Ignite Your Health & Weight Loss Engine

In all the years of trying to shave the padding off of this body, I've been motivated by many things.  In my teens, peer pressure was the driving force, and, of course, boys.  The desire to look like everybody else, to wear clothes that were in style, or close too it in my size and feel comfortable in those clothes, was a huge motivator.  Fast forward a few years to college and the motivation was definitely to have a relationship, which I realize is a very petty reason.  But, I also started realizing at that point that I was beginning the grown up stage of my life, and I viewed being heavy to being immature, not taking life seriously enough to control myself.

In my dating years, or my 20's, weight loss was probably motivated by insecurity in who I was dating, that I would lose whoever it was if I didn't look a certain way.  Let me say, though, that even though I felt insecure, I never really got down to a healthy weight.  When I married my husband, we both married for reasons much deeper and real than looks, although we were and are very attracted to each other.  And with that security of a real love, I started to gain weight.  Then the motive to lose weight at that time was not strong at all, just an overall knowledge that I should weigh less to look better in clothes.

Then came the pregnancies...all 5 of them.  And I gave myself complete permission to satisfy any and all hunger and non hunger feelings I had.  And my motivation after each of those had been to try to get my old figure back, such as it was.  But I never really did get down completely, I held on to about 10 pounds each time, telling myself that I was close enough to what I was.  Well, 4 pregnancies and 40 pounds in was much different than where I was when I conceived my oldest.

Before I got pregnant this last time (#5), the motivation to lose weight had been to try to get regain some of physical fitness of my always overweight body, that had somehow slipped away, over only a few years.  I have to admit, I was always in denial about how much weight I really had to lose, I guess my body type allowed the weight to be carried well.  After all the weight gain, that was no longer the case, and it snuck up on me!  I guess I was busy with the kids.  What the hell is this?  I'm closing in on 40 and I don't look or feel anywhere close to what I used to.  This was never an issue before, and surprising enough, it was the "how I feel" part that was really getting to me, more than the fact that I now had more gray hair and wrinkles.  So I did start to lose weight and exercise, more frequently and kept up longer than ever before.  I guess this reason was a good motivator!  I was starting to feel better again physically, even though I had only lost a small percentage of weight.  The payoff this time was more tangible than any other time before.

So, obviously up until now, none of those other motivating factors were strong enough to do the trick.  And now I have a good tool in my weight loss belt knowing what is.

Here we are now, in the present, weight back up again, starting over further away from the goal.  Over the years, I have realized what the real reasons why the weight stayed on were, and I suggest everybody find out what their reasons are, as well.  I think at some point, I'll have to do some research about therapy and weight loss.  As for right now, doing some soul searching and looking carefully back to uncover the real reasons for why the weight came on, and stayed on, is important.  But after we know these reasons, we still have to do something with them, meaning we still have to do the work to get our weight where we want it to be.  This is where the driving forces, or motivators come in.

I have hit the proverbial wall with my latest motivator: fear!  I'm now 40, in the category of obese, and at risk of all kinds of health problems that could start happening any time now.  I've always prided myself with the longevity of my family, and their ability to hold onto their health well into old age.  And for some unknown reason, I assumed in my younger years that this history would propel me in the same direction with little effort on my part.  Well,  I realized quickly that these people spend their lives healthy, not heavy.  I could very possibly not inherit their health history.  Boy howdy, this fear is definitely a good motivator!  It goes down to the core of human instinct, survival.  I also feel very strongly about living my 50's 60's and seventies in health, not living them with the dependencies of doctors and medication.  I want to be older and well, not older and sick.


Now, many people have to hit rock bottom to get it in gear, however, I would prefer not to get to that point. But is fear a good ignitor for my weight loss engine?  In my opinion, yes.  But only for the short term, in the beginning of any weight loss or health efforts.  It's survival of the fittest, and having a real picture of how your lifestyle is affecting your body is extremely important.  However, fear should absolutely NOT be a long term motivator.  Fear is good at giving you a starting boost, but negative forces in our lives are never good. The things that continue to propel you forward should be positive, the payoffs to weighing less and eating right.

If everybody could dig up some good reason to start on the road to wellness that are really effective driving forces, and slowly transition them to stable, positive, tangible daily motivators,  then maybe we can lick this, once and for all!  I've heard too many people say how good health feels to say it's a bunch of hooey.  Maybe, just maybe, they're right!