what started it all for you?

Cappicorn

Pinnacle whipped cream vodka and finding out about the Warrior Dash at a Christmas Party. I was drunk enough that it sounded like a frickin' awesome idea.... even though I couldn't run a quarter of a mile without gasping and wheezing.

How funny! Earlier this year my friend comes up to me and tells me about the Warrior Dash and begs me to do it with her, even though I couldn't jog a block without wanting to die. I was committed though, had to start somewhere right? We started the middle of March and within two months we hit our goal of running 3 miles without stopping. Can't wait to run the Warrior Dash in September!

Having an accountability partner those first few months is the only reason I've (finally) grown to love exercise.

somanyrhoades

For me it was a combination of things. I gained a ton of weight with my first pregnancy (I weight 201 at delivery) It took 5 whole years for me to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 156. last summer I felt great, felt good about how I looked, had more energy. then out of nowhere 12 lbs crept up on me and I felt like crap again. The big trigger for me was when one of my patients requested that someone else come to help transfer her because she didn't want the pregnant nurse to injure her baby. Seeing recent photos of myself has also hit home!

Hellbent_Heidi

I heard this silly story from a "stupid news" segment on the radio that said a survey showed the average age people 'give up' caring about their appearance and the idea of having great abs, etc...was 41 (I'd just turned 41 a month or two earlier).

Anyway..even though it was silly...I wasn't about to be part of that statistic and felt like I'd reached a NOW OR NEVER impasse....

Cold_Steel

My shocker was a life insurance policy that was going to cost me around 75 bucks a month at 28 years old...

Meloyelo2010

I realized it's coming up on the fifth anniversary of my mother's death and I've gained a good 50+ pounds since she passed. I want a healthier body to go with the vision I have of myself. I have two kids to keep up with hopes to keep up with my grandchildren in 30 years and beyond.

Thesoundofwolf

I broke up with my boyfriend and got tired of hating everything in my life. I started working out and making healthy life changes to avoid having to take anti-depressants.

bcattoes

I knew my regular exercise had become somewhat less than regular and that I'd been putting on weight because of it. But it was holiday photos that made me realize just how much weight I'd gained and admit just how sporadic the exercise had become.

So, I did the cliche thing, bought some Zumba DVDs and made a new year's resolution.

Medea81

I have been pretty chubby since puberty. I always had this magic number in my head, that if I get to this weight I will start dieting. Well that number came and went a few times... Then at the end of June I hit 250 lbs, that was a sobering moment, I had gained 30 lbs in 4 years. I decided right then to do something about it. I had bought work out DVD's int he past, then I watched them so I could learn the moves, and they seemed to hard, so I put them away. I broke out those DVD's, added a few more, and am down 13 lbs in 28 days.
I come from a long line of diabetics on my mom's side, it is genetic so I will probably inherit it, so I need to change my eating habits now, so I don't have to worry about doing that later. I also have 4 auto-immune diseases and take enough medication to kill a horse just to get through the day. The daily pain is a struggle, but I have just decided to live with the pain and exercise, and just take precautions with the knee that the arthritis has injured. And I have the pleasure now of saying to some people, "If I can do it... you can do it" and now my brother has joined MFP as well as my diabetic mom. I get on them when I see they haven't logged in a while. lol I'm turning into one of those people!

smithy85

Lets face it when you wake up and suddently you are over 300LB, you wonder where your teen years and your early 20's went because you didnt have the ability to do as much due to weight holding you back, either practically or mentally.

I have missed out on wearing good clothes, activitys i want to do that have weight restrictions, taking my neice out and looking like a whale and most of all feeling sexy, I have never really had that feeling of WOW i look great, all because of the fat suit.

I want to live a healthy life and dont want to go to 40 and be athridic ridden, diabtic and have issues walking and breathing.

I want to live a healthy life, my steps are small but steps are progress!!

