My Motivation

[Shasha]

{hi} there Everyone

In this thread I'd love for you all to please come and share with us WHAT GOT YOU STARTED on the program in the first place? WHY did you decide to diet?

WHAT was your personal MOTIVATION?
I really look forward to hearing what it was that triggered or sparked the action within you? {cheerleader}

[MrsPeel]

. . . I was very skinny, and then I started working in films. We get all our meals provided by excellent caterers, and we also have tables of food around all day long to snack from - not always healthy stuff, either. Then there's having drinks after a long day - and shooting all night long so your schedule is up-ended - and the incredible high stress . . .
So one day I realized I had slowly and almost unnoticed (by me) put on weight. At first it was just "womanly" - then it was a little uncomfortable. So I began working with my nutritionist and lost over 40 pounds fairly easily. I was feeling pretty good, and then I began to go through menopause. ALL the weight came crashing back and brought some friends with it! :(
I spent the end of 2006 and the first half of 2007 working on the biggest movie I've ever done, and it kicked my butt. I realized that not only could I not continue to work as I do at this weight, but also that my self-esteem was tattered and I didn't even recognize myself in photos anymore. I looked like a giant sea turtle in a sweatshirt!
And then I heard about Dr. Cohen . . .
SO - my motivations are:
1) To regain my healthy body so I can work in my demanding profession and feel good in front of 150 people every day
2) To return to a slim & more attractive figure so my husband will be delighted (I'm already thinner than when we were married!)
3) To get my insides and my outsides to match up again! I never felt "fat", so I want to look like I feel.
4) To prepare to live the second half of my life with good health and a youthful attitude - to keep my body strong and useful for the long run!! :weights2:
5) To be able to outrun my granddaughter, at least until she turns three!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :wacky:

[GettinSkinny]

I was always one of those girls in school that was skinny as a rail... turn me sideways and you wouldn't be able to see me. I was active in basketball, volleyball, track, etc. and ate anything I wanted and never gained a pound. Then I graduated from high school and had my first baby a year later... gained 50 lbs. with that pregnancy and I've been gaining and losing those same 50 lbs. and then some ever since. I actually got back down to 155 lbs. about 20 years ago and could kick myself every day for ever gaining it all back. But actually, my biggest motivation for starting the 1PD diet again is the weight I lost last year on 1PD. I had lost 10 lbs. on WW and then lost 20 more on 1PD before my health issues began. Thinking back on that time (and ergo my motivations) I remember that:

1) My knees didn't hurt anymore.
2) My feet didn't hurt in the mornings when I got out of bed.
3) I had alot more energy to play with my grandkids.
4) I was wearing sizes I hadn't worn in years.
5) I felt better about myself.
6) Everyone said I looked so much better.
7) My feet were smaller and I could actually bend over and tie my shoes without holding my breath. :eyebrow:

I like looking better and feeling better, but more than anything else, I am doing this for my health. Heart disease/attacks run heavy in my family and I see where it has took my brothers and I just don't want to end up there - scary business. :sadeyes:

[MrsPeel]

Ooh, GettinSkinny! You reminded me of another motivation!

6) I can paint my toenails again!! Really well!!! (Shasha, they're rosy today.)

[WorthyQueen]

I love reading the motivations of others on this diet. What a great thread!

I was always shapely in my teens and late teens. I've never been skinny because I have what my husband loves to refer to as "kickin' curves". However, being half Italian and half German and prone to having a womanly figure, as soon as I started having babies, I packed on the weight. And after each child the weight became harder to shed. I had my first son at 17 and two more by the age of 20, so I started my early adult years with excess weight and my own little army of rugrats. I kept saying it was leftover baby fat, but my youngest is 12 years old now and that excuse has run out. I also have a grandaughter who is just 2 1/2 and I can often be found on the floor crawling under tables along with my husband when we watch her.

With all that said, I second what MrsPeel had to say (except the part of being in more movies ;-)

1) To feel healthy and full of vitality
2) To know that I have a body that will last, and will last well!
3) To feel confident, fabulous and sexy for decades to come.
4) Most of all, for my husband. Don't get me wrong, he LOVES me just the way I am, really. We've been married nearly 19 years and he is the absolute love of my life. I realized that if I don't lose weight and get in shape, that it wouldn't matter how he felt because my health would prevent us from any chance of "happily ever after". The thought of not being with him for another 40+ years scared me.

