Share your Story, your "Why"
thehoss316
Posts: 125 Member
Thank you for your interest in this group. I'm elated you have decided to join us.
To help us know each other a bit, what brings you to MFP? What inspires you to improve your life from a physical fitness standpoint, or perhaps beyond? We love hearing other stories, and would certainly love to hear yours.
To help us know each other a bit, what brings you to MFP? What inspires you to improve your life from a physical fitness standpoint, or perhaps beyond? We love hearing other stories, and would certainly love to hear yours.
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So, my story....
Growing up, I was always a heavy child. Loved food, couldn't run a lap, couldn't touch my toes, couldn't complete the exercises that the other kids could...My soul wanted to, but my body would not cooperate.
Then, it clicked when I was about 17...an important thing is to find that one physical activity you love, something you can do and not think it a chore or torture. For me, it was as easy as jumping on the huge trampoline! Day in, day out, I jumped. Complimented with dedicated time in the weight room, I succeeded in dropping 40 pounds over the course of a few months. Since that time, I have lost 70-80 pounds, depending on my current weight at any time.
So why now? First, in my battles, I've grown to love exercise. It has become ingrained in me, something I need regularly to balance me. But of course, life throws us curve balls. Several years ago, I slightly fell off the life wagon. Exercise and physical well being took a backseat, and because of emotional hardships that came my way that I'd wish on no one, my mental well being had to become THE priority. Such struggles no one should have to face in their mid- to late twenties when you are out of school, earning a steady paycheck, and building a life while you're still young enough to have a good time. But, perhaps this tale may be shared another day in a larger forum.
I reached a point eventually where I wanted to get back on the wagon. So, four years ago, I decided to start a round on Insanity. And that first week was AWFUL. However, something inside me clicked, and I looked forward to growing and improving each and every day. That became my new safe place, my new emotional high.
Once again, exercise and health became important. I've been sprinting (no pun intended) down this very path ever since. Right now, absent major life changes and events, I don't see myself stopping.
And now, I want to share this story and gift with others.0 -
Truly inspirational John, thanks for sharing.
Ok, I'll go. I was always heavy as well. I was physically active, and so I wasn't as heavy as I should have been with my TERRIBLE eating habit.
As I became an adult, I realized that it was my eating habits that had to change. While my parents were great people, they did not police what I ate, and so I would eat an entire bag of Doritos after school and drink a 2 liter of Coke a day; no one ever said that it was probably not a good idea.
When I started having children of my own and my first born was a girl, as she started to get into school, I realized I did not want her to ever have to struggle with her weight like I did, or be uncomfortable in her own skin. So, I began monitoring exactly what they ate and how much. I don't deprive them of junk, but they have it in moderation. I, however, did not practice what I preached. It seemed despite my good intentions and diligent food monitoring, left to their own devices they made TERRIBLE food choices as well.
So, changes had to be made all around. I began researching, soaking up any and every bit of nutrition information I could find. I took classes, both online and in person, I am currently working toward my nutritionist certification btw and am working as a nutrition consultant.
I have always loved to cook and be creative in the kitchen, it relaxes me, and I love it. Now, however, my creations are super healthy, my kids love it, I love it, and left to their own devices they are making exceedingly better choices!
I joined MFP once I dropped the 40 lbs and realized that I was now, skinny-fat lol. I wanted to learn how to exercise properly. Before I lost all the weight, I also bought Insanity, however, after the first week, I blew out me knee and was laid up for a while. Since I was getting healthy the proper way (no fad diets/starving) I wanted to become more active in a proper way too.
So here I am now, a healthy, hardy, size 4, building muscles (i have 2 whole visible abs now lol) with more energy than I think I've ever had in my entire life. In 2 weeks I will be celebrating my 5th annual 30th birthday, and I am in the best shape I've ever been in my life, and this is after having 3 kids!0 -
John, thanks for sharing and starting this group.
My Story-
I was never heavy as a kid, i ran, i swam, was the fastest kid in the neighborhood etc...but about middle school i ended up with oshgenslaughters (spelling), which made the bones in my knees grow much faster than they should. it sidelined my activities, i turned to more introverted solitary things like reading and writing.
my mom started letting me know i was pudgy (sadly, when you see pictures, its not true), so in middle school 7th grade I believe, she put me on slimfast for a week. i dropped 10 pounds and gained a bunch of mortification and lost self esteem as well.
From then on, my life seems as if it was surrounded by what i ate, how i looked and how i should change. i remember as a freshman I didn't eat for a month. no one noticed till my clothes fell off, then i was forced to eat....Junior year winning Miss Grayling I weighed aprox 118lbs. if that tells you anything.
of course college I gained weight, and was told as much by both parents. and i dunno...its just been that way forever, and i have consistently gained weight.
at 23 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, where movement was pain you couldn't really imagine.
stress of my job etc...
Fast forward to 18 months ago, and I was diagnosed with a hypothyroidism as well.
I'm over 200 lbs, and unhappy.
I'm an adult, (38), I can't look back and blame anyone because it was me that made choices to feed my face for so many reasons. I now need to focus on undoing all of that.
I want to go into my 40's much healthier both mind and body.
Im single, no kids, and all this time to fill up...and I have no excuse not to get and be healthy. Honestly, Its a challenge to find a reason. I guess I wish I had an external reason because it would be more motivational for me i think. trying to find an internal reason is difficult. (I'm beginning to realize I'm kind of lost).
I'm hoping through this challenge I'll start to make strides to find myself, and eventually my own internal motivation to get to a healthy me again...
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Thank you for sharing guys. These are truly motivating and a clear indicator it's never too late to start!
I was never a heavy person but just never felt comfortable in my skin. I was very sedentary growing up and had no interest in sports. My weight fluctuated from being 15 lbs overweight to underweight. In my 20s my weight fluctuated from 95 to 140 lbs at 5'4". Neither was healthy. Ironically at my lowest (my uni days - I survived on portion of fries and a biscuit with hot sauce almost daily)
After my separation and dealing divorce in my late 20s and back to being very skinny fat from the stress, I really took an interest in being healthy. Fitness became a hobby or maybe a distraction from the realities of my life.
Coincidentally I also started with insanity and realised that I could not do this. I couldnt even last the warm up. I put it down and switched to Jillian Michael 30 day shred. This was difficult but manageable. I completed this and then moved on to insanity...this time I was ready. I completed it and totally enjoy the adrenaline rush. One regret I do have is not starting strength training sooner ... p90x and body beast are my fave home workouts.
Life settled in as I met someone else and we decided to have a child. I worked out throughout my pregnancy and losing the post pregnancy weight was not difficult as I had the knowledge and tools.
I have tried the gym but just don't have the commitment especially with my job and now I have a 5 yo son. Working out at home is most convenient. My day starts at 4.30 am to get myself and son ready and my work day usually finishes by 5pm.
It has been an interesting journey and I have learnt so much since I have joined mfp as well. I will be 35 in couple weeks and I plan to stay healthy and active. Admittedly the last couple months have been a bit rough and whilst I have still maintained my weight, I think I can do better.
My goal now is to acquire leaner body through maybe body recomp. It's a slow process but I don't think I have discipline with bulk / cut routines for gaining muscle. My endurance is quite good thanks to Shaun T but I would like to gain some strength and lose some body fat.
Though the fitness journey started as a distraction, it has now been a lifestyle change. I am fortunate to have the support from my other half and even my son. His version of a push up is the cutest. Lol
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My story... I used to be pretty fit. I fell ill and things changed, then marriage and kids. Life. Now that years have past and I'm healthy again I want to actually be healthy and stop being the fat mom/friend. I want to show my daughter that she needs to love her body now and continue to take care of it instead of having to consistently start over! I want to get fit and healthy for myself, for my daughter & all of the people who said I couldn't !0
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Some of these stories are truly amazing, heartfelt and inspiring! I applaud the courage of those who really opened up, and thank John for providing the forum for them to do so. My story isn't as exciting as some. I grew up the skinny kid, which unless you've been there you may not realize how tough that can be. For some reason people have no issues with telling you you need to gain weight. I didn't have much confidence as a kid and didn't have many friends, so I wasn't very active. It wasn't until near the end of high school I became interested in changing my body and started strength training. For the last 20+ years I've been at all different levels of fitness. I've worked out in just about every type of way you can imagine.
My biggest issue is I get bored very easily so I often in the past have abandoned workouts even if I was getting good results. I started mountain biking in 2008 and met many people with different ideas about fitness. I was fortunate to discover the program I've been using for the last 3.5 years with no stopping! I believe I've finally found my long term solution and I'm looking forward to being healthier in my late 40s than I've ever been. Have a great month everyone!0 -
jaymers9709 wrote: »John, thanks for sharing and starting this group.
My Story-
I was never heavy as a kid, i ran, i swam, was the fastest kid in the neighborhood etc...but about middle school i ended up with oshgenslaughters (spelling), which made the bones in my knees grow much faster than they should. it sidelined my activities, i turned to more introverted solitary things like reading and writing.
my mom started letting me know i was pudgy (sadly, when you see pictures, its not true), so in middle school 7th grade I believe, she put me on slimfast for a week. i dropped 10 pounds and gained a bunch of mortification and lost self esteem as well.
From then on, my life seems as if it was surrounded by what i ate, how i looked and how i should change. i remember as a freshman I didn't eat for a month. no one noticed till my clothes fell off, then i was forced to eat....Junior year winning Miss Grayling I weighed aprox 118lbs. if that tells you anything.
of course college I gained weight, and was told as much by both parents. and i dunno...its just been that way forever, and i have consistently gained weight.
at 23 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, where movement was pain you couldn't really imagine.
stress of my job etc...
Fast forward to 18 months ago, and I was diagnosed with a hypothyroidism as well.
I'm over 200 lbs, and unhappy.
I'm an adult, (38), I can't look back and blame anyone because it was me that made choices to feed my face for so many reasons. I now need to focus on undoing all of that.
I want to go into my 40's much healthier both mind and body.
Im single, no kids, and all this time to fill up...and I have no excuse not to get and be healthy. Honestly, Its a challenge to find a reason. I guess I wish I had an external reason because it would be more motivational for me i think. trying to find an internal reason is difficult. (I'm beginning to realize I'm kind of lost).
I'm hoping through this challenge I'll start to make strides to find myself, and eventually my own internal motivation to get to a healthy me again...
I hope you don't mind me singling you out. You have clearly faced many challenges, and yet here you are! As far as I am concerned you should be proud of yourself already.
A couple of things I would encourage you to do. I can sense some shame in your post. It sounds like from a young age your parents led you to believe your self worth was in some way connected to your weight. I don't know you at all, but I sense you still feel this way. I think it was the "feeding your face" part of your post that led me here.
I understand why you are looking for an external reason to change your life. Firstly I will tell you we are all here for you! That said, if you want to make a sustainable change, it can't be for me, or your friends, or an internet group, your parents, or anyone else! It must be for YOU. Let the changes in your lifestyle be their own reward, and your results will come.
I hope I didn't overstep here. If I did please know my intentions were good. I can see strength in you. Now you have to see it in yourself. Good luck on your journey!0 -
My why.
All my life I used food as a replacement of love and friendship. I ate to deal with all sorts of emotions.
Eventually the sickness spread from my mind to my body and I became a diabetic plus high cholesterol and all the problems which come with that.
My doctor told me that the good thing is right now it's reversible... Much happened between this and the next step however that's for another time.
I discovered p90x3 and started doing it. Slowly but surely the pounds started to come off.
I remember the day I got under 200 (I am 5'9").
I had not been that low in over 15 years.
I finally started to believe I actually could be skinny if I wanted to.
I started to research nutrition and learn all I could.
