What Convinced You To Change?

For me, my biggest motivating factor is a convention I have at the end of May. (don't laugh...) I like to wear skimpy clothing to it (mostly because I can and it's not anything weird), but looking at myself, I didn't feel like I could be comfortable wearing what I normally world, or even if I would fit in my outfits anymore. I want to look good for it, and while 2 weeks before the event I do extra exercise,increase fruit and veggies and decrease other foods, I felt that at my current weight, that it wouldn't be enough this time. So I decided to start now, more than 2 months before my event.

I'm also doing it for my boyfriend, who says I'm beautiful, even on those days that I don't feel like it. I want him to have a more healthy me

I had no choice I HAD TO IF I WANTED TO LIVE

I was 24 years old, and about 280.6 pounds...I was a walking heart attack and borderline diabetic
The doctor said if I keep gaining weight I would be lucky If I made it to be 35

Now at 26 I have lost a total of about 70 pounds, and I feel damn god and happy that I not only became healthy, but headed in the right direction.

Besides I want to be a fit,in shape,healthy and hot cop:)

I was binge eating alot and not doing anything except work and sleep...I was very depressed, hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror, and only looked in the mirror when I had to. I tried to ignore what I was doing to myself. I had trouble just navigating through my day. I was disgusted and fed up with feeling like that and KNEW I would be headed for serious trouble if I didn't take charge and change my life. It took me a few months to get on track and when I found MFP everything just clicked and I was off and running with the program. I concentrated on my diet first and was happily losing without any exercise at all. Then as I felt comfortable I started increasing my activity to accelerate my loss. I am half way to my goal and haven't felt this good since I was in my thirties. This is a life plan for me and I am totally contented to live this way the rest of my life. I am never feeling deprived or like I'm "on a diet"--it's just my new life.

I've been "dieting" since I can remember. I turned 41 this year and I decided that I was ashamed of myself. I was disappointed in the fact that I had let food control my life. I was angry that I didn't have the willpower to do something about it. Because of my compulsive over-eating I have many health problems related to my obesity. I'm also taking an extraordinary amount of medications(15) to keep these conditions in check.

Honestly, I'm just tired of being fat! I've wasted half of my life imprisoned by my body. I have to stop being selfish and think about those who love me and who want to see me be happy because I'm not happy. My weight has held me back from doing so many things such as going back to school, from applying for certain jobs, from enjoying normal everyday activities, from spending time with and doing things with my daughter. Not only have I suffered but my relationships have as well. I'm especially saddened that it broke up my relationship with my ex and it has taken a toll on my relationship with my daughter.

I'm now totally and undeniably convinced that I have to change!! It means my life.

I wasn't always heavy- I gained over 100 pounds in three months. I have Hashimoto's and PCO and they hit me hard and at the same time. I also have a bum pancreas- I've had chronic pancreatitis since I was 12 years old. My pancreas is mostly scar tissue now, so there's not a lot of insulin available for my body anyway. Anyhow, once the doctors and specialists finally nailed down what was wrong with me, I got on medication and got to work. At my heaviest weight I was 273 and a size 24. I hated being that big. The one pic in my profile of me at that weight is the only photo in existence of me that heavy. I avoided friends, family, even going out in public. I was embarrassed for anyone to see me that big.

I was going to wait until i hit a certain weight loss and share my reason along with a success story post, but meh here goes...

2 things really made it click for me.

One - stepping on the scale and seeing it go over 500 (503) I hate to admit that and I know that is beyond what most people here are dealing with. I still haven't admitted this to any but my 2 closest friends.

Two - I was on the forums here after tracking for a week or so and saw a post from someone else who was over 500lbs. A bunch of people were leaving supporting posts until they realized the post was over a year old. The poster never came back and never even tracked one day in his diary. In his original post he talked about fear of dying, so it just hit me hard. I just had this overwhelming feeling that this guy was indeed dead - because he didn't stick with it.

I obviously have other reasons to get fit (ranging the entire gamut from shallow to altruistic) but that post man...I dunno something literally "clicked".

Not to change the subject of the thread - but I am worried about what convinces me NOT to change. I dunno if that makes sense, but I have been on the fitness kick before - months at a time....so there is a little part of me that is constantly worrying what is it that throws me off the track to fitness (for months or years). Is there some trigger I don't know that will send me into another spiral? I am very good at ignoring that thought, but it is always there...

I guess it was a couple things for me looking at some pictures and seeing how much I have gained, and medical I been tring for the last couple years off and on but after the 4 wheeler wreck I was in back in sept opened my eyes even more that I need to get this weight off. after being in icu for a few weeks and then ended up having a second spinal fusion (this time T9 thru L2 already had L4/L5 fused) I realized I have to get my weight off to help keep the pain away or at least were it is very little. I know its going to be a little hard for me than the ave. person sence I so have limtations more now like no lifting over 35-45 lbs and lost some more of my flexablity. I want to try to get back as much of my flexablity back as I can it realy sucks when you have to ask someone to do something because your body will not let you. At least I can be thankful that I am not in a wheel chair and alive.

Saw myself in a picture and was mortified at how much I had gained in my midsection.

Our company finally got around to making some golf shirts in December 2012, and the thought of having to wear a 2XL shirt was too much. I decided I would never wear one, and now I suspect a medium will fit fine. Its so interesting how we all tend to have some critical thing that leads us to make a significant change. I had talked endlessly many times throughout the year, but until then my effort was totally lack luster.

My son (who was 4 at the time) said to me one night as we were watching The Biggest Looser, "daddy you could be on that show".

It made me very sad, so the next day i started walking a little more cutting back on my food intake and I haven't looked back. Thankfully neither has he. Now 6 soon to be 7, he now loves running, cycling, swimming , so i hope I am now setting a better example to him and his brother and sister.