So what was your turning point?

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ldtoner
ldtoner Posts: 10 Member
in Getting Started
Hi - I've dieted and lost before. Now here I am at 63 heavier than ever. I'm 25-30 pounds heavier than I want to be and I'm afraid that if I don't get serious that I'll just keep gaining. I have no health issues. I eat a predominantly vegetarian/vegan diet (not religiously), and I try to stay active. I'm sure I could exercise more and eat less, but I'm so darn tired of being ruled by what I "can't" eat. I'm actually starting to hate the idea of food! I want to cook good nutritious meals, but then I'm afraid that I'll like them too much and eat more than I should. This is ridiculous. I know the things to do, but apparently what I do is never enough. I'm not sure I can start this all over again. So...back to my original question, what was your turning point? What made you get on track and stay on track? I'm looking for all the motivation I can get.

Replies

  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited October 2015
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    It became physically painful to look in the mirror. My mom took me to a really nice store to treat me to some really nice clothes because we're broke as all get out, so it was really special.... until I started trying things on and not a darn thing fit me that I tried. I mean, they "fit" but they, I mean I, looked awful. I broke down crying in the fitting room. For emphasis, the last time I cried was alone in my room where no one could see or hear me and my best friend had just died. I don't cry over looking bad. It's just not me. But I broke down and lost it in that fitting room, stall more like, with the world to hear me. I just decided there wa s nothing at all, even extreme physical pain, about losing weight that could be worse than that feeling.

    And it doesn't even hurt like I thought it would. And it has become easy and totally back burner in my mind.

    I'm 16 lbs down after 2 months. And it's awesome. And you CAN do this.


    Edited to add: I have had the app for like a year and never did anything with it until the last 2 months.
  • MarlyIc1
    MarlyIc1 Posts: 39 Member
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    I get off the track regularly but always get back on it. Don't try and be perfect and don't beat yourself up too much. For me personally, I exercise and eat healthier because it helps me sleep better, and everything starts there. If I don't sleep well, I tend to binge on junk food to make up the energy. Allow yourself to eat everything but make some sort of rules ' for weakness foods '. For me it's cheese, I love it and used to eat it daily. Now I visit my favourite cheese café once a month and enjoy my cheese with couple glasses of wine. No point completely depriving yourself and trying to follow a strict diet, it never works long term. Your body will rebel, I speak from experience. Just make a compromise with yourself. Also when I cook good nutritious meals eg. tonight is my fave red curry chicken with lots of veggies, I don't eat rice or bread with it. That will allow me to eat more of my curry, perhaps an extra half of the portion. Hope this helps :)
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    I have no turning point but I thought getting to a normal BMI was impossible. I thought if I exercised and ate healthy I could get there but until I started counting calories and using MFP did I have success.

    So I started logging and used a food scale for accuracy, I reached my goal weight!!

    read this

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

    best wishes :)
  • cdudley628
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
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    Honestly, my twin sister told me she was trying to lose weight and we're about the same size and something in my mind just said "No way I'm letting her look better than me." She told me about MFP and now we're both on our weight loss journeys and supporting each other.
  • Big5BigChange
    Big5BigChange Posts: 56 Member
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    clgaram720 wrote: »
    I just decided there was nothing at all, even extreme physical pain, about losing weight that could be worse than that feeling.

    And it doesn't even hurt like I thought it would. And it has become easy and totally back burner in my mind.

    I'm 16 lbs down after 2 months. And it's awesome.

    Loved this clgaram720!

  • Big5BigChange
    Big5BigChange Posts: 56 Member
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    Sounds trivial, but mine was having to change out of my normal jeans in the evenings into jogging bottoms (sweatpants?) because my jeans were too uncomfortable to sit and relax in. I was somebody having to change into "fat clothes" - every night. Not good. Not only is this a practical issue (I'm not going to go out and replace all my current clothes), but it was something objective (i.e. my jeans) telling me - without ceremony - hey - you're letting yourself go here. You've been telling yourself that maybe you haven't been eating as well as you could be, that maybe you've put on a pound or two - but, no - fact is - you've grown bigger....by a lot.....face it! Didn't need to hear it from a concerned friend or my husband, trying to be tactful. The jeans had spoken.
  • joinn68
    joinn68 Posts: 480 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Big5BigChange wrote: »
    The jeans had spoken.
    Amen. Gospel word of tight fitting jeans :) Everyone should have one in their wardrobe

