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What motivates you?

Old 01-24-2012, 01:31 AM
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Default What motivates you?

Sorry if this has been posted before but just thought it might be interesting to find out what motivate us all.

For me it is several things.
1)I'm not happy with the way i look in the mirror and as i grow older the weight is slowly going up and i need to put and end to that.
2) I am a nurse and I see everyday the results of not being healthy. I want to live a long and health life so I need to eat right and exercise.
3) And this is probably the biggest motivator for me is I love to scuba dive. I do what is referred to as technical diving, where we go much deeper than the average recreational diver and in this process our bodies are exposed to the stresses of decompression. Decompression Illness or Decompression Sickness otherwise know as "the bends" is tricky in that we really don't have a handle on it yet. We know sometimes why people get DCS and some basic parameters but at other times people get bent when we don't know why. Cardiovascular fitness and low body fat is believed to help the body decompress most effectively. So for me staying fit helps me to do what i love safely.


So what motivates you?
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Old 01-25-2012, 09:13 AM
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Hi Kimbur ~

Motivating Factors for me:

#1. Physical Health ~ Lab results were not good for me 12/11. High triglycerides, Low HDL & High LDL, and indication of heading toward "pre-diabetes". Thyroid level not the best either. I want to 1st see what I can do before taking meds. With heart hx & Diabatic hx in both sides of my family, this has put the fire under my pants, so to speak.

#2. Low Energy ~ I'm tired of being tired. Could be partly thyroid, but anything I can do should help for the better. I hope that as I change blood levels will be more what they should be.

#3. Exploring Sports -- I want to learn to ski, skate and other types of sports. Right now due to obesity & poor toning, my balance & strength is not yet where I think I can really enjoy those sports & others. (Just this week I over did some exercise - didn't think of it at the time, but now I'm paying for it with a strained/tight/weak back muscle. )

#4. Spiritual Reasons/Beliefs.
-------------------------------
When I read around on these Exercise threads it helps me to forumulate further goals in this area. I first basically wanted to get moving. Now I'm working on so much aerobic & so many miles per week.
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Old 01-25-2012, 01:31 PM
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Similar to you kimbur96, I don't like the way I look in the mirror so I stay motivated by that. And I'm going to school to be a nurse so I have also seen the negative effects on health from bad eating habits and lack of exercise. I want to be healthier and a good example for my future patients. When I'm healthy, I'm happy!
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Old 01-25-2012, 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by fit4luv
Hi Kimbur ~

Motivating Factors for me:

#1. Physical Health ~ Lab results were not good for me 12/11. High triglycerides, Low HDL & High LDL, and indication of heading toward "pre-diabetes". Thyroid level not the best either. I want to 1st see what I can do before taking meds. With heart hx & Diabatic hx in both sides of my family, this has put the fire under my pants, so to speak.

#2. Low Energy ~ I'm tired of being tired. Could be partly thyroid, but anything I can do should help for the better. I hope that as I change blood levels will be more what they should be.

#3. Exploring Sports -- I want to learn to ski, skate and other types of sports. Right now due to obesity & poor toning, my balance & strength is not yet where I think I can really enjoy those sports & others. (Just this week I over did some exercise - didn't think of it at the time, but now I'm paying for it with a strained/tight/weak back muscle. )

#4. Spiritual Reasons/Beliefs.
-------------------------------
When I read around on these Exercise threads it helps me to forumulate further goals in this area. I first basically wanted to get moving. Now I'm working on so much aerobic & so many miles per week.
So much can be done through exercise and diet to combat diabetes, heart disease, htn and many more so cudo's to you for working on that.

I hear ya on over doing something and paying for it with muscle pain later. I just got back to weight training after a long hiatus. I hit the gym like i used to in my 20's and 30's and what use to make me sore for two days almost crippled me for four. It was a painful lesson but I'm not as young as I used to be and have to learn to take smaller steps when easing back into the weight training.

Originally Posted by slocupcake
Similar to you kimbur96, I don't like the way I look in the mirror so I stay motivated by that. And I'm going to school to be a nurse so I have also seen the negative effects on health from bad eating habits and lack of exercise. I want to be healthier and a good example for my future patients. When I'm healthy, I'm happy!
Excellent. Congrats on the nursing school. It's a rewarding career. And I agree, I feel like i set a better example for my patients when i am in shape and eating right. It's easy to tell some one what do and eat when you are eating whatever you want and not exercising. But when you are eating health and living what you preach, so to speak it carries a lot more weight. Keep at it!
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Old 01-25-2012, 02:09 PM
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Oh man, I hear you about not being as young as we used to be. BUT we do have experience and wisdom on our side .

