Brutal Honesty - What was the final straw?

rsouthland

Was there anything specific in your life that happened to cause your new journey towards health and well being? Was there an event, something embarrasing or even medical to finally get you to begin to take the needed steps to losing weight or at least reevaluate things?

For me, I recently took a series of airplane flights and low and behold, I couldn't get the damn belt buckle to close and lock. It didn't reach! Oh for the love of god, how could I get this big that I couldn't buckle up. I looked left and right at other passengers, noticing the 6-10 extra inches of belt after they buckled. I couldn't believe myself. My hips were hurting because I was rubbing between the metal arm rests and just generally very uncomfortable. I sat on my buckle during the flights, making it appear I was buckled up.

I have another flight coming up in a few weeks and have made it my mission to lose enough before then to at least fit in the buckle. How about you?


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cabaray

Watching my husband ride the rides at an amusement park with my girls because I was too big to ride with them was the final straw. I look forward to the day I can ride the rides. I look forward to the day that I don't have to sit between my daughters at the theater for fear a stranger will sit next to me and be crowded. I look forward to the day I can fly again. I haven't for years out of fear of having to buy an extra seat. My day is coming!

Ninaad

Mine was a bit different-- My friend said to me "I am gonna lose 30 lbs before my birthday." I said, "That's great. I wish I could lose weight like that." And he simply said to me, "Why can't you?" That made me question myself as to "why can't I go for it too?" =]

loki3981

My husband, a type 2 diabetic, was placed on insulin. We started eating better then. But, it took a few weeks for me to go enough is enough.

thejackswild79

Mine was when I was offered an incredible opportunity to spend three weeks in Scotland and France. It was a once in a lifetime trip but I was immediately overwhelmed with anxiety: plane seats, tour bus seats, walking/climbing/hiking everywhere, PHOTOS. I wanted to enjoy this trip to the fullest and I realized that even though I was very active at 285 lbs I was limited. And if I was this limited on a once in a lifetime holiday, then I was limiting my life and it had to change.

I made the change and it was worth it. My trip was absolutely incredible. Not only was I comfortable in planes, trains and taxis but I felt confident in pics, had loads of energy and even finished a hill race in Oban. And I am not done yet.

KCharron20

I went to the doctor's with my 16 year old daughter and when she got on the scale she broke down into tears. She weighted 198 pounds. We decided that it was time to get back to the gym. When my husband and daughter went there to sign up the gentlemen who signed us up was a health coach. He encouraged us to try a trainer. That first trainer was what made the difference for us. Now the 3 of us train 2x a week and work out on our own another 4 times a week. My husband has lost 100 pounds, I have lost 92 pounds and my daughter has lost 50 pounds. We've tried many diets before, but this time we met the right people and that made all the difference. It's a year later now and we've never looked back. Our lives are totally different and so much better! My daughter has so much more confidence, it's amazing!

Priincess_Natalie

Mine was different. I was unhealthy in a different way...not from weight but from smoking and bad lifestyle choices including a poor diet. I was 31 and couldn't even stand to cook dinner without feeling like I couldn't breath. What had I done to myself?!?!?

I finally quit smoking 10 months ago. That lead to joining a gym 10 months ago. From there I quit pop and sugary drinks 6 months ago and last month I started to eat clean and pay attention to the foods I'm fueling my body with. Now I have very serious health goals and feel better than ever.

AnnettLynn

I just started my journey to kick off the new year. Alot of things over my lifetime made me want to change, but I never had the willpower to keep at it more than a few weeks.

When I was younger, my mother once told me when I was at about 180lbs that if I didn't lose weight, I would die. Of course hearing that didn't feel good, and in the end it only caused me stress and made me eat even more and put on more weight. Others would pick on me for my weight, which only added more to my stress and even my weight. The more i was picked on, the heavier I got.

The first day of the new year, I woke up to a phonecall. My partner said that he cheated on me and he was sorry, but it still hurt quite a bit. I suppose that is what made me decide to lose weight this time around. Maybe it's not the best reason to get healthy, who knows. I just hope I can stick with it this time.

rsouthland

The fantastic thing I've found in the past few weeks on this site is that everyone is so incredibly supportive. If you make MFP part of your daily routine, I know you'll stick with it. It's nice to have so much accountability and support in one place.

megannicolex33

For me, all it took was looking in the mirror one day. I mean REALLY looking at myself. I stood there for at least 15 minutes, just wondering when the heck I got so big! I have these ugly stretch marks on my inner thighs and my hips, my stomach is big, I have cellulite all over my butt and legs... I just knew right then that I needed to lose weight. Especially considering this all happened over the course of 3 years - I weighed 130 pounds just a few years ago and now I'm at 185. What happened?! Anyway, that's what did it for me. I was so disgusted with myself, and I really want to be back at a healthy weight, so on New Years Day I decided to start going to the gym and eating healthier. I have a long way to go but I'm excited!

