What was the moment you realized you needed to lose weight?

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  • My ah-ha moment was valentine's day 2012. I had a friend take some "sexy" pics of me for my husband who was out on the road. Looking thru them made me realize I do not look the way I think I look. Started to be serious about losing and joined MFP. Best thing ever. Still look at those photos to keep me motivated.
  • riddellr
    riddellr Posts: 23
    My ah-ha moment was when I stepped on the scale and it said "One at a time please". I had topped 300lbs and felt tired all of the time, my diabetes was out of control and I, like others had recently saw candid pictures of myself and I looked horrible. Today, I am tipping the scales at 240lbs and I'm shooting for my first goal of 200lbs and then hoping to continue downwards to 170-180lbs.
  • beautifulbeast11
    beautifulbeast11 Posts: 202 Member
    When my wedding pictures came back.
  • aftergypsies
    aftergypsies Posts: 248 Member
    I always knew I needed to lose weight. I had been trying to lose via portion control but lets be real, I cheated. One day my BF and his family went to Arby's and I ate quite a bit and felt sick on the way home. As we came back in to town I told the BF we should buy a scale and when I got home and stood on it, that was that. Time to really be serious. So I started and it's been almost a year and almost 80lbs later. Still have a way to go but I am happy I have been able to stick to it.
  • elishabeish
    elishabeish Posts: 175 Member
    My Mom has been in a vegitative state since March 30, 2008. No chance for recovery, but her husband wont let go. This all started with a hernia that she was too afraid to have surgery on. It gave her a lot of pain, so she couldn't exercise and became obese. During this time the hernia tangled up with her intestines. February 24, 2007 she coughed real hard and her bowel busted, she went into septic shock and was in a coma until March 28, 2007. On March 30, 2007 her throat swelled closing her airways and she was without oxygen for around 11 minutes. Once resuscitated, she was brain dead.

    I decided this was not going to happen to me!
  • jching29
    jching29 Posts: 163
    My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment together, and after about a year, we were over at her parents' house when I decided to step on the scale "for fun." It read that I'd crossed (very, very vaguely) into the 200s. I guess there had been some imaginary border set up in my mind because I cried, and cried and cried for days. Then, I got up, and told myself that I'd never have another summer where I would be embarrassed to go out in a bathing suit, or when I'd feel self-conscious about getting pictures taken of me.
  • cmyw
    cmyw Posts: 6 Member
    When I put on my shorts (from summer 2011) and realized that I can even zip them....I joined March 2012.
  • Dinob661
    Dinob661 Posts: 251 Member
    My ah-ha moment was when I stepped on the scale and it said "One at a time please". I had topped 300lbs and felt tired all of the time, my diabetes was out of control and I, like others had recently saw candid pictures of myself and I looked horrible. Today, I am tipping the scales at 240lbs and I'm shooting for my first goal of 200lbs and then hoping to continue downwards to 170-180lbs.



    Wow, Actually your screen name and your post are scary similar to my story,

    My first Aha Moment.
    I don't know my exact weight when this happened, but i was at Six Flags Magic Mountain (in California) and went on a ride called Riddler's Revenge (see!?!?!) and I almost didn't fit.....seriously 6'2" 295(ish), and I actually needed help from an attendant to get on the ride, and he almost gave up, So did I. I wanted to leave.

    Aha Moment #2:
    About 2 weeks later I actually worked up the guts to weigh myself. and The Scale basically told me to get off..... 299.7lbs, And I always would say to myself "I will never hit 300lbs ever if I do shoot me." Normally, I am very upbeat about everything but when I saw that I almost lost it.

    That night I went to the gym, and for 7 straight months everyday. 11 Months later I am 200lbs. Thankfully I am done losing weight, now Working on gaining muscle. I am close to being in shape like i was freshman year of High School. I still can't quite believe everything that has happened basically the last year.... it kind of seems unreal
  • When my daughter said out loud "Mom why are you so fat" gotta love the lil ones
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    I've always known I needed to lose it, but I just felt it would be too difficult to switch my diet since I do not like a lot of vegetables and most doctors just told me to eat more salads. (and between you'n me, lettuce tastes like grass. And yes I know what grass tastes like)

    The real big eye opener was my 21st birthday. I had bought a pin up style dress from Torrid that I thought I looked great in and went out with family in it, ankle boots, and a cheesy crown I bought with a big 21 on it. My cousin's now ex-fiancee took pictures of me and I had one of me standing in front of a wall decoration with fake Birds of Paradise that I put up on Facebook. My settings were friend of friend at the time and someone's friend got on and trashed me in the comments. Some weeks later when I put up a bust (from chest/shoulders up, not just my bust) photo of myself elsewhere as an ID photo, I was trashed again by someone else. I thought I looked good in both photos but apparently not. I even had a guy insult me from inside his car in a parking lot.

