The moment that made you SERIOUS about losing weight?

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  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    The question everyone kept asking me was "ARE YOU PREGNANT?

    I am so conditioned not to ask a woman if she is pregnant for fear that she might NOT be pregnant, I probably offend women who ARE pregnant by pretending not to notice.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
    --The doctor telling me I needed a lifestyle change.
    --Many times where I was so "addicted" to eating cookies and drinking lattes just to get enough energy for the day.
    --I was starting to outgrow the largest pant size I had ever had.
    --looking in the mirror and feeling like I was seeing someone else
  • RiverMelSong
    RiverMelSong Posts: 456 Member
    When the salesperson in the jeans shop looked me up and down, said ''you could try some on but I doubt we have anything in your size..'' and walked off. I was mortified!
  • mreffle
    mreffle Posts: 45 Member
    My motivation is my Mom, may she rest in peace. She was always such a strong woman, who grew up in rural Slovenia, everyone had to work hard all the time. When she was in her teens, one of her many jobs was to go down to the river and beat the clothes on the rocks, with cold, icy water. She worked so hard on the farm, such a strong woman. Then she moved to Canada, over the years she still worked hard every day, but it was definitely an easier life. After my Dad passed, she still stayed in the house, still did the stairs, even though she sometimes had balance issues, and had some minor falls.

    One day (she was 80 years old) she slipped getting out of the tub after her bath. She had no core muscles, and her other muscles had degenerated so badly that she couldn't pull herself out, not even up to the end of the tub where the tap was, to get water. She was discovered 20 hours later by a neighbour (thank the Lord!), severely dehydrated and ended up in the hospital for a few days.

    At that point I decided that I was not going to be an 80-year old woman who didn't have the core strength to pull herself out of a tub! I want to be strong and fit! It's been a journey ever since.
  • momar74
    momar74 Posts: 56 Member
    I visited my family in April 2012 and mother called me a few days later. She called me and gave me an earful. She told me that my uncles who are in their 70s look better than I do (I am 37), she mentioned that I was puffy everywhere and if I dont take care of myself, no one else will. She also said that if I dont have my health then I wont be there for my 2 kids. She did not want me to continue down a negative path after some serious personal issues.

    She helped me put things in perspective and it was a wake-up call. After listening to her, I started walking, then started and finished 1 round of insanity and 2 weeks left in round 2. Thus far I have lost 14 lbs and I have had to put new holes in my belts - A huge NSV for me.

    My future goal is to get to normal BMI and I have 10 lbs to go for that. I continue to be in the overweight category. By doing this, hopefully I wont be in the pre-diabetic category any longer.
  • All my weight is around my midsection, true, I have no fat arms, no big legs and no butt. Everything is around my belly. The question everyone kept asking me was "ARE YOU PREGNANT? or i can be outside and get chewed out for smoking a cigerette because ppl assumed I was pregnant. It finally broke me down and thats when I said this has to stop. Keep it in mind the only thing big on me is my midsection. My legs and arms look like a normal person. I am shaped oddly but yea when everyone assumes your pregnant when your just fat, it hurts.


    Hey, Mandy! I am the same way, most of my problem is my belly. It means we have an apple shape body. If someone mainly gains weight in their hips and thighs, they are pear shaped. That's what my doc said. She also said the belly is the most dangerous place to have fat and it's the hardest to get rid of. Belly fat causes diabetes, heart disease, etc. A personal trainer told me the only way to bust belly fat is through cardio- whatever makes you sweat, breathe hard, and gets your heart pumping. Best of luck to you, Mandy. :flowerforyou:
  • cthon98
    cthon98 Posts: 19
    My motivation was this:
    My girlfriend had been out of the city for a few months, doing her work term in a far off part of the province. I was getting things together to go and visit her, and it just struck me. I should REALLY surprise her.
    So about a month and a half before the visit, I got into Keto on recommendation from a friend, and dropped 15 pounds before seeing her. She was indeed surprised. Now though, it's another 15 pounds (30 total) that I have lost in almost 4 months on Keto, and I'll soon be seeing her again.
  • usfirefly
    usfirefly Posts: 14 Member
    it was great to read all the storys,

    So interessting what motivates diffrent people.

