When was your last straw that made you want to change?

Seeing that scale screen display 200 lb, not being able to go up one flight of stairs without feeling winded, always feeling lazy and tired at 20 years old. Ugh! Time to get to health!

Mine is similar to this^...

While the scale kept creeping up over the years, I would say to myself, "well, at least it's not 200. At least I'm under that." Then, when it crept to over 200, I would say, at least it's not 210. I'm under that. Etc, Etc. When it was Christmas time last year, and I dedided to weigh myself, and it hit 219, I said that is enough. My size 18 pants were getting TIGHT, and I didn't want to get into the 20's. I told myself "I'm losing this weight, and I'm not going to quit this time". I've been at it ever since (jan 1st last year).

My son is seven months old and I don't want to be carrying any more of this baby weight around by the time he turns one!

Also, I want to start buying cute clothes again

Congrats on quitting smoking....I gained 40 lbs after quitting smoking so now is a great time to concentrate on your weight as well. Quitting is one of the hardest things I have ever done...this weight loss thing should be a breeze. Good luck with both. Jacque

Started training a few years ago, seen a picture from my 21st Birthday bash, I never realized how out of hand it had gotten... fast forward a few years was feeling good and confident, dropped alot of fat weight and even started gaining muscularity. I had even started playing in team sports (big deal for me, as I was always the short fat kid at school who never got picked for anything)

Fast forward again a few changes in jobs left me with severe depression and anxiety, the sickness time I took resulted in losing my job. No money for the gym, no motivation for any excercise sought comfort in junk food, and BAM! right back where I was.

So it's round two for me, battled through my depression which was the priority at the time. New job and a better outlook on life time to get back in shape!

Mine was photos of me on nights out in Amsterdam :-( I just wanted to cry for hours!!

A photo.

I saw it and just felt repulsed by myself.

This plus realising I couldn't fit into any of my clothes. I too was in denial but realised that I needed to learn to love myself and since there was no way I could love my body as it was it had to be changed.

My last straw was being young and my body falling apart. I hit an all time high in weight and an all time low in life. I had given up. I was tired and sick all the time. I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Psoriatic Arthritis. I had gotten up to 315 pounds. I couldn't hardly get out of bed because of the arthritis. I had to quit my job because I just couldn't do it anymore. My blood pressure was out of control. Then my husband got sick and had to have several teeth pulled, he quit smoking because of it. I figured if he could give up his habit of smoking, then I could kick my habit of being lazy and eating whatever I wanted. He got me a recumberant bike and I started on the South Beach diet. In no time I lost 25 pounds. I got down 75 pounds. This past year I have gone up and down, but I think alot of that has to do with changes in meds for my PCOS. Plus stress and getting a new job and not being able to workout as often. I started this year out with working out, even if it's just at home, for about 30 minutes everyday. I've gained about 15 pounds back total. I need to get it back off. My arthritis is starting to bother me more and I want to have a baby. I have lost the weight before and I know I can again. I am not far from my goal weight. I only need to lose about 78 more pounds. I know I can do it.

I saw a picture of myself at a Christmas party last year (2012) and finally realized I had gained a lot more weight than I realized.

I saw a picture of myself at a Christmas party last year (2012) and finally realized I had gained a lot more weight than I realized.

Yes, this too. I have seen several pictures of myself in recent months and could not believe my eyes. Isn't it funny how we see ourselves every day in the mirror and we know (or thing) we've put on a little, but when we see that picture it's a real eye opener.

When I grew out of my winter coat and needed to buy a new one, no nice models in my size, only a shapeless potato bag which I was not planning to buy no matter what!

Well besides my clothes not fitting any longer, feeling unhealthy, and tired, I ran into a guy I had dated two months prior who broke my heart, and you are supposed to look amazing when that happens so they feel like they made a huge mistake, but I had to be at least 10 lbs heavier than when I last saw him. I just felt and looked unhealthy when I looked in the mirror. Not the impression I wanted to make if I ever saw him again.

I looked like crap, felt like crap, had a closet full of clothes that didn't fit, and depression. It was time.

I got pneumonia and went to the hospital for 4 days. My "roommate" was an 80+ year old woman who also had pneumonia and was a lifetime smoker. It was really sad to see how little she could do for herself and to know she was going to be sent to an assisted living facility after the hospital. I quit smoking (tomorrow makes 4 months!) and decided to finally get healthy. I got a taste of my own mortality. Also, I want to set a good example for my daughter. She doesn't have a weight issue, because she's athletic, but she could if she stopped exercising.

Looking at myself in pictures. And not being able to enjoy the activities that I once did like hiking hunting and playing with my kids outside. 2014 is the year of big change for me!