I went from p90x3, to insanity,insanity asylum vol 1, vol 2, insanity Max30, tapoutxt.... Doing every single program I could find. I just finished p90x2 which I can not recommend enough and I started to spin 3x a week for a total of 5 hrs.
With an interest in fitness came am interest in eating better
I still have a hard time recognizing I am skinny (I'm currently 150) as all my life I was the overweight kid.
Currently I am trying to get stronger as I probably lost a lot of muscle when I lost weight as I lost a total of 70 pounds.
So i have two why's
1.I don't want to go back to where I was
2.I have fallen in love with the fitness lifestyle
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Just to be clear, I'm almost 47 years old. I have a long *kitten* story...lol. My problems growing up were thinking I was fatter than I actually was. I was curvy, but my friends were sticks... so my self esteem was pretty horrid. Then in my senior year in high school I was so stressed with life, I stopped eating completely. This was my first episode of losing by stopping eating. My lowest weight was 106. Although that was a great weight for a 5 foot tall woman, how I got there was so very bad for my body.
At 20 I got pregnant for the first time. My Portuguese body balooned up as soon as the hormones flooded my body and I got real sick with pre-ecclampsia. At the end of that pregnancy I was 190 pounds. Then I got pregnant again and gained to 225.
After that I did Atkins... was real obsessed and was able to lose 50 pounds to 175. Still not a good weight, but I felt better... then I got pregnant again... And I gained all the weight I lost plus 30 more. After my daughter was born, I divorced my husband... a very contentious divorce. My highest weight was 295.
A few things that happened was I would stop eating for months at a time... lose pounds.. then gain back more... I would just stop eating from stress. The last time I lost 65 pounds in three months. My liver became fatty and my gall bladder became inflamed from the rapid weight loss. I was diagnosed with anorexia and an anxiety disorder at this time. But I was still fat. Finally, with the help of a psychiatrist, I worked on the anxiety disorder, was put on meds to help stabilize me and learned how I used food to punish myself when I was stressed.
Well, one of the things I thought about myself growing up was that I hated working out of any kind. Found it boring. Except for dance. So, in order to not have to participate in PE, I took dance during high school. I was pretty good at it. But my knees failed me. So, movement became non-existent for me. I hated it, in fact.
Anyway... the meds I was put on for my anxiety caused a condition called hyponatremia (chronic low sodium). This caused a problem with palpitations and muscle cramps. It took six months to titrate off the medication and on to new medication. During this time I was not allowed to sweat, and was on liquid restriction to keep my sodium levels so I wouldn't be hospitalized. I hated my weight. One of the things that happens with hyponatremia is as your sodium drops you gain water weight. My weight could fluctuate 15 pounds up and down daily from water retention. When things would get bad, I'd have to go to the emergency room to get put on an IV. It was a nightmare. I was also a smoker. Having heart palpitations made me decide that wasn't an option any longer. On July 3, I quit smoking for good.
August 1, 2015, I was given the okay to begin to move and I never looked back. I heard about this app called Zombies, Run!. And it was then I found a joy in movement. I'd listen to the story and find myself going faster and faster to escape these zombies. And then I loved to walk/sprint. But my weight caused problems for my feet and legs, so I added weight training to strengthen my legs so I could run. I joined the Wellness Center in town so that I could also add swimming. I logged my food and found that I really didn't eat that badly (my boyfriend is diabetic, so we were always conscious of what we were eating).
I recently was hired at the wellness center that I went to. The director felt my dedication to wellness was an inspiration to everyone (I spent 5 days a week there). I will be opening the center in the morning as well as working with the actively aging and giving water aerobics classes. I'm still terribly overweight, but I am fit. I can power walk a 5k in 32 minutes and can swim almost 1000 meters. I can leg press 200 pounds. I can do a proper squat, but my knees won't let me do lunges. Although I would like to lose more weight, I'm prouder of this part of my life.0 -
I'm sure many things brought me here, but there were two things that made the biggest difference: 1. Seeing a great psychologist in the summer of 2015; and 2. Watching my mom's health severely deteriorate, quickly.
