Your 'Ah-Ha' Moment

RaspberryTickleChicken

I obviously have far too much time on my hands as another question out of sheer curiosity has been nagging away at me ... so here goes.

• When was your 'AH-HA' moment that made you decide, 'ahhhm okay it's time to do something about this weight?'
• What made a difference this time which differed from previous attempts to lose weight &/or get healthy? (motivation)
• How much impact do you feel that a correct mindset has on the level of achievement?

Here I'll start this one:

• My 'AH-HA' moment was when I saw that my blood glucose level was 101 mg/dL and the normal range was 70-100 mg/dL.
• My motivation this time was not about making that silly little # on the scale go down, but it was about fighting off an impending diabetic future if I did nothing. The thought of all the complications that comes with diabetes. ie. kidney functions, amputations, blindness, etc. petrified me.
• For me, the mindset of 'oh I need to get healthy' rather than 'lose a few pounds' oddly took the pressure of me to 'loose X weight by X amount of time.' I looked at it as I have a lifetime to continue to reach for my goal. So the weeks where I was loosing mere fractions of a pound didn't bother me because progress was progress.

kshadows

My AHA moment was getting on the scale a month before my daughter's first birthday and realizing that I'd GAINED 20 pounds since she was born (on top of all the pregnancy weight). I knew my eating was out of control at that point, so I decided to do something about it!

4ever420

My Aha moment was when I first heard of MFP and decided just to check it out. I wasn't even planning on starting a weight loss journey that day but set up an account just to see. I was playing around with it, entering the foods I had eaten that day when I realized that if I didn't eat anything else that day I'd be within my calorie goal.

The best way I can describe it is a switch went on in my head. All of a sudden it seemed so simple, I just don't go over that calorie goal and I would be in a deficit and lose weight. 148 lbs and over 2yrs later I am still going and have reached my goal for the first time in my life.

The main difference from the other times I've tried (and failed) to lose weight was that "switch" hadn't been turned on before. I don't really understand what exactly made my brain switch on but now that I've finally gotten here, there's definitely fear that the "switch" will just turn off one day and I'll spiral out of control again...

MinnieInMaine

1) For me, it was actually the culmination of a few things. It was 2009 and I was gaining more weight than ever and not even weighing myself anymore. Hubs had lost a good friend and my way of helping to cope was to feed both of us way too much comfort food. That summer, I went to visit an old college friend I hadn't seen in years. I was the fattest person there, was self conscious a great deal of the time, and was disgusted at how I looked in the pictures. That fall I went on a trip with my besties to Boston and could not believe how winded I was getting walking around the city and my feet were killing me. I also hated how I looked in those pictures.

I'd never been that self conscious about my weight but realized how it was really getting to me, along with the obvious decline in health and mobility. The last straw for some reason, was when I got horribly sick with the flu. I lost 10 pounds that week and was determined to keep it off and continue losing. Joined WW in Jan 2010 and the rest is history.

2) The difference for me this time was a combination of two things. Not only was I determined to improve my health and fitness, I also finally realized that it wasn't necessary to starve myself or deprive myself of the foods I loved in order to lose weight. I've eaten pizza, pasta, desserts, etc the whole time, I've just learned to eat them in smaller portions and make healthier choices/substitutions.

3) It makes all the difference. Most people look for quick fixes, fad diets, pills etc because while they might want to lose the weight, they're not willing to put in the work. You have to be able to put in the work it requires to track calories (or carbs or points or whatever) and stick with a plan. Taking time to workout and plan/prepare foods is also work. If you don't put the work in, you won't get the results.
I think it also requires a great deal of learning. Most people have absolutely no clue how to eat healthy or what it requires to lose weight or why fluctuations happen. That's why places like this are very valuable. I've learned a great deal in the last few years - like how starvation mode is a myth and how you're not really gaining muscle if you're not losing weight. Knowledge is power - cliche but true.

