What's Your A-HA Moment?

oboeing

I have been on MFP for over a year, and have been yo-yo-ing as much now as I did before joining.

I have horrible self esteem (always have) and getting healthy for myself obviously doesn't seem to be a good enough reason for me to stick to my goals. I have horrible self control, and there is a part of me that says "what does it matter". It's depressing. I have no kids, no significant other, to help give me motivation. I have a torn MCL at the moment, so I can't work out, and all I do is give lame excuse after lame excuse as to why I can't stick to it, and I'm tired of failing.

What was the moment where you said "yes, I can and WILL do this"?

harvo

I am in a similar place except that as a diabetic and having pancreatitis I am basically poisoning my own body. Knowing this is fact I struggle almost daily, even to the point of making excuses for not logging when I know that is because i do not want to see how much I am eating. I think everyone single, married, kids or no kids fight this battle. You are not alone...and its ok not to be perfect...

The moment I say Yes, I can and will do this" is anytime other than when it is time to eat a meal or snack or faced with having to go to the gym to do something other than tan.

Big hugs to you girl!

chrisa8170

My A-Ha moment actually didn't happen. The wife decided to make the change and having two girls with the eldest aged 11, I decided I was not going have my girls grow up being overly affected by body image issues etc and seeing their mother eat something different of being the only one with small portions, so I said that it should be a 'family' thing so, we started looking at what we ate.

My real A-Ha moment was finding MFP and the support (and fun) I have had here. I very early on decided that the weight loss would be without exercise until i reached a certain weight. I have also found that finding different ways of tracking progress has helped me focus so for example it's not just weight loss, I also track the % loss of my original weight, Inches lost & clothes sizes.

Focus on the positives, it could have been easy for you to just give up and pile it on, it may have been a challenge and not ideal for you but a yo-yo still shows that you have some control and know how to work to a goal etc.

I can imagine it is a real pain when you are just starting to get back in to the swing of things and then BAM! along comes the issue to throw you off course i.e. injury, personal crisis etc.

You can do it, think outside the box. I'm glad I made the decision I did, it wasn't the big A-ha moment I thought I was going to have but I have been inspired and motivated by my MFP friends and others to keep going and you have my full support (from across the pond) :flowerforyou:

SurfyFriend

Near death experience made me decide to never give anything my second best.

Shirlls123

It isn't easy to embark on a weight loss plan and stick to it so don't be too hard on yourself. It doesn't help not being able to exercise either. You could maybe try some light exercises which wouldn't do any serious damage? Every little bit helps. Some things I do which works for me is buying an item of clothing I like in a size smaller and make it my goal to fit into it? Or keeping a diary of your daily thoughts when cutting down on junk food might help. It's amazing how writing things down can be very inspiring. Without any set goals or motivation tools, losing weight is impossible. All I can suggest is finding a motivation strategy that works for you and following it.

I have been a yo yo dieter for years and I put on nearly 3 stone after having my baby. My baby weighed over 10 pounds and was born by emergency c-section so this left me with a huge belly overhang and a lot of excess weight everywhere else. I was so tired and stressed with looking after my baby (my first) that 'I'll do it tomorrow' became my non-deliberate daily mantra after I had recovered from the c-section. My a-ha moment happened at a friends party, the first time I had been out since baby was born. I threw on black trousers and a baggy top and made myself look presentable even though I felt fat. Getting ready made me want to lose weight, but the actual a-ha moment was a result of a tactless remark from a friend. This friend has recently lost weight through a diet and had developed a bit of a smug 'everyone else is fat and lazy' attitude. I tried to confide in her about how I felt about my weight and all I got was her boasting about how much weight she had lost and what clothes she can now wear since she has lost the weight, before saying something quite insensitive about my stomach in response to something I'd said. I don't think she was being deliberately hurtful, just a bit ignorant, but it's amazing how one comment can motivate you! I developed a determination from that moment on to do something about my weight, I could almost thank my friend for inadvertently giving me the push I needed and providing me with motivation (when I think about how I felt that night it's all the motivation I need).

I'm not saying get someone to offend you to motivate you :laugh: , but even thinking of a time where you particularly remember your weight getting you down might help spur you on. Concentrate on how you felt then and focus how you'd feel if you lost weight. Or even try healthier alternatives to certain foods (one of mine is snack a jacks instead of crisps, or fredo bars instead of a large bar of chocolate).

Feel free to add me if you need support and encouragement through MFP

Shirlls123

ps - sorry for the essay, lol! ^^^^^

Tracey1147

The moment I say Yes, I can and will do this" is anytime other than when it is time to eat a meal or snack or faced with having to go to the gym to do something other than tan.

This is it for me!
When I'm at my desk or somewhere I can't exercise or eat healthy I'll be really determined but when it actually comes to it I "forget" that I wanted to exercise and why. My thing that keeps me going is actually all the people (that have no clue) that tell me I can't do it. I just think that they have no reason/knowledge for saying I can't apart from the fact that they don't want to.
I try to make exercise and being healthier a hobby. I've never had a real hobby before so now I tell myself (and anyone else) that this is my hobby and that I enjoy it. I hope one of these days that will ring true to myself.

Duck_Puddle

Mine was an accident, my story is in my profile.

oboeing

ps - sorry for the essay, lol! ^^^^^

loved the essay, please don't apologize!

rickshimmins

My A-Ha moment was when the "fat" pants that I bought 15 years ago when started gaining weight, no longer fit. I had long been one of those people who had a few extra pounds but I wore it well and didn't suffer too many health effects. That started to change two years ago when I had my BP tested and it was 180 over 120. After that, I still failed to lose weight and I made excuses. Then I weighed in at the doctor and was over 280 lbs. the most ever. I was having foot pain and had trouble bending over to pick things off the floor.

I simultaneously joined planet fitness and MFP on the suggestion of friends. Planet fitness gives me the exercise and MFP keeps me accountable on my calorie intake. Before that, I was delusional as to how many calories I took in on a daily basis. I am now trying to figure out how to eat like a thin person instead of the way I want to eat.

tinz75

I had a number of things, no particular 'A-Ha' moment

Seeing a photo of me looking way too fat
No longer being able to run
Played a game of tennis and was knackered at the end of it
My dad had a heart attack and my mam an angina

They were all the nudges I had, I knew I was getting heavy and big and I just didn't want that. and I knew if I left it any longer it would be harder to get started.

The hardest part for me is avoiding temptation, specifically chocolate. So I try to always have fruit near me!