what was your "moment of clarity?"

GreenGettingLean

So many things contributed to my moment of clarity: My weight had been steadily rising for years. I knew without weighing that I was well over 300 pounds, but of course, I didn't even own a scale since I didn't want to see it. At work I could tell I was not in favor with my manager. No one said it was my weight, of course, but I knew my appearance was working against me, and it was also affecting my performance as I had become listless. The pain I was experiencing in my hip and knee made sitting all day in my desk chair very difficult. Oh, and naturally I had to have one of the special "big" chairs. I didn't even want to think about what my blood pressure might be. I'm very good at avoiding things I don't want to think about.

I had been thinking about starting a weight loss program but I couldn't quite get myself motivated to start. I didn't even have a doctor because any halfway decent doctor would have a fit over my condition, which meant that when I was in pain I just endured it. It's probably a bad thing that I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. The breaking point finally came one morning at work in February 2011 when I started experiencing strong, unexplained spasms of pain in my upper back. The location of it made me worry about a heart attack. My father died of heart disease when I was 21. At the same time I noticed that my feet were numb which scared me also. A friend of mine that I confided in recommended her doctor so I made an appointment.

Fortunately, the symptoms I experienced were not a heart attack and I was feeling better by the time I went to the appointment. I kept the appointment, though; I knew it was time for me to do something about the state I was in. The doctor did exactly what I expected: He let me have it right between the eyes about my weight, my blood pressure, and my general state of health. He basically ordered me to go buy a copy of the Abs Diet for Women and to read it cover to cover several times. I listened and did exactly what he told me.

Today, I'm down 92.4 pounds (yes, I own a digital scale now) and I've lost several clothing sizes. I have a gym membership and I haven't missed a day working out there since the beginning of June. I'm working with a personal trainer a couple of times a week. My blood pressure and cholesterol are great and my knees are better. I shock my doctor every time he sees me now. The last time I was there he told me he wished he had a patient like me every morning! I still have a long, long way to go but I'm enjoying the journey now. Friends ask me how I've managed to be so disciplined about staying on course and I just tell them I'm on a mission. I don't know that I'll ever love my body, but we are starting to be on speaking terms again. Maybe I'll even become comfortable in my own skin someday.

Sorry for the long post. Seems like it's something I've wanted to express for awhile.

No worries, it's a great story and one that I'm sure many can relate to. Thank you for sharing!

scottlikescake

I took up a job as a postman, thought to myself while I'm walking around for several hours a day getting out of breath and sweating a lot I may as well change my eating habits as well and see if I can get myself in better shape. Lost 66 lbs so far, now I don't get out of breath as much and I hardly sweat at all while I'm delivering the post. Also my uniform trousers just about fit me (40 inch waist) and the button popped off on the first day which was embarrassing. I'm now a 34-36 inch waist depending on where I buy them from

trailrider1963

High cholestrol, triglycerides, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and 60 lbs. overweight. One day I felt little twinges in my chest and I knew it was only a matter of time till I had a heart attack, unless I lost the weight.

marz31

There wasn't one magical moment. I've been over 300 pounds (up to 310 at one point) for a while. DH has been out of work for 9 months now, DD is hitting her HORRIBLE 3s and money is so tight, it's not fun (could be worse, tho, I know). So when our 6 month hold on our gym membership was up in May, I realized I'd been paying Curves what we could pay for both of us to workout at the gym and let HIM release some stress of trying to find a new job while allowing DD to play with kids (that's her thing, she's super outgoing!). This is the gym we joined before I even got pregnant, they were building and by the time it was ready, I was 5-6 months pregnant and while I was still going to Curves up until about 5 weeks before I had our daughter, I had no interest in going to a big gym. So we'd been paying them for how long for nothing? it was TIME to get our money's worth! I reluctantly quit Curves, altho it was time, I joined in 2002 and it had done me good, but it was just time to do something different. On the first day of Summer, I had my coworker show me the gym so I didn't have to be so embarrassed by asking gym personnel to do the same, being a member for so long. Then I just did it. my coworker isn't the most reliable, she finds reasons not to go, goes later than I'd like, she's single, can go home and make whatever she wants for dinner and no one is waiting for her, that's fine, it works for her. but staying at work until 5:30 wasn't an option for me. so I just left on time, got in my workout and when it really stuck was when I noticed my sides weren't as bulgy as they used to be. a month later, I joined MFP and started counting my calories closer and I'm down 7 pounds since then. I'm hoping next summer we can get pregnant again and I'd LOVE to be inching closer to being 1-derful so I don't have to fret as much after #2 is here. I think having an easy pregnancy at 270 pounds was not a good thing because it really made me think "awww, it's a bunch of hooey that weight plays a roll". when really I just got lucky, especially at 33 then. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there. at 289 I'm going to start C25K and I'm really excited about that. treadmill style, I have no desire to run outside, yet.

