What was your turning point?

seltzermint555 · April 2014

2 things!

Fall 2008-

I went on a business trip with my boss (a normal weight woman older than me) and realized that I was no longer the "fat & happy" super energetic, relatively healthy 260 lb woman I had always been. I was at 307 lb, feeling bloated, lumpy, out of breath and miserable. So when I got back from the trip I bought myself some cute "workout" clothes, new sneakers, and grabbed an iPod and started doing some serious walking every night. Lost 45 lb and got back to "my normal" even though it took me a few YEARS (barely changed my diet because I didn't really know where to begin or what I was doing wrong).

Spring 2013-

My whole life had changed for the better, wonderful new mate, new active lifestyle, eating and cooking healthier foods, etc...and I was feeling fantastic. My weight however was 'stalled' at 262. I went to a car show and when I got back and looked at the photos, I was ticked off!! I felt healthier and leaner, but I didn't look it. A couple of my longtime online friends had lost weight with MFP - one of them had dropped around 100 lb at that point - so I decided to buy a scale and give MFP a try. I was honestly really skeptical about calorie counting, but it's worked well for me.

I am now at 186 lb (lowest weight I have been since I was 15 yrs old, and I am 37 now)

BancroftLady · April 2014

I am hesitant to post this… but here goes.
July 25th, 2010 I stepped on the scales and weighted 282. 27 days later my wife of 33 years died. That day ended her 10 year battle with breast cancer and her life-long battle with obesity. Like me, she had been overweight almost all of her life, she had been 100+lbs heavy since she was a child. She had all the weight related health problems; type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint problems, reproductive issues, stomach problems, etc. In my heart I feel the weight kept her from beating back the cancer that eventually took her life. Met her at when I was 16, moved in at 17, married her at 18, and now she was gone. Everything we had planned and saved for, to do later in life was gone too.
I felt that if I didn’t change something, I was next; and both of our lives would have somehow been a waste.

I am glad you posted this and think it's wonderful you are giving yourself a chance to live life

LFernan85 · April 2014

When I went to visit my 1 year old niece and nephew I had a hard time playing with them and running around. I had avoided the scale but when I finally got on it I was like "jesus christ Lindsay......" I started with MFP and doing a couch to 5k program. Now I can run around with my 4 year old niece and nephew, run a 5k, play kickball with my husband’s family and do stuff I never thought I’d be able to do years ago. I’m getting over an injury so I’m starting to get back in to training for longer distance runs. I like that I can move around more and I love the side by side photos that keep me going. If I can run with twin 4 year olds and not be out of breath, I think I’m doing okay.

gdc2506 · April 2014

Turning Points actually!

First there was this picture taken, where somebody isn't making the uniform look as good as the rest.

Followed by the fact that on or around April 3, 2014 I stepped on the scales at work and was shocked by what they said.

And then there's the fact that the beautiful lady in the picture below deserves more than the overloaded outfit standing beside her.

ayscrivener · April 2014

I was on my honeymoon at Islands of Adventure in Orlando and was unable to ride the majority of rides the parks have to offer.

I broke down crying in the middle of a theme park while on my honeymoon!

I hit rock bottom so freaking hard that day and swore to myself that I would change all of my habits this year.

I have lost 35 pounds so far. It's a slow going process when I look at how much I would like to lose, but I literally can not ever allow myself to feel like I did that day again, so I'm in this for the long haul.

Aka8941 · April 2014

My blood work came back, and I told the boyfriend the number, and he said...nonchalantly.."oh yeah that's prediabetic, that's what my numbers were last year." (He's since lost 30 pounds and lowered his glucose) It just hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't know why. The last three days I've cut sugar and carbs and processed foods and I can control cravings and binge eating better than ever. I think I was spiking my insulin all the time and then dropping.

This is TMI but I get reoccurring yeast infections ...at least once a month...and they are caused by sugar. I'm so tired of it, i'm so sick from sugar.

I also saw pics of myself at Pike Place market in Seattle. I looked so round....double chin...unhappy,..this will be my before pic.

timodawson · April 2014

Having to have an EKG on my 33rd birthday.

McKenzieLeigh · April 2014

Family pictures where my double chin had seemingly engulfed my entire face!

My commitment came from stress though. 3 jobs, 2 kids, going back to school, the threat of losing my full time job due to them losing big accounts, etc. I just decided that this was something I could control and something that would be just for ME instead of pleasing everyone else. I can control what I put in my mouth even when the world seems to be falling down around me and I will come out better on the other side. I downloaded the app to my phone that day and just hit 101 days in a row!!

1donner1 · April 2014

A couple of catalysts occurred... my husband informed me that my dad had told him my face was "distorted"

That hurt... so i started my journey. Then, about a week or two into it, my mom, who is a TERRIBLE diabetic, in every sense of the word, fell and broke her good leg. Her "bad leg" has a condition called charcot foot, diabetes related, where (I think) the bones, tendons and ligaments break down and does not even look like a foot anymore. The foot is not even usable without a boot that looks like a Santa Claus boot. Nothing against my mother, I love her dearly, but I occasionally get angry at her knowing that she could have altered her course and didn't. Her eating habits are so unhealthy. SOOOO... I am out to change my trajectory! If I wind up diabetic, I will not go down with out a fight. I have four kids that need me here quite a few more years! I love them too much to hurt them by leaving them too early. If there is a chance I can lengthen my life and quality of life, I will for them (and myself, of course). I WILL DO IT THIS TIME!!!

Nicole9187 · April 2014

For me it was a combination of several different things. First I left a job that I had worked at for 4 1/2 years, where I was at the top in the company, I went to work for the competitor, but the 4 1/2 years prior, I worked in an environment that is just not healthy for anyone. I had gained 55 pounds in 4 1/2 years, miserable, and on anti-depressants as well as anxiety medication. After I changed jobs, my boyfriend of 5 years and I broke up. So I was heartbroken, loved my new dream job, and hated the way I felt about myself. I also could not fathom meeting anyone new being over 300 pounds. So I made a promise to myself that I would lose this weight, not for anyone else, but for me. I've never lost more than 25 pounds before and even then I only did it once and here I've lost 61 pounds in 7 months, and I'm not longer on anti-depressants or anxiety medication.

This has been life changing. I take this day by day, and when it gets hard I remind myself tomorrow will be better.

What was your turning point?

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