This is one of those, "what made you do it" posts ;)

matchbox_girl

Okay, I know this question gets asked a lot, but I was over-thinking everything tonight and got to pondering some of my big moments. I think recently it was Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family. In a room of almost 27 people, I was the biggest person in the room and my husband wasn't far behind me. Saw the pictures later, and I was so humiliated, especially since I hadn't seen some of my cousins in like 10 years! Anyway, that got me to ask for a Fitbit on Black Friday, and it's gotten wonderful from there.

The one that hurts even more happened about six months ago. I was trying to figure out what to do for my best friend's birthday. He and I are both very adventurous, so I had the idea to take him skydiving! I was so excited and so was he--until I did my research and found out you have to be under 200 pounds....even the ones that accepted the bigger people I was still too big for! I was so humiliated and told my friend that we had to postpone because of finances--when it was really because I was too big to go skydiving! What are your horrible experiences that made you start this journey?

TheVirgoddess

Went to the doctor for a check up and found out that I am insulin resistant. I have no desire to become a diabetic, so I decided to lose weight.

Phrick

I have a bulging disc in my back - limped horribly de to pain and was facing surgery - only I was too fat for surgery! I was told that I must lose before they would do it. Turns out losing weight was enough to take the pressure off and I haven't had to have surgery after all, since dropping 100+ pounds.

seltzermint555

I was so used to being obese (since age 16) and life seemed fine and easy, I didn't really have any problems and was totally used to just being one of the biggest women in any situation, it didn't register as a big deal to me or anything. But then when I was 32 I got a new stressful job and suddenly started gaining weight fast. I went over 300 lb and started to realize a lot of things I'd never worried about were becoming issues.

it still amazes me that for me personally being around 250-270 lb was generally not problematic for me... but that extra weight up to my heaviest of 307 lb made a HUGE impact.

- not fitting comfortably into seats at movies or smaller restaurant booths
- ankles swelling "randomly" and foot or leg pain when walking a lot
- getting out of breath on multiple flights of stairs
- sometimes not being able to fit into the largest stuff in mainstream plus stores...I was used to wearing 22/24 or maybe getting a 3X if I needed a roomier sweater, it freaked me out to sometimes be in a snug 3X or not fit into 24W jeans.
- the seat belt in the back seat of my ex's Jeep didn't fit me so I pretended like it did while riding in the back with a big 6'4 roughly 300 lb male friend (who it DID fit because he was smaller through the waist/belly area)
- not fitting in many bath tubs comfortably, and sometimes not at all (like extra small tubs in a modern motel)
- delaying or declining some activities due to concerns about not fitting or being too heavy (i.e., pretended I hated to fly on planes or was afraid of ladders)

SuggaD

A friend who was severely overweight was losing weight on a restrictive diet and approaching my weight (close to 200). I'm competitive by nature, so that kicked my butt into gear.