailing behind.
-I keep reminding myself how much i LOVE the ENERGY that this WOE generates.
-Of course i want to wear cute clothes and not have to cringe when we get an invitation in the mail (oh we can't go...I'm as big as a horse...nothing looks right on me even in the fat lady store..i want to look great when we see family and friends...want to be able to dance at the wedding not sit by the sidelines)
-I have a milestone birthday VERY SOON wish i was thinner but at least i'm on the WAY!

[kibskix]

Re: What motaviates you?

I can't tell you how many times i've said 'im gonna lose this much by my birthday', then my birthday rolled around and i never did anything different. Thats a really depressing feeling. This year even if i'm still stuck at only 10lbs, its still 10lbs lower than last year.

[kgirl]

Re: What motivates you?

thank you all for your inspiring posts!

kibsix..your right..it is easy to forget those moments that make you go"aha!"..I started with knowing i was going on a cruise..and that helped me..now..it's more..just get thru this day...it will become easier as time goes on I think.

soon2bslim-..I also have 2 boys..9 and 12..who i want to be able enjoying doing things with them!..Last year..I was simply catching a football with them..this year..i am hoping to be actually running with the football! I want my energy level to raise! I also work in daycare with preschool children..so..another factor for me. I know what you are saying about going to the mall..been there..way to many times in that mind frame.

planetclaire- lol..me too..looking good and feeling good in clothes is always a want for me!..wow..that is a real scary motivator having lost someone to diabetes. It runs in my family also..right now, I am on high blood pressure pills..I am hoping to get off of them soon!

momtomany- congrats on being able t wear your rings again!!! You've got to the point of wearing half of what your old jeans were..size 12!..that's awesome!

everlosing..lol..that determination of.."ohhh..yes I can!" is a good one..especially when you see how well you are going!

Thank you all for the input. I send you.all good vibes of motivation..determination and good health

[Slapshot]

Re: What motaviates you?

Hitting 240 lbs, which I never thought was possible.

Wondering how the heck I'll ever take my son skiing in a few years or play hockey with him if I'm too tired to go in the backyard and kick the soccer ball with him now.

Changing jobs where I have to wear at suit every day. Business casual is very kind to the overweight - dress suits, not so much.

These "aha" moments happened within a span of a week, so needless to say, they provided a great deal of motivation...

[kgirl]

Re: What motivates you?

slapshot....that's alot of "aha" moments to keep motivated with! Being able to do sports with your son, and you keeping up with him..is one of the biggest motivators!..thanks for sharing..all the best in this quest for energy and good health!

[Slapshot]

Re: What motivates you?

slapshot....that's alot of "aha" moments to keep motivated with! Being able to do sports with your son, and you keeping up with him..is one of the biggest motivators!..thanks for sharing..all the best in this quest for energy and good health!

Thanks very much...same to you!

[Desertthorn]

Re: What motaviates you?

This board always motivates me to do my best

[12YearsofBabyFat]

Re: What motaviates you?

1.Watching my 65 year old father have 2 massive heart attacks (in 2 years), deal with uncontrollable diabetes, end-stage heart failure & end-stage kidney failure due to diabetes, and become unable to take a full breath or walk 10 feet.

2.Thinking about being in his shoes at his age- or before.

3.Watching my Mother do her best to take care of him with no sleep, not eating due to stress and not wanting to leave my Dad's side. Watching my Mother put away dreams of an active retirement with my Dad.

4. Thinking about my mother worrying it would happen to me one day when she would be dead or too elderly to care for me. Thinking about my Dad wishing it would be different for me than it is for him.

5. Thinking about putting my dear husband or children in this position just because I wanted something sweet to eat.

6. Realizing I have not been the kind of wife I could be to my husband because of my weight and self-image issues.

7. Realizing I have not been the kind of mother I could be to my children because of my lack of energy caused by my weight.

8. Admitting I was hiding behind my weight as a way to self-protect.

9. Wondering if there is really more to life than trying out the next restaurant.

10. Wanting to ride the Great American Scream Machine at 6 Flags and enjoy it instead of being in horrendous pain because I jammed my big body into a seat much too small for me to comfortably fit and I was barely able to buckle the seat belt.

11. Wanting to enjoy my 20 year Highschool Reunion instead of making an excuse not to go... like I did for the 10 year reunion.

12. To feel good about myself when I get dressed instead of strategizing ways to camouflage my body.

13. Being tired of knocking stuff over when walking between people who are sitting down in chairs.

14. Feeling bad for whoever ended up sitting next to me in the theater, ballpark, Sunday school class or other events where you sit side by side in folding or tightly spaced chairs. I lap over the sides.

15. Feeling embarrassed for myself when I knew that person who unfortunately sat by me wished they had not.

16. Wanting to not worry about being asked how far along I was in my pregnancy when I am not pregnant. That happened once.

17. Wishing I could feel okay about being in a photograph.

18. Wanting to wear high heels again.

19. Realizing my children have never known me at a healthy weight.

20. Wanting to soak in the tub and not just become an island in it.

These are just off the top of my head.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: What motaviates you?

Going to a funeral out-of-state and seeing the pictures taken that day. Trying to get into the black suit I had bought for my daughter's funeral 12 months prior, and not even being able to get it on. I couldn't even wear my slip and camisole. My sister had to go and buy me everything so I didn't have to wear sweats to the funeral. I hadn't been on a scale in over a year--I was shocked when I found out I weighed 296 pounds--this was after dieting for two weeks. I probably weighed over 300 pounds when the picture was taken.