With all that said, I decided that 2008 is the year that I start being fabulous to me :party1:

[Shasha]

{hi} there Mrs Peel, GettinSkinny and WorthyQueen

Reading all your MOTIVATIONS is even more inspiring than I thought it would be!!! :clapping3: Thank you for opening up and sharing with us all!!!

With such important motivating reason like these, there is just NO GOING BACK to where you've come from! No matter how good that cake looks or smells... tough!

Mrs Peel, of course being a Movie Celeb and all, :flirt: painting your toes is one of the most important motivators you have!!! And Oooooh, I love the rosy pink, my kind of colour!!! - is it the nice smelling one we talked about last time?? LOL... Not to mention: ''I realized that not only could I not continue to work as I do at this weight"... is really serious!!! I think these motivations help you to be so very steadfast and focussed!

GettingSkinny: I agree with you: Heart disease/attacks is VERY scary business. We've all only been given one life and it's so very, very precious!! It's worth fighting for!!! Loosing weight is vital to your health and the most important thing you can do to help your heart! So, find the Skinny Chick and set her free!!! (Following your Refeeding Program and the completion of your 1st Personal Diet Program, I'd like to recommend that you read up on cayenne pepper, which is apparently excellent heart food - not for now though, cayenne pepper is not allowed on the program.)

WorthyQueen: You and your hubby both deserve and are SO VERY WORTHY of "happily ever after"... You determine the quality of life you will enjoy together! Invest into yourself now and the best will be yet to come!

I feel really touched having read all your motivations and I hope that you will keep on adding more and more reasons why you want to reach your goal to your list on a weekly, if not a daily basis.

I want you to look for reasons everywhere you go and wherever you go... look past the food on the tables to a dress you want to wear or a denim or a nice jacket, whichever floats your boat :-)

Find thin photo's of you to give you hope and vision. Clothes you use to fit into... and try them on regularly to see your progress!

I want you to tell yourself: When I'm thin, I'm going to wear this and that... cut out pictures, buy an outfit if you like - just keep motivated no matter what it takes!

Remind yourself of things you can only really do when there is less of you... such as that being thin is GREAT - it means you and hubby can share a romantic bubble bath together :love: cos there is so much more room in the tub!

Given for now, if this is the kind of thing you'd like to do, and if you both fit into your tub, it's going to have to be you, the bubbles in the bath, the candles and the sprite zero... but when you get to your goal you can celebrate in style with a bottle of real Bubbly... and, why not buy that bottle now! Set it one side, somewhere where you can see it... where you can smile at it and know that the day is coming when you will enjoy it!


Make your motivations work for you!!!

I think that getting in touch with your personal MOTIVATORS is going to be a wonderful way to get your mind off distracting goodies and keep it focussed onto where YOU ARE GOING! What you are going to achieve...

Reading about what MOTIVATES others on the same road will help you (and everyone reading this) to discover even more GOOD REASONS why you want TO DO THIS!

PLEASE KEEP THE MOTIVATOR POSTS COMING... YOU GIRLS ARE THE BEST!!! ~I've run out of hugs and smiles to post :-)

[WorthyQueen]

Thanks, Shasha. Yes, we are in this for the duration, right girls? and guys? We all deserve to be slim and fabulous! :party1:

[momof4]

Hello fellow life changers! Your stories are inspirational! And the motivators are funny! One of my motivators is the bubble bath with my husband! So I got a chuckle over that! Throughout highschool and college my shape and life style was almost excellent! Walking miles, aerobics near daily, eating healthy except beer and pizza with the gang...Got married at 125 pounds lighter! I got pregnant and at 6.5 months found out my health was in danger, my baby was slowly dying from birth defects and basically had to terminate at 7.5 months almost dying on the operation table from hermorraging! You think that would keep me healthy. NO! Deep depression set in and I did do better over the years with the depression and have had 4 beautiful children all a blessing, each one of them. However, I never felt the same until I went on weight watchers, lost 40 pounds, but got down again once I could not exercise and gained 30 back! This time I have forgiven myself for the loss of my first child. Though I get sad and miss him and the dreams I had planned, but I need to move on after 15 years! Yep, it has taken that long! I have decided it is ok to feel sad, not guilty. I have 4 other children I have to be healthy for!

