Your "enough is enough" moment

RealWorldStrengthLLC

What was your enough is enough moment that finally put you on (or back on) the path to fitness?

Mine was 2 moments combined within about 3 weeks of each other.

First, was snowboarding with my brother. 7 runs in one day about destroyed my legs. When i was fit I used to be able to do 20+ runs a day for 3-4 days in a row before needing a break. The second was my first time back on a dirt bike in 5 years - a 20 mile trail ride had my legs and arms so tired and cramped it was pathetic. Again, I used to be able to do 60+ miles in a day for multiple consecutive days.

About 2 days after that dirt bike ride I looked in the mirror after a shower, got and got really angry at myself for letting this happen. Later that night, I went to the gym and rode bike for 30 minutes. The next day i put myself back on a lifting routine. That was in April. Started tracking food in August.

wmweeza

I got very sick with a stomach infection that made it hard to eat or breathe (stomach acid would come up and spill into my lungs). I got the eating part healed but not the breathing, and through many doctors appointments it was made clear that I wouldn't get better unless I lost my extra weight. Since I've grown used to breathing ....insert laugh here ....I chose to dive in and lose the weight. The only really scary part for me is if I gain the weight back the excess fat will encroach on my stomach and lungs AGAIN, and I can't go through this ever again ( the last 3 years have been HELL) so I have no choice but to keep it off FOREVER. I am fighting hard, and so far I've lost 80 lbs!
As hard as it's been truthfully I never would have lost my extra weight had I not had this to go through, so it's a weird blessing. I just have 40-45 lbs left to go.

elisa123gal

The good old photo. Seeing myself full length from the side in a photo, I realized how wide I was. I knew it was lose the weight or turn into a typical fat middle aged women. I took a before picture in my underwear.. looked at it each day. It is amazing how that works like magic.
I got on a healthy eating plan, and now I feel and look like my younger self. It's been amazing to lose the weight.

Whatever motivates you. use it!

Machka9

It's usually when I hit a certain weight. I reach that point and think ... yep, time to tighten up the eating and get exercising more.

RelCanonical

I couldn't sleep because I just felt so uncomfortable in my body.

Cassandraw3

For me, it was a job change. I finally was able to balance work, gym, and home life. Even with working out again, the weight was creeping up do to the job change as well. I went from a job on my feet all the time with no time to think about snacks or food until lunch to a desk job that brings in junk food all the time. After a few months of watching the scale creep up a couple pounds a month, enough was enough. I did not like what I saw in the mirror nor could I fit in a lot of my shirts without a visible muffin top.

rsclause

It was when my son poked my large beer gut and asked "when is it due". I lost 50 pounds and my gut only to gain 30 back. I have now shed 18 of that 30 and only have a little gut to go.

Kalex1975

Being unable to walk to my car without losing my breath. It got me to finally go to one of those weight loss clinics where they were unable to get a reading of my blood pressure because it was too high. They urged me to go to the hospital. Instead, stubbornly, I went to one of those emergency care places who also had difficulties in getting a reading and told me to go to the hospital. I finally acquiesced and went. I was referred to a cardiologist who attempted to get my BP under control but was unable... which led me to a 10-day stint in the hospital because of congestive heart failure.

I guess I needed a really big enough is enough moment!

hearingyou2

I reached a point of feeling so uncomfortable, exhausted, miserable and felt like I was just bursting out of myself and my clothes in spite of having to buy all new things over and over. I worked with a trainer who had me log my food in this app every day. The accountability helped, so did the gradual exercise. I began to be able to move better and I began to have more energy. Month by month it got better and I steadily lost weight, gradually and safely. I lost enough to feel that my face looked better. I lost enough that I could wear some smaller clothes and I gave away the biggest ones. I had a ton more energy. Everyone noticed how much better I seemed and looked. I was able to ride my bike a lot with my husband on vacation and I have continued to work out with the trainer. I gained some when I stopped logging and started to eat a bit irresponsibly again. I didn't gain it all back and now I am back at it again. I keep thinking about my health and I have a lot of concerns still that will be addressed by losing weight. Being overweight correlates to headaches, skin tags, cancer risk, strain on joints, strain on heart, higher cholesterol, higher blood sugar, heart attacks, strokes/TIAs, hearing loss, shorter life expectancy. At least risks of all these things and much more. Wanting to feel GOOD and not wanting to feel BAD is motivating to me. Also, the before pictures are still there to look at and they are shocking and quite motivating too! I haven't done the after shots but maybe I should now because I already look so much better and that would be motivating too.

