I'm sure this has probably been asked on here before. I'm just wondering what everyone's reasons were for losing weight.

Personally I have started a new lifestyle so I can be healthier and live longer. I also want to be able to do more (goes along with "healthier" I guess) and not be restricted from activities because of my weight.

When I started on July 15, I really didn't come up with the idea of losing weight. I had a friend call me and tell me about this weight loss system and an energy drink that was good. Actually, she called me several times and email me several times. I told her that there were 1000 different weight loss products and a 1000 different energy drinks. In order to quiet her requests, I ordered the weight loss system and the energy drink. I told her I would give it 10 days. Well, in 10 days I lost 8 pounds and had more energy than I have ever had. So, I continued the system and the energy drink. I have lost 35 pounds since.

As I lost weight, I got on different boards and discussion groups and I have learned a tremendous amount of what it takes to lose weight with various systems and plans. The key is to find what works for you and stick with it.

There are a ton of reasons for me, here are some of the top ones...
1. I don't really care if I live a longer life, but I want to be healthy until the day I die (or as close as I can get). I have relatives who've had heart attacks, knee replacements and hip replacements and I don't ever want to go through those things if I can help it.
2. I don't want to have to ask my husband to not walk so fast because I'm too out of shape to keep up.
3. The extra weight around my middle was causing me to have heartburn. That sucks.
4. I want to walk into ANY regular store and be able to buy clothes. (Even the teeny-bopper stores...I'm not that old. *laugh*)

Mostly I want to do it because I've always been defined as the skinny girl, and that was a good point in my life. I gained weight becuse of binge eating and depression, and maybe I'm thinking that if I go back to the way I was I'll be able to rediscover the person who was interested in things other than how fat she was and how old she looked.

Besides... I'm sick of caring so much about food. I want to develop a healthy attitude towards it, and only eat when I need to.

I want a normal BMI for once in my life. I want to be able to eat in public without people associating it with my weight. I want my family to stop commenting on my "big arms". I want to (finally) get a good mark on my annual endurance run.

I'd like to say it's for my health, but it's not. It's all vanity...the health is an awesome side-effect. I also want to be able to go into any store and pick something out. I want to be able to tuck my shirts in if I want. I want to feel sexy. And I will.

My main reason for wanting to lose weight is my kids. I've been in the cardiac unit with congestive heart failure twice in the last 4yrs. I'm only 32, I don't want my kids to have to worry about losing me this young.

I want them to grow up knowing healthy eating and exercise habits. Re-learning how to live your life everyday as an adult is a real bitch.

Then of course, there are the cosmetic reasons as well. I want to be able to leave the house without trying on 7 different shirts to see which ones are long enough to hide my low-riding belly. I want to swim with my family without being self-conscious, even in front of my husband. I want to jump on a roller coaster with my kids without worrying whether the belt will fit. And I want to sit in a normal sized bathtub and have the water fill up all around me... without my butt acting as a plug and keeping all the water in front of me.

Yes... these are the things I think about, LOL.

Basically, the main reason is that I'm sick of looking the way that I do. I'm not happy with myself because of my outward appearance. It sounds shallow, but it's the truth. I'm always insecure and self-conscious due to my weight.

I could care less about anyone else's weight, but with me it's a big deal. I feel like I'm too hideous for anyone to even love me.

And I'm sick of being depressed because of something so stupid.

Paroxysm, I don't want to sound creepy, but you look really pretty in your avatar

I'm sure that people don't find you hideous! Even so, I wish you the best of luck on your weight loss and hope that you feel better as you start eating more healthily =D

I would love to, for once, look in the mirror and instead of seeing layers of fat, see my face.
Alot of people have told me that if I lost weight I'd be much better looking (which is the case with everyone, I'm sure), and I guess I want to believe it as much as they do.

I want to be able to walk into a store and actually shop in the same section as my friends, and actually buy sexy clothes rather than worry about what will fit me or not.
And I want to get rid of this awful self consciousness that I have when it comes to meeting people I haven't met before and all.
Lol, there are so many reasons. It's hard to pinpoint a few.

1. I'm not happy with the way I look. I think that if I were thinner, I would have more confidence. I would want to show me off more.
2. I owe it to myself.
3. I had to ask the flight attendant for an extra seatbelt cuz the normal one wouldn't fit across me.
4. I'm afraid of going on amusement park rides because I think I'll be embarrassed if I'm not able to fit. I make up the excuse that I'm afraid of rides.
5. Clothes will be cheaper. lol
6. I want to look damn sexy naked. lol
7. Health reasons. I have to admit that health are the last thing on my mind. I'm in good health right now, so I'm a little blind about future things that can happen to me. BUT, I do know that in a few years I probably won't be this healthy, and I want to stay healthy for the rest of my life.

Wow what a good question!
I tell everyone my main reason is to see my children do everything
from graduation's college marriage making me a "MAW MAW"I also
in the present like to be able to do more things with them example
we all love to swim and go camping and amusement parks and this
year we swam twice no camping no amusement park! Thats not
fair to them! A personal 1 for me I want to feel beautiful and/or sexy!
Tammy

1.) For health reasons. I was born with a hole in my heart and almost died at birth. I ought to take care of myself! I deserve to take care of myself!

2) I want like to shop! I hate shopping because nothing fits, but I think if it did than I would like too.

3) I want to be sexy!!

I suppose on some level everyone wants to lose weight to look better! At least, that's the way most people are myself included. It's really sad, but many people feel ugly when they're just a little to a lot overweight. It's nice to look in the mirror and see a slimmer you; I suppose its something worth seeing and helps you like something about yourself. I want to like myself but sometimes I feel so down when I compare myself to other people around me; although, it's probably harder for others considering I'm about 20 pounds overweight it's still a dragging weight that seems to follow you. I think that by losing this weight I'll become more confident, and I won't be so self concious when I do things like swim or run, and to be more comfortable with myself is what matters to me.

I would also like to feel more pretty in a traditional way. My husand tells me I'm beautiful every day and I don't worry much about what anyone else thinks. But I have to say, since going back to college, it would be nice not to be judged by my weight first and just be able to blend in. I mean I'm already older than most of them and then I'm overweight to boot.

Oh, and I also love to thrift shop but I can never find clothes that fit. I would love to be able to go thrift shopping and get a bunch of stuff for next to nothing. I hate having to pay so much for clothes, even when they're on sale! It is rare that I find what I'm looking for for under $20.