    It really made me lose my confidence and I went into a huge depression about the same time I had hand surgery in December of last year and was finding clothes that used to fit me weren't and those that were loose were now just at fitting. I got so ashamed that the beginning of this year I had my FB profile picture changed to a drawing of myself instead of a photo. My birthday was the first week of January and I refused to celebrate it because I didn't want to be in public, especially with my 'tradition' of wearing a miniature felt cake on my head. I even thought about ending a 2 year relationship because of my weight.

    But finally I talked sense into myself and joined a weight loss clinic and then here the same day, determined to stop feeling sorry for myself and actually do something about how big I was. I'm the one that got me here, I was the one who could get me out.
  • Dinob661
    Dinob661 Posts: 251 Member
    I've always known I needed to lose it, but I just felt it would be too difficult to switch my diet since I do not like a lot of vegetables and most doctors just told me to eat more salads. (and between you'n me, lettuce tastes like grass. And yes I know what grass tastes like)

    The real big eye opener was my 21st birthday. I had bought a pin up style dress from Torrid that I thought I looked great in and went out with family in it, ankle boots, and a cheesy crown I bought with a big 21 on it. My cousin's now ex-fiancee took pictures of me and I had one of me standing in front of a wall decoration with fake Birds of Paradise that I put up on Facebook. My settings were friend of friend at the time and someone's friend got on and trashed me in the comments. Some weeks later when I put up a bust (from chest/shoulders up, not just my bust) photo of myself elsewhere as an ID photo, I was trashed again by someone else. I thought I looked good in both photos but apparently not. I even had a guy insult me from inside his car in a parking lot.

    It really made me lose my confidence and I went into a huge depression about the same time I had hand surgery in December of last year and was finding clothes that used to fit me weren't and those that were loose were now just at fitting. I got so ashamed that the beginning of this year I had my FB profile picture changed to a drawing of myself instead of a photo. My birthday was the first week of January and I refused to celebrate it because I didn't want to be in public, especially with my 'tradition' of wearing a miniature felt cake on my head. I even thought about ending a 2 year relationship because of my weight.

    But finally I talked sense into myself and joined a weight loss clinic and then here the same day, determined to stop feeling sorry for myself and actually do something about how big I was. I'm the one that got me here, I was the one who could get me out.


    #1- You look great, dont ever let anyone convince you otherwise

    #2- Congrats on your weight loss! keep it up! :)
  • pineapple1989
    pineapple1989 Posts: 195 Member
    It was a few little moments for me:

    Firstly, for some reason I have a hard time seeing my own weight but can see others, I knew my boyfriend was seriously obese and I worried for him... one day he weighed himself and then I weighed myself... I was about 15lbs heavier than him. Oops. That taught me a big lesson. Granted, I am 3 inches taller than him and have a larger frame but it was still a wake up call.

    The second moment was on New Years Eve (just a coincidence, not a resolution) I was dancing with my friends in a club and there were mirrors all around, I saw a guy I briefly dated a long time ago dancing not far away and nodded to say hello... then caught a look at myself in the mirror. I looked a mess, I just remember thinking "how did I let myself get this big?!?!" all of my friends were slim and pretty and I just looked... well, fat!

    This has happened before though so didnt really think too much of it and for the next few days nothing happened, but for some reason I got up about a week later and just started dieting! The fact that there was no fuss, no drama, makes me think that I wont give up, I think, after years of obesity I am finally ready.

    And so far so good!
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
    Mine was pretty basic. I was effortlessly underweight for most of my life. I usually stayed around 110 -- and when I started college, instead of gaining the infamous "Freshman 15," I actually lost weight because I would forget to eat. I was actually happy when I gained a few pounds and got up to 130 after having my first baby! Lately I'd been hovering around 150lbs, and I just kept telling myself, "Well, it's the high end of healthy, so it's ok."

