I have been thinking about this a lot as I think we need to constantly remind ourselves of our personal reasons for wanting to be slim. I have borrowed from books, from this forum & from other forums &, of course, have my own ideas & thoughts. Anyone is welcome to share theirs.
I read an article today in a Newspaper's magazine in which the writer has her own "Newsflash" that "No diet will make you thin (I don't like this word-insert slim for me) unless you think you deserve to be" and I think that is almost the most important requirement before we will achieve our weight-loss goal. We must learn to love ourselves & truly believe that we deserve it.

Some of my reasons- (not in any particular order of importance)
I deserve to be slim.
I will have taken control of my body & my life.
I will be proud of myself.
I won't feel so self-conscious.
I will be in better health.
I'll feel better physically.
I'll have more confidence.
I'll be less self-critical.
I'll feel more comfortable, especially in Summer.
I'll be happier when I look in the mirror.
I'll feel more outgoing.
I will feel that I have accomplished something important.
I'll have more energy.
I'll be able to get down & play with the grandkids with comparative ease.
I'll enjoy wearing nice clothes.
I'll be able to shop in any store.
I should live longer.
I'll be more physically fit.
I'll feel more in control.
I'll do more things like go to the beach.
I'll be able to dance in public without feeling self-conscious.
I'll feel better about myself.
I won't feel uncomfortable when people hug me.
I won't feel that I am letting myself down.
I'll feel better in my body( my body will match my brain).
I won't feel ashamed.

I think that will do for now. I would be happy if anyone wants to post their reasons or to hear if any of these in particular strike a chord with you. I love sharing my thoughts now. Something I couldn't or didn't do before.
Cheers to all, Cate

I was having the same thought today. There are two people I work with that are extreamly obese... She is 5'2 and at least 250-300 and he is 6'2 and 300-350.

I know you read 1pd and I am sure you saw the guy who lost 170 and 7 1/2 months and they saw it on the printer and she was like wow... just too hard to do with my life.

I was like GAWD.... this diet is MADE for someone like you, fast, controlled and you see results quickly.

But it made me realize.... that she has to WANT TO DO IT...

This diet gets a lot of crap... but its not because the program doesn't work its because the people don't work on it...

Here is my list:

Some of my reasons- (not in any particular order of importance)

• I will be able to ride a roller coaster without being afriad of maybe not fitting in.... (I was SO close to being not able to strap in last March!!!)
• I will be at the same weight if not smaller than when I turned 21 when I turn 31.
• I deserve to NOT have a number control my life.
• It is better for my knees
• I will be in better health.
• I'll feel better physically.
• I'll have more confidence.
• I'll be happy in my own skin
• I will be a good example to others
• I'll feel proud to be noticed
• I'll feel more outgoing.
• I will feel that I have accomplished something important.
• I'll have more energy.
• I'll be able to shop in any store.
• I should live longer.
• I'll be more physically fit.
• I'll feel more in control.
• Ill be happy to run into people from my past!

Great thread idea Cate.. we all need a reminder sometimes!

Some things I'm looking forward to:

Size 10 clothes
Being able to walk into any shop without being ashamed of what I look like
Being able to walk around a supermarket and not feel a slave to my over-eating voice
Not having thighs that rub together and get rash (already true!)
Not having a sweat line with itchiness under my sagging stomach bulge
Not having sweaty de-oxygenated areas under my breasts
Having less cold sores (found this last time) and less UTI's (also found true last time!)
Finding physical exercise a pleasure rather than a chore because it's so HARD!
My husband getting happier every day as I return to something more like the girl he married
Having a fairly permanently elevated mood
Feeling good about myself and knowing I can achieve what I set out to do
Developing more self confidence
Making food I love in a non-fattening way (I've learnt SO MUCH!)
Being able to fly without fearing the seatbelt extender...
Being slim as I age rather than dealing with all the problems of morbid obesity (the mechanical lifter etc...)
My adult children being happy with me rather than embarrassed at their obese mother
Feeling I can take control of my life in this and so many other departments
Maybe... getting a new hairstyle
Maybe... getting a new hair colour (jury still out on that one!)
Wearing cute shoes instead of sensible shoes
Not having cracked heels

I needed to "bump" this to remind myself today as I am feeling a bit low. I think I have a bug as I have spent most of the day on the loo. I'm finding it very hard not eating something sugary( the grandkids "natural" lollies) so, after reading those 3 posts I won't!!
xo Cate

Well done, Cate! We sure need to record our thoughts during the good times so that when the bad days happen, we can remember why we're doing this!

