What was your wake-up call?

VirtuallyAmy

I was not always heavy. Ironic; I was under weight most of my life and thought I was fat. Circumstances I do not want to go into made me actually fat. Right into obese and the mental hell that goes with it. I did start to work on it but it was not taking. Exercising and having problems with my bladder when bouncing was a beginning. Severe, crushing chest pain that made me start to black out when I was alone one day was the last straw. Heart attack? Do not know. But it runs in my family and I am not going to do that. A friend died of diabetes and I do do not want to end up there either. So I decided that I can could end my current life that way, or by my choice. Either way, whatever I was doing was to end whether I liked it or not. New life instead of death seemed best. I had a good start and then found MFP. Major help. I am 1/4, maybe 1/3 of the way there since the start of the year. Ups and downs. But the old me is dead in the good way, not the final way. Keeps me going. And ironic, I will have a better view of myself then. Crazy family messed me up when I was thin. That is done too.

Sheesh. Feels like a confession. But there it is. My turning point.

BigPapabear72

To be blunt, not being able to wipe my *kitten* well. And all the pills I have to take for diabetes and high BP

LisaLouisiana

Mine was a picture, too. A friend took it and it reduced me to tears....and changed my life.

meghanp92

Mine came for the SECOND time about a month ago. I had my lap band taken out about a year ago and that whole time I never once stepped on a scale - just ate and ate all the things I couldn't eat before in quantities that I never would have been able to have. We went to an amusement park in California over the summer for a family vacation, and I could barely fit on most of the rides, and had to sit out one because I wouldn't fit at all, which was a very, very hard moment for me. I had to resist running off to the bathroom to cry while the rest of my family went on the ride. When we got home, I finally let my mom convince me to look into having a second surgery, the bypass. At the weight loss doctor's office I stepped on the scale and realized I had gained almost a hundred pounds since getting my lap band off. I was mortified to realize I was above 300 pounds, and weighed even more than my 6'3" dad (who has always been an overweight guy too), while I'm only 5'7". I finally realized I was completely sabotaging my own happiness by eating and eating and trying to fill a void in myself that came from deep insecurities and unhappiness. I realized food isn't going to make me happier (in fact, just the opposite) and I finally got my butt in gear and I've been doing great on my diet ever since!

Georgeous74

I have had a few over the years...But my latest one was a real concern for me.
I have put on about 8 kg in about 9 months, and no im not pregnant!
Most of the weight has gone straight to my torso...for the first time in my weight gain time.
I'm 38 and It just sits there now!
I have had a few moments when I'm sitting on my couch after eating my evening meal and I'm
struggling to breath properly.
I do suffer from mild athsma, and hayfever, but it was feeling like I have no more room to move inside my Torso.
It just felt like all the fat was taking up so much room.

I'm single, and worry its because of my overweight body that Im staying single.
My clothes dont fit, im pushing up to the next clothes size and dressing to cover the bulge instead of showing off the curves that are underneith!

SO.......I'm at the gym again 4/5 days a week.
On a website that monitors exercise and calories ( My fitness Pal) which has been great for me in the past...so I'm back on!
I have approx 15 KG to budge, and well....for once ....I feel like ITS going to happen!

P.S.
Your pic looks great by the way....you dont look like you have much to budge!
Goodluck.

danadi

I am at high risk for diabetes and heart disease, but have been in denial for the past 15 years, as my weight has ballooned. I have tried many different types of diets (probably like a lot of you) with varying to degrees of success and ultimate failure. Yet all my health numbers remain "healthy" -- no sugar problems, low blood pressure, low pulse rate, low cholesterol, and a healthy heart. I took this as a sign that I must be immune. But I went to my doctor as a result of my work requiring that we take a "wellness" test for our insurance company. Suspecting that I might have to pay more for health insurance, I wanted her to tell me what I could do to get ahead of the problems. I knew the weight thing would be an issue. I am an apple body, with a BMI over 30%, with a family history of diabetes and heart disease. She told me about her personal experience with MFP and how she lost her weight. And how you have to have a defining moment that changes your perspective forever. For me, it was when she told me that even though I have not yet had any problems with weight-related disease, IT WILL HAPPEN to me if I don't change my ways. The definitive nature of her comment struck a chord. I thought I'd be able to go on eating and not exercising and still remain "healthy." She made me realize that it's a lie. She also said that she changed her habits because she wants to LIVE OUT HER FULL LIFE. In other words, she didn't want to die before her time. I have an 8-year old daughter and I'm 46 years old. I want to be here for her. I want to be a grandmother some day. If I change my ways, I'll have a better chance of doing that. Having my doctor tell me all this was my wake-up call. I am still struggling, but at least when I eat something I shouldn't have or skip the gym, I say to myself that I will get back on track immediately, not that it doesn't matter and I'll try again tomorrow. What I do can make a difference!

