What made you realize you needed to lose weight?

Every time I looked in the mirror and I would feel miserable. I'd keep comparing myself against celebrities, feel even more miserable. My self-esteem was a complete and utter mess (still is), and I knew something had to change before I did something to myself out of sheer hate at the way I look. The moment I told myself 'I'm sick and tired of looking the way I do, time for a change'. No-one thinks I need to lose weight, people are worried about my wanting to lose a lot of weight. I felt people were lying whenever I got compliments. I still do to be honest. Maybe there is a deeper underlying problem, I don't know.
Starting weigh was 140lbs and my height is 5'3. Which my friends don't consider fat but which I thought was disgusting on me.
Still got another 28lbs to lose. Here's to hoping it will come off at some point. I'm still miserable about the way I look, at least I know things will be changing though. Lost 12lbs already..

TL;DR: My self esteem was (is) down in the gutters and I'm trying to improve it by changing my appearance. Vain? Maybe. But so be it.

I've been trying half heartedly for several years. Stuff would come up and I'd go back to my old ways. This year I trained for a half marathon. A few days before that, my oldest daughter turned 7. I had planned to get back "on the wagon" after the 1/2 marathon was over. The day my daughter turned 7, I realized that in those 7 years, I have NEVER seen my body's full "post baby" potential. I couldn't look back at pictures and say "I want to look like THIS again" because all of my skinny pics are prior to having my girls. I then saw the pictures of me running the 1/2 marathon and said that is IT! That body carried and birthed 2 children, ran a half marathon and I OWE IT to that body to have it look and feel its absolute possible BEST that it can be.
My husband and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in April of next year. We are going on a cruise, so, by that time, I hope to have reached my goal, or at least be much much closer to being the best I can be.

I got told I had high liver enzyme levels from weight gain and high cholesterol. I had been "trying" but after the doctor told me that and my mom went in for a sleep study for sleep apnea that was my final straw.

Then there is the materialistic point of I couldn't fit into my Old Navy fat pants anymore. That made me mad!

I had a heart attack in February. I signed up for a nutrition class at community college right after. Best thing I ever did.

Nice to hear you did that

So many people would brush it off as a freak incident or something. Props to you! :flowerforyou:

LOL I just posted in in my story, the guy in the back of my patrol car calling me a fat *kitten* and it was true! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

Almost two and a half years ago, my husband had just run a marathon. At this time, I was at my highest weight (although I didn't realise it at the time!). At the end of the race, we had to walk up quite a steep hill back to our car. Well, my husband (having just completed a marathon) shot up the hill with our two sons, no problem at all and there was me puffing and panting, stopping every few minutes to catch my breath - not good, (. This, I think was the turning point for me!

When my boyfriend stopped fu(%ing me and said he was no longer attracted to me. :noway: :embarassed:

I had a swollen optic nerve and the eye doc made me see a neurologist and I had to have a spinal tap and MRI done. He said it was from excessive weight gain and I need to lose at least 34lbs. Then is when it hit me that I weighed more than when I was pregnant and that was 14 years ago. O.e.

When I saw the # 222lbs.,...changed my life,the next day started walking!

The first time I lost weight, I realized I had to finally buy a size of pants I didn't want to ever admit to owning. I lost 60lbs then, and want to now lose another 20lbs. I would love to get into a bikini next summer!