What was your spark of motivation?

[jeffstarke]

You know, the moment when you realized that you had to make a change in your life instead of just ignoring it and waiting for whatever to happen?

For me, it was realizing that I weighed a quarter of a ton. It kind of hit me like a pound of bricks (which would probably also weigh ~500 pounds), and it made me realize that if I kept on ignoring this stuff, I'd get to a point where I wouldn't be able to do anything about it, even if I wanted to.

[Bunk]

I was disgusted with my weight/appearance for a while. Finding this site and the "Saint" article (which lead me to the paleo diet) really helped get me moving in the right direction. But if I had to pick one thing that motivated me the most, it was taking shirtless "before" photos. Pulling those up every time I felt like skipping a workout worked wonders.

[tonic]

The big spark for me was realizing that I wasn't who I wanted to be. I started to compare myself to the person I wanted to be in my head and it wasn't a good picture. I really began to think about how if I didn't change things how far gone was I going to be in five years when I want to have kids. Not to mention the health of my family members hasn't been the best and I didn't want that for myself.

From there I decided it was time to change things. I did good for about 9 months, then things got back out of hand, then I decided to drastically change my life. Now, I am here with you fine folk, doing things I never thought of.

[Barmacral]

For me there hasn't been any one spark, I've just had a growing interest in fitness and in being badass. This site was a great find for me because it helps provide the motivation and knowledge I need to get where I want to go.

[coonskee]

It kind of hit me like a pound of bricks (which would probably also weigh ~500 pounds)

Not to nitpick, but I'm pretty sure a pound of bricks weighs a pound. >.>

For me, it was saying that I want to do the Tough Mudder and having almost everyone I know (if not everyone, actually) say that I can't do it. Kind of a wake-up call regarding how fit I'm considered to be. I'm not overweight, but I'm FAR from healthy/fit - and I want to be. That, combined with the articlce on Staci = exactly the kick in the pants i needed.

[Laney]

The big spark for me was realizing that I wasn't who I wanted to be. I started to compare myself to the person I wanted to be in my head and it wasn't a good picture.

This. This times 100. For me the real eye-opener was when I was younger and trying to buy pants when I realized I was almost the largest size in juniors. From there I tried dieting, exercising, blah blah but it didn't really click until I got a smart phone and download Noom (formerly CardioTrainer). It was so easy to track what I was eating, and I found out how I was over-eating and after a ton of research, mistakes and stupid efforts at p90x I found this forum through Reddit, and I'm ready to make a BIG change with no gym membership or 90-day promises.

[Brah]

I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. I just didn't want to hear girls tell me "I wish I was as skinny as you!" anymore. I worked out in high school but I didn't have constant access to a gym and I had trouble eating enough to fill out my lanky frame.

The spark was going away to college, I really wanted to reinvent myself. There was a weight room and an all you can eat cafeteria in the building I lived in. Without sports practice or 7-8 hours of class a day, I had way more free time than I did in high school. I wanted to gain weight really bad, and put on the Freshman 15 by winter break, with another 15 in the spring semester. No more comments about how skinny I was! I'm now only about 15 pounds heavier than when I started, but I'm quite a bit leaner too.

[Caution]

I realized I had been gaining weight rather quickly but what really made me stop was one night when I got home from work, I poured a rum and diet and started to play some video games. My wife asked me if I was drinking and I lied and said no. I didn't sleep at all that night because I lied to the one person I vowed I would never lie to and I was developing a very bad drinking problem. It was then that I realized I needed to change now or I would be headed down a dark path, and that scared the crap out of me.

[Atalan]

I felt crummy and unhealthy and was creeping towards 300lbs. All of that led to:

4 years without a girl saying yes to a date

5 years without kissing a girl

8 years since the last time I had sexy funtimes.

Now, while all of those have ticked over to another year, I've increased my confidence and had actual flirting!

[surana16]

When I realised that the jeans I'd bought because I'd put on weight were getting tight, and that I was really unfit (aka zombie food). I want to graduate Uni as an improved person in all areas and start my adulthood in the direction I want to be going

[Wolverine]

My catalyst was founding out I was going to be a dad. I wanted to set a good example for my son.

In all honesty, that one thing, though important, isn't enough. For me, more than a spark was and is needed. My son definitely got the ball rolling, but the support I have here on NF and the accountability of the challenge have really kept me going.

[Scorpion1674]

Having my career threatened. The idea of losing everything I've worked for over the last 15 years over something is simple and basic as physical fitness and body fat... well, that's simply unacceptable. Maybe a bit of vanity, too.

[baloo]

For me it was realising I couldn't keep going as I had been and if I continued down that path health problems would follow. I was at nearly 300lbs and horribly unfit (running up the stairs would leave me a little breathless) while I wasn't unhappy I've realised as I've lost weight and worked on my strength and fitness how much happier in myself I am now.

