Defining moments...

rubysparkle

Hi,

I am intrigued to know if any of you had a defining moment when you thought right that's it I have to lose this weight?

I know for me over time there have been several. Most recently someone offered me their seat on the bus pointing at my stomach as they thought I was pregnant.....mortifying..!

Anything similar happened to any of you?

AnnaPixie

yes, absolutely. This time it was a series of pictures and video's taken at my best friends birthday party. They were gross!

Hopping on scales for the first time in months and realising I've put on a ton of weight usually perks me up too!

I think there is ALWAYS a defining moment for me :bigsmile:

alf1163

Definitely!!! That was about around Nov or Dec, it will be three yrs this fall. I always get together around that time of the year with a group of former coworkers at a restaurant to catch up and one of them who is very blunt told me in front of everybody that I was looking kinda chunky and my butt looked big!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She asked me if there was something wrong with me because it looked like I was letting go!!!!!!!!!!! I was so embarrassed!!!! I already knew I had been gaining weight. That same year in Dec my sister was in town for New Year's and we were at the mall looking for clothes for New Year's Eve. Nothing fit right!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I told myself, THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started Jan 2008, I believe I found MFP in Feb 2008, I have been a regular member since. I didnt have a lot of weight to lose but everyone has their own battles with weight and food. I have lost up to 26 lbs since and have kept it off. I have my ups and downs but MFP continues to encourage me. I look and feel great!!!

Thanks for sharing your story!!! Keep up the good work!!! :flowerforyou:

Sherry1979

I guess my defining moment was one day when my husband told me "It's hard for me to be attracted to you when you act like you don't even care what you look like." At first it just made me mad so I ate even more for a while but then it hit me, he's right. I do act like I don't even care. . .even though it really wasn't that I didn't "care", it was more the fact I thought I'd never be able to lose the weight again (I had recently had a baby & gained waaayyy to much while I was pregnant!). So I stopped letting the fear of failure cause me to be a failure and I started winning this battle again! (Even though I still have a long way to go, I consider myself a winner because I'm doing it!)

Galathea

For me it was when my man left to go to the States for a bit more than a year and wanted to take a pic of me with him, something to carry with him. I found it kinda cute, but all the pics were so embarrassing and I realized ... ieks, I don't want him to show THAT to someone there. And I definitely don't want him to think of me this way. So he had to leave without a picture and I decided to do something about the weight and the pics.

ron2282

Last December when my doctor gave me the long list of complications I'd have, if I were to get pregnant at the weight I was then. It finally hit home that I needed to do something about my weight and lifestyle.

Suedre

Nothing singular. I was sick all the time and had some really scary tests looking for things like MS and ALS. When the doctors couldn't find anything I started making small changes ( no more soda, then limiting processed foods). The weight started to come off as a side effect of sorts. Then I decided I wanted to be as healthy as possible and to get the hell off of the couch. So far so good! I feel much better and haven't been to the doctor for a mystery illness in eight months!

2BSuccessful

I need some new shorts. My favorites have worn out. I went into the store to try on some, and I was really mad at myself because I had to shop for a size larger than I want. 10 pounds extra really makes a huge difference around the waist. I refuse to buy larger clothes.

Alioth

I have this beautiful hot pink cashmere sweater/blouse I love to wear. When I saw a picture of me wearing it a few weeks ago, I looked like a hot pink blob and the weight on my face made my eyes look droopy/sad. The same day, I weighed myself and realized I'd regained 7 lbs over the summer which I'd worked hard to lose during the winter and spring. That's when I realized I had to make a big and permanent change, not just a few sporadic attempts at working out.

Alioth

Nothing singular. I was sick all the time and had some really scary tests looking for things like MS and ALS. When the doctors couldn't find anything I started making small changes ( no more soda, then limiting processed foods). The weight started to come off as a side effect of sorts. Then I decided I wanted to be as healthy as possible and to get the hell off of the couch. So far so good! I feel much better and haven't been to the doctor for a mystery illness in eight months!

Way to go, Suedre!

rubysparkle

these are great, thanks for sharing!