Pookylou

My weight was slowly creeping up and up. When sitting in my work trousers was uncomfortable, I knew I had to do something. I was in a larger size and would have to go to my boss and request an even bigger size be ordered. The thought of that humiliation got me started, and once I weighed in the fact my BMI was in the obese category I fully committed to getting healthy!

Andrealeah32

Not recognizing myself in a picture -- i was mortified!

lilibean01

My last straw was in 2009 after I had my 2nd son. My back pain was so bad that I couldn't take care of my newborn son or my oldest son -- I couldn't sit, stand, or lie down without debilitating pain. One day I got off the couch so I could put my newborn to bed for his nap, but I fell over on all fours in severe pain and had to have my 3 year old get the phone so I could call my then husband to come home from work. I was stuck, frozen on the floor in pain. Thankfully, I hadn't picked up my newborn yet or he would have fallen to the floor.

It was then that I decided that I had to get the additional weight off. I felt like I was suffocating under my own neck fat at night when I tried to sleep, I was in pain all the time and could hardly walk, and I didn't want my life to be spent watching my sons from a bench somewhere. I wanted to be the mom that ran and played with her kids, went hiking, did crazy things like run races & complete triathalons. I wanted to feel like I could do the things I once dreamed of -- better yet, I wanted to REALLY do them and quit dreaming of them. And on a slightly more fickle yet budget-minded note, I wanted to be able to find clothes easily and not have to pay extra to get the things I liked in a plus size.

lilibean01

BTW, great topic! Sometimes the reminder of the last straw is the only thing that can motivate me to keep going!

mochaphobic

I hit my highest weight ever and decided that I was *not* going to buy the next size up in pants. So a friend who lost over 50 pounds pointed me here and I started journaling and my new way of life. I've lost 16 pounds so far (was more until Christmas hit) but need to keep going. Right now I'm waivering and I heard this morning that it takes over a month for new habits to become a way of life so I guess I just need to start a great new habit. I have to admit that I like the way I look now with those pounds off and while I don't want to gain, I'm afraid actually to keep losing and have to go shopping to buy all new clothes. And that is sabotaging me bigtime! I might need another "final straw."

budgetqueen79

The stewardess embarassing the daylights out of me about a seat belt extender!!

ahinescapron

I went to the doctor's with my 16 year old daughter and when she got on the scale she broke down into tears. She weighted 198 pounds. We decided that it was time to get back to the gym. When my husband and daughter went there to sign up the gentlemen who signed us up was a health coach. He encouraged us to try a trainer. That first trainer was what made the difference for us. Now the 3 of us train 2x a week and work out on our own another 4 times a week. My husband has lost 100 pounds, I have lost 92 pounds and my daughter has lost 50 pounds. We've tried many diets before, but this time we met the right people and that made all the difference. It's a year later now and we've never looked back. Our lives are totally different and so much better! My daughter has so much more confidence, it's amazing!

This touched my heart and made my day! What a gift you have given to your family and especially your daughter!

cherigurl

Mine actually started when my boyfriend and i were just wrestling play wrestling around and he grabbed a handfull of my belly. made me want to cry, he did not mean anything by it he loves me the way i am but, it was then that i knew i needed a change, plus I have a 10 yrs old who is on the big side, i want her to see me eat healthy so she will as well.

Atarahh

Seeing myself heading towards 400 lbs! Wanting to be happier. Tired of how life treated me for my weight. People definitely discriminate against heavy people. I'm not as heavy as I was but I still get mistreated and judged. Looking at photos of myself, almost to the end of the in-store plus size range. Couldn't see myself being a 5x or 6x or not being able to shop anywhere for clothes. Would have been bad, really bad. After size 32, the clothes seem to get frumpier and frumpier. You have to buy sweaters with cats on them, twinsets, solid colors, no style at all! Catherine's is the WORST clothing store. They turn plus size women into grandmas, and they are TOO expensive.

Priincess_Natalie

The fantastic thing I've found in the past few weeks on this site is that everyone is so incredibly supportive. If you make MFP part of your daily routine, I know you'll stick with it. It's nice to have so much accountability and support in one place.