EternalJourney

I could no longer fit clothes that fit me..

violetta88

Casually hopping on the scales to see how much I weighed, purely out of interest, and being horrified to find I was clinically overweight

603d

I was on the phone with my biological mother (she didn't raise me), and she said she was 250 and losing weight. I was just under 250 at the time. I didn't think I looked as fat as she did, but I realized that I was just as unhealthy (at least physically) as a result. I started using MFP again within a week. At first I just got myself into the logging habit, then tried to keep my calories a little lower. When I saw that I had been using MFP for 50 days, I started doing yoga at least 3x/week for 30 minutes. We'll see what comes next. Slow progress, but it's still progress. My "lbs lost" is from the starting weight from the first time I used MFP... I'm down an additional 4 lbs from my highest weight of 246.

After doing some research, I set my first goal weight to 220, and eventual goal weight to 150 (though I'll be happy once my BMI no longer says "overweight"). By new year's I plan on getting a new scale - one that uploads automatically and calculates BMI, because I don't believe the #s I have calculated myself.

I have a larger frame, and never expect to be one of the tiny girls, but I want to be fit. I don't want to ever be considered "obese" and I don't even want to be "overweight" anymore. I know I'll have more energy, and I will need that energy to get through the changes I'm making these next few years - going to grad school and then getting my CPA!

fireman470

:happy: I was down at my wife's grandparents house notarizing a title for her grandfather when he looked up at me and said "Good gracious David your belly is getting as mine, maybe even bigger". That was the moment when I said that I would stick with a program this time and not give up. So far I've lost 13 pounds and my wife says that she can see it in my stomach so positive reinforcement is always a great motivator to continue.

k4evans1

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!

Same thing happened to me only kids asked me daily, to my face, to be mean.

k4evans1

When my sister was always heavier than me, she is now on the weight watchers diet and has become smaller than me. I realised that I had to do something, I don't want to look huge against my sister! We go everywhere together! Battle of the sisters I say!!

Same with my mom! She got skinnier than me- how embarrassing! I'm glad she's successful but it does create some healthy competition.

grandmakaye44

There have been a lot of things along the way, but the last straw was being told that I need to have a knee replacement. The doctor told me that I must lose weight or the knee won't last. My dear daughter said, "okay, Mom, what's the plan to lose some weight before the surgery?" She helped me sign up that evening.

bekinator

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.

what a great story! i definitely know the feelings of self-worth tied into this journey. congrats to u & best wishes onward!!

p0rker

My wife called me fat and disgusting, and said, "I want to be attracted to my husband again."

I am not happy with myself right now.

I'm not too damned happy with her right now either.

I have been reading, and listening to podcasts and such about nutrition, healthy living, etc... I know what to do. I have to do it now. When I lose the 40 lbs, and she starts getting frisky, I can't wait to tell her "NO" or "Back the ***k off!" a few times.

Sorry, I'm bitter right now.

karibj2010

Trying clothes on at "Torrid" (store for plus-sized women) and feeling like I looked like a beached whale, was one of my "moments" and then recently I went go-karting with my husband and I thought I wasn't going to be able to buckle up the seat belt. I had to adjust the way I was sitting and suck in my breath to buckle it up. I wanted to cry. It didn't help matters when we went for our second round and instead of letting me just stay in my kart, I had to move up a kart and do this all over again. I'm glad I am having these "enoughs enough" moments because we are taking our 2 kids to a water/action park this weekend and I really want to enjoy the go-karts with the kids and hubby. It definitely is not an easy battle...but it will be totally worth it in the end. :-)

torrini

All my friends are painfully gorgeous and I look like a reversed bobblehead doll.

emasnana

Just got back from a wonderful cruise to Alaska...................I was so uncomfortable on the plane knowing that I was invading the space of my neighbor in the seat next to me and also my husbands on the other side of me. On the return trip home I walked the isle until I found the smallest person to sit next to. I vowed then I would not feel that way for next years vacation !!!:happy:

jerseygirlmaggie

Last month I turned 45 (halfway to 50!)...

It dawned on me last month that I have been battling my weight for just under 30 years!!! I have committed myself to so many other things but I have NEVER made a full committment to lose weight. So on my 45th I made a committment to myself to lose this weight once and for all. I am spending the next year working on this so that on my 46th birthday I can look back and be proud that I finally accomplished my goal to be fit!!! And look hot....

Did I just say that?:happy: