Tell me about your rock bottom

KevinHuss

I am an assistant scout leader. I signed up for a high adventure training course through scouting and in going through the forms and information realized that at my weight, (257) I wouldn't be allowed to ride the horses for insurance reasons. OMG so I'm too fat for a horse to carry me??! I've seen the hourses at our camp, and they are huge. I knew I didn't want to have to miss out on any part of the training and that there were probably other things that I just wouldn't be able to do becauseI weighed too much to be able to rock climb, or fit into a kayak, or mountain bike up a steep trail, or possibly even rappel. Suddenly I looked very different when I looked in the mirror and I hated it. I decided that I was going to use my 4 months to lose as much as I could to be able to do as much as possible.

! am now down to about 202-203 and working towards 195 or possibly the 184 that the BMI charts say I should be at. I got to participate in every one of the activities in the traininng andI feel a ton better than before I started. Another benefit, was that I have stopped using the CPAP machine that I have used for 4-5 years.

Moxie42

You'd think it would have been when someone congratulated me on being pregnant, which I wasn't...or when I starting hiding from the camera because I couldn't stand seeing myself in pictures...or when I had to buy bigger clothes, three times...or when I started feeling self-conscious even in front of my fiance...or when my mom told me my weight gain had become "really obvious"...or when I saw the scale be just a few lbs away from 200...or when I saw my BMI in the "obese" category...or when I was embarrassed when I visited some family I hadn't seen in years...

Instead, it was when I realized I had become pretty depressed in general, and had kinda given up on myself, feeling completely defeated by life. Mentally I was waving the white flag and just getting by each day. Then I realized that even though there's a lot in life I can't control, I CAN control my health and I knew being healthy would help me be happier. My weight and my 11-year addiction to cigarettes were major reasons I was so unhappy. An asthma-related ER trip got me to quit smoking, which made me able to exercise without feeling like I was dying, which made losing weight seem like a more attainable dream. Besides, if I could quit smoking, I knew I could quit (okay, seriously limit) junk food! Plus I got engaged in January and within weeks was terrified of being too fat to try on wedding dresses at normal stores. I've cried shopping for jeans before- I didn't want shopping for my wedding dress to be the same way, and I don't want to be afraid of my wedding pictures.

I've lost 21 lbs so far, and last weekend bought smaller-sized jeans for the first time. Even though life is just as stressful as ever, I'm happier than I've been in a long time

alilovesray

Rock Bottom for me was when I noticed myself in a picture from my family trip to Disney and the rolls in my stomach. I weight myself and said, WOW, I am past 200 lbs and felt so tired all the time. I had aching bones and feet too since I am so short.

I have lost 24 lbs, went down 3 sizes, accomplished goals in my life that I would have never thought possible (like jogging!) and increased my endurance 1000% with MFP. I am amazed at my results and know that its the right thing to do just keep it up.

I see these people and there YEAR long journeys, so I know that this weight isn't going to all of a sudden come off. I started in February so I look forward to February 2013 and how far I've come.

Funsoaps

It's been 13 years or so, I had gained wt from thyroid issues and consuming too much soy. I spent years feeling sorry for myself, having self defeating thoughts, losing 20 lbs here and there, trying to regulate my thyroid, always giving up after 2 months making a million excuses.

I realized that I can either struggle to keep my high wt, gain more or it's time to change my attitude and belief in myself.

With prayer, thankfulness, thyroid regulation, working out a lot (which I love feeling athletic again and that workout high), believing in myself, setting REALISTIC goals, having patience and realizing this is a journey and it takes time to lose weight and get fit, realize there are plateaus, giving myself an off-diet meal a week and a dessert, visualization and short-term goals as well as long term that I believe I will accomplish and finish......all that and I am down 22 lbs in 7-8 weeks.

I realize that I won't and am not perfect, nor do I expect it. I want to go to the doctor's and be proud of my weight. My physique will match that of my slender, athletic family (kids and hubby).

I realized I cannot train to be a holistic health and wellness coach if I am overweight myself, no kore using my thyroid or rare stomach condition as an excuse. I already know how to do it...so I'm doing it and following this all the way through even if it means two years and a lifetime.

jesscarows

My five year old saw a soup commercial on TV and the woman in the commercial was finally able to fit into her old clothes because she ate the soup. After the commerical was over he turned to me and said "Mommy! We need to buy that soup! It will help your tummy go away so you can fit in your old clothes!"

Also:
Dec 2011, about a month after my wedding, my inlaws gave my husband and I a photo album from the wedding. I was so excited to see the pictures. I looked through them and was completed disgusted because I was so much bigger than I had realized. The really hard part was knowing that I thought I looked good when those pictures were taken.

alilovesray

My rock bottom was about 14 months ago. My youngest was about 8 months old and I was going to the doctor for my (late) 6 month check up. I got on the scale and it read 220lbs. At 5'5, it wasn't a pretty site. At that point, I no longer fit into my clothes either. I went to Kohls to get a few things and I was squeezing into their LARGEST size. At that point, I knew that if I didn't change, that I was going to be 300lbs and shopping out of Lane Bryant. I knew I needed to change. I started Atkins and MFP and I have since lost 45lbs.

I TOTALLY agree for me it was always the shopping that got to me too. I was finding myself in Lane Bryant and just now went shopping at Old Navy and LOVED IT. No more LANE BRYANT.

Funsoaps

Awesome! That def would be a wake up call.

I am an assistant scout leader. I signed up for a high adventure training course through scouting and in going through the forms and information realized that at my weight, (257) I wouldn't be allowed to ride the horses for insurance reasons. OMG so I'm too fat for a horse to carry me??! I've seen the hourses at our camp, and they are huge. I knew I didn't want to have to miss out on any part of the training and that there were probably other things that I just wouldn't be able to do becauseI weighed too much to be able to rock climb, or fit into a kayak, or mountain bike up a steep trail, or possibly even rappel. Suddenly I looked very different when I looked in the mirror and I hated it. I decided that I was going to use my 4 months to lose as much as I could to be able to do as much as possible.

! am now down to about 202-203 and working towards 195 or possibly the 184 that the BMI charts say I should be at. I got to participate in every one of the activities in the traininng andI feel a ton better than before I started. Another benefit, was that I have stopped using the CPAP machine that I have used for 4-5 years.

mamasyd

My problem was that for so many years I existed at 'rock bottom' that it began to feel normal. There were the times similar to most of those that have been listed on this thread. When the scale hit 'barrier' numbers that I thought I would never go past - 250, then 300, then 350, then 385 - I finally stopped looking at a scale. At times my family and friends would beg me, plead with me, to get a handle on my weight for my own health. That usually made me angry even though I recognized their love and concern. I despised doctor's visits (and there were many because my health was in a horrible state) because it would, of course, be one of the primary focuses of the doctor's advice to me that I should lose weight.

I was in that horrible downward spiral for decades! There was a journey that began in me with the realization of the broken place in my past that had led to the weight gain. For me, that was a period of many years of molestation, sexual abuse, and rape. As a child, I had been told that I never had to worry about being raped because "if they got you in a good light, they would let you go." To my young mind that meant that ugly girls were safe. I started gaining weight, but it kept happening. So I gained more and more hoping that it would finally be enough to stop the pain.

Those memories were so horrific that I stuffed them deeply down inside my heart. Throughout my adult life I would attempt many different weight loss plans. They would often work and I would lose weight - sometimes a LOT of weight. However, if any man other than my husband noticed and said something - even something as innocent as "Wow, you've lost a lot of weight - good job!" - I would immediately start binging and find my 'safe place' again.

To honor the rules of forum posting (that ask that nothing religious be posted), I won't be able to share the actual events that made the change in my heart. If you are interested you can read more of my story here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebration-of-True-Freedom/230655243670046

I have been at my goal weight (which was based on being at a normal BMI and not on how I would look) for almost two months now. The journey took over three years, but is well worth it. And now I have my life back and can do all that I was created to do!

Jbarbo01

When I went to the doctors and got weighed, I had hit the 200 pound mark. I am only 5'3 and I weighed 200 lbs. My fiance is 6'4 and weighs 215. I just could not be within a bad Thanksgiving holiday of my boyfriend who has nearly a foot on me. Ive lost 10 lbs since and hopefully I keep it up.

