What was your 'I finally need to lose this weight' moment? (And was it as bad as mine?)

My 'Aha!' moment only happened three weeks ago and I've been pretty focused since then.

I've been really over weight by about 40kg (90lbs) over the last ten years but my health has never been affected by my size and I've never seen myself as ugly and fat - so I never seriously tried losing the weight. Just every time I had a kid, I'd stay the same weight until eventually I got to this size.

So about a month ago we began a process of changing insurance companies and they wanted blood samples from us to look at. Anyways, blood results came back showing a rise in glucose levels in my blood, as in pre-diabetes, like if I kept going the way I was going I'd probably get full diabetes. I'd never had news like that before about my health so I made the choice to choose a date, choose a diet and stick with it no matter what so I could get that glucose level and BMI down.

It's only been three weeks but I've been in no rush. I'm going on a cruise next March so that's kind of an incentive to get a good chunk of weight off, but I'm not putting a time limit on this. I started off just following the old Weight Watchers points system from back in the day as a start point, but once I found this app I've switched over to counting calories instead and making sure I'm in the green. It's like I've flipped a switch because I would never have gone this long in the past being so focused about my diet and exercise.

Good luck to everyone on their journeys.

ejb06070 wrote: »

I was looking at statistics online and found that almost 50% of all premed students never actually make it into medical school. Being first generation college student and being female gives me higher chances, but being obese makes it so that it would be almost impossible without perfect MCAT scores and a perfect GPA, plus about a million hours of volunteer work. Getting from the obese weight range to a healthy weight range more than triples my chances of acceptance.

What you need above and beyond everything else is that stand out quality, particularly if this is from personal experience. Fitness will go a long way in your favor, but either shadowing or real experience with patients is going to put you over the top. Hospice volunteer is a great experience.

Good luck!

After reading every heart-touching story in this thread, I wish I could dole out virtual hugs to anyone who'd accept one.

For me, after cumulative issues relating to health over a long time, something just snapped in April this year. I've been overweight most of my life (except a very few years in college and after). I've been active most of that time - very active and even fit the last decade or so. But so many bad things have happened that would be less likely if I weren't overweight: Breast cancer, sleep apnea, bad knees, high cholesterol (though I got that down with minimal weight loss), and most recently an obscure gall bladder condition (adenomyomatosis) that relates to inflammation and cholesterol.

I also noticed that the doctors' offices I was visiting were full of overweight people; that older (70s/80s) people I wanted to be like when I grow up were at healthy weight; and the not-much-older-than me people I knew with weight issues and unhealthy habits were having *serious* health problems. (I'm 59.)

I started in April at 183lbs, lost 27 pre-MFP, and 3 since. I'm a widowed, orphaned only child; I need to be able to take care of myself capably as long as possible into old age. I need to be at a healthy weight!

gardnerslater wrote: »

I went to the doctor for my annual physical in may. My vitamin D was our of whack do she wanted me to come back in 4 Month. I went the end of October, Oct. 23 in actuality; between May and October I gained just under 30 pounds. I thought her scale was wrong, it had to be! I weighed more than I had when I gave birth to twins. I called my sister and said I need to lose weight, she stated she did too and we decided to hold each other accountable. Nov. 1, 2014 was our official start day. I started walking the next week, with a minimum of 102 pounds to lose and morbidly obese. It was then at that critical nexus and knowing my children were concerned that I finally engaged. I started out doing it for them but over the course of the last 9 months I began doing it for myself. 85.5 pounds down and 16.5 to go. I could do not but this is my goal for right now. I have got to find a way to stay focused in the midst of others telling me to quit and I look fine the way I am. Even in the midst of explaining bmi and beng considered overweight on the high end, I have my sabateurs

kbwilson76 wrote: »

My boyfriend (who's younger shorter and skinnier than me) and I were having breakfast at our usual mom and pop diner on a normal Saturday morning. He as usual ordered an insanely huge breakfast (seriously...how???), and some guy was giggling at his order (with his own belly btw) and said to the owner (in Portuguese...not knowing the owner is a good family friend and ratted him out later):

"He needs so much food to lift his big woman."

To this day that man is on my s"?t list.

