What was your "I need to change" moment

oliviabog

I have two babies with a 15month age gap. I saw a picture of myself after my second was born and couldn't believe the size i was. The feeling was horror and disbelief mixed with almost not recognising myself looking like that.

46 lbs down so far but finding the last stone really really hard to shift

KrissyKris10

I've watched my mother struggle with the health related issues of being overweight. she was diagnosed with fatty liver disease, diabetes, had small heart attack etc...the doctors even told her that she wouldn't live much longer if she didn't change her lifestyle. They gave her 10yrs max. She went home and ate an entire bag of lays chips after hearing that news.
My heaviest was 236lbs in 2009. In 2010 i had my gallbladder removed. It was the most painful experience of my life. I finally just decided that it would not be me. I would not be the person that puts herself into an early grave because she refused to put down the fork. I would not be on numerous medications and in/out of the doctor's office. This was something that i could control. I could choose to be a healthier. So i made a different choice.

placeboaddiction

My moment was when I started having blood pressure issues at age 24. I also couldn't eat anything spicy. I had acid reflux. Both issues are gone. I am so happy to eat spicy. I eat everything as spicy as I can

girlfromOklahoma

Mine isn't as good as most of yours. I got sick with the stomach bug and lost 4 pounds in just 2 days from being unable to eat or drink anything. That took my weight from the high 150's to about 154/155. After I got better, I was still so excited about my weight "loss". Even though it isn't true weight loss when it's mostly water weight from being dehydrated. Even still, right then I knew that I needed to go on a real diet and lose weight. It's a much better plan than the stomach flu! I've now been logging into MFP everyday for 10 days now. As of today I'm down to 150. I'm hoping to make it to 130 by the beginning of bikini season.

girlfromOklahoma

One other thing I forgot to mention. Although I didn't start the diet right away after this. One day last Fall, my husband and I were at the OU / Texas football game. For those not from this area or not big into college football, this game is a huge rivalry held at a neutral site. All the girls always dress to the 9's for it! Myself included. Last fall I was weighing around 160 or so. I've always carried a lot of my extra weight right in my lower belly. Often it looks like I have a bowling ball tucked into my belly. My arms and legs are very skinny considering I'm 20+ pounds overweight. Anyway, I had on this very cute spaghetti strapped sundress in OU's colors, of course. This man who was trying to be very nice, grabbed me by the arm and said, "Ah, it's your baby's first OU / Texas game" I said, "What?!", thinking surely I had misheard him. And so he repeated it. I was mortified. I didn't have the guts to tell him that he was wrong, I'm not pregnant, just fat. So I just charged off as fast as I could. It was still several more months before I decided to start logging and counting calories again, but that moment sticks in my mind very well.

Neria1235

Ugh mine had to have been flying to Thailand when I had to squeeze into the seat, suck in my gut and have my boyfriend snap the seat belt together....oh man how embarrassing it was that I couldn't even put the seat belt on myself....

My moment was kind of similar... My family loves Six Flags and we get season passes every year. Last summer I had to have help getting the lap belt on me on the Screaming Eagle. It definitely made the ride less fun. I started watching what I eat and exercising the next day and I'm now down 20 lbs.

Found MFP in January and love how I can log my food and exercise in it. I'm still quite far from my goal weight, but I feel like I'm really in the zone and determined that this summer I WILL NOT be needing help getting that lap belt on! I don't plan on stopping until I'm all lean muscle.

originalkazila

Mine was when I was running for the bus. I had to sprint across the parking lot and up a short hill. It was about 45yards or so - a good distance. I caught the bus, but I was so out of breath my chest hurt and I was panting for the 6 minute bus ride to my connector stop and everyone on the bus was staring at me. I was in uniform (security) and I just felt so sloppy and embarrassed I felt I needed to change that.

Signed up for the gym two days later.

AggieFan2011

I think I had several moments where I thought about changing and knew that I should do something about it, but I never did. I would see pictures of myself and knew that I was getting big, but I still looked "ok" so I justified that it wasn't that big of a deal. My moment was Halloween this past year. I was trying to figure out a last minute costume and realized that almost nothing in my closet would work because it didn't fit me or if it did it looked terrible. I finally settled on something that looked "ok", but I knew that it wasn't flattering. Going out that night and seeing how cute everyone looked and how self conscious and unattractive I felt is when I knew it was truly time for a change. I started on MFP that Monday and haven't looked back since.

missCherry1977

I've had a million moments but none of them stuck. But lately I've just become aware of how many excuses I'm making to myself about why I can't lose it and am recognizing it as just excuses. For the first time in years (or maybe decades) there is really nothing more pressing in my life than losing the weight. It's time to take care of it.

evergleam2

My "I need to change" moment was when I realized that I was doing the "old lady shuffle" every morning when I got out of bed. I'm only 32 years old. I should be able to get out of bed without being in pain. I went to the doctor and got tested for rheumatoid arthritis. I tested negative, but it made me realize that I really needed to make a change in my life. I'm 5'2 and weighed almost 200 pounds. The weight was definitely a big problem, and it had to go. I'm just getting started, but I am very optimistic this time.

ldrosophila

Last month when I realized I was turning 40 this year & still had so many things I wanted to do but my weight was an issue (like skydive)

me too 40 is a great motivator

abidgeur

I've had many "I need to change" moments. Most times I say to myself "okay, this is it!", but then something happens in my life to set me back and I cannot get back on track and everything goes back to what it was. My weight has stayed the same since high school however in my last year of university I was able to drop 20 lbs (woo!). Everything was going good until I moved back in with my parents and no longer cooked my own meals. This lasted until Christmas when my brother came home and all he would talk about was running, playing hockey, working out, etc. I am such a competitive person that after that, I made it my goal to be able to outrun him. I still have a lot to go, and I will never play hockey (since I can't really skate), but I'm working on it.

catiek29

I've been over weight since about 4th grade when my parents fighting started getting pretty bad. I would hide in my room put in headphones and listen to music as loud as I could while I gorged on ice cream or whatever else I could. My parents were never strict with what I ate, I drank sodas all the time and just basically ate all junk. I wasn't a big kid at that age nor was I the biggest kid in class yet the whole class plus the biggest kid would pick on me so that lead to even more gorging. My mom left when I was 12 and that's when it REALLY started. I wasnt active anymore, kept to myself all the time and ate, food could never disappoint me the way people did. I was 20 and 230 when I finally snapped and decided that this was not the way that I wanted to live my life. My life was soooo much better, yet my diet wasn't. My situation changed but my habits didn't. I wanted to be the person who I felt I was. I don't remember the exact moment when I realized I wanted to change I just remember that for the first time I was actually able to loose weight. In 3 months I had lost 30 lbs. But I was so happy with the loss that I began to get obsessive about it. Checking the scale multiple times a day expecting to see changes. It got to a point where I realized that even though I was still losing the weight, the way I was feeling emotionally was not a good place to be. So before it got anymore out of hand I quit, I quit the whole thing. I stopped caring about what I ate and I stopped checking the scale, and I stopped exercising. I hid the scale away for another time.

Here I am 3 months later, back in the game. I only gained 5 lbs back and have already lost 3 in the past 9 days! I eat 1200 cal a day, exercise on my treadmill for at least 45 min a day, and only weigh myself once a day if at all. My diet is great, though I splurge just like everyone else. I love this quote, one break in diet won't ruin all your hard work, just like one day of exercising wont magically get you to your goal.

kittiemeoww

There were a few... The biggest one was when my wedding rings wouldn't fit anymore..:( The saddest time... Also, I saw some pics of myself and my face looked huge! And my arms.. Sooooo depressing.....:( This is my very first post btw.

Pimpmonkey

I realized all of the sudden that 280lbs was almost 300lbs. For some reason, that had never hit me before. When it did, it might as well have been a bus.

Bardane

Mine was having my gall bladder out and realising how much fat the surgeon had to rummage in to find it. Walked 4km the day I got out of hospital and have lost a total of 20kg + in the two and a half years since and kept it off.

triciab79

I found out I was pregnant with the littlest one. When I stepped on the scale at the first doctor apt I was 218.6... The nurse asked how much I had gained since getting pregnant. I hadn't been feeling well and knew I had lost weight over the last few weeks but I lied and said I had gained 5lbs. As soon as it left my mouth I wondered why I had lied to her. It occurred to me that I didn't want to admit that I was 218 much less that I had been more than that. Right then I knew I had to change. It was hard to wait all those months before I could start but I used the time to change my eating patterns even if I couldn't cut the calories.

katierrt

I was in a size 14 and they were fitting tight....I knew I didn't want to go up another size and I'm predisposed to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. I have xanthomas/xanthelasmas under my eyes and they were getting larger in size. I lost my grandfather to a massive heart attack when he was 65....I didn't want that to happen to me......I needed to change my lifestyle for the better. I quit smoking 2 years ago and started exercising, I changed my eating habits and I hope I've changed my destiny!

NRSPAM

I had been fat since I was a kid. I have been trying to lose weight my whole life, n it never really worked, or if it did work, I would eventually gain it all back. After I had my last child 18 months ago, I knew I had to do something to get back to where I was before my wedding. My wonderful husband bought me an exercise game for the Wii, and I had been using it. Then I tried to do a side plank, and I threw out my back. This wasn't the first time, and I have had back problems for several years. After laying up on the couch for a while, I had to call a relative, who thankfully lived next door, and she had to help me with the baby, because I was unable to move. I took Lortabs, Ibuprofen, and she gave me a pain patch to use, and nothing helped! It just barely took the edge off. Later that night, my hubby came home, n was taking care of everything. The next day, I was still in so much pain n still unable to move around. Then it hit me. I have a baby to take care of, and my husband has to go back to work soon. Nobody can sit here and take care of me and my new baby. So I got up, walked to the shower, crying the entire time, because I was in so much pain. Took a hot shower, rubbed on some biofreeze, n tried not to lay back down, because I knew I'd be stuck. From that moment on, I decided I would lose the weight. I knew it was not helping my back, and my knees were also giving me problems. I decided there was no way in hill that I was going to be a cripple. So I started looking online, and found a free 1 week pass to Curves. That's when I found zumba, and that's all she wrote! Been doing it ever since, still love it to death! Just bought me a HR monitor, and discovered that I burned 300 calories tonight, in just 22 minutes, by having fun n shakin' my booty!!! Now I'm 17 little pounds away from goal weight!

Ladysmd

When my mom, sister, and I took my boys to the fair. My son could only ride certain rides with an adult. My sister got on all the rides with him. My baby was only a few weeks old so I had a great excuse for wanting to sit it out. When really I would never ever risk not fitting on a ride! That happened to me once in high school and anytime I have gone to amusement parks I feel extreme anxiety as we get close to loading the ride: What if I don't fit? As I gained weight I stopped even going. But now that my oldest is clearly starting to enjoy activities like that I want to be there experiencing it with him! Not a skinny surrogate!

I've tried and failed so many times but it has always been for vanity. Even when I tried in the name of health I failed. Now its not for me. Its for my boys. To set the standard for their health and my own. And if I don't do this on my own I WILL get the surgery and I really don't want to!

sarah197436

i work as a taxi's passengar we take special care kids too and from school... the van is quite high up and i have to heave myself up .. well one morning i got back and went to the toilet only to relise id split my trousers front front to back ... luckly i had a long coat on that covered the split .. but that was it .. up to yet i've lost 15lb and my trousers are comfy now and arent as tight .. so im going in the right direction

WAnnB

Next to the ladies' room at church is a women's ministry board. On it is a group of ladies. I didn't realize that I was bigger than everyone there. I am glad for that picture now because every week I am again motivated to practice self-control and only eat what I need.
In the picture I am wearing a black top. My son recently told me that he saw the picture and couldn't believe that was me. He said, "Mom, you looked like a big fat blob." So glad he didn't tell me that when I was at that weight.

SavvyCake

Like the original poster, my "holy sh**" moment was when I was in a friend's wedding. Up until the wedding, and even the day of, I was unhappy with my size, but not to a breaking point. I felt like I looked nice that day; my hair was all styled, my dress fit, I had on fancy makeup. Then, when those pictures came a month later, oh my god, I couldn't believe how horrible I looked. I felt bad because I literally untagged myself from every one of those pictures when the bride posted them on facebook, I was just so upset at how I looked. And I love her dearly, but I just can't bring myself to have to see those photos on my page. Admittedly, it was a rather unflattering dress, but it's not as if it was ALL the dress, of course. When I saw those photos, I just cried and cried, and I decided right then I had to finally do something and make a change. I never wanted to feel that way again.