arobey11

I had lost over 40 lbs and had a bunch of clothes that I loved and looked really good in at my new weight. Then I gained about half of it back when I stopped logging/caring for a year and a half, and I felt terrible about myself. Couldn't fit in most of my new, cute clothes, didn't want to take pictures of myself because my face had gotten fat again, and I just didn't feel good about myself anymore. I stewed in disappointment and failure for about two months before I finally just said "I've done this before, I can do it again, and this time I'm not going to negate my hard work just because I feel like eating all the pizza and cake." So far I've been back to logging for 3 weeks and it's going swimmingly, so I feel good about myself - it's amazing what a little self control and hard work can do for your self-esteem!

cheryldumais

Several things finally got me on the right track. One was that I was getting close to 60 and I didn't want to have a stroke. Another was the fact I was working with female prisoners as a volunteer trying to help them see their addictions got them where they were. It dawned on me what a hypocrite I was! The last was a couple of ladies in my prayer group losing weight and I figured if they could do it I could too. By the time I turned 60 I was 100 pounds lighter.

estherdragonbat

I was 5'3" and 254 lbs, just gotten a diagnosis of "Chronic Venous Insufficiency" from a vascular surgeon to explain why I'd gotten cellulitis, which had led to lymphedema and a leg three times its normal size with a weeping wound that wasn't healing. (It took multiple courses of antibiotics and daily visits from homecare nurses). He told me that there was no way to cure the condition, but it could be managed with compression stockings and weight loss.

Until I got that diagnosis, my GP had me on near-total bed rest. He was afraid too much walking around would overheat the leg and prolong the infection, so until the vascular surgeon figured out what was going on and cleared me for walking, since I don't drive, I was either having to wait for my husband to get home from work and chauffeur me about, push me in a transport chair we borrowed from a friend, or take taxis everywhere. It also meant timing my showers for right before the nurse visits—and sometimes they'd call to say they were coming when they were five minutes away. This went on for over two months.

I took a hard look at things and decided that I didn't want this to be my life. That was almost two years and 106 lbs ago.

Pootler74

arobey11 wrote: »

I had lost over 40 lbs and had a bunch of clothes that I loved and looked really good in at my new weight. Then I gained about half of it back when I stopped logging/caring for a year and a half, and I felt terrible about myself. Couldn't fit in most of my new, cute clothes, didn't want to take pictures of myself because my face had gotten fat again, and I just didn't feel good about myself anymore. I stewed in disappointment and failure for about two months before I finally just said "I've done this before, I can do it again, and this time I'm not going to negate my hard work just because I feel like eating all the pizza and cake." So far I've been back to logging for 3 weeks and it's going swimmingly, so I feel good about myself - it's amazing what a little self control and hard work can do for your self-esteem!

This. Pretty much word for word! Lost 100 pounds. Then I got cocky because I was still losing or maintaining while not logging. Thought I had cracked it and I would just be a normal size forever with zero effort. Ha! Life, illness, injury, work, holidays, not giving a hoot, another injury and then a fabulous relationship soon fixed that misconception, and here I am, one size (okay, nearly two sizes) bigger and who knows how many pounds.

It's okay though. I seem to have learned enough on the way down to not gain all the weight back. And I also learned (from my many mistakes) how to control myself around food better on the way back up.

It took a few enough-is-enough moments this time to make me get back on the wagon, some of them pretty cringey and upsetting. But it was when I started thinking like my old, obese self that I really frightened myself into sorting myself out: not wanting to have my photo taken, not wanting to go out or meet people, or do things. That was really scary. The old, obese me was depressed and a bit of a shut-in. The new, healthy me had a great life, full of friendships, joy and activity. I really do not want to go back to being the way I was before. I'm lucky that I still look a reasonably healthy size and I do feel mostly good about myself. I don't have so far to go. And to be honest, even though I was still at the top of the healthy BMI range, I was too skinny before, so I have even less far to go than before. :-)

It's really three steps forward and one back for me when it comes to food, but I get better every time. :-)

tinkerbellang83

I'd ignored a niggling back pain from a fall injury that got worse and worse until one day I bent down and was in agony trying to get back up, the chiropractor patched me up temporarily, but I knew I was at the point where my weight was exacerbating my recovery from the injury.

