What was your "Ah-ha" moment?

Jessyd76

Love the threads in here! I'm really excited to see everyone's transformations and I'm looking for a little extra motivation for mine!

For those of you who have achieved your goal or are well on your way to it... what was your "Ah-ha" moment? Was there a situation, an event, a realization, or something that made you prioritize health/fitness/weight loss over everything else?

jsa_mason

Bump, cool idea.

jarrettwhite07

Yeah I didn't like the way I looked in my pics so I decided to change it.

Need2Exerc1se

jarrettwhite07 wrote: »

Yeah I didn't like the way I looked in my pics so I decided to change it.

Pretty much this for me too.

yodasan

Breakdown in my marriage....I demanded my husband to make changes. He has been only asking me to change one thing and that is to get healthy. He did not want to see me in the hospital when I get older from complications from being overweight. This has been an issue for many years and I have made half hearted attempts. This time it is different...my motivation to eat right, exercise and make healthier choices is my priority.

GelasiaT

I never really had an ah-ha moment. Something just clicked in me one day that I'm tired of the way I look, tired of feeling exhausted all the time. So I decided to re-vamp the way I see weight loss, and the first was to take a good look at what I was eating. I decided to eliminate fast food, soda, and minimize as much as possible processed foods from my diet for 30 days (today actually marks my 30th day). Then a few days after starting my 30 day elimination challenge I got paperwork from my mom doctor and was so shocked at all the health conditions she had, I cried. I knew I did not want to go through life with the possibility of running into the same conditions (my mom is obese too). After that I just knew this time would be different.

sessygail

Yup, the photo thing, at least this time around. Had a big event for my stepdaughter last weekend and she wanted me in the photos and I couldn't figure out a graceful way to demur without seeming like I didn't recognize the importance. So there are about 30 photos around that show me how bad it has gotten. And several of those are on my own camera, despite my insistence that this was not necessary.

rachellosesitall85

It was a series of events. One was that my friend put a very unflattering pic of me playing with her dog up on fb and tagged me. I already knew how big I looked but someone then commented slyly on how beautiful "she" was- meaning the dog. It kind of stung but I mentioned I was going to do something about my weight. That photo is now my background for my laptop.

Another time I was watching this awesome bald guy on youtube from Actualized.org explaining how he lost 80 or so pounds and kept it off for X amount of years. That day I was just flipping through the channels trying to get motivated and what he really said finally stuck to me. It's something I heard 100 times before but for some reason his words really stirred something inside of me. He was explaining how weight loss must start in your mind first. There has to be a mindset reset/change and he was right.

Since then I'm down about 18lbs and working out and eating healthier is 2nd nature to me. This time it feels different as before I was losing it for the wrong reasons or losing it for other people. This time is for me. I finally decided to wake up and start loving myself. It's much more important when it comes from a place of self-love and acceptance because then you want to give yourself your best life.

Redbeard333

Getting on the scale mid-January this year expecting it to say 250, and it said 286.8. I'm down to 222.2 and still going. It's like a light turning on, or a sudden awakening to what you're doing to your body that makes you suddenly realize that you have to change...

Jessyd76

Thanks folks!! Love what you all have shared!

I'm motivated right now. I'll be honest and say I don't really know WHAT is driving my motivation right now. So I'm a little concerned (based on past experience) that it may not last.

I have all the logical reasons in the world, but they still haven't inspired lasting action.

I've heard a million times that you can't force a mindset change or an Ah-ha moment... but I'm trying to create my own anyway. It's just too damn important to succeed at this! So thank you!! Your shares are helping me do that!

woznube7

I don't think I have an "ah-ha" moment... other than looking at pictures/seeing myself in reflection. It works for about two seconds and then I am just back to being hard on myself. I just need to keep a clear mind and keep reading this success stories, so then I can too, share mine!

