I kind of had an ah-ha week. It had been bothering me for ages that I was so overweight, I knew I was really just a ticking time-bomb for health problems (Type 2 diabetes anyone?). I think it started a few years earlier when my mother had Weight Loss Surgery, but when she moved in with us I saw up close how horrible that option really was (she has trouble eating so many foods, is vitamin deficient and although she swears it was the the best thing she ever did, I seriously do not want to live like that). Shortly after that I realised that every time I ate bread I was getting heartburn. So random! But it made me think right! I'm doing something about this. So I joined Weight Watchers, started exercising every day and lost 20kg (44lbs) in 20 weeks. Then life got in the way somewhat and I wasn't in a position to keep working at it. I slowly gained 6kg (13lbs) back over about 7 months but I never really lost that motivation to lose all the extra weight. Then I had another moment - I got really comfortable eating whatever was in the house and I realised that all the smaller clothes I worked so hard to fit into were getting tight again. No way was I going to not fit those clothes! So here I am. I've lost 8.5kg (just about 19 lbs) since my doctor weighed me on 3 January, and it's only going down from here. I can't explain my attitude this time around, I don't know why it suddenly clicked, but I'm glad it did because I love seeing the scales go down!

My "ah-ha" moment was in early February. I'd always been overweight, but the last year and a half had been horrible and I'd reached my peak weight. I didn't listen, because I was mentally happy and life was lining up for me. February I went out with my aunt and some of her friends for dancing and drinking and the next day all of the photos were posted on Facebook. I was completely and utterly disgusted and had her delete them off the site. I knew right then in there that I had to lose weight and stick to it. Before I had that "ah-ha" moment I'd said I would be on a diet and it lasted about a week and I was done. I'm not calling this a diet, but I lifestyle change that I plan to keep for the rest of my life.

I had a few events that were my ah-ha moments. Last year I was in a job where the people I worked with were just really not nice at all, and I was bullied and intimidated a lot by many of them - as a result I became really depressed and miserable and gained a lot of weight over the year (although I was already very overweight). Worse than that though I found myself gradually becoming like them, and I didn't 't like that at all, so at the end of the year I took a good hard look at myself and really didn't like what I saw - a moody, negative person. So my number 1 priority for 2013 was an attitude adjustment and to become a more positive person - even if I had to work with and see these people did not mean I should let them intimidate them or make me behave like them. Thankfully though my contract ended there and I am now working two jobs (one I'm not sure if I get to stay for the year yet, but praying daily that I get to stay!) with two groups of people who are just the total opposite of those people - friendly, helpful and respectful, plus I get to work with one of my best friends 3 days a week. Last year I seriously considered changing careers and felt physically sick at the thought of going to work, this year I love my job and can't wait to go to work! Big change!

My other moments were at Christmas, when as a joke I dressed up in a Santa costume - my family took pics and they were just awful, there was just soooo much of me in it! Then I needed a new bathing suit and couldn't find anything to fit me - that was the last straw and I decided then that this year was going to be my year - I've had enough of things not working out for me, so I'm going to make it happen myself - I keep that horrible Christmas photo to remind me why I'm doing this, though I don't show it to anyone.

Sorry, that was really long, hope I didn't bore anyone - and thanks to you all for accepting this little Aussie girl into your group, you've all been the best motivators!!!

I have had so many but this time around it's just different.

I was a chubby kid from the start, and grew to 200 pounds by high school. I did get picked on sometimes but it wasn't enough for me to want to change. Never really had trouble with getting boyfriends so that wasn't motivation either. All through my teen years I tried this and that but never stuck to anything, the torture continued into my adult life.

