What was your turning point?

RunBrew

When I left the Army in November 2009 I weighed 170lbs, could run a 2-mile in 11:45, do 100 push-ups in 2 minutes, and 94 sit-ups in 2 minutes. I could 1RM bench 225 and squat 350.
I got out, started college, took 18 credit hours and did volunteer work. I got into an MVA and broke my shoulder and a few ribs. Quit working out. Quit doing anything but study.

Fast forward to Spring 2013 I had gained 25 lbs, could barely run ONE mile in 11:45, and 100 push-up was out of the question unless I had all day to do it.

I saw pictures of myself and hated everyone of them.

inferiormeatsack

It feels good to get this out, even if no one ever reads it. I was in a really bad relationship last year, I was unhappy but put my whole life into someone and he could not do that for me. I don't blame him, we both made a lot of mistakes and acted in a way I think we are both ashamed of now. I isolated myself from my friends and started feeling really alone. My sister, whom I am very close to moved across the country and that further isolated me. I was unhappy with my friends (the ones I still talked to on occasion, my job and my life in general). I think I ate to fill some void, or for protection I am not really sure. As time went on I kept gaining and gaining and in six short months I put on over 40lbs.

I felt lost, but I knew that if I wanted my life to be different, I would have to change how I was doing things. I started back to school to finish my BS (I have my AS already), I quit my horrible job and I started trying to better select my company. The thing that still felt wrong was this weight, its like a giant sign I carry with me, telling everyone to leave me alone.

I honestly am unsure if I have had a turning point, more like a slow realization I don't want to be single forever, I want to date and feel as though I am worthy of the people I meet and get to know. I want to do better for myself. I guess that is my turning point, though it is a blunt, wide point and gradual rather than sudden. I want to be a better person, ultimately for me.

L2HS

For me, it was when my doctor refused to discuss alternative ways to conceive because I weighed way too much. She then suggested I consider surgery. I told myself that I would give myself 7 months see how much weight I could lose and then consider surgery if I made no progress. Guess what? I'm half way there! Both in time and in goal! Surgery is not in my future. 8)

yaseyuku

When I gained a lot of weight and couldn't fit into a skirt I bought for my birthday.

emaren

Having gradually added weight, I realized that the 38" waist jeans were too tight and the XL tee's had somehow given way to XXL.

I'm back to 34's and Large Tee's .

I am closing in on 40lbs lost but I still have 25lbs or so to go......

dakotababy

It has been over a year, but when I think back to why I changed my lifestyle, I am thinking it had a lot to do with my social anxiety.
I hid often and did not want to go anywhere ever. When I reflected on my discomfort, it came down to low-self esteem of my appearance. My mom had mentioned MFP a long time prior, so I thought I would log on and see what came of it. Never looked back...until now haha!

fitfreakymom

was told by a store clerk at a le château store told me they did not sell clothes in my size and was told by people that now that my hubby was in the military he would find someone who looked better and would either cheat or leave.

So that was my motivation in the beginning for about the first 5 lbs and then I did it for me and only me.

laursoar

Moving to graduate school in a brand new place definitely did it for me. During my second month here, I decided to look back at an assignment I did for a Positive Psychology course during my undergrad. I had written a little story about where I'd ideally want to be in five years. I felt pretty good about most of it being fairly well predicted at the two years in point, but one part stood out to me. I had referred to having lost the weight that I always wanted to lose. It sort of hit me that I had been wanting to lose weight for years now and continuously had been putting it off. If I could progress forward with so many of my other dreams, why was I putting this one on hold? It was the trigger I needed to actively begin using MFP for more than a week or so this time around!

seltzermint555

When I started to get winded going up stairs and had some swelling in my ankles/feet. That scared me.

Somehow after starting a new & stressful job back in 2008, I went from my usual 260-270 lb all the way to 307 without even realizing I'd gained any weight.

That started a long process of getting healthier.

Actually my more recent weight loss of 49 lb from March of this year to now was more like an afterthought for me, even though I am still obese. I think the first 45 lb I lost over 4 years had a much greater impact on my health.

To be honest - I feel exactly the same at 213 as I did at 262 even though I know that I'm healthier.

lil_lizt

Being able to feel my belly and love handles jiggling when walking or on the bus gave me the kick up the bum I needed, it wasn't a pleasant sensation for me

bobbinalong

I knew I couldn't help being an old lady but I sure didn't have to be a fat old lady.....

maryRNtobe

I expressed interest in a guy and was turned down flat...even though this guy was very vocal about finding a wife, had never been married even in his late 30s. I am not positive he did not like my body, but I did not want to take the change.

