Ok lets hear it!

Terri73
Terri73 Posts: 238
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
At what point did you realise that you had to do something about your weight/fitness or health?

I'll get us started:

I went on a funfair ride with my daughter and had to get off as the bar wouldnt go down over my legs (most embarrassing)

When i ran (or tried to run) for a bus and a car full of young men shouted "go on fatty run"......
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Replies

  • NickyJones
    NickyJones Posts: 60 Member
    When I went shopping for clothes and couldn't fit into ANYTHING off the rack, from half a dozen stores. :(
  • Mountain_woman
    Mountain_woman Posts: 229 Member
    When my asthma got so bad that my doctor wanted to put me on meds. My entire wardrobe was full of clothing to hide my body. I was facing 30 and I knew it was time to take myself seriously.
  • jon_dub
    jon_dub Posts: 166
    when looking down the wrong things were getting bigger while the others were disapearing......


    belly and toes.. gutter minds lol
  • Terri73
    Terri73 Posts: 238
    when looking down the wrong things were getting bigger while the others were disapearing......


    belly and toes.. gutter minds lol

    lmao
  • Mountain_woman
    Mountain_woman Posts: 229 Member

    When i ran (or tried to run) for a bus and a car full of young men shouted "go on fatty run"......

    OMG. What a bunch of a-holes. Sorry the world is full of so many oxygen thieves.
  • puggleperson
    puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
    OMG how INCREDIBLY RUDE!!!!!! I'm speechless. One time years ago someone chucked a bagel at me when I was waiting for the bus, they are so lucky I couldn't get to them or they would have been physically BEATEN LOL
    anyhoo to answer your question there wasn't one exact moment it's all of them put together, the pants that won't button, the huffing and puffing when I go upstairs, a recent picture of myself on Suberbowl that was posted for all my friends to see but mainly I'm sick of always being the fattest one out of my friends :) Good luck! We can do this!
  • mandykasase
    mandykasase Posts: 110
    When i saw the belly apron one day as i was getting dressed.

    When i saw the pictures taken on holiday last year in Spain, i was suprised green peace didn't try to throw me back in the sea (beached whale look)
  • happychell
    happychell Posts: 12 Member
    The day I tried to put my favourite cargo pants (eg. look great no matter how fat or frumpy you feel) and they didnt fit... :( Looking forward to wearing them soon!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    It was some random night a couple years ago, much like tonight. I was pleasantly plump. I relied on taking my asthma inhaler daily. I embraced the idea of taking the elevator instead of the stairs. I didn't have the stamina to run around the block. I hadn't lifted a weight since I was a teenager. I didn't have the first clue about nutrition ("bacon cheeseburgers are healthy, for they have protein!"). I had just finished reading the whole Internet and was waiting for them to print more of it. And I thought, I've really got to do something about my lazy fat *kitten*. I picked up a book that had been sitting on the shelf for a few years that I could just never get myself to read before. It explained some really basic principles of nutrition and exercise that I was previously clueless about. I finished the book the following evening, and starting the following morning changed my whole lifestyle. I've never felt better.
  • booboocraig
    booboocraig Posts: 21
    People are so cruel :(

    When I met up with old school friends and I thought of how fit I was at school.......used to run for my school and county.
    And when I go into town and I am limited to buy clothes in 1 shop...very depressing

    So now I have changed my lifestyle, I exercise and eat well but healthy...... I refuse to call it a diet as diets you come off of when your at your weight !!
  • helloiloveukitty
    helloiloveukitty Posts: 448 Member
    I went to put on a denim skirt who's size I was less than thrilled with anyway and it was too small. I had to face that fact that that skirt had not gotten smaller, I'd gotten bigger. And that was scary but I'm so glad I realized it and started making lifestyle changes.

    I still have the skirt, I can put both my arms in the sides next to my body now and its still too big. Can't get rid of it until I get to my goal weight or close.
  • marber
    marber Posts: 118 Member
    When my son who was ill in hospital was returning from CT to the ward and would not wait for the lift. I could not keep up with him on the stairs. It frightened me.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    *I feel like I'm boring people with this story...I keep telling it. It's interesting to a point. Skip down to the "TL;DR if the length is intimidating*

    Almost dying from a diabetic coma pretty much made me come to terms with an entire lifestyle change. I hadn't even known I was diabetic until one day, I noticed that I was extremely dehydrated to the point of my skin being able to stand if I pinched it, and any form of liquid was no help. Then the frequent urinating. Then the lack of an appetite. Then sudden vomiting. The next day after that I felt fatigued, exhausted, weak, and apathetic, along with a sharp stabbing pain in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen. I had the impending sense of literal death coming, and I was willing to accept it, though I didn't really want it. Without any fluid intake, I still had the frequent urinating. I began to notice the darker color of it and the odor was somewhat odd and almost fruity.

