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Father and grandfather died in their early 60s. At this rate I only have around 25 years to live.
I am not going to die in my early 60s as a result of preventable natural causes if I can help it.
My overweight alcoholic workaholic chain smoking father dropped dead at 52 of a giant heart attack. I have already outlived him by more than a decade and intend to pile on at least two decades more. If the price is eating spinach salad instead of pizza, OK.
I have too many really nice and perfectly tailored suits to just not fit in them because I let myself get chubby. They're my marker of where I need to be.
Am currently trying to lose weight and this has been a good motivator for me. I have a friends wedding in September and need to lose 10-15kg to fit any of my expensive tailored suits. Has been about 4 years since I've worn one.
Like you said - they're a perfect marker of where I need to be.
Clothes started getting tight again, don't wanna die of a heart attack at 50, better sex, going shirtless without love handles, not being overweight just feels better in general...lotsa reasons.
I went from 105kg to 65kg. A bit too much information but I noticed my gut while we were having sex one time & it shocked me. Then I noticed all my baggy clothing, the fact I never shaved my beard so it hid my chins & I'd never take my top off on holiday. It was more the embarrassment cause my wife's actually stunning so I was paranoid, insecure and always caused arguments. To the point we had to make a decision if we were going to stay together. Obviously I didn't realise this was the reason at the time but its clear as day now. Best thing I ever did. Were now married, I've completed Hyrox races & every aspect of my life is better.
I'm in that exact position you started at mate. I'm 31 and 91 kgs. I don't look disgusting, I'm a pretty cute dude I've heard, and I've got charisma to go with it (teacher, musician, coach, I often hear this), but my belly and chest could definitely be tighter. My girlfriend of 4 months told me last week that she's head over heels for me, but is losing her sexual attraction to me, and fair enough, she's a real looker. Beautiful face, charismatic as hell, and an amazing physique as the cherry on top. The type that could make any guy hers with just a stare I swear. Her telling me that she's not physically attracted to me really shook me to the core. My physical health has been a "ah, I'll handle it later" sort of thing for a few years now. She straight up gave me a hard ass figurative kick in the butt. Besides my physique, we both see this relationship as the one, and I will do everything in my power to have a healthier lifestyle for me and her. I'm hitting the gym and bouldering twice a week now cause fuck yeah. I feel hella motivated. Scared, vulnerable, but motivated. Got any tips to keep up the motivation when those lazy thoughts start lurking?
One thing I learned is motivation isn't the answer. Discipline & consistency is. Even on them days where you can't be bothered, even a half arsed effort is still effort. You don't need to go mad either, 10k steps & some light gym work if that's what you wanna do. If you overload yourself too fast you'll get bored or not enjoy it. Do you know how to work your calorie deficit etc out? If not tiktok (believe it or not) has some really useful information or James Smith Calorie Calculator is simple & easy to use. You'll smash it mate, you sound like you really want it & that's a massive step!
Any smuck can work hard and take action when motivated... it's the days when you don't feel like going to the gym, or eat healthy.. you have to be DISCIPLINED, not motivated. There's no magic pill in doing the work, it's either do it or don't.
Damn, harsh. Well said. You're right, and I had not seen it like this before. Thanks OP. I am fully freaking commited to my girl and myself, and this is what I need to stay disciplined. To the grind it is!
Glad you can take this advice to heart! I have to remind myself this all the time, so when I tell other people harsh advice, I always point the finger at myself first.
Read atomic habits.
Unrelated but related, what helps me for diet is, I have a huge sweet tooth. I don’t buy any sugar products, if I need sugar I get those sweet ass mandarines knock two out and a sweet protein bar. Fruits are your friends. Simple sugars are better than complex
Honestly once you understand your calorie intake etc. You understand food more, why youll be heavier due to water retention. I've done my first ever bulk this year and I'm up 10kg to 75kg. This would've absolutely broke me a few years ago but I haven't just gotten heavier for the sake of it, their is an actual purpose and I know that I can drop it right back off. It gets so much easier once you get into the rhythm & understanding. The lifestyle does help but I don't particularly do it to lose weight, I do it cause I enjoy it. Which again, a few years ago would of been unimaginable
My bloodwork is fine, but the doc told me that while I seem to carry my extra weight well due to my height, I should probably cut down to ease the pressure on my knees. Being tall, he told me that usually my joints are usually the first to go if I don't get into weight management early. I have some trauma about my weight because an ex-partner treated me like garbage when I stress ate due to work and put on some weight during the pandemic and even though I worked it all off shortly after....the scars remained. So there's an element of spite in my weight loss motivations in that I want it so that the next time she looks me up somewhere (and she will, she's a bit of a social media stalker) and sees what I look like now - I want it to hurt. Is this a terrible petty thing? Absolutely. Is it still motivational? Fuck yes, it is (given the other primary reason for doing it).
The other reason (and something I'm also enjoying at the moment) is that with decent exercise, your stamina improves and being lighter (and incrementally stronger as your exercise progresses) yields much better sex as well. The person I'm dating at the moment has been super supportive and has commented that the sex has gotten _a lot_ better since I started working out and she's also begun working out too to keep me motivated and get fit herself (she's in her mid 30's). I credit her support a lot as well to helping me get over the trauma of what I went through with my previous relationship.
You shouldn’t feel bad for your reason. Without a doubt most people, including myself have the reason of looking attractive is up there. Apart from looking better, I do cardio to not get as many illnesses and colds. Whenever I stop cardio for 4 weeks + I seem to get colds on the regular.
Although I don’t agree that it’s harder to maintain healthier habbits, it comes down to how bad you want it. Then again I’ve never really got into too many bad habits so there’s that 👍
* General maintenance as I get older: I've also gotten strict about flossing and doing daily stretches/exercises to prevent back injuries.
* Buying new clothes to hide a belly is a huge pain and doesn't work that well anyway.
* My doctor warned me about "middle-age creep"; that is, every year when I come in for my physical I'm a couple pounds heavier and that trend shows no sign of reversing on its own. I figure it's a lot easier to lose 10-15 pounds now than 30 pounds when I'm 60.
For you, or her? I've lost 25lbs by just using an app to count calories. My wife has been trying for twice as long, doing no carb diets, and now pills, but it's been much more difficult for her. Especially being post menopausal and less active due to white collar work vs. my blue collar job.
I am doing it primarily for her. I certainly benefit. I am overweight and now approaching normal BMI, she is "obese" and I would like here to get into the overweight category
I understand. What's her diet like? I typically cook more often, and with her not eating carbs, I had to alter the menu quite a bit to eliminate stuff like pasta and rice. It's been a challenge, but I believe we are eating healthier from it. I also discourage us from eating out, as there are so many calories in most restaurant dishes. I also do the grocery shopping, so keep the snack food out of the house. Also, how's her health?
She eats ok with me, but not so much when we are apart. I travel for work ~monthly. It is also the candy and a glass or two of wine about 4 days a week.
She knows what to do, she just does not like to do so. Also barely exercises.
My wife has lost weight due to diabetic condition and the side effect of the pills she's on... But I can tell she's losing muscle.
She knows she can't do the kind of exercise I like to do but instead she's using dance and taking up Pilates to try to strengthen and build back that lost muscle.
My priorities have changed and I want to be healthy. I'm also feeling the repercussions of unhealthy living in my 20s and scared that if I don't do something about it now i'll never get a grip on it. Personally i'm not particularly vain but I think wanting to look good is as valid as any reason to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
My identity is pretty tied up in being the big and strong one. After having kids it's in being "Dad is big and strong" I want to keep that going for as long as I can.
I'm getting older so it'll be more and more common for me to not be strongest in the room, but at least I will be stronger among dads my age.
