What was your wake-up call?

andi12589

ive had more wake up calls than i care to admit. recently, my oldest son, 16, informed me that he is embarrassed of being with me in public due to my obesity. i was finally able to admit that I am embrassed too and its time for a change.
im in awe of the stories here and each one i can relate to in some way. thanks.

ravengirl1611

First - Congratulations to everyone - might have taken us a bit to wake up and see the thorns but we've all decided to get our butts in gear and change ourselves into the roses we should be!

Secondly – Just call me Cleopatra – Queen of Denial!

- I wasn’t overweight – overweight people eat all the time – I eat once or maybe twice a day and overweight people eat a lot of sugary crap and drink soda all the time. When we’d have a pot-luck lunch at the office I was only eating 1 plate of food not the 2 & 3 plates that others are eating
- I wasn’t that big - could still buy/wear clothes in regular sizes. Didn’t acknowledge it when I cried the first time I had to buy plus sizes and then when it went from 1x to 2x and then finally to 3x or when I had stopped wearing short flirty skirts to long flowing skirts finally to no skirts.
- I ignored the sore knees (they've been bad since long before I gained weight so that was nothing new) and the almost constant back pain and said all the time that I'd exercise as soon as I found an exercise that didn’t aggravate my knees, and back - pain sucks – not fully making the connection that if I exercised and lost the weight that there wouldn’t be the pain in the first place
- I wasn’t that big – look at my family – I’m one of the smallest in my family - can’t fight genetics. The couple of thin people in my family are married ins or anomalies…hmm…The only thin people in my family are the ones that are always on the go - the aerobics instructor cousin, and the workaholic that bikes or walks to 2 of her 3 jobs and the cousin that does landscaping 11 months a year – might be a clue here if I think about hard enough!
- I had a desk job with a 3 hour/day commute who wouldn’t have put on a pound or two with all that sitting – hmmm the teeny tiny can wear anything and look gorgeous girl across the hall works & drives the same hours as I do – maybe another clue here
- I was tired all the time no matter how long I slept (not even going into the now noticeable sleep apnea or the new mattress because the old one was done after only 6 yrs.) I blamed it on the stressful job, long commute etc.

So finally this summer was my breaking point when the back of my brain finally connected with the front of my brain during an excruciating trip to by a swimsuit for the first time in about 18 yrs – dressing room mirrors don’t allow you to deny crap!

- I admitted that I ate crap – I am the queen of drive thru take out you know!! and I was overeating – portions?? What are portions?? – I used to order a small pizza once a month and it lasted 2 meals minimum now it’s once a week and it’s a large pizza that’s one meal and maybe a snack if I’m not that hungry – forget the 2nd pizza for the rest of the family!
- I admitted that I was eating a lot more sugary crap than I ever did and soda and large iced t’s had replaced my always preferred beverage of water – not to mention the extra-large coffees with 5 sugars every day
- I might only be eating half or less of what everyone else was eating at pot luck lunches but I was eating the pastas, meats and breads and everyone else was eating the salads
- I admitted to myself that I was out of shape and overweight (round might be a shape but not one I want to be!) when I had to take a break for 10 or 15 min to catch my breath after coming up the 1 small flight of stairs and one short hallway to the apartment.
- The 8 hour flight to Europe this spring for my dream vacation was uncomfortable not because the airlines had small seats (they weren’t) but because I was overweight.
- I admitted to myself that I was tired all the time because I was carrying around the equivalent weight of a 2nd freaking person – Duh!

I was overweight by 135lbs, had no more excuses so what was I going to do about it.

- I made a lifestyle change and joined MFP and now a gym (two of the best decisions I’ve ever made!!!!!) I hired a personal trainer – no point in saving for retirement if you aren’t going be here to retire!
- This is not a diet because statistically diets fail and I AM going to succeed and get my life back in control.
- I am going to quit smoking, I’ve set my quit date for October 1, 2012 (not someday when I get around to it)
- I am going to be here, healthy and fit when my very first grandchild is born in April 2013 (7 more months to get used to saying “Gramma” gotta practice that one!)

Love and luck to all in your journey!

yogini_runner

I got tired of looking at all the cute clothes and curvy dress, so I decided to lose the weight so I could wear them instead.

