What was your "moment"?

bacitracin

When I looked down in the shower and couldn't see Mr. Peep, I knew I had to lose weight and ditch the cake-making devil-woman.

Urban_Princess

I had a few moments.

The first was when I was sitting on a coach bus (commuter bus) for about 45-50mins, and when I needed to get off my legs were dumb and that tingly sensation was going through my legs. I knew it had to be because of my weight. I went to the local curves since it was the closest "gym" to me at the time. I was weight. I was 238lbs. The heaviest I've ever been. I couldn't believe I got to be so big. I was 12lbs away from 250lbs. Instead of freaking out I said "okay, I need to change this". I always thought I looked okay, but when I sat down and looked at the side profile I looked puffed out. My sister started buying me XXL clothing, and my pants were getting tighter. I was soon able to shop in the plus size section and I hated it.

I started working out and eating healthier but it soon stopped as I moved away to complete my post-grad. I moved in with my roommate who is probably 300lbs or so and ate terribly. I had no incentive to eat better because I thought "if she could do it, why can't i?". Some of her meals included chicken fingers, tater tots, pizza pops, basically anything frozen. And she usually had pop in the house and drank two 591ml bottles a day. So this made me start eating pasta, peanut butter sandwiches on white bread, and I bought cases of cranberry gingerale. There was a fish and chips places within walking distance so I went there whenever they had specials.

My boyfriend was a bit of an enabler too. We often frequented DQ for blizzards (those things have 1200 cal one regular!!) and other fast food establishments, if we didn't have cookies or brownies I would complain and he would take me to the store, we would indulge in cupcakes too frequently, and boy do I love pizza. My sister was also and enabler too often having bags of cookies in her room. As we watched tv we could finish a whole bag easily.

I knew I had to change this. I started seeing someone new in the middle of 2013 and he really got me into being in shape again and to help give back my confidence. I'm not going to lie, I really wanted to impress him too. So I started really pushing. Then things headed south and I just didn't care anymore. I got back with my previous boyfriend and told him all the things that I needed in the relationship including support and what needs to change because all those things that I didn't do when I was younger (like go to prom, or continue playing soccer) were a result of my weight.

As soon as I moved to a different city I was finally able to take control since I could plan out my own meals and eat what I could "cook". I got a personal trainer, and found time to hit the gym everyday. I've lost, so far, 20lbs in the last 7 weeks and in total lost 32lbs.

I don't ever want to go back up. No more size 16 shopping, no more unhealthy meals, no more cravings for cookies and other garbage that I used to put in my body.

BossLadyDSimp

Hi,
My moment was..

I'm the typical fat guy who has always said. "You know what I've tried everything to loose weight, but nothing seems to work" I have tried a bunch of stuff, but never really anything that has worked for me. I used to work out for 3 hours a day going hard. But I would still keep eating garbage(burgers everyday pizza hotdogs etc mostly processed junk). So as expected I did not notice any positive change. I actually put on more weight. So yeah I tried everything but to eat right.
-- One day I went in for a work required physical/health examination, and the doctor told me that I would need to have a sleep apnea study, and that my urine protein levels where way too high; which indicated kidney damage. I also had a huge risk of diabetes. I weighed in at 345 lbs that day. Naturally I failed the physical, and could not work there in the shape I was. I felt devastated by this news.
-- A buddy of mine who works with me, and is a bodybuilder/Personal trainer was with me that day, as he took his physical too. After he passed his physical. He saw the look of disappointment on my face, and right then and there. He outlined to me what I need to do. He told me to stop eating breads pasta rice sodas sugar etc. I was too increase my protein/veggies levels and do exercise 2 to 3 times a week. My exercise was to be short, but intense in nature.
-- I was doing this for a week and a half, and bamm in that small amount of time I had lost like 4 lbs. Too be honest I didn't do as much exercise as I should have. I was online googling how eating more meat helped me loose weight, and came across a site on paleo. I read on why exactly I should avoid the breads and those carbs. It makes a lot of sense. I decided to give the highly restrictive(by todays dietary standards) Paleo lifestyle change a try.
-- 2 more weeks go by, and after eating Paleo style and small amounts of extreme exercise I feel great and I lost a shirt size! Then 2 months later I go re do my physical, and I come to find out that I'm healthy; well considering my size haha. There was nothing wrong with me. The doctor said my bp is super healthy, and that my sleep apnea b.s risk is gone. Doctor had me do a sprint on a treadmill a bit, and checked my heart rate. He said I'm as healthy as a horse, and too keep doing what ever I have been doing. I passed! I was hooked on Paleo!
-- The first couple of weeks where tough as I fought through my sugar addiction, but it was sure damn well worth it. Paleo was the best lifestyle change I could have made. At first I only wanted to get healthy, but now I can see myself actually getting in shape. It's awesome! Now I grunt like a caveman and say hell yeah....

what a great story!!!!!

BossLadyDSimp

I think my moment was when I weighed more then I did when I was 9 months pregnant ...

I have tried dieting for as long as I can remember. I have always worked out but I ate whatever I wanted to. I had a personal trainer last summer but he told me nothing about how to eat. AND IN THREE MONTHS I DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE POUND .. He wanted me to cut out so many things cold turkey and I knew from before it just wouldn't work. He was also more interested in dating me than helping me. People told me about calorie counting for a long time but I didn't want to be confined or feel guilty about the things that I eat. I started working out with my best friend from high school/neighbor (after moving across the county) and it was amazing. He really took the time to explain how my body works and what it NEEDS! He was there to ask any questions and complain to!

My mom got me a fitbit for graduation and I tried to track on their site but it didnt work very well ... I googled best calorie counting website and this popped up! I am amazed at the food database and the ease.

I am the type of person that gets hooked on things. I get on Twitter and then tweet everyday! I make an Instagram and out of no where I have 1100 pictures. This is happened with MFP. I love to see that I have logged in everyday, I like to see what my friends are doing and the support they give!

I HAVE LOST 20 LBS and I LOVE IT! I have never been this successful. My family, friends, and my son love me and are really supportive. I have other person challenges like passing the bar, finding a better job, maybe even finding a MAN lol. Either way I like the control I have over food, it doesn't run my life anymore.

kbeckley11

When I got pregnant with my first child, I was the heaviest I had ever been. Then come the pregnancy pounds, which three months after I gave birth, put me 20 pounds heavier than I was when I got pregnant. The moment that did it for me was three months after having my daughter, I went to Cedar Point with my brother's work. When I went to get in line, I was told I had to sit in the tester chair to make sure I could fit. I did, but just barely. That was embarrassing enough, but once I got to the actual ride, and had to sit in the real seat, I found it was slightly smaller than the tester seat. So, I had to leave the ride. That made me feel like crap. But it also gave me the push that I needed to start seriously losing weight.

I lost 42 pounds over the course of 7 months or so. (Over the holidays, I didn't do so well. I didn't lose anything, but I also didn't gain back more than 5 pounds) Then, my mom went into the hospital because the chemo treatment she was on stopped working, and the cancer started spreading. I also at the same time quit my serving job, where I walked around 12 hours a day, and started a desk job, where I sat 8 hours a day. My mom needed 24 hour care for a while, which kept me from working out. I didn't have time to prepare healthy meals anymore. Etc Etc, I gained back 30 pounds in 4 months. I fully admit that things had calmed down by the time I realized I had gained so much back, but I wasn't in the habit of good eating and exercising anymore.

I got back in the habit, lost weight again. Mom went in and out of the hospital for 8 months after, but did not need constant care, so I was able to continue working out, but did not lose very much in that time, did not gain either. Then, in May of this year, she was in the hospital again. When she was able to leave, she moved back in with my dad (they had been divorced for 11 years) so he could take care of her. She was out of options for treatment. She passed away in June. Then I got pregnant again, which was not my plan. I was supposed to lose another 40 pounds before I got pregnant. I was doing very well with my weight gain though. Until October, when my father in law was diagnosed with cancer. Then the stress eating, and not having much time to cook healthy, and my pregnancy gain got out of control. He passed away a month later, which was a month ago now. So, now I am trying to eat healthy again, and actually made it to the gym the other day.

