Non-Religious Support Group

Hi! This thread is the Weight Loss for the non-religious support group.

The purpose of this group is to offer encouragement and motivation that comes from within and is not reliant on some external idea of deity or external force.

This is NOT a place to debate religious ideas or to try to convert atheists and agnostics.

Please post your motivating tips, quotes and ideas that come from a primarily secular or humanist point of view. Thank you!

no tips just yet, i just wanted to say that this is so refreshing. thankyou.

After some conversation with United2gether, I decided on a clean slate for the group, hopefully we won't have it explode into a religious debate again.

*support!*

As to the moving of this thread...Ramen. And guys 'n gals who want to be non-religiously motivated but find that the provocation from religious people coming to our thread is too much? Tell them to shut it and go away, this isn't a religious debate.

I find a lot of my motivation in the other people that go to my gym. I go at the same time every morning, and I've become friends with the regulars. It's really great to have someone to chat a bit with (also, one of them always calls me buff lol!). We also seem to have a really good rhythm, none of us seem to be using a machine when the others want it!

I really want my life here to be as rich and full as possible... And the best way to ensure that is to be healthy!

A fine idea =)

I am reposting this because I didn't know if you saw the last one.

Hey nocturne-

I love Land's End swimwear! Check out this link to a Long Torso Tank one piece for $40. There are a lot more just click the long torso toggle. They have a great return policy, basicly if you don't like it for whatever reason, they will take it back free shipping. My dog ate the straps off of my last suit (that has lasted 2 years with no visible signs of wear) and they gave me a new one, Free!

Hi!  So how do you find strength from within?  I'm having a hard time getting back to behaving myself ;)

Attempt something that you think you could never do or that scares the sh#t out of you. I am scared to death of heights so I tried rock climbing, boulder climbing actually. I was shaking so bad at first that I couldn't find a foot hold. I got up about 20 feet and came to a point in the boulder were my feet really didn't have anywhere to be except out in space! There I was hanging on with one arm thinking "what the frick have I gotten myself into now?" Then I realized I only had two options, the first was to just let go, give up and get really hurt when I landed or buck up and push myself.  I used my upper body to pull myself up the rest of the way and as I sat at the top I thought, "There is nothing that I can't do!"

Is that what you were talking about? Strength from within?

Sort of.  I'm also afraid of heights (incident off high diving board during swimming lessons) and I don't think I will ever try to overcome that.  I like my feet firmly planted on the ground! hah!

Meh! I guess I am having trouble staying enthusiastic about losing weight.

Are you the type that sees a girl in great shape and says Wow she looks great, I want to be like her or are you the type that sees an obese person and says oh, that poor girl, I don't want to be like her?

This is an interesting question lolo.  I used to be the kind of person that saw really fit woman and wanted to look like that or a really obese person and felt bad for them.

But now, and I hope this doesn't come out wrong, I feel like I am self made.  I got myself to the weight I'm at - I chose it.  I don't like it, I hate sometimes but I chose it. 

And I've started seeing other people the same way.  Or more correctly I've stopped seeing people as the sum of their parts.  We each have the power within ourselves to choose the path our lives take.  Weight and health are just a tool to get us where we're going - whether that is to a new career or a smaller size or a whole new you. 

Don't get me wrong, I can still appreciate a beautiful body and I still sympathize with those who are overweight but I believe that we can choose not only who we are but where we are in life.

need2lose, I think for me, I just have to look at my life and think to myself, "If I don't do this who will?" Yeah, it sucks sometimes, and it's hard to stay enthusiastic all the time, but I'm the only one that can pick the asparagus over the mac n cheese, and I'm the only one that can make me walk the mile to the train station instead of hopping a bus.

Also, I used to worry about it being a quick weight loss period, but I've realized that my weight is something I have to deal with the rest of my life. And if this weight takes 2 years to take off, then that's what it takes. It'll be worth it if I can keep it off for 10 years.

Beautiful, bethystan!

