What was your wake-up call?

jothekid

Ever since I was 18, my weight's always been around 180-190. Last october, I got a contract at the government and spent 7 months sitting down 8 hours a day and noticed that I was gaining weight (And everybody that hadn't seen me in a while reminded it to me). I was getting frustrated to hear 'Hey man, you gained weight'...'Hey man, geez you got fat'...'Hey man, you're bigger than ever'...
Anyways, I didn't hop on a scale for the lenght of my contract but about 1 month ago when I saw that I was at 211, I lost it! I promised myself that I wouldn't gain an ounce more! Ever since, I'm on here, eating right, working out, and feeling awesome!

I'm just curious to know if there's something that triggered your journey or did you just decide that enough was enough?

alpine1994

A horrible, horrible picture of me taken in May. I was sandwiched (pun sort of intended) between 2 skinny girls. I saw the picture (on facebook, awesome) and cried and knew that I had to change my ways. Been going strong ever since! One day at a time.

jothekid

Bump...anybody else?

Seajolly

Photos from my cousin's wedding made me realize I really had to do something about my weight! We are the exact same age (just born a week apart) and have always been roughly the same size, but about 2 years ago I started gaining weight and she stayed the same. Seeing the difference in our body size was a SHOCKER for me and I knew I had to change!

maltipink

When I was still teaching, I recieved an anonymous note on my desk during a class while I wasn't looking. It read "Miss S., are you pregnant?" I was mortified. Kids can be mean, but it was enough motivation to get my butt in gear!

dwh77tx

My clothes were getting too tight and I couldn't fit into my matron of honor dress after ordering 2 different sizes. Also, the scale just kept going up. I didn't have a lot to lose, but needed to get back in gear.

angusmike

Type 2 diabetes.

spells1977

There was a mixture of things but the last straw was when an old work mate asked when I was due whilst rubbing my belly!! Mortifying

Camille0502

I went to a music festival over Memorial Day and just felt hot and miserable in my tight size 16 shorts. I saw other ladies walking around in cool and comfy sundresses and was really envious. Plus, I had used my age as an excuse for not losing weight (I'm 49) but many of the ladies I saw were older than me. To top it off, we stopped at my mother in laws on the way home (she is good about watching her weight) and she looked really cool and comfy in her clothes - while I felt fat and miserable. That Friday, I started MFP.

jothekid

Yeah I can just imagine being a girl and getting asked if I'm pregnant when I'm not...I'd go nuts! lol People sure can be mean, intentionally or not...but in a couple months, we'll kick their @sses!!

bekinator

i've been an overeater my whole life. i hated only being able to shop for old lady clothes at very limited stores & paying premium for clothes- i could never hit those $3 clearance racks in cute stores in the mall or wear sundresses or cute clothes that other girls did. i just never thought that normalcy was accessible to me till i had a car wreck and saw my xray. i was 26 & realized my health wouldn't be invincible forever. so i started riding my bike to work every day & started paying attention to the calories i was intaking. the pounds started melting off- i could control it!

Sweeteepi

I ran my very first triathlon in August. I finished, but when I saw the pictures (and video) of me crossing the finish, rather than bring back good memories of what I accomplished...I wanted to cry...because of how I looked.

I have never been an athlete, and had to start from zero to prepare for the event. I worked 5 months to be able to do that and I should be celebrating when I look at those pictures. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I did and I do celebrate the accomplishment, but it's hard for me look at the pictures.

I plan on competing in more events, but this time, I want to celebrate the moment. I want to celebrate the pictures. I want to post pictures on Facebook that I'm not ashamed of how I look. ha ha I want to look at the video and relive the moment rather then dwell on my appearance.

So here I go... I want to cross the weight loss FINISH LINE now!!! (I know! That was kind of sappy...sorry! )

RideaYeti

When I was 42, I had severe chest pains. While it thankfully was gastro and not a heart attack, it scared me pretty bad since my dad died of a stroke at 44. I started riding my bike again and dropped about 20lbs (from 280ish to 260ish) and was feeling better. Then I was diagnosed with type 2 diabeties. I refused to go on meds, so I got serious and am now down to 214 with a goal of 180. No meds for me!

mjpTennis

Running with my 5th grade daughter in her Cross County family run. I finished the two mile race, but had to stop a couple of times to walk and just wasn't happy with the way I performed. Lost 40 pounds since then and I am running 7 minute miles now. Still can't keep up with her, but I am okay with that!

kgb6days

I have a cousin that works at the same place I do, and she is really heavy. We were telling coworkers we were related. I jokingly said "Dont you think we look alike?" The answer - well your face is shaped the same. Hers is really round with several chins. I immediately began my new way of living.

kateanne27

pictures of me at my sisters wedding, and I started getting those creases of back fat near the waist so the skin made contact with itself when I moved just right..... very uncomfortable on a hot day, and I had always prided myself on my lack of back fat

gdortiz

being woken up in my sleep because I could not breath ... it was horrible. I lost 30+ pounds, and it totally stopped.

bblee182

Well being a but over 400 pounds should of been a wake up call for me, but it wasnt! I was hospitalized 5 times in 2 years for cellulitus and ulcers in my legs. After the last hospitalization I decided that FOOD WAS NOT THAT IMPORTANT, and that I was going to make an attempt. I thought if and when I fail I'll have to have the bypass surgery. I didnt want it, still dont! I knew I would be a bigger and better person if I attempted this journey on my own.

