What was the moment?

DeenerN

For me there have been several moments when I have thought I can't live like this another day. The most recent was when I went to a local restaurant and my friends wanted to sit out on the patio because it was such a nice day. I thought that was a great idea until I sat down. The patio chairs were cutting into my legs, I looked around to see if there were any other style of chairs on the patio, there wasn't. The whole meal I sat there, the pain running through my legs because I didn't want to suffer the embarrassment that I simply did not fit. I have not been "fitting" into my life for along time. My weight has been putting the brakes on me doing the activities I would love to do like kayaking, horseback riding and yes ball games, I don't fit in stadium seat without the arms cutting into my legs either.....I was wondering what everyone else's turning point was?

kpk54

...when I went on a "girls weekend" in early May of this year and packed lightly because I had so little that fit. Thank heaven the weather was a little chilly and I was able to wear a sweatshirt on occassion. Otherwise I would have worn the same shirt for 5 days. Unfortunately because it was chilly there I was...wearing shorts. I had no long pants or jeans packed since none of them fit. I got serious about my diet and exercise upon return.

CysterWigs

A lot of cumulative things happened over the years as my weight crept up:
- I couldn't fit on the newer, faster roller coasters at Cedar Point (bummer - and an embarrassing one at that)
- It hurt to stand without shoes for any length of time (not normal for someone who was then in her 20's)
- I sprained my ankle standing still (true story)
- My gallbladder had to be removed
- My pants are too tight in the waist and too loose in the caboose
- I got into a rafting accident at a water park because the multi-person raft was overloaded (weight wise) by the inattentive staff, resulting in permanent damage to my right retina and a nasty concussion
- I became type 2 diabetic and felt awful ALL the time.

I liken it to the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon where he sits in Elmer Fudd's pot of stew without realizing he was approaching a full boil. Sometimes you have an a-ha moment. Other times, you live in frustration and denial until something finally has to give.

DeenerN

I can completely understand the pants, I have been down to one pair before and even though I want to buy some new ones, can't find a store that sells my size.

I do miss roller coasters, there are several ones at Silver Dollar City I would love to get on, but I just don't fit.....

adenium11

The day I couldn't wiggle into a size 18 dress pants at my favorite store last February. I have always struggled with weight, and my biggest was a size 24. After kids I had to buy size 20-22s again ( was down in a 14 when I got pregnant) and was MISERABLE!

I dropped some weight again.. and then when I needed dress pants and the 18s were tight. I called it quits on being fat!

Pearsquared

My fasting blood sugar levels were 100 (101 is pre-diabetes), my hormones were completely out of whack, and I had trouble fitting into my car! The steering wheel has to be low and close because I'm a shorty, but the wheel was brushing my thighs and getting quite uncomfortable.

redhead1910

I raced my sister about 10 feet to the mailbox and was completely winded. I had to lie down and catch my breath. So humiliating.

RobynLB83

I wore a dress that I bought a few months back but never wore. When I bought it, it was 1/2 size too big. Surprise, it's now a 1/2 size too small. It was fun trying to breath sitting in that dress all afternoon. I'm just thankful it has sturdy stitching!

sharitapita

For me, it was when my boyfriend said he worried about me not being able to play with our future child or me not being around because I develop one of the many weight related health problems many of my relatives have. Sure, I always wished I was thinner and have dieted/exercised on and off my whole life, but it wasn't until I realized that it was making him worry that it hit home. I am just over a week in now. I don't know if it is just because of the motivation he has given me or because of all of the information and support I have found on here, but for the first time, I really feel like I can keep this lifestyle going. One week in and I am addicted to logging my food and exercise. I am so happy this is working for me

nolongerXXL

I had several "DUH" moments! How many times do you have to have subtle hints and even the "bop on the head" hints.

Not in order:

1. All my 24's were worn out and really didn't fit. I purchased some 26's, which fit good. (Embarrassing for me, I had never been 26 before.)
2. Just months later, I saw a pic of myself and I was seriously spilling OUT of the 26's. WHAT THE HECK???
3. My back hurt, bad, from just doing 10-15 minutes of chores.
4. We went on a family hike and I wanted to die. I love going on hikes with kids. I couldn't wait for the 1 +/- hike to be over. And when someone suggested we go on another, I about died.
5. Was at the local County Fair with my husband and kids. My husband had to ride all of the kiddie rides with the kids while I watched, there are no way I would if in them. The one ride I decided to ride with my son, it took the attendant shoving the bar down on my stomach for it close. Not only was it embarrassing but I was in extreme pain the whole ride.
6. Have to worry about chairs with arms or sizing up a booth for if you'll fit to start with and what side of the booth maybe bigger.
7, I'm short(er) and I can't move the seat back in the car too far, or I can't reach the pedals, so when my super sized stomach was all most touching the steering wheel it is just too much.
8. Scared to sit in certain chairs or even hunting stands because I might break them.
9. Climbing a flight of stairs leaves me breathless for several minutes.
10. Finally, I am surrounded by people who are relying on scooters, medicine and other items because they have allowed their health to decline so much. These people are not elderly, they are 30's to early 50's. I don't want this for myself. I feared sudden death also.