I agree. You are actually one of the most supportive friends I have on here and thank you for that!

Jeff92se

Seeing my bro in law ballon. I said no way I'm ending up like that.

knurse1987

Looking in the mirror for one...I couldnt stand to see myself...Now I look just to see my progress!

My boyfriend also was a big motivation...I want to weight less then him...I was scared I would be bigger then him...I wasnt quite, but I was headed there...Now I can gladly say he weighs MUCH more then I do!! And I wanna feel confident around him. My previous body was not confident in any manner...I'm glad to say I am getting there!

pucenavel

The day I hit my goal weight (which will be soon), I'll post all the details, but more or less, about five years ago I nearly died due to my own destructive behaviors. I decided to change my life and about a year later I realized (and made the conscious choice) that I wanted to not only remain alive, but I wanted to LIVE my life.

Getting healthy was just sort of a side effect really. I joined MFP a few months ago because I wanted to get back to the weight I was on the day of my near death experience, but this time be at that weight because I was HEALTHY, not because I was near death.

oldphotography

Well, first it began with "my Hollister jeans don't fit." Those jeans were my absolute favorite; they did wonders for my butt. (sorry if it's too much information) And knowing that they used to be sorta loose on me, I knew I was gaining weight. I threw them aside, wore my other jeans, and continued eating my usual fast food. Then my work pants which I had to wear a belt to keep up started getting TIGHT. Yet, I still kept eating and wearing these tight work pants. Recently, I've been through a lot of emotional distress, which involved losing some really good friends of mine. I decided that I could work off of my emotions and gain the confidence and self esteem that I have lost lately because of recent events. Otherwise, my emotions are going to cause me to keep "emotionally eating" and get to an extremely high weight where nothing of mine will fit anymore.

Juliette320

Had a picture taken at bass pro shop and I didn't regonigze the fat girl in the picture. When I took my own pics I could turn a certain way and look just "thick" but when I seen the picture from bass pro shop I said that was it and I started small by just drinking just water and milk no cold drinks then added exercise and 6 months in and I'm 30
Pounds down. I'm so happy I started my journey with MFP

BioQueen

For me it was the combination of having my tight jeans, and realizing that my favorite store didn't go any higher in size. I also hated how tight my jeans were getting, especially sitting in the car and driving. I didn't really like how they bit into my stomach haha.

JAllen32

Last Christmas I got on the scale and was 196lbs. I couldn't believe that I was almost 200lbs!! Shocking! And then a few weeks later I came upon some pics of me in my Halloween costume at work. I was a football playing because that is all I could find to fit me. At the time, I thought I looked cute. Turns out, not so much! Those work pics really showed just how hefty I was, and like a pp said, I didn't recognize myself at first. I thought, whoa I don't remember another football player at the party. WAIT. Thats ME!! ::mortified:: This Halloween I could wear just about any costume I wanted! It was an amazing feeling! I felt amazing and sexy for the first time in a looooong time! lol I still have a ways to go, and I can't imagine how great I'll feel when I finally meet my goal.:happy:

kaetra

The final straw for me was the day I watched my husband weigh himself and realized (without telling him) that he weighed less than me. I quickly went to the bathroom and sobbed silently into the hand towel for a long time. I started walking and trying to eat healthier that same day.

Not long after that I got the results from a cholesterol test I had taken a couple months before the last straw moment, and the numbers were extremely bad. That was when I started looking for health apps on my smart phone and I found MFP. Thank the Lord for this wonderful place! There's no way I would be doing this well without the awesome tools and all the beautiful people here.

cthoma70

Tired of adding girls names to that list that didnt go out with me, maybe, because I was fat. And thats the brutal honest answer.

KateEMD

My final straw was the day I had to go to my boyfriend's work party. I had find a dress in my closet and none of them fit me well. I remember him waiting for me and I was just standing in my closet crying. I have never been super skinny but I have never felt so fat before. I am going through a lot of changes in my life and I decided right then and there that I was going to take control over my body.

It took a while for me to find a plan that worked for me. I am finally on a path to what I want now. On my profile I have a picture of myself in a pink dress. That is me at the party the day I broke down. I use that photo for inspiration any time I don't want to work out or I just want to order a pizza.

tomomatic

Swim suit photo.

For whatever reason, I always thought I looked better than that. I've seen myself in photos before and there were a lot of them that I didn't like. But that photo was the final straw.

I want to look good in my pictures and I want my kids to remember me as strong and fit.