What Convinced You To Change?

Rickly

Very easy to pinpoint what convinced me to change--a heart attack! It woke me up at 1am with pain all over my chest and down my arms and up my neck. Scary, needless to say.

It was really very minor, it turned out, just a temporary blockage of a relatively insignificant coronary artery. I didn't know there was such a thing as a "minor heart attack," but I had one, and there was no intervention at all, but they did say, "Go home and lose a lot of weight, or we'll be seeing you here again real soon, and it won't be so easy next time."

So the idea of losing weight changed from being a great idea for something to do when I got around to it into something that had to be done NOW.

Anyway, if you're having trouble getting motivated, I highly recommend having a mild heart attack!

ashleycball

I asked someone for help and they said yeah ok, your not serious. That pissed me off, but i saw i didn't seem to serious to me either. I am vested in loving me and getting healthy. I want to live an active and healthy life with no regrets

Celeigh12

My mom died and obesity was a factor in her death. I realized I was her, 30 years younger, and wanted more than an early death and questionable health for many years before that. I've been unhappy with my weight and appearance for a long time, but watching my mom pass away was the push I needed. I wanted her death to lead to something good. I've let my weight hold me back from so much in life. It was well past time to change and actually live.

sharon_moyer

What convinced me to change is that a doctor told me that I was overweight and he asked me what I was going to do about it. I told the doctor that I should eat healthier and exercise more. He told me that nutritional eating and exercising more would be a great start. I had 1 visit for 3 months with a dietitian, but before I started seeing a dietitian I managed to lose 2 pounds on my own. I'm happy to say that since I've started this journey in the end of November 2012 that I have lost 8 and a half pounds. I think it's important to follow what your doctor suggests because my father was a diabetic and he never listened to his doctor; he never lost the weight that the doctor wanted him to lose.

kara2

I received a letter from doctor on January 23rd, 2013 that said you have diabetes. It scared me so bad. I am moridbly obese and so all I could the first two weeks was cut my portion sizes, eat more vegetables and do chair excercises. It's been 48 days since I began changing my life. I have lost 26.8 lbs. I walked 3 miles today and next saturday I am walking a 5K for cancer research. Before that letter I could barely walk from my bedroom to the bathroom without being out of breath.

Anything is possible if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other and eat healthier. Good luck everyone.

fantasticelastic

I was sick of being fat. period.

My boyfriend of 3 years cheated on me while I was pregnant and claimed it was because I was fat. I know better now. But I lost the weight and left him.

pinkgirlie87

I saw pics of myself at a family do and i couldn't believe what i saw, i was in denial. There are some people who don't think that i can lose this weight but that just gives me more motivation to do so!

cmdoiy

I've always been a big girl. I remember being able to fit my mom's size 10 jeans when I was in 6th grade. Then when I got to high school, I ballooned up and starved myself down to a size 12. That's the smallest I remember ever being. Since then I've fluctuated between a size 14 and a 16. I always wanted to be thin but never did anything to change.

Even being on high blood pressure medication since 22, experiencing foot problems due to being too heavy, having several family members with Type 2 diabetes, and getting gestational diabetes during pregnancy didn't scare me enough to change my eating habits. I would eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I'm sure there were days when I ate 3,000 calories easily. On my way home from work, I'd stop at the store and pick up a candy bar and a big bag of greasy Hawaiian chips, eat it all, and hide the trash. Or I'd pick up some fries and burgers from the McDonald's drive thru and eat it all before I'd get home, then eat a regular dinner with the rest of my family. Then I'd eat some more after dinner, too, usually more chocolate.

Then one day shortly after Christmas, something inside me just changed. I realized that if I really want to be healthy, I have to work for it. It's not just going to magically happen. So instead of sitting around stuffing my face wishing I could wear cuter clothes and be more active, I just decided to do it. Enough of this feeling sorry for myself. If I want to change, I have to work for it.

I've been logging my food on MFP and exercising regularly since January and have lost almost 30 pounds. I have about 40 more to go, which would put me at 155. I haven't weighed 155 since my freshman year of high school. I'm excited!

Good luck to us all on this journey.

Nige_Gsy

Having disliked myself for a long time I went on a healthy living course. Despite the dietary changes I still lost no weight. I had a serious ankle injury that severely limited a previously active lifestyle, and it seemed as if things were ganging up on me. I was convinced to take a food allergy blood test, and after 9 months of procrastination I finally did so.

