What triggered your journey?

In the office at work they do a 10 week weight loss challenge. Last Jan I was bullied to take part. It is seen as a laugh in the office, an excuse to say no to the cakes and biscuits post Christmas. I stood on the scales that measured in just lbs, being in the UK I work in stones and pounds. So I had a number 294lb that did not mean a great deal. I converted to stone and stared at 21st. This was the point that I knew I had to do more than 10 weeks.

I weighed in for the 10 week challenge last week, this time however I am now 17st (bad Christmas... was 16st 7lb)

Again I have a bit more to go that will take more than 10 weeks, but by the end of the year should be starting to maintain.

Mine was crazy! I had decided to embrace the size/weight that I was. I'd been like that for almost 16 years. I liked eating whatever I wanted and didn't feel that I looked bad. I felt that I looked better than most 49 year olds that I knew. I was reading on Facebook and one of my friends posted that she had lost 25 pounds in about three months. I asked her what she was doing and she gave me the MFP link. I signed on here and wanted to play around with numbers. I couldn't without doing effort for the exercise and tracking my food. It was early enough in the day that I hadn't eaten yet and I thought "I haven't eaten yet so I can start right now!" I started that day and haven't looked back. I started here at 181.2 and most of the time I hover around 131. My ticker is heavier than that right now because I'm working off the holiday eating. I don't want to go much lower than 131 (I'd like to hit 127) because it doesn't look good on my older face.

This picture....

I looked like a rooting hog

Boss Hog, maybe, but not necessarily a "rooting hog"

I gained five pounds in a matter of days because I pigged out and was dangerously close to 190. I never gained anything until my second child and then boom. I should be 135. I did it and lost 40 pounds.

I almost died of cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure on July 1, 2011 because I weighed almost 400 lbs. Like many of you, I used to consume tons of fast food, fried food, and other junk food.

Not anymore... I can never ever go back to the way I was before July 1, 2011.

You and I are in the same boat. I too almost died from congestive heart failure. For me it was in October of 2011. But, I went over 400 lbs. I really put on water weight. I really don't want to go through that again.

My mother was diagnosed with State 4 small-cell lung cancer on October 19th. For the week she was in the hospital and the three weeks up to her passing, I was on the run 18 hours a day and would eat whatever was fast, easy, and cheap. When she passed, I dove into comfort food, and it was right before Thanksgiving - so there was tons of food around and people forcing me to eat (because they know I won't eat when I'm stressed out). I missed workouts, I stayed in bed, I did as little as possible. I felt HORRIBLE. I felt even worse when I hit 142 pounds on the scale and NONE of my clothes fit (I don't have anything past a size 8...). But I felt awful because of my grief, because of eating nothing but crap and because of the lack of exercise.

About mid-December, I took a look at the calendar for the holidays and realized that I had 4 family dinners, plus work dinners, and everything else and if I kept on like I was - I'd hit 150 pounds again for the first time in 4.5 years, and I wasn't about to let that happen. I rededicated my schedule to working out and eating better, just so I could get through the holidays without gaining 10 more pounds.

And then I realized my kitty lost a lot of weight and wasn't eating about two weeks ago, but my mom's wake was last Saturday night, so I couldn't deal with the inevitable before that. Sabine passed away while I was at the wake, just two days before I probably would have had to make a terrible decision. And that put me right back to ground zero, but for one difference - logging and watching everything I eat and busting my *kitten* at the gym gave me peace. So I didn't go back on the comfort food binge this week (I did allow myself one pint of Ben & Jerry's frozen greek yogurt and a box of Snackwell cookies, over the whole week).

I am happy to say that even in the midst of grief like I've never known, I lost 4 pounds, gained 1 back over the week of family gatherings, and am still feeling a little bit better about everything than when I started this.

Got married saw my wedding pics! lol

This picture....
I looked like a rooting hog

Boss Hog, maybe, but not necessarily a "rooting hog"

OUCH!
Anyway, I am thankful somebody caught the reality I was denying.
The man in the mirror is a liar.

I've had multiple journeys and my weight has yo-yo'd since I started college and afterwards. What triggered my current journey is the new year and a wedding a will be in in March, as well as my own in July! But I really plan/hope to make this a lifetime change this time. Good luck to everyone on your journey!

goin any where!

I wish there were 'like' buttons on this site. Some of you had made me laugh out loud, because I've been there or had that thought.

After a recent family reunion I had an old time friend/family member private message me to ask if I were pregnant. And she was serious! I'm 53 years old, no friggen way would I torture myself at this age with another child. (can say that because I already have 5) Yikes!

Plus my sciatica is acting up, my knees complain, sometimes I'm out of breath when I shouldn't be and I really really really love my bike but couldn't ride it too much this past season as everything hurt not too mention my *kitten* spread over the seat wasn't too pretty from the rear I'm sure. This spring I'll get back on that baby and ride and ride and ride like I used too.

Cheers
Mary

I am not new to weight loss attempts myself, but this time, it is different. I committed myself to a 90 day program with a specific goal in mind. I wrote it on paper and will keep myself accountable to me and others who are embarking on my journey. I am taking bootcamp classes at the gym now, but 80% of it is my eating habits. I am really trying to eat healthier and pack all my snacks and lunch. It is hard but will be worth it when I can walk the beaches of Aruba this summer in a 2 piece black or white bikini!!! Keep on posting and stay strong, make smart choices every single time you put food in your mouth.

I live at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains so I have plenty of lakes, trails and rocks to climb. I have always enjoyed all of these but haven't done much of anything the past year because of a new job at work that has me on midnights. Over Thanksgiving break 2012, my BFF and I decided to go to our fave rock and climb it. Sit on top, enjoy the miles of beautiful view and catch up. I got to the top but I thought I would die once I got there. I did not like that feeling AT ALL. So I am determined to get to a place where, when I climb that enormous rock, I won't want to just lay down at the top and die..lol

It was a complete accident for me. A run-in with a squirrel that one of my dogs found particularly offensive-followed by some serious soul-searching, "ah-ha" moments and that was it. The gory details are in my profile-but I'm probably the only one who didn't start this (nor do I continue) for health or vanity - although those are nice bonus benefits.