what was your "lightbulb" moment

What really did it for me, was jumping on the scale on New Years Eve and just being so sad for myself (SW: 237lbs) . I have 3 little boys and I want to see them get married, I want to play with my grandchildren. My boys are my world and they need me forever. Also, with my oldest playing sports now, I don't want to be that "fat mom" sitting on the side lines. My husband's mom was obese and he told me that he was embarrassed by his mom's size. I don't want my kids to be embarrassed by me.

My grandparents used to be so close with both myself and my parents. Now, they're both faced with several health issues (diabetes, high blood pressure, knee/joint pain) and it's made them so bitter and so mean. They spend so much money on medication and are resentful. I realized that I didn't want to do that to my future children and grandchildren. I wanted to take care of myself and see what I was capable of! Plus I signed up for a half marathon, so I'm focusing more on training for that then just losing weight so I can wear smaller pants!

My boyfriend and I used to be in really good shape when we first got together 10 years ago. I knew the weight was creeping up on both of us, but it was when he finally steeped on the scale and weighed in at 204. We were both shocked to see the number, since for him it seemed to happen over night. That's when I realized that we were getting old and fat! So I started cracking down and a couple weeks later, he has now joined me in the effort!

Well you would think it would be when my mom died of a heart attack brought on by weight related issues. However, it was 9/26/11 when I was on television because of my job and I saw myself. I could not believe what I saw! On 10/6/11 I joined a gym and on 10/7/11 I became active again on MFP. There have been a few hiccups along the way, but this is for good. I love MFP!

well...for me...my AH HA moment was when i was playing with my daughter. I was chasing her thru my (extremely small) apartment and I got winded. Being a smoker, I expected that, but I had to sit down cuz I got too dizzy from not breathing correctly. 10 days after I started MFP, I quit smoking. I have been smoke free for 3 weeks today and a member of MFP for 31 days. I have dropped 8 lbs (it would have been 10 lbs if I didn't have my Aunt Flow visiting last week). I swear losing weight will always be different for women of childbearing age becuz of our "visitor of the month". Our bodies r only really normal for 2 weeks out of the month on average :grumble:

Diabetes runs in my family, and it is a terrible thing to deal with. I don't want to be like that. I see my dad going to dialysis because of diabetes and being miserable. I really believe if my youngest niece wasn't born, he would have given up. I want to break the cycle. I want to enjoy a Healthy life.

I haven't told anyone this....not even my husband because I am so mortified. At Christmas I was asked by a distant family member how far along I was. Yep, as in pregnant! I had my son two years ago! That was my breaking point! I don't wanna look pregnant anymore!

Lightbulb moment was more like something I remembered in the past. My husband and I are finally taking our honeymoon to Italy and as I was thinking about what wardrobe I would wear, I thought about that one picture that was circulating around the internet a few years back. It was a side by side picture of two women sitting down on a curb. One from America who was overweight with images of fast food next to her and the other was a European woman who was thin and shapely with images of a wine, bread and cheese next to her. I thought...Oh, God, I don't want to go over there and be seen as the fat American.

As a child (7 years) I had a pretty aggressive illness (not to be specified) which led to gaining weight rapidly.

I got mobbed through all my school-time, but it kind of passed me. Maybe because I was that sick as child...I don't know.
Anyways I was always able to manage to not get pushed aside and instead surround friends around myself. Some of them became really good friends and their friendship lasts until today.

I even never had a problem to find a girlfriend, even though I was more on the large side


My first lightbulb moment (#1) was, when I tried to buy a jeans at the age of 14 and the salesperson told me that they had no 40-inch-waist Jeans in stock.
JAIGHX...In that moment I realized that something was going veeeery wrong..."normal" people should be able to finde something to wear in the stores, I thought.
...and since then I am really struggling with my weight. There have always been ups and downs, but I never got really lean.


I started to make more sports and grew a few muscles, but I still was chubby. But I felt that I already had achieved something, because I could purchase regular jeans again

My second lightblub moment (#2) was, when I stepped onto the scale after years again and saw that I weight 96kg (~211lbs) at an age of 17 and a size of 5"8'.
JAIGHX-AGAIN...
So I started to cook by myself (more healthy) and visit the gym on a regular basis.
I managed to drop 21kg (~46lbs) in 1,5 years and reached my dream weight. I never felt better!

Since that moment my weight is again steadily increasing with a few ups and downs again.
I do a lot of sports (snowboarding/skiing 4h/w in winter, weights in the gym 3x/w all year, roadcycling/mountainbiking 3h/w in the summer, spinning 1,5h/w) and I am at an really good fitness-level (max heartrate at 204, clinically meassured).
I avoid sweets and fast-food at all. I cook for myself with mostly fresh or deep-fried unprocesse veggies, but something is still wrong.
I even implemented Eat-Stop-Eat (intermitted fasting) in my everyday life successfully.


And my lightbuld moment #3 was, when I dispersed the button of my 32" jeans last week
I new something was again going wrong...maybe I just eat to much?
And that's why I am here...

Though I didn't start exercising or eating better at the time, my "moment" happened last summer when I went hiking to get outside more often. It wasn't long before I was overheating, struggling, and panting. After recovering, I walked back down and rested and ate my lunch - eventually tackling a nearby trail that was much easier.

That stuck with me, and I knew I needed to get in better shape (though I wasn't seriously overweight). When I bought Your Shape for Kinect around New Year's, that finally got the ball rolling.

All inspirational and heart-wrenching. Thanks all for sharing. x