What motivated you?

[Dimple_Flirt]

Re: What motivated you?

I want t oho horse back riding and not worry about hurting myself just mounting up, no joke I've twisted my ankle and popped some tendons just from having to catch my own weight (263 lbs) not to mention what it does to my drafty Haflinger with me bouncing around. I also would like to fit back into size 12 jeans and have my calves shrink so they will fit into cowboy boots. Most of all I just want to be active with my kids with out headaches and shakes from high bp and sugar spikes.Oh..gosh ...And what it would be like to simply run across the yard!

[SkaPaladin]

Re: What motivated you?

My motivator is loneliness.

Out of my entire life, I have had friends and family, and loves. Unfortunately, the love is always onesided.

Girls always say that they are looking for a certain type of guy. Then, they describe me. "But, we're friends, and that's good too." Then, they go after jerks that treat them bad, and come crying to me, thinking there is something wrong with themselves.

Today, I told this one girl about my promise. Let me explain.

I have this bracelet. It's black and white beads, nine of each, on a stretch thread. If you watch anime, it's like Kyo's bracelet on Fruits Basket. When I made my promise, I dubbed it my "bishie bracelet." Bishie means bishounen. It's a japanese term use to describe beautiful boys. This bracelet does not come off, until I become a beautiful boy. And I know it's possible, because my boss thought I was 19, because I have a baby face, and one time, when I shaved off all of my facial hair (I don't have much, but a minor mustache, like peach fuzz, but noticeable) my friend Josh thought I was a girl, until he got closer. Heck, I'd be willing to kiss a boy if it got me that much closer (no tongue).

Back to the girl I told about the promise. When I mentioned it and explained it, it's like she fell for me. Hard. But, I can't let anything get in the way of my goal. She'll just have to wait, until I keep my promise.

I use my bracelet to remind me everyday, that I made the promise to myself, and that I will keep that promise. It does not come off until I reach my goal, and become the new me.

When I feel weak, I look at the bracelet. When I'm tempted, I look at the bracelet.

Sometimes, I want to cry, and when I look at my bracelet, I remember why I'm doing this. Then, I start to feel that much better.

[michigander]

Re: What motivated you?

My motivation is hung on my bedroom wall. I dug out all the pairs of jeans that I no longer fit into. Instead of leaving them at the back of my closet, I've hung them on my wall, and every day I look at how great I'll look when I'm wearing them again. I guess it keeps me focused instead of pretending things are fine. When I get heavy, I also avoid stepping on the scale, because I don't REALLY what to know exactly where I"m at. With staying on atkins, the scale is no longer my enemy, and 15 more pounds, and my bedroom wall will be my best friend!

[ciaobella]

Re: What motivated you?

everytime i think about grabbing a cookie or something "just this once" or to ease stress...i remember vividly sitting in my aunts kitchen in fl with my overweight grandmother and aunt eating cookies that they had baked...stuffing my face...and having them worry that i am getting too large, and that they don't want me to get diabeates.......that was such a wake up call...i was 200lbs then...... i NEVER want to be in that situation again!!!!!!

[JandLsMom]

Re: What motivated you?

What keeps me motivated is knowing i will be able to wear a bathing suit again and go to the beach and buy myself the pool i always wanted! Also, looking at all the new fashions and thinking "oooh thats so cute!" i am sooo sick of buying frumpy looking clothes. i want to be in FASHION! i want to be able to go to a store and buy WHATEVER i think looks GREAT on me!! I am SO sick of wearing pants in the summer and sweating my butt off while everyone else is walking around in their shorts and tank tops. I am sick of tshirts, i WANT to wear a tank top!! I am SO sick of being out of breath, having a hard time tying my shoes, dreading going to the mall, sitting out when others are having fun! LOTS of things keep me motivated. When i see a piece of cake i say "you evil thing you, you wont help me with this weeks weigh in..get out of my way!" This board really helps keep me motivated, looking at everyones before and after pics and yearning to have my own AFTER pic!! I could go on forever about what keeps me motivated as i am sure we all can!

[kealoha]

Re: What motivated you?

1) I want to be hot. Yes, I realize it's vain, but I'm convinced there's a hot mama underneath all of this flab and I want to let her out. lol

2) I want to play with my kids. Yesterday I challenged my 7 year old to a race and I had to LET HER WIN!!!!! I can slide down the slides at the park now!!!

3) My husband emailed me a picture that my FIL took of me a little while back. He said, "Wow, what a great picture. You look amazing!" I didn't. I looked fat. I looked tired. I looked angry. Sadly, that was a "great" picture. I nearly cried realizing that was me at my current "best."

4) I don't want my children to be ashamed of me. I don't want other kids making fun of my kids because I'm fat.

5) I want to go swimming with my kids. I haven't been swimming in many, many years. My kids have to wait until the weekends to swim because that's when my husband can swim with them. I want to take them during the week and not feel like everyone is staring at me.

[littleblessing]

Re: What motivated you?

Thanks for everyone's replies, I sit and read this thread over and over to try to keep myself motivated. I do good for months then for some reason "POOF" I slip a few walnuts in, then pistachios, then something else etc. It's hard. So here I go again to try to restart and not give up. It's about time I do it for good, ya know, don't ya get sick of feeling like a failure...GRRRRRR!

I am going to do my best....

[kram95]

Re: What motivated you?

