What was your ahh-ha moment that made you decide to lose weight?
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Mike --
Here you go...story/photos
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10080664/lost-191-lbs-photos-success-after-999-failures/p1
Thank you sir, astounding story!0 -
I remember being totally inspired by your story when I read it on the message boards a few weeks ago, @NikonPal Well done, my friend!0
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I don't own a scale and although I knew that the pounds were slowly packing on, I had blinders on and thought I just needed to loose about 10-15 lbs. One day, I stepped on the scales at a friends and saw that I was 182 lbs.....that 10-15 lbs was more like 20-25 lbs. That was a shocker for me that my perceived need was about half of my actual need. I decided I'd better get started right away before the amount to lose became overwhelming. It was already pretty daunting.
I then started watching what I ate and realized that, although I could cut back on junk food (can't we all?), my overall diet was healthy. It was portions that I had no idea about. When I found MFP and learned about weighing food to learn about portions, I started right away. I learned a lot about controlling food to fit into my day. An eye opening experience and one that has made me reach my goal and generally feel better & more energetic all around.0 -
Thank you - alphabetsoup2013
PaytraB – It is amazing how MFP can open eyes about portions. I don’t eat anything without considering portion size now.
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LOL! Oh I've owned a scale for years, I just kept "forgetting" to get on it! I wish I knew what the spark was that inspired me to lose so much weight this time! I tried off and on, mostly off in the last few years to get rid of the weight but would never stick with it long enough to make a major dent in what I really had to lose. I've gotten to goal weights before and always started blowing off the good eating habits and went right back up again. I'm determined NOT to do that this time! I think one of the best things about MFP is that there really isn't any excuse not to track your food. Most of us always have our phone somewhere within easy reach so no I forgot to write it down or I don't have my forms with me etc etc.0
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Background - always had to watch my weight as I gain very easily but was reasonably good at keeping it under control it until I gained 30lbs very rapidly when I was 31. A car driver used my knee to remove his front bumper (US=fender). Three months on crutches, depressed at having some permanent disability, bored and fairly inactive was a good recipe for weight gain.
Turning 50 started the process - very much the thought was if I don't lose this blubber now, when will I?
But the ahh-ha moment was having a nasty case of quinsy, it's like tonsillitis with a turbocharger! My throat was so swollen I simply couldn't eat and not surprisingly lost a lot of weight quickly.
And that made me finally admit it may have been the idiot car driver that led to me getting fat but it was me, and only me, that simply ate too much and kept myself fat for 20 years.0 -
Health issues - I hope I can make a lifestyle of proper nutrition and exercise. I have always known what to do but couldn't follow through.0
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Background - always had to watch my weight as I gain very easily but was reasonably good at keeping it under control it until I gained 30lbs very rapidly when I was 31. A car driver used my knee to remove his front bumper (US=fender). Three months on crutches, depressed at having some permanent disability, bored and fairly inactive was a good recipe for weight gain.
Turning 50 started the process - very much the thought was if I don't lose this blubber now, when will I?
But the ahh-ha moment was having a nasty case of quinsy, it's like tonsillitis with a turbocharger! My throat was so swollen I simply couldn't eat and not surprisingly lost a lot of weight quickly.
And that made me finally admit it may have been the idiot car driver that led to me getting fat but it was me, and only me, that simply ate too much and kept myself fat for 20 years.
Thanks for sharing. like you I ate too much & kept myself fat.. Great sentence. Sums it all up
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For me it was talking to a tennis buddy who said that he had lost 20 kg over 2 years on a LCHF diet. He was and still is one of the best players in the club, also one of the friendliest too. He just said "Google it" - not too much info. So he was the person who made me realise that I did have options and didn't just have to accept the "inevitability" of getting middle age spread and feeling aches and pains all over as I got older.
Now this way of eating has healed a lot of ongoing aches and pains (sore wrist, elbow, feet, knees etc) and I was able to give that same friend some advice last night about overcoming tennis elbow. This WOE has cured me of so many ailments that the associated weight loss is only one of the benefits.0 -
I didn't have a single a-ha moment for myself. I knew I was overweight but the freaky part is folks around me kept saying I shouldn't worry about it because I "carry my weight well" and I don't look fat etc. Sorry, folks... I'm muscular but 283 lbs on a 5'11" frame is still obese.
What got me going in the right direction were two friends who tackled weight loss from different perspectives. One had bariatric surgery plus diet & exercise. The other joined a weight loss clinic which specializes in a holistic approach to weight loss through diet & exercise plus teaching people to approach eating differently through meal planning and keeping a food diary. I decided to join the weight loss clinic. I was successful in losing +30 lbs.
Around the same time as I started losing weight, my marriage derailed. As a result of all of the disruption, I stepped back from the clinic for a couple of years and dedicated my time to healing my soul and caring for my children. Now that divorce is finalized, I'm back in the gym. Current focus is less on losing weight and more on rebuilding muscle.0 -
For me it was spending the better part of a year being ill. I'd remained pretty active my entire life up until that point but I learned that inactivity and eating only things that taste good at the moment could really pack on the pounds. I had also used a back injury prior to that illness as an excuse to cut back on exercise so when I got sick I was already about 30 lbs over my normal adult weight. The two combined helped me pack on about 70 lbs more than I needed to be carrying around.
Once I felt better I couldn't wait to get back to the "real" me. When something is taken away from you, even something you don't necessarily use that often, you realize how precious it was.
Now that I have my health back I'll never take exercise for granted again!!!!
At my age mobility, agility, strength and stamina are all terribly important. I don't plan on losing sight of this again.0 -
I planned a trip to see my extremely fit brother who I had not seen in years. He has a wacky work schedule so by the time he and I made the plan and I flew up to see him, I had lost enough weight to feel comfortable with myself and his activities. We had a great time.0
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Was so fat, I was having trouble getting out of the tub. That and a vacation planned with my very fit daughters for my 60th birthday, I would never have kept up with them if I hadn't done something about my weight.0
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My Ah Ha moment came when I realized there was and end in sight for completing a doctorate in education. I successfully defended my dissertation on August 8th. I have lost 43 pounds so far and I will participate in the graduation ceremony at the end of October.0
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E.Brault. That is totally cool! I remember graduating from dental school. Things to be proud of. Good for you!0
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My Ah Ha moment came when I realized there was and end in sight for completing a doctorate in education. I successfully defended my dissertation on August 8th. I have lost 43 pounds so far and I will participate in the graduation ceremony at the end of October.
Congratulations on all fronts!0 -
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Having trouble flying, especially getting comfortable in airline seats. I avoided it for several years.0
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The suit I wore for my son's and daughter's college graduation ceremony. That same suit fit easily 2 years earlier at other daughter's graduation, but barily fit this time. I realized that I had been kidding myself into thinking I've been losing weight.0
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I gained 22# last year after losing 20 on MFP in 2013. It was soooo easy for those pounds to fly back on. I realized that I could easily gain another 20# in half a year and the sky was the limit if I didn't get serious about getting it off and keeping it off. At 60 I want to be able to exercise hard and pretend I'm 40. 12 pounds lost to date and so far so good as I do feel like I'm 40 again!0