In Dec of '92 at age 19 my boyfriend of 2 and a half years dumped me and I decided to make a change. I dropped 70 pounds in about 11 months, 30 of it from eating better and exercising and 40 from not eating much due to gall stones. During my illness I got a new boyfriend that I ended up with for 7 years, we met on a blind date! Funny thing is, we first met when I was around 220 lbs, and it didn't work out, we met again when I was around 175 and we hit it off. (That should have been my first clue about his weight preference) The night before I was admitted to the hospital for an earlier than expected gall bladder surgery, I was able to fit into my mom's size 10 jeans. Although I wasn't enjoying the weight loss due to being so sick, that moment I got in those jeans was fantastic. I left the hospital in Nov. '93 at 160 pounds and since I wasn't sick anymore I enjoyed all the cute clothes, but it was a sad time for our family, my father passed away in Jan. '94 from heart disease 2 days before his 59th birthday, and this happened only 10 days after we lost our house in the '94 earthquake in Southern California.

Post surgery, as my appetite increased, so did my body. Sad part was that I saw the weight coming back and I did nothing to stop it. Everytime I tried to diet, one of my favorite fast food places would come out with something new that I ended up becoming addicted to. I gained 140 pounds within a few years. I tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Lindora, Nutrisystem. Just wasted money because I couldn't stick with anything, I just wanted to eat whatever I felt like all the time. My boyfriend at the time was very clear he never wanted to marry or have children but for some reason I stuck around hoping he would change his mind, we eventually parted (somewhat mutually) in 2000.

I hovered around 300 pounds for about 8 years, with the exception of Atkins which I lost 30 and gained back 60 almost immediately. Had another long term boyfriend who was pretty up front about not wanting to be with a fat girl, but what can I say, he fell in love with me anyway but after 6 years of being glued to my side, he ultimately decided he couldn't handle the fat chick and left me in 2007. Oddly enough we are still good friends, we always were, he just couldn't get passed the weight. After we parted, I enjoyed the freedom of eating whatever, whenever, without someohne looking over my shoulder and trying to control my food. I put on 50 pounds without realizing it. During that time I tried Nutrisystem again, and failed.

Met someone else who was big too and didn't really care about my weight, but he was not a nice person and after 15 months, I kicked him out... yay me! In 2010 I got really sick and lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks. Strangely that stayed off for a year even when my appetite returned, and I pretty much at nothing but fast food every day. I moved up North to be near my family, and lost another 25 from staying away from the drive thru. Met my wonderful man about a month after moving here, and he loves me big or small, and is supporting me in whatever decision I make. He doesn't like fast food so that helped me stay away from it when he was around, but I started working again and getting drive thru every day again, quickly packed on about 15 pounds. In 2012 my resolution was to lose weight, ANY amount, even 10 pounds. I gained 40 lol.

I did not make any resolutions this year that involved eating or weight loss. I just realized I'm going to be 40, and I'm feeling tired and everything is so hard to do, there was never a day where I just felt good. I'm not really sure what clicked this time, but everything else in my life is falling into place so why not this too? Looking back now, I know that even though I wanted to be healthy for me, I was always trying to do it for someone else, especially past boyfriends. I'm not doing it for them now. I'm not doing this for my mother, or my sister in law who wanted me to do the sleeve surgery with her. Seeing the vitamin deficiency and not enjoying food, all to just eat less (WAY less) just doesn't seem right to me. It might be the only option for some people, but I don't think it's right for me and I want to do this in such a way that it will stay with me for life. I still enjoy everything I love, but just a little less of it, and I'm okay with that. I don't care if it takes years, I just never want to see 350 on that scale ever again! I've been at this for over a month now, and it's easier than I expected. I've never stuck to anything more than a week or two.

Anyway sorry my story is so long but it helped me to look back and see the turning points of life where I thought about my weight the most. I enjoyed reading all your stories and I wish you continued success in your journey! MFP is AWESOME!!!

MY "ah-ha" moment came in cycles... 1st I went to WW and lost 58 pds..... almost got into Onederland..... but stopped and climbed right back up... 2nd... joined a Weight loss competions with friends... they lost I only lost about 15pds... Realized... I needed to stick to somthing and be healthy.... alll the while I was going to the gym and working out... just not eating right.... so I never really lost... then at Christmas time this year I felt miserable... I was almost right back up to my starting weight of WW.... On January 7th... I decided to detox my body of sugar and carbs..and havent looked back.. down 38 pds.. and still working hard... I really want to be below 200 by June 1st... but it is really slow coming off...