    I took 2 guesses at that point, I was diabetic and becoming ketoacidotic, or I was experiencing kidney failure due to having diabetes and not knowing it. It was the former. I tried to sleep it off because I had no energy to do anything, and my brother and his gf noticed I was shivering and had aggressive tremors in my sleep. I was rushed to the ER and my blood sugar was so high, it was immeasurable on the glucose meter... It gave an error: glucose level too high for reading. When they flushed out my blood with IVs, it was finally brought down to a number that could be read...the upper 550s [normal is between 60 - 99].

    On top of that, I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. The result is usually death. 80% chance of death to be a little more accurate. After multiple lab tests from bloodwork, I also had a fatty liver, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fatty deposits in the blood itself, high uric acid, [extremely] low potassium, [extremely] low CO2, [extremely] low bicarbonate levels, rapid, shallow respiration, and fluctuating rapid HR. I was textbook for the worst case scenario possible. I was supposed to die. I was willing to accept it. I just wasn't quite ready to stop living.

    Needless to say, I survived, and after my 9 day stay in the hospital, 4/9 days in the Critical Care Unit, 5/9 in Med-Surg, I decided that it would be a really good time to beat the odds and see if I could reverse any biological, genetic, and physical predispositions that I currently had at the time, that were shortening my lifespan, and take on the ultimate challenge of taking what rightfully belongs to me, and not to life itself.

    I'm currently asymptomatic and medication free from any existing health condition that I previously had, and I'm healthier than anyone I know in my family and my circle of friends. :smile:

    * TL;DR - I almost died. I survived. I'm better now because I made changes. The end.
  • mamijujuphat
    mamijujuphat Posts: 407 Member
    Well I had never been overweight before....I had my child ...mind you 9 years ago...& ...the scale fluctuated a lot...I had managed to keep it under control...but then pretty much stopped exercising & had bad eating habits.....my slap-in-the-face wake up call was in 2009 at my sister's wedding...the fitting for the dress...size was huge...& to look at the pictures...of myself..I knew I had to do something ...I lost almost 20 lbs by myself before joining MFP....& now I look forward to get back to a healthy weight as I approach my 30th
  • Terri73
    Terri73 Posts: 238
    I also lost my mum and my sister at young ages and it was a kick up the bum recently when i had a similar scare to what my sister passed from. It wasnt a weight issue but it prob didnt help as she was overweight too. I vow now to teach myself and my kids how to be fit and healthy so they dont lose a mother and/or a sibling.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    I had two large ones that affected me most...

    First, When I no longer fit into my old clothing. I tucked away things I dont fit in anymore at the current moment. No need to take up closet space with things I cant wear. Not only was it a bummer to not fit into my clothing (my elegant ball gowns that I find excuses to wear dont fit either...sigh), but expensive to buy new dress pants and work clothing.

    Second, when I started worrying about the lights being on when I was spending time with the boyfriend. That was the biggest one. Even as I gained weight, I never felt blah. Well, at 160, I didnt even feel attractive anymore to myself, so thats when I made the change. I've only lost 5 pounds, but its been a big five pounds,
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I have been unhappy with the extra 30 pounds I have been carrying around for oh...8 years or so. Two things happened to make me get serious. The first was my size 14 pants were getting a little snug. I was fearful of having to shop plus size. Mentally, I couldn't handle it. Not to mention every day I was trying to find something to wear to work that camouflaged my expanding waistline and I was not feeling good about myself at all.

    Second, my husband and I were discussing vacation possibilities and I realized I subconsciously didn't want to go anywhere tropical because I was horrified at the thought of me in a bathing suit for the majority of our vacation. I was angry at myself for potentially letting opportunities pass me by just because I am overweight. What else have I passed on in life because of my weight, either consciously or subconsciously? After that realization, I searched around a bit and found MFP.