I've had issues with depression, and then with the extra weight, I had a lot of feelings of self-loathing, low self esteem and self worth. I finally decided to see a psychologist and it was the best thing I ever did. She helped me see that I was being too hard on myself, and my perfectionism was creating too many "wrong" thoughts. With her help, I've changed my thinking, and therefore my whole life. Even at work, people have noted how much happier I am, and that started before the weight loss. Anyway, also started taking a mild anti depressant and this has also helped tremendously. I've gotten rid of my "all or nothing" thinking, and that ONE thing has helped me the most to lose weight.
My mom is 69 and I'm sure she's going to die soon. She has heart failure, Type 2 diabetes, and has the worst diet ever. She may have to have her feet amputated before she dies. They're gross. She can't do anything. Even walking 10 feet makes her almost keel over. I look at her and know that I don't want that to be me in 20 years. It breaks my heart to see her just giving up, which she has.
That's really it. I've been fighting back pain for some time now and finally decided, "if not now, when?" So I made the decision on Sep 1/15 to do my best to be the best me I can be. Thankfully I found MFP, because it's been a game changer for me. I know I'll reach my goal weight and fitness level.0 -
Firstly, because I am tired of hating myself and being fat and disgusting and just accepting it.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 8 years ago and I have just accepted the weight gain due to it. I just figured it was how things were for me and there's nothing I can do because doctor after doctor, that's what they said.
Well, I'm proving those a-holes wrong, aren't I?
It took a LONG time and many doctors as well as a diagnosis of celiac disease to begin to get my health back, but I'm well on my way.
I'm no longer doing this just for me, but for everyone struggling with this disease. It can be done. It's possible. It's not as simple as calories in vs out, but you can do it.0 -
My struggles with weight started in high school. One day I looked down on my legs and thought they looked fat. I weighed myself and was 138 lbs. I am 5'6'', so that was a fine weight, but I didn't know that and wanted it lower. I dieted and exercised rigorously until I got below 120 lbs. I was freezing all the time and had to wear long johns to keep warm all the time. My senior year was stressful but I only gained a couple pounds.
The summer before college I lived in a house with students. Right next door was a food co-op with very healthy food. I bought everything there and ate very clean and extremely small portions. I got down to 110 lbs but still felt flabby and fat.
I started college and moved into a dorm. My freshman year was an emotional roller coaster. Dealing with the stress was very difficult and I found myself binging in the cafeteria far too often. I gained about 40 pounds and got up to 150 lbs.
The second semester of my freshman year I became very sick and was in the hospital for 3 weeks. I had to drop my classes. I was put on medication that caused me to gain weight rapidly. I got up to 165 lbs.
I returned to school in the summer and managed to not gain any weight for the next three semesters. I did an internship the summer after that, and I begin restricting my eating again and managed to get back down to 145 lbs. I continued losing weight the next semester and got down to 120 lbs.
The next year I ended up in the hospital again and was diagnosed with a very serious illness. The medications I have to take for that illness have caused my weight to go up and down a lot over the last several years. Most recently, in 2014 (the year I graduated), I was on a combination for about 6 months that caused me to gain 60 pounds and get up to 230 lbs.
I went to a medically managed weight loss program and begin to slowly lose this weight while changing medications to help.
Now, I am around 170 lbs, back where I was before I gained from the medication in 2014.
I want to continue to lose weight and get into the normal weight range for my height, which means being under 155 lbs. My body fat percentage is around 40%. I'd like to get that into the healthy range as well which for me is below 33%.
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-What brings me to MFP:
I’ve been on MFP for the past…5 years. I’ve had this account since 2014. If you were to browse my food diary pre-January 2016, you’d see a lot of lackluster workouts and eating…well, eating things that were not beneficial to my personal goals. I came to MFP because I really like having a place to track my food and exercise, I love the community of having others to support me and vice versa. It’s nice to know that when I am feeling discouraged, I can kind vent here about things a lot of my FB friends wouldn’t get, and feel supported.