    I always knew that i wanted to get married and have children. beginning of january when I moved into my own appartment and practically had nobody to watch what i ate or did, i figured that would be the perfect time to start.
    I am really determined.
    even though i don't even have a boyfriend yet. I want to look good in my weddingdress, should I ever get married. I want to be pretty and thin.
    and since i love to have kids at some point in my life I decided that i better get healthy for that now. Besides I have PCOS and loosing weight has been a huge improvement in my symptoms.
    I am so going to do it.
    Also I always said to myself that i will never be more then 90kg and i figured if i get pregnant at 88kgs I would be in trouble... so now I in for the battle and so far i have ups and downs, but this year has been really eyeopening and overall sucessfull so far.
  • sapl31
    sapl31 Posts: 72 Member
    When my doctor said I had type II diabetes. He said do you realize how obese you are and that your are killing yourself? After I got over being angry, I had to take a serious look at myself.
  • cpaman87
    cpaman87 Posts: 193 Member
    I saw a picture of myself. It was not pretty. Not at all.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
    I went from a job that I wore scrubs every day to a job that I had to wear dressy office clothes....... oh..... rude.
  • sunnyskyjb
    sunnyskyjb Posts: 258 Member
    Just plain tired of being heavy....when it shouldn't be so!
  • aldalilja
    aldalilja Posts: 17 Member
    I was trying on clothes and realized that size Large wasn't big enough, I felt sick.
  • For me it was a combination of several things:
    1) Hitting the 15 stone barrier
    2) Going to a nudist beach and being ashamed of my body, the same at the swimming pool or cycling topless
    3) A friend finding this site, and basically finding a way of dieting without having to cut out chips, chocolate and nice stuff lol.

    All the bad foods, are pretty much my diet. I don't eat hardly any veg, and even less fruit. My healthiest meal is probably beans on toast lol, and cutting out all the bad food for me would leave me on a diet of an orange a week or so. With this site, I could eat literally anything I want, so long as I put in the exercise to off balance what i eat. One chocolate bar = 30 minute fast pace walk around the block. Fish and chips = 2 hours of cycling, and so on.

    21lbs lost so far since August, the same to go until New Years Eve... then its a matter of toning up a bit. Feeling better already.
  • sugarlips1980
    sugarlips1980 Posts: 361 Member
    Ha ha oh well I series of things, but, one thing that's stuck in my head was being sat next to and chatting to a stranger at a posh dinner bash and talking weight probs. I was saying I'd yo yo dieted all my life, she said she struggled with her weight too (yet she was slim, think she was talking about a stubborn 5 pounds not stubborn 5 stone!). She actually seemed a nice person so sure she didn't mean to offend but she said 'aw well never mind at least you have a pretty face'. To me this meant a) I really was big to the outside world, you kid yourself and people are polite, but this woman didn't say aww you're not that big which is usually what I've heard and b) there was a sympathy there that I probably would always struggle and be big as this was how I was talking. Hope one day to be sitting next to a stranger telling then about my amazing 6 stone weight loss and how I'm finally comfortable with my weight and food. One stone down!
  • Dandawa
    Dandawa Posts: 97
    July 31, 2012. Great friend came for a visit my.mom took a nice picture of me n my bestie excited to c it. Oh great I looked at the photo this day being my 39 th birthday..... R U KINDING ME UNBELEIVABLE TERRIBLE PICTURE OF M E
    Now that same day my bestie had given me a cook book that meqls have calories. I then got real w her n told her I do not want to b unhealthy for the next 40+ yrs n I don t want to look this way when I turn big 40. Right then and there I decide for one yr no excuses everyday I m doing something for me.
    Aug 1 I joinned here
    20+ lbs down n feeling so happy
    lots to go but I know I got this one
  • elekelk
    elekelk Posts: 107
    A lot of things:

    1. Receiving an xxl shirt from my grandmother as a gift I thought "there is no way in hell I would have such a big size" then I tried it on and it fit me.
    2. Gaining all the weight I had lost a couple of years ago and some more.
    3. Coming home crying from a day of shopping (I used to love shopping)
    4. Seeing a show called "heavy" where really fat people lost weight by eating right and exercising and realizing that I don't have to live like this.

