Moment or situation you realised things needed to change

Options
245

Replies

  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
    Options
    This moment for me came in November 2008 when I was 32 and on a business trip. I was with my boss who was normal weight, and I was at my lifetime heaviest (307 I believe). I'd been having some problems with my feet and ankles swelling which worried me about my health, and despite a pretty good checkup at the doctor (with just the usual comment about weight loss being wise), I was nervous. My boss and I were taking Amtrak and had to rush up about 3 flights of stairs, and I could barely keep up with her and I was really out of breath and dizzy. I'd been overweight since childhood but I always seemed to be in fairly decent health, able to move quickly, etc...and that was the first time I ever found myself so desperate to breathe well and keep up others' pace.

    The day I returned from my business trip, I went to look at bicycles but I was scared that I would weigh too much and break the display bikes in the shop. Instead I started walking every night, about 0.5 mile and then got up to 2 miles per night. I did not change my diet at all, though. It took me about 2 years but I got back down to a more "normal for me" weight of 272 and felt 100% better physically.

    Last year I got a divorce and met the love of my life soon after. He collects and restores vintage bicycles! So now I have two bikes I ride, even though I'm still not great at riding (it had been over 15 years when I started up again). I go walking and swimming etc, and I've become pescetarian. I was around 260 when I started MFP at the end of March 2013. Now I am around 230 and all of a sudden people are really noticing my weight loss and increased fitness!
  • maryepowell70
    maryepowell70 Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    I have had a couple of those moments; but the most recent 2... July of 2011, about a month after our son was in a car accident that he didn't survive. I knew I did not want my husband and daughters to have to go through loosing me, just because I couldn't make the decisions to eat better, cook more healthy and move more. At that time I joined WW, but was having a difficult time making the right decisions- as my husband and daughter that is still home were not really interested in eating right and our budget was suffering. SO, I quit paying WW. Then, this past January- I felt like I should start trying to sell the baked goodies I make. That makes it very difficult to eat right, as well. SO, I was told about the mobile app for MFP- and when I weighed in to start it, I had gained all I lost while doing WW back (but thankfully nothing more than that!) I've been using MFP for a little more than a week and I've lost 2 pounds! Yay! I am excited about that and looking forward to getting in better shape to be able to finish all that I still have to accomplish, from helping my girls, supporting my honey and being here for my grandkids! <3
  • daisyeyes
    daisyeyes Posts: 144
    Options
    For me it was seeing other girls in the same mirror. Like, I would think of myself as skinny, but when I saw my reflection at stores and stuff I'd be like "woah, you do not look skinny...".
    I took a while for it to really sink in though. But my family didn't tell me I needed to lose weight until I started asking them If I was chubby. They would say "well, you're not exactly 'skinny'."
    And, of course, when I got out the scale..... and took my measurements.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
    Options
    Quite a few things. I gained 100 lbs with my first baby and never lost any of it. I met a new man (who is now my fiance) and he was a health nut and he was 50 lbs lighter than me. Also I hate having to tell my 3 year old that I cant run and chase him because I am too out of shape to do so. I NEED to change. And now that I have just had my second baby I need to be healthy for my boys.

    hehe this kind of happened to me, too. My fiance's a health nut and he was almost 400 lb in his teens, and now at age 32, and 6'3" he weighs exactly the same as me (~230) but he's so much more fit. When we started dating I weighed 35-40 lb more than him.
  • jennyrebekka
    jennyrebekka Posts: 626 Member
    Options
    hitting the age my Dad and Gpa both were - when they had their first heart attacks.......and realizing that being 300+ lbs is probably not the best way to treat my own heart.......
  • marcy_76
    marcy_76 Posts: 48 Member
    Options
    A series of things happened. I was used to barely being 120 pounds, and had recently weighed in at 156. I told myself, "Eh, that's not too bad." Told my boyfriend that and he had said, "If you're happy with yourself right now, I am too. Will you be happy if you hit 160? 170?" Told myself, nah, I'll be fine...

    A month ago, my two sisters completed a 5k together. I joked with them, "Hey... we should do a sister run!" Just joking around.

    Had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. I looked at pictures of myself from 10 years ago. I look completely different. I used to be toned and small, and now here I am sporting a pear-shape.