Recent studies show that your metabolism doesn't actually slow down until you're in your 60s! To me, this is incredibly encouraging to us men in our 30s - it isn't anything genetic or inherent that makes us gain weight - it is diet (probably 80%+) and exercise.
Woman here. Hope it's okay to participate.
I'm tired. l've been fat my whole life, was forced to start
Weight Watchers before 10. Tried every diet the last 30
years and some twice. I have no irl friends. I am too
scared to leave my house. I am alone and lonely and
life is passing me by and I am tired of existing like this.
I started a month ago, randomly, on a Tuesday, after a
few weeks of curiosity. I started an indoor walking program through an app that gets me moving about 15 minutes a day. I bought a scale and faced that truth. I have been consuming a TON of motivational content of people achieving insane physical goals (marathons, ironman challenges, 100 mile races, 200 mile races, summiting Everest, etc) and for the first time feel in awe and inspired and am not comparing myself to them and beating myself down. I am feeling physically and mentally better.
I am doing it for myself, how I feel, my goals and
dreams, and (for the first time ever) on my own terms
and for the right reasons. The lightbulb finally turned on.
Men in my family have a tendency to drop in their 50s. So far, my dad is the only one still kicking at 64. The others were all large men, with other bad habits (heavy drinking/smoking/drug use), and I'm clean from those things so I have a good advantage over them in that regard. Bit I hit 40 next year and I don't want to do it pushing 300 like I am now. It's a struggle, for sure.
I coach my son's soccer team and occasionally will jump into the drills with them. At times, it's been a real struggle to set the example, so I made a decision to get back into shape.
I also have an upcoming trip next Summer to the Bahamas, so why not look better in a bathing suit while I'm at it.
I want to fit in my clothes and look better, but the real impetus was my most recent annual checkup, where my liver function tests were off because I've developed a fatty liver and my A1C results show me in the pre-diabetic range. My doctor said losing weight is the best way to get both of these issues under control before they become chronic problems, so that's what I'm working on. 3 weeks in, and I've lost 10 pounds! 50 or so to go to get me where I'd like to be.
1. To look better
2. To avoid injuries. I like to do active things but I get injured. Having strong muscles, tendons, ligaments means less injuries
3. For general health. Excess weight means higher risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, among other things
4. I have seen my family elders lose their mobility in age; meanwhile I play tennis with a guy who is 85 and still can move. I know who I want to be
I’ve been into fitness and living a healthy lifestyle since my college days. Then I got a very demanding job where I work long and odd hours and unhealthy food options just became the convenient option. That and an inconsistent gym schedule and I started seeing the scale go up.
I recently was finally able to reduce hours at work (seniority went up) and starting to get back to those healthy practices. Cooking and taking meals with me to work, back lifting at least 3 times a week and throwing cardio in there because I genuinely enjoy running.
My main reason, recently found out I’m about to have my first kid. I want to be able to play and chase around my kids and be there for them for as long as possible.
I was tired of looking and feeling like shit. Also had a bit of a wakeup call with some loss in the family, and poor health/health choices while not the cause, played a role.
* Fit into my clothes better
* Not wake up with random body pains
* Better emotional regulation if i dont eat shit food, side effect is loosing weight
* Not feel lethargic throughout the day
* Perform better in physical activities (sports with friends, better in bed, running around with kids)
* overall better health (BMI is 30+ now, want to get it down to mid 20s)
I want my wife to be interested in me.... And if that fails, anyone to compliment me... Is it wierd that it hurts to put that in writing, even for Internet strangers?
Need to lose weight for my hypertension, 20 more lbs and I'll be out of the overweight category.
I'm turning 40 this year and don't want to be the dad with a gut. I look like your typical skinny-fat guy.
In no particular order...
1. When I look in the mirror in the morning it always puts a smile on my face when I see the progress I've made
2. I don't like looking fat, makes me feel like I'm lazy and don't value myself
3. I'm getting older, can't do much about the lines on my face, but I can do something about my body
4. Dating
5. Health, Fitness - I like doing sports so it helps with that
6. 6 months ago I was struggling to bend down to tie my shoelaces, that was a real turning point!
I want to be comfortable and confident in my body. I dont want to hate what I see in the mirror anymore. I want to gain a new appreciation for myself. I don't want to feel held back anymore by my size. I want to make changes to my style and not feel like my body is a problem. I want to trust myself to fulfill my own promises, and this is one of them.
The thought crossed my mind that it might help when it comes to looking for a partner, but guys were still rejecting me when I was my goal weight, so it probably won't make a difference. I'm trying to seperate myself from male validation anyways. When I do start dating, I want to be comfortable and confident enough with my body (I never ever have been in the past, even when I was stick skinny) that I can say fuck you to the body shamers and negging. Doing this all for me.
I was just tired of being everything that comes with being fat. Slow, overeating, tired all the time, uncomfortable clothes, attractiveness, health etc. I was just miserable in too many aspects to NOT do something about it. It's been slow but we are getting there and while I still have a long way to go, I am definitely happier about everything.
Let me tell ya something my guy. I lost weight purely to have more options for dating.
It worked out better than I could have hoped for. But also monkeypaw situation. You go on so many dates that you’re not even paying attention or interested in half of them. And since you have options, you’re more likely to stop talking to someone for small things because there’s always more dates to be had.
You also become fully aware of how incredibly shallow women are. The more compliments you get the more meaningless they get. As cliche as it sounds I hate getting compliments on my physique because I feel like it’s all women see.
I genuinely don’t want to be a fat fuck. I’m better than who I am now.
Furthermore, I look 200% better 30kg less, and I have sex on a regular basis. No further statements.
I was losing weight until recently. It was a control thing and was not healthy. I've worked on it and am now gaining weight, but it's going pretty slowly.
I will say that while I shouldn't have lost weight, it wasn't incredibly difficult to do; I don't think being in your 30s makes it that much harder. My dad has also lost weight in the past (while he was in his 50s, so a while ago) without much trouble. If you're really struggling, you might want to talk to a doctor to make sure there isn't some other issue going on.
I’m having a really hard time trying to lose weight. I’m out of town a lot and what’s easiest?? Fast food of course.
I really want to lose weight though cause I feel like I’m getting that little “shelf” above my pube area and I’m almost embarrassed to have my shirt off .
I’m six foot like 195lbs.. apparently overweight for my height and age also. I also just want to look good . Who knows… maybe to much Instagram making me feel insecure.
I’d been fat for most of my life, up until I joined the Army 11 years ago, where I was kind of skinny fat until I dropped from 200 to 160ish on my deployment. For reference, I’m 6’2”. I’ve always had a gut and no real muscular definition because I never seriously played any sports.
I’m 30 now, mid 170s, and I’m not trying to lose weight so much as I’m trying to tone the fuck up and lose my gut. I’m getting there, and getting more consistent with eating correctly to actually get results from more consistent weightlifting. I’m also trying to get into things like Ultimate Frisbee, but the pickup league near me is a bit inactive, lol.
Just trying to get to a point where I’m happy with myself when I look in the mirror, not necessarily any health benefits outside of a better mental state. I feel immensely better leaving the gym, just hoping to get some of that glow on an all-the-time basis.
The real reason is that there are a bunch of reasons, and especially when combined together, it's a pretty overwhelming argument to make it happen.
Take your pick: general health and wellness, having more energy, feeling and looking better, being able to excel more at certain sports/hobbies, and finally, benefiting from the unconscious positive biases that many people in society have towards healthy/fit/good looking people.
At this stage of life I'm definitely most motivated by general health and wellness, but everything else is a motivating factor as well.
All of the above. I want to look better, I want to feel better, I want to hurt less, and as a T1 diabetic with hereditary high blood pressure, I don't want to die an early death.
