What made you finally commit to dieting/exercising?

[Endlessdark]

Just wondering what your turning point was. I’m about 10kg over my ideal weight (60kg) (or 15kg if you consider what I was prechildren). I cannot seem to motivate myself to start. I think summer holidays with two small children (5 yo dd and 1yo dd) on my own makes it really difficult. Although I do walk a lot and am fairly active with them my weight still doesn’t shift due to mostly living off a diet of biscuits and toast. I’ve got an appointment to check my thyroid on Wednesday as it was previously within normal ranges (2.37) however google tells me this can still be symptomatic of hypothyroidism?! I’m seriously suffering with painful joints and lack of energy which I guess could be linked to either the thyroid or weight gain (although I’m just within healthy bmi range of weight for my height!) Just feel so bloody miserably. I’m only 30 and feel so much older! Doesn’t help that I’m up multiple times per night with both DDs still! Please tell me the secret to your motivation!

Mine was not finding knee high boots that would go over my huge calves ( this was before wide fitting knee highs), being out of breath walking up stairs also clothing just didn’t look or feel right on me. I was a size 18 and now I’m an 8-10.

I do honestly believe there is something small and insignificant that triggers you to make changes and the boots was that final straw for me! I had a full melt down in M&S and that following day joined a gym and started eating correctly and healthily, I’ve never looked back.

I haven't ever dieted but I finally committed to exercise at 48.

I had ds at 45 and realised that if I was going to keep up and not lumber him with an 'old mum' I needed to do something, so I took up running.

By the time he started school I could run 5k and can now run 10k comfortably.

He can now out-ski and out-cycle me but I can still outrun him - just. He's 15 & I'm 60 🙂

I have zero motivation. ZERO.
But I read something that said "if you don't have motivation you have to have discipline". So I worked on being more disciplined.
For me the only thing that worked was intermittent fasting - if I knew I couldn't eat during certain hours I was more likely to stick to it. I used an app that helped me keep track of my fasting hours. Because if I did a 'eat sensibly' diet then I would have a healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, snack snack snack then dinner and snack snack again. I had to be strict. Then the motivation finally came when I noticed my stomach being less bloated, my clothes feeling better and so I was motivated to carry on because I wanted to keep it up.
I'm still not at my ideal weight but I'm getting there, it's not easy is it!

I was feeling tired and I'm overweight. I got tested for thyroid and pcos and everything came back clear.

What's working for me (ongoing, not at goal weight, but 7 pounds down) is more thoughtful eating, increased protein, less sugar, less caffeine, making exercise a consistent part of my routine and making sure I get to bed by no later than 11 pm.

I'm not saying don't get tested, but if you know you're eating loads of toast and biscuits, maybe that could be behind things.

And for me, it was the looming big 30

Having to take my in laws to various out patient appointments at the hospital. So many were early, involved not eating, endless blood tests, waiting around for ages to be seen, procedures being cancelled at the last minute time and again.

I realised how important is is to do as much as you can to stay fit and healthy because the alternative is having to rely on the NHS, and that ain't pretty (and that was 20 years ago! It's even worse now).

Trying on a size 18 dress and finding it too tight. I’m now losing weight fast with cycling, wild swimming and calorie counting. Size 16, aiming for size 12 by Christmas.

I just felt blobby, I got to a couple of lbs under the overweight catagorie after being slim all my life. Worked out how many calories I needed (about 1400) and tracked for a few months. Paid for a year's beachbody subscription so doing workouts most days. Lost a stone and now a happy size 10

Having a baby and then wrecking my knee meant losing baby weight became really difficult but I hit a wall and was really unhappy.
I'm due surgery on my knee in a few weeks which will make exercise a bit easier after recovery but I've lost nearly 2 stone now just by altering my diet - and I really mean just my diet - I can't do anything more than walk the dog at the minute because of my knee.

Hitting my mid-40s and finally finding a form of exercise that fitted round my life and I LOVE so it isn't a chore - I got a peloton.

The healthier eating has kind of slotted in from there. I am amazed by how much better I feel for being fitter.

Treating myself to new jeans and I couldn't get into my 'insurance' size. I reckon I've got about a stone and a half to lose (of that I think I'm about half way there) but my diet had slipped so much and I felt shit.

You can't wait around for motivation, it doesn't just turn up. I'd say having children is a massive push, surely you want to set a good example and be as healthy as you can for their future. Focus on making cooking and eating healthy food enjoyable as a family, all eating together where possible, getting kids involved in cooking. And find some exercise you genuinely enjoy, and book it in advance so you are committed to going.

