What was your "last straw"???

For me it was the realisation that I had run out of excuses.

That coupled with new motivation got my *kitten* in gear.

For me it was when I realized that I weighed more than I did when I was 9 months pregnant. My son was 12 years old...there was no reason at 5'2, I was having a hard time finding jeans that fit...I was struggling to fit into a size 18...and finding short jeans when you are size 18 is really rough!

I remember moving back to California from Wyoming and feeling like the fattest girl in Orange County. In Wyoming land of sweaters it was easy to deny the more than a few extra pounds I had found while living there. Moving back to California, unable to be comfortable in my jeans and wearing my husband's old shirt, and watching the skinny girls on walking brazenly on the beach...gave me the kick in the rear to get started...

I still have a long way to go but I do feel proud that I am moving and trying!

There was no last straw I don't think. Just a huge list of warning signs that all came together and made me snap out of it.

Moving up to 44 waist pants, which are very hard to find in any normal store. Even when you can find them, they are the end of the line, nothing bigger except in specialty stores.

Couldn't tie sneakers wouldn't holding breath.

Couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath and red-faced.

Couldn't walk 1/4 mile without being exhausted and getting shin splints.

XXL shirts getting too small and too short. Not really too short, but my belly was so big that it gave the illusion that they were too short.

Splitting the *kitten* of old jeans by squatting down to do work on my car. Went through 3 pairs in one day once.

Pain everywhere, every day at the ripe old age of 30. Knees, shoulders, back, neck, everything.

Avoiding pictures for years and years because I looked disgusting.

Sweating buckets at even the lightest levels of exertion (such as the aforementioned walking up a flight a stairs).

Snoring and sleep paralysis from disrupted sleep.

Too heavy to register on my home scale (only measured up to 300lbs).

Normal driving positions uncomfortable because sitting up in a normal position caused pressure on my substantial belly. Also my giant fat *kitten* caused me to sit too tall in vehicles, hitting my head on the ceiling. Also too wide for sports car seats, causing the side bolsters to dig into my love handles.

So fat that even my feet were fat. As an example of what a difference this makes, I went from 15 EEEE sneakers to 12 D sneakers after losing 90lbs. The same exact brand and model of sneaker in fact, 3 years apart. I might even be able to manage an 11 if I really wanted to.

That's just the short list.

There was no last straw I don't think. Just a huge list of warning signs that all came together and made me snap out of it.

Moving up to 44 waist pants, which are very hard to find in any normal store. Even when you can find them, they are the end of the line, nothing bigger except in specialty stores.

Couldn't tie sneakers wouldn't holding breath.

Couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath and red-faced.

Couldn't walk 1/4 mile without being exhausted and getting shin splints.

XXL shirts getting too small and too short. Not really too short, but my belly was so big that it gave the illusion that they were too short.

Splitting the *kitten* of old jeans by squatting down to do work on my car. Went through 3 pairs in one day once.

Pain everywhere, every day at the ripe old age of 30. Knees, shoulders, back, neck, everything.

Avoiding pictures for years and years because I looked disgusting.

Sweating buckets at even the lightest levels of exertion (such as the aforementioned walking up a flight a stairs).

Snoring and sleep paralysis from disrupted sleep.

Too heavy to register on my home scale (only measured up to 300lbs).

Normal driving positions uncomfortable because sitting up in a normal position caused pressure on my substantial belly. Also my giant fat *kitten* caused me to sit too tall in vehicles, hitting my head on the ceiling. Also too wide for sports car seats, causing the side bolsters to dig into my love handles.

So fat that even my feet were fat. As an example of what a difference this makes, I went from 15 EEEE sneakers to 12 D sneakers after losing 90lbs. The same exact brand and model of sneaker in fact, 3 years apart. I might even be able to manage an 11 if I really wanted to.

That's just the short list.

Wow man. You have came a long way. :cheers:

It wasn't just any one particular thing, it was many things...

Not in any particular order:

1) Realizing that the "fat pants" I bought last year were a size 40 waist and were starting to get tight on me.

2) Recent trip to the doctors office and I tipped the scale at a little over 260 lbs

3) EVERYTHING was more difficult. Climbing stairs, bending down, tying shoes, etc...

In July of this year, my son and I went to a waterpark while on vacation. When I took my shirt off at the lockers, my 6 year old (in front of like 20 people) said, "Daddy... Your tummy is bigger than my whole body is!" Needless to say, everyone had a good chuckle, and I can't blame my son for being honest. Starting August 1st, I was determined to make a change. Proud to say as of yesterday, I am down 15 pounds, and my tummy isn't quite as big. :-)

Like most above, ugly pics, biggest pants didn't fit, jackets I couldn't button, couldn't clip my toenails or tie my shoes without my eyeballs trying to pop out of my head, blood pressure kept climbing, plantar fasciiatis that wouldn't go away, and my biggest scrubs ripped when I bent over... umm, wake up call. Plain scrubs are huge and ugly, lol.