I still feel like that day at cedar point was the moment though. Even though it only resulted in a total of 25 pounds lost over 2 years (less now that I am gaining for pregnancy), I still know like I never knew before that I need to really manage my weight now, and once this baby comes, the weight needs to come off. Before that day, I would have just eaten what I wanted, and said "hey, I am pregnant, I can eat what I want." And I would have continued eating what I want after, with the thought of losing weight very far in the back of my mind.

Sorry so long.

knobby300

I'm a Patriot Guard Rider and we have our pictures taken on numerous occasions. When I looked at the posts on our Facebook pages I cold see that I looked like a HOG sitting on the HOG. Still nothing changed BUT when the daughter in law had the new grand-baby 3 months ago and in 3 months she had trimmed down and lost 40 pounds, with exercise to, I asked here how. She said MFP on the phone and ipad. SO that was it I got the app and now on my journey, Only 10 days in but this by far is the best for me.

kmyers4545

My moment was when I went to the hospital for sever stress ans anxiety. Blood test results came in and the doctor said I was in the pre-diabetic range. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family and both my parents have it. I look at how sick and miserable they are at such a young age, and it freaks me out. I do not want to end up like them. I will do whatever it takes.

Unknown

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crazie4lulu

the year 2001. just had a baby in may.. BAD pregnancy... perfect baby but really took a toll on me. flash forward 6 months needed to find a dress for my sisters wedding. in a dressing room squeezing into a size 18 ... not a pretty picture!!! it was then that i went home... looked up the number to the nearest gym... and have not looked back since!! well that is a lie right there cuz im always looking back ...to see how far i have come!

kathey529

Hey all!
My "moment" was losing my father. He was only 64 years old, and died of melanoma. The dr told him many times the only way he made it as long as he did was that he was healthy.
I don't want my girls to bury me when I'm 64.
On January 1, 2013, I started a new life. I'm down 60 lbs and six clothes sizes this year. The loss has dramatically slowed in the past few months, but my 37 year old self could kick my 27....or even my 17 year old....self any day of the week.
My dr wants me to loose another 60. I'm aiming for another 30. Anything beyond that is just a bonus.
I eat what I want to eat (for the most part!!!), but I eat about 1/4 of what I used to eat. My goals for 2014 include cleaner eating. I'll still have pizza. I'll still have a cookie. Limiting my range of foods simply doesn't work for me (mentally).
Life is good, and it's for the living. God has seen me through the first 60 lb loss, He'll see me to the end.

margelizard

When I moved to the US from the UK, I was hoping you use the change to switch things up and finally lose weight. At that point, I was hovering around 176 lbs. However, after a rough and stressful start here, I packed on a lot of weight and ended up at 200 lbs.

I stayed that way for three years, until I changed jobs at the beginning of 2013. The increased enjoyment of my job made such a huge difference to my motivation and there were some workplace incentives to exercise i.e. free healthy snacks for going out and walking. Then I joined the Kansas governor's weight loss challenge with a team from work. In the first five months of the year, I lost about 20 lbs.

After the challenge ended, I started losing motivation and I forced myself to get back on the horse and keep going. That's when I started taking things seriously and I haven't looked back since. Yes, I have my weeks when I don't do anything, but I'm growing to realize that that's ok. So since January 2013 I have lost 47 lbs and I feel amazing!

I wouldn't have believed that something so simple as switching jobs would have done it for me, but here I am

LearnFromTheRed

Getting out the scales one day and discovering the number started with 11 stone...