Allie_71

My friend Ryan was walking me home from a party, and we had to climb this hill to get to my house. I'm little, and he's tall, so I had to walk a little faster than usual to keep up with him. Walking up the hill, by the time I got to the top, I had to fight to hide the fact that I was labouring to breathe from an insubstantial hill. He was fine, I felt like I was gonna die.

I was 39, and thought, holy crap, there's no way I can live like this. I'm not 90. I should be able to walk up a damn (not even steep) hill.

Next day, I joined a gym. Two years later, I'm down 75 lbs. Never going back to that feeling. It sucks.

Dad_of_3

I have tried Weight Watchers three different times, but I never really applied the principles. I decided I would give it another "try". I stepped on the scales and saw my weight. I was shocked, then hurt and devastated and just how fat I had gotten- I did not know I weighed that much. I know I am a guy, but it shook me to the core. I was nearly in tears.

It was then and there I said, "I'm going to make this work." Weight Watchers gave me a good start. I like being able to go weekly and be accountable to a group, whether I fail or succeed. However, the tracking here is so much easier than with Weight Watchers, and I feel I have better control. The combination of WW and MFP have helped me lose the 28 pounds I have lost so far. Also, I am walking and sometimes running, and that has been a prime factor in my weight loss thus far.

alpine1994

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

I would've literally punched her in the face

skinnybitchbarbie27

This. This is the one picture I saw where I broke down to tears. This was July 2, 2011 at a wedding from a dear friend I had in high school.

I was always heavy. I wore size 22 by the time I graduated high school. I was in total denile that my fast food habit (I actually had a meal I called the "fat-girl special") and my eating was going to catch up with me. I remember the first time I had to go to size 24. I kept telling myself that size is only a number. Then before I knew it I was buying 26's and they were tight. I was hoping that the button wouldn't fly off in some humiliating movie type circumstance, busting a window and knocking someone out.

Prior to that, November 2010 (I was 22 at this time) I was put on a double dose of blood pressure medication. My blood pressure was 152/160's. The doctor couldn't believe it. I was blacking out, headaches, and losing mental function. My blood pressure was surging so hard into the brain that the swollen vessels were causing issues. This should have helped me get motivated however it didn't. I accepted my fate. I was a fat piece of *kitten* and I was going to die that way. I was never pretty, I was never loved, I'll just enjoy it until it takes me. It wasn't until July after the wedding where I actually wanted to die. I was so embarassed that people had to even see my fat self and to make matters worse I managed a gym. I managed Curves, A franchise type facility for women and my family owns one. Can you imagine the stares I got when I was the one talking about weight management, diet, and exercise? I am very educated, I know what to do but I was so much a lost cause I said screw it, It isn't for me. We went to a regional meeting april of 2011 and again seeing the pictures of me just made me physcially ill. In july, after the wedding, my grandmother came to me and said that curves had changed the weight management program into a program they call Curves Complete. We said we would give it a try together. 15 pounds came off the first month. I cried. I wasn't that much of a lost cause. This dog had some fight left in her.

It has been 13 months and have been following Curves complete. I love myself. I am sexy, I am curvy (yet I still have a long way to go) and I am 87 pounds down. I ride on average 15 miles a day on my bicycle. I strength train at curves 3x week and do an hour long high intensity zumba class 4x a week. I hold my head high when I walk down the street. I don't go to a restaurant and hear the jokes about "the food being gone" anymore. I walk into the store and pick out size 16/18. I feel like myself. The strong, confident kayla that had once shown it's face was back. I am not some stranger in a fat suit. My husband, who has done this journey with me, is so proud. Our marriage hasn't been better. When I was heavy and at my lowest I didn't care about anyone or anything. On our 4 year anniversary this halloween I will actually dress up like we did years ago.

I am no longer embarassed for people to see me anymore. As I write this I am tearing up but I am telling anyone who doubts, anyone who just wants to dissapear, you can do it.

fishgutzy

High cholesterol, pre-diabetic blood glucose, and the scale reading with a 3 for the first digit.
Got up to 310. Something I never thought I'd ever see. 2X what I weighed in 1983 (granted I was underweight then).