    And now, I gained a new life! I think this was the best ting that ever happened to me. And you know what! I'm glad I was fat because if I just had been a little pudgy and had my old habits I never would have changed.
  • musicmint
    musicmint Posts: 469
    When I see those people in public who are so fat they look so sad and I hear stories of how it hurts your joints cause of all the weight you carry around. I made it my goal not to be overweight to the point where I am in this huge hole of no return I want to be a healthy senior citizen....still have a long way to go tho since I am 21 lol!
  • There was a couple things: 1st that my 3 year old daughter pushed on my stomach and said "Mommy I like your mushy belly" which i know she meant well and the 2nd thing was when i actually looked long and hard at myself in the mirror.:noway:
  • dietinghorsefan
    dietinghorsefan Posts: 1 Member
    My big moment was when my husband took our daughter to the pool this past labor day and that was the first time she had been swimming ALL summer and of course it was the last day the pool was open! I realized I hadn't taken her swimming because 1) I didn't have a bathing suit that fit me anymore and 2) I didn't want to be seen in a swim suit, and lastly 3) I just need to be in better shape!! We plan on having more children and I don't want to be so overweight that I don't have a good pregnancy next time around. It's time for a change! I'm learning from others mistakes.
  • LynRhea
    LynRhea Posts: 15
    I went to the doctors in May and I weighed in at 170. I've never weighed that much in my entire life. It literally made me want to cry. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to get back into shape and start losing weight.



    The same thing happened to me. Routine doctors appointment and I weighed in at 176! Never before had I been so heavy. I cried right there and my doctor realized how depressed I was. We discussed diet and exercise again. I went on 1200 calories per day, water and riding my bike. Ten pounds lost and a friend suggested MFP. I use it and have lost another 22 pounds since. Eighty five days since joining. I truly believe logging food and exercise helps! Thirty three pounds gone and back in the size 8 jeans!
  • I'd been serious about losing weight before, I just never set up goals to ACTUALLY do it. But "the light came on" when:
    1.) Facing my 30s. I realized that I had spent my whole life as a fat child, teenager, and all my 20s as a fat woman. Gotta change!
    2.) Saw pics of myself in the Bahamas with my bestie and her family (video included). Though I looked okay, I wanted to look better. I certainly didn't FEEL better (I was neglecting myself and my diabetes started to affect my feet...could not feel them at times).
    3.) Saw the weight loss shows on cable (can't say I've seen them all), and if they lost weight despite their obstacles, then doggone it, so can I!
    4.) My sister told me about MFP, and I signed up. We both have set goals and am trying to log in ever so often. September 29 was the day that I decided that no matter what, I was gonna do what it takes to live a better quality of life.
  • The moment that made me serious about losing weight was one weekend I had literally binged and binged and binged and when I stepped on the scale I saw the number 260!!!!!! That number shocked me so bad that because it was literally so close to 300. That I was jolted into being serious, and looking at my self in the mirror. I had denied how bad I looked and how uncomfortable I truly was at my size.