  • Lu_wallace06
    Lu_wallace06 Posts: 107 Member
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    Feel free to add me!
  • kittyd7015
    kittyd7015 Posts: 4,546 Member
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    ldtoner wrote: »
    Hi - I've dieted and lost before. Now here I am at 63 heavier than ever. I'm 25-30 pounds heavier than I want to be and I'm afraid that if I don't get serious that I'll just keep gaining. I have no health issues. I eat a predominantly vegetarian/vegan diet (not religiously), and I try to stay active. I'm sure I could exercise more and eat less, but I'm so darn tired of being ruled by what I "can't" eat. I'm actually starting to hate the idea of food! I want to cook good nutritious meals, but then I'm afraid that I'll like them too much and eat more than I should. This is ridiculous. I know the things to do, but apparently what I do is never enough. I'm not sure I can start this all over again. So...back to my original question, what was your turning point? What made you get on track and stay on track? I'm looking for all the motivation I can get.

    the turning point for me was wen I realised I couldnt ride my pony :(:(:(
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
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    Big5BigChange wrote: »
    Sounds trivial, but mine was having to change out of my normal jeans in the evenings into jogging bottoms (sweatpants?) because my jeans were too uncomfortable to sit and relax in. I was somebody having to change into "fat clothes" - every night. Not good. Not only is this a practical issue (I'm not going to go out and replace all my current clothes), but it was something objective (i.e. my jeans) telling me - without ceremony - hey - you're letting yourself go here. You've been telling yourself that maybe you haven't been eating as well as you could be, that maybe you've put on a pound or two - but, no - fact is - you've grown bigger....by a lot.....face it! Didn't need to hear it from a concerned friend or my husband, trying to be tactful. The jeans had spoken.

    I was similar in that I had an old pair of work trousers that I'd previously nearly given to charity because they were too big, but I put them on one day when I was getting a bit low on clean workwear and they were tight... However I still didn't use this as a turning point to do much about it, I just started wearing more leggings and tunic tops to work instead! My real turning point was being weighed at a hospital check up and it was over 10kg more than I what I thought I was, and I was horrified when I made the conversion from kg to stones
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
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    I'm 67 and 5' 0"". My turning point came when I was fed up with not looking and feeling like the person I knew was ME. I've been counting calories and doing as much exercise as I can and have lost 17lbs in 12 weeks. I have another 25lbs to lose to reach my goal weight of 119lbs. I'm losing weight just the same as the youngsters - the bla bla bla about it being harder to lose weight when you're older is 'baloney'!!!
  • Cobourg
    Cobourg Posts: 54 Member
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    Hi there, I had previously lost a lot of weight with just proper eating and moderate exercise but put back on about 20 lbs. Last week I was speaking with my trainer and during conversation about my weight she asked what I did before when I was successful. I told her and all of a sudden a light bulb went off and I realized that I had really not been eating well at all. Too much food in the evening. So I am back to it, recording everything I am eating, weighing everything and no more food after my snack which consists of 2 arrowroot cookies. We'll see how this goes.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
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    Back in 2001, I was in a relationship, we both had put on a LOT of weight, business clothes were hard to find and my SO frequently went shopping for my clothes..she handed me a pair of jeans and they were a size 26. they were a bit loose and said the size 24 didn't fit me anymore and I should keep the 26's as eventually they would fit or shrink in the wash. Ouch! That was a turning point. It took several years for me to get to a size 12/14 (lots of life stuff), and I stayed there for a few years. Unfortunately after age 50, I've gone up about 10 pounds a year. Yesterday she sent me a photo from a trip in 2000... just as a reminder to get to the gym and not let that happen again. I keep both my fat and fit photos handy. Sometimes it works, sometimes, not. Right now, a closet full of size 14 and 16's is keeping me on track. I'm about 10 pounds from the size 16 and 20 lbs from the size 14.
  • ldtoner
    ldtoner Posts: 10 Member
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    Big5BigChange wrote: »
    Sounds trivial, but mine was having to change out of my normal jeans in the evenings into jogging bottoms (sweatpants?) because my jeans were too uncomfortable to sit and relax in. I was somebody having to change into "fat clothes" - every night. Not good. Not only is this a practical issue (I'm not going to go out and replace all my current clothes), but it was something objective (i.e. my jeans) telling me - without ceremony - hey - you're letting yourself go here. You've been telling yourself that maybe you haven't been eating as well as you could be, that maybe you've put on a pound or two - but, no - fact is - you've grown bigger....by a lot.....face it! Didn't need to hear it from a concerned friend or my husband, trying to be tactful. The jeans had spoken.

    Thank you all for your responses! Every single one of them spoke to me. A special thanks to Big5BigChange because what you wrote perfectly describes me! I change to sweat pants in the evenings because my jeans (which used to be loose) dig into my waist and I can't relax in them!! Yes!! THE JEANS HAVE SPOKEN!!! I just was too dense to listen!

    Thank you again to each of you! All the best and many blessings to you!
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Big5BigChange wrote: »
    clgaram720 wrote: »
    I just decided there was nothing at all, even extreme physical pain, about losing weight that could be worse than that feeling.

    And it doesn't even hurt like I thought it would. And it has become easy and totally back burner in my mind.

    I'm 16 lbs down after 2 months. And it's awesome.

    Loved this clgaram720!

    ;)

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