My motivation comes from several different places depending on the day.
I too want to live a long and healthy life.
I love the strength I have gained from weight lifting and hope to continue well into my 70s and who knows.. 80s
I have never been a very competative person, but now that I am in my 50s I just love to show the 20-somethings "how it is done"
Runner's/hiker's/biker's high - it is real.
I run because so many cannot - who am I to waste that blessing
I frequently work with college students. I want to be not only a mentor in science, but a mentor in lifesyle.
And many times just reading the posts for all those who struggle and triumph inspires me to get moving again.
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Old 01-25-2012, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by RunbikeSki
Oh man, I hear you about not being as young as we used to be. BUT we do have experience and wisdom on our side .

My motivation comes from several different places depending on the day.
I too want to live a long and healthy life.
I love the strength I have gained from weight lifting and hope to continue well into my 70s and who knows.. 80s
I have never been a very competative person, but now that I am in my 50s I just love to show the 20-somethings "how it is done"
Totally agree, 20 something says to me if I want him to take off some weight, I said no I need to put 60 pounds on. Loved the look on his face and my trainer loves it when I do that.

My motivation comes from the people around me. A lot of family members are unhealthy and with simple modifications they could throw away the high blood pressure pill, get off the insulin.

Also, I do not want to go in to old age in pain and bellyaching about my poor health. I want to live with my husband for a long time and not be separated for something I can control.

Finally, my grandchildren inspire me, I want to see them married. I want to meet their children.
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Old 01-26-2012, 06:50 AM
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Well Im at my last ten pounds after losing a good 35 , this is the time where you really need to be motivated! A couple things that help me are:
1- The results. After losing 35 pounds, I am seeing CRAZY results and that motivates me to keep going !
2- Healthy lifestyle. I'm only 18 and I was up at 170 pounds. I was eating fast food all the time, not doing sports, didnt have enough energy, etc. Things that a teenager SHOULDNT be doing. Since shedding off a couple dozen pounds, I feel like a brand new person.
3- Revenge. hahahah, as bad as a motivator this is, my boyfriend of a year and a half called it quits with me in august and I want him to see what he's missing out on
4-The advantage I am giving myself. I'm still very young so by starting a healthy lifestyle now, Im giving myself the chance to be healthy for the rest of my life.
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Old 01-26-2012, 07:53 AM
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I've gotten bad health reports from my doctor for 2 years: high cholestoral, high blood pressure, extreme obesity and orders to go on the DASH diet (low sodium). My mom took me to meet up with a dietician when I was 30, but I felt slightly belittled when I had to explain why I ate both Pop Tarts in the package. I'd been getting told to lose weight for decades and I never bothered, mostly because no matter how much weight I lost, it was never enough.

Christmas 2011, I met one of my husband friends from high school. The friend was visiting for 3 months, so we hung out together a lot. He's an attractive, fit academic and slightly stuck-up and serious (he works at a university as a lecturer). I spent the time blatantly flirting with him because it seemed to shock him. I had no idea he'd taken me so seriously until he said he couldn't do anything because I was married.

I've had a lot of turndowns from guys and the usual answer is 'too fat'. He was the first man to not say that. (He is also extremely polite, but I'm keeping my mind on the silver lining. ) It's been such a moral booster even though I see how many people would tell me I should lose weight for myself rather than someone else.
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Old 01-26-2012, 08:20 AM
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Lots of little things motivate me, but I'll be completely honest... the thing that got me off the couch and starting was seeing how I was buying new pairs of jeans every few months - either because I needed to go up a size, or because my thighs were rubbing together and making a hole in the inner thigh of my jeans.

One of my relatives noticed and I was completely embarrassed.

I also had someone I used to work with meet up with me at a conference in San Diego. He took a picture of me next to the San Diego skyline, and I couldn't even recognize myself and how big I'd let myself get. I think he noticed too, because he quickly put the picture away after we looked at it and things got a bit awkward.

Now, I'm motivated by the results, my energy level, my boyfriend's constant compliments, and rediscovering food and clothing!
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Old 01-26-2012, 12:44 PM
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i cant post what motivates me cuz ill get banned. haha
but 4 months in and 20 pounds down id say its effective for me ^^
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