Why did you come to the conclusion to lose weight?

Because I was tired of looking like this.

After running my two mile like one of the people I once couldnt understand (doing a little shuffle out of breath). I sat back one day and realized that I have gained 80 pounds since I came back from Iraq in 2011. Not being able to run or even do push ups anymore was getting old. It was simply time for a change. I wanted my old self back and I am going to make it happen!

The biggest ah ha moment came in the picture on the left in my profile picture. I was at the beach with my two skinny athlete friends and couldn't believe how awful I looked when one of them posted that picture to Facebook. The next day I downloaded MFP, and now 204 days later I'm down 27 pounds, with about 13 more to go.

I've been thinking about it more though, and I was just so freaking tired all those months ago. I was supposedly only 19 years old, but I felt like I was 50. I had absolutely no energy, no motivation to do anything, even that day at the beach with my friends LAYING IN THE SAND felt like work. That's not how it's supposed to be ever, but especially not at 19.

In addition, I have a heart defect that I was born with. I've also come to the conclusion that I used that for so long as an excuse to not do anything physical, when in reality I've been hearing for years how important cardio and portion control are to maintaining my health, especially with my condition. At my annual check up in August, I'll be taking a stress test. Instead of absolutely dreading it like 204 days ago me would have, I am so excited to show my cardiologist and kinesiologist how far I've come. Luckily I still have 6 months to continue improving my cardiovascular health and BF% before that time. It's such a nice change to be excited about life rather than just going through the motions.

Turning 50 this year....have left hypothyroid problem go unaddressed for decades. Finally am sticking with the medication I need, got my TSH back to normal, and decided if I HAVE to age I'm going to get myself in better shape...needing to lose 70-75 pounds.

I'm a bartender, have worked in the same bar for years, a older guy, customer that I had not seen in over a year came in and told me I was a lot heavier then the last time he had seen me I only put on 12- 15 lbs in that year, it was around the holidays, but it got my butt in gear, started going to the gym after the holidays!!! Have lost 7 pounds in the last 2 months very proud of myself!!

Last february i was at my friends house with her and one other friend. We were all heavy. We were talking about how we all needed to lose weight and we took turns getting on the scale. Seeing 211 lbs on the scale was a wake up call! I started that day instead of the usual tomorrow tomorrow *kitten*!

Friend posted a picture of me on facebook, and I had to un-tag myself I was so shocked. I decided it was time for a change.

A few things caused me to get off my butt. My biological mother had horrible eating habits, and never exercised. She died at age 51 in '00 of cancer (really the only person on either side to succumb to that disease, so far, knock on wood). I started seeing her when I looked in the mirror - especially around my stomach and butt. I'd always been tall-ish with athletic-ish build - but it became buried somewhere under the extra 30 lbs that crept up with middle age. All my adult life I'd been a size 8 jeans (5'9"). After the second kid, I settled at a size 10. Eventually, that second kid's turned 10 years old, I'd turned 40, and my size 12 jeans were getting tight. I refused to even consider buying a bigger size. I decided to get back to the outdoor loving, running, bike riding, hiking, more-or-less athletic person I used to be. So, for the past couple years, I've been working on getting reacquainted with my true self. It really is harder to get back into shape in middle age. I hope to never have to start over again.

My inspiration was my 400+ pound aunt. She raised me so she was more like a mom to me. In the last years of her life I went to her house regularly because she was house bound and tied to an oxygen tank. She spent about two weeks in the hospital before she slipped into a coma and we eventually had to let her go. Watching her at the end of her life and then watching her die was more than enough of a wakeup call to me since I was headed the same direction. I didn't want to end up like her and I didn't want my kids to have to watch that or end up in the same place either. I'm still not where I want to be but I'm a heck of a lot closer now and I won't give up, no matter how long it takes.

I knew I had to lose and had been trying halfheartedly. Then I was on vacation and there was a side trip and I debated whether to go because I didn't know if I could physically do it. I got mad at myself, went on the side trip (I did fine), and have been exercising since I got back.

Never had an Ah-ha! moment, but I've been unhappy with my body since middle school - finally decided to commit to change!

I knew I had to take drastic measures after spending 8 out of 10 weeks in bed with a bad back. The cause was being a "road warrior" consultant coupled with doing no exercise - always eating out, late nights working, etc. This put me at my heaviest ever - 247 lbs - and I came to the conclusion that this very unhealthy way of living would lead to much more serious problems very quickly. So I've now changed my priorities and am focusing on my health first and have lost 18.8 lbs with 48 to go.