What finally got you going?
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My wake up was every day with pain.Pain in my back, high BP high cholesterol ,Arthritis, starting of fatty liver which I thought were gallbladder pain ,too many pills to take I was not obese but obviously had weight to loose. SW was 174 ,CW 149 ,GW 125 to 130 pounds.I have ditched liver pain and aches and pain trough exercise but still have high cholesterol and Blood pressure is even higher which sucks as I was hoping to ditch the pills.Oh well I will just be as healthy as I can be and look as good as I can .0
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In all honesty what got me going was progress. When I was in high school I was a couch potato: I thought a lot about losing weight, but didn't care or do anything about it. I was a slug. I graduated and had to get a job - couldn't eat (no munching!) unless I was on break, and had to be physically active outside in the sun - I worked at a roller coaster park. I lost 20 pounds that first summer. That first loss was such an incredible inspiration to just keep going...0
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Mine was vanity also. I never had an issue with my weight for most of my life and as my metabolism slowed, I still kind of sloughed it off. It took looking at pictures of myself on a trip to San Diego to realize...wow..I've gotten kind of big!! So that was the turning point for me.0
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I was always a chubby kid from overweight parents... we learned terrible eating habits. It was a "treat" to have fresh fruits and veggies but we always had chips around the house. I just learned to live with it thinking "oh well this is as good as it gets - I'll just be chubby forever" but I really wanted to lose weight for my wedding... I lost 20lbs and looked great in my wedding photos but I still had about 15-20lbs to lose and hit a terrible plateau... I stayed at 153 for months no matter what I did so I gave up... gained it all back and then some.
I feel really bad about myself and hate looking in the mirror... don't like getting un-dressed in front of my husband because of my weight (he's very thin), etc... but I guess this last time what really made it click in a whole new way (very different from the first time... I would stay in the gym for hours just to work off the crappy food I ate) was seeing my parents struggle with their weight and their health as a result. My dad has high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea. My mom can barely go for a walk around the block without getting winded. I don't want that to be me. I decided to try again the RIGHT way and not just look at calories in/calories out... to eat BETTER whole foods, trying to cut artificial ingredients wherever possible and to exercise to build muscle and increase my metabolism.. not just to work off calories so i can eat more.
So... this time because I've done all this before I guess my body has been super resistent to the idea of losing weight again... its taken a lot of trial and error... starting at 183 (April)... down to 174 (July)... back up to 180(Sept)... now I'm at 176 following the New Rules of Lifting for Women and I'm finally losing again and I feel great about the changes I've made this year... its like a whole new me. I'm no longer obsessing about the number on the scale but seeing how small my waist is getting and feeling stronger everyday
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I'd had two children in the span of 2.5 years, and I was absolutely the fattest I had ever been. I hid from the camera, I felt horrible when I saw pictures of myself. I had a million excuses. I belong to an online "bookclub" (I use quotes because as with many bookclubs, it's not really about reading so much), and quite a few members there had started MFP. I blew it off as a fad, and determined not to get caught up in that nonsense. My pants got tighter. I started to notice that without exception, every single member of the bookclub who had begun using MFP was having success. In particular, one friend who has been an incredible inspiration to me, and to whom I owe an enormous debt of gratitude, had lost nearly 100 pounds by exercising and tracking what she ate. She went from an overweight, typical mom look to smokin' hot. The difference was unbelievable. She was just like me. A mom to two young children, a wife, a working professional with a demanding career. The difference was that I was her before picture. I realized that my excuses held no water - I was not too busy, I was not too tired, and I *could* do what I needed to do to be that after picture. I wanted it, because I wanted (and still want!) to be healthy and to be a good example to my daughters. In just over a year, I lost over 70 pounds and I have kept it off for 1.5 years now. I went from busting out of a size 16 to wearing 2s and 4s. I recently logged my 950th consecutive day on MFP, and I am incredibly thankful for Stephanie and for MFP, because they truly, truly changed my life. I hope that if anyone is reading the replies to this thread and hasn't fully committed to getting healthy yet, that something in one of the replies will flip the switch for them, and they'll find their way to fitness. It is so, so worth it.0
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I recently logged my 950th consecutive day on MFP...