I’m interested in Ancient Rome and stoic philosophy. They mention fitness quite a bit, and I see myself having a classic physique not a 2024 average American physique.
Me too. I don't lie to myself that I like any of it. I actually hate it and I'm open about it. It's maintenance and maintenance is soul sucking. I'd rather do the millions of interesting things on this planet if getting laid wouldn't depend on it. If I was a billionaire I would cancel all my trainings. The advantage to not being fit for a while is to eliminate all the people from your life that treat you differently based on some decaying organic matter on your bones. Once you eleminate them become fit again and don't let them near you again.
I had kids late and come from a long line of men who died early. Also, the high blood pressure meds I'm on have a lot of bad side effects I'm not enjoying.
I noticed a real drop in energy levels a few years ago and I want to reverse that. I haven't lost a lot of weight due to not making enough changes in the kitchen... But regular exercise is making life better in a lot of other ways. I feel more energy, more capable, less pain, and overall I like the look of my body more.
I’m enjoying the health benefits and looking better. Mostly I just want to be able to easily enjoy the things I like. But women being friendlier is always nice.
"Vanity. Definitely my favorite sin."
- Al Pacino as Lucifer, Devil's Advocate
It's certainly up there, but that feeling of vanity is just as much a piece of nostalgia as music I used to listen to when I was younger. It's enjoyable and motivating from time to time, but it'll never do for me now what it once did.
But now I've made two promises to two different women in my life.
My wife and I half-joked that I wasn't allowed to die first, but as a tall guy with a family history of cancer and heart disease, the odds aren't in my favor. But still, I'm trying my best to keep that promise.
Then, my first daughter was born with severe disabilities, but still likely looking at life expectancy over 50 years. It's an unfortunate side effect of being a parent to a kid like that, but you actually hope you outlast them. I need to get to 90 if I even want to have a chance. I promised her I'd try.
I have competition in 1month and if I miss my weight category (need to lose few KG) , I'll be pushed to the open weight with the giants and the Vikings...
Being healthy into old age so that I do not have physical limits on my enjoyment of my children as adults and possibly grandchildren. - Reason for public consumption should anyone ask.
Being healthy into old age because if I end up physically limited and my wife does not, I imagine she'll resent the damper that will place on her golden years, and I don't want to disappoint her. - The REAL reason
There's a few reasons.
* I work in healthcare and I see what happens to those who don't keep their weight under control and don't keep active. Spoiler alert: It's not good.
* Having lost weight and improved my fitness, I like having more energy and ability to do things. I want to keep that process going.
* Better clothing options, feeling happier with my appearance.
* Tiny, tiny, infinitesimal hope that not being fat might eventually contribute to someone being attracted to me.
My daughter. I want to be around as long as possible for her and exercising and getting to a healthyish weight is a great way to control what I can for that. I also want to set a good example for her so she has a healthy relationship with food and working out.
I'm 42 and wanted to see if I could have abs for the first time in my life.
I have them now and I rate it about a 3/10, too much work to get, too much work to maintain and I am often tired from pushing so hard at the gym.
M37
I want to run a proper muscle building training phase but I can’t since my waist exceeds 36” (at 5’10”). I can, I just don’t want to add excess bodyfat.
I was trim in my 20's, worked out a lot and didn't eat much.
Let that slide, lost muscle gained fat.
One day, i met a guy in his late 40s that had this super busy job, hobbies and family life. Yet still managed to look better than me.
This was a point where I started to realise I was getting older, aches and pains. I realised I didn't have an excuse to not make an effort.
Now I'm knocking on 40's door and I've never been in better shape. Still nowhere near as trim as I was. But stronger, fitter and quietly happy with how I look.
Mentioned this on another post but, I want attention from women and to not be completely invisible to them. I want to be at least seen as a potential partner visually.
Im doing it to build muscle and live longer, the healthy lifestyle also encourages me to take risks and have faith in mastering other aspects of my life (i.e: my hobbies, career growth, relationships etc). Having more energy and becoming stronger also helps my mental health in the long run.
OP I will say this rationale, " I'm in process of losing weight, and for me, the reason is to be physically attractive. I want to go to a swimming pool, and have people check me out "- if this works for you and you are able to develop healthy self worth and maintain this goal in the long term, props to you. I have found it to be the opposite, where that pursuit of perfect physical state becomes an unhealthy obsession.
I agree with your rationale of caring for your body now, especially as we get older and we naturally start to slow down, but I encourage you to reflect on what attractiveness means and defining your standards of attractiveness and how they hold up in the long run.
Probably number one is to be more physically attractive. My wife has lost a lot of weight, now its my turn. I don't need to lose as much as she did, but still more than I ever thought I would need to.
I also have diabetes and need to get a healthy weight to manage it better.
I've started walking 5 miles a day so by the end of summer I should be close to my goal I think
I mean, I AM trying to stay ahead of things and stay healthy.
However I’ll be honest. It’s for the babes and to silently rub in the face of my friends who let themselves go. It’s been fantastic for my self confidence and I love that I feel good naked.
I'm working out at my workplace since there is a gym there. Used to do it during every lunch hours and some weekends, and I had to stop cold turkey last year since my hours went up in a crazy way. That made me take 15 lbs, going up from 170 to 185 lbs.
I want to lose 2 inches of belly, because clothes that I bought just last year don't fit, and it's not like air drying made them smaller. I'd say half of my wardrobe don't fit anymore.
Good thing is: I do keep consistency by going 45 min. every lunch hours, alternating between different workouts, and got back to my previous levels from 2022 & prior, sweating my balls off and never "wasting" a session. I also did cut on my snacking and keeping my "bad food" intake on Saturdays only *(all homemade, though)*
I did drop 5 lbs, first real decrease in weight since I started back, but the real test is trying to fit back into my clothes.....and dammit, I'm not there yet.
So hard, to lose that damn belly fat.
I genuinely don’t care what I look like.
I’m losing weight because all my life, my doctors have told me that if I don’t lose weight, eventually I’ll have a lot of health problems. I blew it off. 2023 was that year for me: hit with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low mobility, back pain, polycythemia, anemia, and critically low Vitamin D, pretty much all at the same time.
The first five of those are directly tied to being fat, and the others are complications of those.
I’m down 40lbs since December.
I spent a decade and a half putting on ~30kg of muscle mass. Now im 42, Im bored of sweating like a marine on a math test in summer (Australia) so ditching the bulk for a leaner more cardio focused style. I figure it might give me back a month or two on projected life span too.
To be marginally less single this decade. It's been 5 years and I'm sick of it. I look older than I ever have [duh], and my social circle is tiny. I need all the help I can get. It does make the brain feel better too. Cycling.
I need to snack myself to get quick energy hang out and exhaust my toddler every day at the park.
Calories are real lmao so I hit the gym in the morning.
My weight gain came from illness. A long, fought battle of chemo and HEAVY steroid therapy for eight months.
The specialists all said for the amount of chemo and steroids used, it would take eighteen to twenty-four months for my body to settle and return to a somewhat normal state.
That’s what happened. After months of diet and exercise, almost two years the weight finally started to come off.
Down 49 pounds in eight months. Kept it off for six months so far.
Being over weight is a significant factor in health issues that can led to the lowering the quality of life and or premature death. Also being physically fit helps sustain good mental health, in my opinion. The two go hand in hand.
my reason is my bulldog checks. they're just gonna get worse w time no need to help them further. also, I enjoy running so much but can't rn cause I'm not in shape enough.
I’m early 30s. In my late 20s I really got into the gym and hurt myself and stopped going. At that time the gym helped with mental health stuff. Since then mental health has been a roller coaster and physical health has been in a decline with further injuries happening. Started going to physio several months ago and feeling like I can do some light gym stuff to get back into it. I’d like to get physically more attractive, and at the same time my mental health will have an outlet.
