Brutal Honesty - What was the final straw?

Reinventing_Me

It's a very long story... but mine was my daughter. I'll make it short. Last year she was born 10 weeks premature... when she was 3 days old she... died. They were able to revive her and multiple complex congenital heart defects were discovered. Because of her prematurity she was unable to have surgery immediately. She lived with congestive heart failure, bacterial pneumonia and had 2 boughs of septicaemia before she had her first heart surgery two months later. She spent nearly 3 months on a ventilator, had a stroke... it's a long crazy story. She's had 6 surgeries total, three of them heart.

Fast forward to now, she is doing wonderful. Starting to walk, talk, she started eating just after her first birthday and came off oxygen shortly after that. It's been an incredible journey for her the last year.

She was just a baby and fought so hard to be a part of our lives.

That was my kick in the pants. As I sat on the couch one night eating a bag of chips, wallowing in self pity I realized that by being obese was mean. After everything she did to stay with me, I'm just killing myself slowly and sending myself toward possible cardiac issues in the future.

I was born with a perfectly heathy heart and have been taking that for granted for 28 years.

It ends now. I will no longer take my body and my healthy organs for granted. I will take care of them, and I will live a long life and spend as much time with her as possible.

This baought tears to my eyes. What a way to gain perspective, huh?

tabinmaine

This motivated me, the day before my 41st bday.... enough was enough... I wanted to be tiny and in shape and healthy
I watch this video weekly, if not daily

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja9BFx5Mhqo&feature=related

tabinmaine

and this one ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqo87Z9bh2U&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

reneeileen

I had been off birth control for almost a year and had not ovulated once. I realized that I was so large that my body couldn't do what it was designed to do. I'm getting married this year and my fiance and I want to start trying for a family this year. I realized that my weight was controlling my life and I needed to make a change.

ShrinkinMel

I've had many straws over the years. For me it's always been avoiding diabetes. Now with some health issues in the last 7 months I've gained and just fell to pieces. My Dr and NP that I've been working with have tried everything to help me figure out what was going on. My Dr. had a baby months ago and was only in office and has since moved out of state. The Np was leaving the office too. I saw a new NP and it was just a slap. I was angry and frustrated with her because I HAVE tried to lose. Its been even harder since I had to change up my blood pressure pills. She comes in assuming I MUST have diabetes especially once she asked if I had family history and I told her yes my mom is type 2 and insulin dependent now. My dad controls his with supplements and eating habits. Then she starts looking through my blood work(only the most recent one from June) and says well you blood glucose was 109 and it should be under 99. I have to go get new fasting blood work next week. I don't plan on going on meds even if they want to consider this prediabetes. I'm GOING TO GET THIS WEIGHT OFF there is no way I'm starting more meds!! It needs to go and take my bp pill with. I'm just done with it. Tired of being 32 and feeling 62.

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!

Kudos! Your daughter has one awesome mama. I so wish my mom would have done something when I was 16 and 200 lbs. I'd probably have a whole different life. Great job and congrats to all of you. gym and trainers really help. I had joined a gym at 18 or so and lost quite a bit was actually fit and running(10 minutes straight or more). My best friend just joined a gym and I'm trying to work out a way financially for me to join and attend with her 5+ days a week. I would in a heart beat if I had a full time job but income for me is just so random.

teamflatbelly

My final straw was the death of my husband. When he passed I stopped eating and I lost 30 pounds in like a month or less. Then I started throwing all the bad food away in my house because, my husband always wanted us to eat healthy so that is what I am trying to do for him and myself. We have kids and our 7yr old got on the scale and weighed 109. I knew then I had to talk to her grandparents and tell them stop bring and buying her sweets and letting her eat whatever she wants. so now I am trying to keep the 42 pounds I lost off plus lose more

Aesop101

I've had many straws over the years. For me it's always been avoiding diabetes. Now with some health issues in the last 7 months I've gained and just fell to pieces. My Dr and NP that I've been working with have tried everything to help me figure out what was going on. My Dr. had a baby months ago and was only in office and has since moved out of state. The Np was leaving the office too. I saw a new NP and it was just a slap. I was angry and frustrated with her because I HAVE tried to lose. Its been even harder since I had to change up my blood pressure pills. She comes in assuming I MUST have diabetes especially once she asked if I had family history and I told her yes my mom is type 2 and insulin dependent now. My dad controls his with supplements and eating habits. Then she starts looking through my blood work(only the most recent one from June) and says well you blood glucose was 109 and it should be under 99. I have to go get new fasting blood work next week. I don't plan on going on meds even if they want to consider this prediabetes. I'm GOING TO GET THIS WEIGHT OFF there is no way I'm starting more meds!! It needs to go and take my bp pill with. I'm just done with it. Tired of being 32 and feeling 62.

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!

Kudos! Your daughter has one awesome mama. I so wish my mom would have done something when I was 16 and 200 lbs. I'd probably have a whole different life. Great job and congrats to all of you. gym and trainers really help. I had joined a gym at 18 or so and lost quite a bit was actually fit and running(10 minutes straight or more). My best friend just joined a gym and I'm trying to work out a way financially for me to join and attend with her 5+ days a week. I would in a heart beat if I had a full time job but income for me is just so random.

That is amazing and beautiful.

Let me say I gained weight because I was glutenous. No other reason. Both my ex-wife and I have had gall bladder surgery. Then she ate herself into diabetes. Reflecting on the gall bladder surgery it became apparent we were both heading down the same path. In her I saw myself. I knew I had to do something.

What the final straw was, well it was many things, tight clothes (if I could even find some that fit) belts that didn't touch when wrapped around my waist, my belly touching the steering wheel of my Jeep, booths that were too small, barely being able to tie my shoes, threats of illness brought on by obesity. It was about everything you can think of.

Then maybe the one thing that got me to jump on the wagon was I was out of work. Does any employer in this cost conscious economy want to hire a 350 lbs employee? I needed to look presentable.