motivation

[ziplocc]

im just curious what everyones motivations are for losing weight and getting into shape. wether it be to get girls (or a different one), being strong, being healthy, feeling healthy, generally just looking good, for a sport, etc.

[stewaat]

#1- Being healthy
#2- Look good with the shirt off despite my paleness
#3- Look good for females so I end up with one of similar physical fitness
#4- Feeling great

#2-4 are all really close. #1 is far above the rest.

[ziplocc]

i agree about those. whats your progress so far? also, if youre shirt is off its obviously warm out. go get a tan bro!

[everynewday]

I'd say my motivation is looking/feeling good.
Looking good with my shirt off is also a huge motivation.

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by ziplocc

i agree about those. whats your progress so far? also, if youre shirt is off its obviously warm out. go get a tan bro!

I'm getting there. I say in 6 weeks I'll be where I want.

I can't tan! Seriously

[EBA84]

My motivation has always come from totally within. I do this for myself and no one else. I want to be better at my next contest then I was at my last. When I am at the end of the set and don't think I can get another rep, I push myself to get two more because I know that is what it will take to be better.

[ziplocc]

i used to be in super good shape than over a year ago i started drinking heavily and eating ****ty food. and by heavily i mean all day everyday from when i woke up till when i slept. needless to say i put on over 50lbs..close to 60 actually...of pure fat. i feel like ****. so im remotivating myself. started by kicking the alcohol. im kinda easing back into this so im not counting calories yet im just eating healthy and staying sober. in a couple weeks ill start counting calories/macros and really gettin down to business. now its all about getting used to it again

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by ziplocc

i used to be in super good shape than over a year ago i started drinking heavily and eating ****ty food. and by heavily i mean all day everyday from when i woke up till when i slept. needless to say i put on over 50lbs..close to 60 actually...of pure fat. i feel like ****. so im remotivating myself. started by kicking the alcohol. im kinda easing back into this so im not counting calories yet im just eating healthy and staying sober. in a couple weeks ill start counting calories/macros and really gettin down to business. now its all about getting used to it again

Sounds like you have a pretty good mindset. I have taken the stance that I'm never going to diet again. I'm just going to eat what I want all the time. If I want a piece of cake, I'll eat it. However, with that said, I am going to limit my cheats to not exceed a gross amount of cals.

When I say I eat what I want, I mean it. Thing is I want to eat healthy food 95% of the time. Hopefully not restricting myself from having a sweet here and there will stop my breakdowns where I consume way too many cals.

I'm no BB'er, I'm simply a guy who truly enjoys working out and staying in shape. It's more of my hobby and I like to stay up to date with all the info out there.

Basically, good luck man!

[Mikem2386]

i dont really have motivation. i just go because i love the feeling when i lift and its just a routine of going for me.

But if i had to say

1.Look Good/Get Better in Shape
2.Being Healthy

[ziplocc]

i agree with that im the same way about eating. i like healthy food. when i eat garbage i feel ****ty. its more of a mental thing like my mind has adjusted so much to eating clean that it eventually changed my tastes. but when i was drunk all the time i didnt care. i ate what i could when i could.
im not bodybuilder either i used to box pretty seriously. it was my life. i loved feeling strong and healthy.
so how much weight have you lost?

[justagirl]

good sleep and having energy ALL day

i was prediabetic a few years ago and that scared me. had no energy, felt like a slob and a zombie

my self esteem

my ass and how i look in a bikini

my skin and hair (cleaning up your diet is great for other stuff too )

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by ziplocc

i agree with that im the same way about eating. i like healthy food. when i eat garbage i feel ****ty. its more of a mental thing like my mind has adjusted so much to eating clean that it eventually changed my tastes. but when i was drunk all the time i didnt care. i ate what i could when i could.
im not bodybuilder either i used to box pretty seriously. it was my life. i loved feeling strong and healthy.
so how much weight have you lost?

None really. I'm more just trying to recomp my body a little bit. I'm at the ~12-14%bf range right now and I'm trying to get to 10%.

I just graduated from college a couple months ago. I was a D-1 athlete so I was in pretty good shape then too.

I did go to college at 228, I'll never forget that. Throw in a huge break up and I was down to 195 at one point! I'm at the 205-210 range most of the time and I'm trying to get to the 195-200 range. My hill isn't that huge to climb.

Keep your eye on the prize man!

Oh and I don't have a huge desire to drink alcohol. Never really have. I do but just to be social.

[pavilion]

Drinking is a major problem for me as that is where most of my friends hang out on fridays/saturdays. Lately I've been trying to only drinking vodka/water to cut down on the calories but I really shouldn't drink at all. It's really hard when it's such a social thing.

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by justagirl

good sleep and having energy ALL day

i was prediabetic a few years ago and that scared me. had no energy, felt like a slob and a zombie

my self esteem

my ass and how i look in a bikini

my skin and hair (cleaning up your diet is great for other stuff too )

Well from the picture of you in your bikini you have made great progress. (no creepo)

I think I just made up that term haha

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by pavilion

Drinking is a major problem for me as that is where most of my friends hang out on fridays/saturdays. Lately I've been trying to only drinking vodka/water to cut down on the calories but I really shouldn't drink at all. It's really hard when it's such a social thing.

Yea I have to drive so I have a beer or two and just sip on them. I'll pass on the shots.

[Angelfish]

My motivations have changed alot over the last four years. But the one thing that has stayed through this entire time has been the driven desire to always improve. To expect and achieve more from myself. That keeps me focused day in and day out. I know I havent reached my best yet!

Also I get alot of motivation by encouraging others. I have reached a point where it is just as important to me to show others that it is possible to go from obese to fit and stay that way as it is to live a new life as an active person. Success is possible when you refuse to give up!

~stay well.

[justagirl]

haha thank you but that's the before picture... trying to gain some muscle, especially lower body

[pavilion]

Originally Posted by stewaat

Yea I have to drive so I have a beer or two and just sip on them. I'll pass on the shots.

I leave my car at home but I should probably starting taking it out so I don't drink as much, lol. I know hard liqour is lowering in calories than beer but at the same time I heard vodka is still 70 calories a shot!!! I usually drink it with water and just a splash of lime.

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by justagirl

haha thank you but that's the before picture... trying to gain some muscle, especially lower body

That's a pretty good starting point, I think a lot of females would like to have that as their after picture. Anywho good luck with your gains.

[ziplocc]

yeah alcohol is a major factor with me too. all my friends drink and smoke weed. its been a hard battle and its not even close to over yet. it sucks not going out especially with my girlfriend you know. but id rather be healthy and look good than be a fat lazy drunken slob like i have been. its a horrible way to live. my self esteem has sunken down incredibly. my confidence is barely there. its amazing how much being out of shape can affect your personality

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by Angelfish

My motivations have changed alot over the last four years. But the one thing that has stayed through this entire time has been the driven desire to always improve. To expect and achieve more from myself. That keeps me focused day in and day out. I know I havent reached my best yet!

Also I get alot of motivation by encouraging others. I have reached a point where it is just as important to me to show others that it is possible to go from obese to fit and stay that way as it is to live a new life as an active person. Success is possible when you refuse to give up!

~stay well.

Great job on getting so far. Personally I have trouble helping others because it takes something on the inside to stick with this stuff. It's a lot easier to be out of shape than it is in shape, and most people are content letting themselves go.

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by ziplocc

yeah alcohol is a major factor with me too. all my friends drink and smoke weed. its been a hard battle and its not even close to over yet. it sucks not going out especially with my girlfriend you know. but id rather be healthy and look good than be a fat lazy drunken slob like i have been. its a horrible way to live. my self esteem has sunken down incredibly. my confidence is barely there. its amazing how much being out of shape can affect your personality

I definitely agree about self esteem and being in shape. When you're healthy you seem to walk with your chest out.

I don't know too many disadvantages of being in shape

[jocnyhc]

Besides the whole living past 50 thing, i had revenge on my mind for a while. Gotta love women for that kind of motivation, nothing like it lol. So i went from 235lbs (fat and out of shape) down to 173 at my lowest. But i thought i was getting to scrawny so im bulking up a bit now.

[ziplocc]

yeah women will definitely spark that inner drive thats for sure. thats one of my top 5 motivations right now. in order id say this

1. energy
2. looks
3. health
4. sport
5. women

[cibuckeye1]

As an out of shape, yet competitive powerlifter for the last few years, my real motivation came with the shame of being un-able to get my fat ass off the floor because of a backache, and had to get my 8 year old daughter and my, believe it or not, my very in shape, figure competitor/fitness model wife, to try to help get me onto the couch! So my motivation is the shame I felt, my daughter who thinks her daddy is superman, seeing me on the floor like a fat slug, unable to get up on my own! Never agian! After refusing to go to a doctor, refusing to call off work that night (I'm a waiter on the graveyard shift), and sleeping sitting upright 3 days straight, because it was such a mission just to sit up after lying down, I decided never again. There's my motivation.

[Angelfish]

Originally Posted by stewaat

Great job on getting so far. Personally I have trouble helping others because it takes something on the inside to stick with this stuff. It's a lot easier to be out of shape than it is in shape, and most people are content letting themselves go.

Thank you for your well wishes and encouragement

"It's a lot easier to be out of shape than it is in shape" Hmmmm... I will have to think on that some....
Today I interacted with men on a totally different playing field than 110lbs ago. Today I wandered around the mall with my head high, happy that I didnt have a bag of McD's fries in my hand (as I observed someone doing just that). Today I walked into a regular clothes store and was immediately served. It is EASIER to be in shape than out of shape. Life is better in shape than out of shape. I do get your point that it takes effort, effort that many people don't give themselves credit for that they CAN actually achieve. It takes consistent commitment - stickability - not talent, luck or genetics. It (life) is easier and worth it.

~stay well.

[Adina]

I wanted to be a good example to my sons. My dad was obese. I was obese. How could I tell my son's what to eat, unless they learnred by example?

[weezyfbaby]

girls,girls,girls!

and really into seeing what i can do with my body! dedication!

[stewaat]

Originally Posted by Angelfish

Thank you for your well wishes and encouragement

"It's a lot easier to be out of shape than it is in shape" Hmmmm... I will have to think on that some....
Today I interacted with men on a totally different playing field than 110lbs ago. Today I wandered around the mall with my head high, happy that I didnt have a bag of McD's fries in my hand (as I observed someone doing just that). Today I walked into a regular clothes store and was immediately served. It is EASIER to be in shape than out of shape. Life is better in shape than out of shape. I do get your point that it takes effort, effort that many people don't give themselves credit for that they CAN actually achieve. It takes consistent commitment - stickability - not talent, luck or genetics. It (life) is easier and worth it.

~stay well.

It's something everyone can take advantage of and only some do. Everyone here at least inquiring about their health should pat themselves on the back.

I shall rephrase my original statement to this:

People a f'n lazy, bottom line. Excuses are abundant and those willing to work are few and far between. People are jealous and will try and bring you down to their level.

At the same time it's great to have this forum as a little community where being healthy is accepted. People think I'm weird at work just because I drink a ton of water and eat healthy foods.

[ziplocc]

i agree. when i turn down food around friends i get ridiculed sometimes like "oh yeah...youre on a DIET" like trying to patronize me.