What was your turning point?

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tsw413
tsw413 Posts: 12 Member
in Motivation and Support
Did you have a moment when something inside you just clicked? Like...TODAY is the day I'm turning it around. Just looking for some motivating stories.
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  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    Two years ago we had a house fire and had to go to a hotel for two months. That meant lots of eating out, on the insurance company, and that was lots of fun. I usually kept my weight around 125 and am 5'2". I joined a gym and kept jogging daily, and ate, and ate, and ate. One night I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't believe it. My rolls of fat went side to side, not up and down. I suspect I was close to 150, and gained about 25 pounds in less than 2 months. It was very easy to do. My joints were killing me. My ankles hurt and my throbbing knee kept me up at night.

    That was my turning point that night, as I knew there was no end in sight and I could eat my way to 250 in a very short time. At 58 I really didn't want to be obese. I joined MFP and have gone up and down since then but never as high as I was. It's a lifestyle change that is hard, but there's no point in putting it off and having to deal with painful joints, diabetes, high blood pressure, or many other side effects to being over weight. I'm 132 now, aiming for 120, and realizing that this is s lifelong process. I got to 120 last year but gained most of it back. I went too fast and had no idea how to maintain. So, the time is now for you to start your journey.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    my doctor pretty much telling me that if i didn't get it together i'd likely be very sick, if not dead by my early 60s.
  • lauraleefaith
    lauraleefaith Posts: 578 Member
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    I was backed into a corner and forced to really examine my values and who I wanted to be as a person. Things got real, real quick.
  • boricua3177
    boricua3177 Posts: 192 Member
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    My turning point happened when it hit me how incredibly depressed I was. I was drinking at night a lot in an attempt to numb myself down. With that drinking came the empty calories & within a couple of years, I had gained 80lbs!! When I accepted that I was depressed and had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, that's when it clicked in my head that I need to act NOW.

    I still have some weight to lose, I'm about half way towards my goal now. I have accepted that this is a lifestyle & not some kind of diet. Now, I am in a much better place emotionally & I also give exercise credit for helping me kick depression's *kitten*. ;-)
  • for_ever_young66
    for_ever_young66 Posts: 2,878 Member
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    I was just getting over a divorce about 10 years ago and my blood pressure was through the roof. Ate fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and was in poor shape. Doctor told me that I needed to make some lifestyle changes or I wasn't going to live to see 50. I'm in the best shape of my life now. I'll turn 50 years old in approximately 14 months and never felt better. I'm stronger, leaner and full of lots of energy.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Let me tell you instead about my non-turning point return to MFP. I had regained my weight, I was tired and lacking motivation. I had no time and no energy to do the "Yay, let's DO this!" stuff again. I closed my diary and turned off all my notifications. I set my calorie levels sky high, ate whatever I wanted, and just logged. Somehow, just the act of logging helped me make better food choices and after a while I started feeling better. After about two weeks I set my calorie level for .5 lb/week. I added exercise not long after because I found myself ready for it. You don't always need a turning point.
  • for_ever_young66
    for_ever_young66 Posts: 2,878 Member
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    Let me tell you instead about my non-turning point return to MFP. I had regained my weight, I was tired and lacking motivation. I had no time and no energy to do the "Yay, let's DO this!" stuff again. I closed my diary and turned off all my notifications. I set my calorie levels sky high, ate whatever I wanted, and just logged. Somehow, just the act of logging helped me make better food choices and after a while I started feeling better. After about two weeks I set my calorie level for .5 lb/week. I added exercise not long after because I found myself ready for it. You don't always need a turning point.

    I say, whatever it takes. Sometimes doing it "by the book" doesn't work for everyone but as long as you took corrective measures. Congrats.

  • BethAnnieT
    BethAnnieT Posts: 263 Member
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    Yes! It was maybe 8 years ago. My daughter was about 10 months old, so the "baby weight" had come off and left 40 extra pounds behind that wouldn't just fall off. I went out for lunch with some ladies from work, and they were all big ladies. We went to a Chinese buffet, maybe 6 of us, and I felt us get some stares from other people there. And I realized, "I am one of the fat ladies." and it made me feel so bad. I was full of shame and horror that I had become so unhealthy. That night I researched some things online... WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, etc. I picked WeightWatchers and started the next day. I lost 38 pounds in the next 8 months, and loved every second of it. I have kept all that weight off (aside from maybe 5 pounds) for the past 7 years, just knowing I do NOT want to go back to that sad fat lady at the Chinese restaurant. Today I am on MFP to get rid of the last 10-15 pounds.
  • JessicaJFries
    JessicaJFries Posts: 20 Member
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    These were all great! Please feel free to add me too! Im looking for support also
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    Let me tell you instead about my non-turning point return to MFP. I had regained my weight, I was tired and lacking motivation. I had no time and no energy to do the "Yay, let's DO this!" stuff again. I closed my diary and turned off all my notifications. I set my calorie levels sky high, ate whatever I wanted, and just logged. Somehow, just the act of logging helped me make better food choices and after a while I started feeling better. After about two weeks I set my calorie level for .5 lb/week. I added exercise not long after because I found myself ready for it. You don't always need a turning point.

