The Honesty List and Getting Motivated

Lady Rose over at The Diet Pulpit has issued a challenge called The Honesty List.  The idea is that by publicly posting the true reasons we want to lose weight, we will be able to stay motivated.

I couldn’t agree more.

When I decided to get serious about losing weight, I knew that one of the keys to success was the mental aspect of weight loss.  Realizing it’s importance, I began to study everything I could find about motivation, goal setting, willpower, etc.  I ended up learning quite a bit.

I learned that knowing the “why” behind our goals can make all the difference between success and failure. The”why” is the source of our motivation, the fuel that propels us forward.  If you’re not clear on the reasons why you want to lose weight, it’s like you’re stepping up to the plate with a strike against you.

I strongly recommend sitting down and writing down the 10 reasons why you want to lose weight.  If you have a blog, post them for all to read.  If you don’t, email them to 10 friends or relatives.  Let them know that you are energizing your goals by letting them see the light of day. 🙂

And to show you how important I think doing this is to your weight loss, here is my own Honesty List:

1.  Increase My Life Span — I was not only obese, but I was also a heavy smoker.  I realized that I was truly shortening my life by the choices I was making.
2. Find Some Energy — All I was doing was sitting on my a$$.  I had no energy to do anything.
3. Play With/Spend Time With My Grandson — I have a 2 year old grandson, and he has motivated me to make all the changes  that I’ve made in my life.  I want to be able to watch him grow up and have fun with him.
4.  Tired of Shopping in The Big and Tall Section — I used to hate getting clothes.  I found it humiliating to be standing under a big sign that said “Big and Tall” while I browsed through racks full of XXXL sizes.
5. Wanting to Feel Attractive — I felt gross…no other way to put it.  My wife never made me feel that way.  In fact, she always accepted me no matter what.  But I had myself convinced that I was not attractive to her, or anyone else.  Truth be told, I still have trouble with this one sometimes.
6. Wanting an Active Sex Drive — OK, this one was kind of hard to write down.  And probably related to not feeling attractive.  But I was so heavy, so out of shape and such a heavy smoker that my sex drive was practically non-existent.   And I missed it.  The good news…exercise and proper diet will fix it!  🙂
7. Wanting to look younger — the heavier you are, the older you look.  It’s true.
8. Not Wanting to be the Big Guy Any Longer —  I met Rodney Carrington (the comedian) one time, and he said to me, “How’s it going, Big Guy?” It was meant in a friendly way, but it still kind of stung.  It made me realize that people saw me as “The Big Guy”.  I didn’t want that…I wanted to be Brian.  Does that make sense?
9. Wanting to Go Outside Without a Shirt On — I can’t tell you how many years it’s been since I was that comfortable with myself.
10. Tired of Sweating All the Time — the slightest little exertion would cause me to sweat.  It could be the middle of winter and colder than hell, but I would have a tissue in my hand to wipe away the sweat.

So there’s a peek into my head for you all.  🙂 I hope that you all will take this opportunity to write down your 10 reasons as well.

Better yet, write them down and share them with someone.