What inspires you to improve your life from a physical fitness standpoint, or perhaps beyond?
I’ve always struggled with weight. I was chubby from the ages of 11-21. I lost weight for a bit when I was 21-23, and gained it back without even realizing it. I’d been trying (again, I use that term loosely) since 2014 to lose the weight, but just “couldn’t.” I lost 10 lbs, and just couldn’t seem to budge from that. I didn’t realize that I wasn’t eating well for *my* body. I completely changed my eating patterns, and between January 17th and now, I’ve lost 24 lbs.
I’m inspired by…myself. I love weight lifting, and it makes me feel strong, powerful, healthy, and happy. I want to continue growing to be the best me possible. When I started this journey, I said my goal was, “my old body, only strong.” I am 8 lbs away from what I weighed before gaining weight (my goal is to lose 6 more lbs) but the difference in my body is incredible. I am stronger, happier, and not just focused on cardio and more cardio. I’ve actually learned how to eat to feel full.
Also, I just feel happier and more confident at a lighter weight. I feel like that confidence radiates out into how I see myself in relation to other people. No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, or how much I tried to be content, I just wasn’t comfortable being overweight.
This group came at just the right time for me. I’ve found myself getting kinda, “meh, whatever! I’m happy here!” but I still want to lose 6 lbs, because I think it’s important to set a goal and achieve it. I just kind of “rewrote” my nutrition goals today with reminders and such, just to stay focused. It’s a lifestyle change, and the hardest part really is making it so.
Happy to be here! Good luck everyone.0 -
My why
I was never heavy. .. I was 135 pounds when I got married and I was 6 months pregnant. After I had my first child I gained about 30 pounds ...than got pregnant with in months with my daughter. After having my daughter I gained 80 pounds in about 3 months. This was 12 years ago. Doctors had no answered for me. Had my 3 child on my 24th birthday, and lost 60 pounds after having him. Clearly their was something going on. 8 years later I end up at my heaviest of 287 pounds! Being 5 feet tall I looked about 340 pounds. My health was not good. I had to take a year off work (nursing) because I was in the hospital more than I was home. I joined the gym and dropped 70 pounds. Watched everything I ate and worked my *kitten* off. Than one day out of Know of where I though I was just going to die. .. the pain I was in was emance. ..worst than any labour of any of my children. ..that's when I really pushed the doctors to finally find out what was wrong with me. Being on many meds for low thyroid high blood pressure and on top of that Tylenol 4 muscle relaxors and other strong medication for pain, I was at my breking point. I fought with my doctor telling me my issue were my bowels but I knew in my heart it was to do with my ovary's. .. finally I got a doctor to agree to do a hysterectomy. ..I suffered in pain for another month and a half before my surgery. .. the doctors told me to my face that this surgery would not help me. I knew it would. The next day after my surgery December 17th 2014 the doctor came to see me. She stood in front of me and apologized. .. that she brushed me off for so long. I had pcos and my uterus was 3 times the size. My pain has been over but it's still been a battle. I have 1 ovary that's it. And I still have pcos in one ovary they left one for hormones that my body needs. So here I am all these years later left with some answers and still 229 lbs. I have to push myself and fight to loose this weight and I'm not going to let pcos get in my way. So that's my why. My health knocked me down for way to long and I missed out of so much with my children who are now 14, 12 & 10. All I really want is to show my kids if you work hard enough you can accomplish anything...no matter what gets in your way. I want to be a active mom who can go on hikes and runs with her kids. I've lost a lot of time with them. ...now it's my time to take control back.
