Lets here it! I wanna know what kicked you guys into gear!

Josh_lol

I was in a car crash and wasn't able to do much in terms of exercise or work. I gained some weight and just felt weak, sluggish and out of shape after I'd recovered. I just kinda got fed up with it and started pushing myself again. I've still got like 30 lbs to lose though before I reach the weight I was at before the accident.

Tyrnis

Nothing too major for me -- I'd known I was gaining weight for a while, and after the holidays, I was up to 225, which was 5 pounds more than I've ever weighed in my life (I'm 5'10"). It was getting to the point where I wasn't happy with how I looked, and 'I should eat better and exercise' went from something I knew I ought to do to something I started doing. I'm terrible about exercise, so I knew that wasn't something I was likely to stick with, but watching what I ate? That I thought I might be more likely to stick with, and I have been.

I still do need to start incorporating cardio and strength building for general fitness purposes, but just based on watching my calorie intake since the first of the year, I'm down from 225 to 194, so definite progress. My initial target is 185, though I'm looking at making 180 the final/sustain weight. That's a weight I could maintain pretty easily when I was younger, so hopefully with a little more effort it'll be sustainable in my 40s.

cturc2008

I started out of a combination of self loathing and fear if ending up diabetic and hypertensive like my mother!

jefamer2017

My friend lost 50lbs and I was straight up jealous. Got my butt in gear I've lost 27lbs so far 40ish to go.

rheddmobile

I went into the hospital for an ovarian torsion caused by a gigantic tumor (which turned out to be benign) and came out with a diabetes diagnosis. At that time I had been very sick, almost bedridden, for a year, while doctors failed to figure out what was wrong with me, and being completely sedentary I had become morbidly obese and unfit. I couldn't even stand up for long periods of time without getting tired. I decided I was tired of being obese and wanted to get a handle on my blood sugar, so I started by just walking, slowly stationary cycling, and doing simple arm exercises with water bottles, then increased what I did as I became more fit. A year and a half later my A1c is in the non-diabetic range and I am normal weight.

However, I am still and will always be diabetic - I can't have more than about 45g carbs at one time while keeping my glucose within a safe range. For those who have a "pre-diabetic" diagnosis, let that be your wake-up call! Get it under control while you still can. Don't do what I did and leave it until after you have full-fledged diabetes, a life-long disease!

MaCkAy69

I recently (2 years ago) came to the sad realization that I was out of control. I was up over 25 lbs, exhausted, premenopausal and sick of feeling ‘disgusting’. Along came MFP and I lost 20lbs. Over the past winter I put 10lbs back on, and I recognized the same cycle I had been on before. So, back out comes MFP! I’m down the 10lbs and aiming for 10 more. I feel more in control, and I’m back to walking again. I want to feel confident again!

seltzermint555

What caused me to start my attempts to become healthier/lose weight (2008), went from 307 lb (HW) to 260s:

Somehow after years of being the chubbiest/biggest kid/girl/woman in any given group, I realized for the first time on a business trip that I COULDN'T keep up with my companion (female boss, average weight & a few years older). On the stairs at the train station I was out of breath, walking a lot in an airport I had pains in my shin and swollen feet/ankles. That wasn't ok with me!

What caused me to start using MFP (2013), went from 260s to 160s-170s range where I'm maintaining:

I had really embraced the idea of body positivity and was enjoying my new relationship after divorce. My new boyfriend (now husband) was all about exercise and healthy eating and a good influence on me, but what really got my attention was his friend losing 80 lb from eating less meat when I went meatless for a year and lost 4 lb. I heard from an internet friend that she lost over 70 lb moderating her food with MFP and I knew she was a body positive, confident girl even at her heaviest so my interest was high and I joined up.

knighton78

I have been overweight my entire adult life and still managed to have a successful career in law enforcement for 20 years, but now the weight and the job has took a toll on my body. Now is the time to get the weight off so I can have ongoing success with my new career at my local hospital which I am now working at.

Davidaw86

I got out of the shower one day and saw myself in the mirror. I mean really saw myself. I felt physically ill with what I saw. So I decided to eat better right that second.

Nan7114

Nothing fit properly anymore... looking for support on my journey

doseofcrazy

I went to the doctor to test my thyroid. While there, they weighed me (as doctors are wont to do) and the number on the scale was a bit of a wake-up call. The last few times I weighed this much, I simply gave birth and boom, problem solved. LOL However, no baby was forthcoming, so it's got to be the whole eat less/move more approach so here I am.

aliyusaf

Two years ago this coming August, I had a routine blood test. The next morning I got a phone call from the Doctor's secretary asking me to come in asap. 30 minutes later the Doctor herself called, telling me not to worry - but do come in asap!

Anyway, go in a couple of days later and the news is troubling. BMI of 33, high blood pressure and pre-diabetic. Being Switzerland, I was given a stark choice - either do something myself (with the full support of nutritionists, etc. etc. ) or go onto medication immediately.

I had a long chat with the doc and told her that I would deal with matters on my own and get fit again. I explained to her that until the age of 30, I had been very fit, and then just went off the rails for the next fifteen years and gained about 100 pounds of excess weight. She gave me that look that said "Yeah, heard all this before. Medicine it is then."

