Your 'Ah-Ha' Moment

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  • UltraTacks
    UltraTacks Posts: 230 Member
    Today.....will start in 2017
  • PurpleSnack
    PurpleSnack Posts: 22 Member
    I don't remember an aha moment as I was always fat and never liked it and often thought about or intended to lose it. I lost a few pounds without trying just walking too and from college. I felt better about myself and was cocking for myself as I had moved out and decided that it felt so good I'd make a conscious effort to lose weight.

    Motivation was that I had always wanted to be a UK size 12 by the time I turned 21. I was sick of being the fat friend in the group.

    My mindset was that it would be much easier for me to lose the weight while I'm young rather than being stuck with it and it being twice as hard to lose when I get older. I was looking at short term goals and trying to lose 2lbs a week. I decided there was no point in being skinny and miserable so I had a little bit of chocolate everyday and if I really wanted a takeaway or something, I'd think about if it was worth it. If I still wants it I didn't deny myself. I also had the mindset that hunger is not good so I tried to fill up on healthy food to avoid getting hungry because when I'm hungry I'm more inclined to give into foods I shouldn't have
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    A collection of many. Mostly pants not fitting, not liking my refection or pictures.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    My "aha" moment is just being tired of being overweight and unhealthy. I'm not getting any younger and I would love to live an additional 40 years.
  • cmoll520
    cmoll520 Posts: 60 Member
    For me it was early a picture. I'd known for awhile that once my youngest stopped nursing I needed to get my act together but then a picture from Nov 2014 really convinced me. I was heavier than I had ever been- about 176lbs. I decided Jan 1 would be the day. I lost 55ish lbs between Jan 1, 2015 and May 2015. I have maintained that loss since then. Never going back.
  • juliemargaretkim
    juliemargaretkim Posts: 206 Member
    This. n45kk5spbfzg.jpg
  • priyamvada_k
    priyamvada_k Posts: 27 Member
    My Ah-ha moment was when LDL cholesterol went up to 159 (healthy level is below 100); 159 put me in risk for heart attack. Also A1c level went to a pre-diabetic level of 5.9 (healthy level is below 5.7). Decided to drop pounds and regain health, and started MFP. I had had a previous MFP start but I had given up midway. I didn't think of it as a big deal, as I am a vegetarian and don't eat fried foods. Have a big a weakness for sweets, though. When I added up the calories in MFP, it was a revelation about portion control. Have been tracking calories and macros ever since and it has helped so far (lost 15 lbs). Hope to get to my old healthy weight.
  • MrsBoney12
    MrsBoney12 Posts: 20 Member
    My a-ha moment came when I had a blood test and was told I was pre-diabetic. The doctor didn't even give me a chance to fix it with diet and exercise, she just put me on diabetes medication. Because of this, I assumed I was just that bad (turns out she was just that bad...she should have given me that opportunity). Coming from a deeply-rooted diabetic gene pool, this was enough to cement it into my brain that a lifestyle change was needed! Less than four months later I am down 35lbs and my new doctor took me off the diabetes medication because it was causing other health problems because I don't need to be on it! Although I'm still far from my weight goals, I feel much healthier. I have found that I actually enjoy exercising in the form of running and cycling...and strength training isn't too bad either!! I finished a 5K in record time for me on Saturday, and on Sunday I kicked off my training for a duathlon in July. Through much prayer and dedication, I'm on my way!
  • lady_ghost
    lady_ghost Posts: 175 Member
    When I got a good look at myself naked front and back. Was disgusted.
  • SDR1970
    SDR1970 Posts: 9 Member
    Two things: [1] Discovering I'm on Google Street View, clearly walking towards and entering my office and being too embarrassed about how I looked to tell anyone. [2] My girlfriend giving me a "gift" of imported British biscuits (which I'll admit I was homesick for but never requested) after I'd expressly stated the importance of my need to loose weight. I decided I and everyone around me, enabling poor choices in meals & snacking, had to stop that behavior and be firm to the point of harshness about it.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,200 Member
    When I bought some cat litter at the grocery and could barely lift it at 24 pounds. I thought "how the hell am I carrying this much extra weight around?" Now every time I pick up something like a gallon of water or the cat litter it motivates me to keep working to get that "dead" weight off my joints and muscles....
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    edited January 2018
    Mine was when the doctor told me I was going to be dead soon or with Weight loss surgery, also a fasting blood sugar of 339. Also when I could not walk 40 yards without my knees and ankles hurting. I was 33 at the time.
  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
    Even the Snapchat filters don't hide how chubby my face is. I think that was the real 'hit' lately. but I've been wanting to get back into it for ages, just needed to do it healthily...
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    190# is my trigger to take action b4 hitting my red line at 200. Hit this trigger twice in past 5 years.

    Dropped 35# from 192 the 1st time and 36# from 196 the 2nd time. Been maintaining at 158 +/-3 for the past 14 months.

    Gained the weight back the 1st time due to injury, surgeries and lack of discipline. No excuses this time around.
  • davepollack
    davepollack Posts: 19 Member
    My ah-ha moment wasn't about my weight as it was about exercising. It was actually a nightmare of a medical emergency. Opened my eyes to an overdue lifestyle change.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,087 Member
    edited January 2018
    When was your 'AH-HA' moment that made you decide, 'ahhhm okay it's time to do something about this weight?
    --Early 2015: I knew I had put on weight over the years, but the "Ah-ha" was when, no matter how uncomfortable I was willing to be, I couldn't SQUEEZE into my "fattest" work pants. Refusing to buy another size up, I had to wear skirts/dresses for like 3 weeks until I dropped enough to sausage back into my pants.

    What made a difference this time which differed from previous attempts to lose weight &/or get healthy? (motivation)
    --I decided that rather than trying to do it all, or dramatically change my schedule, I'd instead focus on food. Just had the realization that no matter what, I was going to feed myself, so that was the logical place to start since it was something I was going to be doing anyways.

    As for fitness, which came later, it was after my pace racing started to pick up, but my physical abilities were holding me back. I literally didn't have the strength to get the bike to turn at a faster pace, I was maxed out (bike wasn't, I was). I was also getting more tired as my pace picked up. Decided that if I wanted a shot at making the pro ranks in the future, I'd have to get in shape and treat myself like the athlete I wanted to be.

    I learned to "embrace the suck" and dealt with how horrible it was to work on getting back into shape (for most of my life until about 2009 I was pretty fit and weight had never been an issue, but I had active jobs that required a lot - then I got the dreaded desk job.....)

    How much impact do you feel that a correct mindset has on the level of achievement?
    --I think it's about priorities - humans will accomplish what they feel is truly important to them. Sometimes you have to set yourself up for the mindset, or remind yourself of it, but if it's a priority, you'll make it happen.

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