I know it is not PC to say, but I would like to marry again. Men are visual creatures. What else can I say?

CharlzO

For me, it was when I saw the picture of my face on my badge for work last year. Initially, I said "wow, my face is kinda chubby", and dismissed it. But it kept eating at me over time. Plus, I hit the magical 200+ number which I had never seen on scale I had stepped on. And then someone special is supposed to be home tail end of the year, so I made it a point to start at least losing 10 lbs, which I did just through some getting out and jogging, which I never did. And then after getting some dental work done, I was sore for a while, which limited my eating to things that didn't include ribs, and burgers, and all the bad stuff I had been indulging in. All those combined, and learning that I could eat and not be hungry on a limited intake, is what kick-started me.

alaynavee

When the scale, which has always gone up and down, hit 200 this summer. I couldn't deny the weight gain any longer, and I needed to take control.

tonyajohn

I went to the doctor for my yearly checkup only to find out that not only had I NOT lost all my baby weight (duh!) but had actually GAINED 10 extra pounds from my lowest post baby weight. All the while, I was still breastfeeding. I just want to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes again. I can't tell you how tired I am of yoga pants. :grumble:

hobbie72

I hit my turning point and decided it was time to change my life when I logged on to my fb account after a few years of being away and saw a picture my mother had posted of me at my heaviest weight. Seeing that picture made me realize that I needed to take control back of my life and caring about myself. I had let my self esteem get so low. Since the time that picture was taken I've actually lost about 56 lbs. I have a long way to go, but I am feeling so much better about myself. I have a lot more energy and I like what I am starting to see when I look in the mirror. This is the beginning of my new life, a healthy happy person that I love being.

annekka

I never thought I was as bad as I was until I needed to get new pants and any pants that fit my thighs didn't fit my hips, or if they fit my hips, they didn't fit my thighs. That was February, I lost about 2 kg between then and April, but then I put on the weight again as I hadn't found MFP between then and July.

In July when I was back home visiting my parents my father told me, "you know you'd be a really attractive woman if you could lose 30 lbs". I had already made the decision that I was going to lose weight as soon as I was back home,, but that really drove it home for me.

AccioFitness

My turning point was more of a waiting game than anything.

I've had an autoimmune disease for over a decade now, and during that time I've been through some rough patches. However in the fall of 2011 I hit an all time low, as it were. I went from having flares lasting 3-5 days about twice a month to having maybe -- maybe -- 3-5 days pain free. It would hurt to sit, to stand, to walk. At times it hurt to feel the pressure of clothing on my skin. I've broken bones and given birth, and neither remotely touched this.

I became mostly bedridden by the beginning of 2012. My doctors and I went around and around on the carousel of medications trying to see what would work. Eventually we learned that I required a cocktail of them; but once we finally got the dosages right in the spring of 2013 my body slowly calmed down. By that time I had put on approximately 50 lbs between the medications and the inability to move. It wasn't until around June that was able to be semi-active again. I wanted to lose weight but I was scared. What if I worked out and the pain came back? What if I made myself worse? I finally came to that place where being afraid of the "what ifs" was no longer worth it though.

In August I started going to the gym 3 times a week. At first I could barely manage a 20 minute workout and I would come home in so much pain that I'd collapse in bed abs nearly cry. It was in part due to my illness and in part due to the fact that over 2 years my body had become weak. Before I could hike for an entire day and feel great, I did circuit training and free weights. But now I had to start all over.

The first 3-4 weeks were brutal at the gym. But as I've continued I've become stronger. That woman I was is coming back. I've reduced my caloric intake some and I watch what I eat to an extent. And I know that alone would cause me to become thinner. But I don't want I be thinner. I want to be *stronger*. And that means sweating and feeling my muscles burn sometimes. It's worth it though, the body that I'm slowly getting back makes it worth it.

rai8759

The honesty of pictures and the birth of my daughter. How can I ask her to live and be healthy when I'm not?

jodycoady

having to cover myself and wear leggings all the time...my pre-pregnancy clothes being too tight and hurting me. Guilt for overeating...being tired all the time...looking in the mirror with shock.