What was your turning point?

mkookies
mkookies Posts: 67 Member
in Motivation and Support
When was it that you decided - enough is enough, I have to change my unhealthy lifestyle?

Mine was when I jumped on a scale and realized that I was 40 pounds heavier than what I was the last time I checked a few years ago. My old clothes didn't fit anymore, and I didn't like what I saw in the mirror... and especially family/friend photos.
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Replies

  • ChrisM32205
    ChrisM32205 Posts: 218 Member
    Same here.. after losing weight and feeling good last year, I slacked off and gained most of it back. Now I am on goal again and looking and feeling great. Having clothes that fit well is a plus too!
  • HeyGoRun
    HeyGoRun Posts: 550 Member
    When I saw that pictures were telling a different story than what i was seeing in the mirror!
    Was in denial for 2 years. Finally I said enough, "hey just go run!" and i got my groove back!
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    Being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and diverticulosis at age 34...I had finally quit smoking but wasn't doing anything about my weight until my health started to be affected....
  • alichristiana
    alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
    When I saw that pictures were telling a different story than what i was seeing in the mirror!
    Me too! That combined with size 16 jeans. I'm still in the 16s but they are getting loose now :)
  • boatyboat
    boatyboat Posts: 60 Member
    I signed a piece of paper and lost 400 pounds immediately...seemed like a good start so I got to work...


    (divorce)
  • betho217
    betho217 Posts: 50 Member
    My blood pressure went up into the pre-hypertensive range. I was 26 but I felt much older. Made an appointment with a nutritionist the next day.
  • KateGifford
    KateGifford Posts: 2,521 Member
    I stepped on the scale, and my weight was almost 15 pounds heavier than the last time I saw my weight. I recently started an office job, which means A LOT less movement. I was in denial about the fact that I was gaining weight, until I stepped on the scale.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I was just on the verge of needing to shop in the plus-size section, and I didn't want to.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    When I had my daughters. I'm now hoping sometime soon that my partner will do the same thing.
  • ferrytrip
    ferrytrip Posts: 497 Member
    my youngest son telling me I should go on the biggest loser.
  • karolinacorrea
    karolinacorrea Posts: 22 Member
    Found two stretch marks around my waist on my birthday. I didn't have any in there before :(
  • desertSNOUT
    desertSNOUT Posts: 175
    My wife is pregnant and is a bigger gal and I want to set a good example...

    Her health depends on losing a lot of weight after this pregnancy.
  • chezzamanezza
    chezzamanezza Posts: 48
    Mine was when me and my partner started talking about marriage and having family. I realised that if I don't do something now I will be a fat bride that looks like a giant marshmallow and an overweight, unfit mom who can`t play with her kids.
    The thought horrified me so I got on the scales and here I am.
  • AddiesHK
    AddiesHK Posts: 8 Member
    When my family life starting falling apart. It was either exercise or depression so easy choice.
  • TakingControl13
    TakingControl13 Posts: 107
    My niece took a picfure of mw while I wasn't looking. I LOOKED humongous. =/ I was like....no no no. Ive been on MFP for almost 3 months and was yoyo dieting. Im sticking it to it now.
  • utvarpshaus
    utvarpshaus Posts: 3 Member
    It was a mix of:
    Seeing pictures of me and noticing I had transformed into this swollen blob of my former self.
    Trying to buy shorts but for me to get anything to fit around my *kitten* I would have had to go to the plus size section, and not even for the smallest sizes there.
    The final straw was going on the scale and seeing that I was 15 kg heavier than my biggest estimate. I was 95 kg, only 5 kg more left to reach the terrible 100 kg. It was then that I decided to do what I had always told myself I could do if I put my mind to it. I was going to lose the excess weight.

    Today, a year after I started I'm down to 75 kg. I'm so happy to have reached this milestone and that I'm so close to my goal weight. I didn't do anything extreme either, just walked a bit more and ate a bit healthier and a bit less. That doesn't mean that I've not had plenty of days where I've fallen off the wagon by drinking too much, eating too much and often both of them combined. But I get back on the horse and here I am, proud of myself :)
  • ChrisS30V
    ChrisS30V Posts: 157 Member
    My brother, who was quite a bit skinnier and who I always assumed to be the healthier of us, went to the doctor and found out he had high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. The doctor basically told him that unless he changed his diet and exercise habits he would more than likely, based on family history, go on to develop heart disease and full blown diabetes. Seeing as how we both followed the same (crappy diet) and I was about 50 lbs heavier, I thought it might be wise for me to make changes as well.