[baredw]

Being fat and miserable inspired me. But yesterday I was a bad girl. I am trying to be on track today. Haveyou had any days like that?

[GailStout]

My motivation was twofold: imminent death due to a thyroid disorder unable to be medicated correctly because of my weight (which actually was NOT the most important thing -- "imminent death" seemed pretty unreal at the time); AND seeing myself in family photos and event videos and knowing that my body size would be what all of the youngsters in my family would ever remember about me if imminent death DID strike. THAT was the most important thing: to be able to communicate to others as ME, not as "the fat one."

Handling the second problem quite definitely handled the first one -- my thyroid condition is under good control, and I have a great relationship with kids, nieces & nephews & spouses, and (gulp!) six GREAT nieces and nephews. I'm now, quite definitely, the GREAT aunt!:dance:

[GailStout]

Hi baredw! YES, I've definitely had days like that, especially at the beginning. But the thing to remember is what your 1PD Guide says: "Remember, your food is your medicine. Do not divert from your food quanitities and food types. Any diversion from your diet program might set you DAYS back."

Do you REALLY want to be on the diet twice or three times as long as necessary?

I can tell you that though the diet was very easy to do and worked very well, it's MUCH more fun to be on the OTHER SIDE of re-feeding and able to be a little less restricted in how my days are planned. I was on the diet for 27 weeks, and had thought it would only be for 12 weeks...and as it became clear to me that every single cheat did indeed work out to an extra week on the diet, I wished that I'd not cheated at all.

I discovered that water was (and continues to be) a wonderful way to keep yourself from feeling hungry, and it seems like bodies never have enough of it. Every time I got hungry, I drank a glass of water -- and it always seemed like the hunger pangs my body was sending out were actually THIRST pangs...for every time I drank water, I magically was no longer hungry.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

[Shasha]

{hi} there MOMof4

Loosing your first baby at 7.5 months because he was slowly dying is certainly a very traumatic experience on top of almost dying yourself on the operation table - reading this made me feel so sad and all I want to do is give you a big hug so here it is: :bighug:

I thought that sharing this little prayer with you may also help with your healing process:


The Serenity Prayer

Lord grant me
The Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage
To change the things I can,
And the Wisdom
To know the difference
:bighug:

[Sarah Leigh]

Hi all - that's my motivation. Trust me, I'm all into being healthy, but if I'm really honest, I just want ALL of me to look REALLY, REALLY good! The fact that being really, really healthy comes with it is a bonus in my head. :) I'm 5'8", blonde hair, blue eyes & an awesome smile. (I'm really modest too!) I have a fabulous husband, a great job & do a lot of stuff around personal growth & development. This year is the year I change my relationship to food, give up my fears & concerns & just let it all rip. My starting weight on 3/13/08 was 329. (in 9/2006 I weighed 345, took off 37, gained back 21 & started 1PD) I don't know the exact amount of pounds I've lost, but I can feel it all just dropping off. I have a goal weight of 150 (but I have to be really honest with all of you - if my body can do it, I'd really love to go for 140). I'm not attached to a specific number on the scale as much as I am to feeling great & looking great. I do have some knee issues going on right now, but I can feel the pressure lessening every day.

All kidding aside, more about my motivation - I know I'm somebody who was put on this planet for some really big reasons - I don't know what all of them are but I'm up for it. I can't wait to reach my goal weight. I'm inspiring myself every day & I know I'm inspiring others as I go along. That makes my day. There's nothing better than making a difference on the planet. So, this journey is one of my vehicles for making a difference.

More later. Love to all!

:love4: :clapping3:

[MrsPeel]

Hi, Sarah Leigh!

Welcome to another tall gal - there are quite a few of us on the Forum! I'm 5'10", and I know exactly how you feel! And I have felt my knee issues disappear over my first 12 week session on 1PD - you will, too.
Let's all lose this weight together - you're in terrific company - put a ticker up when you feel ready, so we can watch your progress with awe and respect!! :)

[WorthyQueen]

Wow, Sarah Leigh! Well said, girl! Now THAT is inspiring! I know you will do it and I can't wait until you post your pics, too!!!