    Then, this past February, I weighed in at 165. I was shocked! Officially overweight for the first time in my life! That's when I realized that I'd let this get out of control, and I really needed to do something. I'm aiming to get back to the 130 I was after my first baby, because that felt like a good weight for me.
  • Pepsi_addict
    Pepsi_addict Posts: 19 Member
    I've always known that I needed to lose weight. I've tried before but never stuck to it. Now I'm with someone that makes me happy no matter what size I am. I want to take pictures with him but we have none,(we've been together over a year) because I hate having my picture taken! I want to spend time with him and his friends and not feel like I'm not good enough for him because of the way his friends look at me.
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    I've always known I needed to lose it, but I just felt it would be too difficult to switch my diet since I do not like a lot of vegetables and most doctors just told me to eat more salads. (and between you'n me, lettuce tastes like grass. And yes I know what grass tastes like)

    The real big eye opener was my 21st birthday. I had bought a pin up style dress from Torrid that I thought I looked great in and went out with family in it, ankle boots, and a cheesy crown I bought with a big 21 on it. My cousin's now ex-fiancee took pictures of me and I had one of me standing in front of a wall decoration with fake Birds of Paradise that I put up on Facebook. My settings were friend of friend at the time and someone's friend got on and trashed me in the comments. Some weeks later when I put up a bust (from chest/shoulders up, not just my bust) photo of myself elsewhere as an ID photo, I was trashed again by someone else. I thought I looked good in both photos but apparently not. I even had a guy insult me from inside his car in a parking lot.

    It really made me lose my confidence and I went into a huge depression about the same time I had hand surgery in December of last year and was finding clothes that used to fit me weren't and those that were loose were now just at fitting. I got so ashamed that the beginning of this year I had my FB profile picture changed to a drawing of myself instead of a photo. My birthday was the first week of January and I refused to celebrate it because I didn't want to be in public, especially with my 'tradition' of wearing a miniature felt cake on my head. I even thought about ending a 2 year relationship because of my weight.

    But finally I talked sense into myself and joined a weight loss clinic and then here the same day, determined to stop feeling sorry for myself and actually do something about how big I was. I'm the one that got me here, I was the one who could get me out.


    #1- You look great, dont ever let anyone convince you otherwise

    #2- Congrats on your weight loss! keep it up! :)

    Thank you. I have had self esteem problems for years that are just now getting addressed, and that spans outside of my weight/appearance, so some days I can get pretty bothered, some days I don't. In the end it's all for me, not everyone else.
  • When I decided that I'm ready to get married and have children.
  • My moment was last year in May after having a mandateed wellness physical my weight was 233.8 lbs, I stared at the scale and thought it was an error but I was on 15 different types of meds (nightstand began looking like grandma's). Then my daughter who was 22 at the time was in town and my son who was 12, I decided to take a family portrait, while searching for something to wear a job in itself nothing beat reaction when the photos came back. At the time I was 43, looking very fat and old, that was the moment that shook me in the direction I am in.

    At that moment I decided to search the Android market for something that might help me, thats when MFP changed my life. My phone upgrade and MFP has made me realize it can be done.

    May 2011: 233.8 lbs, size 18W
    April 2012: 182.4 lbs. Size 10 Reg.

