I've been working out like a mad woman, taking off very few days since April 2nd. While I haven't lost any pounds, I think I've lost a few inches and I have been really staying positive.

So yesterday, while in the gym, we were all talking about our goals. I said that my only goal was to get back into my old 3/4 clothes. Well, one of my gym-mates said, "It'll never happen."

She may have done the biggest favor for me, because that lit a fire under my butt like nothing else. So, now I'm going to step it up a notch and make sure I don't cheat on my meal-plans anymore and I'm going to get even more focused.

Hmmph, she doesn't know me...I gladly except any challenge.

Ok...I'm off to the gym.

Sometimes those negative comments turn out to be the best things that happen. I've been pushing myself more and more because I want to show my family what I think will make me look good, not what they seem to think is good enough.

I remember being in about grade 6 and my friend and I had decided to read The Crystal Caves for a book report (it's over 500 pages long but we were both avid readers) and we had a substitute teacher in who told us that we'd never be able to finish the book. Well just to show her, we both got the book and reports done in the same amount of time it took most of the class to read those suggested books of around 120 pages. Man did that ever feel great.

hehe, a wise man once said, "there's two ways to lose weight. happy...and angry. let me tell you, happy didn't work for me."

I agree completely. There are always naysayers and people who think that it is impossible. Let that negativity fuel your fire! Keep up the hard work!

I remember one time we were told to run 2000m (2km) in school and so the whole class started to run. One by one people began to drop out. I was a weedy, not very popular kid at school and certainly wasn't known for any sporting abilities and found this tough

The people who had dropped out of the run sat on the grass verge watching the rest of us run round this track umpteen times. More people gave up but when it was just me and my even less popular friend running, the kids started to shout "give up, you'll never do it" and madeit known what losers they thought we were. I was embarrassed but frankly that was enough for me. I just kept on running until only the two of us finished that 2000m run.

Afterwards, the teacher gathered us all together, announced his disappointment at the kids who'd dropped out and told everyone that they will be doing it next lesson and the next lesson until they can run 2000m while my friend and I (who had done it first time) could sit and watch.


aaaah it was one of those blissful moments. It's not often the gawky awkward kids get to feel smug.

Mmmm, yes, the negative motivation! It works! We got a new motivational tool this week, a digital body fat % caliper. And it has royally $%^&*(# me off! It isn't so much that I'm mad that mine is higher than I'd hoped, its that my husband's is MUCH lower! And that is extremely annoying! Yeah, yeah, I know men's is lower, blah blah blah, but still! And of course he's lording it over me...I think I'm going to start adding lard to his smoothies in the morning as sabotage!
But it made me work a lot harder on the elliptical last night and I will meet my new strength training goals if it kills me!

hehehe, this sounds so familiar. You know, I have never been so happy as to be told I couldn't do something. You can prove her wrong...I know it

There's a silver lining ....

Vary your sources of motivation like you vary your sources of food.

Whatever you do, you have to keep feeding your fire!

M

Unfortunately, happy never worked for me either.

Most of my motivation comes from competing with myself (which works when you set a concrete goal, as opposed to vague ones), and beating myself up for slacking off. That, and one or two health scares.

Although if someone came up to me in public and asked me to become a model, I think I might be able to do happy then.

Usually, to really get motivated it takes something negative for me, too. I used to work at this college where everyone had seen me go from thin to fat. Once (when I was in my fat mode), some ladies from the office were looking through some pictures that had been taken a few years prior. One of the ladies took a picture of me with a few students, and she said, "Which one is you?" She didn't even recognize me in the picture (I kind of find that hard to believe). I was so embarrassed and sad. The next day, I started Weight Watchers.

With all that said, though, the negative motivation doesn't last forever. I ended up regaining that weight again. Then, when I tried dieting again, this same person (the one who commented on the picture) said, "But you'll probably just gain it back anyway." Yeah--she was a real sweetheart.

The sad thing for me is I went to the doctor after losing 10 pounds and instead of congratulating me on the success she asked me "so how much weight do you want to lose?" I said enough to get me back to where I was before my two children." She said in a mean tone of voice" Don't count on it!"
I was so mad I didn't even wait for her to bring me back the paper I was waiting for her to get. I figured they would just send it to me.
Angry motivation works to get me started. After a while though once I lose some weight I am too happy to be angry, but I love proving people wrong! Make me a dare and I will always win the bet!

You ROCK!!! Thank you and everyone for sharing with me. I am always refreshed when I come here, regardless to whether or not I meet the day's goal.

@ Jennifer, you doctor sounds much like mine. Misery loves company, but that's one party I don't want to attend.

@ Itadaki, you're already a model...you're my role model *hugs*

Have a great Memorial Day all!

I don't know if any of you have heard of the rpg computer game "world of warcraft", but my husband plays it (alot) and he told me that when I lose the 60 pounds that I want to take off, then he will give up the game! That's the best motivation for me!

oh, I wish my bf did that for me /plays Lord of the rings online /
the motivation for me is a great night of sleep and feeling happier. The thought that exercising will help me fight the depression is the best motivation for me.