What was your wake-up call to lose weight?

momcindy

Thanks to everyone who responded to this post. It's so good to see that I'm not alone in the struggle. I enjoyed responding to the comments but now I have some housework to do. Maybe if I do it aerobically I can count it toward my exercise for the day...

duqtape

My boyfriend and I got into a fight last winter about I don't even remember.
But at one point, in anger, he said that his Mom would have lived so much longer if she wasn't obese. (She passed away from leukemia in 2009 - 1 year almost to the day from diagnosis to death)

He said he never wanted that for me. I didn't do anything about it until I took off my winter clothes and saw that I had chubbed up quite a bit and wasn't working out at all. So I joined MFP earlier this month. I'm looking forward to joining a challenge. I just set up mini-goals today, and it actually made it seem much more manageable. Like I can do more then 10 lbs just to gain it back in the winter this time.

samhradh

Thanks for asking,
It was a phone conversation with my father in law.
He commented on his daughters 21lb weight loss, and described her as " looking like a clown ballon that someone had stuck a pin in to deflate with her head on top".
now dont get him wrong he is very proud of her achivement, and said that she is loking great.
But his description frightened the life out of my. i mean what was he saying about my weight gain????
well i started with MFP the next day.

appleshells

I love roller coasters. I live close to an amusement park and there were two rides I was to big to fit on. I was determined to get on them and I did. Also it was embarassing when riding with my 4 year old and I was afraid I couldnt get the belt on. No fears now, I slip right into the seats and the belts go on easily.

suzieb1971

my wedding pictures from this time last year. i seriously nearly died. i couldnt believe i had let myself go so badly without really noticing. shame i couldnt have seen it before, but it was the kick up the backside i needed, and it certainly did the trick!

llaurall

Looking at myself in the mirror and feeling terrible, on the verge of tears!

Wilmingtonbelle

I went to my 25 year class reunion and a male classmate kept staring at me. Finally he came up and asked who I was. When I told him, he had a look of horror and said "No way, it's not you!" He recoverd trying to make it seem like it was my hair color. Later I heard him telling someone it was really sad how I had let myself go so much because I had been so thin in high school. It was a brutal but on target wake up call.

Zombella

My real wake up call was when I went to the doctor for the first time in 4 years (didn't have insurance). I knew that I gained some weight, but the scale read 252 lbs and I couldn't believe it. Also, the doctor told me that my blood pressure was high (a problem in my family) and that I really should lose weight.

suzyqs4

My wake-up call was - I was sick of being fat and tired. My husband and I bought a home in Florida last year with a pool so when we visit (and plan to move there) I don't want to look like a whale when I swim. We also have a handicapped son that lives at home and I want to be here for a long time to take care of him. When we do move I plan to volunteer at a handicapped horseback riding program close to our home in Florida. Recently more motivation: my niece is getting married next summer and I want to look awesome for any photos I might be in.

JeannieFo

When I realized that my sister who is 8 inches taller than me weighed less than me when she was 5 months pregnant! Yikes!

horizonte22

My wake-up call was two weeks ago when my mom offered me a surgery to reduce my breasts and a tummy tuck to fix my huge belly after pregnancy (10 years ago!) I thought if she is offering me such gift is because I am huge and need to change. I realized that I want to change too, because like everybody else here said, I'm not happy with pictures, I am always tired, and I feel old and ugly. So I decided to start gym with my 10 years old daughter, and dieting. This is for me, my daughter and my diabetic husband. I want us to be healthy, happy and beautiful, inside and out. This is a great site and we should keep talking with each other. It's not everybody that understands what we're going through. Keep going! We are all going to reach our goals!

bethanyranes

When I started fearing cameras again. And when we were at a friend's house looking at old pictures, when a picture of skinny me popped up, no one recognized who it was :-(

OooLadyLove

My wake-up call was when one of my best friends who had always been "plus size" with me began to lose weight. I give her props because she looks awesome. Then it finally hit me....all of the people I had known throughout the years who were hefty had become smaller. I found it frustrating that I was the only one getting bigger. So I've decided to eat healthier, be more active, and just make all around better choices with my life.

duqtape

I went to my 25 year class reunion and a male classmate kept staring at me. Finally he came up and asked who I was. When I told him, he had a look of horror and said "No way, it's not you!" He recoverd trying to make it seem like it was my hair color. Later I heard him telling someone it was really sad how I had let myself go so much because I had been so thin in high school. It was a brutal but on target wake up call.

Harsh. But I'm glad you're now on track!

ladycomix

I locked my keys in the house...had to go over to the neighbor's and ask if I could climb from his balcony over to mine. (I've a 2nd story apartment) He very nervously asked me if I wanted him to do it. I declined and started climbing. Had a few bad minutes when I didn't think I'd be able to haul my body weight over the railing separating the two balconies.

After getting my breath back and courage from the dizzy moment I thought I'd fall off the side of the building I stepped on a scale. I was horrified to find out I'd gained 20 lbs since 1 Jan. I took Sunday to mope and feel sorry for myself, and started on MFP the next day.

WWH_AJ

weighing myself the morning of January 1st, 2011 and realizing I was 210 pounds and not happy about it. Also seeing TERRIBLE pictures of myself. Now that I'm 170, I never want to go back there!

Wow that's almost like me! I weighed 207 at the beginning of the year and now I'm 171 and I never want to see 200 ever again! I also looked at all the pics I had taken last year and then came across some old high school pics and noticed how Mich healthier and smaller I looked back then.

withchaco

I knew roughly how much I weighed, and it didn't bother me before. I thought I looked okay; not terribly sexy, but not monstrous either. I didn't think being overweight by 50-60lbs was a big deal for someone my height (5' 1.5"). When I looked at photos of myself, I noticed I looked much bigger in photos than I do in the mirror... I figured it was just a bad angle. Didn't think I looked as bad in real life.

Oh, how wrong I was.

A few months ago, I met a 6 year old who weighed around 55lbs. I was carrying her on me 24/7 !!! (actually, her AND her infant sister...) I tried to visualize her body mass being subtracted from my body. Looking in the mirror, it seemed impossible, but the scale said it wasn't. Slowly I began to realize that I was significantly bigger than I thought I was. It was time to let the 6 year old off my back!

calibri

My uncle's trashy wife exclaimed I had gained a lot of weight when I saw her on Labour Day last year. I was horrified and super embarrassed I just went home and cried, especially considering I've always been considered the "skinny one". I've never been told anything remotely like that before, so it was an unpleasant surprise. Also, the presence of stretch marks on my thighs, and I'm not even 30 and have never had children.

sinclare

i had a job in a womens clothing store and was aghast how many women hate the way they look in the mirror. 1/2 of my customers would complain, or apologize to me (ie, I am starting my diet monday) as If I had anything to say about their appearance... I just was trying to help them find dresses that fit!

I decided I didn't want to be like that, spending the rest of my life embarrassed because of my weight.

Then my husband found pictures of when we first met. One of them was just a headshot of me, smiling, and he said: "You were so Skinny then!"

girard5

Seeing pictures of myself and feeling disgusting about how I fealt and looked!