What was your final straw?

Goal179

Hi MFP

I have a question. Outside of a bad report from the Doctor(because we all know that is the ultimate wake up call). What was the final straw that finally pushed you over the edge and made you start your weight loss journey?

janet6567

I lost 30 pounds three years ago using MFP, and was within 10 pounds of my goal. So I decided to take a break from my strict 1200 calories a day diet because I was having surgery. . .well one week stretched into three years and I've gained back all the weight. I am currently at 169 and hoping to lose back down to at least 135. Right now my goal is to reach 160 by the first of next year. I hope to be down to at least 140 by May 15 as we are planning a 3 week trip to England for our 10th anniversary. I will be 65 in July and I don't want to be fat anymore!! Being "old" is bad enough!!

Helenca76

Some photos of me at a party in June.
I thought I looked good. I had my nails and hair done. I had lost 10lbs to fit into a gorgeous pink dress and felt really good until I saw the pictures the following day.
I looked like a freaking marshmallow and I was the biggest person at the table. I had no neck, it was just chins and chest. I was mortified. I had no idea I was that big and that was the final straw.

Got up off my fat ar$e and went to the gym. Been losing weight ever since, it's coming off slowly but I have dropped 2 dress sizes and am the fittest I have been in years!

peachcats

When I realized XXXL was my shirt size.

Ian_Stuart

I had my laptop bag over my shoulder and went into the office up the 8 stairs that lead to the lobby and was out of breath for a few minutes. 8 STAIRS!!!

treesha450

when XL shirts were getting small. I had to shop at Lane Bryant for Jeans. My cup size was an E. I hated shopping and mirrors and cameras.. Oh ..that's a lot of straws.. I guess having to shop in the plus size department crushed me. I now love shopping anywhere and fitting into a Med and my cup size is down to a D

narwhalpr

I was helping my brother and sister in law move to their new apartment on a 3rd floor. A lot of stairs involved, up and down, and them making fun of how out of breath I was and that I was lacking exercise. I felt humiliated and ashamed, but provided enough motivation to start my journey to healthy -- only thing I am proud of now of that particular day/moment. Now I am doing Insanity Day 26) and started power lifting squats this week! I am no joke now!

darkrose20

Back fat. Seriously. Back fat. I was sitting in the buff on the bed one day and noticed my profile in the mirror. I got disgusted, so I did somethig about it.

lebaker310

When it got to the point where I couldn't step into a dressing room without having an anxiety attack. I am not the type of person to have anxiety attacks!

nonnahs123

My work scrubs, made out of unforgiving and un-stretchy material, got too tight and every fat roll was visible. I refused to order the next size up. I'm almost to the point where I need to order the next size down!

Tinydancer91

I was sitting on my bed, leaning on my side, just in my bra and shorts one hot day and I noticed some cellulite on my stomach. I was in pure shock and disgust. That was a real eye opener for me. :frown:

kingscrown

I was fat, 50 and desperate. No diet had ever stuck. I was filing bills and saw all the bills for the Vet. Our dog had been very ill that year and I wondered how much we had spent on her recovery. She was doing well and we had spent $2500 saving her life. I was perfectly OK with that amount. Thought it was money well spent. 6 months earlier I had looked into a liquid diet with my health provider. They said it would cost $4000 and I said absolutely not. Suddenly, with the thought that I'd spend thousands saving my dogs life, but I wouldn't spent money saving my own life? It was the knock up side the head I needed. I decided no diet had ever worked so why diet. I decided to spend money on a trainer and learn how to properly exercise and 80 pounds later I feel better than I ever have.

Siansonea

Eh, I just thought my cheeks were looking a bit chubby, and I wanted to wear my cute clothes again. :drinker:

Adc7225

When I realized I needed a nap after sex, and my partner was 10 years older than me. I didn't attribute directly this to my weight but I joined a gym and when I tried on my first pair of exercise pants I knew lots of things had to change.

10manda86

Sorry about the novel, but once I started writing I couldn't stop! First time I have ever told my entire story!

I have had weight troubles since a young child (thanks mum, whom I love dearly) I have always tried my hardest but as a teen I didn't know what to do and had no one to turn to. The only thing I did know is that I hate vomiting too much to try puking to loose weight. I tried to be as active as possible!

I moved away for uni and being poor changed my diet and I lost 10kgs... then drinking a lot caused me to gain them back, my heaviest at 20 was 96kg. I met my baby daddy and lost those 10kgs again. And have never seen them again. I fell pregnant at 21 and maintained my active lifestyle, coupled with morning sickness lost 11kg. I put 8kg back on during the pregnancy and still managed to leave hospital heavier than when I started! I still had poor knowledge and understanding off food and how the body uses it, and even calories! After bub was3 months I joined a gym, was breast feeding and as a textbook should read it should have fell off but it didn't. Going to the gym daily with my baby in his pram, walking along the beach and to the shops and everywhere was all part of my lifestyle, I was very active but lack of knowledge led me to obviously eating too much!
Baby daddy left I was 23, I kept active, took drinking back up and maintained a stalemate. Weighing myself wasn't important but going to the gym still was, I felt good but was still big, around 86kg still.

