What motivates you?

[2x2x2x]

Do you most do you guys follow your diets or lifestyles to be healty, for cosmetic purposes, for a sport or activity or for all of the above? I am impressed that many of you are so dedicated but at the same time cant imagine being as strict with my diet or lifestyle. I wrestled in high school and college and always had to be strict with my diet, so maybe that has turned me off of being so food conscious now that I am done. I still eat fairly healthy and I work out 5 times a week so I still like to feel somewhat healthy and look pretty good but when I have a desire to eat pizza or a candy bar or drink beer I go for it.

So again I am just wondering about what drives most of you to live the lifestyle you have chosen, and props on following it.

 

[Jake Martin]

I tell myself that my main reason is athletic performance, but of course we all deep down want to look good naked.

However, I'm motivated every time I watch my roommate eat. For example, he typically gets up in the morning and eats a package of mini-doughnuts or mini-muffins and washes it down with some 30% juice nonsense.

He's got that skinny-fat physique that I abhor, and he used to run long distance in highschool so I'm sure that doesn't help.

Every time I get the thought to cheat (not that I don't, but I make sure my cheat is not a terrible cheat ie: no processed foods) I think to myself: Do I want to be like him?

 

[MikeMartial]

So again I am just wondering about what drives most of you to live the lifestyle you have chosen, and props on following it.

Two reasons:

1. Recovery. Macro and micronutrients for repair, so I can go back and train hard the next day, again.
2. Fuel. I'm not driving a piece of shit, I'm driving a high-performance vehicle. And it damn well demands premium fuel.

Diet is 80% of your gains. THAT is why I place such importance on it. The training is the easy part.

 

[2x2x2x]

Two reasons:

1. Recovery. Macro and micronutrients for repair, so I can go back and train hard the next day, again.
2. Fuel. I'm not driving a piece of shit, I'm driving a high-performance vehicle. And it damn well demands premium fuel.

Diet is 80% of your gains. THAT is why I place such importance on it. The training is the easy part.

Interesting, so are you creating this high-performance vehicle for athletic purposes or just because you want to feel good and to know your healthy?

 

[MikeMartial]

Interesting, so are you creating this high-performance vehicle for athletic purposes or just because you want to feel good and to know your healthy?

Athletic purposes as a hobbyist; I've considered entering the ring in amateur MT, but at this point in my life (34), it's not a huge priority. I enjoy training. Hard.

Also, occupational purposes; as a firefighter, my job demands are one hundred fold what any training sessions could ever be. So I train hard to make my job easier and safer. This all comes back (always) to nutrition--->recovery--->fuel.

 

[Ziltoid]

I myself do it to just be healthy. I dont want to be old and have a shit load of problems and take umpteen different medications to function properly like my father. He inspires me to be healthy. Also for athleticism, for MMA or whatever. Just being full of life and functional. I just enjoy feeling healthy and being mobile. Im 28 years old and feel like im 20 and I know some people my age or some even younger that are very unhealthy and cant do shit and it just urks me and I dont want to be like that ever. I want to live a long and healthy life. Lastly...to look good I dont even drink beer or anything.

 

[theNuge]

I started eating healthy because I wanted to lose weight. That reason morphed into gaining muscle mass. Now I think the main reason I eat like this is because I feel RIDICULOUSLY GOOD day after day.

 

[mustang]

I follow a healthy diet for athletic/performance purposes, i've been wanting to get into mixed martial arts and before this was a long time track athlete which made me conscious of what I eat. Now I barely eat any sugars/sweets and only still to healthy vegetables and meats... I guess I have pretty good self control because I don't feel tempted to eat sweets.

 

[wvboy]

1. Women
2. I want to start bjj or submission wrestiling training
3. Women
4. Being healthy when I get older

 

[SnowMongoose]

Cutting weight sucks.

 

[Goth_Judoka]

Athletic performance, and this guy....

 

[2x2x2x]

Cutting weight sucks.

Amen to that, I did that for way to long I was a lighter weight in my wreslting days. I am more around my natural weight now and have more muscle so I prefer this lifestyle.

 

[theNuge]

1. Women
2. I want to start bjj or submission wrestiling training
3. Women
4. Being healthy when I get older

I should have also listed "Women" as a reason. Maybe that should be a given for ALL of us. Well, maybe not Zop .

 

[nexus8793]

I tell myself that my main reason is athletic performance, but of course we all deep down want to look good naked.

However, I'm motivated every time I watch my roommate eat. For example, he typically gets up in the morning and eats a package of mini-doughnuts or mini-muffins and washes it down with some 30% juice nonsense.

He's got that skinny-fat physique that I abhor, and he used to run long distance in highschool so I'm sure that doesn't help.

Every time I get the thought to cheat (not that I don't, but I make sure my cheat is not a terrible cheat ie: no processed foods) I think to myself: Do I want to be like him?

He speaks the truth

 

[MikeMartial]

However, I'm motivated every time I watch my roommate eat. For example, he typically gets up in the morning and eats a package of mini-doughnuts or mini-muffins and washes it down with some 30% juice nonsense.

I dont want to be old and have a shit load of problems and take umpteen different medications to function properly like my father.

A bit off topic, but I find it interesting that people can have "negative" influences (decrepit geriatrics, friends with brutal habits) and also "positive" influences (Couture).

I think it has the potential to lead to an (unhealthy) holier-than-thou syndrome, but I personally find negative influences to be stronger than positive.

 

[TX911]

honestly, being single again motivates me right now

 

[Jake Martin]

I think it has the potential to lead to an (unhealthy) holier-than-thou syndrome, but I personally find negative influences to be stronger than positive.

Yeah, this is true. I do struggle with a "Yeah I'm better than he is, he's going to live his life feeling like shit and not really accomplishing much" attitude. But just as often, I say "well, that's how people want to live, so they should be able to. Who am I to judge?". Sometimes I am feeling the former, sometimes the latter. It's a bizarre bi-polar thing I've got going on with regard to how I view other people's habits.

 

[Ziltoid]

A bit off topic, but I find it interesting that people can have "negative" influences (decrepit geriatrics, friends with brutal habits) and also "positive" influences (Couture).

I think it has the potential to lead to an (unhealthy) holier-than-thou syndrome, but I personally find negative influences to be stronger than positive.

Interesting. I understand what you are saying. Although I do use both negative and positive things that keep me balanced. I am also influenced by Couture and Bruce Lee the most.

EDIT: ^^^Thats funny cuz I also feel the same way as Shotokan.

 

[nexus8793]

It's true, most of my motivations are certainly negative, me "not wanting" something, rather than "wanting" something, interesting...

 

[Chuck Boner]

Motivation to me seems like it's a high and there is a low to it, kind of like being manic-depressive. Nothing really motivates me. I just eat the way I do because I thoroughly enjoy it and I certainly wouldn't do it if it made me miserable. Make no mistake about it, there are plenty negatives that come with eating clean like being food obsessive and like Mike Martial described as the egomaniac holier than thou attitude.

It seems to me that food is an addiction just like many other things. There is so much information and opinions in the nutritional world that I don't know how anyone can know what the fuck to believe. I suppose someone should do just what makes them content with what they want to do. I certainly doesn't make sense to be miserable.