The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Lauren]

What motivates me:

-To feel like I belong in my skin

-To lose the fear that seems to appear as I approach any new venture, a fear that the weight will keep me from success

-To finally live up to my potential, and actually look the way I always thought I'd look as an adult

-To be an athlete, or at least someone who enjoys going for a walk/hike/bike ride, whatever

-To not have to get to a movie theater way early to insure I have an aisle seat

-To not fear the middle seat of a plane

-To have people see my face, not my body

-To not have physical limitations in any way

-To be in the right physical and emotional place to meet the right guy and start a family

-To live the life I was meant to live

[petals]

Lauren,

I can so relate to your list of what motivates you. As I read it, it brought

tears to my eyes. I see myself in everything you wrote. So I read it

twice and cried so more. I'm not really a cry baby, but you words really

touched me.

Thank you so much.

Petals

[Nancy]

The likelihood for success is on its way for you, Petals. When we are emotionally affected, we make changes that count!

[Lauren]

Petals, so glad it touched you, and it's scary how many of us have such similar experiences. I think I could have written a list a million miles long, but that should cover enough of it! :-)

Nancy's right, when you have that sort of cathartic "awakened" moment, that is usually when you will go on to great success, so perhaps those tears you shed are a reflection of the many pounds you will shed!

Best of luck to finding your dreams!

[petals]

Thank you Lauren for your kind words.

I know the mf program and this forum will definantly be the road to sucess for me and so many others. Dreams may sometimes seem elusive, but each day that we can stay focused, is one day closer to it becoming a reality.

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to seeing you again on the boards.
Sometimes the simplest things, mean the most.

[Nancy]

Petals wrote

each day that we can stay focused, is one day closer to it becoming a reality.

You are already making your dream a reality...you are nearly through Day # 4 and already have moved your ticker over a few notches.

You are determined

You set your goal and you are going for it

You are doing all the things you need to do:

every three hours

Drinking plenty of

Learning all you can, staying linked in with the MakeMeThinner Family of Losers

Go!! Petals Power!!

[petals]

Wow Nancy...

You can be my cheerleader any day. Just reading this made me feel great!

For some reason the movie "Rocky" theme was ringing in my ears!

Now to get to the top of those steps.....Wooo Whoooo!

We can do this together!!!

Go team Go!!!

[Blondie]

Hi Mike,
I just read your email and have to say that I know the feeling. I had lost a lot of weight at one time but never kept it off. How are you keeping it off? How long did it take you to loose the weight and how much did you loose? Did you do the full blown plan? no meal at dinner? I know, a lot of questions, but you asked for it...haha
Thanks,
Maria

Mike chime in? You bet...

Remember, it’s been close to ending 5 months for me (off of Medifast) of maintenance. All of the reasons you are posting are/were me. I am no different.

The fun is still the comments; don’t get me wrong. I look good, and I want others to see me as that! A little reinforcement from others never hurts your own ego, and I am sure it helps keep me straight.

Yesterday I was rehearsal for my sisters wedding which is tomorrow night. A friend of my sisters I had not seen in about 20 years made a huge blown up deal about my loss, so much that everyone was paying attention at this point. After rehearsal was over, my sis calls me, apologizing, oh Mike I am so sorry, did it bother you she made such an issue?

WHAT???????? Hell no, this was like winning the lotto. Didn’t my ear to ear smile give it away?

So, the comments never get old, trust me!

Now, I would have the say, first and foremost, of course behind my own maintenance would be helping someone else feel what I do. It’s a neat feeling to help, thus probably a little vanity part of staying here on this site. I like helping, I also like the publicity. Tell me someone that does not like a little self-vanity?

From the heart though, I want to help, I would make this the top reason. I will pass on ANYHING I know, anything I have learned, if it will help YOU! I may be a man, oh remember men have it easy, men lose faster. Remember though, 100# is a 100# no matter how you slice it.

-Mike

[Dayna]

This is fun! Okay, my motivations, in no particular order:

- I want to have a healthy body to start a family, both for pregnancy and for after, when I'm running around and not getting sleep.