The diagnosis was food intolerances to gluten, gliadin, eggs, dairy, and ginger.

After about 5 months working out a revised diet, and extensive physiotherapy on my ankle, I was finally able to start getting active. This, together with the revised diet has changed my life for the better. No longer always looking for food I have shed 44 pounds in 8 month, and am walking over 5 miles a day. Looking forward to commencing jogging / running as the days lengthen.

Juicewick

We have been trying to have a baby for over 2 years now. My periods have always been irregular, and I have always been overweight in some degree. I gained about 80lbs in the last 18 months. A lot of it was depression. I woke up one day in January and decided I would do something for good. I made doctor appointments to make sure I was starting with a heathy base. The doctor was very discouraging. She spoke to me as if I were an idiot, and talked to me with the assumption that of course I was extremely unhealthy, she assured me that I was most likely diabetic and dismissed my questions about nutrition stating that she could not possibly believe I could eat too few calories. This hurt my feelings as she knew nothing about me, i begain to think that possibly i was fat and wiuld be fat forever so what was the point. But i decided that i wouldnt let her discourage me. Yes, I am extremely over weight, but I also did not sit around eating fast food and junk. I think it was very unprofessional of her to talk to me as if I were already doomed and there was no point helping me especially with out having any test results to back up her assumptions. Once the results were in she seemed a bit surprised. I am completely fine in every regard. I decided I would seek someone else's help and guidance, someone who might trust what I say and believe in me. I started trying to do research online. I started being more strict with calories, and excercized more. A few weeks into that I watched the documentary 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead'. I was inspired by their journey to try a juice detox as the base foundation of my life change. I am on day 7 of my 30 day juice fast. I turned 34 on march 12th, and so far I have lost 13lbs. My current weight is 287lbs, weight is 140lbs, that means I have 147lbs to go, but my main goal is to become healthy enough to remind my body that it can safely carry a child.
I believe it is important to be honest with yourself and those around you. Life changes are difficult, and sometimes they don't go as swiftly r smoothly as you thought or hoped they might. When you all down you need to get back up. Sometimes you can hop back up on two feet by yourself, and sometimes you might need someone to lend a helping hand. Surround yourself with people who support and believe in you. And make sure you believe in you.

BrianWingo32

I found out that I was borderline diabetic, so I simply knew that something had to change, and now that I've changed this much, I'm not even close to being diabetic.

charrobson9

Hello .i AM new to this app and im really trying to lose some weight.i have a back injury so i am not sure how much i can do but i am trying.Seeing it on the app really makes me aware of the changes i have been making.Could use some friends along with my journey.

papariso

Walking up a flight of stairs and being out of breath, bending over to tie my shoe and being out of breath, double...going to a triple chin, cant buy decent clothes having a 40 waist.....gawd ...so many reasons. Wife ..kids ..and wanting to see them grow old. MFP has set me on the right path for once and cant see it changing anytime soon.

hjkcollins

Almost had a mental breakdown in 2009, Stress and not taking care of myself for over 25 years put me on the path towards a healthier and fit lifestyle. I use to watch Biggest Loser eating devil dogs and potatoe chips crying until I went back to the gym and realized if I am sacrificing my family time to get to the gym I better figure out the eating part as well and fight through the deamons and proud to say haven't turned back yet, 118 lbs gone!!! So proud of all of you for also hitting your ahha moment,as a beachbody coach who inspires others towards a healthier lifestyle, not everyone reaches their ahha moment and wants it bad enough. As hard as it is, it is harder not to. We have chose to work through the hard days so we can have better days. cheers to all who are digging deep, kicking those deamons, and reaching out for support. Its the steps that got me where I am today.

msjnash

I seen my picture from my 50th birthday party and hated seeing myself so big. It made me cry. I cannot believe I didn't even realize I had gotten that big.

