What Are Your Reasons?

[MIGrandma]

Besides the obvious reason of being a healthier you, what are your reasons for wanting to get healthier?

For me, it was mostly the threat of being put on insulin.

I've been a Type 2 diabetic since 2003, so 10 years now. I have always been just on oral medication but my last couple of A1C's haven't been good (7.2 and 8.2) so I knew insulin was in my immediate future.

But. My doctor told me he thought that if I lost 30 pounds that I would probably be able to avoid insulin, AND possibly even get OFF the oral medications.

I weighed 208 at my heaviest, and am right now at 168. I was 184 in November, when we started discussing insulin.

This morning I had 2 strips of turkey bacon, a liquid egg white omelet with mushrooms, and 1 cup of fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and strawberries) then I did my 2-mile Walk Away The Pounds and just a few minutes ago realized I had not taken my morning medication.

So just for the heck of it, I decided to test my blood sugar to see what it was. 110!!! I was AMAZED and THRILLED to say the least!!

So, what are your reasons, or your MAIN reason for wanting to be healthier?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Men in my family tend to die young, so I want to do what I can to avoid that. More recently, I have had to begin taking crestor to control my cholesterol levels, and allopurinol for high uric acid levels. I am still in my 40s - too young for some of these issues.

I am the sole bread winner in our home. I need to KNOW that I am doing what I can to be there for my family.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

Being healthier means I would be able to exercise longer, and while I'm not so big on exercise just for itself for hours on end, I love riding horses, and I'd like to be able to stay in the saddle longer without getting winded, as well as actually travel over some jumps without the fear that my overly large butt will screw up my balance and send me over my horse's head.
I realize that's just a fear. But it's a fear that motivates being healthier.

 

[FireDancer]

Feeling good is the top reason but I also look at how being fit and healthy now will impact my future. Steve Gibson, a security researcher who is interested in health topics and researches it as a hobby said it perfectly so I'll steal from him. He said imagine your life as a 2-dimensional chart. The Y axis represents your overall health while the X axis represents your age. The goal should be to maximize the area under the line, not just extend it to the right as far as possible.

I realized long ago that everything I do in my younger years will not only effect me now but effect me in the future so I use that as motivation to stay fit and healthy. I don't want to be one of those people who sits around in their 50's and has to pop a handful of pills just to stay alive while I wish I spend my 20's and 30's differently. When I see guys in their 70's line up at local races I hope I see my future.

 

[freepixie]

In 2009 I decided to claim my life back and to start getting healthy!! I was well over 200 lbs, depressed, and a total slug!

Started slow and built my strength up, and here I am today, as of this morning I am 165.8!!

I keep myself going because I want to wear my cute clothes, to not be ashamed when I look in the mirror, and for Run Disney bling

 

[DEA]

For me, it's a variety of reasons.

1. I woke up one day, at 40, and realized my weight was a good bit higher than it was when I was in college. On top of that, I kept buying larger clothes. I didn't like the way the trend was going.

2. I've got two children, and I would like to stick around for them for as long as I can. Plus, of course, my DW. Actuarially speaking, she's going to outlive me, but I'm going to go gently.

3. I'm also a diabetic, but Type 1. Exercise helps keep my blood sugar down, even over time due to keeping my metabolism cooking along, and having muscle tissue to burn the sugar.

4. It's a way to challenge myself. From getting back off the couch a year and a bit ago, to running a half marathon at WDW in January, to training for the Dopey Challenge next January, running lets me test out the limits of what my body can do, and I've been able to surprise myself.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

3. I'm also a diabetic, but Type 1. Exercise helps keep my blood sugar down, even over time due to keeping my metabolism cooking along, and having muscle tissue to burn the sugar.

My wife is also a Type 1 diabetic. She is just getting into running. Any particularily helpful tips you could pass along?

 

[dburg30]

My wife is also a Type 1 diabetic. She is just getting into running. Any particularily helpful tips you could pass along?

a very good friend of ours, her daughter is t1, my suggestion in that would be find a good t1 doctor that also know about exercise and running. Just being around a t1 and seeing what they deal with all the time, I would think that would be something tailored to the individual!

 

[dburg30]

My reasons are kinda the same.. 45, overweight, wanted something different instead of just working out.

Plus I wanted to do something that was just different.. and completing 48.6 miles over 4 days is for sure different!!!