I wasn't that big to begin with, husky yes, but big woman??? It's nice when we go in for breakfast on Saturday mornings, my @ss is getting tighter and his belly stays the same.

Fivefarthings wrote: »

I'm 5'7 and was 12.1 stone (down three pounds so far, go me!). I'm about a stone and a half overweight and unfit and have been for the last couple years and I've promised myself time after time that this year will be the year to lose the weight, and it's never happened... Until now

This year in June my boyfriend and I were at the Le Mans, France, 24 hour race (the bf is a massive car geek). He has a nice car, convertible, and this year we took it to a car show so he could show it off. So there we were, driving slowly through the crowds, when we stopped in the traffic, and two guys came to admire the car. And as they were stood right next to me in the passenger seat (roof off) one of them said, really loudly, 'That's a really stunning car, though you definitely need a more fit bird sat in the front.' And they walked off before I could think of anything to say in reply. Needless to say I was utterly mortified.

And that my friends, right there, following a cruel remark from a total stranger, was my 'moment' when I said, no more! I am going to get fit and healthy and look and feel fabulous from now on and damn any strangers who say otherwise!

What was your moment?

Fivefarthings wrote: »

I'm 5'7 and was 12.1 stone (down three pounds so far, go me!). I'm about a stone and a half overweight and unfit and have been for the last couple years and I've promised myself time after time that this year will be the year to lose the weight, and it's never happened... Until now

This year in June my boyfriend and I were at the Le Mans, France, 24 hour race (the bf is a massive car geek). He has a nice car, convertible, and this year we took it to a car show so he could show it off. So there we were, driving slowly through the crowds, when we stopped in the traffic, and two guys came to admire the car. And as they were stood right next to me in the passenger seat (roof off) one of them said, really loudly, 'That's a really stunning car, though you definitely need a more fit bird sat in the front.' And they walked off before I could think of anything to say in reply. Needless to say I was utterly mortified.

And that my friends, right there, following a cruel remark from a total stranger, was my 'moment' when I said, no more! I am going to get fit and healthy and look and feel fabulous from now on and damn any strangers who say otherwise!

What was your moment?

I lost 20 pounds last summer and put about 15 back on. Doing a down dog at yoga and seeing the dimpling in my thighs up close and personal really did it for me--soooooo unattractive. That is a shallow reason, but there it is.

First off, what a douche bag. But congrats on losing the weight. I woke up to reality when I found out I was "obese".

My moment came about a year ago when I needed to give my weight to a horseback riding company in order for them to pick out a horse for me to ride. The original shock came from me checking my weight the first time in a year and realizing I had gained 40 lbs (and I was already soooo overweight). The final push was the company calling me back and telling me that I was above their weight limit so I couldn't ride any horses.

sealove627 wrote: »

Seeing myself in a mirror and not recognizing that person. The person in the mirror doesn't match how I feel on the inside, because most days I feel pretty good. Then I catch a glimpse and then say, oh man, who's that fat chick.

This is a big one for me lately, too. I don't know what it was - almost the opposite of body dysmorphia - for the last few years, I'd look in the mirror and I looked just fine to myself - although I was putting on ~ 10 lbs a year and not fitting in my clothes, so clearly I was getting bigger, I just couldn't see it. Suddenly, this year, I'll catch a reflection of myself and I am SHOCKED by how many bulges I see and how my face doesn't look quite right anymore.

kerrisallen wrote: »

sophomorelove wrote: »

Mostly pictures and health reasons. Socially I don't feel fat or out of place (most of the time) but my knees are not happy with all the extra weight. Plus shopping sucks now. I am tired of being "the fat sister" in the family.

I can relate to the fat sister comment im the middle sister and 50lbs heavier than the others. My little sister is getting married in august so I decided I didn't want to be the fat sweaty sister in the wedding. I should have started sooner but some progress is better than no progress.

Bazzababy1 wrote: »

My final moment was yesterday.
This is bad the chiropractor gave me a serve yesterday. Im so overweight - i cant roll my body over naturally to the otherside without using my neck as a pivot to turn over. I keep throwing my neck out of alignment, my posture is poor because of my big boobs. He told me me to get off the couch which i love - and start exercising. I think i just got served. Not going back to see him until i have lost 20kgs at least

Good luck with your goals! You can do it!