Only downsides have been the cost of new clothes and now when there is a sale on there is very little in my size now (being a regularish size I guess). I can cope with that as I feel awesome.

[Eth]

Mine was kinda weird, honestly. It happened while I was on vacation about 5 months ago. One of the activities we had planned while I was there was a six-mile hike. We got up on Saturday morning and completed the hike, and I felt great afterward. That led to me thinking to myself, "you know, just because I sit in front of a computer all day long, that doesn't mean I can't still be active." That impulse led me to sign up for a 10k just a couple weeks later (having never run more than half a mile in my life), and it all sort of snowballed from there.

[IcePrincess]

For me I was incredibly depressed. For some reason I've linked my selfworth to my body image and hating my body I hate myself. So I'm in therapy now for that and I am getting healthy. I really just realized that I deserve to be the person I want to be.

[PaintedKiwi]

For me, it was when my husband of 18 years dropped dead of a heart attack at age 44 while I was at the movies with my kids. If not now, when? I am the solo parent. I am the role model for my daughters. If I didn't get my act together, the kids could be parentless. So here I am, getting my health back. And it feels GREAT.

[unicornassassin]

I felt crummy and unhealthy and was creeping towards 300lbs. All of that led to:

4 years without a girl saying yes to a date

5 years without kissing a girl

8 years since the last time I had sexy funtimes.

Now, while all of those have ticked over to another year, I've increased my confidence and had actual flirting!

Woohoo! Flirting is great! I've finally gotten enough confidence to do it, too.

[Laney]

Everyone's story is so motivating. Painted, I'm so sorry for your loss but I'm happy you found a way to turn it into a good thing and better your family out of it

[chickenstitch]

I second that Laney I'm sorry about the circumstances but good on you for stepping up

My came when I realised I didn't like my body which I've never really had a problem with until 4 years after uni I realised I had gone up 2 dress sizes. Then I found NF and realised that I could be like all those badass women in films that I admired I just have to put the effort in.

[FutureInt]

My great grandmother was diabetic...

My grandmother was diabetic...

My uncle is diabetic...

My mother is diabetic...

And they just put her on needles to regulate her blood sugar...

Yeah... FTS... I might not be able to escape my genetics... but if it's at all preventable... I might as well do it before I'm 30.

[DoogieT]

Going on Plenty of Fish dates and having multiple women tell me I had a belly. Realizing, after years and years of denial that the gut that I had was not because of my spine (though I do have scoliosis) but because I was eating fast food all the time and drinking Sprite and Coke like it was water. One of the women in my class wants to be a nutritionist and she finally convinced me of the truth of what I was eating (I don't know why wouldn't accept it for so long, I would always rationalize it). I quit soda cold turkey and haven't gone near any of my old stand-bys like pizza and chicken wings since.

I got a personal trainer at the gym and have put on more muscle than I thought was even possible for me. I refuse, refuse, refuse to go back to who I was. I want to date beautiful women and if I need to make myself a beautiful man to do that, I will.

[Maple]

In all honesty, that one thing, though important, isn't enough. For me, more than a spark was and is needed. My son definitely got the ball rolling, but the support I have here on NF and the accountability of the challenge have really kept me going.

This.

[shortstuff]

For me it was walking up and down two sets of stairs with a backet of grain in each hand so that I could emppty them, a couple of times in row at work one day. Not sure if the summer heat had anything at all to do with it, but it made me realize how unfit I was. As New Years was coming up (summer is Dec-Feb here in Australia) I decide that I needed to make a change.

It's funny to think that had made more of an impact on me than wanting to join the defence force something that I had wanted on and off (off only becuase of my height, I thought why brother to try out if I know there is a good chance I am going to be too short) for two years beforehand, even though I knew that I had to pass a fitness test to get in.

[Cutebug]

In a collection of random popular photos on Izismile, I saw a Before and After picture of a girl whose "before" weight I was nearing. Her Blog was in the bottom corner of her photo so I looked it up. Criss became my inspiration. She's a similar build to me (same height, hippy and busty) and started off just a few pounds heavier than me. Even after becoming inspired by her success, though, I still didn't make any progress. I actually gained a few pounds after first discovering her success story.

My clothes weren't fitting, my face was super chubby, I couldn't breathe when I bent over to tie my shoes, I got winded walking a slight incline, I couldn't do my favorite yoga pose cuz there was too much squish in the way, and worst of all for me, I was losing my hourglass figure.

So I went back to Criss to find out how she did it. That's when I found NerdFitness, and that's when it all started coming together

Oh yeah, this is the Before and After Photo of Criss:

[tonic]

Thank you for posting Cutebug, I am her without the boobs. I am going to be that after photo.