    I LOVE MFP!!!! New family portrait to be scheduled in July.
  • wolfehound22
    wolfehound22 Posts: 859 Member
    In 2009 I went to Busch Gardens, and got kicked off a roller coaster, because the safety latch wouldn't go down, I was 305 lbs, and felt like I hit rock bottom. Also lets just say bedroom activity wasn't as fun when you get out of breath super easy. SO decided I wasn't going to be that big guy anymore.
  • CRVDiva
    CRVDiva Posts: 98
    I was at my company's Holiday party and one of my friends that is always in excellent shape. My husband took a picture of us and when I saw it I looked like an elephant beside my friend who was nice and petite. I told my husband that I wasn't happy with the way I looked and I wanted to go back to the old me. I tried to lose by myself but only lost a few pounds and then I decided to see a weight loss doctor who attended at my office that spoke about the challenges of weight loss. Once I started seeing Dr. Mack he told me about MFP and encouraged me to join. Since then March 12, 2012 there has been no looking back. I am not perfect so I do slip every now and then but I am here for the long haul and I intend to reach and maintain my goal weight. Right now it's set at 135lbs but I may decide to lose more once I get there. Now that I'm starting to lose pounds and inches I'm feeling much better about myself and the best part is I can finally shop at a regular store again. No more plus sizes for me.
  • mickeysever
    mickeysever Posts: 3 Member
    When I found myself 60 pounds heavier and suddenly single.
  • Squeezie88
    Squeezie88 Posts: 63 Member
    I work at a school, and it was when a parent came in to pay fees and congratulated me on being pregnant and asked when I was due. I was absolutely mortified, and my friend, who overheard the comment, just walked over and gave me a hug.
  • BrownEyedGirl19
    BrownEyedGirl19 Posts: 3 Member
    There are several moments that would qualify as my "moment" that I realized I was fat and in need of change. I have always been chubby and had a fear of the scale. In fact, I remember going to the doctor during my sophomore year of college and learning that I weighed 170 lbs, my doctor gave me a hard time because I had gained "the freshmen 20 instead of the freshmen 15". Feeling bad about myself, I left that appointment and treated myself to a "final lunch" at my favorite burger place. My fear of the scale continued, and I avoided the doctor's office for several years. When I graduated from college and stated a new relationship, I put on a little more weight, "happy weight" as my friends affectionately called it. However, I still avoided the scale. I can't tell you how many "last meals" I treated myself to after having a "fat" day. About a year ago, my boyfriend shared with me that my body was very different than when we started dating and he was concerned about my weight. He did not bring this up in a mean or malicious way, but I chose to say he was being a jerk. About a month ago, I had to participate in a mandatory health screening for my healthy insurance. I hadn't stepped onto the scale in almost 6 years. When I did, the number that popped up shocked me, 223 lbs. Still, I was in denial. There was no way I was well over 200 lbs, I was just a little chubby, not fat. It wasn't until the doctor brought out the fat calipers and had to ask the nurse to get the large set that I realized that this was my body and I was indeed fat. In addition to this moment, there are several "aha" moments that hit me within the next few weeks.

    1. A good friend who has always been much bigger than me got on the scale, and she weighed 10 lbs less than me.
    2. Clothes at regular stores no longer fit. Walking into the plus size section was an emotional experience.
    3. My "little belly" now touches my lap and I can no longer "suck it in".
    4. Barely being able to buckle the seat belt on the airplane.

    It breaks my heart that I couldn't have had this realization 53 lbs ago when I was sitting in the doctor's office being lectured about my weight.
  • luis702702
    luis702702 Posts: 704 Member
    There was a party and there was gonna be dancing so I put on my boots and tried to polished them while I had them but something was obstructing me :( my huge belly. Right there and then I said hell no !!!!!! joined 24 hour fitness then Gold's Gym and haven't missed my workouts for exactly 2 years and one month to this day.
  • peterdat
    peterdat Posts: 2
    Sleep Apnea. When I started waking up trying to breathe I knew I had to lose the weight.
  • I've been overweight since 2nd or 3rd grade and I was always reminded of it in school. That's about how far back I can remember that I was overweight and felt I needed to lose weight (at the time to fit in)

    It's the actual WORKING to lose the weight which I've struggled with.

    I've also struggled with clinical depression for most of my life which doesn't help. A LOT of very bad things happened to me especially in the past year which brought me to hit rock-bottom. I decided to get back into counseling and back on antidepressants. It seems to be improving my mood so far and so i decided to add an extra element to the picture: watching what i eat and forcing myself to go swimming at least 3 times a week. I know that losing weight and getting in shape will help with the depression and my insomnia as well as my general outlook on life and my prospects for a healthy future.

    My best friend is my weight loss buddy which is great because we're both around the same weight and understand how it feels and have similar goals. She is a so motivated it helps keep me motivated and on top of things too. We even grocery shop together sometimes lol
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I liked the way I looked... And then one day I realized my curves were so big they lost their shape. No bueno!
  • tarotlou
    tarotlou Posts: 47
    When I met a colleague that I hadn't seen in a year, I said hi to them and they replied " I'm sorry I don't know who you are " perplexed I answered and then I was shocked as they said " omg I didn't recognise you, you have put on so much weight, you use to be so slim " I know this was her speaking before she thought about it because she tried to apologise and said it again in the apology lol. It gave me the kick in the butt I needed :smile:
  • DCruz83
    DCruz83 Posts: 99
    That day I realized I didn't fit in my pants and that when I tried to buy new ones, I figured out that when companies make pants bigger around the waist, they also make em bigger everywhere else and it looks horrible on me! So basically I feel like I'm SOL when it comes to getting new pants because when I try a small size, no I can't button it but it looks great on me otherwise... so basically I have a waist too big. Of course, being single while turning 30 didn't help either...
  • when i looked at pictures and it looked like my face was eating my eyes.

    and moreso recently when i realized my boyfriend weighed only 7 lbs more than me -.-
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