Took 3 tries on here... but this time it stuck... kind of like what a lot of people say it's like to stop smoking...
Progress report is I'm ONLY down 20 pounds in 90 days, my "fat" wedding ring is way too big and keeps falling off, I'm ONLY a size smaller in the now cuter form fitting scrubs which my boss told me I had to buy and lots of other NSV's :happy:

I love this thread by the way, very motivating for all of us I'm sure ..

Right with you!

So many to list:laugh: but a short list:
1. Doctor visit and seeing the weight on the scale. Not good.
2. Seeing the word obese.
3. Being told to lose weight before other medical conditions get worse (I am already a Diabetic).

That's just a few and finally decided that I need to change my lifestyle.

My breaking point was when I found myself unable to climb the 18 steps up to my apartment without being so winded. And every night when I lay down in my bed my palpitations were very uncomfortable and were increasing as my weight was piling on. Also, when I go out some where I have to wear something black especially my tops. They have to be big enough to be baggy so as to hide my pregnant-looking belly. I had been having a harder time finding those shirts in my closet and would go out and buy more.
I want this excess weight off of me forever… I am so tired of being tired and ready to live my life the way it was meant to be lived... No more physical restrictions of climbing stairs, putting my socks and shoes on w/o hurting and having my belly obstruct me from doing so… and being able to reach my butt when I go to the bathroom first thing in the morning w/o back pain!!!
(TMI) I know and don’t care at this moment… I am so mad at myself for letting my emotions and food dictate my life…I am writing this out of sheer desperation to be understood…Who else feels this way?

I am 42 years old and have been overweight-obese for a combined 24 years and if I wind up having saggy and baggy skin when I reach my goal, so be it. I don’t care as long as I can live healthier and longer without any physical limitations it will all be worth it in the end.

Seeing myself in pictures taken this summer... being the heaviest ever in my life
But I'm so happy to have found this awesome site!

wind hold day on the mountain so I could not ski. looked up free apps on my phone and been here ever since. not a joke. it is how it happened.

There was no last straw I don't think. Just a huge list of warning signs that all came together and made me snap out of it.

Moving up to 44 waist pants, which are very hard to find in any normal store. Even when you can find them, they are the end of the line, nothing bigger except in specialty stores.

Couldn't tie sneakers wouldn't holding breath.

Couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath and red-faced.

Couldn't walk 1/4 mile without being exhausted and getting shin splints.

XXL shirts getting too small and too short. Not really too short, but my belly was so big that it gave the illusion that they were too short.

Splitting the *kitten* of old jeans by squatting down to do work on my car. Went through 3 pairs in one day once.

Pain everywhere, every day at the ripe old age of 30. Knees, shoulders, back, neck, everything.

Avoiding pictures for years and years because I looked disgusting.

Sweating buckets at even the lightest levels of exertion (such as the aforementioned walking up a flight a stairs).

Snoring and sleep paralysis from disrupted sleep.

Too heavy to register on my home scale (only measured up to 300lbs).

Normal driving positions uncomfortable because sitting up in a normal position caused pressure on my substantial belly. Also my giant fat *kitten* caused me to sit too tall in vehicles, hitting my head on the ceiling. Also too wide for sports car seats, causing the side bolsters to dig into my love handles.

So fat that even my feet were fat. As an example of what a difference this makes, I went from 15 EEEE sneakers to 12 D sneakers after losing 90lbs. The same exact brand and model of sneaker in fact, 3 years apart. I might even be able to manage an 11 if I really wanted to.

That's just the short list.

Mine wasn't one big moment really either.

For me, it was seeing the number 2 as the first digit on the scale, followed by a 3 at a doctor's office who told me for the first time that I was "clinically obese."

There was also:

Too fat to even get out of a chair without pushing up with my arms.

Not being able to tie my shoes without getting out of breath from squishing up so much.

Not being able to cross my legs.

Plus size clothes. Not able to shop in normal women's stores anymore.

Belly sticking out further than my boobs.

Avoiding mirrors and pictures at all costs.

Not recognizing that very fat lady in pictures of me.

Being heavier than my husband.

Not being able to even walk a mile without pain, getting out of breath, and being generally exhausted.

Sweating ALL THE TIME.

Elastic pants... yeah, I wore them...

I visited my grandma in April/May of this year. She has a bit of dementia but when she saw me, she knew exactly who she was speaking to. She apparently did not like how I looked. She cannot speak English, so she said something and my mom was really reluctant to translate that from Cantonese:

"Aiya...you look like you're 300 lbs.!"

She wasn't far off. I was in the 270s and in total denial about my weight.

My grandma has always been very weight conscious with everyone but she was right. Something had to give. I was fat.

I started the first of June and haven't looked back. I don't ever want to be that big ever again.

I was miserable both physically and mentally. I woke up one morning 13 months ago and said enough is enough. As you can tell, I took it and continue to take it very seriously.