IncredibleShrinkingSandy

I started to gain weight in my late teens and by the time I was 25 I was 226 pounds. I lost 30 pounds and kept it off for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, life got away from me and depression took over. I still managed to cut back on fast food (my main weakness) and I always made sure to only eat enough to satisfy myself and not overeat and was lucky enough to not gain any of the weight I lost, back. Then suddenly, I was only 4 months away from my 30th birthday and remembered that I had promised myself that I would lose all the weight that I wanted to before I entered the next decade. I have had menstrual problems that started when I really started to get heavy. When I lost the first 30 pounds some symptoms improved and I wanted to see if losing more weight would help improve more. My partner and I want to start a family in the next few years and I want to be as healthy as can be so I can help my chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby and pregnancy. I knew I was done with failed diets and giving up. So, I got on Google and searched for weight loss success stories and how those successful people managed to be successful in the first place. I discovered that most of them simply just ate less and do moved more! I was skeptical because I wanted it off quickly. I didn't know if I could be okay with losing 1 or 2 pounds a week! Then, there was an acquaintance whom was on a weight loss kick. She was doing it all wrong with crash dieting and "cleanses. " Not only that, she was doing it specifically for an event and would give up after the event was over. This annoying frustrated me annoying first. She was hurting her body more than she was helping it and being irritating about it in the process. After some begrudgingly looking at myself in the mirror I realized that if I felt that way maybe I should practice what I preach. I read more on the Internet about how people dealt with how long it took to lose their weight. I then came to the conclusion that I didn't wake up one day with an extra 60 pounds on me and that since that took years, losing it was going to take a while too. I also have a personal motto: If it's important, nothing can stop you from making sure it gets done. Losing weight was and is important to me. My self esteem and life have suffered because of my weight and I was over all of it. I decided to just go for it. I saw results, got compliments from family and some friends. I found a new love for not only losing weight but, living a healthy lifestyle. Which I know is something I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life. So, in conclusion I would say that there wasn't a single a-ha moment for me, just a snow ball effect that rolled itself into me and woke me up to the fact that if I needed to make some changes.

IncredibleShrinkingSandy

IncredibleShrinkingSandy wrote: »

I started to gain weight in my late teens and by the time I was 25 I was 226 pounds. I lost 30 pounds and kept it off for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, life got away from me and depression took over. I still managed to cut back on fast food (my main weakness) and I always made sure to only eat enough to satisfy myself and not overeat and was lucky enough to not gain any of the weight I lost, back. Then suddenly, I was only 4 months away from my 30th birthday and remembered that I had promised myself that I would lose all the weight that I wanted to before I entered the next decade. I have had menstrual problems that started when I really started to get heavy. When I lost the first 30 pounds some symptoms improved and I wanted to see if losing more weight would help improve more. My partner and I want to start a family in the next few years and I want to be as healthy as can be so I can help my chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby and pregnancy. I knew I was done with failed diets and giving up. So, I got on Google and searched for weight loss success stories and how those successful people managed to be successful in the first place. I discovered that most of them simply just ate less and do moved more! I was skeptical because I wanted it off quickly. I didn't know if I could be okay with losing 1 or 2 pounds a week! Then, there was an acquaintance whom was on a weight loss kick. She was doing it all wrong with crash dieting and "cleanses. " Not only that, she was doing it specifically for an event and would give up after the event was over. This annoying frustrated me annoying first. She was hurting her body more than she was helping it and being irritating about it in the process. After some begrudgingly looking at myself in the mirror I realized that if I felt that way maybe I should practice what I preach. I read more on the Internet about how people dealt with how long it took to lose their weight. I then came to the conclusion that I didn't wake up one day with an extra 60 pounds on me and that since that took years, losing it was going to take a while too. I also have a personal motto: If it's important, nothing can stop you from making sure it gets done. Losing weight was and is important to me. My self esteem and life have suffered because of my weight and I was over all of it. I decided to just go for it. I saw results, got compliments from family and some friends. I found a new love for not only losing weight but, living a healthy lifestyle. Which I know is something I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life. So, in conclusion I would say that there wasn't a single a-ha moment for me, just a snow ball effect that rolled itself into me and woke me up to the fact that if I needed to make some changes.

*This annoyed and frustrated me at first. ((Stupid auto correct))

katyjay2014

For me it was the patronizing "honey you can't pull that off" look from the store saleswoman. I bought the blouse because I was so annoyed. I had been thinking about making the life changes for a while but that clinched it. As soon as the cardio machine was delivered I haven't looked back. The blouse is now too big.

amyoneill656

I swear I'm not being paid to say this lol, but it was learning about MFP. My problem was always not knowing what to do, and counting calories sounded too hard. I heard a couple people talking about this app, and I thought, that sounds easy enough. Working out came soon after, so I could log that too. Almost four months and forty pounds later!

transformedbyhim56

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I started on Metformin and my doctor said it is a progressive disease and that I would eventually have to go on insulin. Anyway that was a wake up call for me. I had heard the doctor on "The biggest Loser" tell some of the participants that if they lost the weight, kept it off, and continued exercising, they could reverse their diabetes. So I started researching and read a book called The End of Diabetes by Dr. Joel Furhmann. I also read Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs. In her book she tells how to make a brain change to make your weight loss permanent. She also tells 5 decisions you need to make to make the brain change. Anyway 2 years later I am no longer on any medications and am no longer diabetic. It can be done. I have lost 54 pounds and my A1C went from 6.5 to 5.2. I log all my calories on MFP and take several exercise classes 5 days a week and am now working with a personal trainer. All my friends and family say they are so proud of me and I feel so much better and have gone from a size 18 to an 8. I look so much better in all the family photos now. I've gained a passion for health and fitness and I don't plan to ever go back to the way I was. I have a whole new life now.

jamiegibbs8

I guess mine have slowly been adding up. Jeans are all too tight. Comments from people and also a picture just all make me realize it's time to get serious and be pro active about this

athenawj

Mine happened on vacation in May of last year. My husband and I were taking a walk on the beach, and this teenage boy asked me, "Ma'am, can I ask: when are you due?" Now, it sounds like he was being polite, and it wasn't the first time I'd been asked if I was pregnant while wearing a bathing suit, but he was smirking and happily being a little jerk. I told him I was dropping trough the next day; but when he was gone, I just started crying.

I told my husband that I'd had enough- I wasn't going to use my joint pain as an excuse anymore, and no one was going to ever again ask me if I was pregnant (for the record, our daughters are 25 and 23- it's been a LONG time!). The day after vacation, I started counting calories, and I got a recumbent bike. My husband joined me, too, and we've lost a combined 83 pounds, with 9 pounds left between us. Now that I'm not in the kind of pain I was before, I do cardio and strength.

By the way, we went back to that beach again this past May. You bet your *kitten* no one asked me if I was pregnant this time!!

mariamathsgeek

My weight crept up over a few years and I knew I was overweight but never felt motivated to lose the weight. I've always been fit no matter what weight I've been as I'm a regular runner. I've ran skinny, I've ran slim, I've ran chubby and I've ran fat. I thought I could get away with a little extra weight because of my fitness and general good health plus my husband didn't seem to mind me getting bigger. But, it got to the stage where people started asking me if I was pregnant (nope, just fat!) and my children started to call my belly 'fat' or 'squishy' (in a playful way....but, still!) then on Jan 1st of this year I got on the scales and my 5'5" frame weighed in at 181lbs with a BMI of over 30 (ie, Obese) and a body fat of over 40% (WTF!). That was it....no more kidding myself!!! I'm now 154lbs (overweight but only 4lbs away from a healthy weight BMI wise). My initial goal is 140lbs but I'll re-evaluate when I get there. Oh...and running is SO MUCH EASIER with less excess weight to carry around!!!!

refuseresist

This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuN7kOW7iwo

jennmpantoja

My moment came when I was getting sick from my gallbladder. I brushed it off started eating better, then started walking. It wasn't until I joined a boxing gym that I realized that I need to do something, then I got sick and had to have emergency gallbladder surgery that sidelined me. I knew laying in that hospital bed that I can't get this bad again. I need to make some changes and I did. I feel better about myself and I'm so happy.