Every week I find myself responding to a lot questions ranging from the personal to generic, the detailed to the broad, the serious to the cute. As I answer each of these questions and formulate a response I started to realize my answers are not only beneficial to the asker but to me as well! They require me to perform a level of self analysis that is helpful on my journey. Sometime the pause to ponder something we may not have considered can point us in a new direction that can be beneficial.
This is the inspiration for a new weekly feature on my blog. I’m planning a weekly question to help you (and consequentially others who may be reading) on your weight loss/maintenance journeys. Feel free to add your answer and insights in the comments or post your response on your blog if you have one (be sure to place the link to your response in the comments so people can find you).
So the first question may seem simple but it’s one we must ask ourselves as we embark on a journey to lose weight. For years my answer to the question, “Why do you want to lose weight?” was to be “Skinny”. I wanted to be skinny for as long as I can remember but just wanting to be skinny wasn’t motivation enough to lose weight. In all honestly my wanting to be skinny probably caused me to be fat.
It wasn’t until I realized it was more then just being skinny, it was about being healthy and happy with myself. My answer to this question changed in June 2005 when I gave birth to my son. All of a sudden being skinny seemed secondary. I wanted to be healthy, confident and a good example for him. I wanted to be an active mom who wasn’t afraid to run in the ocean or build sand castles on the beach because I was so insecure in my skin. My reason for wanting to lose weight changed and consequently so did my success!
So I ask you, Why do you want to lose weight?
Update 1/4/11: Comments are closed. Please visit the new discussion by clicking here.
67 Responses to Why do you want to lose weight?
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What's Cooking in my kitchen?
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Finally my first Farro idea! I have to say, I love this stuff! It's chewy and yummy and, well, fun! I tossed it with what I could find in my pantry and it made a wonderfully satisfying lunch. Filling but not heavy, tasty and quite nutrient dense. According to NutritionData.com this [...] -
I've seen it mentioned in a few of my clean eating and healthy cook books but honestly, I never even thought of Farro as an option for me. I refuse to shop at specialty stores and I try to use only common products that I can keep in stock and purchase from a typical grocery [...] -
I've never had a tuna melt. Is that weird? I guess that's what happens when you grow up not liking mayonnaise. I never ate tuna salad or egg salad or chicken salad. Honestly, they always kind of grossed me out. Then I realized.. hey.. why does tuna salad have [...] -
I have no idea where this idea came from. I was hungry. It was lunch. I had Brussels Sprouts. That was all the catalyst I needed.:) I decided to use a slice of real bacon to add flavor and little fat that would help sauté the sprouts. I'm trying [...] -
WOW was this good. I mean seriously good. It's not vegetarian so don't start throwing stones. I'm calling it a Garden Vegetable Burger because I use the new Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread. It was this recipe on Allrecipes.com that inspired [...] -
I drink water 99.9% of the time but every so often it just doesn't cut it. I want something else. Something more. Something slightly sweet. Today was one of those days. I decided to make a refreshing drink based on the famous Arnold Palmer, half lemonade and half iced [...] -
The other day I made a whole chicken on the grill in pieces. It was delicious! Just a little BBQ sauce and an open flame is all I need to make The Husband happy in the dinner department. I also picked up a few ears of corn from the grocery store. They aren't in season [...] -
Let me explain so you don't think I'm making a chili recipe and just put it on pizza. I'm calling this vegetarian Chili Pizza because chili is what inspired flavors. I think I told you. Little Bean is really into, well, BEANS! We go through a can about every 2 days. Yesterday [...] -
I've confessed my inability to follow recipes here on GreenLiteBites many, many times. I don't know why it's so hard for me. I can barely follow some of my own and I wrote the darn things! I think most of my problem stems from not having all the ingredients listed and, [...] -
