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Just curious to see what motivates you all to start trying to get in shape and/or lose weight.

Let's hear some stories.

Do my pants fit?

Yes - keep on keepin' on

No - time to do some burpees

I had to look up what 'burpees' were.

...I expected something more entertaining to watch.

Then just pretend they're these

Not holding others back (keeping up when sightseeing, shopping, etc.), being able to do things I want to do, having lots of energy, feeling attractive.

I want to live forever.

So far? The only dependable incentive has been necessity.

--Patrick

Knowing that if I don't I won't be able to meet all my grandchildren.

All three thousand of them.

/single tear

You're gonna be broke yea round filling up birthday cards.

I am on an antidepressant/anti-anxiety drug and in therapy. My doctor as suggested exercise as a way to boost my body's natural happiness enhancers and to give me an outlet for stress.
Also, I live in Hawaii. Going to the beach covered from neck to ankles is not acceptable.

Today's motivation, though, was that I want to do the Color Run here in November. Sitting on my ass won't help me cross that finish line.

WORLD DOMINATION

I saw this when I first started this 5k running program a few months ago. When I feel like stopping or get discouraged because I feel like I'm running in place I use it as my mantra.

FAME!

Charlie Don't Surf said:

I want to live forever.

Click to expand...

I wanna learn how to fly!

omg I had to dance to that one year in a recital. I'm having flashbacks. AHHHHH!

WasabiPoptart said:

omg I had to dance to that one year in a recital. I'm having flashbacks. AHHHHH!

Click to expand...

They will remember your name.

Remember!
Remember!
Remember!
Remember!


(Ok, quick, name 5 famous modern dance celebrities off the top of your head.)

Baryshnikov, Alvin Ailey, Gregory Hines, Martha Graham, and Gelsey Kirkland

LOL I'm old.

I've never heard of any of those people

trick question, there are no dance celebrities

I look in the mirror and I hate my body, my soul purpose in the gym is to destroy myself.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

I've never heard of any of those people

trick question, there are no dance celebrities

Click to expand...

You've never heard of Gregory Hines? Or Mikhail Baryshnikov? The others I could understand since you may not know them if you aren't into dance, but I always thought those two were pretty well-known.

Really? Gregory Hines was a bloody movie star. Everyone has seen History of the World Part 1.

Come on, Charlie, you've heard of Baryshnikov. Remember, there was one "chicken boo" on animaniacs where his disguise was as the great dancer Boo-ryshnikov?



PS: Wasabi has undone me.

I wish I had known some current dance celebrities instead of people who have passed away or are no longer at the height of their careers. If you want dancers who got into the movies or tv like Hines and Baryshnikov there's Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Alfonso Ribeiro, Michael Flatley, and Ben Vereen.

The only current dancer I can name is Savion Glover, but he is pretty famous... I think.

I go with this logic.

No looking back now! I am officially registered for The Color Run here. I don't care about my time or if I run the whole thing (it's a run/walk) I just want to cross the finish line to say I did it. I can't wait! I don't think I've been so excited about something other than my husband coming home from deployments in a long, long time.

I spend about an hour everyday, and two and half hours every other day exercising every week. If I'm lazy on my next session, I simply remind myself that if I don't continue where I left off, all that time spent exercising will go to waste, my lethargy disappears pretty damn fast as a result.

When I know I'm doing something good that will improve my weight, shape, and health. I don't feel as depressed about it as I normally would be. It's a great feeling.

My goal is to look into the mirror and say "Yeah, I'd tap that."

Every Picture of myself.

Posted this before, this looks like a good place to post it again.



--Patrick

More here.

My husband told me last night that he can see my "hourglass" coming back.

In answer to the OP:

Sex.

WasabiPoptart said:

My husband told me last night that he can see my "hourglass" coming back.

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Wait until he tells you that he wants to watch the sand trickle down.

--Patrick

I got a thumbs up from a guy riding his bike past me as I was running. lol

I try and do stuff like that for folks I see when running, who have the "Oh God, why did I DO this?" look on their face. Sometimes it cheers them up - usually they're too busy listening to their headphones. *grins ruefully*

Necronic said:

In answer to the OP:

Sex.

Click to expand...

CRAZY SEXY SEX.

BananaHands said:

CRAZY SEXY SEX.

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The sexiest sex to sex after sex.

Right now, nothing.

I'm just gonna get fat.

I need new running shoes. How is that motivation? I've run enough to wear out the insoles/cushioning my current pair (and have the shin splints to prove it)! I've never done that before!

Haven't worn my nice trenchcoat in nearly 2 years because it's too tight in the upper arms to be comfortable driving. Even after dropping nearly 30 pounds since then, it's still too tight in the same place. Sigh.

(But when I'm all decked out in suit and coat, I look good. )

I wanna look like this again:

This is what I've been cranking out lately, getting my head right. This, and several others in the same vein.

MyFitness has seriously been motivating the hell out of me to watch what I eat/drink.

Which is nice.

Here it is... I've had this as my wallpaper for a while now... I need to take the image to a print shop and get a poster made from it...

Officer_Charon said:

Here it is... I've had this as my wallpaper for a while now... I need to take the image to a print shop and get a poster made from it...

Click to expand...

Can't see it

MassinfrackinretchinbarfineggoramaCHEESE!

Direct link, instead... http://www.wallchan.com/images/sandbox/31265-get-up-courage-wolf.jpg

Officer_Charon said:

MassinfrackinretchinbarfineggoramaCHEESE!

Direct link, instead... http://www.wallchan.com/images/sandbox/31265-get-up-courage-wolf.jpg

Click to expand...

SQL errors and 404 not found.

I am so damn interested in this image now, you have no idea. It clearly broke the internet. Twice.

HowDroll said:

SQL errors and 404 not found.

I am so damn interested in this image now, you have no idea. It clearly broke the internet. Twice.

Click to expand...

Stand back, I'mma try SCIENCE

Had a nice chat with my "unofficial coach" today about my running and doing the 5k. She asked if I was ready. I told her I wasn't going to be able to run the whole thing because I haven't been able to get my training where it should be just yet. She smiled at me and said "You are going to do it though, right? Who cares if you run it all! Walk part of it if you have to. Just enjoy your first time in one of these events!"
It got me thinking about how hard I've been on myself over the last month because my distance isn't where I thought I'd be by now, I'm still slow, I don't have the endurance just yet...and so on. Instead of looking at how far I've come, I've been concentrating too much on what I haven't been able to achieve. Six months ago I couldn't run a 45 second interval without being winded. Now I am doing 4 minute intervals when I run. And if anyone asked me last year at this time if I wanted to run a 5k I would have laughed in their face. I made a commitment to get healthy, to get off of anti-anxiety medication, and to be able to run with my husband (when he's finally healed up enough at least). With the exception of hurting my foot over the summer, I have continued to run at least 3 days a week and my times certainly have improved over where I started. I've added yoga and some calisthenic circuits to my non-run days, and now have started thinking about taking a spin class! What in the hell do I have to be so hard on myself about!?! So thanks to this 10 minute chat, I have had a shift in perspective and realize that I need to be proud of what I can do rather than focusing on what I have yet to attain.