RSEC75

4ever420 wrote: »

My Aha moment was when I first heard of MFP and decided just to check it out. I wasn't even planning on starting a weight loss journey that day but set up an account just to see. I was playing around with it, entering the foods I had eaten that day when I realized that if I didn't eat anything else that day I'd be within my calorie goal.

The best way I can describe it is a switch went on in my head. All of a sudden it seemed so simple, I just don't go over that calorie goal and I would be in a deficit and lose weight. 148 lbs and over 2yrs later I am still going and have reached my goal for the first time in my life.

The main difference from the other times I've tried (and failed) to lose weight was that "switch" hadn't been turned on before. I don't really understand what exactly made my brain switch on but now that I've finally gotten here, there's definitely fear that the "switch" will just turn off one day and I'll spiral out of control again...

This! A switch went on in my head when I started playing with MFP figures and realised "this could be so easy, even lazy old me could manage this".

I'm only 70 days in, but I've not looked back. I balance treats against either extra walking or against not having something else. I allow myself odd days when I go over but try and limit then to days when I have little choice (like I'm visiting family and eat what I'm given) but even then try to make sure I estimate a count, so I can try and average out the week if possible.

Realising it doesn't have to be hard is the mindset that got me going and works for me.

dazwan

Every time I see a photo of myself. Anyone else noticed how a camera adds about 40lbs?

dswolverine

My moments involved a fancy, expensive dress that I had purchased previously that no longer fit, and photos from the wedding I had originally intended wearing that dress to- and looking bad in the cheap new dress I had to buy. I was so pissed at myself for letting it get that far. Well, I still can't wear the fancy, expensive dress....because it's too BIG! Oh well haha. Worth it!!

jrline

When I got on the scale and it read over 260. I was unemployed because the company I had worked for had gone out of business after I'd been with them 12 years.

Lonestar5775

I was your typical middle-aged guy who weighed himself maybe once a year because my weight was that stable. Until we had a weigh-in at work for a contest during the holidays and I stepped on the scale only to see a number I had never in my life seen on it before. That's when I decided to do something.

Coincidently, the same nurse weighing us mentioned MFP as a way to track calories over the holidays. That was it! I signed up and 6 months later was at my goal and I have maintained and logged for the next year and a half. I had no other previous attempts to regulate my weight.

The right mindset is everything if you ask me. I see some people come on here and just by the way they post, you can tell they will not be with it long enough to see any change. I knew I would reach my goal, MFP just made it a lot easier!

kellys1984

mine was recent... I was at my daughters first soccer game, she was scared and asked me to be on the field with her.. I later found out the coaches husband was taking pictures of the game and posted them to the team website. I was all over those pictures looking HUGE and that day I decided to make a change.

HaibaneReki

my "aha" moment was seeing this picture

oh and this one too

one 2009, other 2011

JustSomeEm

My aha series of unfortunate events:

I had a pretty rotten experience that caused me to stress. Unlike a lot of people, when I stress I stop eating... and due to the lack of eating, I dropped a pants size. I was well over 200 pounds, so could totally afford it. A friend of mine noticed and pointed me to MFP. So I created an account and started losing weight on purpose for a while. Life got hectic, we moved to another state, and I stopped logging and started eating like I had at 200 pounds - and gained much of the lost weight back. Last June (2013) I meandered back to MFP just to start logging again. I had convinced myself I was happy with my weight, but thought it would be interesting to see how much I was eating. After nearly 3000 calories, I stopped logging that day but didn't stop eating. A few weeks into 'playing' at logging (stopping logging food once I hit a number high enough that it made me uncomfortable), I decided to get serious about literally logging every bite of food I put in my mouth, whether or not I liked what my calories for the day looked like. After a while, I started making an effort to make better food choices because I didn't like being in the red here on MFP, and from there I dropped over 70 pounds. MFP was my aha moment.

Redheadllena

4ever420 wrote: »

My Aha moment was when I first heard of MFP and decided just to check it out. I wasn't even planning on starting a weight loss journey that day but set up an account just to see. I was playing around with it, entering the foods I had eaten that day when I realized that if I didn't eat anything else that day I'd be within my calorie goal.

