My Motivation

Monday, March 17, 2014

Motivation Board. Picture of myself soon after the birth of my son. I have a rough pregnancy that caused me to lose 45 lbs. Although this picture does not represent my goal weight, I remember feeling good about myself when I took this picture. My daughter when she was 18 months, and my son who passed away just before his 2nd birthday.

I made this motivation board when I first started my journey. Seeing these things as my desktop background each day was a great reminder to keep going. Over time, I became used to the pictures in front of me and stopped seeing them. Times like this it's a good exercise to remind yourself of why the end goal is so important in the first place. With that in mind, here are 51 reasons why I'm doing this.

1. To be able to play with my kids, without wearing out instantly.
2. To not be the fat mom.
3. To not be the fat friend.
4. To never shop in a plus size store again.
5. To look in the mirror and know that I worked for my body.
6. To be able to proudly shout "I did it!"
7. To set a good example for my children.
8. To show others that when you set your mind to something, even when the end goal is daunting, it's possible.
9. To be excited to visit people I haven't seen in a long time, rather than worrying about them seeing what I've become.
10. To never have to tell the doctor that their scale doesn't go high enough. 
11. To never have to worry about weight limits.
12. To eat without guilt.
13. To pose in pictures without praying over the result.
14. To not cringe when Facebook notifies me that I've been tagged in a picture.
15. To no longer starve myself out of anger. 
16. To feel worth it.
17. To walk into a room and not notice the food.
18. To live an active lifestyle.
19. To not have people laugh and ask why I listed "hiking" as a hobby, as if I'm incapable of enjoying something active.
20. To jump rope, play hopscotch, play tag, and be a kid again.
21. To run.
22. To state my weight or clothing size without feeling mortified.
23. To make my husband proud to introduce me to his co-workers.
24. To wear that little black dress.
25. To dance.
26. To not fear lifting my arms above my head.
27. To hold a yoga pose with correct form.
28. To walk in a bathing suit without feeling like all eyes are watching my thighs.
29. To never stating "I just wish I could lose the weight..."
30. To never have to start again.
31. To feel like more than just a number on a scale.
32. To have energy.
33. To save my joints.
34. To inspire someone.
35. To be a good role model.
36. To go on a shopping spree.
37. To renew our wedding vows and having a huge anniversary party...while wearing a sexy dress and dancing the night away.
38. To fit.
39. To never receive a lecture about my weight at the doctor's office.
40. To never leave the doctor's office in tears because the doctor only sees my weight, and not my illnesses.
41. To be the friend that gets asked for fashion advice.
42. To be more than the funny girl.
43. To never hear "You have such a pretty face" again.
44. To go on all the rides.
45. To ride a horse.
46. To hike part of the Appalachian Trail.
47. To run a marathon.
48. To be asked to run a marathon.
49. To be remembered.
50. To not cry in a fitting room.
51. To be a success story.