So I started watching my calories and strength training, got some gait analysis done and treated my over-pronation. I lost about 20lbs and found my love for exercise again, started jogging, hiking, rowing, etc, got around 40lbs off in total and then I've kind of been focused more on fitness than weight and swung up and down the same 5lbs for about a year (Guess I know maintenance isn't going to be an issue .

Whenever I get into a bit of a rut, I think back to the pain and frustration of not even being able to put my socks on and feeling every bump as I was passenger in a car on Irish roads (not a pleasant experience, some pot holes could be mistaken for lakes).

ata1anta

I detailed mine here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10062989/why-did-you-come-to-the-conclusion-to-lose-weight/p64 (very long story).

The short form: MVA and trying to heal with a "Jabba the Hut" body. When I was able to walk again, I joined WW. I'm down 75. I KNOW I have to log my food and MFP and WW are what I'm using to do it. I'm also liking the "new me" - goes out and does rather than waits for someone to do. We were sitting in the living room and BF said that he'd need to go get some more wood for the wood stove (it was chilly last week). I grabbed a log carrier and loaded it up! Old me wouldn't have done that. (especially since the log pile is down the street).

Miss_Snow_White

When I cried (total total meltdown/crying yelling/throwing stuff.. the works) because we had a friend's wedding to attend and all of my dress clothes made feel uncomfortable and embarrassed to even leave my house. Every dress I put on made me look 7 months pregnant and im certainly not pregnant. I don't even have kids lol

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RealWorldStrengthLLC

sarahbums wrote: »

For me it was when i landed in rehab for the second time in less than 6 months because of my drinking. That year I'd been through a lot: I'd attempted suicide, graduated college, been diagnosed with a brain tumor, had surgery, and moved back home. I'd gained about 25lbs in a few months from drinking so much and knew i was inching towards the 'overweight' category if i didn't change my ways. So I did. It probably saved my life.

I understand the drinking issues, as well as the mental health. I had a huge problem with alcohol for many years. The only thing that stopped it was 8 months forced sobriety combined with being diagnosed bipolar, which once I was put on meds, my desire to drink til I black out pretty much vanished since I was no longer self medicating something I didn't know I had.

If I hadn't stopped, I'd probably be nearing the early stage of cirrhosis at 30.

Blythmag

The camera...it never lies

JeromeBarry1

It occurred as I was kissing my wife at midnight of December 31, 1999, January 1, 2000.
"Self", I said, "You lived to see 2000. Now act like you want to live to see 100."

MaxineMarieM

Now! My pants are tight!

OldAssDude

I was obese and developed diverticulitis. I had to get surgery and had to get my heart and lungs tested before they would do the surgery.

They discovered that i had COPD, and the stress test on my heart came back bad so they had to do a catheterization. It revealed that i had a heart attack at some point.

I survived the surgery, but they told me that if i did not start exercising, lose a lot of weight, and quit smoking, that i would not be around much longer.

WAKE UP CALL!!!

I started walking. Then power walking, then cycling, then kayaking, then running. I also used vaping to quit smoking.

Now i can power walk over 10 miles, run 5 miles, and have not smoked a cigarette in about 2 years. I went from a size 40 pants to a 32.

I recently had another stress test and all my blood work done. My blood work is all normal now (used to be a mess), and the cardiologist said my heart is strong now, and it actually healed itself from the heart attach because of all the cardio that i have been doing.