- Ice skating lessons. I have ALWAYS wanted to take serious lessons. My big sister gave me a wonderful pair of really good skates when I graduated from high school, and I want to put them to use! For that matter, I want to take dance lessons of all sorts (ballroom, swing, tap). And, since we're on the subject, I'd like to get into Karate. How cool would it be to work on a black belt??!!

- Diabetes and heart disease run rampant in my genes (jeans? ). As far as the diabetes is concerned, if I stay at my current weight, with my current-as-of-last-week eating habits, it is only a matter of WHEN I'll become diabetic.

- Several years ago, when I was in the middle of another weight loss attempt, my husband bought me a really hot Victoria's Secret swimsuit. I want to be able to wear it. In public. With confidence.

- Losing weight and getting in shape will help keep my asthma under control, and that will be so very nice!

- The fishing in Crater Lake (in Oregon, if you've never seen it I highly recommend visiting, it's one of the national parks) is great, and it's a very fun day trip. In fact, that was my first date with my husband. But the trail is about a mile to get from the rim to the water, and it feels like it's about 5 miles back out. I want to be able to get up the trail without feeling like I am going to die.

- My mom bought me some great back-country skis for Christmas a few years ago, and I can't use them, because I'm too heavy for them. In fact, I haven't been able to cross-country ski with my husband for three winters, now. That needs to change, because it's fun and I miss it.

- I WANT TO BUY CUTE/SEXY CLOTHES IN NORMAL STORES!!! There, I said it. I admit it. I want to go into Old Navy in pick up some cute little outfit. As a musician, I'm always going to have a closet filled with black, but at least it could be SEXY black, and not TENT black!

And there we are. With so many new members on the forum, and so many new shakers, I'd love to see what motivates you all. What are you working for? What is worth more to you than a bag of chips or a candy bar?

- Dayna

[MusicalMomma]

I relate to SOOOO many of your posts!!! These posts are motivation in and of themselves!!!

OK...what motivates me

-to be healthy and fit and be able to play with my little kids while roller blading with my older kids (4 daughters in all 17, 14, 6, 4)

-to be around to see and enjoy my grand kids

-to enhance my love life (hubby's doing this with me and I can safely say we BOTH have THIS particular motivation! LOL

-To fit comfortably in airplane seats and not endure the looks from people where you can read their thoughts "I hope I'm not sitting next to her!"

-To enjoy amusement parks with my kids and ride the rides with them cuz I can FIT into them

-To enjoy the travel we like to do...enjoy the activities, not just all the food we'll consume while travelling

-To be the woman God created me to be, inside and out

There's more, but these are the most prominent

I'd love to read others

[cydj21]

Alright, I am going to jump on this latest Medifast bandwagon of motivation and put my list out there for everyone....

1) After years of messing with Atkins and the high fat content, my gall bladder was removed 13 months ago. It was a horrible time for me. If I don't take control of my eating habits and my weight, I am destined for some really serious heart and cholesterol issues. I will not live that way!

2) When I was slightly chubby growing up, I was convinced I was a cow. I never took measures to correct it, my self esteem plummeted, and I figured I might as well eat what I want because I was already in the hole. Now that I am the queen of the buffalos, I know that I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and own my actions and decisions as mine. I will not continue to be depressed about something I can fix!

3) When I look back on my wedding pictures in a few years, I do not want to be depressed, embarassed, sad, disappointed, angry, frustrated. I want to be happy, and feel like I have stories of an amazing and beautiful day to pass onto my children and grandchildren. I have been with my fiance for five years and I know we have the power to make it through the rough times....if I am only getting married once, I'm doing it right the first time. I will not shop in the fat girl bridal section!

4) Once I [finally!] get my license to practice architecture, I want to be a strong, talented, capable professional. I refuse to be an overweight woman in a male dominated field who every day walks into the office hanging her head with low self esteem. I will not fail in my career because inside I feel like a failure!

5) Every time I see my mother and sister in cute, tiny little clothes, I feel like a piece of me dies. I want the pencil skirt to go with my collection of satin pumps, and I want the power suit that helps me sell every single building I'm charged with selling. I will not continue to live my life feeling envious. I am going to be envied!