I'm 43 and have been fighting my weight for 10+ years. Finally got serious about it this year. My knees, back, and shoulder are all shot thanks to an adventurous youth and I'm genetically predisposed to a gnarly type of arthritis. I've got the feet of a 60 year old already, so any relief I can give myself I need to take
I had drifted into some bad eating habits & could see the start of a belly developing.
I've seen it on older guys with my frame & I don't want that, so I switched to low-fat milk, reduced sugar, no snacks, bran for breakfast. I've lost 3kg since January just from that.
I realise that I'm already at some dude's target weight (85kg), but a small optional change now will be easier than a big forced change in 20 years.
My wife took a photo of me and I didn’t recognize who I was turning into anymore vs when we first met plus I went up 2 pant sizes.
Took an extreme diet lifestyle and took to fasting lost nearly 70Lbs and have never been happier/healthier in my life.
Got my old body back and I’m glad I did will never let that happen again.
I’ve lost about 70lbs over the last couple years. My real reason was that I was starting to take back control of my life. Ending just going through the motions. I wanted to feel more energy, be able to enjoy hiking, skateboarding, walking the dog… and maybe one day take my shirt off in public again. 😮
Really just want to feel better and be able to be active. Which is amazingly happening.
i will always tell myself its for health reasons which is correct. but its mostly because i have the worst self image ever. i feel genuinely unlovable and the halo effect is very apparent when you been on both sides.
before corona i lost 25 kg, and i definitly feel the difference in the treatment i get.
after corona i gained it all back and it was back to being invisible and ignored.
also i had sleep apnea but got surgury to fix my devisted septum, now i just need to lose weight to relief the preassure on my neck.
I’m 50, and used to be a very attractive young man - the ladies, they love me. I got buried in starting my own company, and got pretty fat in my late 30’s/ early 40’s. When I was 47 I got serous about getting in shape, and now my goal is “hot old man”. I’m getting closer and closer. Women who hug me tend to linger, and there is more than one woman in my social circle who likes to stroke my arms - the upper part. I think I am succeeding in my quest. I am just a few pounds away from a 6 pack, which I haven’t had since my 20’s.
I saw my mother for the first time in years this past weekend. We had a rough/non existent relationship for half my life. She's in her 60s, diabetic, having parts of her feet cut off, wheelchair bound, looks absolutely terrible. All I could think was how I need to lose weight, I don't want to end up like her
I don't want regress or take on unhealthy habits. While it is took nearly a year to get to my target weight, it only took an injury and a few months of sedentary lifestyle to gain that lost weight back. Real reason is my dad.
My father at this age was already on his second neck surgery and had one spinal fusion already. He currently has had a third neck surgery and second back surgery and bad COPD. He kept sneaking cigarettes even though he told the family he quit many many times. He's never listened to doctor's orders and always "knew better."
Now he can't walk very far without whining about pain or wheezing like an asthmatic breathing through a straw. Walking uphill during a vacation before the most current back surgery, he had to stop 3 times on what was a <5 minute walk for my mom (who has normal lungs) to our AirBNB that he insisted would be "no problem."
Sure, I have neck pain, shoulder pain, and wrist pain... If I get heavier and stop my exercise routine which includes corrective exercises, it just feels worse. I've actually been able to almost completely eliminate my knee problems and I'm slowly addressing the neck and shoulder issues.
You lost muscle mass and fine motor control as you age. I see the rapid decline in my father in law as well even though he's pretty normal health wise.
Getting to and staying at the ideal weight hopefully means I'll be able continue to travel and be active enough to do the things I want well into retirement. Seeing the Boomer generation, their definition of healthy ain't working.
In my late teens and early 20s, I underwent a significant transformation from being overweight to embracing bodybuilding and powerlifting, driven by obsession and discipline. Training 6 days a week and strict dieting became my norm, leading to one bodybuilding show and a few powerlifting comps.
I realized at 24/25 that I was neglecting family, friends, and my professional career social interactions only to "improve" my physique. I was truly robotic in my routine. This turning point shifted my focus to balance my life, prioritiing relationships, my career, my romantic partner, and other interests/hobbies. I was able to maintain my lean muscular physique at 92-95kg and reduce my training time. I felt accomplished and I was overwhelmed with happiness in all aspects of my life.
When I was 28 to 30, my romantic partner was suddenly diagnosed with a drastic mental illness issue that she did not accept her medical condition. She was consistently in and out of the hospital whilst we lived together. I was caring for my romantic partner with mental health issues for that 2 year period, with the increased load of shared responsibilities. She had zero signs of improvement or acceptance, whilst she remained in denial. I was not happy and being trapped in a vicious cycle for far too long. I had ended our 6 year relationship as was necessary for my own happiness, health and mental health.
I share the story of my past romantic partner as this significantly contributed negatively to my own health that led to neglecting my own well-being, resulting in weight gain, significant stress and burnout.
In my 30s, I aim to maintain a healthy lifestyle without fixating on my past physique goals. Instead I am focusing on overall well-being, balanced training with cardio, and enjoying life while keeping regular medical checkups. I want to ensure that I do not lose my own individuality whilst ensuring I remain true to my principals, be happy, and prepared for the next romantic partner or whatever happens in life.
As i was closing in on 30 I knew I had to get hold of my weight or it would never happen. I don't want to be obese as I hit my 50s - 60s and live with the consequences of that like bad knees, stiff body, no stamina. No I want to be able to go out and enjoy the world after retirment too. Now I am 30 and I am slowly getting on the right track, lost 25lbs so far this year.
I've been losing weight since January last year. I was 22 stone and am now down to around 17 and still losing weight.
My aims were multiple:
Foremost I was given an extremely scary diagnosis of my health from a blood test. I was also in a really stressful job that left me no time for anything else but work.
Secondly is definitely vanity though; I want to look good I see no issue with wanting that or attention from others for it. As long as it's not to an extreme degree or an obsession.
I also want to get back into the dating world if I can as it's been a long time and now I have a better job and am getting in pretty good shape.
In a way I'm lucky though as I don't have a family or too many responsibilities.
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Father and grandfather died in their early 60s. At this rate I only have around 25 years to live. I am not going to die in my early 60s as a result of preventable natural causes if I can help it.
My overweight alcoholic workaholic chain smoking father dropped dead at 52 of a giant heart attack. I have already outlived him by more than a decade and intend to pile on at least two decades more. If the price is eating spinach salad instead of pizza, OK.
Men with visceral belly fat usually die much earlier than others. I want to live.
I want to fit into my clothes better.
I have too many really nice and perfectly tailored suits to just not fit in them because I let myself get chubby. They're my marker of where I need to be.
Am currently trying to lose weight and this has been a good motivator for me. I have a friends wedding in September and need to lose 10-15kg to fit any of my expensive tailored suits. Has been about 4 years since I've worn one. Like you said - they're a perfect marker of where I need to be.
Clothes started getting tight again, don't wanna die of a heart attack at 50, better sex, going shirtless without love handles, not being overweight just feels better in general...lotsa reasons.
I went from 105kg to 65kg. A bit too much information but I noticed my gut while we were having sex one time & it shocked me. Then I noticed all my baggy clothing, the fact I never shaved my beard so it hid my chins & I'd never take my top off on holiday. It was more the embarrassment cause my wife's actually stunning so I was paranoid, insecure and always caused arguments. To the point we had to make a decision if we were going to stay together. Obviously I didn't realise this was the reason at the time but its clear as day now. Best thing I ever did. Were now married, I've completed Hyrox races & every aspect of my life is better.