    By the way, the vacation is booked for May in the Caribbean, and although i won't be at goal weight, hopefully I will be at peace with myself in a bathing suit (HA! If that's possible).
  • maurita17
    maurita17 Posts: 11
    I was spending day to day in sweat pants and tights after i dislocated my knee and had to wear a brace. when i put my jeans back on i couldnt do them back up.
    I was spending my pay check on lunchs out...wendy's mcdonalds..and i couldnt stop i wanted it everyday. fast food is like an addiction for me. So i have cut it out completely and i am on my way to fitting back into my jeans.
  • ifiwasurvampire
    ifiwasurvampire Posts: 181 Member
    When I saw pics of me from my florida vaca :o I was shocked as to how big I looked!
  • kitta3
    kitta3 Posts: 84
    I realized Im getting married, and I dont want to be a beached whale in my dress
    also, that I use to fit in all my friends clothes and now I cant.
  • katekrise
    katekrise Posts: 178 Member
    Being in college and a Biology/Chemistry Major you spend all my time in sweats and comfy type clothes b/c grades are important...not looks...I didn't really notice...until I tried to dress nice to go out to eat with friends. Wow! When did I let myself go? I hadn't really noticed.

    Also...I noticed that my thighs rubbed when I wore short shorts. Ugh! I can't wait to be able to wear shorter shorts and skirts w/o chub rub!
  • appleshells
    appleshells Posts: 165
    *I feel like I'm boring people with this story...I keep telling it. It's interesting to a point. Skip down to the "TL;DR if the length is intimidating*

    Almost dying from a diabetic coma pretty much made me come to terms with an entire lifestyle change. I hadn't even known I was diabetic until one day, I noticed that I was extremely dehydrated to the point of my skin being able to stand if I pinched it, and any form of liquid was no help. Then the frequent urinating. Then the lack of an appetite. Then sudden vomiting. The next day after that I felt fatigued, exhausted, weak, and apathetic, along with a sharp stabbing pain in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen. I had the impending sense of literal death coming, and I was willing to accept it, though I didn't really want it. Without any fluid intake, I still had the frequent urinating. I began to notice the darker color of it and the odor was somewhat odd and almost fruity.

    I took 2 guesses at that point, I was diabetic and becoming ketoacidotic, or I was experiencing kidney failure due to having diabetes and not knowing it. It was the former. I tried to sleep it off because I had no energy to do anything, and my brother and his gf noticed I was shivering and had aggressive tremors in my sleep. I was rushed to the ER and my blood sugar was so high, it was immeasurable on the glucose meter... It gave an error: glucose level too high for reading. When they flushed out my blood with IVs, it was finally brought down to a number that could be read...the upper 550s [normal is between 60 - 99].

    On top of that, I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. The result is usually death. 80% chance of death to be a little more accurate. After multiple lab tests from bloodwork, I also had a fatty liver, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fatty deposits in the blood itself, high uric acid, [extremely] low potassium, [extremely] low CO2, [extremely] low bicarbonate levels, rapid, shallow respiration, and fluctuating rapid HR. I was textbook for the worst case scenario possible. I was supposed to die. I was willing to accept it. I just wasn't quite ready to stop living.

    Needless to say, I survived, and after my 9 day stay in the hospital, 4/9 days in the Critical Care Unit, 5/9 in Med-Surg, I decided that it would be a really good time to beat the odds and see if I could reverse any biological, genetic, and physical predispositions that I currently had at the time, that were shortening my lifespan, and take on the ultimate challenge of taking what rightfully belongs to me, and not to life itself.

    I'm currently asymptomatic and medication free from any existing health condition that I previously had, and I'm healthier than anyone I know in my family and my circle of friends. :smile:

    * TL;DR - I almost died. I survived. I'm better now because I made changes. The end.

    One of the best stories EVER! From someone who works in healthcare, I know with everything you had going on that you are a walking miracle! Great job!
  • angela828
    angela828 Posts: 498 Member
    realizing I was not comfortable in my clothes or wearing size 12 jeans and XL or XXL shirts and sweatshirts... and getting engaged! my mom's words were "you don't want to be crying while trying on wedding dresses". She is totally right, so I want to lose at least 30 lbs before I go dress shopping this summer.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I started smoking when I was 14 years old. Since then, I had only tried and quit once, for about a year. I put on 15 pounds. So my excuse for the next 15 years was...I don't want to put any extra weight. Well, it so happens, I had baby in my mid-40's and have been struggling to get the 30 pounds off ever since (starving myself).