    For my birthday, my sister signed me up for a 5k for the middle of August.

    Had a dream a couple nights after my birthday. I'm 500 pounds and have melted into my couch, while I am watching my sisters on TV running their marathon. And I say to the TV, "Eh, 500 pounds? Who cares?"

    Woke up realizing that *I* am the one who needs to care.
  • sadshah
    sadshah Posts: 3
    Options
    When my daughter said mom eat less you r too fat ,its embarassing for me
  • andysmom
    andysmom Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    I have had a couple of those moments; but the most recent 2... July of 2011, about a month after our son was in a car accident that he didn't survive. I knew I did not want my husband and daughters to have to go through loosing me, just because I couldn't make the decisions to eat better, cook more healthy and move more.

    I'm so sorry for your loss. So glad that you found MFP. It can work, and we can be successful at this! Hang in there, feeling better and being around for your family are great motivation,
  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    Options
    Not sure if I can call it my moment as much as for my family. My sister-in-law called me crying because she stepped on a scale at GNC and it read 171 lbs. She's 5' 3 and it was the highest she had ever weighed. When she married my brother she was a size 2 and barely 115 lbs soaking wet. I told her I was going to find a program to help her log her food, and I found MFP on my iPhone. She initially lost 17 lbs in 3 months but got busy and while she doesn't log on every day she is more aware of what she eats.

    Personally, I'm a runner and thought I didn't need to lose any weight but I've vastly improved my eating habits just by tracking my food. I've also done more circuit training work to shape my body and my running times have improved dramatically. For example, my half-marathon time dropped from a 9 minute mile to a sub-8 minute mile.

    I'll always log onto MFP because I want to set a good example for my family and hopefully they will see the importance of it one day.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Options
    It was actually when I asked a girl out. She said no; she needed a hot, fit guy.
  • LeahMaria26
    LeahMaria26 Posts: 62 Member
    Options
    First moment was when someone asked me if I was pregnant, followed by the moment when the scales showed a number that I never thought i'd see.
  • TS3g
    TS3g Posts: 74 Member
    Options
    Having worn the same size of shirts and jeans for years, then no longer being able to wear them.
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
    Options
    When i got fired from one of my agencies for not being a sample size anymore. I was lying to myself in saying that I was happy with my 'new curves' and it took me a long time to realise that.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    Options
    Years ago it was a vanity thing. I wanted to buy nice clothes. This time around it's for my health & to keep up with my energetic kids. Plus I want to be around for them & be healthy when they are adults.
  • yaseyuku
    yaseyuku Posts: 871 Member
    Options
    When I bought a skirt only to find out that it could hardly fit over my knees.

    You couldn't try it on beforehand so I just eyeballed it and it looked right but wasn't at all. It was for my birthday too.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    Options
    When I was sitting in the car and I felt my fat rolls. YUCK. :brokenheart:
  • jurgie18
    jurgie18 Posts: 150 Member
    Options
    My moment was when I was playing soccer for the first time in a long time and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Also I want to fit into cute clothes and shoes!:happy:
  • debbash68
    debbash68 Posts: 981 Member
    Options
    It was actually when I asked a girl out. She said no; she needed a hot, fit guy.
    That is so harsh, some of the reasons on here are really moving, makes me feel more motivated too
  • runner2runner
    runner2runner Posts: 1,937 Member
    Options
    For me it was just over 10 years ago after I'd just returned to South Africa after a three year stay in the UK. I saw how well built and muscular one of my close friends had gotten and to be honest, I was pretty envious of him, as I was still very skinny and scrawny at the time. That was when I decided to start hitting the gym, not because I wanted to look like him, but because I always hated my scrawny frame but never did anything about it! Seeing him gave me the push I needed to finally get off my *kitten* and do something about it!!
  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
    Options
    It was this past January. I was tanning on the beach and thought it'd be funny to take a selfie and text it to family in Indiana and Illinois, who were dealing with cold and snow. I previewed the photo and had a shock: I had no idea I had moobs like that! I looked like a chubby, short-haired, topless woman.eek.gif

    I have nothing against short-haired, chubby, topless women but I sure don't want to look like one. That photo was deleted immediately and I got busy on my exercise and foodal intake. I still have some gut and moobage but not near as bad as I did in January.

Categories