JakiDee

I was tired of the physical pain of carrying the weight around. It seems a lot easier this go around because I am more concerned about how I feel versus how I look.

conniepitt

I,m a diabetic with high blood pressure.I would love to lose enough weight to get off my diabetic pills,and have more energy.I have started going to the gym and started useing my fitnesspal to get to my goal.I refuse to give up!

sandi117

So many things... I hated the person staring back at me in the mirror. I was tired of my knees hurting if I did too much squatting or kneeling. I'm working on becoming an EMT (passed my national test, just waiting for my state card to come in the mail) and I need to be physically fit for that job - lots of lifting and carrying things, walking, sometimes running depending on the agency I get hired to. I'm also doing this for my mom. She has several chronic illnesses and even getting a cold can put her in the hospital and kill her. I need to be the best that I can be so I can help her when she needs it. I gained 50lbs in 2 years from depression and boredom snacking. I have everything in my life on track, but I didn't like how I looked. I would start diets and working out, but would slowly stop or get injured and be forced to stop, putting any weight that I had lost back on. The thing that really made me decide enough was enough was when my boyfriend and I did a walking tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, we had our picture taken. I hated it, I told him to throw it away because that's not a picture I want anybody to see ever again. I got a gym membership and started using my MFP account religiously.

LavenderBouquet

I was tired of:
- Being unhappy about how I look and the weight I had been slowly gaining over the years
- Feeling crappy and tired all the time
- Having frequent stomach aches and being bloated all the time

I had tried previously to get a hold of these things in the past, but this is the first time I've been successful in any sort of form.

AllyTheguineapig

I couldn't buy normal sized pants anymore. I've gone from a tight 18 to a 12. I'm still embarrassed to buy pants.

mrsfurby14

I hated what I saw in the mirror. I am getting married next year. For my family and for myself.

hellokittyykat

I've always wanted to lose weight. I've struggled for years since I was a child. I went down the whole E.D rode during high school. This time, I'm doing it the right way. To be healthy and happy with myself. I'm one to always put myself down. Now that I've been eating differently and working out... No negative comments about myself have been said. I started searching for some inspiration. I found divaslimsdown on YouTube and watched her whole journey. It amazed me. That's when I decided I was ready for change!!

I've never been happier.

Ed98043

When I saw 225 lbs on the scale, and when my "fat jeans" were getting too tight. Plus just knowing that I was going to keep on gaining 10 or 15 lbs every year if I didn't change my ways.

fat2fitdancody

Not sure to be honest, had a lot of opportunities in the past, Nan dying, Dad getting diabetes, Brother in law discovering he had a brain tumour in July 2011.

On the 2nd of Jan 2012 I went to the gym, which I joined in 2005 and never cancelled! Weighed myself 139 Kilograms converted to stones and pounds as not been bought up with kilos - 21 st 12 lbs. :noway:

Felt like giving up then but decided to give it a shot, double my efforts, I'd been to the gym in 2011 but only for 20 minutes at a time and didn't go in December.

I decided that no matter how tired or how much it hurt I would do twice as much as I'd ever done before on the cross trainer and I did it, I've been to the gym nearly every weekday since.

Seeing my brother in law fight so hard against cancer definitely was part of it but also the realisation that those people who have the great lives work hard at it.

Life is tough but if you work hard and smart you will hopefully get your rewards.

Next week I am running the Loughborough half marathon, which still seems unbelievable.

shortie1am

None of my pants fit anymore and I had to buy a pair from a plus sized store.

AllyTheguineapig

Yep same here.

wsh1ngtn

I weighed in at an appointment with my primary physician & it was the heaviest I had ever been. I had not been very active for a while & placed the blame on aging (67). I was unable to be as active with my grandchildren as I wanted. I found myself out of breath & exhausted after a very shout time.
I decided then to make a change in my havbits, both mentally & physically. I want to be more involved & more active when spending time with my family. I want to lose the weight. I want to look & feel betterm I want to regain my self-esteem. I want to change my life style in a positive manner & be a good example for my family & friends.

ApexLeader

living in florida, surrounded by fat people in speedos, i decided someone had to do something to break the monotony. the land whales are taking over.

NormInv

I was doing a 24 minute 5K and no matter how hard I tried I wasnt breaking the 24 minute. So I said, ok its time to shape up. I went on to break the 24 minute. Now trying for 21 minute but at my old age its tough.

haymancm

After waiting tables for 10 years, I was in good shape, gaining little. After quitting that & becoming a SAHM & starting a food blog, I gained some weight the last 2 years. Someone on the Dave Ramsey's My Total Money Makeover forums recommended MFP for keeping track of the calories, etc. So, I checked it out & jumped right in! Now I've got a big goal to get this weight off but have the tools to make it possible w/ MFP. (I hated looking for clothes, only to find a bigger size to fit me better. Plus, I have grown a double chin...ewwww.)