Okay, so apparently I'm one of the few short people in this place. That's not funny. :eyebrow:

[momof4]

Thanks Sasha for the prayer. One I've heard but now putting on my fridge to help me remeber to not ever go back to guilt and sadness, but to live. This siet helps me feel more alive! That is a great motivator! Reading everybodies thoughts, feedback, humor, and support to eachother also fills my life with positive light instead of food. Thanks again!
momof4

[momof4]

Hello Sarah Leigh!

What a shining attitude! I know you are hear for a purpose and definately at least that everyone sees that positiveness! Keep it up. I too went down and then up with the weight and decided to go on this diet, which has been a gift! I'm only near the end of my third week but feel a big difference. I have a ways to go, starting at 249 and needing to get to 140, but relate to wanting the health back! Keep that positive focus.
I am curious to see the progress. Please keep posting! :clapping:

momof4

[Bronwyn]

Hi Sarah Leigh! Thank you so much for making me laugh out loud. I LOVE your post and good for you to have such positive thoughts flowing. I know you are gorgeous inside and out and I can't wait to see what you're going to do in this world. Especially once you've gotten your body where your mind is... healthy and happy and.... gorgeous!!!

Dearest Momof4, My heart goes out to you for the loss you had to endure. I cannot imagine having to go through that and completely understand that it has taken a lasting toll on your life. Glad to hear you are moving forward and you should NEVER feel guilt for what happened. Your beautiful children who are here need you and want you to be around a long, long time for them. Your other boy is watching from above and is proud too.

Ms. Worthyqueen, I'm pretty short too.... 5'4" so you're in good company! Ha ha...

Sorry I haven't posted my motivations yet. I keep running out of time answering and reading all these threads. I promise to share soon!

[mama]

Sarah Leigh - You must have an amazing personality!!!

In fact, all of you, ladies, have written some very very inspiring posts!!! Thank you all !!!!
:love4:

[Shasha]

{hi} there Sarah Leigh

{boing} With your attitude GIRL YOU ARE GOING PLACE GIRL!!!
And nothing's going to keep you back!!!

We are all here for a reason and, I believe that even making the smallest difference to the least of people as we go through life REALLY COUNTS!!!

:applause: FOR YOUR MOTIVES!!! AND :clapping3: FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE!!!

[baredw]

My motivation was my Doctor who continued to convince me to go on this diet. Her daughter lost a lot of weight on the diet. Besides the fact I was in pain in my ankles and legs from carrying all this weight 263. My clothes are size 26 and I can't breath. All of that put together made my decision. I m really too old for the diet, but my Doctor convinced me she encouraged a 75 year old man to go on the diet, and he is doing great. Of course we had to lie about our age. So sorry for that.

[MrsPeel]

Good for you, baredw!!! I had many of those same issues, health-wise, at my starting weight of 251 - but unlike you, my doctor told me a woman my age would probably never lose this weight. HA! I am down 51 pounds as of today and no longer have swollen ankles, sore knees, trouble bending over - my blood pressure's normal, and I feel great. Likewise my husband, MrPeel, went off his blood pressure meds in the 2nd week of the diet and has maintained his nice low numbers ever since!
I am thrilled you have a doctor who led you to the 1PD and look forward to your progress reports!

[Shasha]

{hi} there Barew & Mrs Peel

It's sad how the years go by and the pounds creep up... and one slowly and without really noticing it, gets use to a life where you live with pain and being uncomfortable without expectation that this could ever change...

What's worse is having a doctor telling you there is no hope! I'm so glad that you found the 1st Personal Diet Program Mrs Peel and that you have lost 51 pounds and more already! (your loosing by the minute!!!) :bighug: WHAT does your doctor say NOW??

The great thing is: THIS PROGRAM WORKS!!! All you need to do is follow it 100% and don't stop until you reach your goal weight!

Barew: I'm not sure what Dr Cohen will say if he knew about this... {oops} I know that Dr Cohen does take into consideration the customer’s age among other parameters when he is calculating your eating plan and providing incorrect information could mean that you receive a diet that is not suitable for you. If you feel hungry on the eating plan after your first week, I recommend that you write to your consultant and explain this.

I would further like to recommend that your personal doctor continues closely to monitor your progress...


{grouphug1}