The best way I can describe it is a switch went on in my head. All of a sudden it seemed so simple, I just don't go over that calorie goal and I would be in a deficit and lose weight. 148 lbs and over 2yrs later I am still going and have reached my goal for the first time in my life.

The main difference from the other times I've tried (and failed) to lose weight was that "switch" hadn't been turned on before. I don't really understand what exactly made my brain switch on but now that I've finally gotten here, there's definitely fear that the "switch" will just turn off one day and I'll spiral out of control again...

Thissss. Way to go! Love your story.

dswolverine wrote: »

My moments involved a fancy, expensive dress that I had purchased previously that no longer fit, and photos from the wedding I had originally intended wearing that dress to- and looking bad in the cheap new dress I had to buy. I was so pissed at myself for letting it get that far. Well, I still can't wear the fancy, expensive dress....because it's too BIG! Oh well haha. Worth it!!

And this! Haha awesome.

All of these stories I relate to. Mine was going to the doctor and weighing in at more than I ever had. It was like "Woahhhh that's not me" and yet it was me. And if I'm remembering correctly, I believe my cholesterol was on the high side for someone my age, which was scary as I'd never had health issues previously.

The doctor's visit was in December, followed by subsequently hating how I looked in holiday photos for the first time ever. I stumbled upon MFP looking for a food diary to start the new year, and then realizing how easy it could be. It said I would lose X amount of weight in a certain amount of time, and that happened! Can't argue with something that works. The weight loss slowed down as I drew nearer to my goal, but I've picked up nothing but good habits and knowledge since becoming a member.

shaynepoole

sushi549 wrote: »

• When was your 'AH-HA' moment that made you decide, 'ahhhm okay it's time to do something about this weight?'
  [
• What made a difference this time which differed from previous attempts to lose weight &/or get healthy? (motivation)
• How much impact do you feel that a correct mindset has on the level of achievement?

I started noticing back pain from the heavy weight I was carrying around. I could deal with and had dealt with all the previous weight complications (diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea) with no problem - but something that threatened my mobility? That was a big smack in the face wake up call

This time, I focused solely on changing my diet over exercise (I had lost weight twice before, primarily on exercise - but stop exercising and keep eating the same way made all the weight come back) So this weight loss trip was solely focused on changing the way I eat.

The correct mindset has everything to do with it. You can't do it with out the work and willingness to change and learn.

Mexicanbigfoot

It's very hard for me to define one single "ah-ha" moment, I have had so many false starts on MFP and I would do really good for awhile and then I would just gradually stop logging.

I think for me, the "ah-ha" moment was realizing that I was going to turn 35 this year and I could not even hardly stand or walk through the grocery store without tremendous pain and effort. I was not able to sit in a booth at a restaurant. I could hardly buckle my seat belt in my car. I avoided places where there would be crowds (concerts, festivals) because I was uncomfortable and I knew I could not stand or walk for long periods of time.

I was sitting on my couch literally eating myself to death and watching my life fly by me. It was embarrassing to me. He never said it, but I'm sure my husband was embarrassed to be seen with me and I was robbing him of doing things because of my weight.

I realized that time is never going to slow down or stop and that I had to do something. I realized that I had all the tools in my box and I just needed to pull them out and use them.

I turned my old computer room into a home gym complete with treadmill and elliptical (which I already had and never used). I bought myself a big TV so I could watch TV while I worked out. I started logging my food again and I haven't looked back in 138 days.

For me, mindset was a HUGE factor, probably the biggest to my success. My husband bought me a wall hanging that said, "She believed she could, so she did" and it made me cry. Once I started to believe I could do something, I did.

So far, I've lost 52 pounds. I have about another 150 to go. I know I can and I will.

lillyrose2020

I've just written about this in my blog today so I thought I would comment, it is impossible to stick at something without that ah-ha moment! It just had to click into place in order to be sustainable.