The funny thing is, once I started down the fitness route, it was as if my body was just waiting to get back into shape. I lost the vast majority of weight within the first 6 months. I am now fitter than I was in my mid 20s and weigh about 210 lbs (I am 6'7'' in height). My weight has been stable for at least a year.

While I am delighted with the results, I just feel a bit sad at the wasted years where I didn't do anything about my weight. Oh well, at least I eventually go around to it!

TODDZ9

I went to the doctor last week and pretty much had him shake my entire existence. I work as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, so as far as my job there really isn't any physical activity. I played football in high school and college and was in pretty decent shape. Busted my leg pretty bad and when my activity level bottomed out but I continued eating as much as I was before the weight just piled on. Over the past few years unfortunately I'd pretty much given up and now I have a much bigger hill to climb, but I want my life back, and want to be able to enjoy all of the activities I use to. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!

JeromeBarry1

I wrote this a couple of years ago. "My doctor says my HDL is low and I need to lose weight and exercise and eat more fiber to bring it up. "
I've lost a bunch of weight. I've eaten a bunch of fiber. My HDL is higher now. I've exercised a lot. If she wasn't such a skinny thing I'd want to hug her.

ShaeSweetness

Love all your stories everyone!!! Glad we all found something to kick our butts into shape!!

thiswillhappen

I lost almost 40 lbs about 3 years ago, which I was happy with. Then it started to creep back up when I got settled into a happy relationship, stopped watching my calorie intake, and I stopped weighing myself. After Thanksgiving 2017, after a total binge fest, I realized my clothes were starting to get tight on me again, and I couldn't wear everything I had previously been wearing, so I weighed myself and was SHOCKED that I had gained about 20 lbs back. Seeing the visual of the MFP progress scale and realizing that I was halfway to undoing my progress, and all my hard work, was really what motivated me to get back on track. I started watching what I ate, allowing for occasional treats, and working out and trying new exercise activities. I've lost about 16 lbs since the fall, slowly but surely, and I am much closer to my goal weight, and I think I will be there for my wedding in August! Feel free to add me!

mbaker566

first time around, i didn't want to be a fat bride and i had an autoimmune disorder so the healthier i am the better i feel and the less meds i need.
this time around, i have unique modeling opportunity and i need to get in fighting shape to compete against 20 somethings and skinny minnies. i'm aiming for fit. and i don't want to live on meds to survive if i don't have to.
i have about 30lbs to go

what happened inbetween? i stopped moving as much and didn't adjust calories accordingly

pattitate1

I got a DNA test at ancestry, ran it thru Codegen and found out I have several genetic mutations for heart disease and stroke. I immersed myself in researching whatever I could find on how to live heart healthy. Some things I could change immediately (adding 90 minutes of exercise a day, changing what I eat to only heart healthy items) and losing weight is something that will take some time .... but I'm doing all of this basically because I don't want to die right now, and with that sort of motivation, there's absolutely no chance I'd be tempted to "cheat" or give up. Absolutely none.

kdbulger

Really I started the whole journey for mental health first and foremost but here are few of my catalysts for the weight loss portion:

1. I was over the weight limit for some things and that really got in my head. If I was a healthy weight, I could have rationalized it but the weight limit was above my healthy weight range.
2. I tried to paint my toe nails one day and could barely reach my toes.
3. I was starting to have a hard time gently sitting down and definitely struggling to get up, even from regular couches.
4. I was straight up exhausted at all times.

Kimmotion5783

My journey started two years ago with a pair of pants. I was down to my last pair and they ripped, so I headed to Avenue because at 355 pounds, it was the only store left where clothing fit me (it's a plus-size dept store). Grabbed a size 24 pants to try on and NOPE- too tight, couldn't even get them past my knees! Tried on a size 26, and they were still tight. If I sucked in my stomach and maybe a little Crisco, I could just barely zip them closed. Probably could fit more comfortably into a size 28, but then that would have placed me in the "Super plus size section"... HECK NO! Not going on this body! I could not believe I had gone up TWO sizes of pants! TWO!!! WTF!!! Time to make a change! I'm over it! I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! I'm done with going up in clothing sizes and constantly being in and out of the doctor's office... time to do something about it!

So, I took the tight size 26 pants home and was determined to make them fit my way- starting that night, I placed myself on a diet and began (slowly) making healthy changes. No more soda- that was the first thing to go because I drank too much soda. I "microchallenged" myself to substitute soda for a healthier alternative at one meal. It worked like a charm and soon after I didn't even want it anymore. I craved healthier stuff. Same thing with fast/junk food. Soon after that I began exercising. Again, I "microchallenged" myself to do something exercise/activity-wise. In this case YouTube beginner yoga videos because I was afraid if I went to the gym people would make fun of me. Yoga turned into "that was great, I'm gonna do this every day!", which turned into "it's beautiful outside, I'm going for a walk!" which turned into "I think I'll walk at the park today" which led to joining a gym. I love it, I haven't looked back! I am now more physically fit and active than ever before in my life.

With all of these changes that I made, I have lost 120 pounds grand total (and I'm STILL counting! Yeah that's right I'm still going!) I weigh 235 lbs, I fit into a size 16 pants comfortably, I only go to the doctor's for my annual checkup when I absolutely have to, and I can make it up multiple flights of stairs without wanting to pass out and die. I went from being a morbidly obese couch potato to fit and healthy gym rat. I love my life and it keeps getting better!