sokkache

When I got home from spending a month in Taiwan for my aunt's wedding. I realized that I was probably the heaviest girl there. I was even more than my aunt. I saw all my cousins and although they were a little shorter than me by a few inches, they were thin and beautiful. My close family members tried to feed me only fruits and vegetables and wouldn't let me eat too much food at the weddings. Sometimes they would tell me to go workout and lose weight, which I do, I work out a LOT. They made me go to yoga classes and would never really take me out to go buy all the amazing food that Taiwan has to offer. I mean, I only go there once every few years, I should be able to get my fill of what I want to eat because you can't find that food in my State. But none of my family members would allow it. Honestly, I was only 155 pounds, which is by no means, overweight, but it is Taiwan, so I was considered overweight there. So after I came back to America, I decided to lose weight and got down to 145 pounds before I had to go to China to see my dad for a few months. And my dad is WAY more lenient than my family in Taiwan and we went out to eat almost everyday. I definitely don't regret it. The food there was too good. I got my fill. But when I came back, I was back to 155, so starting in December, I just decided to really go hard with losing weight and now I'm at 150 and even my brother has noticed a change. So I'm eating a lot healthier, but I still make a lot of good chinese dishes.

bgtorres

GOing frm a size 5 (before pregnacy) to a size 9-10 (8 months after pregnacy).

rturbeville

I was at my physical and my Dr. asked me, like he had three previous times, if I wanted to see a bariatric surgeon. I'm a nurse and know all of the potential complications of surgery. I told him "I am not going to mutilate my insides because I can't control what I put in my mouth". I guess saying it out loud made it sink in. I decided after all of our Christmas guest left that it was time to do whatever it takes. No resolutions, no deadlines, no bargains, and no magic fixes. My plan is simple. Use Myfitnesspal, record everything I eat, every day. That creates accountability and I can't kid myself. Nothing after 7:00 p.m. when I binge the most. Increase my water. Increase my activity. Improve my choices. Lost about 20 pounds so far. It feels right this time. Wish me well. It's not about luck.

tifftheneutron

I always prided myself on being "healthy fat." My blood work always came back picture perfect, except I have PCOS. but to me the ones that "mattered" - blood sugar, cholesterol, etc was all fine. So I just... ignored the fact I was fat and wrote it off as PCOS and I wouldn't be able to lose weight.

Then at the beginning of the year, I started getting daily headaches. I always felt so awful. I had a check up, and suddenly my picture perfect blood pressure -117/65 was now 150/98. That is when I realized there is no such thing as "healthy fat". It will catch up to you.

I still have food struggles, but I am kicking *kitten* in the gym, so I know all the pieces will fall into place.

otterish

It was a photo. I was officiating the wedding of my dear friends, dressed up, hair done, feeling good.
The photo was of me from the front, framed by the happy couple's shoulders. I am looking down at the script and all of my neck/chin/chest (yes, just one big thing) is in shadow. Honestly, I look like a fat guy with a beard.
After crying for a couple days, I resolved to never look like that guy again.

MissWeniki

When at 26 years old, I was going up my 1 flight of stairs and I couldn't breath, thats when I realized there was a problem. That was 4 years ago, today I look back and I am thankful to myself that I did not give up this time.

CassarahW

First, you did NOT ruin her pictures!! You are your worst critic. She loves you in all your forms! Second, congrats on the amazing progress you've made! Such an inspiration!

My moment was 3 days ago at work. I used to be a dog grooming salon manager working eight to ten hours a day five days a week on my feet being super active (and overweight) but always tired and in pain. I changed my career to massage therapy last July and was only working 5 to 6 hours a day five days a week. I'd leave work and felt amazing! I had energy, I wasn't in pain. It was awesome.

My husband and I separated around August and my eating took a nose dive. We were eating out left and right and I stopped eating all my living foods. Three days ago I realized I was just as tired and in as much pain as I was in when I was doing a much more physically and mentally demanding job before. I know it's from my eating habits. That in combination that I'm a health coach and I really feel like no one takes me seriously because I'm not walking my talk I decided the changes needed to start now! I'm doing great! In two days I already feel so much better! Slept amazing last night, wasn't nearly as sore as I have been. I'm so excited and can't wait to see more improvements in my life!