Mine was simple, a friend and I both started dieting in Janaury, by July she had lost 20lbs and I had actually gained weight. Damn, if she could do it so could I. How shameful that I had failed so miserably. Wake up call! I'm also not proud to admit that I just did not want to be the fattest of the group.

So I got to grips with the calories in calories out. BMR blah blah and got a decent friend list together, and boom as if by magic it just works!

lillyrose2020

dswolverine wrote: »

My moments involved a fancy, expensive dress that I had purchased previously that no longer fit, and photos from the wedding I had originally intended wearing that dress to- and looking bad in the cheap new dress I had to buy. I was so pissed at myself for letting it get that far. Well, I still can't wear the fancy, expensive dress....because it's too BIG! Oh well haha. Worth it!!

I love that it went from being too small to too big, winner!
How about selling it on eBay and making a few pennies?

nxd10

I hit the weight I was when I was 8 months pregnant with my oldest son. And I was the heaviest person in the 5 woman band I'm in. The other person who had been my weight dropped 20 pounds and got a lot of compliments. Two of the others were doing weight watchers. The one who had dropped the weight showed me MFP. And here I am!

Now I've been the thinnest in the group for two years. But we all help each other keep our weight to healthy levels.

I have never tried to lose weight before. First attempt at 55. I think attitude has everything to do with it. Sheer persistence - this isn't rocket science. One of my sisters has been very heavy for 30 years. She just got laid off and feels she can't get a job until she loses weight (she has a 2 year golden parachute, so has time to look.) She started MFP in early August, hasn't missed logging a meal, and has dropped 32 pounds. She exercises every day and is amazing. Her food choices still aren't the best, but I think it's just plain stubborn stick-to-itiveness.

dopeysmelly

sushi549 wrote: »

I obviously have far too much time on my hands as another question out of sheer curiosity has been nagging away at me ... so here goes.

• When was your 'AH-HA' moment that made you decide, 'ahhhm okay it's time to do something about this weight?'
• What made a difference this time which differed from previous attempts to lose weight &/or get healthy? (motivation)
• How much impact do you feel that a correct mindset has on the level of achievement?

Here I'll start this one:

• My 'AH-HA' moment was when I saw that my blood glucose level was 101 mg/dL and the normal range was 70-100 mg/dL.
• My motivation this time was not about making that silly little # on the scale go down, but it was about fighting off an impending diabetic future if I did nothing. The thought of all the complications that comes with diabetes. ie. kidney functions, amputations, blindness, etc. petrified me.
• For me, the mindset of 'oh I need to get healthy' rather than 'lose a few pounds' oddly took the pressure of me to 'loose X weight by X amount of time.' I looked at it as I have a lifetime to continue to reach for my goal. So the weeks where I was loosing mere fractions of a pound didn't bother me because progress was progress.

1. A combination of different experiences/feelings - my daughter swam non-stop for an hour and completed 1 1/8 miles at her swim team marathon. She was 8. She swam longer than kids several years older than her. It was inspirational, and I wanted to be the sort of mom she could be inspired by too. I also just knew I had to do it to increase my chances of living a long, healthy, active life. I don't want to be a 60+ year-old in 20 years who is barely able to function because they never looked after themselves. I want to be hiking the Appalachian Trail! Plus my blood pressure wasn't the best. Physical appearance had nothing to do with it.
2. This is my second effort at losing weight. The first effort was also successful, but I got pregnant straight after I reached goal and the only way to keep food down was to graze all day. I don't have a history of dieting or yo-yoing.
3. I think correct mindset is EVERYTHING. I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would go from 195 lbs to 120-125 lbs. The thought I would fail has never once entered my head, just like I have no doubt I'll keep the weight off. I waited until the time was right, which meant waiting longer than ideal, but took 3 weeks DH was away on business, it was winter, work was relatively light, and I just sat down with MFP, read studies of successful weight loss, planned what I would eat and how I would approach it, how I would monitor it (I have a spreadsheet I use to track weight and other metrics) and then just did it. I have found it extremely easy. I've done the same process entering maintenance - I've thought long and hard about how I was going to keep the weight off, and how I would reward myself when I got there, and when I reach my other targets. There just isn't room for emotion in this. I approach it like I would any project: set objectives, research, plan, execute, monitor, reward when objectives met, set new objectives..

And yes, I never set a time limit either. I wanted to be able to buy one, nice winter coat this year (not have to buy 2 after going down a size), so I wanted to be more-or-less at target by October, but that was it, and I only "set" that about July, so I was well on the way there anyway.

onefortyone

sushi549 wrote: »

I obviously have far too much time on my hands as another question out of sheer curiosity has been nagging away at me ... so here goes.

• When was your 'AH-HA' moment that made you decide, 'ahhhm okay it's time to do something about this weight?'
• What made a difference this time which differed from previous attempts to lose weight &/or get healthy? (motivation)
• How much impact do you feel that a correct mindset has on the level of achievement?

1. When I realised I weighed almost as much as I did when I was 38 weeks pregnant, except it was almost 4-5 months later, and I was still wearing maternity jeans but with no baby.
2. I lost 20lbs on MFP before - the only difference this time is that I am actively working out my emotional eating issues. Before I was purely doing CICO, and it worked while I was on MFP, but when I stopped using MFP, I went right back to my old eating ways. Now I want to train myself to eyeball portions, and control my urge to overeat when I feel depressed.
3. Mindset and mindfulness is everything.

50sFit

The moment this picture crossed my desk.


I was FAT...ah-ha!

Holly_Roman_Empire

To lose weight? I was just tired of being mediocre, and I had recently quit my job. I needed goals to pass the time, so this was it for me.

To get fit? I realized that fitness is more than losing weight when I started becoming more active on MFP and made friends with some amazing women. They are great role models that I look up to, and I have already furthered my fitness because of that.

JONZ64

I knew I had gained 50lbs I saw how fat I was but had excuse after excuse: I have multiple back fusions I can't work out like I used to. I have hypothyroidism it's too hard to lose weight, I have damaged nerves in my leg so I can't run or do anything hard, THEN I went outside with my entire Squadron to watch one of our young Staff Sergeants who had lost a leg in Afghanistan attempt to run on his prosthesis he just got fitted with a day before. This kid ran in pain for a mile from his shop to our main facility. I knew THEN I was just BS'ing myself, so I sucked it up and went home, got my shoes on and went out for a walk/jog, it hasn't been easy and I have had setbacks but I think about that kid everytime I have an excuse

rheannaraye

•My "Ah-Ha" moment was being told I was being put on Insulin. I knew that I had let myself get past the point of no return. . . My food HAD to be taken care of, and that meant taking better care of myself, too.

•Meds. Damn is insulin expensive! Not even just insulin, but the test strips, needles, other meds, etc. etc. it all adds up to an extra $175 a month. Yikes!!

•I always think of a quote from the Batman movies.... "Why do we fall, sir? ... So we can learn to pick ourselves up." I'm still learning from each fall, but the important thing is to get back up and keep moving forward, not sitting on the ground going nowhere and doing nothing.

cstevenson86

My "AH-HA" moment was when we went to Busch Gardens and I could not fit comfortably in the seat...or at least feel "in" the seat enough to warrant going upside down and still feel safe. My hips were just too wide. I had to sit in a "big girl" seat and it crushed me. I felt embarrassed for myself & for my husband. He was sweet of course and said it was my chest and that's why I couldn't fit...but I knew that wasn't why.

I think my motivation this time was turning 28 in July. I kept telling myself through my 20s "Oh, I will start next month on trying to lose weight." Then it was "Oh, I can start losing weight next year." It finally dawned on me that my 20s are almost over, and I have been overweight throughout my ENTIRE 20s. It's time to change. I want to have a baby when I'm 30ish and feel healthy, fit and strong. I don't want diabetes. I want more energy. Basically, I've just had enough of being overweight.

