The first time you realised you were actually over weight.

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.

When i first got out of the service I went to work for a civilian contractor that was still on base. Several other guys were retired from the service so they could use the gym for life. I started going daily with a co-worker and went from good shape to great shape (for me at least. 205 with 9% BF).

At one point I decided to quit and move back to the midwest for school. There wasn't an affordable gym in town and I decided that beer went with studying better than sweat. Poor choice. I gained 40 pounds in school.

Then I moved to Iowa for my first post-college job. I spent the first year on 3rd shift. I also stopped sleeping. My house was on a busy road in a town full of bikers. I was averaging probably 3-4 hours of sleep a day. I put on 50 more pounds and developed sleep apnea. Life wasn't great. One day i kinda passed out in the kitchen. Just sorta fell over and grabbed at the counter top to keep myself up. It didn't work and the counter top came with me. My wife even tried to catch me. That didn't work either:) That is when I went for the sleep study to start fixing myself.

The day it actually "hit me" was the night my daughter was born. I knew I had been putting on weight, but I was so tired and stressed that I didn't really think about it in a conscious way. We stayed in the hospital for 2 days since my wife ended up needing a c-section. At one point I reached up onto a shelf to get a glass for my wife and realized that my "new" polo shirt rode up and exposed my belly. Kinda embarassing.

It was at that point that I went to the scale in the corner and stepped on. Holy... 297! What happened to me? In six years I had gone from working out 7 days a week (including bike rides, hiking, weights, running...3 hrs a day) to...shock and high blood pressure. I had made it to pre-diabetic without realizing a care.

I started dieting immediately, but not exercising. Lost 30 pounds before I got boored again. Little over a year later I found MFP, learned a lot and started doing things right. Lost another 50lbs, but I'm not there yet. I am, however, on my way back.

when I couldnt suck my stomach in anymore and at the same time my 4 year old told me to put that thing away (meaning my stomach)when I had my stomach out cause I was hot.

Kids are lovely little *kitten* aren't they. LOL. That made me crack up. But I know you were MORTIFIED.

Since I am a bigger guy, I try to dress where my stomach isn't as noticable, but this skinny woman at my office, when she walks through the door, looks dead at my stomach, and then looks at me and rolls her eyes.

It made me a little depressed and sad, but I'm doing something about it now, so I could care less of what she or anyone thinks.

yesterday she told me(now that i lost 10 pounds) i could go the lake with her and her dad since i look okay in my swimsuite she is something else let me tell you

I'm sorry, my replies aren't posting under the comment I am replying too.

Good for you Penelope!! Getting rid of your fat clothes is fantastic!

I'm new to this forum. How do you get your replies under the post you are replying too? Thanks

Yikes! Out of the mouth of babes!

For me, it was when I went to the movies with the family and I was uncomfortable the whole time, "squeezed" into the seat. I had never felt so uncomfortable in what are actually very roomy theater seats. It was when I saw the link for MFP posted on Facebook, about a week later, that I decided to do something about it.

3rd grade Christmas pageant. My mom was in the dressing room with me, getting me ready and she told me that I was starting to look "too much like her," which, I knew meant that I was fat because that was what she complained about every day to us kids.

I was 14 and had to wear a maternity bathing suit.

I use to travel for work and as a result ate out constantly. I was already a little overweight but had convinced myself that I carried my weight well and didn't look as fat as I was. Then one night in my hotel room I was lounging on the bed and looked away from the TV to the full length mirror that happened to be right next to the bed and i saw my huge double chin and my fat belly just hanging out for the world to see. That was 5 years ago. I weighed 280 pounds. I joined weight watchers and never looked back. I'm down 70 pounds since then. I will never look like that again.

^^^^ :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ^^^^^

Last spring. I couldn't zip up size 16 pants, and would have to go to plus sizes first time in my life. My face on pics was really fat and i was smiling on the pic. It was so ironic. Plus I couldn't run a lap whereas before I could run miles. It was the worst feeling ever. For the first time in my life I got so mad at myself and I wanted to make lifestyle change for me. I was angry I fed my body whatever and I cut off all sweets and fast food immediately, other than that I let myself eat because I have no will power at all for diets. I slowly ate less and less throughout the year around 1500 cals range, I began feeling proud of myself.

The posts above me are hillarious... This has got to be the most entertaining topic ??