It really makes a difference once you have that mental switch which says stop right here i'm going to change my ways.

Last time I lost 37lbs for my health and put half back on, this time I want to lose 45lbs for myself. I put off doing so many things because of my weight, and in turn my confidence gets lower and lower.

This time, it's not just my weight i want to change. I want to spend some time improving myself. My weight, my skin, my hair my lifestyle. I want to be the best person i can be. I needed a project and I think i have found it!

I am only a week back into it but already feeling better. Thanks for sharing your stories

blakejohn

As I was turning 40 and my Doc told me I would have to start taking meds for High blood presure and I was tipping the scale at 250 LBS, I walked up 10 steps and was out of breath.
I really would rather tell you about the last 4 years, I have competed in a bodybuilding show, I ran 10 miles, I'm part of a Navy boarding team I keep up with and sometimes pass guys half my age, I can take my shirt of at the beach and smile.

Once you break through you'll never want to go back, don't get it wrong even after doing all those good things I slipped back into eating ice cream and junk food but the last time it only lasted 6 months and I'm now headed back into top shape. the new goal for me is to get down to 10% body fat and stay there, lets say till at least 60

thedreamhazer

It was a combination of two things for me: the first was that, at 22 years old as a fairly active vegetarian, my doctor diagnosed me with borderline high cholesterol. Initially, I was so depressed by this prospect, because I felt that I was doing everything right already, that I stopped going to the gym and stopped watching what I ate. Then, I went to my graduation commencement ceremony, and all the photos of me in my cap and gown had a double chin! When I moved back home, I stepped on the scale and weighed in at +10 lbs. after only 10 weeks. I realized then that if I kept on this track I would be unhealthy, unhappy, and on the road to obesity, which would make things that much more difficult. So, I made a change, and it has made a difference!

nbingham

For me it was going to a friends wedding with my wonderful boyfriend. He thinks I'm beautiful the way I am and I love him even more for it... however, the wedding photos told a different story. I looked at them and thought to myself, "Gah! I used to be so cute!!! Now I look like his old, pregnant auntie!". Although I "am" a little older than him, the weight really makes me look OLD.
I looked at those photos and said, "I need to do something!". Sadly I didn't "actually" do something until my cousin suggested she and I lose weight together. (Thanks Patti!)
That was just the extra kick in the butt I needed to pull myself out of my despair and get going. Now I feel so good about making that decision and am enjoying MFP that there is NO way I'm gonna stop!

amvyhl01

Several years ago I lost 100 lbs and felt great! Within the last couple of years I got a new job, which has caused me to be less active and I knew the weight was coming back. I didn't realize how much until I saw some recent pictures of myself and I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle, get back to my old weight and get more energy!. I found this website and can't believe the support and information. I look forward to round two of my weight loss journey!

Alioth

these are great, thanks for sharing!

It really makes a difference once you have that mental switch which says stop right here i'm going to change my ways.

Last time I lost 37lbs for my health and put half back on, this time I want to lose 45lbs for myself. I put off doing so many things because of my weight, and in turn my confidence gets lower and lower.

This time, it's not just my weight i want to change. I want to spend some time improving myself. My weight, my skin, my hair my lifestyle. I want to be the best person i can be. I needed a project and I think i have found it!

I am only a week back into it but already feeling better. Thanks for sharing your stories

That's a great resolution! I feel the same way. A year ago I started the new-me process by quitting the job I hated and going back to school, then bought new clothes, then changed hairstyles, now I'm in the skin-renewal and fitness part of the journey. When I am done, I want to look and feel like a completely different different person!

2BSuccessful

There is a common theme that many of us share: lose the weight, let some come back on, lose the weight again. I admit that I'll work really hard at taking off the extra pounds, then I begin to eat more "normally" (ie not watching every bite), and the pounds start to come back on. So then I'll do the "I'm going to enjoy just eating what I want for awhile, then I'll lose the weight again later". Terrible, I know. So..... here I am at my defining moment .... not able to buy my ususal size clothes and back to the needing to lose.