    Yeah eating right and exercising all the time can suck sometimes, especially if everyone else seems like they are doing and eating whatever they want. But I literally just tell myself I won't always look this way and I will make it to my goal. I'll be there in a little under a year, and from then on out I will have one heck of a life to enjoy. So just remember everything that you are doing towards your goal means something, and we will all get there!!!!
  • pookahbot
    pookahbot Posts: 17 Member
    I have known that I'm overweight for a long time. And all that goes along with it...tired, no energy, achey joints. I toyed with it...would start, and then let it go.
    We bought our first house in March. At closing, our realtor offered to take a photo. Obviously, I've seen myself in the mirror, etc, but that photo was a slap in the face. I slip sometimes, but I am eating less, eating better, and exercising regularly. I have lost 26.6 pounds since I bought a scale in June. I haven't decided on a final goal weight yet, but I am feeling better and, best yet, I have more energy to play with my kids!
  • i was at a wedding 6 wks ago. as i was sitting there tearing up thinking about walking my daughter down the aisle at her wedding (still a good many years off), i watched the mother-of-the-bride slowly and rather painfully, waddle down the aisle in what could be best described as a moo-moo. all of a sudden, it hit me. At the rate i'm going, almost 50yrs old and 30 lbs overweight, i will look just like THIS mother-of-the-bride in 10 years. GASP! NO! NO! NO! i can't let this happen. i didn't hear any of service after this revelation.

    Spent the next half hour getting mad at myself and deciding to take back control. no time for self pity. have let this go on for too long. Get mad. Get going. Get control. So far, so good. almost 10lbs down - 20 to go! then i just have to keep it off for another 10 or so years!

    JUST DO IT!
  • MainahGirl
    MainahGirl Posts: 282 Member
    In 1997, I had a Gastric Bypass and weight 393. The day after my surgery, I was dreaming of when I could eat what I want but still lose weight because I could only eat so much. With that said, I did eat what I wanted and did no exercise whatsoever! I did lose about 130 lbs, but over time, I gained almost all of it back due to my terrible attitude and thinking my surgery was a easy fix.

    Fast forward to 2010. I went to a Drs. appointment for a check up and hopped on the scale. I was weighed in at 317. For many years, I didn't weigh myself and was certain (more like denial) that I wasn't as heavy as I really was. Seeing 317 left me in shock. After a good cry in the Drs. office, I immediatly joined a gym that same afternoon. The next day I contacted a nutritionist and we worked out a plan.

    Today I can proudly say all the weight I've lost is from hard work at the gym, eating right and not over eating. Since my surgery was so long ago and I abused it, I can eat like a normal person with no problem!

    Hoping to get to Onederland in a few months! Whoot!
  • fstephanie4
    fstephanie4 Posts: 196 Member
    1) When my friends call me 'bigger' than them and look down on me for eating big meals.
    2) when guys have this weird compliment of "you're pretty, confident, clever....you're just too fat"
    3) when I couldn't wear the clothes I liked.
    4) knowing that in the future, if i carried on, I wouldn't be able to have kids or run round with them, make them proud etc.
    5) when I finally looked in the mirror and hated what I saw - if I hate me then everyone else will.
  • drkuhl2017
    drkuhl2017 Posts: 181 Member
    When the scale said 315 lbs and my size 24 pants were starting to get tight.
  • I knew I was gaining weight for a while, going to the gym every 2-3 weeks, not thinking I was eating as many calories as I was. I knew at work I was sitting almost the entire day and I was buying clothes that were making it easier to mask it...from myself. But it was on June 30th/July 1st the big change happened.

    My wife and I were visiting my family 400 miles away. My sister's husband is the funniest, kindest person you ever met. He and I talked the night before we were returning home. He said, something along the lines of, 'Rob you're getting big. I don't know about you, but gaining weight leaves me depressed and unmotivated. I just go about life being blah.' He said it more eloquently and it made a big impact on me. I was home the next day and weighed myself, 250 lbs. I'm 211 today with a goal of 175.

    My wife and I have turned around our lifestyle, not going through a drive-thru before we hit the couch for the night. It's a silly game of frisbee golf before the gym and/or a bike ride, long walks with our dogs, meeting our neighbors. It's healthier eating most of the time and better portion control when it's not healthy. It's also a huge debt of gratitude to my brother-in-law Gerald.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    I gained 10 lbs after my wife left me due to excessive drinking and the antidepressant I went on. My pants were getting tight. Decided that's it. Didn't hurt that I was feeling better about myself thanks to the antidepressant and lack of the wife. Once I got over her I realized she had been making me miserable.