The first time you realised you were actually over weight.

Saw a woman at the beach in the same swimsuit as me, but looked much better. I thought she might be taller or have a smaller bust because she was still soft and curvy, but in the right ways. We met in the bathroom and started talking and I found out that not only was she only an inch or so taller than me, but she was the same bust size as me. I knew I was a little chubby, but that night I calculated my BFP and I was only one percentage over, but I was in the obese category. So I joined MFP and began to workout.

It didn't really hit me suddenly, I always knew I was overweight, I just didn't care enough. What made me decide enough was enough was when I slipped a disc last year, and my doctor looked at me sadly and told me that if I wasn't so overweight, it may not have happened, and that if I lost weight, I have a much better chance of it not happening again.

Being in that much pain and bed bound to the point where my other half had to help me go to the toilet definitely made me realise I needed to do something! :laugh:

I was looking at some holiday photos and I said "who's that fat woman in the corner of the photo?" Only to realise with a shock that it was me

Same thing here. Except it was just me and a friend. I didn't really remember posing for the picture, but when I saw it on her facebook a few weeks later I remember thinking, "Who's that fat redhead with Amy? She looks really familiar..." It actually took me a minute of looking at the actual picture (thumbnail wasn't enough) to realize it was me.

It'd been creeping up on me....

I mean, several years back I joined Weight Watchers to get an extra 5 pounds off that I'd gained being all happily married and eating all the food my husband cooked for me. I kept ping-ponging, but kept it within 10 pounds.

Two springs ago, when I joined here initially, I had gained a little more than that, and managed to keep it at a not to horrible 163-ish, whereupon I couldn't seem to shake things up and lose anymore, but I didn't look awful.

In January, after having to go to the doctor for a fall, I got on the scale and saw 1-9-2, which is the largest I have ever been in my life, and I just KNEW that if I didn't get a handle on it right then and there? It was just going to keep going up. Hence I've been back daily since then.

Never again.

Up until recently, I was feeling quite good about myself. I was never what society accepts as thin, but I was an active martial artist and practicing yogini up until I was injured running. I had a strong, solid build with curves that attacted a lot of attention. I was fit and prideful to the point of arrogance.

I knew that I had put on "a couple of pounds" while I attended my injury, but I wasn't worried about it. I also knew that I wasn't working out half as much in the years following my injury. Then a photographer came for a photo shoot at my office. He used me for a few staging shots. I couldn't believe what I saw. I went home and stepped on the scale for the first time in years. Heck, when you workout as much as I used to, you didn't bother weighing yourself. "Used to" is an important phrase. While I was injured, I contiued to eat as though I was working out 6 days per week, and I wasn't working out at all. Yes, I noticed my clothing size increasing multiple times a year, but I chose to be in denial. I denied there was a problem until a photograher presented me with the evidence of my neglect.

Fifty pounds. I've gained just over 50 pounds. The scary number, coupled with the photograph dropped me into despair. I was so ashamed. I'm still ashamed, and I'm having a terrible time motivating myself. I try to run, and my knees ache. I'm heavy and slow and I want to cry just a mile or so in. I've been signing up for 5K races, and I feel so out of place beside so many younger, fit runners.

This whomps, but I'm glad I was forced to eat the reality sandwich. Fifty pounds is a lot, but it would be much worse if another year passed without arresting the weight gain.

Back in 10th grade...this was around 2001 I guess. I met up with some friends, and one of my classmates/co-workers said to me, "WHOA you're fat as ****!" Then everyone started laughing. I thank God I don't get embarrassed too easily, but I casually said something back to him that is sooooooooooo not politically correct to say today. But it got laughs too, so it took the heat off of me for a bit.

Same year, I was on the track team at my HS, some teammates marveled and said, "for a fat *kitten*, you can run your *kitten* off, good job." Again, deep down I resented that comment to the utmost, but I was still athletic, so it didn't click in my mind until years later when I lost a bit of that athleticism that I said to myself. Hey, you're overweight!

People can be so cruel. I believe it comes from self hatred. And I'm sarcastic as heck. But I have the common sense to know not to tease people about weight, or their general appearance. I hold the mantra, do unto others and they would do unto you.

I was "told" by my mother when I was 14 years old and she decided I was going on her diet with her. In retrospect many decades later I realize I was not overweight at that time. I had begun developing and I think that made my mother uncomfortable. I first thought I was overweight after my first child was born. In reality I wasn't but in my mind I was. I joined T.O.P.S. and lost 20 lbs. That was the beginning of my 40+ years of dieting. As I explore my history of weight, diets, etc. etc. It is amazing how much my weight/shape has been a primary memory.

Really I knew for years, but never excepted or admitted it but funny thing is when I did admit that I was fat and had a problem there was NO going back, if I made progress or not it is and will be torment on the mind forever more.