Just curious what motivates some of you guys to lose the weight you have to loose. This question really is for anyone who wants to answer, but myself being over 100lbs overweight I'm wondering what people with over 100 lbs to lose think. What is driving you effort to lose weight? (i.e. family, a trip, something else maybe). And also would you be more motivated by a financial reward, or the reward of a trip somewhere?

I'm tired of being embarrassed to go places. I'm tired of having to shop in the woman's section (plus sizes). I'm tired of looking at pictures of me and saying my goodness I'm sooo fat. I'm tired of not having any engery after work. It's time. I'm ready mentally for this.
Good post. Looking forward to others comments. By the way, what has motivated you?

My health. I am a type II diabetic. Atkins has lowered by fasting blood sugar from the 260's to the 80's. Sure I hate shopping in the plus sizes but I am more concerned with living a normal life span. I want that badly enough that I have been able to stick with this woe without a cheat since July 2006.

I had an ex-husband post some photos of me from about 30 years ago on a blog he was doing (that was different , but that's for another forum). They were just casual shots, but I really saw how thin I was (and I thought I was fat at the time!). That motivated me, as well as my family and wanting all the things we all want---to tie our shoes, dress off the rack, fit into theatre seats, etc.,,,

My basic motivation right now is health! I am a Type 2 diabetic and want to live to see my future grandkids and be as free from complications as possible so that I can enjoy my senior years doing things that I enjoy. Of course, if someone offered me a million dollars to lose weight, can't say that I'd turn down the challenge!

Once in a while, these topics crop up and I have come to this conclusion: if it requires external motivation you're doomed. By that, I mean the typical motivations of wanting to look good in swimsuits, for your significant other, for your kids, for your career, so you can attract a mate -- whatever.

I am not saying these kinds of external motivations cannot help, but they will not see you through. If Warren Buffet offered me a million dollars to take off my last 50 pounds, I would certianly be motivated to get that money, but would it work? Would it last? Would it be something that helped you cut to the core of the issue and help you get thin, stay thin?

Ultimately, this has to be about the core of who you are. You have to figure out that part, you have to figure out that being thin is its own reward -- the best damn reward you will ever get -- and work at it.

The rest is meaningless. And this comes from someone who lost his first 70 or so pounds thinking he was doing it for his daughter, until he realized that he was doing it for himself, and that it was okay to be selfish about wanting dignity, health, and general well being.

I'm sick and tired of struggling to get up off the floor when I get down on the floor to do something with my dd. I'm sick of worrying about whether or not I will fit into a restaurant booth. I'm sick of having to pay a premium for clothes because they come in bigger sizes. I am sick of waking up in the middle of the night to take antacids. And a million other reasons.

I'll stick my neck out... I WISH "health" was enough of a motivation, but I need something more tangible and immediate to get the job done. Health and well-being would be the ultimate reward, but I disagree that external motivation wouldn't get the job JUST as "done", if for nothing else than breaking through the inertia that can come when the big prize seems too far away.

I can only speak for me....my motivation was to no longer be a morbidly obese middle age woman. I had gotten sick and tired of being treated like I was below human....I felt ugly...and I was very, very angry about all of it.

I got sick and tired of being sick and tired....and until I was ready to do this, no amount of money would've gotten me to do it.

When I did decide to "do it", all my excuses fell away along with all of my stories about how I couldn't do it. There was no SO or DH or event that I was doing it for...just for me, so that I could feel good about myself..that was enough for me. I used to try to do it because someone was hounding me and I'd dig my heels in and tell them to "~#$%*&&!"....so doing it just for me was what I needed.

Coming to this forum was the best thing that I could do for myself. As long as I could see that there were others who had done it, that gave me the hope I needed to know that I could do it too.

The world does treat me differently now....I smile at people and they smile back, its nice. I used to be invisible...now I'm all there!! That was motivation enough for me.

I am losing the weight for me, and also for my wife and daughters. I am afraid if I continue to gain - or backslide - I will end up one of those people that has the fire department coming to cut a large hole in the wall to get them out. That is one reason I didn't start until I knew I had something I could do, stick with over the long haul, and have the motivation to do whatever it takes to succeed. I met folks who kept the weight off 10 years doing this. That means this can be more than a diet. In fact if it is just a diet, you are probably doomed to failure and yo-yoing up and down constantly (or maybe just up).

Real Motivation:

To be here to see my kids grow up, my kids get married, and my kids have their own kids. Sure I want all those things, ...but the thought of someone else raising my daughters or them being fairly alone in this world (without me) is frightening to me. I want to look out for them, love them, provide for them, protect them, etc.

Same thing with my wife. I also want life insurance for them (something difficult to get presently I imagine), cause I realize I could do everything right, and I could still die before I would have planned it myself. Cancer, heart attacks, auto accidents, hemorages, strokes, ...we are all not that far from death tho we like to think we aren't.