Druidor

Having been very active in my youth Cycling, Golf, Ice Skating. Job became more desk bound and working shifts, became bit of a couch potato,

Knocking on 17St with the wife badgering me + the old knees are not liking the extra weight bearing down on them

Carolyn_79

it was a combination of things for me as well.

1. I reached my highest weight of 191
2. The Dr. told me I was heavy and needed to lose weight
3. I was depressed and avoiding gatherings

I'm down to 156 now and life sure is a lot better! I still have another 10 to go and I'll get there.

CincinnatiDEIFan

Combination of things for me.

We had decided to move 15 hours south and away from everything I had ever known.
I would need a bunch of new clothes since I wouldn't need much winter clothing anymore and was sickened at the thought of buying 16/18's.
I didn't like pictures of me at the beach playing with my kids looking like I had fat hanging everywhere.
I didn't like pictures of a double chin no matter what pose.

So, I started the day we moved south. At 188 pounds. Here I am three months later at 163. I am walking between 2 and 3 miles a day, and swimming after for about 30-45 mintues.

I am worried about going back to work soon and falling back into the same old routine of sitting at a desk, going to eat lunch, sitting at a desk....etc etc.

If this sounds familiar or you are in a situation where you work at a desk (I am a data and/or financial analyst) please friend me. I would love to bounce ideas for staying fit while sitting at a desk job 40 plus hours a week!!!!

maryjay51

turning 50 yrs old was my wake up call. as a nurse in nursing homes i am taking care of people my age these days ..yikes!! i do not want that to be me in there.. its scary as hell . plus i now have two beautiful grandchildren who need their granny to spoil the living daylights out of them. i want them to have as many fond memories of me as i had of my grandmother.

ILoveTheBrowns

i was tired of being a fat turd

EvaB93

I felt really uncomfortable with myself.

NemoDog

When I went on a cruise in Jan 2012.

I packed my bag of "summer" clothes and didn't notice until the ship had sailed that 75% of it didn't fit.

I got home, joined MFP in Feb. 2012 and I'm currently down almost 65 lbs, another 40 to hit my goal!!!

Glad to say that those "summer" clothes no longer fits, but this time it's too big - lol

ravengirl1611

I am no longer embarassed for people to see me anymore. As I write this I am tearing up but I am telling anyone who doubts, anyone who just wants to dissapear, you can do it.

Well done!

Oishii

There were a number of factors for me too.

1) I bought a new pair of my favourite jeans. I was overjoyed to find they fit round the waist, so cut the label out. Then I looked in the mirror and found they bagged at the crotch. I realised that with a waist two sizes bigger than my hips, I would never wear jeans again, so the only option was to shrink back down into my old jeans.

2) I was maintaining whilst eating whole family bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, 4 Creme Eggs at a time and whole tubs of Ben and Jerry's. I realised that just cutting that out would mean losing weight.

3) I was, officially, overweight.

4) The head bell-ringer at church told me that 'they' had been wondering if I was pregnant again. Nope...just fat

I lost 10kg just by cutting out the excessive sweet stuff. Then I used mfp for the last 5kg, some of which I have since gained back, but I've decided my goal was a bit skinny on me.

moonmistmm

I've always been overweight, except for a brief period in middle school that seemed to be a fluke. But I was never in the obese category. I did gain about twenty pounds in high school, but I've been about the same weight since I was 16 (165ish). I wasn't super happy there, but I got used to it and I was still dating boys, so I felt okay enough. I was still relatively active and healthy, eating-wise.

Last year (my freshman year of college) I went into it determined not to gain the freshman fifteen, and I didn't, up until February. A break up after a toxic friendship/almost relationship somehow made it okay to eat. Suddenly, instead of seeing 167, I saw 182. I truly didn't feel like myself. It was one of the first times in recent history that I felt big.

In a refusal to let this boy affect me, I set out to lose the 15 pounds I gained. Now that those pounds are gone, and I'm in the rhythm of things, I want to go all the way and finally be thin like my friends. I'm athletic and have always been, but it's time for my body to reflect that!

Louisianababy93

pictures.

jazee11

I had three different sizes in my closet. I wanted to be in the size smalls again and take the larges to the donation station.