One other large factor is that my husband was adopted and he has NO idea what his medical history is, so if both of us are in poor shape and something happens to him, what the heck am I going to do? I want him to get in better shape too, but I can't force him, altho he is going to the gym more now too, but DD makes it hard some days! But really, he needs to have his moment or group of events that trigger him to get it in gear more. Was just reading an advice column about a woman who was concerned about her sons being overweight. And the advice was to have an honest talk with them. I KNOW if my MIL had that talk with my husband, he'd do nothing differently. He KNOWS where he is isn't good, but her giving him heck about won't help a bit. you CANNOT DO IT FOR ANYONE ELSE! you MUST do it for you and only you!

GreenGettingLean

There wasn't one magical moment. I've been over 300 pounds (up to 310 at one point) for a while. DH has been out of work for 9 months now, DD is hitting her HORRIBLE 3s and money is so tight, it's not fun (could be worse, tho, I know). So when our 6 month hold on our gym membership was up in May, I realized I'd been paying Curves what we could pay for both of us to workout at the gym and let HIM release some stress of trying to find a new job while allowing DD to play with kids (that's her thing, she's super outgoing!). This is the gym we joined before I even got pregnant, they were building and by the time it was ready, I was 5-6 months pregnant and while I was still going to Curves up until about 5 weeks before I had our daughter, I had no interest in going to a big gym. So we'd been paying them for how long for nothing? it was TIME to get our money's worth! I reluctantly quit Curves, altho it was time, I joined in 2002 and it had done me good, but it was just time to do something different. On the first day of Summer, I had my coworker show me the gym so I didn't have to be so embarrassed by asking gym personnel to do the same, being a member for so long. Then I just did it. my coworker isn't the most reliable, she finds reasons not to go, goes later than I'd like, she's single, can go home and make whatever she wants for dinner and no one is waiting for her, that's fine, it works for her. but staying at work until 5:30 wasn't an option for me. so I just left on time, got in my workout and when it really stuck was when I noticed my sides weren't as bulgy as they used to be. a month later, I joined MFP and started counting my calories closer and I'm down 7 pounds since then. I'm hoping next summer we can get pregnant again and I'd LOVE to be inching closer to being 1-derful so I don't have to fret as much after #2 is here. I think having an easy pregnancy at 270 pounds was not a good thing because it really made me think "awww, it's a bunch of hooey that weight plays a roll". when really I just got lucky, especially at 33 then. I have a long way to go, but I'll get there. at 289 I'm going to start C25K and I'm really excited about that. treadmill style, I have no desire to run outside, yet.

One other large factor is that my husband was adopted and he has NO idea what his medical history is, so if both of us are in poor shape and something happens to him, what the heck am I going to do? I want him to get in better shape too, but I can't force him, altho he is going to the gym more now too, but DD makes it hard some days! But really, he needs to have his moment or group of events that trigger him to get it in gear more. Was just reading an advice column about a woman who was concerned about her sons being overweight. And the advice was to have an honest talk with them. I KNOW if my MIL had that talk with my husband, he'd do nothing differently. He KNOWS where he is isn't good, but her giving him heck about won't help a bit. you CANNOT DO IT FOR ANYONE ELSE! you MUST do it for you and only you!

great story!