13 months later I'm down 90+ pounds, and feeling soooo much better!!

TXHunny84

I was at the doctor's office and got on the scale and the nurse started chuckling and said to me " You're rolling with the big girls now!" I did NOT think it was as funny as she did!!! I'll never forget that! Plus I am vain- and I want to be hot! LOL

gnarlynoodle

As vain as it sounds, I want to know what it's like to be small. Fit and small.

csecoy

I have been a big person all my life, but looking back at the pictures of me in highschool when I weighed around 225 lbs. and comparing them to me now at 475 made me realize enough was enough. I have wanted to get the bi-pass surgery in the past but my insurance company wqould always regect it. So for years I bglamed the insurance company instead of me. I was eating around 7000 - 10,000 calories per day. I would go to McDonald at 10 pm and get 2 Big Macs, a Large Coke, A double Cheesae Burger, and Fries for a nightly snack.

No more, in the middle of August, i said no more and changed to a primary pescitarian diet, allowing my self red meat once a week, and chicken twice. The rest of the meals are fish, fresh veggies, a littlel bit of fruit, whole grains, and water.

Since i dont have an effective scale I havent been weighed since i started but I am excited to see where things are going. Two weeks in and I need a new belt, and underwear, and most of my pants need to be rehemmed because they are getting too long beacuse my belly is starting to slowly shrink

salcha76

1st 130lbs, wake up call was cedar point...I had to be able to fit on the rides w/my son or i would be a horrible mother.

in 5 years, put 20+ lbs back on, 2nd wake up call: I wanna be that skinny sexy confident woman that always scares me. Weight is a crutch, a band aid....it's getting old. It's time for new beginnings, new definitions....starting over with me.

KodAkuraMacKyen

I was in India for work in April/May of this year. A picture taken with the team I was training was my big slap in the face/wake up call. It was made even more unpleasant when it was plastered up this side and down the other on Facebook. I could not get away from it and ended up closing my Facebook account just to stop the horror! The picture is in my profile pics, next to another picture when I was down 25 lbs a couple weeks ago. That pic still makes me shudder.

verptwerp

Type 2 diabetes.

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This ..... three years ago I had to go on meds ..... now I'm off them ...... also, a horrible photo, that I use as my "before" pix .....

Best of luck to you :drinker:

NicoleR1980

first time was to look good on my wedding day in 2010. Then got comfortable and packed it all back on and then some.Then when i hit 253 in august of 2011 and my doctor gave me a good shake its been smooth sailing with no body pain :happy: :happy:

SideSteel

Just about two years ago, an old friend of mine who hadn't seen me in several years, pointed to my gut and said "Dude what F@#$ is that sh@#?!"

In the same week another person I hadn't seen in quite a while commented on my gut.


That was it.

cwashkowiak

I creeped up to 245 and my husband mentioned using this app together (although he's always been thin) I knew then he might be dropping a hint. He had never said anything about my weight, but could tell I was depressed about it! We started together and MFP has truly changed my life. I still have a long way to go, but I feel better about myself, then I have in years and I no longer have to shop at only plus size stores.
Great Topic!

auroranflash

Just about two years ago, an old friend of mine who hadn't seen me in several years, pointed to my gut and said "Dude what F@#$ is that sh@#?!"

In the same week another person I hadn't seen in quite a while commented on my gut.


That was it.

And then you stepped into that machine like Captain America did and got super ripped in under a minute! Ding!

oh wait, you ate decently and worked really, really hard.

nixerific

I moved out of campus and I knew I wanted to eat healthier. I thought I was until I got on the scale three months later and had gained four pounds (at first I thought it was water weight, but it stayed). I had previously been tittering on the edge of a healthy bmi and the weight gain put me in the overweight zone. I decided after finals I would start working out. Well, I sort of lost my nerve until I saw a picture posted of me on fb a few days after finals. A week later I started insanity (finished in early august) and now I'm almost done with asylum . Changing my eating habits was actually pretty easy because I ate healthy before--just waaaay too much.

Amberonamission

I wanted to quit smoking. Tried 3 times in the past year but gained 15 lbs each time (45 lb in a year) and went right back to smoking to stop the gain. 2 months ago I tried again.. put on 3 lbs and KNEW that if I didn't get the whole thing together I would fail again.

2 months later I am having great success. No more smokes. Working out everyday and keeping my diet as close to perfect as I can get. This is the first time in years that I can say I am super proud of myself.

berryjk

Mine was seeing a picture taken of me 2 months after my 2nd child was born at my sister's wedding reception. I knew I put on weight, but that pic was an eye opener. I was a size 18 and now..3 years later..I am feeling good and looking good and wearing a size 4!