Leftover brown rice and leftover sauce meet in this quick lunch idea inspired by my favorite food of all time: Pizza. I swear I can turn anything into a pizza concoction. Have you seen all my pizza ideas? I've used everything from pumpkin to zucchini, polenta to wontons. Nothing is off [...] -
This isn't a recipe just an idea I had to share. I can't believe how good it was! I've never had grilled pineapple. Can you believe it? I just never really had the desire to grill it before. When you love something raw sometimes it doesn't occur to you to cook it. [...] -
I whipped this up for lunch on a whim today because, well, I have a baby who's obsessed with three things… Cheese, Beans, and Avocado. No, really. Look... It's my go to meal for him so I find myself with beans and avocado readily available. [...] -
You know that tradition 7 Layer Mexican Dip? The one with the cream cheese, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, cheese, green onion and olives? Yea. That's the one. Well I had a craving for it the other day. Well, not exactly for it as I can never make anything the way it's suppose [...] -
If you go through the archives of GreenLiteBites I have about 5 total beef recipes. Five. Compare that to the 80+ I have tagged with chicken/turkey there's a clear winner in the meat department on my blog and in my home. I don't have a beef with beef (omg The Husband [...] -
I'm a kitchen sink smoothie maker. Whatever I have on hand goes in the blender and viola! A quick breakfast or a healthy snack. Last year I posted an "Elastic Approach" to how I make smoothies but I still like to share specific combinations that worked really well. This was one [...] -
The other night it was just the kids and I home for dinner and I decided to make what I wanted to make no holds barred. Without The Husband home it's much easier for some reason. Hmmm wonder why? Ok, not here to husband bash.. really.. I'm not! I'm here [...] -
*sigh* I was really hoping to share an awesome turkey burger idea. I had grand plans for my leftover ground turkey. The results was alright but they could have been so much better. I added diced pineapple, red pepper, green pepper, oats and soy sauce to the meat and formed 2 patties. In hindsight I [...] -
I made this on a total whim yesterday having no idea if it would work. To my surprise it did AND the husband actually said he liked it... UNSOLICITED! Here's the story. I had only 4 tilapia fillets defrosted for dinner. I knew it wasn't going to be enough for us [...] -
This is a slight reboot of a recipe I posted last year simply called Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. Staying true to my use-what-I-have-on-hand roots I, well, used what I had on hand and made a similar dish with a spicy twist. Topping the result with avocado added a cool creaminess that [...] -
Did you hear? The Laughing Cow recently launched Smooth Sensations a line of 5 cream cheese spreads. There's Classic Cream, Classic Cream Light, Strawberries & Cream, Garden Vegetable and my favorite… Cinnamon. It's a sweet wedge of creamy goodness! Today I decided to use my new favorite flavor [...] -
Confession time, I recorded a 30 minute video making this with both kids (partally) 2 nights ago. I miss videos. I really do but they seem so much more difficult with 2 children. I'm also having technical difficulties with my video recording and audio syncing making it VERY time consuming to edit. [...] -
A couple of years ago I shared a modified version of Sloppy Joe's I made for a party. Everyone loved it but I've been wanting to try to make something similar for the family on a smaller scale and without the pre-made canned Manwich sauce. I don't particularly have any issues [...] -
Yesterday I was dreaming about a salad. Not just any salad, but a chickpea filled, cucumber, and red onion salad with a fun, tangy dressing. Unfortunately, I had no cucumber or red onion. Well, that's a lie. I had a half of cucumber but it was a mushy mess and [...] -
Dinner meals are getting harder and harder for me to share lately. I've gone back to just whipping things up without really measuring anything (this meal was going to be one of those until I realized I still had enough light to take some photos.) I've also instituted a few brainless meal nights [...] -
Three years ago I posted a video called "Makin' Hard Boiled Eggs" where I shared my system for, well... making hard boiled eggs. Genius name, I know. I'm smart like that. Anyway, since then I've gotten tons of feedback and comments thanking me but all the information is locked in a long winded 10 minute [...]
About Roni
Roni started this blog in '05 to journal her weight loss. 70lbs later, she's committed to living a conscious, healthy life and hopes to inspire others along the way. Read more on the about page.