CJisinShape

I had a traumatic event, lost 40 lbs from a combination of upset and long walks to clear my head. Realized I needed to ditch caffeine and sugar addictions if I was ever going to calm down. I bought new clothes and makeup and people would be shocked when I opened the door, in a really good way. Then I prayed for God to show me me, and I realized I was a glutton. So, that was the next thing. I realized I couldn't do anything on my own or else I wouldn't have gotten so big to begin with. I needed Gods help. I started noticing what I was eating, then later got on this site. Since being on here I noticed that the little bite here and there I was using to boost low energy was what was packing on the pounds. God did it for me - I didn't really commit to losing weight until he showed me the way.

Karen1157

I went to the lake with my family. I refused to put my body in a swim suite so I wore a shirt and shorts. I still was busting out all over in my cloths. I was so upset. At first I was mad at the husband for bring me to the lake. I looked a little deeper and realized it was me who I was upset with. I let my self get so out of shape. It was changing the way I lived and felt about life. I love who God made me but I needed to take better care of me.The next day I had a friend tell me about my fitness pal. I started the following week.

Ayla70

I had spent my entire adult life morbidly obese. I had destroyed my left knee. I had a grand daughter that I couldn't play with the way I wanted to. My grand daughter's parents split up, and I went from keeping her every day to not even seeing her for over a month (due to the spitefulness of her mother). I spiraled deeper into depression, I was having some very scary physical symptoms (heart arrhythmias and blacking out being the worst ones), and I didn't even have a primary care physician... and didn't want one. I really was at the point where I just didn't care anymore - and I don't just mean about how unhealthy I was, I mean I didn't care if I lived anymore. Honestly, I got pissed off most mornings when I woke up...

My husband and the few close friends and family members that I have, the ones who really do care about me, were constantly on my case about getting to a doctor to get my heart checked out. They tried begging, pleading, even threatening... So I finally scheduled an appointment, just to shut them all up.

I went to that appointment on 3-June-2012. Within 5 minutes, this doctor "strongly suggested" gastric bypass surgery for me. I said "uh, thanks, but no thanks." He did blood tests, EKG, mammogram, upper GI imaging... ran me through the gamut. I went home from his office that day with 5 prescriptions, covering heartburn, cholesterol, and who remembers what else.

Now when I finally went to see a doctor, I had already begun losing weight, though it wasn't on purpose. I was unable to eat due to the stress in my life. My choices were either eat knowing it would make me throw up, or don't eat... so I wasn't eating...

Doctor wanted to see me again to do more testing in 2 weeks. I went in, had lost a few pounds, still not trying, and he added more prescriptions. I got home and was even more upset because not only was I tired of all the crap life was throwing at me, but also because we could NOT afford for me to be taking all this expensive medication. My husband is an insulin dependent diabetic, using an insulin pump, taking multiple medications, and he HAS to have his medicine... I couldn't stand the thought of wasting money on myself for medications when I didn't even want to be here anyway... Kind of the same way I stopped smoking... (finances were bad, and I counted out what change I could find. I came up with enough money to either buy one pack of cigarettes, or sandwich meat and a loaf of bread to feed my husband and kids for the 2 days till payday, but not both. I didn't choose cigarettes and haven't had once since, will be 5 years in January)

I still wasn't eating, hubby was monitoring that I took my medicine. One day, my son and daughter said they were going to go for a walk (she was 24, he was 16). I decided to tag along. Less than half a mile in and I thought I was going to die. I even told my daughter so. I told them that one of them was going to have to go get a car or call 911. They did neither. I managed to drag myself the remaining 1/4 mile home and swore I'd never do that again...

The next day, we walked a whole mile. And I walked with them every day for a week.

I hated it at first. I had grown to hate the thought of food too. Especially the way this Southern girl always cooked everything (fried, with bacon grease, mayo) and vegetables around here consisted of corn and potatoes... every "cooked" meal had white rice... but in my frame of mind, most suppers we had been eating for several months were either bacon sandwiches or hot dogs and french fries. And the french fries were deep fried, and were a 6 out of 7 nights a week thing.

Well, I could no longer eat all that grease. With the reflux, the hernia, and the fact that my nerves had my stomach in a constant state of turmoil, I had to find other things to eat. Not because I wanted to eat, but once again to shut those who cared enough to worry about me up.

I started making small changes. Baking the fries. Getting salad stuff.

My son and daughter weren't as keen about going walking every day anymore. I had started to look forward to it. I downloaded an app to my phone to track my walking. I liked the positive feedback.

I downloaded the MFP app on 9-August-2012 and have logged the foods I have eaten ever since that day. Now I may quick add calories for some things, but I've logged caloric intake since that day. Again, I liked being able to SEE what I was doing. Some of the people who were so "proud" of me, began to call me obsessed... to tell me I was getting too "into" tracking everything. My doctor, on the other hand, was excited to see the positive changes.

I don't know exactly when I realized that I was worth taking care of, that I had taken care of everyone else all my life, and that it was ok to take care of me now... but I DID realize it. And I'll never go back there.

I still don't see the 160-something pound Angie when I look in the mirror. Most of the time, I still see the 300 pound one. Occasionally, I startle myself when I catch my shadow or reflection in my peripheral vision. When I look at photos, I can clearly see the difference, but I can't believe it's me.

I've still got weight to lose, and I hope that a lot of this excess saggy skin will tighten up some... but for the first time in 40 years, I LIKE ME... I don't love me yet... don't know if I ever will... but hey, I LIKE me!

I just want to hug you...

jcolon74

At 38 years old, I am 2 months past 1 heart attack and 1 triple bypass... 1 is enough.

Now that I've had to quit smoking, and I'm still in cardiac rehab for another 2 months, losing the extra 50lbs I have on me is part of gettting healthy.

Dad died almost 2 years ago, age 57, retired NYPD, 400+ lbs, that's alot of genetics I am fighting against, I'm going to have to work hard to make sure I don't end up there.

JeaninePaige

I got tired of sweating in the summer because I'm embarrassed to wear shorts and tank tops...
Got tired of telling people I hated the beach when secretly I love it but hate wearing a bathing suit.
Also I would love to wear cute clothes again and feel better about myself inside and out.

charlena48

A couple of things for me. I turned 50 - started thinking about that fact that my father-in-law never lived to be 50. He had a brain tumor and died within 11 months of finding out. My dad has diabetes and his parents both had it. I don't want to have to give myself insulin shots for the rest of my life. I decided I want to be the healthiest I've ever been and also be in the best shape ever.

lisasch67

When I realized I was 60 lbs heavier than my boyfriend at the time. And that I was eating the misery I felt from my relationship.

I started losing weight, we ended the relationship, I kept losing weight... and never again will I let myself go back there.

rozsbluejay

I got treated badly.

TrailRunner61

I had several.

Last year I realized that the 'cute' swimsuit I had worn all summer was actually a maternity swimsuit! I know I need to wear reading glasses but wow, that was a shocker.

My girl's weddings. I looked like a cow in the pictures. I had lost a few pounds but no one could tell.

I had indigestion every single night when I went to bed.

High blood pressure arrived along with a handful of pills.

I couldn't get clothes to fit because my belly was huge and my legs were smaller. So I looked like a robin (slob) in them and wouldn't pay to get them altered because I 'knew' I could lose weight. I didn't of course.

I started getting out of breath, had sore knees, an aching back, etc.

I hiit 179lbs. 17lbs more than what I weighed 9 mths pregnant with my almost 9lb son. That was my 'final' ahah moment. I was NOT going to hit the 180's. EVER. So I started walking, then joined this site after my niece suggested it.. I'm down 42lbs now.

Rogiefreida

I had gained some weight after my now husband and I got together, and I was uncomfortable with it, but definitely didn't do anything about it. Then, I was diagnosed wtih melanoma in 2009, and from the shock of it all I dropped 20 pounds without even trying (I think trying to cope and being depressed may have contributed, but I'm honestly not sure why I lost the weight. Neither are the doctors). Anyways, at that point I decided to take control of my health, in more ways than just taking care of my cancer-prone skin.

Then, my husband proposed to me last summer and I was re-motivated to rock my wedding dress (which, I did, IMO). And now, I refuse to gain newlywed weight. And I want to look hot when my hubby and I go for our honeymoon cruise in January.

hag101108

That before picture. That and the fact I could no longer sit or stand or really even lay without it hurting me. I was miserable and trapped in my own body. I finally just woke up one day and realized I had to make a change!