Is it simply to look good? For a wedding or other special event? For your health?
One thing is for sure at the start of this journey this is something you want to define. It will help to keep you motivated along the way. However, I do suggest if you intend this to be long term and you hope to maintain your loss, events are NOT the best reason to lose weight. Quite often after the event, many people gain the weight back, because they reached the goal and the event is now over.
Knowing why you want to lose weight helps to keep you focused and can help to keep your motivation, strong. Think about it, write it down.
At the start of my journey my reasons for wanting to lose weight were:
To be healthy. To age happily and healthy.
Ease of movement.
To be able to jump double-dutch
To be able to run with my husband.
The looking good is a bonus! My health was my priority. Being thin doesn’t mean being healthy. Looking good does not mean being healthy.
Here are a few more reasons you might want to lose weight:
To fit in. Face it obesity in our society is not respected! Size discrimination is still alive and kicking. For me, I didn’t want to be the fat girl in the room anymore!
To be able to walk, run, bike, jump rope. Physical activity is more difficult when you carry around a lot of extra weight.
To get off medications. Many people are able to stop and/or lower blood pressure, diabetes and other medications once they lose the excess weight.
To be healthy. Obesity is a risk factor for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Why put yourself at the added risk when you have the power to change! This is MY #1 reason for wanting to lose weight...just to BE HEALTHY.
To feel good about myself. The joy you will feel at getting your health back, your life together, your confidence...your sexy back is immeasurable! There is nothing like the LOVE you will experience from the self-love and self-care of this journey.
To look good. This one is self-defined. You might want to think about what this means to you. A certain size? Being able to wear a certain style of clothing. Being able to tuck in your shirt? You decide what looking good is for you. For me it is being a perfect size 10 and being able to wear strapless items! Healthy skin, healthy hair. Woohoo! I’m there! I’m happy.
To be able to get up and down, easily. Every pound of excess weight is equal to 4 pounds of pressure on your knees. That up and down thing takes a toll, day after day, year after year. Stairs, hills are no longer a big deal to me! Yay!
To sleep better. Statistics show that extra weight can cause sleep related problems. The pressure of the weight can make breathing difficult, when laying down.
There are so many good reasons to lose weight. Let YOUR reasons be your motivation. Keep them in plain sight, so they serve as a reminder.
Be Happy! Be Healthy! Start LOVING you a bit more TODAY!
Tiare.
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Your are right on target with all that you state. You have to do it for you and for no other reason or it will not work.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Helen Edwards | June 28, 2010 at 02:19 AM
Thank you so much for sharing your story and tips.
Posted by: Minneapple | June 24, 2010 at 01:55 PM
Thank you Tiare. This is very helpful in my journey to lose weight.
Posted by: Susan | June 24, 2010 at 01:26 PM
Thanks for these posts. It helps when you lose site of the light at the end of the tunnel.
Posted by: Teen Queen | June 23, 2010 at 03:59 PM