WOW. Good for you! THAT is commitment!0 -
I went to the pool with my kids and realized I got winded swimming a single lap. I was a pretty serious swimmer when I was younger, so doing poorly at it was a sign I'd really let myself go. That was the last straw -- but I'd already been noticing my size 18s were getting tight, and I couldn't stand the thought of going up a size.
i made a MFP account and started logging the very next day.0 -
this did. watch the video at the bottom.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/08/31/is-it-really-worth-it/
i think i had one of the best work outs ever after watching that video. completely changed how i feel about fitness and life.
Wow! Thanks for posting this link!0 -
I jacked up my back carrying groceries into my apartment. When I researched possible injuries & risks I realized that being overweight was the first issue listed. I spent 2 days lying on the floor in the only position that was mildy comfortable. That gave me plenty of time to think that 28 is too d@mn young to have back problems from being overweight & out of shape.0
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One day I ate three pieces of cake instead of one and thought, "This is absolutely ridiculous. I'm done." So I cut out sugar completely for two weeks before I started MFP. 45 days here and about 20 pounds less than I did 45 days ago shows me that it's working. But the cake was the trigger.0
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I didn't want to buy bigger pants0
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For me, it is partly vanity. I'm uncomfortable in my clothes, I'll rarely wear a bathing suit, and I don't like picutres being taken of me. But health is a big part too. High cholesterol does run in my family, and I'd like to avoid that if I can. When I was 21 my cholesterol was already high due to my poor lifestyle. I also see how my grandmother struggles daily, and I don't want to be like that. She is quite overweight and has developed diabetes because of her eating. I don't want to spend my "golden" years in pain and sickness. The steps I take today can prevent those types of things in the future.
I tried joining a gym several years ago, but I hated going, and my friend and I would always make excuses, or we would talk each other out of going and instead would go buy junk food and alcohol. Then I would stop going completely for a few months, then decide "tomorrow, I'll go back to the gym tomorrow (or Monday)". I gained 20+ pounds in just a few months! I do still struggle with my eating habits. But I've been going to the gym consistently for over 2 years now. What changed the most was my attitude towards exercise. I used to think "oh, I've been so bad with my food, I need to go workout because I'm fat and ugly". I used exercise as a punishment for what I viewed as "bad" behaviour. No wonder I didn't keep up with it!
Now I view it more as a reward for my body. I like how it makes me feel, and I like seeing my progress. I'm getting faster and stronger, and that keeps motivating me to go back. I also have a new gym partner that doesn't make excuses like the previous one lol.0 -
There are two or three trade shows a year that I must attend. Suits, blouses, etc. The rest of the year when I'm at work I have a more business casual wardrobe.
The spring trade show rolled around, I couldn't fit into any of my suits. That was my wakeup call.0 -
Stress. I was taking a full schedule in nuclear engineering, held a director position on 3 influential college organizations, held a research position, was kickstarting an on-campus edm festival, and stumbling through a break up to boot. After ending up in the ER twice for stress-induced issues, I realized something needed to change. Working out became an outlet. Making my ex and all the nay sayers who said I wasn't pretty enough to be dating him in the first place eat their words was an added bonus
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I was tired of being fat and a failure. I have always been the biggest out of my friends, and honestly its embarrassing. I tried getting on the right track last year, but after just a few months and a $500+ gym membership I quit going because my workout partner quit going. She was the only motivation I had, and I was lacking in the knowledge that while exercise is great, it wont help much when you are still eating tons of crap. So last month I decided I wanted to lose as much weight as I can (safely) lose before moving to Korea in a year, in hopes that I wouldn't be awkwardly stared at as the "fat foreigner" ,and possibly be able to shop there instead of having to bring a years worth of clothes with me. Plus, I'm still young, I want to be healthy when I have children. So now I am using MFP and runkeeper to track my food and exercises, which is helping me to learn to make better choices so that I can reach my goals.0
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Being 30 lbs heavier than my boyfriend...yep! ain't nobody got time for that lol0
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A lot of my friends were completing 5K's and I wanted to try it.