I started buying magazines and reading about health and exercise, and that really helped me to begin to understand what I was eating. 2011 I moved back to mum's but this time joined a gym and slowly the weight shifted but 24 years of bad habits were hard to shift. Late 2011 I got my own place and started walking everywhere again. Then early 2012 I found a sport I could do, that I loved and found some friends who motivated me! I took up pole dancing and twice a week I completed a total body work out. Around June/July I found MFP and the power of food was unleashed and I started learning what was going into my body! In July I met my current bf who was very supportive of my quest as he was on a similar journey himself. Being unemployed I focused on my family and exercise, pole, zumba, walking and a daily run as well as logging I was going great and in 3 months I lost 10kgs. At 76kg I was the lowest I had been for as long as I could remember.

Early 2013 I started full time work, a job I hated, moved away from my bf, and no time for gym, I mean I worked 8-5 and with a 4 yr old by yourself I couldn't fit it in. I managed to maintain as best I could and it took 8 months to put 10kg back on. July this year I had started a new job. Full time still but this time I get school holidays off. September school holidays saw me heading to the gym, I have started logging on here again and been trying to fit in a gym session even though I'm back at work! I have lost 5kg in one and a half months. I sometimes struggle, but a trip to Thailand 2014 and my wedding in 2015 keep my mind focused!
I guess my final straw was as a kid being teased but I as I look back now lack of knowledge really let me down ???? now my motivation is my beautiful boyfriend deserves me to be the healthiest and happiest me I can be... plus my kid deserves an active mummy and I want to look fabulous on my wedding day!!!

If you read all this thanks... feel free to add me if you like I'm always good for an email conversation ????

Mr_Starr

sciatica ... my leg hurt so much i could not walk a block.

The doctor said it was not directly related to me being fat. But i knew being out of shape and fat was not helping. I have been coasting on good genetics for low blood pressure and good cholesterol and blood sugar levels. With the sciatica issue i realized i could be fast running out of time with my good health. Everybody i knew that was fat as me was having health issues, and I did not want to be popping pills the rest of my life like they did. So I started on my new path even with the pain. I found even though i found it difficult walking, I could ride a bike. So I started riding and taking water aerobics. I have been continuing to lose weight... and continue expand my activities. I am now back to hiking in the mountains and taking long walks on the beach. I can swim for an hour straight! I want to get back to running. I used to love running in my youth. But I am waiting till I am thinner so i can avoid injury (i know to many folk who have injured themselves because they ran when they were to heavy).

_Danno_

When I had to sit in the special fat man seat on the rides at Disneyland and even that was a squeeze! I laughed it off at the time but inside I was dying of embarrassment ????

gertudejekyl

apnea - "19 events per hour" NO WONDER I WAS SO FREAKING TIRED !!! Lost insurance a day before learning this. No money
for cpap machine and just didn't want to sleep hooked up to a machine. What to do? Learn to play the digeridoo ? It is supposed to work. I don't know if I still have it. There is an app which will measure it with oxigen sensor- you must have a smart phone to do that. Maybe I'll get one soon :flowerforyou:

pimpin_po

I told myself I would never get a "belly flap" you know the little pudge under the belly button. I saw a photo of me at my sons birthday, not only was I too big for ALL my jeans, resulting in me wearing sweats, I was bigger than I was the previous year on his birthday. Cleary I could see a "belly flap". I started the next day. Now I'm getting too small for all my pants.

Ant_the_old_keith_lemon

i`ve always had a chip on my shoulder about not being able to be confident, i blamed this on weight...

one day i saw a picture of myself looking like id been partying in Mcdonalds with a free supersize ticket for 10 years - which essentially i had! This made me even more self concious but it wasnt until i was out of breath walking up a flight of stairs in work i decided that enough was enough.

so off i went an lost 70-80 lbs, easiest thing ive ever done.... i commited to loosing weight because i thought it would make me feel better about myself.... this was 2-3 years ago...

i look different, can run, cycle, swim, jump, sweat, lift...