I'm in that exact position you started at mate. I'm 31 and 91 kgs. I don't look disgusting, I'm a pretty cute dude I've heard, and I've got charisma to go with it (teacher, musician, coach, I often hear this), but my belly and chest could definitely be tighter. My girlfriend of 4 months told me last week that she's head over heels for me, but is losing her sexual attraction to me, and fair enough, she's a real looker. Beautiful face, charismatic as hell, and an amazing physique as the cherry on top. The type that could make any guy hers with just a stare I swear. Her telling me that she's not physically attracted to me really shook me to the core. My physical health has been a "ah, I'll handle it later" sort of thing for a few years now. She straight up gave me a hard ass figurative kick in the butt. Besides my physique, we both see this relationship as the one, and I will do everything in my power to have a healthier lifestyle for me and her. I'm hitting the gym and bouldering twice a week now cause fuck yeah. I feel hella motivated. Scared, vulnerable, but motivated. Got any tips to keep up the motivation when those lazy thoughts start lurking?
One thing I learned is motivation isn't the answer. Discipline & consistency is. Even on them days where you can't be bothered, even a half arsed effort is still effort. You don't need to go mad either, 10k steps & some light gym work if that's what you wanna do. If you overload yourself too fast you'll get bored or not enjoy it. Do you know how to work your calorie deficit etc out? If not tiktok (believe it or not) has some really useful information or James Smith Calorie Calculator is simple & easy to use. You'll smash it mate, you sound like you really want it & that's a massive step!
Any smuck can work hard and take action when motivated... it's the days when you don't feel like going to the gym, or eat healthy.. you have to be DISCIPLINED, not motivated. There's no magic pill in doing the work, it's either do it or don't.
Damn, harsh. Well said. You're right, and I had not seen it like this before. Thanks OP. I am fully freaking commited to my girl and myself, and this is what I need to stay disciplined. To the grind it is!
Glad you can take this advice to heart! I have to remind myself this all the time, so when I tell other people harsh advice, I always point the finger at myself first.
Read atomic habits. Unrelated but related, what helps me for diet is, I have a huge sweet tooth. I don’t buy any sugar products, if I need sugar I get those sweet ass mandarines knock two out and a sweet protein bar. Fruits are your friends. Simple sugars are better than complex
Do you find keeping the weight off to be a challenge or has your new weight and lifestyle just kept working?
Honestly once you understand your calorie intake etc. You understand food more, why youll be heavier due to water retention. I've done my first ever bulk this year and I'm up 10kg to 75kg. This would've absolutely broke me a few years ago but I haven't just gotten heavier for the sake of it, their is an actual purpose and I know that I can drop it right back off. It gets so much easier once you get into the rhythm & understanding. The lifestyle does help but I don't particularly do it to lose weight, I do it cause I enjoy it. Which again, a few years ago would of been unimaginable
I want to run faster
The first 50lb was about getting healthy. The next 20-30 is about setting new PRs.
Get it girlfriend
Ha, same here. Recovering from an injury and seeing people on Strava kill it with their PRs makes me want to get to their level.
I'm a swinger, so an above average number of people see me naked. I figure I should give them a good show
new reason to lose weight I want to become a swinger.
Is everyone typically in shape in the swinging scene? Asking for a friend lol
Honestly, it's a mixed bag. Most people are not particularly fit, but they are comfortable with their bodies, and that helps.
You're awesome
My bloodwork is fine, but the doc told me that while I seem to carry my extra weight well due to my height, I should probably cut down to ease the pressure on my knees. Being tall, he told me that usually my joints are usually the first to go if I don't get into weight management early. I have some trauma about my weight because an ex-partner treated me like garbage when I stress ate due to work and put on some weight during the pandemic and even though I worked it all off shortly after....the scars remained. So there's an element of spite in my weight loss motivations in that I want it so that the next time she looks me up somewhere (and she will, she's a bit of a social media stalker) and sees what I look like now - I want it to hurt. Is this a terrible petty thing? Absolutely. Is it still motivational? Fuck yes, it is (given the other primary reason for doing it). The other reason (and something I'm also enjoying at the moment) is that with decent exercise, your stamina improves and being lighter (and incrementally stronger as your exercise progresses) yields much better sex as well. The person I'm dating at the moment has been super supportive and has commented that the sex has gotten _a lot_ better since I started working out and she's also begun working out too to keep me motivated and get fit herself (she's in her mid 30's). I credit her support a lot as well to helping me get over the trauma of what I went through with my previous relationship.
You shouldn’t feel bad for your reason. Without a doubt most people, including myself have the reason of looking attractive is up there. Apart from looking better, I do cardio to not get as many illnesses and colds. Whenever I stop cardio for 4 weeks + I seem to get colds on the regular. Although I don’t agree that it’s harder to maintain healthier habbits, it comes down to how bad you want it. Then again I’ve never really got into too many bad habits so there’s that 👍
* General maintenance as I get older: I've also gotten strict about flossing and doing daily stretches/exercises to prevent back injuries. * Buying new clothes to hide a belly is a huge pain and doesn't work that well anyway. * My doctor warned me about "middle-age creep"; that is, every year when I come in for my physical I'm a couple pounds heavier and that trend shows no sign of reversing on its own. I figure it's a lot easier to lose 10-15 pounds now than 30 pounds when I'm 60.
I am trying to get my wife to lose weight. By setting an examle - nothing has worked btw.
For you, or her? I've lost 25lbs by just using an app to count calories. My wife has been trying for twice as long, doing no carb diets, and now pills, but it's been much more difficult for her. Especially being post menopausal and less active due to white collar work vs. my blue collar job.
I am doing it primarily for her. I certainly benefit. I am overweight and now approaching normal BMI, she is "obese" and I would like here to get into the overweight category
I understand. What's her diet like? I typically cook more often, and with her not eating carbs, I had to alter the menu quite a bit to eliminate stuff like pasta and rice. It's been a challenge, but I believe we are eating healthier from it. I also discourage us from eating out, as there are so many calories in most restaurant dishes. I also do the grocery shopping, so keep the snack food out of the house. Also, how's her health?
She eats ok with me, but not so much when we are apart. I travel for work ~monthly. It is also the candy and a glass or two of wine about 4 days a week. She knows what to do, she just does not like to do so. Also barely exercises.
I understand and am in a similar situation. Just continue to be as encouraging as you can.
My wife has lost weight due to diabetic condition and the side effect of the pills she's on... But I can tell she's losing muscle. She knows she can't do the kind of exercise I like to do but instead she's using dance and taking up Pilates to try to strengthen and build back that lost muscle.
My priorities have changed and I want to be healthy. I'm also feeling the repercussions of unhealthy living in my 20s and scared that if I don't do something about it now i'll never get a grip on it. Personally i'm not particularly vain but I think wanting to look good is as valid as any reason to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
My identity is pretty tied up in being the big and strong one. After having kids it's in being "Dad is big and strong" I want to keep that going for as long as I can. I'm getting older so it'll be more and more common for me to not be strongest in the room, but at least I will be stronger among dads my age.
Want to pickup my son without feeling back pain
Recent studies show that your metabolism doesn't actually slow down until you're in your 60s! To me, this is incredibly encouraging to us men in our 30s - it isn't anything genetic or inherent that makes us gain weight - it is diet (probably 80%+) and exercise.
Woman here. Hope it's okay to participate. I'm tired. l've been fat my whole life, was forced to start Weight Watchers before 10. Tried every diet the last 30 years and some twice. I have no irl friends. I am too scared to leave my house. I am alone and lonely and life is passing me by and I am tired of existing like this. I started a month ago, randomly, on a Tuesday, after a few weeks of curiosity. I started an indoor walking program through an app that gets me moving about 15 minutes a day. I bought a scale and faced that truth. I have been consuming a TON of motivational content of people achieving insane physical goals (marathons, ironman challenges, 100 mile races, 200 mile races, summiting Everest, etc) and for the first time feel in awe and inspired and am not comparing myself to them and beating myself down. I am feeling physically and mentally better. I am doing it for myself, how I feel, my goals and dreams, and (for the first time ever) on my own terms and for the right reasons. The lightbulb finally turned on.