    I adore my (surprise) little one and really want to be around while she grows up. So I decided that I would quit smoking and not only would I quit smoking, I would get in shape at the same time! So I set a date and quit, joined the YMCA, and lost 15 pounds and 2 clothing sizes. I still have 30 pounds to go and will do it, because I know that I can do whatever I set my mind to. And I'm no longer on an inhaler or asthma meds or incredibly tired all the time (undereating). I'm starting to run again after 30+ years as well, and doing good at it (for an old fart!).

    We've changed our entire eating habits and gotten my partner off a boatload of meds as well. We plan to enjoy our retirement years traveling and need to be in top shape in order to do so.
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    That sound. You know that sound. The one when you are having **x and there's that sort of slapping/suction sound created by thighs and belly flying about. yeah - I heard that.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Almost dying from a diabetic coma pretty much made me come to terms with an entire lifestyle change. <snip>
    Wow, that's an incredible story, thanks for sharing, and huge congratulations on making the changes and your huge weight loss and improved health and quality of life all round.

    I'd gone from fat to fit then back to fat again, but assumed I was still fit as I pootled round the gym every so often. I did the London Marathon, but with my weight teetering on the brink of obese, I got slower.. and slower... Suffering from illness and injury it took me 7 hours 13 to get round, and every step hurt.

    By comparing myself with other fit of comparable age people through their running performance and taking gym classes which I thought would be easy and ended up nearly killing me, I realised I was kidding myself that I could be fit at my size. It got to the point where bending over to do up my shoes or walking made me breathless.

    Now I'm following a proper training regime, track all my food on MFP and have entered an adventure race in June and a half-marathon in October as targets. I plan to enter a 5K and a couple of 10Ks en route as I need the company of others as encouragement.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    That sound. You know that sound. The one when you are having **x and there's that sort of slapping/suction sound created by thighs and belly flying about. yeah - I heard that.
    Know it well :blushing:
  • paigebeverly
    paigebeverly Posts: 46 Member
    Before I had my daughter I was skinny...I mean really skinny...you could see my bones. I could eat anything and not gain weight. In high school I was in every sport and cheerleading. But I gained 80 pounds while pregnant. After having her all I had to do was lose 20 more pounds but instead I hit a depression and ate everything. Now I am at my heaviest. And of course my daughter is 9 years old...lol...so I really can't blame it on pregnacy.

    And last year my father was suffering from brain tumors and spinal cancer. He passed away in September and I have gained 10 pounds since then too. I am an emotional eater. I don't have to be hungry to eat.

    But I finally decided to just do it. I don't want my daughter to be embarassed because I am big...I want to be able to do things with her without being winded. And I know longer want to be the funny fat girl at work. No one has ever said anything negative to me about my weight. But with my husband now being pre-diabetic we both decided to just do it. I don't want to be a stick figure like I used to be...I just want to be healthy.
  • ArchyJill
    ArchyJill Posts: 548 Member
    Hmmm. I'm not really sure! I've always been fairly active (during the summer my job keeps me moving about 10-15 miles a day), but I've always been fairly Rubenesque too!

    I remember not being able to buy the wedding dress I wanted cause it didn't come in my size ("sweetie, you just have too much back fat for this dress" - salesperson)

    I remember one annual exam in particular ("you could stand to lose a good 20 or 30 pounds" - OBGYN, as my feet are in the stirrups)

    I remember working with a fire fighter ("maybe if you didn't eat two candy bars and potato wedges every morning", in response to my wonderment that 15 mile hikes 6 days a week weren't helping me to lose weight)

    But over the years I guess it just all added up and CLICKED into place...all of a sudden I am a health and fitness nut, it's like someone threw a switch. I mean, I literally got an "F" in gym class all through high school. Never ran a block. Two years later I'm training for an ultramarathon. I chalk it up to mid-life crisis.
  • ItsOn130
    ItsOn130 Posts: 269 Member
    I saw full body pics of myself taken last summer. I started eating better and exercising a little bit after that. Lost about 14lbs in about 6 months. Too slow for me but I wasn't really worried about it. Then in the middle of January we went for a winter hike and it was pretty hard. I said to myself, I want to be able to do these things without physically feeling awful! So since then I've been focused and lost an additional 13 lbs so far!
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