My list could go on for hours....but these ones really hit home the hardest today.

[Nancy]

Thatta Way!

You've made your lists your very own, very personally your own. Print them and read them DAILY. Keep them in your mind and when you are faced with tempting non-program grub, think on your list of reasons why you are choosing to keep your commitment to your program - there's a better tomorrow. It is not all about satisfying the tongue for the moment but about how you will feel about yourself when you put your head on the pillow each night. The choices we make today lead to the results we have for tomorrow.

Many of the things you've included are about your health - the things we cannot always initially see on the outside - improved disease prevention, improved mobility and cardiovascular health and you've balanced it with things that will improve your emotional health and your relationship with your partner. Good for you! Ypu are gonna make it!

[Diana]

Dayna (my sister) and I were on the phone last night as I unpacked my very first order. (I'm not going to start until next Thursday, but I'm almost too excited to forget the crab feed tickets! Note the "almost.") It's inevitable in such a situation, anticipating the journey ahead, to start talking about The List. I didn't know, however, until tonight that lo and behold there's a posting!!

So, okydoky, here goes, not in traditional David Letterman's Top Ten List order--

1) Rollercoasters!! One of the most embarrassing days of my life was the time I was asked to disembark the Grizzly. Dayna and I and our respective husbands plan to go the summer and ride ALL OF THEM.

2) I remember what intimacy felt like 150 pounds ago and I want it back.

3) I sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm actually looking forward to NOT wanting/needing a nap after work...

4) ...which leads to my inability, both in time and in physical ability, to keep the house the way I want it

5) Just once, I'd like to shop at Old Navy or a similar chain. They're not really my style, but they're less expensive than plus size clothes and I want the option.

6) Blasted middle school desks -- Our department has to meet in the staff room instead of the department chair's classroom because I can't fit into those stupid little things.

7) Ballroom dancing lessons, even if hubby isn't my partner. (Dayna and I used to be partners when we were kids.) Plus, I want to take jazz.

I want other men to be jealous of my husband's wife. (Well, ok, maybe that's not Biblical...)

9) I want to run a marathon (and maybe more than "a" after I've done the first one)

10) What a joyous thing it will be -- the journey and the arrival -- to do this with my family

[Bonnie]

10 Reasons that I lost my weight & am working on keeping it off!!!

1. So that I can keep up with my 4 sweet grandchildren. When they come over I literally get on the ground now and play with them.

2. I worked in a hospital for 24years and two years ago they had to get rid of all the regular size wheelchairs and buy all extra large wheelchairs. I do not want to have to be a patient because of my unhealthy eating habits.

3. I wanted to be able to look at myself in the mirror & not be grossed out.

4. I want my husband to be proud of me because I set a goal to lose weight and not only did I accomplish it but kept it off.

5. I wanted to set an example for my adult kids.

6. Having four sisters and being the largest one is embarassing. Now I am a runner up for 2nd to the smallest sister. Let me tell you that feels GOOD!

7. I love to shop for clothes that are not designed to look like tents!

8. I love to walk without panting.

9. I love to travel and be comfortable on the airplane.

10. I love how I feel while using the Medifast for nutrition and weight loss.

[monz]

Hopefully I'm not too late to post mine!

First of all, I want to say thanks to all the wonderful posts, reading these just give me soooo much inspiration, when "giving up" cross my mind...I'll know where to go Well done guys! Here's mine...

-I'm sick of being obese all of my life, I want to know how will I look when I'm 125lbs or less.

-I'm tired of going vacantion and not able to enjoy, because of how fat and ugly I look, affraid of people watching, always out of breath trying to catch up with my family

-I want to lose 10lbs for my stepdaugther wanna be's graduation and my best friend's engagement party this month.

-I want to real my mini goal of 160 before 8/12 for my b-day.

-I want my boyfriend to be pound of showing me off to his family, when we go visit this Oct.

-Most definetely want to have kids one day.

Thanks!!