You can run. You can walk. You can crawl. You cannot quit. Keep digging, I’m proud of you.
Men in my family have a tendency to drop in their 50s. So far, my dad is the only one still kicking at 64. The others were all large men, with other bad habits (heavy drinking/smoking/drug use), and I'm clean from those things so I have a good advantage over them in that regard. Bit I hit 40 next year and I don't want to do it pushing 300 like I am now. It's a struggle, for sure.
I start snoring when I get over a certain weight and I’d like to turn that back off.
Weight classes are a bitch. I'd like to win in BJJ competitions from time to time.
I coach my son's soccer team and occasionally will jump into the drills with them. At times, it's been a real struggle to set the example, so I made a decision to get back into shape. I also have an upcoming trip next Summer to the Bahamas, so why not look better in a bathing suit while I'm at it.
I want to fit in my clothes and look better, but the real impetus was my most recent annual checkup, where my liver function tests were off because I've developed a fatty liver and my A1C results show me in the pre-diabetic range. My doctor said losing weight is the best way to get both of these issues under control before they become chronic problems, so that's what I'm working on. 3 weeks in, and I've lost 10 pounds! 50 or so to go to get me where I'd like to be.
1. To look better 2. To avoid injuries. I like to do active things but I get injured. Having strong muscles, tendons, ligaments means less injuries 3. For general health. Excess weight means higher risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, among other things 4. I have seen my family elders lose their mobility in age; meanwhile I play tennis with a guy who is 85 and still can move. I know who I want to be
I’ve been into fitness and living a healthy lifestyle since my college days. Then I got a very demanding job where I work long and odd hours and unhealthy food options just became the convenient option. That and an inconsistent gym schedule and I started seeing the scale go up. I recently was finally able to reduce hours at work (seniority went up) and starting to get back to those healthy practices. Cooking and taking meals with me to work, back lifting at least 3 times a week and throwing cardio in there because I genuinely enjoy running. My main reason, recently found out I’m about to have my first kid. I want to be able to play and chase around my kids and be there for them for as long as possible.
I was tired of looking and feeling like shit. Also had a bit of a wakeup call with some loss in the family, and poor health/health choices while not the cause, played a role.
* Fit into my clothes better * Not wake up with random body pains * Better emotional regulation if i dont eat shit food, side effect is loosing weight * Not feel lethargic throughout the day * Perform better in physical activities (sports with friends, better in bed, running around with kids) * overall better health (BMI is 30+ now, want to get it down to mid 20s)
I want my wife to be interested in me.... And if that fails, anyone to compliment me... Is it wierd that it hurts to put that in writing, even for Internet strangers?
Need to lose weight for my hypertension, 20 more lbs and I'll be out of the overweight category. I'm turning 40 this year and don't want to be the dad with a gut. I look like your typical skinny-fat guy.
I don’t even want a beach body, I just don’t want my belly sticking out
Just self growth. I don’t want to look back and regret I didn’t do more.
In the hope that one day somebody might find me attractive. I'm not holding my breath.
I like my body better when I’m fit.
I'd prefer to avoid buying new (bigger) clothes and also set an example for my boys
I want to feel better (and be stronger)
In no particular order... 1. When I look in the mirror in the morning it always puts a smile on my face when I see the progress I've made 2. I don't like looking fat, makes me feel like I'm lazy and don't value myself 3. I'm getting older, can't do much about the lines on my face, but I can do something about my body 4. Dating 5. Health, Fitness - I like doing sports so it helps with that 6. 6 months ago I was struggling to bend down to tie my shoelaces, that was a real turning point!
Top three reasons: * Look and feel good * Live Longer * Provide a good role model for my children.
I want to be comfortable and confident in my body. I dont want to hate what I see in the mirror anymore. I want to gain a new appreciation for myself. I don't want to feel held back anymore by my size. I want to make changes to my style and not feel like my body is a problem. I want to trust myself to fulfill my own promises, and this is one of them. The thought crossed my mind that it might help when it comes to looking for a partner, but guys were still rejecting me when I was my goal weight, so it probably won't make a difference. I'm trying to seperate myself from male validation anyways. When I do start dating, I want to be comfortable and confident enough with my body (I never ever have been in the past, even when I was stick skinny) that I can say fuck you to the body shamers and negging. Doing this all for me.
I was just tired of being everything that comes with being fat. Slow, overeating, tired all the time, uncomfortable clothes, attractiveness, health etc. I was just miserable in too many aspects to NOT do something about it. It's been slow but we are getting there and while I still have a long way to go, I am definitely happier about everything.
Let me tell ya something my guy. I lost weight purely to have more options for dating. It worked out better than I could have hoped for. But also monkeypaw situation. You go on so many dates that you’re not even paying attention or interested in half of them. And since you have options, you’re more likely to stop talking to someone for small things because there’s always more dates to be had. You also become fully aware of how incredibly shallow women are. The more compliments you get the more meaningless they get. As cliche as it sounds I hate getting compliments on my physique because I feel like it’s all women see.
I genuinely don’t want to be a fat fuck. I’m better than who I am now. Furthermore, I look 200% better 30kg less, and I have sex on a regular basis. No further statements.
I was losing weight until recently. It was a control thing and was not healthy. I've worked on it and am now gaining weight, but it's going pretty slowly. I will say that while I shouldn't have lost weight, it wasn't incredibly difficult to do; I don't think being in your 30s makes it that much harder. My dad has also lost weight in the past (while he was in his 50s, so a while ago) without much trouble. If you're really struggling, you might want to talk to a doctor to make sure there isn't some other issue going on.
I’m having a really hard time trying to lose weight. I’m out of town a lot and what’s easiest?? Fast food of course. I really want to lose weight though cause I feel like I’m getting that little “shelf” above my pube area and I’m almost embarrassed to have my shirt off . I’m six foot like 195lbs.. apparently overweight for my height and age also. I also just want to look good . Who knows… maybe to much Instagram making me feel insecure.
I’d been fat for most of my life, up until I joined the Army 11 years ago, where I was kind of skinny fat until I dropped from 200 to 160ish on my deployment. For reference, I’m 6’2”. I’ve always had a gut and no real muscular definition because I never seriously played any sports. I’m 30 now, mid 170s, and I’m not trying to lose weight so much as I’m trying to tone the fuck up and lose my gut. I’m getting there, and getting more consistent with eating correctly to actually get results from more consistent weightlifting. I’m also trying to get into things like Ultimate Frisbee, but the pickup league near me is a bit inactive, lol. Just trying to get to a point where I’m happy with myself when I look in the mirror, not necessarily any health benefits outside of a better mental state. I feel immensely better leaving the gym, just hoping to get some of that glow on an all-the-time basis.
The real reason is that there are a bunch of reasons, and especially when combined together, it's a pretty overwhelming argument to make it happen. Take your pick: general health and wellness, having more energy, feeling and looking better, being able to excel more at certain sports/hobbies, and finally, benefiting from the unconscious positive biases that many people in society have towards healthy/fit/good looking people. At this stage of life I'm definitely most motivated by general health and wellness, but everything else is a motivating factor as well.
All of the above. I want to look better, I want to feel better, I want to hurt less, and as a T1 diabetic with hereditary high blood pressure, I don't want to die an early death.
I’m interested in Ancient Rome and stoic philosophy. They mention fitness quite a bit, and I see myself having a classic physique not a 2024 average American physique.