    I totally agree with this. I think I spent a lot of time waiting for something to just click, or to have some epiphany, or waiting to be ultra-motivated, and that stuff just isn't real or long-lasting. Sure, I've had those moments and turning points and rock bottoms etc. in the past but I found I ended up trying to coast on the initial high and then fading out. Sometimes you need to just start doing it now rather than waiting for something worse to happen or hoping for some burst of motivation because most days, you won't be that motivated but you do it anyway. I don't mean that to sound depressing, but I think turning points make for better stories than actualities.
  • mrsaldrich13
    mrsaldrich13 Posts: 2 Member
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    My father in law was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and quit smoking after a 50 year habit! My husband and I both agree if he can do THAT we can take care of ourselves better too. And in almost 40 and heart disease is pretty prevalent in my family! Time to grow up I guess!
  • Azuriaz
    Azuriaz Posts: 785 Member
    edited September 2015
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    Let me tell you instead about my non-turning point return to MFP. I had regained my weight, I was tired and lacking motivation. I had no time and no energy to do the "Yay, let's DO this!" stuff again. I closed my diary and turned off all my notifications. I set my calorie levels sky high, ate whatever I wanted, and just logged. Somehow, just the act of logging helped me make better food choices and after a while I started feeling better. After about two weeks I set my calorie level for .5 lb/week. I added exercise not long after because I found myself ready for it. You don't always need a turning point.

    I'm going to do this if I go off that proverbial wagon. Might bring me round faster to keep logging it!

    As for a 'turning point', not sure there was one, I just got tired of being hopelessly unhappy. My weight was the one thing I could do something about. I was still mostly unhappy, but I had a little hope. And now I'm much happier than I was.

  • TakingBackForever
    TakingBackForever Posts: 564 Member
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    I don't know what happened. But on May 22nd...I just decided it was time to start logging. And I just haven't stopped. Now I'm 35 pounds down and halfway to my goal weight...just keep going.
  • SamanthaPeake
    SamanthaPeake Posts: 54 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Realising I didn't have to be fat. It was absolutely my choice! Oh and suddenly realising my Guinea pigs were eating a more nutritious diet than me!!
  • libby328
    libby328 Posts: 287 Member
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    When I realized that I genuinely did not like myself. I was covering up on hot days and always bought only baggy clothing. I didn't feel good because I wasn't happy with myself. I just woke up one day and said "screw this". I wanted to love who I was. And I wanted to appreciate my body. I wanted a healthy relationship with myself and I knew the only way to get that was to work. So I changed.
  • pfgaytriot
    pfgaytriot Posts: 238 Member
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    I was happy, in love and had recently quit smoking. My wife (then girlfriend) cooked amazingly delicious, yet incredibly unhealthy food. While neither of us were small when we started dating, we both gained a significant amount of weight. We had tried a few feeble attempts at losing weight, but when I started to get stretch marks on either side of my belly-button, I knew something had to give. This was back when the Xbox Kinect was new and we started doing a bit of research. We heard about EA Sports Active II and, since we couldn't afford a long-term gym membership at the time, we decided to make the purchase. We lost a total of 25+ lbs each using the game and would later move on to Zumba, weight lifting, and finally CrossFit.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
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    I went from a job where I wore scrubs every day to a job that I had to wear nicer office clothes. Oh my, what scrubs can hide. That was my total snapping point.
  • tallmamaoftwo
    tallmamaoftwo Posts: 9 Member
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    I had gone up and down in the scales over the last 10 years and 2 babies. My final 'it' was unfortunately health issues - a herniated disc in my neck and 2 months later a herniated disc in my lower back. I have to have the surgery in my neck, but if I strengthen my core and lose weight I am hoping to avoid the lower back surgery and reduce the sciatic pain down my leg. I have lost 15 pounds so far, dr's say with my MRI's I should barely be able to move ... Yet I do, between 10,000 and 20,000 steps a day. Not able to run or lift over 5 pounds, but I have become committed to getting back my health so I can live many more years (39 right now). My weight loss journey in the past focused on just looking better, I have learned that it is much more than that.
  • shaunroberts
    shaunroberts Posts: 94 Member
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    Hi,
    Never realised I was getting fat until a friend of my sisters pointed out 'your brothers put loads of weight on'. Up until that point I just thought I was well built lol

    Started excercising on and off in September 2014 but didn't change my eating habits so actually put more weight on! Come January and after a talk with my friend (ex royal marine) I decided enough was enough. I changed my diet and started on Insanity. 3 months later I was 24lbs down.

    Just recently i've had my security pass renewed which is required every 2 years with a new photo. Its amazing how much weight I've lost off my face lol

    Shaun.

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