What Convinced You To Change?

Weebs628

Something clicked. I had a close friend who was having success using MFP and we are similar in size, so I decided to see what it was all about. I had never tried losing weight before, I didn't think I had to. I thought that I was destined to look the way I looked.

HunterKiller_wechange2

I decided i wanted to get fit and give up smoking at the same time. I figured that if i gave up and started working out it would give me something to focus on and it worked. Ive never looked back. Feel healthy and fit plus i don't smell anymore (not of ciggies anyway and i stopped getting headaches at work from all the crap i was eating. Got more stamina now too which is a bonus.

kayla7jackson

Honestly, when I stepped on the scale and saw 290 I could have fainted. I was damn near 300 lbs. I debated what to do to lose weight and finally decided to join the local gym. I started going to the gym 5 days a week and walking on the weekend when the gym wasnt as convenient. I loved it and looking at all the fit people there made me realize what I could have with lots of hard work and dedication. I started this in August of 2012, currently at a 41 lb weight loss. I am pretty happy with my results, we all wish it would happen quicker but you know...

pollyineedtobeskinny

What I saw in the mirror with only my underwear on. I felt embarassed. :sick:

PietrosMom

I had to make a change because I was told I have high cholesterol (276) and prehypertension (120/180). I'm not even 40 yet!!

anaquay

Routine blood test scared me into doing something, I have a 10 year old son and I want to see him grow up. The best thing is that he's started to exercise along with me on the wii fit. It's great that I have a bit of competition.

GeekTink

My doctor said my birthcontrol would stop working over 200 lbs. I was 215 when he mentioned it again.

And I saw my pictures from this past christmas. Holding my newest baby cousin, everyone said I looked like I had just had him O.O That was a real eye opener. Pic is on my profile. I was so ashamed.

Plus in pictures my girlfriend looks like a twig beside a whale. Shallow I know, but I want her to think of me as one hot mama lol.

luvmynook

sick and tired of being sick and tired!!

jessallus

My Husband is what convinced me. He is having problems walking because of his weight. I now know I was killing my family with food that taste good. So now Im walking at least 5 days a week and we are slowly working on him.
:flowerforyou:

sandradev1

My daughter said bluntly to be one day:

' you know Mum, I know that my step dad is very ill, and you have to spend all your time looking after him, but that is no excuse for you acting so old and like your life is over. You are not, you are still the 'young at heart' mum in there somewhere. Goddammit, even my grandma (my mother!!) still walks everywhere and looks fit and healthy and she's got 27 years on you'.

Core blimey, what a wake up call!!!! I LOVE my daughter

I am now nearly at my goal weight & body fat % and feel better than ever before in my life. I owe this fantastic feeling to my daughter. I feel like I have been on that programme '10 years younger'.

rnpammyj

I have to lose 30 pounds in order to be qualified for a lung transplant. It is difficult because of my i nability to exercise much and to a lot of recent depression.

adzubak

For me, my biggest motivating factor is a convention I have at the end of May. (don't laugh...) I like to wear skimpy clothing to it (mostly because I can and it's not anything weird), but looking at myself, I didn't feel like I could be comfortable wearing what I normally world, or even if I would fit in my outfits anymore. I want to look good for it, and while 2 weeks before the event I do extra exercise,increase fruit and veggies and decrease other foods, I felt that at my current weight, that it wouldn't be enough this time. So I decided to start now, more than 2 months before my event.

I'm also doing it for my boyfriend, who says I'm beautiful, even on those days that I don't feel like it. I want him to have a more healthy me

StephTanis

I lost about 20-25 pounds several years ago by running but plateaued and got lazy. Then I had my daughter and didn't lose all of my baby weight. My father was recently diagnosed with mild Type II Diabetes and purchased a treadmill so he could reverse his diabetes and never need to be on insulin. I figured if he could do it, I had no excuse! I use his treadmill 4 times a week and am nearly finished with 30DS. Have had great results. I am at or below the weight when I plateaued years ago! I unfortunately have come down with a fever and can barely peal myself off the couch, but I can't wait to get back into exercising!