Without the correct mindset you will never get through this. You will make excuses, you'll fall off the wagon. You need to be committed, motivated and determined. I also highly recommend working out with a friend. It makes you accountable for your workouts. I also think you need a good support system. Tell everyone you know you're trying to lose weight...post it on Facebook. This will also hold you accountable because you know everyone knows, and you don't want to fail with everyone watching. I think the first step is admitting you're overweight. Be confident in saying that. It is what it is. Wishing the weight away is not going to work. You have to hold yourself accountable for the fact that you're overweight. It is no one's fault at the end of the day but our own. We CAN change though.

Good luck on your journey!

shifterbrainz

When I was at work with the radio playing. I don't know if it was an advertisement or a talk show or what but it was just background noise, "blah-blah-blah". For some reason, the "noise" cleared and became a couple of doctors talking. One said he was seeing a dramatic increase of chronic illness in his morbidly obese patients under 40. The other replied it was more dramatic that he had no morbidly obese patients over 70. I thought, "hmmm . . . interesting." then just went about my business until a cold chill went down my spine when the reality of what they were saying finally hit me :-\ I don't think I said "Ah Ha" . . . more like "Oh S**t"

U2R2

My Ah-Ha moment came when visiting a doctor for the first time in over a decade to establish a primary care physician and get a referral to operate on a curled finger(dupuytrens disease). My plan was to take care of my finger and start an exercise routine to prepare myself for a return the daily work regiment.

During the prescreening process, after taking a blood pressure measurement, the assistant gave a most incredulous look and asked "Do you feel alright?" then rather hurriedly left the room. I overheard her worriedly telling the doctor "His blood pressure is 220/140. What do I do?".

After a lengthy conversation, little of which regarded my finger, I asked Doctor Donna to give me six months to improve my health then we would discuss my blood pressure. She responded by giving me a prescription for Enalapril and a follow up appointment for two weeks later.

Six weeks later, my finger is nearly healed and fully functional, my blood pressure is squarely in the normal range in the morning, sometimes rises into the pre-hypertensive range through the day and has only twice hit the hypertensive range at 141/78. My hope is to get of the meds on my six month checkup visit.


This is the first time I have made a concerted effort to improve my health in any fashion. I think I will succeed because after researching the effects of high blood pressure I now know just how much danger I had put myself in by allowing my health to deteriorate to the point it had. Heart disease runs in my family so there is a fear factor there. Also the rewards of losing just a quarter of my goal loss have been incredible. I don't commit to things easily but once committed I can show a dogged determination.

Down goes the weight, up goes the enjoyment.

It's a wonderful world and we get to live in it. ENJOY

pamtam1

I had just paid for another program and was in week two and had not changed. It hit me that It was all up to me. I was the only one that could do the work. No one else was feeling my emotional pain just me, so unless I did the work nothing would change.

RaspberryTickleChicken

shifterbrainz wrote: »

When I was at work with the radio playing. I don't know if it was an advertisement or a talk show or what but it was just background noise, "blah-blah-blah". For some reason, the "noise" cleared and became a couple of doctors talking. One said he was seeing a dramatic increase of chronic illness in his morbidly obese patients under 40. The other replied it was more dramatic that he had no morbidly obese patients over 70. I thought, "hmmm . . . interesting." then just went about my business until a cold chill went down my spine when the reality of what they were saying finally hit me :-\ I don't think I said "Ah Ha" . . . more like "Oh S**t"

O-M-G I snorted in laughter at the last bit! Thanks for that.

And I too love the fancy dress & self discoveries.

There seem to be quite a heavy dose of this general sense of helplessness in the other forums that I just needed some inspirations so THANKEE ALL!

5stringjeff

For me, it was as simple as seeing 211 on the scale. That was too much for me. I didn't have a lot to lose (I'm 6'4" and maintaining at 180 +/-), but seeing that number on the scale gave me the push I needed.

_Waffle_

Looking in the mirror. That's my a-ha moment.