When or why did you say enough is enough!?!

I went for my girlie check up, stepped on the scale, and was absolutely stunned at the number I saw. I hadn't gained a single size in like 3 years...so of course by my logic, I was doing just fine. Overweight but fine. Apparently in that 3 year span I'd gained 50+ pounds (don't ask how I didn't gain a size - I have absolutely no idea.) The number up there terrified me, and I decided that unless I WANTED to be diabetic, WANTED to have heart problems, I needed to do something NOW.

On Friday, March 18, 2011, my girlfriend and I were on our way back to the apartment from the grocery store. Her younger sister was visiting us from Alabama for the weekend. About a half mile from the house, I came up on a traffic accident where a pedestrian had been struck. I am a firefighter with medical training at a Paramedic level, it was in a neighboring department's district, so of course I stopped. I could tell it was bad. I've seen my share of bad, and this was one of the worst. As I get to her, out of nowhere, a fellow friend and paramedic comes up. I don't know how he was right there because he didn't live in the area. No emergency units were on scene at this time. We both just happened to be driving by at the right time. As we are working on this girl I hear 2 more nurses come up and ask if there is anything they can do. As the emergency units start rolling up, CPR is being administered, and we work to get the girl in the ambulance. As my adrenaline was on overdrive, I only have snapshots of the chaotic scene remaining in my mind from that night. I found out later that we actually nad 3 nurses, 2 paramedics, and an anesthesiologist that happened to be at that spot in those few minutes. I have never seen that happen.

What motivated me about that night though, was the fact that this girl that got hit was only 15 years old. She did not make it that night. I could see that night she probably wouldn't. You see enough of them and sometimes you can tell. She was 15 years old, and hadn't had a chance to live her life.

That motivated me to live mine. To live mine better and healthier. Friends....you never know when this life will be taken from you. Live each day to the fullest, love your family and friends. Everyday is a new day. Everyday is a good day.

Good luck to you all.

For me it was a picture too, last Christmas 2010 when I wore black sweat pants and a black t-shirt. When I noticed that I can actually look big in black, which is suppose to make you look slimmer right? Wrong.

Also feeling the need to wear spanx/tummy slimmer to every event that involves wearing a dress.

I also had a break down in my closet when I could only fit 2 jeans and they were feeling tight. :happy: -> so glad I realized I needed to change!

Lastly, I have two young kids and I found myself sleepy ALL THE TIME. As soon as I get home from work I was dragging. Adding exercise into my life had increased the quality of it with my family and me to have more energy. A happy wife/mommy makes a happy home!

when the scale hit 201.1.

when the eff did THAT happen and HOW did i let myself get so gross...im only 5'1".

yeah, THAT did it.

When I saw myself that someone video taped of me. OMG I didn't realize how big I really was. Also watching the Biggest Loser, there was a contestant that was the same weight as me and I looked bigger than her. The next day I got myself a gym membership, joined LA Weightloss (at the time) and a personal trainer. I have never looked back. I kept going and going. I didn't like going to the gym but went anyways. Always felt good afterwards. I am so glad I stuck with it. Went from a size 24 to size 12 so far. Plan to get to a size 6!!

Good for you to start your weightloss journey!!!

My breaking point was in january! My youngest was 14 month old and I had an oops and got pregnant with baby #3....which was great, but unexpected and I still had not lost the last 10 pounds from baby #2.....on top of what I was still hanging on to from baby #1....ugh! I was super upset that I had procrastinated and not lost the weight sooner, and now I couldnt. Well, I ended up having a miscarriage, and with that I decided to stop being lazy and procrastinating...I needed to be healthier and lose the weight...and I did it!

I've always complained relentlessly about being big and wah wah, poor me. The day I knew I had to actually commit was when my hubs got tired of my whining and just agreed... you don't like being fat? do something. So, ya, I'm doing something

My dad had a stroke. It was a mild stroke, but for the first 48 hours they didn't tell us that (probably they didn't know). I learned that I have a higher risk of stroke because I have a parent who had one. I knew my risk of diabetes was high. I realized that I could change my odds and change my life. I was at a crossroads. I decided to get healthy.