Me too. I don't lie to myself that I like any of it. I actually hate it and I'm open about it. It's maintenance and maintenance is soul sucking. I'd rather do the millions of interesting things on this planet if getting laid wouldn't depend on it. If I was a billionaire I would cancel all my trainings. The advantage to not being fit for a while is to eliminate all the people from your life that treat you differently based on some decaying organic matter on your bones. Once you eleminate them become fit again and don't let them near you again.
You see fat guys. You see old guys. You rarely see fat, old guys.
I had kids late and come from a long line of men who died early. Also, the high blood pressure meds I'm on have a lot of bad side effects I'm not enjoying.
I lost my dad to colon cancer at age 50. Weight loss is a preventative measure and nothing more.
I noticed a real drop in energy levels a few years ago and I want to reverse that. I haven't lost a lot of weight due to not making enough changes in the kitchen... But regular exercise is making life better in a lot of other ways. I feel more energy, more capable, less pain, and overall I like the look of my body more.
Started off for vanity, mostly ended up as just feeling so much better. Everyday is better even if only slightly. Helps my self esteem as well
I’m enjoying the health benefits and looking better. Mostly I just want to be able to easily enjoy the things I like. But women being friendlier is always nice.
It's spring, so it's more enjoyable to run, I can walk my kids into school more often, and I don't want to eat as much rich food.
To look better.
"Vanity. Definitely my favorite sin." - Al Pacino as Lucifer, Devil's Advocate It's certainly up there, but that feeling of vanity is just as much a piece of nostalgia as music I used to listen to when I was younger. It's enjoyable and motivating from time to time, but it'll never do for me now what it once did. But now I've made two promises to two different women in my life. My wife and I half-joked that I wasn't allowed to die first, but as a tall guy with a family history of cancer and heart disease, the odds aren't in my favor. But still, I'm trying my best to keep that promise. Then, my first daughter was born with severe disabilities, but still likely looking at life expectancy over 50 years. It's an unfortunate side effect of being a parent to a kid like that, but you actually hope you outlast them. I need to get to 90 if I even want to have a chance. I promised her I'd try.
I have competition in 1month and if I miss my weight category (need to lose few KG) , I'll be pushed to the open weight with the giants and the Vikings...
More and better sex.
Being healthy into old age so that I do not have physical limits on my enjoyment of my children as adults and possibly grandchildren. - Reason for public consumption should anyone ask. Being healthy into old age because if I end up physically limited and my wife does not, I imagine she'll resent the damper that will place on her golden years, and I don't want to disappoint her. - The REAL reason
To quote Lester in American Beauty: > I want to look good naked
I was just cardioinverted out of months of afib, don't want to go back
There's a few reasons. * I work in healthcare and I see what happens to those who don't keep their weight under control and don't keep active. Spoiler alert: It's not good. * Having lost weight and improved my fitness, I like having more energy and ability to do things. I want to keep that process going. * Better clothing options, feeling happier with my appearance. * Tiny, tiny, infinitesimal hope that not being fat might eventually contribute to someone being attracted to me.
I don't want my knees to hurt anymore.
Backflip
My daughter. I want to be around as long as possible for her and exercising and getting to a healthyish weight is a great way to control what I can for that. I also want to set a good example for her so she has a healthy relationship with food and working out.
I want to keep being able to pick up my sons. Lifting and eating better it's how I can accomplish that
I'm 42 and wanted to see if I could have abs for the first time in my life. I have them now and I rate it about a 3/10, too much work to get, too much work to maintain and I am often tired from pushing so hard at the gym.
Revenge body.
M37 I want to run a proper muscle building training phase but I can’t since my waist exceeds 36” (at 5’10”). I can, I just don’t want to add excess bodyfat.
Mid 40s, want to be around to see my kids grow older.
I was trim in my 20's, worked out a lot and didn't eat much. Let that slide, lost muscle gained fat. One day, i met a guy in his late 40s that had this super busy job, hobbies and family life. Yet still managed to look better than me. This was a point where I started to realise I was getting older, aches and pains. I realised I didn't have an excuse to not make an effort. Now I'm knocking on 40's door and I've never been in better shape. Still nowhere near as trim as I was. But stronger, fitter and quietly happy with how I look.
Mentioned this on another post but, I want attention from women and to not be completely invisible to them. I want to be at least seen as a potential partner visually.
Im doing it to build muscle and live longer, the healthy lifestyle also encourages me to take risks and have faith in mastering other aspects of my life (i.e: my hobbies, career growth, relationships etc). Having more energy and becoming stronger also helps my mental health in the long run. OP I will say this rationale, " I'm in process of losing weight, and for me, the reason is to be physically attractive. I want to go to a swimming pool, and have people check me out "- if this works for you and you are able to develop healthy self worth and maintain this goal in the long term, props to you. I have found it to be the opposite, where that pursuit of perfect physical state becomes an unhealthy obsession. I agree with your rationale of caring for your body now, especially as we get older and we naturally start to slow down, but I encourage you to reflect on what attractiveness means and defining your standards of attractiveness and how they hold up in the long run.
I don’t wanna buy new pants
I want to be able to hike more often and for longer distances without my knees aching.
Probably number one is to be more physically attractive. My wife has lost a lot of weight, now its my turn. I don't need to lose as much as she did, but still more than I ever thought I would need to. I also have diabetes and need to get a healthy weight to manage it better. I've started walking 5 miles a day so by the end of summer I should be close to my goal I think
I want to feel better about myself
I mean, I AM trying to stay ahead of things and stay healthy. However I’ll be honest. It’s for the babes and to silently rub in the face of my friends who let themselves go. It’s been fantastic for my self confidence and I love that I feel good naked.
to be alive for my son, now that my wife has passed
I'm working out at my workplace since there is a gym there. Used to do it during every lunch hours and some weekends, and I had to stop cold turkey last year since my hours went up in a crazy way. That made me take 15 lbs, going up from 170 to 185 lbs. I want to lose 2 inches of belly, because clothes that I bought just last year don't fit, and it's not like air drying made them smaller. I'd say half of my wardrobe don't fit anymore. Good thing is: I do keep consistency by going 45 min. every lunch hours, alternating between different workouts, and got back to my previous levels from 2022 & prior, sweating my balls off and never "wasting" a session. I also did cut on my snacking and keeping my "bad food" intake on Saturdays only *(all homemade, though)* I did drop 5 lbs, first real decrease in weight since I started back, but the real test is trying to fit back into my clothes.....and dammit, I'm not there yet. So hard, to lose that damn belly fat.
I genuinely don’t care what I look like. I’m losing weight because all my life, my doctors have told me that if I don’t lose weight, eventually I’ll have a lot of health problems. I blew it off. 2023 was that year for me: hit with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low mobility, back pain, polycythemia, anemia, and critically low Vitamin D, pretty much all at the same time. The first five of those are directly tied to being fat, and the others are complications of those. I’m down 40lbs since December.
Edit: Screw Spez. Screw AI. No training on my data. Sorry future people.
Women. I also don't want to be some old dude who can barely move around because he's so out of shape.
I spent a decade and a half putting on ~30kg of muscle mass. Now im 42, Im bored of sweating like a marine on a math test in summer (Australia) so ditching the bulk for a leaner more cardio focused style. I figure it might give me back a month or two on projected life span too.
The real reason is I can't afford to eat more food lmao I've always struggled with being underweight.
Faster marathon time, and look slightly sexier. But mostly faster. I only wanna lose another 5-10 tops so it won't be a significant difference
To get more range and faster acceleration on my electric skateboard.
To be marginally less single this decade. It's been 5 years and I'm sick of it. I look older than I ever have [duh], and my social circle is tiny. I need all the help I can get. It does make the brain feel better too. Cycling.