I want to be healthier! I hate having blood sugar issues, acid reflux, high blood pressure, circulatory problems, etc and other health problems brought on by high weight. Since I have started the Low Carb way of eating I no longer have blood sugar problems or acid problems. I feel much better, and I am still long from my goal.

I want to be a better steward of my body and do a better job of managing my health. If I am healthier I can do more things than I can now, maybe live longer and better.

Like anyone overweight there are many petty indignities and problems associated with weight (social, life-wise, and otherwise). Fitting into things. Breaking things. Large size clothes (>$$$ and harder to find). Chairs. Theater seats. Airplane seats. etc. Taking up alot of space. Being pretty much out of shape and limited in activities.

But I don't hate myself. I am pretty OK being who I am right now (and who I was) and being in my own skin. I am married and 100% committed to my wife, and not really looking for anything or anyone elses approval. I don't hate mirrors or whatever.

It will be nice to lose weight, and to get into better shape. I wonder if I could possibly get into the "best shape of my life" once again? It's kindof a personal challenge for me. I think that regardless of what happens, losing weight is a good thing for me, and also for my family. And whatever I do, it is very important to me that this weight loss and way of eating is a lifelong thing - not a yo-yo, on again and off again excercise.

Seeing other people ACTUALLY DO IT gives me hope and confidence that I CAN DO IT TOO!!! Lose the weight, get into shape, be healthier, and MAINTAIN IT OVER THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!

I want there to be a BEFORE picture, and a bunch of IN-PROGRESS PICTURES, but no AFTER picture. Cause I don't want to quit this and go back to pastas, breads, rice, potatos, sugary Cokes, and all. Then bubble back on up ABOVE where I started and be starting all over again.

This is a journey, and there is no way I am going to cheat or go backwards after this much effort and forward progress. My worry is mostly about learning about nutrition, learning how to maintain this long term.

So there is my book-long answer, and you probably wanted a short paragraph.

I'm not sure what motiviated to initially to look for ways to lose weight, but I think it was just not wanting to be so different anymore... wanting to be more normal, like fitting into those little white plastic patio chairs.

As I lost weight the first time around, what I found motivated me along the way was buying new clothing in smaller sizes. While that wasn't the driver for losing, it was the validation that I was successful. Getting back into all those new clothes I bought is helping to motivate me now.

I don't normally use deadlines for motivation since I don't really believe you can lose x amount of fat by x date. However, if there is a deadline coming up, it can help motivate me to stay on track. For a lot of people, not hitting the x amount by x date can make them feel unsuccessful, so it pays to be careful with setting deadlines. I do have a trip to Vegas planned for April and I would love to fit into some of my "thin" clothes by then, so that is helping to keep me motivated for the short term.

Would a million bucks motivate me to lose weight - yep, it would...for all the things I could do with the money. I really don't think it would motivate me to maintain the lost weight, though, which is the more important question. IMHO, maintaining what we've lost has to come from within, and is the harder goal to achieve.

Some people respond better to the carrot, others the stick. Dateline (or one of those shows) did an experiment where they took several overweight people, had them pose for very unflattering swimsuit pictures, then put them on a diet/exercise plan to lose a set amount of weight in a certain time frame...or the pictures would be shown on national television.

All but ONE made it with pounds to spare, but they showed mercy on her since she was awfully close.

Long-term success? Who knows. Maybe they woke up to the idea they COULD do it and continued on, maybe they did it to avoid shame then went back to their old ways... in either case, knowing they could do it had the potential to springboard them to success, if they choose to use it that way.

I think each person has to find what it is that will motivate them, and I think for many people it is a combination of inside and outside things. I remember being thin and I remember I liked that feeling and would like it back. My family wants me around for awhile yet and that means a lot to me. I want to be able to tie my shoes and find clothes on the sales rack, and all that kind of "reality" stuff. I liked what ndurance1 wrote, very good things.

Also, if I don't love myself, or have very poor self esteem, it isn't going to come from within; another reason why I think it is more a combination of both.

I let my weight hold me back. My mantra used to be when I lose weight I will...(fill in the blank)

I'm losing weight for health and to live. I wasn't living at 280lbs. I wish I could
have been confident at that size, but I wasn't.

That said, I wouldn't turn down a million lol.

some of the things that motivate me are:

To be able to play with my son more easily (and I know it will only get tougher as he gets older and more active - bike rides, roller skates etc).

To be able to shop in 'normal' sizes- -good bye Lane Bryant etc

To be around for a long long time so I can watch my son grow up and one day be able to enjoy my grandchildren. (that's a LONG time away since DS is only 2)

To be able to go to Disney World and not worry about if I fit comfortably on all the rides.

To be able to go horseback riding again.

To be willing to get a picture taken because I know I won't completely hate what I see.

Lots of reasons. If an external prize was 'offered' for it, based on the OP, I'd probably be motivated by a financial reward OR a trip - as long as the trip was somewhere special and not cheap. LOL But the real reason for losing the weight is for me. Not for a prize. Not for someone else (well, it IS for my son and hubby, but that's so I can be around for them - which is still for me!)