A Question for the Ladies. Why are you losing? For someone else?

Are you losing weight for you? (so you can fit into that slimming size 6) your man? your woman? (so that you can feel pretty while around them, fear of him/her leaving you for a younger, slimmer person?)

Be honest.

I am curious why we feel so very pressured to be slim and what is causing that pressure.

I'm losing weight for me.  I'm single now, but during most of my 2.5 year weight loss journey I was in a committed, loving relationship.  He was very supportive and I liked that my weight loss was a benefit for him as well, but it was about me.  It was about being healthy (I had panic attacks, some minor health issues) and it was about being active and feeling confident in myself.

I was never afraid of losing him, but I did sometimes feel so unattractive that it was hard for me to accept that he was attracted to me.  I knew it was in my head, but that doesn't stop the voices...

By the time you get to my age (38), just about everything you do is either for your kids and family if you have them, or yourself. It's very liberating

I am losing for myself. The fact that my husband is appreciative of the weight loss is certainly a bonus, but the biggest motivator by far is no longer feeling self-conscious about my weight and feeling that I have gained some control over my life. I frankly don't think I could commit to following a diet for this length of time (about 1 1/2 years) for anyone but myself.

After 20 years with me, my always thin husband gained weight himself. When he saw me losing weight, it motivated him and he has lost weight, too. I, likewise, am appreciative of his weight loss. But I don't love him any more than I already did, skinny or fat. While I think he is proud of me for losing weight, I don't find him to be any more or less affectionate than before. I was overweight when he married me -- I guess I have always figured that he knew what he was getting into!

I will admit, however, that my children played some role in me deciding to make a commitment to losing weight. As they have grown older (they are 9 and 7 now), I started worrying that me being overweight my embarrass them. I also worried that they would find me to be a hypocrite when I insisted that they eat healthful meals.

I have lost 40 pounds so far and no longer have these concerns.

Definitely for me. Only me. I have felt miserable for 8+ years and all this while been in a loving relationship with someone who really seems to think I am beautiful regardless of weight. So it's 100% for me.

I loose weight because I want to do things that I can't without loosing weight (see list below) and because I know I am in the morbidly obese category and health problems are just waiting around the corner:

- I wanna do horseback riding

- I wanna go kayaking

- I wanna have a baby

- I wanna be able to buy clothes anywhere I go not just specialty stores

- I wanna be healthy and live a long life

- I wanna be me, the real me without inhibitions and self confidence rollercoasters

Agreeing with nycgirl I do It for myself none of the above things mean anything to anyone but myself and I am accompanied on this journey by my partner of 3 years who loves me the way I am.

Definately for me. My husband never cared... I have been up and down 22 pounds during our marriage (lost weight before we met).  I have actually wanted him to lose for the past 20 years... though he knew this, was not motivated to do it to please me (the way it should be). He has lost 30 pounds since the winter.  He had been out hiking in the woods, got frustrated he was so out of breath, and decided it was time to change.

I wanna loose weight for me I guess, every guy I have met has liked me the way I am, in fact some have wanted me to gain a little, I guess I attract the kind of men who like girl curvy, right now Im single, and I was finally able to start loosing weight. I guess its cause of the image that the media portrays, they tell you that is what you should look like, by presenting a "model", to me the defenition of model is an example of what something should be like, and even though I realize they are wrong, and that a model should be a little bit fuller, I cant help being a victim, with so much repetition it kinda gets in you head and you cant help thinking that your body is not how it should be.

I am losing for me.  I am also losing for my husband and my son but not because I'm worried about my husband leaving me.  We've been together for 15 years.  I was 200+ when we met, got up to 305, got down to 155, was 250+ when we got married, was 272 when we had a baby, and got back up to 290 last year.  I'm currently at 265 and losing the right way this time.  My husband loves me, regardless of size.  IF there is a reason he'd like me to lose weight, it is to be healthier, happier, and be around longer.  That is the reason I'm doing it, too, primarily.  I don't want to die before I'm 35.  I was/am well on the way to doing just that if I don't make some serious permanent changes.  I want to see my son grow up (He's 2-1/2) and don't want him to have to make a 2:00 a.m. trip to the emergency room just to be told his mother had a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital, like my dad did at age 40, when I was 12.  Sobering reality.  Great, ain't it?  :-)

Well, I certainly HOPE everyone is losing for themselves!!! Otherwise, you'll likely fail. :/

Definately for me (this time at least) In the past I felt pressured to lose becuase I thought I'd be more attractive, etc....and that's how I got into some unhealthy habits. And like alayney says, they don't stick.

I'm in it to be healthy. Not so much skinny, though that would be a bonus.

 

I am doing it for myself. I had always been average/a little curvy. i looked good and i was always comfortable with my body.

 and the past 3-4 yrs have slowly packed on lbs at the same time of sheading my bubbly (never selfconcious) demeanor. i noiticed that i have been building up a wall of aloofness to indimidate prospect fun and friends as a defence mechanism. i don't like or want the personaliy change because its impacted current relationships of all types.. Plus i don't look "good" or good by most peoples body standards anymore. I just really want the old me back!

For me.  It's been creeping on just a pound or two or three a year and I finally decided it's time to get rid of it.  While there is the added benefit of extra interest from men, it's hard to tell if it's because I feel so much better or not, never had a problem getting dates.  I feel terrific, I'm looking terrific and I'm getting to be in pretty good shape.

I lost weight because of myself, because there is nothing better than been able to walk without getting tired or just that sensation in your belly of been clean and fresh, just when your system is working in harmony.

for my son, because I want him to feel proud of me when he is older and I want to be able to run with him and just do things with him and have energy all the time.

and for my husband, he deserves someone in good shape, even if he says he doesn´t really care about those material things, I think he deserves a good looking, energetic and in good shape wife.

I'm losing weight for myself, as well as my bloke, even though he tells me i don't need to, i know i feel more confident when im a dress size smaller. This site tells me i need to lose more than i had intended to lose, I wanted to be in the upper end of the healthy bmi range, I plan on losing around a 23 pounds and seeing how i feel after that.

myself. So i can be comfortable in my clothes, in shops dressing rooms, in a swimsuit and naked.

x

i'm losing weight for myself too, I gave birth 14mths ago, and prior to that i had my little girl...so my body was very out of shape, Doctors also recently discovered i have high blood pressure, which is probably being worsened by the excess weight! I was bluntly told "you're a heart attack waiting to happen" which has really opened my eyes! I'm only 20! I don't want to leave my family without a mother and wife!

Also i have depression, and most of it is body related, i cant accept this me, i just cant accept that i no longer have a belly button as it's covered in excess skin! I think my depression will start to subside if i feel more confident about myself!

I hate being "the fat friend" of "the fit girl"

I am losing for me.

My husband really has no clue if I am even alive, so its not for him.

I am gonna be fifty this year and am feeling the timeclock tick. I want to do somethings I have always wanted to do.

Like, I got a tattoo, always wanted one, talked about it my whole life finally did it!

Trying to grow my hair out,always wanted long hair.Well I want waist lenghth platium blonde ringlets ,but I forgot where I put the majic wand !

And to be thinner and see my toes again would be grand.Pretty clothes,wow,that would be nice too.

Skydiving here I come....

FOR ME!  I do everything else for my husband and kids.  But they benefit from it too because I will be a healthier ME!

Just a note.....20+ years ago, my first husband left me for someone bigger!  Go figure.....

For GUYS!!!(mostly)...... If it were up to me, Id be eating nonstop whatever I wanted..Id be the fattest porker, and just engourge myself morning, noon, and night!!!

(Even though I'm saying I do it for guys, its not just because of that... I benefit from being skinny too.. because if im skinny, then hot guys will like me, but if im fat, only ugly losers will like me...............but its really hard to starve yourself all the time like I have to.. sometimes I feel like its not worth it.. but it is to me. Its not like Im at an unhealthy weight, and through starving myself Ive managed to stay at 110lbs for the past 3years..)

what a great question :)

I'm so glad to hear that the vast majority of ladies are doing it for themselves!!!! I, too, am doing it for myself. To put on whatever I want for whatever occasion and not feel self conscious would be fantastic!!!

Also, I want to look good for my man :) He doesn't care (he didn't seem to even notice when I gained weight), but I want him to be very proud of having me around :). An added benefit is seeing old boyfriends and feeling like I look my very best :) That's always fun!