It was a rough start but once the pounds and inches starting decreasing and i started gettin the compliments that was a huge motivator for me.The other 2 factors have been reading this message board and wearing jeans and shorts that I would not have squeezed my fat butt in last summer.I have done really good the last 2 months although I did fall of the plan this past sunday and had fast food.That triggered cravings so the next day I went right back on plan.It doesnt pay to cheat I know that...lol...Good Luck to everyone.

[faith*hope*love]

Re: What motivated you?

what first motivated me was :
1.realizing my husband was not attracted to me physically anymore,
2. buying a scale and seeing it reach almost 170
3.started having to buy new bigger size clothes size 10-13 depending on style
4.PAIN in my feet ,knees, and ankles because I am so small boned and carrying too much weight for my body.
5. having no energy to play with my kids, my pets

what motivates me to keep going:
1. husband not being able to keep his hands off me now that I am getting smaller.
2. clothes getting looser!
3. having more energy
4.takeing pictures of myself every 2 weeks (pictures dont lie on weightloss)
5.ketosix's help me to make sure I am still in ketosis I test about every 2 days,
6.dug out my old skinny clothes (at 120 I wore I size 2-5 depending on clothes styles). and look at them daily for motivation.
7. our 2nd wedding anniversary coming up june 26th would like to be as thin as possible by then.
8. planning on getting plastic surgery to tighten up my breasts and tummy after loosing all the weight.
9. got a extra calendar and use it as a journal to write everything down daily. keep track of my weightloss. and deadline for goal weight.

[niagara]

Re: What motivated you?

SUmmer is coming and I can't face another one without trying to lose some of my weight. This is a big issue for me. I am about 70 lbs overweight. I think if I could lose 30 I might start to feel good again. I would like to lose all 70 and I know that it will take me much longer but at 30 lb loss I would feel like I was on my way.

I don't know if it is possible with Atkins but I know I don't do well with traditional Low Fat Diets.
~Niagara

[Jacksuncle]

Re: What motivated you?

Niagara, first of all cool name it makes me thirsty
For me "dieting" is insanely difficult and never works, especially when I have to limit how much I can have. Feeling not full just doesnt work for me. This isnt just a diet to me, its a totally easy way of living. Its freeing from the usual diet stereotypes and it has never felt like a diet to me. I think I have reached the maximum times I am allowed to say diet in a day lol. Anyway Atkins totally kicks booty because of what you can eat. So you can still focus on your life and dont have to super hyper focus on planning your life around your next few meals. Thats just how it has been for me, totally easy. When I first started I lost 50 pounds and it felt like a gift because I didnt feel like I earned it. I didnt have to suffer at all for it is what I mean. Anyways I totally encourage you to put your whole heart into this and give it an honest chance to change your life like it has changed so many others, mine included. Join in on the challenges they have and become involved with the board. Reach out and build relationships with the people on here cuz they are a huge help and will love on you when you feel like no one else does
God bless! Tommy

[Coffee Shop Girl]

Re: What motivated you?

Knowing that it took my ketosis stick 4-5 DAYS to turn purple again! If I had to be perfect just to be back into ketosis for 5 days, then no food can tempt me to cheat for a minute. One taste, one brownie, one piece of bread or one bowl of pasta and RIGHT OUT THE DOOR..... and then FIVE days to get burning again. No way. LOL

[waist management]

Re: What motivated you?

What is the one thing that really helped keep you focused on staying on Atkins?

I mean, I have read so many people saying they hit plateaus and they couldn't go without carbs etc....what was the thing that helped you surpass those things and helped you lose your weight?

I've stuck to the main premise of "low-carb, high-protein" for a few months. I wouldn't even call what I've done "strict Atkins" after the initial 14 days of induction, which I did adhere to. I just basically started eating Atkinsesque on a whim. What has helped me to stay focused was the relative fricken ease of losing weight by lowering your carbs and exercising vigorously. I've never lost weight this steadily or consistently and this is despite a couple of bad eating days here and there. The immediacy of losing a good chunk of weight right off the bat is the best motivator you can have to continue (I lost 8 lbs in the first 10 days and that weight didn't fluctuate on the scale, which makes me believe the majority of it was fat instead of water). An added benefit is that after time, I began to find it much easier to resist desserts and sugars, mashed potatoes, biscuits, bread, rice, milk, and things of that nature.

[sheepherder56]

Re: What motivated you?

MY motivations were a little different. I was adopted as an infant and only located my birth mother 5 years ago. I discovered that she had had a heart attack at 39, 2 bypass surgeries and had a stroke and died 5 days after the only time that I got to talk to her. Once I saw pictures of her and my aunts the inescapable thing was that I was built like her and my aunts and many of my cousins.

Within 5 years I will be retiring from my job after 32 1/2 years. I fully intend to collect my pension for at leasxt 32 1/2 years.

Atkins has brought my weight down from 315+ to +/- 185 lb, my blood sugar from 6.8 to 5.8 and my blod pressure from 140/ 110 to 90/70 and I feel great.
So fart I have been on Atkins for almost 2 1/2 years and have been maintaining the same weight for around 9 months now WITHOUT feeling deprived.

Gotta love it!!!!!

Rob

[lolitaleekun]

Re: What motivated you?

You guys motivate me... Success stories motivate me... If I see all of you doing well and leading happy, healthy lifestyles, I know I can too.