My breaking point was when I was unpacking after moving and I came across a bunch of pictures from my early twenties...and realized how far I'd let myself go off track. Back then I was "a hottie", could shop where ever I wanted, could talk to anyone, got plenty of attention, and felt GOOD about myself.

I think I let some of that move to the back burner when I met my now husband because I'm so in love but now I realize that letting that stuff go also made me lose a part of ME and who I am...so now I'm fighting like hell to get it back...

I was sitting around late at night aimlessly surfing the internet, bored, fat, and unhealthy. Something snapped and I decided it was time to change. I still sit around late at night aimlessly surfing the internet, but now I'm all fit and stuff. One problem at a time...

It was January of this year and it was a pair of elastic top pants.

I have always kind of yo-yo'd my weight and I had a wide variety of pant sizes in my closet ranging from 12 to 16's. Well, the 16's had all become too tight and I even busted a few seams but I refused to buy the next size up, so , I bought a few pairs of elastic top pants. Well, I made some comment at work about having to break down and buy elastic pants and not long after that, I hit up the cookie plate. One of the woman made a snide remark about me and my elastic pants and then I realized she was right.

I rejoined MFP that day (after I put down the cookie) and since then lost 33 pounds and now I am looking for new pants becasue the ones I own are all too big. It was the best decsion I have ever made and I have not been this happy about myself in a very long time.

Some days I want to thank the lady that made the remark

Mine was when I went to Santa Cruz for a family day at the boardwalk about a year after I had my son, I love rollercoasters and rides and havent been on one since before I had my son so I was super excited to get on this crazy spin ride with my little sis, so anyways when I went to buckle myself in the strap wouldnt fit over me, they had some seats that were made with bigger starps on them and it was so imbarrising having the guy that runs the ride have to tell this other guy if me and him can switch seats, everyone was just waiting on me at this time and just starring, uugggh the most embarrising thing ever to be soo young and huge I was like 21 at the time, then i started thinking how I wouldnt even be able to fit in the kid rides with my son like all the other moms can if I dont change something, right away I started weight watchers and exercising and Im so happy I can fit in the kid rides with my 4 year old now, we have a blast on the rides:)

I was visiting my mom before she was going to go on a trip so she had her scale in the living room to weight her luggage so i thought "hmm i haven't weighed myself in a while lets see how much i weight" I stepped on and it said 300lbs at first i thought wow i don't look like i weight 300lbs and my mom said "wow you are to big and i am worried about your health" I was 23 years old and 300lbs and just a few years ago at age 18 i was very active high school athlete (wrestling, football, and track and field) weighing only 205. I have always seen myself as just a big guy and the brutal honesty of my mom calling me fat in so many words made me realize it was time to change.

when i got back home i knew it was time for me to get back in high school shape. I loved wrestling so i tried to find an adult wrestling gym but had no luck. i wondered into a gym and started to train BJJ (closes thing to wrestling i could find) and boxing i haven't looked back since, and now i am even in better shape then i was in high school I weight 195lbs and will be 189lbs by the end of june for a BJJ tournament I havent been this light since i was 14 years old.

I ran up 1 flight of stairs and - literally - had to sit down and catch my breath. I realized I was sweating, panting, heart racing, and all red in the face. I was 30 years old, and I thought running up ONE flight of stairs might kill me. This was summer 2010.

I started running/walking and eating right (not counting calories, just smaller portions and healthier foods) and lost 12lbs in 2 weeks. Naturally, as I used to do things, 2 weeks was my limit and I quit. The weight came back pretty quickly.

Then in January 2011, a friend introduced me to MFP. I joined with no intention of actually DOING anything, and started looking through the Success Stories part of the forum. It was 2pm in the afternoon - I was so motivated by what I saw that I logged everything I had eaten so far that day and began changing how I viewed movement and nutrition. I never looked back - and I never WILL look back :drinker: