Why did you decide to make a lifestyle change?

ggirgis44

I reached my highest weight of 283 pounds at just 13 years old. I then embarked on a long journey, through high school and college years, that would eventually take me to 143 pounds. For me, motivation was a constant fire that needed to be fueled and differed at various points in my journey. It still appreciates fuel today. Share your story telling us when you realized that you needed to change.

My story: I lost my first thirty pounds at 14 years old (283-253). At such a young age, my main motivator was simple: I just wanted to be accepted among my peers. My motivators changed as I grew older. I graduated high school at 220 and graduated college at 186 in 2014. I reached 143 in summer of 2016. For me, my constant motivators were difficulties that my weight was imposing on my life. I was tired of going up the stairs with difficulty even though I was at the peak of my youth. I was sick of never finding anything to wear that I felt good about. I was tired of worrying about frivolous things like wondering whether my back blubber was showing in a light colored shirt. I was tired of mentally navigating my route in tight paces like classrooms to make sure I could fit between the desks. I was tired of worrying about giving my shirt size to group leaders and worrying if I would look like a neon sign wearing it. I was tired of wondering whether my weight was the reason anything didn't work out (social situations, job interviews, etc). I wanted to be "me" without the extra baggage (figuratively and literally!) that my weight imposed on my life.
Now at my current weight, I feel like a completely new person. I feel mentally freer, being able to tackle life without the constant worries that extra weight brings. My motivator to stay on the journey is to help others and show them that they can do it, too!