what pushed you to get healthy?

hbm616

I have been overweight all of my life. I remember every year at my annual physical my doctor would comment on my weight, tell me to 'lay off the sweets" and then move on to the next topic. In 2006 before starting my senior year of high school I weighed in at 299 lbs during my physical. I was appalled. How could I possibly be 300lbs?!? Then my doctor said she needed to test me for diabetes and I knew that I needed to drastically change my way of life. Luckily I didn't have any insulin resistance and my doctor and I formed a plan to get my weight under control. I started Jenny Craig two weeks later after I got back from vacation, and over the next few months I lost 30/lbs and I've never gained those back.
Over the next few years I lost some more weight, and then gained it back until 2010 when I found myself back at 270 lbs. I cut out all junk from my diet and immediately lost about about 15 lbs. Then I started counting calories and dropped another 40 lbs or so. I got down to 210 and stopped counting. I wish I hadn't because I probably wouldn't have to be counting calories now but I had gone back to college and was working all the time and just too overwhelmed.
This time around I have found a way to balance out the aspects of life and I know that I continue counting until I get down to my goal.

ImaKnitter67

Serious blood pressure crisis. Narrowly avoided a stroke.

auntiebabs

family history of heart problems, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer...

be came real for me when I started to see my parents decline.
To see them suffer and know how hard, not only me, but all 5 of my brothers and sisters, were working to do everything we could for them t keep them safe and comfortable.

Realizing that I've got to do my damnest to prevent illness, since I've got no spouse or kids to be there for me.

KirstenRLD

i had been on here since september, but wasn't giving it all i could. i gained 7lb over christmas and felt like my body couldn't take it any more. i had chest pains and found it hard to breathe. since the new year i have tried hard to exercise everyday and stay under my calorie goals. i am still losing weight which i put on since joining (so my ticker hasn't moved), and still have a long way to go, but i am definitely feeling healthier and the chest pains have stopped. i think if i hadn't had such a scare, i would still be putting on weight.

Kell_Smurthwaite

I found an old friend on FB. She looks awesome now, even though her kid is a year younger than mine. She mentioned she'd done it all with hard work, determination and MFP, so I thought, if she can do it, so can I, and promptly joined the site. That was 2 weeks ago and I've dropped 14lbs since then. I'd say this place really works keeping me motivated and on-track!


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Amy_Lee_2012

I've dealt with weight issues for most of my adult life. Over the past 5 years, I really let myself go- weighing as much as 333 pounds at one point. I was in a very unhappy relationship (we're still living in the same house but we're not a couple- waiting for this house to sell before going our separate ways) and I ate to feel better about myself and to feel worse about myself- it was a strange form of self sabotage. I used to cry all the time while eating, but I just couldn't stop myself. Due to my depression and embarrassment over being so fat, I became housebound , not leaving my house for 9 months. It wasn't until I landed in the hospital for a staph infection that I finally left the house. Even that wasn't enough to convince me I needed to lose weight and get healthy.


Late last year, I met this amazing guy, who changed my life. He was my 'dream guy', the guy I had always wanted to be with- but due to my weight, I let that opportunity pass me by. It started me realizing just how unhappy I was and just how many opportunities I had let pass me by due to my weight. I decided I wasn't going to let my broken heart be for nothing- that I was going to take him coming into my life as a sign to change my lifestyle and get healthy so when the next time a wonderful opportunity comes my way, I will be ready for it.
Here I am, 63 pounds lighter and while I still have a very long way to go, I am determined to reach my goal weight and remain healthy and happy

Raina27

When I got on the scale in December and I saw that I was at my highest weight ever!! I said "Oh hell no"!! So I started in Jan and so far have lost over 20lbs by myself No diet just eating better and exercise!! I'm happier than ever too!!

Evelyn_Gorfram

Numbers.

Numbers like a Fasting Blood Glucose level of 120 mg/dl, when 126 mg/dl is the threshold for officially having Type II Diabetes.

Like a Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio of 6.4, when 6.5 is the threshold for severe cardiac risk.

Or like a Continued Life Expectancy of 5 - 15 years, or considerably less, based on those numbers and a BMI number of 46.

I don't want to die. That's all there is to it.

CaitlinR85

It's quite warm where I live and I felt like I couldn't enjoy summer because of my weight. I can't stand to wear tank tops without a cardigan over the top to hide my arms. And my thighs chafe so much walking anywhere, that I would have to wear leggings under my skirts to stop from getting an unbearable heat rash.

As a result I was boiling hot all the time from being 45kg overweight and clothed from head to toe!

lururu

I had always been small as a child until I had some operations on my knees at 11 years old, after that I was less mobile and so piled on the weight. I was 196lb at 17 but I was blissfully unaware. I developed osteoarthritis in my joints soon after a second op at 14 and my mobility was fiuther reduced. It seems that my family are suceptible to osteoarthritis anyway and the weight combined with the invasive surgery I had sealed the deal.

I am 35 now and have been suffering since my late teens but I never thought it was within my power to do something about it. Control over my health had always been in the hands of my parents and the doctors and so I didn't realise that now it was in my hands. I wasn't told I had arthritis when I was younger, just something that would get better, all I was told to do was rest and wait (such bad bad advice, it makes me sad to think about it) I was later told, very brusquely that I was an idiot to believe that disgnosis and of course I had arthritis, it was just not common practice to tell someone of my age that they have it....

Last year my best friend started losing weight and in a very shallow way I didn't want to be her fat friend so I thought I would give weightloss a go to, afterall, if she could do it why couldn't I?
So in October last year I started my new way of life and I haven't looked back, I can't say that losing the weight has drastically changed my arthritis, I just had surgery on my knee and the consensus is that it is ruined beyond help but although that really makes me sad I don't want to stop losing weight. There have been so many other benefits, I go to a gym now, I look better, I have more stamina and I can wear nicer clothes :P

But also my wonderful husband who loved me even at my biggest deserves a chance to love me at my best, my children deserve a mum who can play with them, even for a little while and who will be there to help them even when they are grown up and I deserve to feel beautiful, to wear cute clothes and to know that I took on the weight and won. Even if the battle is already lost I will always know that I have tried my best and just maybe bought myself a little more time before surgery to replace my joints entirely (which scares me so much).

I want to get to 133lb if I can so I still have a long road ahead of me but in the nearly 6 months I have been doing this I have learned a lot and I am sure I can do this!

Lady_Chilli

We just had my sons first christmas and I wasn't on any of the pictures, I really wanted to be but felt so disgusting in myself and ugly that I asked my partner not to take any. It was the worse feeling, not being able to have photos with my son on his first christmas because of how bad I felt about myself. I'm looking forward to next christmas because the cameras not going to stop flashing on us ALL.

helenoftroy1

It was simply my time
:happy:

wantmylifeback70

OMG! I have so many reasons...health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, high colesterol, fibromyalgia, have knee problems and lots of swelling and pain, my feet hurt and swell when I am on them a few hours, I get winded when I do the least of activites...generally in poor health and I am only 41. If I continue on that path I don't think I will be here much longer and if I am then my quality of life will just decline. I just had my first granbaby and he is such a JOY to me and I want to be here to watch him grow up. I'm tired of not feeling good or looking good and my personality has changed the heavier I get. I use to be fun, outgoing, work and play hard and now I feel awful about myself and I'm angry with myself. I hate to even look in the mirror...I really don't even recognize myself anymore if that makes sense. AND I really want some cute clothes and a pair of hooker boots...LOL!

tbresina

I was 39 and feeling just chubby and hating the way I looked. I decided to get my crap together and make my 40's the best ever. I started out at 174 and I am 5ft 5 1/2. I am now at 148 with a goal of 140. I feel so much better, my energy level is through the roof! I workout 5 days a week and actually enjoy it and just 2 weeks ago I started jogging for the first time in my life, I am totally addicted! I love this site and will never leave it!