Great thread, girl!

nvpixie

I saw a pic my husband took of my daughter and me, and I said to myself, "That's how I look?" I couldn't believe it.
I was wearing a favorite sweater of mine too so I was double bummed out.
Also, two pairs of pants that I often wear to work were getting too tight and I refused to go up a size.
Shortly after that, I logged back into MFP and decided once and for all that I was not going to look frumpy anymore. :happy:
I've now lost most of the weight I want to, but I'm working on getting into better shape.

ruth3698

There was never any "moment" just alot of little moments.I was going to out one day and realized that none of my clothes fit and the only thing I could wear were t-shirts and yoga pants.comparing my tiny size 3 skirt(that used to be kinda big on me) to my size 16 pants that were too tight.When I was working, being compared to every other fat girl with glasses.I would always get the comment "you guys look like sisters".When I was pregnant, hardly anybody could tell, I just looked fatter.I would seriously get comments like from people who saw me every day that they had no idea i was preggo.Oh and this might be tmi but sex sucked, didn't have any energy like I used to lol. I just don't want to live like this anymore.

bella90422

There were many little moments that made me want to change, but it "clicked" on my 28th birthday. We were on vacation and my 2 young kids wanted to swim at the hotel pool. I didn't have a swimsuit that fit (nor would I want to wear one public), so my husband had to take them. I was on the treadmill watching them swim and have fun, I so sad that I was missing out on those memories.

I just recenlty took them both to the pool myself

peggy_polenta

my eye surgeon told me i had PCT which they believe is caused by obesity since they only see it in obese people. i had already lost some eye sight which i would never get back and if i didn't loose weight i would be totally and irreversably blind. further, if i didn't loose weight, they would have to open the base of my spine, feed a tube from the base of my back, up through my spinal cord to my brain to drain the excess fluid out of my head. the doc had no tolerance for me and i knew if i didn't make an effort, he would fire me as his patient. that was > 4 years ago and 126 pounds later and i am PCT cured. and in fact, my drs indifference and curtness is what motivated me to get the weight off. he is very proud of me and says i'm his star patient. he can't believe i actually did it. that one of his patients finally listened to him. i still have to go in for check ups so he helps me keep it off too...cause i know much i will disappoint him if i put it back on.

lcfairbairn74

When my shattered ankle needed to be fixed, the hospital my surgeon usually operates in wouldn't accept me because my BMI was over 40 (44!). When in the second choice hospital, they couldn't find a wheelchair big enough so I could be discharged. My mum eventually tracked down ONE wheelchair for hire in the whole city that was big enough to take my weight!

I came home and sat in my hired wheelchair and started using MFP. Haven't looked back since!!

DeenerN

Health is a big motive for me as well, pre-diabetic scares me to death since diabetes runs in my family.

I completely get looking at the chair to make sure its big and sturdy enough to hold my over 300lbs.

Not being able to find clothes in my size off the rack is disappointing especially when I go with friends shopping and watch them try on an buy cute fashions.

My body aches from the weight, I have to sit down often while trying to accomplish basic chores.

I find it interesting how all of our stories seem to have common themes, we are truly not alone here; I'm glad I'm a part of this community. I have hope here and have become addicted to the tracker and that little number it tells me I'm going to be

emily_ebooks

I remember it very clearly: it was during my freshman year of college, and I sat down in the dining hall and looked at all of the utter JUNK on my tray—pizza, fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, pink lemonade, and two cookies—and noticed that my size 11 pants were snug, and I knew I had to change.

mellowkate

I was acutely aware of how badly I needed to lose weight, but my "OK, that's enough" moment was when my gyno took me off the birth control I'd been on for years because it wasn't effective in women of my size, and my blood pressure was so high that continuing to take it might cause me a heart attack.

I hit the gym and changed my eating habits -- MFP was an absolute GODSEND in that regard -- and since last summer, I'm down about 70 pounds and about 3 sizes. (But despite my shrinking frame, the girls are still DD's. ::angels sing in perfect harmony::)

I do still have quite a ways to go -- I'm almost halfway toward my ultimate goal -- but I decided to focus on the positive and made a list of things that used to bum me out about my weight that aren't an issue anymore. I keep it among the notes on my iPhone, top line is "Things I can enjoy now that I'm not as fat as I used to be." I look at it when I'm feeling down and need a reminder of how far I've come, and every it motivates me to want to lose more so that I can keep adding to the list.

6spdeg

i got two parents diagnosed with terminal cancer and my first kid was on the way.. EYE OPENER FO SHO!

Josalinn

trying on a swimsuit and seeing how awful i looked. Then locking myself in the fitting room and crying until my boyfriend braved the ladies fitting room to see what was taking so long to show him the swim suit....

bcattoes

Holiday pictures. And then I did the standard New Year's resolution. Luckily this year I didn't have to set the same one.

mominstands

Recently looking through the pictures on my phone & finding a video my son had took several months ago of me standing at the stove cooking dinner. I had to look @ it twice to make sure it was me. I had no Idea I looked that big.

Starting a great new job and not being able to fit into my spring/summer outfits & refusing to buy anthing a size bigger.

krystalc1986

That moment for me has happened many many times before too many to count and each time I would lose a little and gain a lot. I guess this time what really did it for me was when I went to go pull out my summer clothes from LAST year (size 22) and discovered that I could no longer fit them I could barely get them up past my thighs! I thought to myself this has got to change. We have planned a family trip to Holiday World within a couple of weeks; which last year we did the same and I experienced the most embarrassing thing that has EVER happened to me. I could NOT ride a roller coaster with my child because I could NOT fit in the seat! Talking about depressing. It didn't change me last summer I kind of blew it off but this year I am determined to get on those roller coasters with my children. And be able to just enjoy as much of their childhood with them as I possible can and NOT allow my weight to control me any longer!

blbower2

Several things hit me at once:

Seeing a picture of my mom, sister, and I after a trip home-- I couldn't believe how I'd let myself go and not even noticed.

Noticing that my uniform at work was getting quite snug and I was too embarrassed to ask HR to order me new ones.

Taking a long, hard look at myself one morning while at home alone and smoking, eating last night's leftover pizza, and watching movie after movie. I had not left my house since the day before. Decided right then I needed to make some drastic changes...threw out the pizza, cleaned out the fridge, trashed my smokes, and went on a 2 mile walk. I never looked back.

blbower2

Several things hit me at once:

Seeing a picture of my mom, sister, and I after a trip home-- I couldn't believe how I'd let myself go and not even noticed.

Noticing that my uniform at work was getting quite snug and I was too embarrassed to ask HR to order me new ones.

Taking a long, hard look at myself one morning while at home alone and smoking, eating last night's leftover pizza, and watching movie after movie. I had not left my house since the day before. Decided right then I needed to make some drastic changes...threw out the pizza, cleaned out the fridge, trashed my smokes, and went on a 2 mile walk. I never looked back.

musycnlyrics

bump!

lisy28

I hit 220 and thought i am not cute/pretty any more!!

I felt disgusted in my self!! AND YES I AM THAT VAIN and not ashamed to admit it

jannessy

stepping on the scale and seeing 195 almost 200 !!!!

kganc001

I was on medication that killed my metabolism, but I didn't realize it until I had to start buying bigger clothes...which was really embarrassing for me. So I ditched the meds, dealt with my issues on a fundamental/base level, and busted my buns to get to where I am now with plenty of set backs to boot. But it's been so worth it.

clg07

My moments were;
1. My "fat pants" were now too small and my thighs were rubbing together so much that all my pants were getting holes where they touched together.
2. My back was constantly hurting and was told dropping a few pounds would help.
3. I tried on a swim suit and turning into a complete sobbing emotional wreck in the fitting room.
4. I made peace with gaining a size or two and went shopping and couldn't get the shorts that were 3 sizes bigger than last summers shorts up past my knees.
5. I have PCOS and was told that dropping as little as 5 lbs, but preferably 30, would help me to regain my fertility and finally be able to conceive.
6. The final huge moment that pushed me into the gym again was when I was a bridesmaid stuffed into the least flattering strapless number that showed all the rolls underneath as well as the lovely armpit cleavage, quad-boob, and back fat hanging out all over the place.I saw those pictures posted online and was humiliated.

Currently my weight is jumping up and down all over the place so I don't really trust the pound tracker, but my inches lost are huge and I just ran my first 5k this last weekend!

ClumsyArtist

Mine was trying on clothes in the same stores I've shopped at for years. I hadn't been clothes shopping in quite some time so when I finally did, I found that nothing fit! So frustrating! I knew it was time to change everything.