What was your "AHA!" moment?

For me it was just stepping on a scale. I knew I'd gained a few pounds but I didn't think it was that much! Needless to say, I step on a scale daily now, ha ha. No more surprises.

Driving down a bumpy road one day, I could feel my boobs jiggle.

It was when I had been exercising my butt off for 4 months (5 days a week doing bootcamp style workouts and cardio) and had not dropped a pound. I am fat, I need to change that, and I need to get real about my diet. I want my hard work to matter.

So. I changed my diet and instantly started seeing the change.

After having baby #3 - i gained a lot of weight while pregnant.
I have gotten back to the weight that I was before getting pregnant but my shape is different so my clothes still don't fit.:sad:

My super stretch jeans that i had been stuffing myself in... literally. freaking. exploded... I mean my butt and my thighs just burst out of the seams So, I hit the gym for 6 days a week for 12 weeks and lost 20 then signed up on here to lose the last ten

I went to the doctor in March because I was having pain in the center of my chest when I ate. He diagnosed me with reflux, and gave me two weeks worth of Nexium samples. He also explained how I could make dietary changes to get rid of it. I walked out of there, and thought and thought about it. I was 41 years old and 338 pounds. Though it was only reflux that day, I knew that one day it would be high blood pressure, or diabetes or some other illness that I could have prevented. And I did not want to end up unhealthy and on a bunch of medicine for stuff that I could have prevented. I made the decision that day to do whatever I needed to do to get healthy. I have come a LONG way since then!

I was sitting at my desk while working and realized my belly was sitting on top of my legs. Never good. I felt like I never looked good in anything and it was actually getting kinda hard to breathe. I watch my grandma with her oxygen mask and 75% of her heath problems are because she was overweight the bulk of her life. I don't want that to be me. I'm almost 26, and it's only going to get harder the older I get.

I have had many in the road to getting fit- but had hit a plateau for months and months! Very active, but nothing was making the scale go down. I have a bunch of clothes someone gave me exactly one size smaller than I am. Washed and folded and ready to be worn any day now . Then in 2 weeks, 2 pairs of my regular pants split! I had a choice- do something or go buy more big girl pants. Option B wasn't acceptable. Also- when you grow out of a size- get rid of that outfit- doesn't matter how much you like it, unless you know a good tailor and are taking the size in, just donate it. It will force you to not go up in size again without shopping.

Got back onto the MFP diary- been entering daily- consistently- (this was a challenge before). Saw exactly where I am failing........food, of course, my diet was pretty much back to pre weight loss- the only reason I wasn't gaining was all the classes I do. So- long story short- the last 2 weeks since the pants ripping day- I have lost 11 lbs.
I am going to stay on track, I am becoming too aware of all the calories in everything- and that is a good thing. Also doing a challenge with family is helping us all.

When I realized that food was no longer spiraling me into panic and body image issues/obsession - that I could stop when I was full, and that I could really tell if I was full or not - and there was no guilt or shame! That was the moment where I began to wonder if I could start working with my body rather than against it, and if together we could explore what exercise and a meal plan would mean. When I found out I was actually loving my body no matter what its size, and that it was time to start treating it, gently, like I loved it I knew I could finally have a realtionship with food again rather than feeling like I am constantly arm wrestling with urges to binge or purge, and that exorcise is now about what feels good and is fun rather than some body image thing.
I just want to love myself like I deserve to be loved - this time its all about what is good for my body, soul, and mind, and it has made all the difference in my motivation and anxiety levels.

When I realized that food was no longer spiraling me into panic and body image issues/obsession - that I could stop when I was full, and that I could really tell if I was full or not - and there was no guilt or shame! That was the moment where I began to wonder if I could start working with my body rather than against it, and if together we could explore what exercise and a meal plan would mean. When I found out I was actually loving my body no matter what its size, and that it was time to start treating it, gently, like I loved it I knew I could finally have a realtionship with food again rather than feeling like I am constantly arm wrestling with urges to binge or purge, and that exorcise is now about what feels good and is fun rather than some body image thing.
I just want to love myself like I deserve to be loved - this time its all about what is good for my body, soul, and mind, and it has made all the difference in my motivation and anxiety levels.

This has been a ten years in the making aha moment - with lots of therapy by the way - for anyone out there struggling with ED. My behaviors stopped five years ago, and it took me another five to be psychologically stable enough to be doing what I am doing now.

I knew I needed to lose weight and I wasn’t sure when I was going to start or how. Then my daughter was talking about a calorie reduction diet she was going to do to lose some lbs. I just said I'd do it with her and I'm so glad I did because I feel much better already and at my age you either fix it or get ready for the other side of dirt.

I love reading all of your stories. We all do have that moment. For me, it was about a month ago when I went to the doctor and was shocked by the number on the scale. Last time I had been to the dr, 2 years before, I had been 16 lbs lighter. The doctor never says anything to me, not sure why, probably because I carry it well or maybe he has other things to focus on. I've really been trying to change my diet and not eat huge portions like I was accustomed to, and cutting back on my snacking. Slow and steady... It would be lovely if weight would disappear overnight, but I didn't gain it overnight and I sure am not losing it overnight. Keep up the great work, everyone!

I really had two moments close together... I wanted to make my boyfriend a collage of photos of us but realized I looked "huge" in all of them. And the ones that I looked half-way decent in I'm holding my neck in a funky angle so I don't have a double chin. Then the mega moment was getting on the scale and seeing I was 4 pounds heavier than when I was pregnant with my son.

I started by quitting my pop habit then got back on here for real!

The beginning of Oct 2012 I accepted that a very important person in my life- well that their boundaries of forgiveness was truly forgiveness and in accepting that I could forgive myself and stop punishing myself.

so the next door neighbor happened by and had at that point lost 90 due to an gastric sleeve- in talking to him it was the first time I thought hey I'm not scared of this I could do this- 3 days later I had an appt with the Gastric Surgeon and started the process.....
then my darling dh found a support group on the web for gastric sleeve surgery patients and someone posted 6 - 10 different handbooks from across the us of pre surgery and post surgery must do's I read every single one cover to cover and I kept hearing that small voice inside myself u can log your food you can count calories you can watch your carbs and protein why get your guts cut open ... see so many of the after do's are parts of living a healthy life that a nutritionist would tell you to do anyways .... so I called stopped the process started coming here daily logging food moving my big butt riding a bicycle (just did 10 miles Sunday woot woot) and lifting weights it is slow my body is changing gaining muscle but I am 30 days from 48 and on 4 meds - I am doing good I have changed my living way
Thanks MFP thanks MFP friends

So many: I blew my knee out at work while jumping into a window. My uniform was getting real tight and my duty belt was at it's limit. On a follow-up appointment for my knee, my Dr. told me my cholesterol was too high and said I needed to lose "at least 15 pounds" (well, I've hit that mark ). I used to shy away from the camera because I didn't like the way I looked. My daughter took a photo of me while I was bbqing this past summer and posted the picture on facebook. When I saw it, I was stunned and decided right then and there it was time! I've been stagnant for about 4-5 weeks, but I think that has to do with the fact I was rehabbing a sore shoulder. I just started lifting again about 2 weeks ago and am anticipating some more loss. Shooting for a goal weight of 180ish. Good luck to everyone!