LovinDaNewLiz14

I had no choice I HAD TO IF I WANTED TO LIVE

I was 24 years old, and about 280.6 pounds...I was a walking heart attack and borderline diabetic
The doctor said if I keep gaining weight I would be lucky If I made it to be 35

Now at 26 I have lost a total of about 70 pounds, and I feel damn god and happy that I not only became healthy, but headed in the right direction.

Besides I want to be a fit,in shape,healthy and hot cop:)

mark525

I felt so old and I knew I had to make a change. For my wife...kids...heck just for me!!! So I did...and it is hard..can't lie...but I am starting to like what I see in the mirror now!! I feel better...and that alone makes all of this worth it!

lbesaw

I was binge eating alot and not doing anything except work and sleep...I was very depressed, hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror, and only looked in the mirror when I had to. I tried to ignore what I was doing to myself. I had trouble just navigating through my day. I was disgusted and fed up with feeling like that and KNEW I would be headed for serious trouble if I didn't take charge and change my life. It took me a few months to get on track and when I found MFP everything just clicked and I was off and running with the program. I concentrated on my diet first and was happily losing without any exercise at all. Then as I felt comfortable I started increasing my activity to accelerate my loss. I am half way to my goal and haven't felt this good since I was in my thirties. This is a life plan for me and I am totally contented to live this way the rest of my life. I am never feeling deprived or like I'm "on a diet"--it's just my new life.

Whipppets

For years I worked out 6 days a week and thought I looked great.. My wife would always tell me for someone that lives
at the gym you sure have a gut on you...
At work they had this biggest loser contest. .I started at 188 and the one big change was I wrote down everything I ate
and gave myself 30 pts a day on the weight watcher pt system.. During lunchtime I would run up and down stairs.

In 10 weeks I lost 25lbs and came in 2nd and have kept it off ever since..

tamia1972

I've been "dieting" since I can remember. I turned 41 this year and I decided that I was ashamed of myself. I was disappointed in the fact that I had let food control my life. I was angry that I didn't have the willpower to do something about it. Because of my compulsive over-eating I have many health problems related to my obesity. I'm also taking an extraordinary amount of medications(15) to keep these conditions in check.

Honestly, I'm just tired of being fat! I've wasted half of my life imprisoned by my body. I have to stop being selfish and think about those who love me and who want to see me be happy because I'm not happy. My weight has held me back from doing so many things such as going back to school, from applying for certain jobs, from enjoying normal everyday activities, from spending time with and doing things with my daughter. Not only have I suffered but my relationships have as well. I'm especially saddened that it broke up my relationship with my ex and it has taken a toll on my relationship with my daughter.

I'm now totally and undeniably convinced that I have to change!! It means my life.

redheadkzoo

I have been struggling with my weight for years. I am an active person but am also an emotional eater. Something just clicked on my birthday last week and I decided to really put my all into losing weight and getting healthy for one year and see what happens.

sbbhbm

I wasn't always heavy- I gained over 100 pounds in three months. I have Hashimoto's and PCO and they hit me hard and at the same time. I also have a bum pancreas- I've had chronic pancreatitis since I was 12 years old. My pancreas is mostly scar tissue now, so there's not a lot of insulin available for my body anyway. Anyhow, once the doctors and specialists finally nailed down what was wrong with me, I got on medication and got to work. At my heaviest weight I was 273 and a size 24. I hated being that big. The one pic in my profile of me at that weight is the only photo in existence of me that heavy. I avoided friends, family, even going out in public. I was embarrassed for anyone to see me that big.

Ben_1960

This time around I had seen off xmas and had built myself up throughout November and December. I didnt enjoy eating and drinking during xmas as I constantly felt tired and overweight and all the food tasted the same. It was time to bring something different into my life and challenge myself.

tedrickp

I was going to wait until i hit a certain weight loss and share my reason along with a success story post, but meh here goes...

