My health motivates me to do this.
Also I put up some pictures I downloaded from google and put them up on the walls in my workout area. I look at them to remind me that those guys did not get there by what I was doing before.

It helps me.

What do you do?

Jeff

Heres on of the pics I put up

Jeff

my original motivation was to be in better shape then my friends when we finish.. Around day 30 they begin to slack and then missing one day turned into a week and so on. So that motivation went out the window. Thankfully i took pictures and seeing my 30 day results on top of before and after pictures here helped keep me going. Once i finish I plan on continuing with the lifting parts and then come March doing another round to get ready for summer.

I also feel motivated when tossing in action movies like Rockie.

I guess I spawned a topic.... My wife motivates me. She is skinny and beautiful. When we got together I was skinny, now im 100lbs more now then before. Plus my anniversary is coming up in March and I want to look good for my wife. Plus I dont want my kids to grow up and say... If dad can look like that, there is nothing wrong with it!! So that is my motivation. Also being a prior United States Marine and then now I look like this. I think its a discrace! But im doing something about it!! Keep up all the good work everyone, and hopefully I will do the same!!!

Jeremy

My son is my motivation. He's not quite two, but I want to live long enough to watch him grow up.

On October 10th, I ended up in the emergency room. Long story, but the gist of it was the doctor told me I had to cut fatty foods and alcohol out of my diet permanently. He said if I didn't, I would be dead at a young age.

That was a wake up call for me. I was already sort of active, but I kept "rewarding" myself and taking the weekends off. On the weekends, I'd have a few beers, eat whatever I felt like (usually pizza, burgers, fries, chips, etc.), and justify it by saying I was good all week. Well, the wake up call basically made me realize that my "reward" was killing me, and would result in my son growing up without a dad, and my wife being a young widow. I'm not letting that happen.

Since I no longer have an excuse, I'm committed to getting into the best shape of my life. Since that day, I've lost 24 pounds, and by BF% has dropped from 21% to 15%. I now look forward to my daily workout, and playing with my boy is a constant reminder of why my diet is as strict as it is. A lot of people have said that they feel sorry for me not being able to eat pizza with the gang, or go out for beers. But I've come to realize that I don't NEED those things. I can still go with the group, I just eat and drink different stuff. And now I'm the one in the group that is leaving everyone in the dust when we go hiking or do anything else active.

The side benefits are incredible. I have always had intermittent knee issues. Plyo was rough on that at first. Now my knees are fine. I am no longer winded climbing long flights of stairs, and I even run them just for fun. Strength gains have been insane. I told my wife last night that I am going to need to go buy more dumbbells because my 45s are too light now. Just looking in the mirror has become motivating - I'm no longer just a big guy, I'm a big guy with some definition starting to show.

Need motivation? If you have kids, just look at them. I keep a picture of my son taped to the wall. When the last few reps seem too hard and I want to quit, I just look at his picture. That's all I need.

hmmm.. motivation. THAT is the key here. I guess that we much each find something inside of us that allows us to plough through the tough times when we just don't feel like "bringing it."

For me it was last summer. I had planned a hundred mile backpacking trip through the wilderness. I had done this before but then again it was in my early 20's. Now after college and a sedintary job i have lost a lot of physical strength. And the trail reminded me of that. Each day was with a 40lbs pack, up and down hills, and around 15 miles a day. I should have trained more but i just jumped in and did it.

Everyday was more brutal than the day before. At the end of each I could bearly walk. Every step was a challange and my legs where on fire. And then it happened. At mile 40 I had a severe pain in my right knee and I could go no farther. I had to hitch a ride to a pay phone and sadly come out of the woods.

Backpacking has always been my salvation from the everyday stress of life and I couldn't do it. Not exepting the fact that I couldn't hike how I wanted too led me to P90X... to work out and get myself in better shape than I was 10 years ago.

That is my motivation.

My motovation Hmmmmmmm. To have a six pack? To live a healthier life. To be a good role model for my family. To take my kids swimming at a public place. More self confidence. If I can do this what else can I do, how far can I go. I actualy have more motovation now than when I started. It is more about determination in week 13. Every week it gets better. And I am about to start it all over again.


To try and motivate others.

Just today at work and I ran into of a couple of guys in the locker room. I am generaly one of the first guys at work so I was surprised to see these guys. I asked them if their wives kicked them out of bed early or what? To my surprise they told me that I was the reason. They have seen my transformation and were inspired to start working out as well. They said that they were not yet ready for P90X. I told them that is B.S.. All you need is the will to succeed.

Later everyone

ken

My sisters getting married in March and that was mine.Ours original motivation. Me,Her, And my Dad all had a bet. They each had 10 pounds to lose i had 45. Not quite fair but figure if i meet my goals would surprise them all. Good Motivation.
But there are many. Look and feel better come summer out on my raft floating the river. Hike longer and further with less pain and exhaustion. DIrtbike,snowmobile faster,longer,harder.

I got tired of not being able to wear the size 6 clothes in my closet, and refused to buy size 10. Two winters ago I wore the one pair of of size 10 pants I had almost every day. I lost some weight last year and toned up by doing a lot of walking and some mild calisthenics, but needed a jump start to get down further. I'm now able to wear all my smaller clothes, and some of those are even getting loose!

Hi all I really like this post about motivation because really without motivation of some sort none of this would happen. I like everyones reasons and have to agree. I have two toddler boys at my house and I also want to be a long part of their life and be able to run around and wrestle with them and do all the things they want me to do including running around on the floor with them jumping on my back and neck - I love those boys and would not trade my renewed energy I have playing with them for anything!!

Plus although I am married I want to look good cruising around - I want to feel like I am attractive still to the opposite sex - it makes me feel good about myself.

I have sent out my pics to other friends and family and am now happy to say that I have gotten 5 people started on p90x now in the last month. My sister, her friend, another friend of mine, my wife, and a co-worker. all have decided to do this cuz they saw what I did and realized that its for real and anyone and I repeat anyone can get results. I also have to add that I am Indian (from India) and its not easy for us to gain mass - tell me about any muscled indian guy you have seen - cant think of any can you! I am especially happy my wife is on board and she never worked out or even liked it - now she has already lost 14 pounds and counting. Our whole family life has changes - my kids don't know much about fast food - they only know dad cooks fresh food all the time and we eat healthy. I grew up on Mcdonalds becaus emy parents did not know any better and they were just too busy to have regaulr home cooked meals. thats part of the reason I got so fat in the first place! but now I know my kids are going to learn about eating properly at a young age so they can avoid obesity later and always be fit.

Sports is my other motivation - wow I can play basketball and tennis and golf and mountiain bike at a very high level now better than ever before so its fun to impress my friends.

Plus its amazing that some people are giving me more respect and for no other reason besides me being in good shape - go figure!

WOMEN. WOMEN. WOMEN. Especially of the Persian and accented variety. (Baltimore and southern accents=hotness).

When I was in high school and fit I had girls fighting over me. Now I can't even get a number in the diviest dive bar in baltimore City. My motivation. Did I mention I'm 22, so women are pretty much my motivation for anything. And beer.

b00stzx3 -- i'm in the same boat. I"m 22, and am looking to impress the ladies...but beer will always be there...although I will have to cut down on it tremendously during P90X

Awesome responses everyone. I started week two and I too am more motivated than ever. I already lost about 10 pounds! Floats a little but seeing a lot of definition coming.

Keep up the good work!!!

Jeff

Yeah Cornelius, i know. It SUCKS. I can't imagine not being able to have beer, I need Bud Light like a vampire needs blood. I'm gonna cut back on the number of beers, get a bottle of Everclear to pregame, and I run 5 nights a week so hopefully it will offset everything.

I have a few different things that motivate me.

First and foremost, I will be graduating from college in about 6 months with a degree in music, and noticed how out of shape I've been. I want to start my "real world" life in shape. I want to look good for those graduation pics in my announcements.

Also, I'm a medieval reinactor, in a group called the Society for Creative Anachronisms, or SCA. I plan to start doing the sword and shield combat, but realized that I'm in no shape to even learn to fight, let alone keep it up. Using this as a way to get conditioned for that.

Other than that, I would just like to look good for once. I've never been truly "in shape", and think it's about time. Not to mention Diabetes runs in my dad's side of the family (he's had it since I started college) and it always sets in for us when we get out of shape enough. Not gonna give it the chance

whay motivates me? Well if I was Conan the Barbarian. it would be to see my enemies driven before me and to hear the lamendation of the women. but since im not, ill just settle for the lamendation of the women and to have a set nicely chisled abs.

I've been a heavy person for most of my life. I really don't want to be overweight anymore. It isn't healthy and I know it. I have a few health problems that being overweight makes them worse.

My motivation? I want to be alive for my children and family, when I finally have kids. I want to be able to run and play with my kids. I want to promote my kids to have a healthy unlike what my parents did for me.

I want a body that I can look at in the mirror every morning and can honestly say that I love.

and....me and my best friend from high school have a bet that has been going on for 6 years. Who ever gets a 6-pack first, wins. Haahaaa

I'm looking forward to January 1, 2009 when I start. I have another friend who is doing this with me and I am completely excited!