What was your "wakeup call"?

When I was having trouble fitting into XL shirts when shopping. (Am now down to a L - sometimes a medium).

Also, when walking past window front stores or mirrors in public and refused to make eye contact with my reflection because I was so ashamed of what I had become.

Joined a hiking group in February to meet new people and I enjoy hiking, but it somehow escaped my notice that I was extremely unfit and quite overweight.
I couldn't do it, kept the entire group up waiting for me continuously so I could catch my breath! I couldn't finish it, I let them go on without having to wait, and just went home before everyone. Didn't have the guts to go back to that group again, felt so ashamed that I didn't realise how far I'd let myself go. But I worked on my fitness and weight goals over a few months and recently went back with my partner and completed the entire hiking route without even having to stop once. I'm kinda glad it happened.

similar thing happened to me... great for you!

my ex husband and i are still real good friends. His wife who is about 10 years younger than me, and about 100 lbs lighter had a heart attack and nearly died. It made me take a real good look at myself and i knew i had to make some changes if i want to live

Going to a Kohl's store to get a new pair of jeans & dress pants for work, and everything being too small. I've been 'big' my whole life, but that was a terribly humiliating experience. I'm down about 25 lbs from there so far.

Realising that if I got pregnant now I would have a bump surrounded by a big layer of fat. I would look fatter, not pregnant. I want the cute little bump whenever it happens. Plus I got on the scales and I'm massive now.

Actually, a couple days ago I was getting dressed and looked over in the mirror and saw how massive I was. I always knew I was overweight/not healthy looking, and I had a picture in my mind what I looked like, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what I saw in the mirror. I am starting to be more strict with my food today, I am hitting the gym the first time in a while tonight, and I am planning a hike tomorrow!

Well I had a friend that always would talk down to me call me fat say I was too big , that I looked like a bear driving my car... Just every mean thing he could say to me. I started just feeling like I wasn't good enough. So i started eating more and picking up bad habits like smoking. On top of that I was stressed in school. But one day I noticed that when I was walking I was panting and it was hard to breathe. So I weighed myself...

Getting on the scale and it said 250!!... I knew I had to make a change!!

My wake up call was a picture. I was asked to take a picture with my guy on the back of a Harley. I really didn't want to do it but it was Father's day so I went with it. His daughter took the picture and showed it to me and I just about fell on the ground because of how bad it looked. I thought I looked pretty decent for a big girl but that picture blew that thought out of the water. Then she posted it on facebook not meaning anything by it but it was enlarged compared to the pic on her phone and I cried when I went to bed. I didn't sleep all night. I cried most of the morning the next day and then I got mad. Mad at myself for being so lazy and unmotivated. Mad that I let myself go like this. I posted that awful pic on my laptop as my wallpaper so I had to look at it every day to remind myself that this is not the real me. So, I decided to change this mess. I have not stopped or made any excuses since then. I am so glad I started this program and I am very grateful to those who have been encouraging because it makes such a big difference to hear you are doing great.

When the scale hit 250 and the Dr said I was pre-diabetic with high blood pressure. I got home that day and was so disgusted with myself. The next day I joined the gym and hired a personal trainer. Eating better has been a struggle but I keep working at it.

There wasn't one. I just gradually starting getting tired of feeling and looking bad.

I got tired of telling myself I was wearing 40inch jeans because I liked 38inch loose. One day I went to GAP and a 38 wouldn't button at all. I had been lying to myself for years. Went from a 40inch, down to a 35inch, and XXL shirts, to M/L shirts.

I still want to lose some more, but cant motivate myself at all. Its depressing.

When I got on the scale one morning (weighing myself for the first time in about 5 years) and the scale said "217." Now I'm 150 and still working on it....

Four months ago my doc said I needed to go on high blood pressure meds. He gave me two months to go salt free to see if that was behind it. When I went back I had lost 30 pounds and 10 points off the blood pressure. He then gave me three months more as I told him I have no interest in meds. Once you start one medication things just tend to go downhill and the meds multiply.

I had walked religiously two summers ago and saw little effect because I didn't have MFP to show me the impact the food was having. Now that I understand portion sizes and have found some great alternatives (like PB2) everything is clicking. I look forward to the doc visit in six weeks but still realize there's more work for me.

I just have to say - very nice work on your part! I hope you're able to keep up your efforts as it seems to be that you're doing very well. Kudos :-)

After basically not sleeping for a year, due to my youngest not sleeping, I booked myself a hotel room and slept as long as I could for the first time in 6 years. Getting a full nights rest kind of woke my mind up a bit and I started really noticing the damage I had done to my body by not eating, sleeping, or excercising well for the last 6 years. I decided it was time for me to get back to taking care of myself, too.

I had previously lost 50lb and then regained it all, and seeing the scales hit the original number, which had been my heaviest ever, was the catalyst.

However a lot of other things contributed; i'd always been an emotional eater but had sought counselling to tackle food as a coping mechanism; my father had a stroke which was found to be the result of diabetes; I was bursting out of my UK size 20 clothes (US 16); I was heavier then than when I was pregnant; I was 32 years old with aching knees and ankles and out of breath walking no distance; my marriage had broken down and it was time for a fresh start - I would not be a fat, frumpy Mummy to my gorgeous little girl.

So a perfect storm of things really, which has led me to be super motivated still after 8 months. I've now gone down 4 clothes sizes on top and 3 on the bottom and I wake up happy every single day, with exercise as my stress buster now, not bread & chocolate!!