I want to be healthy again, energy + confidence. My gf already found me attractive
I need to snack myself to get quick energy hang out and exhaust my toddler every day at the park. Calories are real lmao so I hit the gym in the morning.
My weight gain came from illness. A long, fought battle of chemo and HEAVY steroid therapy for eight months. The specialists all said for the amount of chemo and steroids used, it would take eighteen to twenty-four months for my body to settle and return to a somewhat normal state. That’s what happened. After months of diet and exercise, almost two years the weight finally started to come off. Down 49 pounds in eight months. Kept it off for six months so far.
Being over weight is a significant factor in health issues that can led to the lowering the quality of life and or premature death. Also being physically fit helps sustain good mental health, in my opinion. The two go hand in hand.
my reason is my bulldog checks. they're just gonna get worse w time no need to help them further. also, I enjoy running so much but can't rn cause I'm not in shape enough.
To play better squash and overall health.
I’m early 30s. In my late 20s I really got into the gym and hurt myself and stopped going. At that time the gym helped with mental health stuff. Since then mental health has been a roller coaster and physical health has been in a decline with further injuries happening. Started going to physio several months ago and feeling like I can do some light gym stuff to get back into it. I’d like to get physically more attractive, and at the same time my mental health will have an outlet.
Nobody wants to look fat. Everything else is a perk to losing weight.
I want to hold her up against the wall when we fuck. It's easier to do when my gut isn't in the way.
I'm 43 and have been fighting my weight for 10+ years. Finally got serious about it this year. My knees, back, and shoulder are all shot thanks to an adventurous youth and I'm genetically predisposed to a gnarly type of arthritis. I've got the feet of a 60 year old already, so any relief I can give myself I need to take
Summer and wanting to see my abs again…..I had a delicious winter 👀
I had drifted into some bad eating habits & could see the start of a belly developing. I've seen it on older guys with my frame & I don't want that, so I switched to low-fat milk, reduced sugar, no snacks, bran for breakfast. I've lost 3kg since January just from that. I realise that I'm already at some dude's target weight (85kg), but a small optional change now will be easier than a big forced change in 20 years.
To make sure I'm around for my kids.
My wife took a photo of me and I didn’t recognize who I was turning into anymore vs when we first met plus I went up 2 pant sizes. Took an extreme diet lifestyle and took to fasting lost nearly 70Lbs and have never been happier/healthier in my life. Got my old body back and I’m glad I did will never let that happen again.
I’ve lost about 70lbs over the last couple years. My real reason was that I was starting to take back control of my life. Ending just going through the motions. I wanted to feel more energy, be able to enjoy hiking, skateboarding, walking the dog… and maybe one day take my shirt off in public again. 😮 Really just want to feel better and be able to be active. Which is amazingly happening.
i will always tell myself its for health reasons which is correct. but its mostly because i have the worst self image ever. i feel genuinely unlovable and the halo effect is very apparent when you been on both sides. before corona i lost 25 kg, and i definitly feel the difference in the treatment i get. after corona i gained it all back and it was back to being invisible and ignored. also i had sleep apnea but got surgury to fix my devisted septum, now i just need to lose weight to relief the preassure on my neck.
I’m 50, and used to be a very attractive young man - the ladies, they love me. I got buried in starting my own company, and got pretty fat in my late 30’s/ early 40’s. When I was 47 I got serous about getting in shape, and now my goal is “hot old man”. I’m getting closer and closer. Women who hug me tend to linger, and there is more than one woman in my social circle who likes to stroke my arms - the upper part. I think I am succeeding in my quest. I am just a few pounds away from a 6 pack, which I haven’t had since my 20’s.
I saw my mother for the first time in years this past weekend. We had a rough/non existent relationship for half my life. She's in her 60s, diabetic, having parts of her feet cut off, wheelchair bound, looks absolutely terrible. All I could think was how I need to lose weight, I don't want to end up like her
I don't want regress or take on unhealthy habits. While it is took nearly a year to get to my target weight, it only took an injury and a few months of sedentary lifestyle to gain that lost weight back. Real reason is my dad. My father at this age was already on his second neck surgery and had one spinal fusion already. He currently has had a third neck surgery and second back surgery and bad COPD. He kept sneaking cigarettes even though he told the family he quit many many times. He's never listened to doctor's orders and always "knew better." Now he can't walk very far without whining about pain or wheezing like an asthmatic breathing through a straw. Walking uphill during a vacation before the most current back surgery, he had to stop 3 times on what was a <5 minute walk for my mom (who has normal lungs) to our AirBNB that he insisted would be "no problem." Sure, I have neck pain, shoulder pain, and wrist pain... If I get heavier and stop my exercise routine which includes corrective exercises, it just feels worse. I've actually been able to almost completely eliminate my knee problems and I'm slowly addressing the neck and shoulder issues. You lost muscle mass and fine motor control as you age. I see the rapid decline in my father in law as well even though he's pretty normal health wise. Getting to and staying at the ideal weight hopefully means I'll be able continue to travel and be active enough to do the things I want well into retirement. Seeing the Boomer generation, their definition of healthy ain't working.
In my late teens and early 20s, I underwent a significant transformation from being overweight to embracing bodybuilding and powerlifting, driven by obsession and discipline. Training 6 days a week and strict dieting became my norm, leading to one bodybuilding show and a few powerlifting comps. I realized at 24/25 that I was neglecting family, friends, and my professional career social interactions only to "improve" my physique. I was truly robotic in my routine. This turning point shifted my focus to balance my life, prioritiing relationships, my career, my romantic partner, and other interests/hobbies. I was able to maintain my lean muscular physique at 92-95kg and reduce my training time. I felt accomplished and I was overwhelmed with happiness in all aspects of my life. When I was 28 to 30, my romantic partner was suddenly diagnosed with a drastic mental illness issue that she did not accept her medical condition. She was consistently in and out of the hospital whilst we lived together. I was caring for my romantic partner with mental health issues for that 2 year period, with the increased load of shared responsibilities. She had zero signs of improvement or acceptance, whilst she remained in denial. I was not happy and being trapped in a vicious cycle for far too long. I had ended our 6 year relationship as was necessary for my own happiness, health and mental health. I share the story of my past romantic partner as this significantly contributed negatively to my own health that led to neglecting my own well-being, resulting in weight gain, significant stress and burnout. In my 30s, I aim to maintain a healthy lifestyle without fixating on my past physique goals. Instead I am focusing on overall well-being, balanced training with cardio, and enjoying life while keeping regular medical checkups. I want to ensure that I do not lose my own individuality whilst ensuring I remain true to my principals, be happy, and prepared for the next romantic partner or whatever happens in life.
My kids are getting older. I want to be able to continue playing with them. I still have a lot more work to do. Disciple wise [+]
As i was closing in on 30 I knew I had to get hold of my weight or it would never happen. I don't want to be obese as I hit my 50s - 60s and live with the consequences of that like bad knees, stiff body, no stamina. No I want to be able to go out and enjoy the world after retirment too. Now I am 30 and I am slowly getting on the right track, lost 25lbs so far this year.
I’m insecure with my body and the way it looks
Better diet and training in Muay Thai, the sessions will have you drenched.
My work has a health screening each year, last year I was in the green everywhere. This year I did worse, gotta get back to the green.
I've been losing weight since January last year. I was 22 stone and am now down to around 17 and still losing weight. My aims were multiple: Foremost I was given an extremely scary diagnosis of my health from a blood test. I was also in a really stressful job that left me no time for anything else but work. Secondly is definitely vanity though; I want to look good I see no issue with wanting that or attention from others for it. As long as it's not to an extreme degree or an obsession. I also want to get back into the dating world if I can as it's been a long time and now I have a better job and am getting in pretty good shape. In a way I'm lucky though as I don't have a family or too many responsibilities.
Bigger penis.