The smiles have only just come since ive realised what ive achieved. More importantly WHO I AM and how people see me, it was never about the weight it was about releasing the controls ive had on my soul!

people have always seen me like who i am - but i`ve not, childhood trauma due to father never supporting and the suicde of a good friend made me withdraw from reality. the years were not a waste they were a long lesson of how not to do life.

everyone has a turning point, nothing is impossible and you only get out what you put in....

people should ask themselves "ARE YOU PUTTING ENERGY INTO THE RIGHT PLACE?!?!" -- is it weight that needs sorting, the answers is always no, being over weight isnt a root cause its a symptom; a symptom of one or two other issues.

i eat more than i ever have, i move, i`m not lazy and more improtatly i love my life and who i am.

robinsondel

It was a culmination of things for me. First, my reflection on the glass doors as I walked into a store, then the not being able to fit in spaces that even big people could fit in and not being able to do activities. I was done. It was affecting my entire life, social, romantic, professional, I got pissed and now I'm working on it! 4 weeks in and I'm still pissed. I plan on staying pissed until I drop 200lbs!

QueenOfQueer

My mother is diabetic because of her weight, I am obese and at risk for diabetes. I kept gaining weight because of binging (recovering from bulimia and trying to stop purging). I have to shop in only plus size stores, and am only 18 years old. All of these are enough reasons for me to finally get back into losing weight! About a year and a half ago I worked really hard and went from 225 to 190. I want to go back to doing good and get healthy!

colortheworld

BWhen my now ex cheated on me with a girl that was a lot smaller than me. First I wanted to get hotter than she was and make him want me back, and be able to blow him off. About 20 lbs into the loss, I realized I was doing it for me now not for some petty revenge. But I did run into him not that long ago and he definitely checked me out and then tried to speak to me, so I did get my revenge too! :drinker:

Wilhellmina

I grew out of my winter coat and needed a new one. I went to several shops, but all the nice ones were too small. Then the shop owner came with a coat looking like a shapeless bag or something, telling me that would fit, they start from size L up. I was not planning to buy it no matter what! Next day I stood on the scale and that was the final straw for me, I gained almost 30 pounds in 2 years!

CassieReannan

My mum having a stroke, seeing her struggle and knowing I could go down the same path.

9bars

It was a few things in a short space of time for me. Work said I had to have my photo done for an ID badge I kept putting it off, but finally they insisted and my face looked so bloated and much worse than I thought.

Then I went to a wedding and felt such a mess, everyone looked pretty, relaxed and enjoyed themselves while I didn't want to stand up from the table. That night I started thinking enough is enough I'm in my 40s I don't want to live like this.

The following week I booked in to the Drs for a check up and she wanted to put me on blood pressure meds, that was the final straw, I wasn't taking meds for something that was self inflicted. She agreed to let me try losing weight first and would monitor me, thankfully it dropped very quickly and is now normal.

lionheartedlass

Trying on clothes at the store and realizing just how big I'd gotten. Huge wake up call!

Eleanorjanethinner

These are great inspirational stories, thanks for sharing guys!

I started on this path over two years ago. My mum had cancer and was ill for a few years. As she was getting sicker and sicker I was in a bad place, miserable in my job, miserable about her being ill, wanting to travel and not able to, comfort eating was something I could do to feel better for a bit. But of course, that led to weight gain.

My mum was overweight and unhappy about it all my growning up (ironic how cancer takes the weight off!). I swore I'd never be size 16 (UK) which is the tip over point between 'normal' stores and plus size but I was edging that way (okay, I was size 16, I just didn't want to admit it!).

When mum finally died, I was like a zombie for a while afterwards, but logging on MFP was something that I could control and something that felt positive. I started walking 15 min of the journey to work (and that wasn't a breeze - shows how unfit I was!). I started walking for 15-20 min at lunch. I started yoga once a week at work and loved it. I walked on weekends too. I was reasonably strict about logging my 1200 calories and over time I lost about 7kg (about 14 pounds).

Since moving to England, I've been up and down a couple of kgs, but I've maintained the weight loss and I can happily walk several miles (and regularly do, without thinking about it). I actually enjoy walking and the lifestyle here supports it as we're a 20-30 min walk from town along a pretty harbour.

I would love to go from size 14(UK) to size 12(UK) but I just need to find that internal motivation to really focus on it and keep pushing through all the busy-ness, distractions and justifications. Hopefully next year will be my time to get down to size 12 and stay there! (At the moment I'm focussing on losing a couple of kg that have crept up on me so I'm not too plump in the run up to Christmas).

padams2359

See for yourself. The picture is on my profile. And that was vertical stripes.

lambchoplewis

I got sick of looking at all the cute clothes in my closet and wondering which ones would and would not fit. I want to walk in and pick an outfit, put it on and have it fit!!! I lost, maintained and gained about 10 lbs back. I am losing it again but I want the clothes to fit!!!

Ant_the_old_keith_lemon

THIS........... love it, dont be pissed with yourself... just smash a personal best everyday