2 things really made it click for me.

One - stepping on the scale and seeing it go over 500 (503) I hate to admit that and I know that is beyond what most people here are dealing with. I still haven't admitted this to any but my 2 closest friends.

Two - I was on the forums here after tracking for a week or so and saw a post from someone else who was over 500lbs. A bunch of people were leaving supporting posts until they realized the post was over a year old. The poster never came back and never even tracked one day in his diary. In his original post he talked about fear of dying, so it just hit me hard. I just had this overwhelming feeling that this guy was indeed dead - because he didn't stick with it.

I obviously have other reasons to get fit (ranging the entire gamut from shallow to altruistic) but that post man...I dunno something literally "clicked".

Not to change the subject of the thread - but I am worried about what convinces me NOT to change. I dunno if that makes sense, but I have been on the fitness kick before - months at a time....so there is a little part of me that is constantly worrying what is it that throws me off the track to fitness (for months or years). Is there some trigger I don't know that will send me into another spiral? I am very good at ignoring that thought, but it is always there...

jsiricos

I have been "dieting" forever, one thing or another.

Since I got married I gained approx 10 a year, and I didn;t like it.

So Dr's visit in December 2012, where I hit 271, and was told I was diabetic, just did it, that was the kick in the *kitten* I needed.

I am NOT going to be 271, ever, and I may still be diabetic, but it will be controlled with diet and exercise!

staceyw73

I guess it was a couple things for me looking at some pictures and seeing how much I have gained, and medical I been tring for the last couple years off and on but after the 4 wheeler wreck I was in back in sept opened my eyes even more that I need to get this weight off. after being in icu for a few weeks and then ended up having a second spinal fusion (this time T9 thru L2 already had L4/L5 fused) I realized I have to get my weight off to help keep the pain away or at least were it is very little. I know its going to be a little hard for me than the ave. person sence I so have limtations more now like no lifting over 35-45 lbs and lost some more of my flexablity. I want to try to get back as much of my flexablity back as I can it realy sucks when you have to ask someone to do something because your body will not let you. At least I can be thankful that I am not in a wheel chair and alive.

joann1948

I have battled all my life and I have asthma and chronic back and knee pain. Woke up one morning and said that's it, I have got to do this. I have lost 102 lbs and have 40 to go. I feel great, less pain and no asthma attacks in two years.......I also have 7 grandaughters and wanted to be able to see them grow up........Joann

cmmdance

Saw myself in a picture and was mortified at how much I had gained in my midsection.

dezi_tuesday

I want to be a Hooters girl and be in the Hooters Canlander...I just want an overall healthy lifestyle. I'm not really over weight right now but I really want to lose a few pounds and then get nice and toned! My fiancee tells me everyday that I'm beautiful, but I am doing this for myself. It feels good to set a goal for yourself and work hard to accomplish it. It feels better when you work hard.

Brad805

Our company finally got around to making some golf shirts in December 2012, and the thought of having to wear a 2XL shirt was too much. I decided I would never wear one, and now I suspect a medium will fit fine. Its so interesting how we all tend to have some critical thing that leads us to make a significant change. I had talked endlessly many times throughout the year, but until then my effort was totally lack luster.

turkeyhunter60

Turned "want to" into action. I turned 60, have 5 grandkids, and a lovely wife. Want to continue to be active for a long time. Father-in-law set a great example. My company offered an onsite "boot camp" led by a professional instructor, so I joined. Our group is small, but mighty. We have respect around the office. NOW, I like what I see in the mirro. Another 10 pounds, and a little loose skin around the waist, and I will be happy.

niallse

My son (who was 4 at the time) said to me one night as we were watching The Biggest Looser, "daddy you could be on that show".

It made me very sad, so the next day i started walking a little more cutting back on my food intake and I haven't looked back. Thankfully neither has he. Now 6 soon to be 7, he now loves running, cycling, swimming , so i hope I am now setting a better example to him and his brother and sister.