Also, I saw a pic of myself at a wedding that I was less than thrilled with0 -
I started this journey last year because I was damn right miserable. I'd been studying for 6 years and when my degree finished in 2012 I decided to become a full time mum to my 5 little ones (my youngest was only born 3 months before I graduated). I became lonely and depressed being stuck indoors all day with no academic focus and the weight really piled on as the empty wine bottles piled up. I made a decision to focus on improving my health and I think this bit of me time has greatly improved both mine and my families lives.0
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I have always been huge but was mentally in denial about it. I was 430's for almost 10 years. One day in July I was scrubbing the grout of my tile floors on my hands and knees and my spine became inflamed. The inflammation pinched off my nerves that control my left leg and left arm. I was in piercing pain 24/7 regardless if I was in bed, standing, sitting, etc. Once my doctor had the inflammation down enough that I could walk we decided that I either needed physical therapy or a personal trainer the local gym. I chose the personal trainer. She is degreed and licensed to work with injuries and recovery. I am no longer in any pain. It has been three months and I am down 30 pounds. I started working out with my trainer Sept 1, 2013 and I was 430.0 and today (Dec 4) I am 399.7. I will never be in the 400's again. I am addicted to the gym and to eating right. I want to live and be happy.0
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Never thought of myself as obese......until I went to Vegas for my honeymoon. After walking the strip and loads of stairs all day the first day I could barely move My entire body hurt so bad. I was miserable the rest of the trip and could barely walk, I was sore and out of shape. Made for a miserable long weekend. Came home and my aunt, who has always been 300+ pounds, told me she was down to 220 pounds....which was 15 pounds LESS than I was. I had never been heavier than her in my life. Thought it was time to reclaim my life.0
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I've been over 200 lb since high school and was honestly very "comfortable" in the 260-270 lb range for many years...most of my 20s in fact. I had plenty of energy, normal lab work, etc. I ate a diet of truly very healthy food - BUT it was poorly mixed with WAY too many restaurant meals, lattes, and "tricky" things like cereal, sugary granola bars, trail mix, juice, that I thought were "health foods" for a long time ;-)
Shortly after turning 30, I got a new job that was drastically more stressful, higher paying, and completely sedentary. Within a few months' time I found myself at 300 lb and "outgrowing" all the size 20 and 2X clothes I'd worn for a decade plus. For the first time in my life, I had slight difficulty climbing stairs, walking long distances, etc. I hated that feeling!! I'd always taken pride in being the "fat girl" who could do everything her thinner counterparts could do, whether in gym class, around the office, or anywhere else. So that sudden change (and the number on the scale, and the way I looked in photographs) quickly scared me into becoming MUCH more active, religiously walking miles per night and slowing down on the desserts and fast food lunches. I lost 40+ lb, but it took well over 3 years.
For about a year, I thought I was doomed to stay at 260-270 forever. That had been my "usual weight" for so many years and no amount (I thought) of eating better & exercising would force the scale to go lower. I went through a lot of stuff, a natural disaster, job changes, and divorce...and my weight was stable, so I was pretty happy. But then when I started dating my now-husband, changing up my exercise, and eating a lot better and pescetarian. I saw VERY little change, like 5-7 lb in a year. That was disappointing.
I decided to give MFP a try. I bought a scale for the first time. And it worked. I'm down 53 lb since March 2013 and hoping to hit "onederland" in January or February 2014.0 -
Loved reading all these stories!