Danp

I don’t know if it was any one thing. Rather it was a culmination of stuff that made me reach that point.
- I got sick and tired of being nervous about my size. “Would that chair hold me?”, “Would I fit down that aisle?”
- I got sick and tired of being left out. I found myself sitting on the sideline while others had amazing experiences. Usually this was either because I was over the weight limit to participate or was way to unfit to enjoy participating.
- I got sick and tired of having to shop in specialty stores and buying awful generic clothes as they were the only ones that fit me.
- I got sick and tired of spending SO MUCH MONEY on junk food. Maintaining the weight I was I was took a pretty serious financial commitment.
- I got sick and tired of having to search for the ‘path of least resistance’ to get somewhere using lifts and escalators. I’d plan my route to avoid stairs and hills as I was too heavy and unfit to do them and if they were unavoidable I’d likely find an excuse not to go.
- I got sick and tired of being an inconvenience and a burden to the people around me. Being the size I was I couldn’t help but be an inconvenience to the people around me. If I sat in the 3 seater train seat only 1 other person could join me so I was putting someone out. If I went to a show or sporting event, I’d likely spill over the seat and crowd the people either side of me. If I flew on a plane, I’d fit (barely) but would undoubtably be encroaching on their space.
- I got sick and tired of making myself uncomfortable and in pain to avoid being an inconvenience. Because I was so conscious of being a burden on people around me I would go out of my way to minimise the impact I was having. This meant that I’d do my best to contort and hold myself in a way that lessened the impact of my size even if this meant that I was incredibly uncomfortable or even in pain.
- I got sick and tired of being so damn sick and tired all the time.

starkspot

Doctor’s visit 1.5 years ago: 376lbs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetic, 51 years old, and a 6 year old daughter at home who needed a dad like her 4 adult siblings had. Knew it was time to make a choice: Get busy living, or get busy dying. Down 113lbs today, all health markers normal, still losing weight, gaining muscle, and getting fitter.

neugebauer52

So unfit and overweight, that I had difficulties walking a short distance.

LiLee2018

Chest pains. Scared me to death when it started happening. I was 38yo (earlier this year) at the time and I have 3 young children. Thinking about not possibly being here to watch them grow up just scared me straight. Thankfully the chest pains was only being caused by stress, but it really opened my eyes to just how bad off I was.

sardelsa

When I had a lot of trouble lifting my baby's stroller into the trunk. That was it. I knew I had to start lifting at that point. Now I can do it with one arm.

AnnPT77

Last straw was some combination of my doctor trying to get me to go on statins (didn't wanna; chemotherapy already was enough of a cognition-killer), plus routinely high blood pressure, then I got diagnosed with gallbladder adenomyomatosis (an inflammatory, cholesterol-y, potentially pre-cancerous sort of thing, not gallbladder stones/sludge).

I was already reasonably strong and fit, even as an obese person, but it was obvious that more serious health problems were looming. As a childless, widowed only child, I need to stay healthy to be independent as long as I can, because inability to be independent definitely means some kind of institution. Wanna put that off.

jmc930

When I had to buy new jeans. And then more new jeans. And another set of new jeans -- phased me a little, but I was pretty indifferent.

When my doctor told me my weight gain was out of control, and I needed to work on that -- I rolled my eyes and insisted my weight gain MUST be due to a medical issue. (It wasn't.)

But what finally did it for me was my own vanity... When I realized I was unhappy with every photo of myself and found myself hiding behind others in group photos to disguise my body. When I tried on wedding dresses and felt like a sausage poured into them (even poofy ones in my actual size, not sample sizes). I didn't want wedding photos I didn't want to look at.

Kimmotion5783

Two years ago, I was morbidly obese weighing a whopping 355 pounds. Down to my last pair of pants, I went into Avenue (a plus size clothing store) and discovered I had gone up TWO sizes of pants in a matter of months. I went up from a size 22 to a size 26 and they were ridiculously tight. I probably fit better in a size 28, but that would have put me in the "super plus size section". Heck no, not on this body! I took the tight size 26 pants home determined to make them fit- from that day on, I placed myself on a diet and started exercising. Now here I am two years later down a grand total of 125 pounds. Almost out of obesity, almost out of the plus size range. Best decision I ever made! It changed my whole entire life.

etchedvinyl

It was a combination of factors that just finally added up to "ENOUGH!!!". I had to hold my breath to tie my shoes. I would be out of breath taking the trash out. I had to go on a CPAP to sleep. I hit the last notch on my already large belt. That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to do something different. I finally started taking my diet and exercise seriously. Since July I have lost 40 lbs. That was my first goal. Now I'm on to the next goal wich is to be down another 15 within the next couple months before I see my doctor again. I want it to be a surprise for him. I'm down 4 sizes and my clothes are getting pretty baggy. I am looking forward to wearing my old wardrobe from a couple years back.