AddieOverhaul

Let me summarize why I joined MFP in July of this year:
I'll be 60 in two years;
I weighed over 300 pounds:
my body's organs and extremities were showing damage from being diabetic for 20 years;
and it was difficult to move around in my daily life, due to arthritic knees.
My mom and her father only lived to 71 and 67, respectively.
I was retired, but ready to begin a new life with 'my someone'. (He makes life worthwhile again!)

Some time ago, I had read that food cravings and overeating are caused by food allergies.
I took inventory of the foods I binged upon: sugar, wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, legumes, and dairy.
As I did my research, I found that many of these foods can also cause 'inflammatory diseases'
such as arthritis. I found a life style which took all these difficulties into account: Paleo!
I renounced everything but dairy.

Nowadays, I rarely experience hunger, or crashes from eating sugary foods.
Both the numbness in my feet and the pain in my knees have improved.
I've lost 44+ pounds in 120 days with the help of MFP.
I can eat like this, forever, I'm thrilled to say.

Best wishes to all of you on your Weight Loss Journeys.

Ok, can I just say that you do NOT look 58? :noway: :flowerforyou:

I agree, you don't even really look 40. Amazing!

TCD01

thx bossladyd. It feels great to be on this site n have lots of support. =]

bf43005

Mine sounds a little silly after reading some other posts. But my moment was when my husband and I went on a cruise to Alaska. I brought a pair of hiking pants that I had only bought the year before and they didn't fit. Not, they didn't fit comfortably, like I couldn't get them up my legs they didn't fit. I was devestated that I had only just gotten these pants and that I hauled them all the way from Pennsylvania to Alaska for no good reason. I was actually mad that I tooks pants on a vacation for no better reason than to go sightseeing.
I came back from vacation and tried to cut down on eating sugar, soda, etc. I wasn't super succesful for about 9 months. The beginning of the next year when we got our tax return back GYM MEMBERSHIP was the first thing on the list, for both of us. We got a two month weight loss class free when we signed up. The trainer that we met with once a week introduced me to MFP and I have logged in 600+ days and lost 20+ lbs. Going to the gym started me on eating better and watching what I eat. MFP did the most to show me how many calories I was actually eating in a day and I was shocked.
I can't say I still make all the right choices, and I know there is more I could be doing. But I also know that I'm much happier than I was. Not just because I lost weight but because of how I feel physically. I run up and down the stairs like it's nothing. I come home from working and do all kinds of things around the house when I used to come home and lay on the couch because I was "tired" from the day. I have so much more energy that sometimes I scare myself.
I love the new me!

sreed016

I was the chubby girl all my life. I met and married my hubby who loved me just the way I was and I really believed he always will.

In 2010 I finally decided to get in shape and lost almost 35 lbs. I was 5'8" 134 lbs and wearing a size 4. I looked and felt great.

That was a hard number to sustain and slowly the weight came back on. I'd lose 10lbs here and there for important occasions like a wedding or such but still fit in most of my skinny clothes. I figured as long as I could wear some of my newer clothes I wouldn't be near my old weight.

Recently I stopped wearing all but a few stretchy dresses and had to buy a new pair of jeans several sizes up.. I still thought I was ok until last week when I was sitting in bed reading and realized my double chin was resting on my cleavage and I had nothing to wear to work that fit. Ugh that was it for me.

I am 2 days in on clean eating and started working out again. I haven't weighed myself because I can't bear to see if I am back to that dreaded number.

Going to stick it out a few weeks then weigh in and reset my counter.

I am going to be 45 in January and want to give myself the gift of being a fit me again. Wish me luck!

Zelinna

Mine was the very form fitting dress my friend chose for her bridesmaid's dresses. I hated how big my hips looked in that dress and I was determined to do something about it.

BlindHog25

I've tried different weight loss plans, losing up to 40 pounds each time, even with doctor prescribed weight loss medication. Metabolic life actually taught me how my body reacts to different food and I lost just over 40 with them but it came back. My moment was this summer when none of my clothes would fit and my 9 and 3 year took to calling me fat. Yes I'm fat but carry it fairly well and still strong underneath - just a flab and that donut around the belly. I joined a gym for the first time in 15 years last April and made a good attempt - lost one pound in three months working out 4-5 times per week but still drinking liquid carbs. Since school started back up, I've gone 5x's per week, cardio every day, strength 3x's per week and occasionally hit it twice a day - I'm trying to make that today.

Not really an exact moment, and more of a boiling over point. When I started realizing that *I* was now the fat guy in the room, I didn't like it and set out to finally change my life. I guess being older has helped as well, since I don't give a damn what other people think about the big sweaty guy about to pass out....I'm doing it and already lapped everyone sitting on the couch! I'm down about 22 pounds but in the last three months I've lost 4" in my waist and wearing pants that I haven't worn in over 10 years....I actually put on a pair of slacks and found a receipt from 2004 - the last time I wore them!!!

MyFig

My moment was when I could not run for two miles without STOPPING every 3mins or less! I'd also notice about 20 Ibs weight gain, but that didnt bother me so much. What really bothered me was the fact that I used to run for miles and i just thought "****. I am out of shape! I need to change this, period!" Every since the changes, the weight has been coming off quite nicely!

Slaintegrl

Can't really say that there was one specific moment - there were a lot of moments leading up to a decision to start eating more healthily and that led to getting on a specific plan which is working great for me. A bit of my story. About a year ago, I was approaching age 64 and weighing almost 350 pounds. I was losing the ability to walk and had to go to a motorized wheelchair. I had arthritis, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol. You name the morbidity - I probably had it! I was on many, many pills each day. Blood pressure meds, diabetes meds, pain meds. With all of this, I was still working every day.

I had been working with a professional organizer over the past several years and slowly she had become so much more than an organizer - she became a life coach, a motivator, but most of all a great, supportive friend. She's very much into natural foods, eating healthily and was slowly trying to help me make changes in my lifestyle. With her encouragement, I began eating more fresh foods, less processed foods, less drive-through foods, more lean, nutrient rich foods that were lower in calories. She researched, made suggestions, took me shopping, got me almost completely off carbonated drinks. Thanks to her guidance and constant "being there" for me, I've gotten under 300! Still in the wheelchair but gaining energy and slowly reaching the point where (hopefully) I can start to decrease some of those meds (I've already been able to reduce my insulin by several units each day and my blood sugat is now running 90 to 102 in the mornings - down from 130's). And I recently turned 65 - an age that, frankly, I never thought I'd reach. Probably some people I've known over the years thought the same - I know some doctors who almost surely would be surprised.

smantha32

Mine was a really horrible photo. And this whole process is taking much longer than i want it to, but quitting out of frustration won't get me anywhere, I know.

medaud10

My initial moment was when I hit 200 pounds. I said enough and started making healthy choices and exercising. Then found mfp. Got to my goal weight (lost 65 lbs.) and then started losing control again this summer. I got to the top of the size I was in and I refuse to go up a size again. I am back on again and feeling better.

SavingSierra

I realized I didn't really have a reason to be self-sabotaging myself.

fruttibiscotti

My moment was when I discovered LCHF diet. I discovered it on a business trip to Scandanavia, where it is even prescribed by doctors and even the Swedish food and nutrition governing body is prescribing it as the best way to cure obesity and related ailments like diabetes. When I got back home, I did a bit of extra research on the diet and then decided to take the plunge. In the first month of the diet I didnt only lose weight, but noticed that my skin had cleared, breathing was better, nighttime asthma went away, had deeper sleeps, heart palpitations stopped, had more energy throughout the day and best of all I was not ravenously hungry. It was a miracle that I stumbled across this diet. Was it fate or Gods angel who sent me to Scandanavia to discover this? I was doing MFP for a LONG time and struggled so much, losing and gaining and losing like one month up and one month down and then next month up again. And during that time I was so hungry I could have eaten my own arm. Today, my weight is a steady decline downwards, and it doesn't feel hard at all! It's incredible how well this diet is working for me now!