I've always been hefty. People would tell me all the time I carry my weight very well. Nobody believed I weighed over 300. I have high blood pressure and diabetes. In July I started seeing doctors for back pain and it was concluded that I have 2 bulging discs pushing against my spine. I could not walk or stand without severe pain. I made the decision to get more healthy and I'm sticking to it best I can. I can walk, bicycle, run, jump etc. with almost no pain at all now. I'm off my diabetes meds and hopefully my blood pressure meds soon!0 -
I had been slowly gaining weight over the years. It made Army PT harder and I felt fat but most of my changes didn't last long enough. I always seemed to gain weight when I came back from a combat zone. I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. Nobody thought I was fat except me. They said I carried it well. I inherited my dad's belly, and it was getting round. Both of my brothers's bellies were lean and flat. I started making changes after I went over 200 pounds. Then I started dating the most beautiful woman in the world and that gave me more motivation. I am still working on it. I have slimmed down and a number of the guys I work with have mentioned how much better I look, though they sometimes can't put their finger on why. . . . until I tell them about the weight I have lost. Some of them claim I have been inspirational to them for starting their own journeys to health. I do look better, but more importantly, I feel better. The next goals are recompositioning and rebuilding my body better. There are next steps because this isn't simply a goal, it is a path.0
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I had always been heavy but I was semi to moderately active and got out of the house and did stuff. Around 3 years ago, after my divorce, I moved to Phoenix and was working from home. And apparently eating and eating take out with no exercise so I ballooned up from 275 to 340. It hit me last October when I traveled to visit family in NYC and could barely walk down the street without back pain. I was horrified, so I came home and totally cut out the junk food and no takeout, lots and lots of vegetables and now I walk anywhere that is in a 1 mile or so radius and am probably in better shape than I have been most of my adult life0
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Loved reading all these stories!
I've always been hefty. People would tell me all the time I carry my weight very well. Nobody believed I weighed over 300. I have high blood pressure and diabetes. In July I started seeing doctors for back pain and it was concluded that I have 2 bulging discs pushing against my spine. I could not walk or stand without severe pain. I made the decision to get more healthy and I'm sticking to it best I can. I can walk, bicycle, run, jump etc. with almost no pain at all now. I'm off my diabetes meds and hopefully my blood pressure meds soon!
Congrats - I remember how excited I was to get of the diabetes meds. My high blood pressure is hereditary so I am still taking those but they have been greatly reduced0 -
I got a glimpse of what the end of the road looked like from a family member dying. He was obese, couldn't walk and was only 60. I knew I had to make a change and the next day I quit smoking. A few months later I hired a dietitian, then I joined a gym, since then I haven't looked back, I get up everyday at 5:30 am and crush it like there is no tomorrow. If I need motivation I just think about that day and how I felt seeing what was going to happen to me if I didn't take control and stop making excuses why I couldn't.0
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It wasn't the fact that I was at the deepest end of the fat-lady stores (and out of one of them actually). It wasn't the fact that I needed a seatbelt extension to fly, or the fact that Southwest once made me buy two seats. I just stopped flying. It wasn't that I felt unattractive because I still had dates and friends despite how big I was. It wasn't the kindhearted friends that tried to gently say that they were worried about me, or the friend who pointed out that I wheezed when I breathed. My career wasn't suffering, I had plenty of professional kudos.
In 2012 I lost 15 friends and colleagues, one of whom was a larger-than-life hero to me. He and his wife were actually in a magazine for being one of the fittest couples in town several years before he died. When he died and then when another colleague died at her desk it made me realize that I really wasn't doing much living. I spent so much time taking care of other people's problems but I didn't face my own---
Walking hurt.
Getting out of bed was painful.
Everything hurt...all the time.
I decided it was time to get busy living, or get busy dying. I got a new job that allowed for a set schedule (and health insurance!). I decided to take care of MYSELF for once. I don't regret that.
This year I have done some LIVING. I was able to jet ski, because I was finally "small" enough to wear the required life vest. I bought a bike as a reward for losing 100 lbs. I rappelled down the side of an office building in a fundraiser for Special Olympics! My life is so much better now and I hurt so much less. Totally worth it. I'm not done yet, but I'm finally busy living.0 -
I had always been heavy but I was semi to moderately active and got out of the house and did stuff. Around 3 years ago, after my divorce, I moved to Phoenix and was working from home. And apparently eating and eating take out with no exercise so I ballooned up from 275 to 340. It hit me last October when I traveled to visit family in NYC and could barely walk down the street without back pain. I was horrified, so I came home and totally cut out the junk food and no takeout, lots and lots of vegetables and now I walk anywhere that is in a 1 mile or so radius and am probably in better shape than I have been most of my adult life
You have the most inspirational photo!0
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