I’ve been wanting to lose weight since around 5th grade. And, I’m a freshman in college now, so my reasons have grown since then, of course, but I think the basic one is still the same: I’m being held back by my weight. Because I’m constantly thinking about how much fat I look, or how hurt I am because of what my aunt called me at the Christmas party, I can’t focus on living my life! I’m young, and I deserve to be happy like everybody else. And, for me, that includes feeling comfortable and confident in my own skin.
This is an awesome question… when it’s so second nature to want something so badly, it’s hard to remember sometimes why.
I’ve always had weight issues – I was first anorexic and then bulimic for seven years. I am tired of getting ‘skinny’ just to be skinny… it finally hit me that I really, truly wanted to do it the right way… mostly because I’d convinced myself I couldn’t. It was like a personal test.
So, I got almost to my goal and then got pregnant again, so now I’m sort of starting over… and with the knowledge that I did it once before, I feel so much more confident. Being able to sit at a table with people eating desserts and just enjoy the conversation and the diet coke… it’s like, finally – finally I’m winning. I’m beating this thing that’s had a hold of me.
I guess I want to lose weight so I can kick this bad habit once and for all.
:) Oh, and a good pair of skinny jeans would feel awfully good too! :)
Oooh, love the new feature hon…a great question to start it off too…..
The reason I want to lose weight right now is for me and me alone. I used to be in the best shape of my life and felt so happy and confident in myself – I was at peace with me….I loved me and loved my body. Then I went back to school and between work, classes, and my studies, the weight crept on and the confidence I used to feel about myself went away.
I am doing this because I need to be at peace with myself, knowing that I am doing something for me and me alone. So I can look in the mirror and tell myself “i love you an I am proud of you.” Cheesy? Maybe, but its the god honest truth. Hugs to you sweetie. Thank you for your blog and sharing.
I’m 25 and I want to lose weight so I can look in the mirror and be happy. I want my boyfriend to genuinely think I’m hot and I want to encourage my overweight friends to shed some pounds too. I’m the laziest eater in the world but now I enjoy making meals from scratch. I’ve lost 11lb so far and I still have about 20 to go. I never thought about weightloss as a journey but I’m enjoying my life now. How can you feel guilty when you know that at least you’re trying to make your life better? It makes me happy and confident to think I’m in control now. And Roni, you have a part to play in that too. Thank you!
There are two things in life that I’ve always wanted, one was to be a good wife and the other is be a good mom. Now I don’t have children yet but when I do have them I want to bring them up being happy healthy active children and in order to do that I need to become a happy healthy active person. Thats why I started this, to be a good example.
I’m quickly approaching 33 years old, with 3 children. I want to be one of those women who gets better with age! I want to look better now than I did at 20 or 25. I want to be healthier and thinner. I want to have more energy and be able to wear sleeveless shirts this summer without having fat arms. I want to enjoy my body and have other people know that I take care of myself. I want my kids to see me exercising and eating right. I want to be an inspiration to my husband so that he can get back into shape, too.
I don’t eat for comfort, or because I have any inner demons that cause it, I just enjoy eating the wrong kinds of food. I also enjoy sitting around and watching TV instead of walking on the treadmill or other exercise. But I’m making conscious choices to get up and get on the treadmill, and to stop eating when I’m satisfied – not until I’m stuffed full and my plate is clean.
I’m just trying to be the best me!
To continue to feel better be a good example for those I love. I want to lose weight – what am I saying – I AM LOSING WEIGHT and WORKING out and KEEPING IT OFF so my heart can be strong/so my body mind and spirt can all connect. So I show the giver of this great gift of life that I don’t take it for granted or abuse it and I am thankful for it. I want to continue to turn my husbands head!!!! I’m 5’7 32 my goal is 160 I’m 28 pds from my personal goal and to think that 7 yrs ago I wore a 22/24!!! I run/I cycle/ I taebo/I firm/I eat veggies and lots of lean meats I have amazing calves from working out – I have quads so strong! I have endurance!…and fish oil lots of fish oil!!!! I am strong because of the changes I have made in 7 yrs…. I will be 160!!!