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Hi everyone! Enjoyed your stories. Growing up I was pretty skinny. My parents never really taught me how to eat. I never really had a home cooked meal. Pizza, fast food, ice cream, candy, processed & canned foods & lots of it was pretty much my diet growing up. I was a tom boy that stayed outside & played hard & rough. This is what saved me in my younger years. In my teens I started to gain because I was eating the same without all the exercise. I started weight watchers & lost 30 lbs. I have gone back & forth with weight ever since. My heaviest was 219! One day I was shopping & noticed an XL was now tight. After browsing I stumbled across a section of clothes that fit perfectly. I was shocked & sad to learn that they were maternity clothes. I decided to get back on weight watchers & in doing so I lost 46 lbs! I wanted to lose 23 more to reach my goal but I struggled so much with my eating. Weight watchers also changed their plan & this new plan didn't work for me. It dawned on me that I had to learn how to eat. I needed to cook, eat veggies, fruit & take better care of my body in this regard. I was keeping my weight down for the most part but my weight is creeping back up on me. I have to get this weight off once & for all & keep it off. I joined the group because I want to succeed & I need all the encouragement I can get. Currently I do cardio & Pilates. I am 187 & need to be 150. I have also decided to take herbal supplements again to give my body the nutrients & boost that it needs. I hope to lose as much as I can in this challenge.0
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I grew up a member of the Clean Your Plate Club and was always picked second to last in gym class. But I really didn't have weight issues until I got a job at McDonald's my senior year of high school. Two years there, and then a year as a bank teller surrounded by fast food joints within walking distance and my weight ballooned to 235 lbs (5'9" tall). Then I got a night shift job and my food options and money were very limited. I became a vegetarian because that's what you do when you go to college. I discovered the beautiful canal walkway in downtown Indianapolis and started walking there in the evenings before work. Then it turned into jogging. Turns out, gym class was just missing pretty scenery and a good soundtrack. I lost 70 lbs in 7 months. Then I met my husband, got a day shift job, ditched vegetarianism and started gaining weight. I had back surgery at 23, since I had back problems since I was 15. From then my weight liked to hover around 220. I had six kids, gaining 50 lbs with each but always returning to 220 without much effort. But my weight would often go up into the 240s from eating the kids' leftovers, fast food and buffet binges, and late night snacking. With this last pregnancy, my poor eating habits started to catch up to me. My insulin was up, my A1C was borderline, and my cholesterol and inflammatory markers were high. The doctor wanted to put me on a $500 cholesterol medication (after insurance paid $900 of it), and I decided that I could buy an awful lot of veggies for $500. So I decided to take responsibility for my health. I chose to go on a whole food plant based diet. I find out what my blood work numbers are in two days. I started exercising and logging my food intake on MFP. I am also prepping myself for possible surgery since, while in nursing school, I learned about spinal disk replacement surgery for people who have had a lumbar fusion, which I did back in 2002. But you have to be normal weight to qualify, and I know from experience that when you're in pain enough to need surgery, there's not much exercise going on, so I'm trying to get ahead of that. So far I'm pain-free but who knows how long that will last. Also, my mom is disabled, some of it due to her morbid obesity and some of it due to factors outside her control. I can't help but think how much more mobility and quality of life she would have if she hadn't made excuses about her weight all the time. And then there is my time spent working as an RN. The vast majority of my patient population consisted of diet-noncompliant people with lifestyle related diseases. I've seen the needless pain, debility, and suffering that come from a lifetime of poor food choices and no exercise. It's so very sad and so very, very expensive. I decided that I need to take responsibility for my own health so I can have a good quality of life and be capable of serving my fellow human beings. I want to set a good example for my six beautiful children and have a family culture of physical fitness. Part of my process is spiritual. Our bodies are miraculous gifts from God, to be cared for as such and treated with respect. The body, mind, and spirit are interconnected, and it is my hope that as I care for my body with proper amounts of nourishing food and moderate exercise, my mind and spirit will benefit, as well.
Best wishes to all of you in your process of physical & emotional healing and in achieving your goals! I love having the support of the people on MFP and challenge groups, and I hope to be able to lend others the support that they need to achieve their goals.0 -
Why??
I am a 5f10in woman, who has always been on the heavier side (max weight has been 208). It does not show that much since I am tall, and my weight is well divided on my body. I have always been an active girl, but I also like to eat!