BokBagok

Had two. One about a month ago when my father had emergency quintuple bypass surgery, and the second just yesterday when my doctor put me on daily meds to lower my cholesterol.

cathylopez1975

My 'moment' came in the winter of 2012. My mom died from liver failure/cirrhosis caused by fatty liver caused by being overweight and sedentary (and she also was diabetic with high blood pressure). Her last few years were miserable - doctor appointments, tests, and hospital stays. Her quality of life was very poor.
And I saw myself going down the same path! I was obese - 40 bmi, 234 lbs. at 54 years old with heart issues and type II diabetic. I decided I had to do something. I scheduled and appointment with a well recommended endocrinologist but couldn't get in until July. If she couldn't help me I was ready to do gastric bypass. She sent me to a diabetes educator/nutritionist and prescribed a different diabetes medication. I began the meds and a basic 1200 balanced diabetic diet September 1, 2012 and just took off. I was ready to make this work! I put aside all junk food, sweets, desserts, and salty snacks. I cut portion sizes way down. And the weight started to drop off. In almost 15 months, I have lost 84 pounds - with only 6 more to goal. The last pounds have been slow going, but it's no big deal. It will leave eventually. The changes I made have become habit! It's been a lot of work, but well worth it!

Cristlefir

I had a pre-moment and the real moment. My pre-moment was in the summer of 2012. I just had a very basic dislike for my body and the way clothes fit, how much weight I'd gained, etc. I was the heaviest I'd been (153lbs). I had a sit-down with my father (who is the tell-tale story of "I was fat, out of shape, on a bad health track, and got my crap together") and spent 8 months working my butt off. I got down to 137lbs! I felt great, but never appreciated my body. Once I finished Grad school, moved in with my boyfriend, and started a new job, my workouts just stopped. I gained all the weight PLUS MORE back! From May 2013 until November 2013 (just two weeks ago) I gained about 20 pounds.

My actual moment was a few weeks ago. I was putting on a pair of my size 10 pants, which I had just bought a couple of months ago because my 8's were too small and I had only one pair of 10s, and they were beginning to fit snug. I looked at myself, the way my new 10's fit, and said, "I cannot keep getting bigger. I can't." I had watched myself gain weight over six months, cried about it, lamented about it, and finally just stood there looking at myself thinking, "This is it. I can't do a single effing thing but work out and eat right. I've done it once before, I can do it now. I can't stop. I have to do this."

I've worked out more in the past two weeks than I ever did when I lost the first 15lbs. I work out 5-6 times a week instead of three, I monitor my eating, and I have a HUGE body of support, from my AWESOME friends on this website, to my family, boyfriend, and RL friends at home. It's still hard, and I get frustrated, but I'll be damned if I turn back. I feel an unusual sense of dedication that I didn't have before. I'm in it for the long haul now!

caj45

My "moment" was after my husband told me he was interested in persuing another woman, who was thinner and more attractive, but he didn't want to because he loved me and we had a lot of years together he didn't want to throw away. I was lost in my own issues and self loathing about my weight and the me he fell in love with had disappeared. We are back on track now and I made the decision for myself because I hated being that person who hides away from the world.

WeoooBeans

To be honest, I wanted to join the Army and I need to lose weight, that's when it started. When I actually started caring about nutrition and health and how it affects me was once I got to where I'm living now... I just didn't like how I couldn't keep up with everyone else in my unit. Now I'm one of the stronger people here

JustYandy

I would always tell everyone "I can get in shape if I want too? I just don't" Because before I went from a size 14 pants to a 9....in 6 weeks of working out and watching what I ate...I lost inches and only 14lbs quick when I put in effort then I stopped for yrs...someone would mention here and there that I should work out or stop eating out I just didn't care cause I knew I could loose it if I wanted to with no weird diets or starving just simply workout and be active...Then I wanted to one day and started because I wanted to quit smoking and drinking...