I would get motivated when I saw someone like that girl in Terminator 2 when she was doing those pull ups in the mental hospital, I would be like, yea..I will be able to do that, rock on! So to me it is a challenge. When I see someone like from that TLC show 30,000 calories a Day, I think about how I can help them and stop their suffering, not about how I don't want to be like them. So for my personality I would say printing pictures of my ideal body would work to motivate me, whereas, for someone else it might be posting pictures of severily obese people or a picture of themselves at their highest weight on their fridge will help them to not eat that midnight snack.

Thank you thank you thank you HG for starting this thread.  I wasn't part of the other group and have no idea of the backstory but I've been in plenty of other situations that sound eerily similar.  I'm bookmarking this thread!  :)

Rob - I'm a musician too!  I have my B.S. in Music and teach private flute lessons.  I generally try not to inflict my singing voice on the general public but I do threaten to sing at my students if they don't practice enough.  :)

I'm Jen, 5'6" and 153-ish when gravity is cooperating.  (155 when it's not.)  I started at 172 and my goal is to drop another 10 pounds by mid-September.  My Secret Agent Man husband and I are moving overseas and I refuse to be known as "The Fat American" in our new digs.  I know, I know, I'm not "fat" right now but 155 is on the edge. (how's that for motivation?)

I've been paying attention to the amount of processed food and sugary drinks that I put into my body.  Sodas are my vice.  I can give them up for a while and then they creep their way back into my diet.  That will be easier once we get setup in our new country since they live a healthier lifestyle where we're going.

lookaiwahine -- I hate to admit this but often times when I'm feeling insecure about myself I'll find someone obese in the crowd and ask my husband, "Am I as fat as her?" Well, karma is... karma and not so long ago I found myself asking my husband this awful question, only this time as the words were coming out of my mouth I realized that the woman I was mocking was NOT AS HEAVY AS ME! Talk about a reality check. So as bethystan said eloquently, I am now concentrating on me and where I am in life.

This actually brings me to another question: if you are a parent, do you find your children good motivators?

Like a lot of moms I know I sometimes put myself after the kids and my husband. I find it motivating to think of a healthy diet and regular exercise as taking the best care of my kids mom as possible and they deserve a healthy, happy mom!

I see what you mean, megmc, about your children being motivators. Only I'm movtivated to lose weight so I can have healthy babies.

And as for staying away from processed stuff, I was thinking about the crap we put into our bodies this morning and felt completely disgusted by it. *grumble*

hg-- It definitely pays to get into shape before you have babies. I was in good shape before 1 and 2 and I lost the weight quite easily with 1 and 2. Baby #3, not so much.

As for processed foods, I have all but banned them from our home!

lolo - I see what you mean about it being a motivator.  I'm so counterproductive to myself sometimes.  I used to put pictures of skinny women that I wanted to look like EVERYWHERE!  And then proceeded to gain 100lbs because it seemed so far out of my reach. 

I don't know if anyone has been watching Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance but I love the freaking show.  It's so empowering, as a women, to believe that I am beautiful physically no matter what my body size.  It's hard sometimes to love me but if I don't no one else's love will ever be enough.

megmc - I think kids are great motivators!  Just trying to keep up with them requires so much energy!  Plus, anything that keeps you going.  My mom has been on a real health kick lately and she's doing so awesome.  I saw her get down on the floor and play with her grandkids the other day - I can't even remember her being able to do that when I was little.  I say use it - whatever motivator you can find!

I was thinking I'd have a lot of fun on Mo'Niques show... I have a good shape to my body, I'm just big!

Thank you lolokaiwahine - I actually browsed the web for awhile for long torso swim suits and found a lot at the lands end website.

I am reluctant to buy it online, since a swimsuit is something I like to make sure I try on first.  My work uniform is from landsend and I love love love it.  I'm still thinking about it, I would rather find a place where I can try them on and pay $50-$60 ATM.  But we will see =).

I wore my mom's today, it rode a little bit, but after I was swimming I forgot that that straps were pulling at my shoulders.  It did get a little looser as I swam too.