Thanks for bumping this up,Cate! Great confidence boost and a excellent way to refocus myself! I will have a think about it and post my own list tommorrow!

Great thread Cate!!! !!! You are GREAT SWEETIE!!! !

Thank you lovely gals!
We all need to remind ourselves!
xoxo to you all, Cate.

Here's one more thing I remembered I REALLY want....

To be able to go to a public swimming pool, drop my towel and very casually WALK to the edge of the pool, maybe even DIVE IN.

I've made myself GO to pools over the years to keep my husband company from time to time... but boy, do I feel self-conscious... furtively looking around to make sure no-one can see me, trying pathetically to cover myself with my arms and hands and quickly sitting down on the edge and sliding in before any-one notices. Once I'm in, I'm usually OK... till it's time to get out.

Now I can see myself just blending in with the general crowd, having a pretty pair of bathers instead of some awful pair from Target giant ladies' section, and actually WALKING normally in them! It's a great picture!

Being able to accept a compliment graciously, not being embarrassed about it & feeling good about myself afterwards. I now say "Thank you. I feel really good/great" and I do! xo Cate

I look forward to the day when my children dont remind me that I have a big tummy or a big butt!! Gotta love children, so blatantly truthful!

Although i keep saying im gunna do it tomorrow- i woke up today and thought its now TOMORROW!!!!! This is my chance to actually make this happen. I understand its hard- its my second SERIOUS go at this. After 30kg last time- its like 14kg this time- well, thats the plan, then reassess my weight and how i look and feel at the end. May be more. I was 76kg the other day- was 78.6this morning. So i am easily gaining weight. Ive been on fluid tablets and i can kick 2-3kg in a few hours so im finding it hard to drink the 2-3lt a day. I must say once i write the WHAT I WANT out of this maybe i will not find it so hard???

1) To be able to stand naked in front of the mirror and like, if not love, what i see!!
2) To let my fiance see me like this!!
3) Walk into the clothes shop and just try on sm clothes for the hell of it knowing they will fit and not having to make sure!!
4) To not feel less of a woman when in a room full of thinner and maybe prettier women!!
5) Not to feel as though i should feel threatened by other SEXIER women when out and about with my fiance...
6) Feel worthy of my fiances love the way i am and not have to be PERFECT....
7) To gain the inner confidence to get out and make new friends in this new home town of ours... when ur not thin, i think its harder to make friends....
8) To become confident in a crowded place and not feel as though i dont belong....
9) To never fear a pair of bathers and use boardies and a rashie to cover them up!!!
10) To not feel like everyone is glaring at me cos i buy an icecream or choc bar...
11) TO not feel like everyone is disgusted that i am buying a pizza or takeaway for tea- im not sure they do this now but its a subconcious thing- the thinner u are, the less likely they will do this....
12) Have my body in a healthy state to actually start planning our wedding, the dress i love is a 10 (may need the 12 for my boobs and adjust the rest) but obviosly this is a AMerican size so whatever it is in OZ......12-14? That was at 68kg...... umm 10kg ago..
13) Everyone just go OH MY GOD when i walk down the isle and just lost for words......
14) To have the inner self confidence that i am at my best and not allow others to put me down- if im happy, then they arent going to bring me down......
15) Just be HAPPY...

Gee, there are a few that boarder line similar but to me, they are very different. Im sure this hits home for many ppl and im sure they can now rest assured that they arent the only ones who feel like this. I wish there was a SNAP OF FINGERS and it wld be different, but unfort i have to go thru this process. And at the end........ i wil be HAPPY!!!!!

Knowing that I am giving myself a good chance of seeing my grandkids grow up & having families of their own, maybe being a great-grandmother! I have such beautiful, sweet grandchildren. Oh, how I love my family! I want to be an ancient, healthy grandma! xo Cate

I look forward to the day when I can enjoy clothes shopping and not disheartened because I couldnt find something nice to fit!

I am "Bumping" this thread. Please read from the start & feel free to add to it.
Sharing your views also reinforces them in your head and I am going to make sure that I keep reminding myself forever.
"Nothing tastes as good as slim feels"