    That was two years ago and things haven't been the same since. I've had my periods and losing weight and then gaining, but since joining MFP I've been able to stay a lot more consistent with my eating and exericise and have therefore been able to not only lose the weight but have been maintaining the loss for a few months now and I'm going strong headed into the holiday season.
  • MicheleRoberts1983
    MicheleRoberts1983 Posts: 5
    For me, it started with a smoothie. lol I got a smoothie from Dairy Queen that was absolutely delicious, and I thought, "I bet I could make these from scratch..." and I started making my OWN smoothies, getting to be really creative. I'd been failing at a lot of things lately, getting rejected from jobs, being underemployed at the job I'm at now, and having absolutely NO social life or friends where I live (I'm rather isolated and have social anxiety disorder). I tended to comfort eat and sit in front of the TV or computer. For the first time, though, I felt really creative, because I could make my OWN smoothies. I would whip up new recipes, and they eventually replaced chocolate for me. I lost around 10 pounds a few weeks after I began this. I also started hiking again when we discovered a new park a 30 minute drive from where I live. The ball rolled from there. I've been discovering other healthy ways of eating, using yogurt and soy milk and almond milk. I've taken to measuring everything I eat. I think the amount of control I have over things is comforting to me, though I DO eat. I'm not starving myself. Once I got to this site, I found a way to be able to measure all of it, the food and exercise. So now, if I DO overeat, I immediately exercise it off. I love having the immediate feedback to let me know the right things to be doing.

    A more emotional reason is when I realized that my weight was affecting me getting a job. I applied for a job at Banana Republic...and I'm several sizes larger than their largest size. Needless to say, even though I thought I did well, they didn't hire me. My fiance has been saying for a while that maybe the reason I've been turned down for so many jobs was my weight (even though not all of them were retail jobs)...I didn't believe him for a long time, but this one made me think maybe he was right. :( I work at Macy's (in the women's department) and have to see cute clothes all the time I know I can't afford or fit in. I'm just tired of being the poor fat girl who can't have anything or succeed.

    Plus, I've generally had low self esteem and have been practically shut in, because I don't feel good enough to get out. I'm just tired of not being a part of things and failing in my endeavors. At least so far, I haven't been failing in this. I've lost almost 20 pounds since I started (I started using this site weeks after my initial weight loss). I want to be a stronger person, and I think I'm on my way to being one.
  • MizSookeh
    MizSookeh Posts: 106 Member
    A few things all around the same time for me...

    I have friends who are getting married in a couple of weeks. They've been together 5 years, and have so many photos together. They posted a few on their wedding event page on Facebook, on their online gift registry, etc.... all really lovely couple photos.
    I've been with my boyfriend for almost 2 years, and can count the number of photos of us together on one hand. I HATE seeing myself in photos, but I hate not having that sort of history of our relationship.

    I also had a friend from high school (11 years ago) contact me for the first time since our last day of school, he'd completely fallen off the radar. He wants to catch up sometime in the next six months (he'll be visiting from overseas) and I'm too embarrassed to see him when I'm this big, regardless of how much I'd love to catch up.

    I'm also working in an office where the other women are all thin, attractive, and well-off and go on and on about their lifestyles which I don't think I'll ever be able to afford, but I'd at least like to stop feeling like 'the fat lump' in the corner who can't join in the conversations.
  • Dch2272
    Dch2272 Posts: 93 Member
    My turning point was earlier this year when my mother passed away from preventable health related illnesses. Watching her die convinced me that I would never do that to my children. So, I got serious about my health. I am at the gym five days a week at 5am getting control of my health. I monitor what I eat by logging daily and I drink a ton of water every day. I don't want to be the fat mom anymore that can't do things with her children and I don't want them to have to bury me because of my bad choices. I want to leave them with a healthy legacy and knowing that they had a mom who would play with them and have fun!
  • runningvegan
    runningvegan Posts: 65
    A lot of things lead up to it, but the last straw was that I didn't want the weight on the scale to start with a 2.
  • bruma1345
    bruma1345 Posts: 21 Member
    When I was unable to fit in a roller coaster and my young son wasn't able to ride it alone because he was to short to do so.. so we had to leave after waiting in line forever and him crying.
  • apedeb09
    apedeb09 Posts: 805 Member
    When I looked at pics of me from a few years ago, I look so much thinner than I am now. I'm at the heaviest weight I've ever been non pregnant. I've had 3 babies in the last 3 years so I've really packed on the pounds. Before I got pregnant with my 2nd son I was 50 lbs lighter than I am now. I'm sick of all this extra weight. I just want to get back to where I used to be!
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    It was a mix of:
    Seeing pictures of me and noticing I had transformed into this swollen blob of my former self.
    Trying to buy shorts but for me to get anything to fit around my *kitten* I would have had to go to the plus size section, and not even for the smallest sizes there.
    The final straw was going on the scale and seeing that I was 15 kg heavier than my biggest estimate. I was 95 kg, only 5 kg more left to reach the terrible 100 kg. It was then that I decided to do what I had always told myself I could do if I put my mind to it. I was going to lose the excess weight.

    Today, a year after I started I'm down to 75 kg. I'm so happy to have reached this milestone and that I'm so close to my goal weight. I didn't do anything extreme either, just walked a bit more and ate a bit healthier and a bit less. That doesn't mean that I've not had plenty of days where I've fallen off the wagon by drinking too much, eating too much and often both of them combined. But I get back on the horse and here I am, proud of myself :)

    I started at 95 kg too, now down to 74/75. Feels great, doesn't it?
  • Glenno33
    Glenno33 Posts: 9
    Still sort of waiting I look fit but gotta give the beers and the smokes up on the days off.its hard if I can't see it
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    When I got out of the shower one day and said OMG what a flabby mess I am! Haha! I just didn't like what I saw anymore and decided to finally take action. 6 weeks into it and I'm already happier with myself at this point but plan on getting in much better shape over the next 6 months. And my clothes were all getting too tight around the stomach and waist, it just wasn't cool haha!
  • faith_76
    faith_76 Posts: 199 Member
    I had to by a size 16 in jeans because nothing fit
    I avoid pics because of how big I am
    I would be tired by 11am
    Kids wanting me to play with them but I was too tired
    Couldn't see my toes
    No self confidence
  • ClaudiaBette
    ClaudiaBette Posts: 38 Member
    I started a new job. I had been there for about 9 months when I realized that after walking up the small 10 steps or so to get to my office, I was huffing and puffing like I had ran a marathon. I couldn’t breathe and needed a minute to catch my breath. It was when my co-worker almost had 911 on the phone because he thought I was dying, when I just couldn’t breathe because I couldn’t walk up steps.

    That was 53 lbs ago. Since then, other things have fallen into place. The cute little compliments my 9 year old gives me. Even his school friends are noticing that his Mommy “got skinny” (a direct quote from one of his classmates upon seeing me when I picked him up from school). I can now play with him and not want to just sit and stare at T.V.

    Another moment was when I realized, I didn’t want diabetes and wanted to live long enough to see my son grow.
  • Suezyq47
    Suezyq47 Posts: 199 Member
    Being diagnosed with diverticulosis and severe pain in my abdomen. At first I ignored it, but after reoccurring hours of severe stomach pain every other month did it for me. This pain lasts about 3 days each time and it is terrible! I finally decided to change my diet for better health mostly, but of course I need to lose some weight too.
  • tmariethomas5
    tmariethomas5 Posts: 30
    I had a second stroke - and I am only 48. My doctor asked me to seriously consider if I wanted to see my 8 year old grow up. I have always used the excuse that I am too stressed and tired from work, so I did not have time to work out (a LIE to myself) and that, because I suffered from anorexic behaviors when I was younger - got below 100 lbs at 5'7" - that it was too dangerous for me to diet (another falsehood). ( really had no excuses - my partner is a trainer and we have a full gym at our house. Thinking about not being there to see my little girl grow up - was my real wake up call.

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