To continue to feel better be a good example for those I love. I want to lose weight – what am I saying – I AM LOSING WEIGHT and WORKING out and KEEPING IT OFF so my heart can be strong/so my body mind and spirt can all connect. So I show the giver of this great gift of life that I don’t take it for granted or abuse it and I am thankful for it. I want to continue to turn my husbands head!!!! I’m 5’7 32 my goal is 160 I’m 28 pds from my personal goal and to think that 7 yrs ago I wore a 22/24!!! I run/I cycle/ I taebo/I firm/I eat veggies and lots of lean meats I have amazing calves from working out – I have quads so strong! I have endurance!…and fish oil lots of fish oil!!!! I am strong because of the changes I have made in 7 yrs…. I will be 160!!!
To continue to feel better be a good example for those I love. I want to lose weight – what am I saying – I AM LOSING WEIGHT and WORKING out and KEEPING IT OFF so my heart can be strong/so my body mind and spirt can all connect. So I show the giver of this great gift of life that I don’t take it for granted or abuse it and I am thankful for it. I want to continue to turn my husbands head!!!! I’m 5’7 32 my goal is 160 I’m 28 pds from my personal goal and to think that 7 yrs ago I wore a 22/24!!! I run/I cycle/ I taebo/I firm/I eat veggies and lots of lean meats I have amazing calves from working out – I have quads so strong! I have endurance!…and fish oil lots of fish oil!!!! I am strong because of the changes I have made in 7 yrs…. I will be 160!!!
i always just wanted to be skinny – it was only during the process that i realized how much i love feeling strong and powerful, fit and active. i love endorphins and the idea that people think of me (me!) as a fit, active person.
I want to lose weight because fun, cool, stylish, funky fashions look better on a more slender me. I’ll spend an hour (at home) trying on outfits, mixing and matching styles and colors and it’s fun, because everything fits. Of course, in the process, I’ve gained energy and confidence. Next I’m going to work on “getting fit” the often forgotten sister of “losing weight.” I’m looking forward to that challenge!
I want to lose weight so that I can look at myself in pictures and not see my round chubby face and double chin.
i never learned healthy habits as a child, and i don’t want my children to have as hard a time being healthy as i’ve had, so i’m trying to learn the habits now, before i have children, so that i can pass the knowledge on. i’m also terrified of dying, so i want to live as long as possible.
Wow! What great insight and inspiration! You can find my two sense over at http://slimmersarah.com/2008/02/05/why-do-i-want-to-lose-weight/
Thanks for getting me thinking!
I want to lose weight so I have more energy and more desire to try new things.
Well honestly at this point in my life, okay I’ll admit it, I’m 54! I really need to lose weight for health reasons. I lost 35 pounds on WW about 12 years ago and after quitting smoking, gained it all back, plus a few more. So here I am for the umpteenth time trying to get back at it but it is a real struggle. I’ve added exercising recently since I really don’t think I can lose without exercising also. My job is in front of a computer all day so….
Health is the #1 reason and I would also like to look good in clothes again!
My whole life i have squandered with out any real direction because I have been a loser. I’m not really fat but losing 1.5 stone would get me down to fighting fit weight, think Brad Pitt in “Fight Club”. Well this goal of 1.5 stone is negligible considering the outcome however I have never been able to achieve it over the years , because I have always been a loser. I think all fat people are losers. It’s not their guts that makes them overweight, it’s not having the guts to overcome life. I include my self in the previous statement.
So I set out a vanity goal to lose a stone in two months while putting on some muscle. I call it vanity because I probably have got other issues I should be working on but I decided if I can overcome this quest I have desired for so long I will be able to overcome ANYTHING. After 7 weeks have lost 12 pounds and have never been so muscle-y before. This is all just the side effect of realising when ever you meet a challenge in life you have to meet it head on and smash your way through it if you have to.
I will wait to I achieve my full goal before I raise the bar higher but believe me, I now have others sights in mind.
Determination, it’s all in your mind… don’t be a loser.