Funsoaps

Wow losing that much wt during pregnancy? Did your doc get mad or happy about it? I was doing low carb because I weighed so much with my second pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes plus thyroid issue, I gained35 lbs and my doc kept saying to stop gaining so I won't be on insulin, but I did not overeat and I worked out. They sent me to a nutrionist who said I was eating too low carb, put me on a round diet. It must be hard to diet whole prgho...

U have a great attitude, I'm not gonna be this wt ever again!

Oh hmm... Rock bottom, not sure if you'd say I really hit one at first, I mean when I seen a photo of myself at 250lbs, I swore that wasn't me, though it looked like me, I just couldn't believe I was really that big. Even though when we bought the Wii and wii fit plus, I stood on it for the first time, weighing myself for the first time since having my son, it said 235lbs, More on the lines of 234.7 or something like that, but I was like "Yeah right, this thing is lying" I didn't think I was that big. I didn't feel big, I didn't look big to myself in the mirror, I mean I knew I was over weight, but obese? Well I ignored the wii fit, and then the photo of 250, was taken a little before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. But when my dad had his heart attack and found out he was a diabetic, I knew now that heart problems run in both sides of my family, so I needed to get a hold on at least my eating. I didn't work out, I just tried to eat better. Back then I thought working out wasn't for me, and didn't care about that. Well then I find out I'm pregnant with my daughter, now I'm thinking "Oh crap! I'm gonna be over 300lbs when I have this baby." My first OBGYN Appt. the scaled read 250 on the nose. I was so ashamed. I was also tested for Gestational diabetes. Thing is, I suspected I was a diabetic before I got pregnant, I had the symptoms but I didn't want to know, I figured I'd get it under control later. I know that's stupid, but I was in the mind set that I was not that big lol. Well I was placed on a strict low carb diet. I was counting carbs not calories. I joined this site to use the food tool to calculate my carbs. I lost the login info for that account, but made a new one after I started doing calories. While pregnant, I lost 70lbs. So when I had her, instead of being over 300lbs, I was just under 200, I weighed in at 180lbs at my 6 week check up after having her. That didn't last long, I gained 25.5lbs back. I didn't stick to my diet, I wanted carbs lol. Well, in late September 2011, I remember looking in the mirror and literally saying "I hate the way you look, I hate your hips, I hate your waist, I hate everything about you. You are ugly, you look like shamu's mother, you let yourself go, this is pathetic, deep down you are better then this." I broke down, I cried, and then somewhere inside me I had to find the love I have for myself, because if you can't love yourself, how can you do better for yourself? So once I got a grasp on loving myself, I was able to find my way back here and I started losing, I turned it into a game. It became an addiction to see how much I could lose in 1 month. I'm still going strong with 15-20 more pounds to go to hit my goal. I'm smaller now then I was before I had kids. I refuse to go back to that dark place. I'm better then that.

Funsoaps

I read your story and you are very inspirational....very!

My problem was that for so many years I existed at 'rock bottom' that it began to feel normal. There were the times similar to most of those that have been listed on this thread. When the scale hit 'barrier' numbers that I thought I would never go past - 250, then 300, then 350, then 385 - I finally stopped looking at a scale. At times my family and friends would beg me, plead with me, to get a handle on my weight for my own health. That usually made me angry even though I recognized their love and concern. I despised doctor's visits (and there were many because my health was in a horrible state) because it would, of course, be one of the primary focuses of the doctor's advice to me that I should lose weight.

I was in that horrible downward spiral for decades! There was a journey that began in me with the realization of the broken place in my past that had led to the weight gain. For me, that was a period of many years of molestation, sexual abuse, and rape. As a child, I had been told that I never had to worry about being raped because "if they got you in a good light, they would let you go." To my young mind that meant that ugly girls were safe. I started gaining weight, but it kept happening. So I gained more and more hoping that it would finally be enough to stop the pain.

Those memories were so horrific that I stuffed them deeply down inside my heart. Throughout my adult life I would attempt many different weight loss plans. They would often work and I would lose weight - sometimes a LOT of weight. However, if any man other than my husband noticed and said something - even something as innocent as "Wow, you've lost a lot of weight - good job!" - I would immediately start binging and find my 'safe place' again.

To honor the rules of forum posting (that ask that nothing religious be posted), I won't be able to share the actual events that made the change in my heart. If you are interested you can read more of my story here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebration-of-True-Freedom/230655243670046

I have been at my goal weight (which was based on being at a normal BMI and not on how I would look) for almost two months now. The journey took over three years, but is well worth it. And now I have my life back and can do all that I was created to do!

ganbaranba

A few things really encouraged me to change my lifestyle:

-My weight had been slowly climbing up the scale, then I went through a bad break-up and started graduate school. As it went from 200 to 215 to 230 to 240, I stopped being able to recognize myself in the mirror. Seeing myself in photos was totally embarrassing. After being an athlete for most of my life, I was in denial for a long time that I was really out of shape.

-After graduation (yay!) I started a full-time office job. One day, one of my co-workers, one of the sweetest people in my office, started talking to another co-worker about her mother and how overweight she was and her health problems related to her size in front of my desk. She came up to me afterwards and apologized profusely and hoped that I wasn't upset by her comments... it took me a minute, but it eventually dawned on me that she thought I would be offended because of my own weight.

-One of my good friends lost a lot of weight and as we were having lunch for my birthday in December, she told me that one of the tools that was really helpful for her was MFP. I started using it around the holidays, and I was totally shocked and horrified by the amount of calories that I had been consuming without even giving it another thought. Needless to say, when January came around, I started getting serious about my health and haven't looked back.

TheFitHooker

If I had weighed 150lbs and lost that much during my pregnancy, he probably would have told me to stop losing weight. It was me losing weight not the baby. He praised me. I was very obese, I could handle to lose it. I was on insulin, and I was told to focus on trying to lose weight while pregnant, because of how heavy I was. I couldn't do any exercise though, I was on bed rest most my pregnancy, I had complications with her, almost lost her a few times. But it all worked out, and I was doing what my doctor's wanted me to do. I had a diabetes doctor who monitored my sugar level's and my OB who also praised me for the weight I lost.

Wow losing that much wt during pregnancy? Did your doc get mad or happy about it? I was doing low carb because I weighed so much with my second pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes plus thyroid issue, I gained35 lbs and my doc kept saying to stop gaining so I won't be on insulin, but I did not overeat and I worked out. They sent me to a nutrionist who said I was eating too low carb, put me on a round diet. It must be hard to diet whole prgho...

U have a great attitude, I'm not gonna be this wt ever again!

Oh hmm... Rock bottom, not sure if you'd say I really hit one at first, I mean when I seen a photo of myself at 250lbs, I swore that wasn't me, though it looked like me, I just couldn't believe I was really that big. Even though when we bought the Wii and wii fit plus, I stood on it for the first time, weighing myself for the first time since having my son, it said 235lbs, More on the lines of 234.7 or something like that, but I was like "Yeah right, this thing is lying" I didn't think I was that big. I didn't feel big, I didn't look big to myself in the mirror, I mean I knew I was over weight, but obese? Well I ignored the wii fit, and then the photo of 250, was taken a little before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. But when my dad had his heart attack and found out he was a diabetic, I knew now that heart problems run in both sides of my family, so I needed to get a hold on at least my eating. I didn't work out, I just tried to eat better. Back then I thought working out wasn't for me, and didn't care about that. Well then I find out I'm pregnant with my daughter, now I'm thinking "Oh crap! I'm gonna be over 300lbs when I have this baby." My first OBGYN Appt. the scaled read 250 on the nose. I was so ashamed. I was also tested for Gestational diabetes. Thing is, I suspected I was a diabetic before I got pregnant, I had the symptoms but I didn't want to know, I figured I'd get it under control later. I know that's stupid, but I was in the mind set that I was not that big lol. Well I was placed on a strict low carb diet. I was counting carbs not calories. I joined this site to use the food tool to calculate my carbs. I lost the login info for that account, but made a new one after I started doing calories. While pregnant, I lost 70lbs. So when I had her, instead of being over 300lbs, I was just under 200, I weighed in at 180lbs at my 6 week check up after having her. That didn't last long, I gained 25.5lbs back. I didn't stick to my diet, I wanted carbs lol. Well, in late September 2011, I remember looking in the mirror and literally saying "I hate the way you look, I hate your hips, I hate your waist, I hate everything about you. You are ugly, you look like shamu's mother, you let yourself go, this is pathetic, deep down you are better then this." I broke down, I cried, and then somewhere inside me I had to find the love I have for myself, because if you can't love yourself, how can you do better for yourself? So once I got a grasp on loving myself, I was able to find my way back here and I started losing, I turned it into a game. It became an addiction to see how much I could lose in 1 month. I'm still going strong with 15-20 more pounds to go to hit my goal. I'm smaller now then I was before I had kids. I refuse to go back to that dark place. I'm better then that.

prettypoison11x

My rock bottom came in about 3 parts. The 1st was when I saw myself on video. I cried and then comforted myself with ice cream. It truly was news to me as we don't have a single full body mirror in our home and until recently, we haven't had a scale either. I've always been overweight/obese since I can remember. But in the past couple year, I'd been depressed due to a bad break up and I'm an emotional binger, so the final 20 or so pounds just leaped on while I was wallowing in my lonely misery.

It all happened so quickly, I noticed, but I didn't NOTICE if that makes sense. The hurt, anger, and fear I had about being so obese really put me into a state of shock, but I had no clue how to start losing weight. The final straw came when mom had to go to the doctor (something I haven't done in years) and she got weighed. She was shocked by her number and when the nurse left, she had me to get on, too. My. Weight. Petrified. Me.

To tell you HOW bad I used to binge, I recently picked up my bed so I could finally clean under it. I had so many empty food containers, I even shocked myself. Some made it out of my room and into the trash, but since I've always been embarrassed by my binges, I just 'hid' the evidence and with time forgot to get them out. Oreos, sherbet, ice cream cartons, butter cookies, candy wrappers... So much JUNK packaging! I ate all of it. I felt sick because now that I've started reading labels, I know how much crap I was eating and saw exactly HOW I put on this weight. I'm not proud of it, but I can talk about it (some) now without tearing up. It was a really low time for me.

Later in the month that I saw myself on video, my mom (who's also always struggled with her weight) randomly walks into my room with an Atkins book. She says she wants to start doing this and I without hesitation agreed. I hadn't spoken with her about my plight, but she had a solution. After many trials, errors, and set backs, we're now lacto-ovo vegetarians and are losing weight together. I haven't gotten far yet, but I'm definitely NOT stopping.

JennieAL

There was no rock bottom. And it wasn't about losing weight. I came here to distract myself from a bad habit... drinking. And in doing so, I quit the bad habit. I picked up my new habit of weight lifting. And I use it to deal with grief over my mom's death. It's a great outlet. And getting a nice body is a perk.

ETA: I've met some awesome people in the process who I look forward to chatting with every day!

jwuchef87

after getting my biometric screening through work and being told by and extremely fit female nurse that I was considered extremely obese for my height and that even though my levels weren't that bad, I needed to change. It's one thing being immune to how you look everyday, you kind of become blind to it but having a complete stranger actually call you fat? yea...that humiliation woke me up!

adet983

came home from a trip to texas to see my mom and after a week of boozin and fishin weighed 263!!!

Elizabeth_C34

Stepped on the scale and saw 218 lbs. I had no idea I had gotten that bad. Doc told me I was obese. I was once a very fit distance runner with a 6:00 mile time, and I had gotten so bad I couldn't even climb stairs without getting completely exhausted. I was mortified.

Never again.

DGK12

When my size 16 pants started to get tight on me. Also in the same week was when I was reminiscing, looking at my wedding dress, and realized it was a size 12...which I haven't been since I actually WORE the dress!!

AmadaLynn

My Rock Bottom -

When my 6 year old told me I looked pregnant. Oh and a co-worker asked me not once, but twice if I was pregnant!

I joined this site 4.5 weeks ago, I have lost 7 pounds so far!! I am amazed at how watching what I eat and doing more phycial activity can go such a long way!