I have a gym membership but my Dh works ridiculously long hours and travels a lot, so I find anytime I’m consistent for 2-3 weeks, he goes away for a month and then I’m back to square one! I did do intermittent fasting for a period, maybe it’s time to go back to that. What periods do you all fast? 16/8 or 18/6?

Finding an exercise I liked.

I was that kid who fakes notes to get out of PE, I have never done any kind of sport, hate swimming etc etc

Then at 31 I got together with my now husband who was a runner. I was always the person who was like 'ha ha I don't even run for the bus!', but I wanted to get in shape for our wedding and he encouraged me to do couch to 5k. I LOVED it. I lost 18lb without even trying and it has stayed off since.

I don't know what it was really, but it just clicked - the freedom to just stick on my trainers and go anywhere at any time, for ten minutes or two hours. To put on banging tunes or a podcast or just listen to nature, I loved it all. Ten years later I've carried on running through having three children and an autoimmune disease, I've done loads of 10k races and parkruns and three half marathons. I will do a marathon one day.

It was the only thing that worked, I can't do diets but I run 3-4 times a week and that keeps me in ok shape, I couldn't live without it.

So I say, anyone can find an exercise they love - it might be fencing or rock climbing or something obscure but there will be something and you will stick to it because you love it. Try everything, you only get one life and one body, so find something it loves .

I looked in the mirror and saw this looking back

I think I found my why at the weekend.

We went to a wedding and as I put my bracelet on I (to my horror) found out that not only had I put weight on my arse and stomach, but my wrists to - both of them. My wrist looked like a joint of gammon 🙄. I'm away this weekend, but next week I really need to address this situation.

I saw the bus I wanted, coming down the road and about 200m away, so I ran for it. I was only 25, and by the time I got to the bus stop - having barely made it in time - I was puffing and panting away like a emphysemic old woman. It really shocked me, I wasn’t even especially huge and had allowed myself to fall into the “it’s normal for women to be a bit curvy” trap of convincing myself that my rolls were curves. I felt really embarrassed that people saw me puffing like that and didn’t want it to happen again. Started going to the gym and stopped “treating” myself with crap food because I felt like I deserved treats for everything I did, like some kind of dog.

I absolutely and steadfastly refuse to give in. I’m almost 44 and in the best shape of my life. I feel so much better when I’m strong, lean, eating well, getting enough sleep and fresh air. That’s all the motivation I need. Absolutely agree with discipline! Something many lack, and needs to be worked on like anything else.

The way I looked in photos, and the fact I can’t get my rings off and haven’t been able to do so for years. Really hope I’ll be able to do so soon.

@ComtesseDeSpair im exactly the same with treats!! It’s terrible. Anytime I have a rough parenting day (let’s be honest during the summer holidays that’s most days!) i end up gorging on a packet of biscuits and tell myself it’s ok because I haven’t eaten anything else that day 🙈

When I stood on the scales and saw I was 10st 10lbs. I weighted exactly 11 stone the morning my son was born and I swore I'd never see that weight again. I'm now holding at 9 St 7lbs. I am only 5ft 5, so weight really shows on me. I've never dieter, I adore chocolate, but I quit alcohol completely and I walk 20,000 steps per day.

Realising I couldn’t get into my summer clothes and just thinking “oh well, I’m getting older, I will put weight on, it’s natural”, ordering stuff in the next size up and THOSE being too tight…that was when I tipped from “this is fine and normal” to “oh no!”. Took my measurements and was horrified. Started calorie counting, intermittant fasting and exercise and have lost over a stone in two months! Now the new stuff I bought is too big and I can get back into the old ones.

For me it was actually DH having a health scare and discovering he had high cholesterol, cue diet change and paying more attention to what's actually in food. I've lost a stone and my blood pressure had gone down to comfortably in healthy range. I've also started cycling to work, it's only two days a week but I'm much more consistent with that than I ever managed to be with the gym! I feel less sluggish, especially pleased with trimmer waist line. I'm 55 and never officially overweight but was definitely flabby and lumpy.

I started running to keep a friend company then joined a club so we'd have people to run with after dark. I found that I loved the running, loved the social aspect and loved feeling strong.

Once I'd got the exercise bug, the right nutrition was important to help my performance. It turned out that was a much better motivator than wanting to look good in jeans or even abstract "good health".

The joint pain could well be inflammation caused by eating a poor diet of biscuits and toast. Would a pain free more energy than you’ve ever had feeling be enough motivation? We only get one life, might as well feel as good as possible for as long as possible! It’s doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Start with making sure you have a high protein breakfast plus a couple of pieces of fruit then once that’s established think about changing your lunch, then your dinner, then your snacks. You’ll find once your eating proper meals you’ll automatically snack less.