My mother started by cardiac(hygenia) at 40, my uncle died at 42 of a heart attack. My grand-mother died of a massive heart attack, and all my mother's side of the family have high blood pressure, and cholestérol problems. This is my main WHY!! I do not want to get there. I am 33 years old, and my goal is not to be cardiac at 40!
My boyfriend and I have just bought our first home, and we are working on having our family. I want to be healthy for all of that!
Thanks
Anne Marie0 -
I gained weight when I fell pregnant with my first child (2009) and then 2 more children followed (2011 and 2013). Ive never had a very healthy relationship with food or exercise and pre children would probably only eat about 1000 calories a day (if that) and very little exercise. Im learning the hard way now about exercise and nutrition and trying to do it properly. When I started on mfp in 2011 I just dieting and lost a lot of weight that way but then I found exercise. I started with 30 day shred and my fitness level was low so that was a real challenge, I then moved onto Bob Harper. Fitness stopped when I was pregnant with third child and along with that old disordered eating feelings resurfaced. Post third child I have found Shaun T, and completed T25, insanity max 30 (x2) and am now on insanity. Im learning about healthy eating, healthy lifestyles.0
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Thanks for all the stories, guys. I love this.
My story/what brings me to MFP/why:
I was alaways active into my early 20s, so, despite ridiculous eating habits, youth and activity kept me pretty fit. Get a desk job and continue with the same eating habits and I got fat. I lost 40 lbs two different times over the years and gained it all back.
In early 2012 I tipped the scales at 230 lbs @ 5"10. I had man boobs. I was about to have to shop for size 40 pants. I decided wnough was enough. I had no idea what I was doing, but I just ate less and moved more. I got under 200 lbs pretty easily within a few months. I become fascinated with learning about nutrition and training. I started lifting weights in late 2012. I got a coach from MFP in the fall of 2013. He was a game changer for me in terms of my training and informing about nutrition. I got to a low of about 172 in early 2014.
I added some muscle and some fat and have basically maintained in the 180s for the last couple of years. Most of that time I was not logging food, and had left MFP. I logged my food long enough that I could eyeball it and be ok to maintain. No food restrictions, no going hungry.
This is enjoyable and works for me as far as maintaining. However, I decided around the first of the year to knock of these last 10-15 lbs. I returned to MFP. Began logging again. I have slowly dropped a little weight but would like to finish the weight loss phase within this challenge.
Good luck all and anyone feel free to add me here.0 -
Why? Because I need motivation and ideas!
First things first, I'm 35, wife and mommy of a 4 yr old girl and 17mo old boy. I work full time and my life is chaos.
Your stories are inspiring and I know in order for anything to move forward for me, I need motivation from others. Glad to see so many parents here too. I want my kids to grow up with a happy, healthy, confident mommy.
I've always been average weight and have ALWAYS loved being active. I played just about every sport in school. When I was 12, mom got a Jane Fonda step video for Christmas. I memorized it and did it everyday and not because I was trying to lose weight, but because I loved the way it made me feel..
After winter break, my sophomore year of college, I returned to school a little heavier after a few too many Christmas cookies. A roommate convinced me to join Weight Watchers. I lost about 25 pounds, but gained an obsession with counting food. That was 15 years ago. I've joined and rejoined WW countless times, never getting to my goal. I haven't been back for several years, but have replaced that obsession with calorie counting (cheaper at least!). I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn't gone with my roommate. Would I be heavier but happier? Or should I be glad that this obsession has kept my weight from skyrocketing over the years? Constantly thinking about food and my weight has plagued my life and gets in the way of everything else.
Calorie counting for me is a lifestyle.. I'm afraid to not count. I don't trust myself. I've gone at the most about 15 days without counting. It's difficult to explain but it's like I'm working toward a goal but I don't want to get there bc this is my comfort zone. I'd still like to lose about 15 lbs. but I know it won't happen if I continue down this path. With all of this I've also developed an emotional eating problem, which I'm always working on, but haven't solved.
I run, cycle, do bootcamp, swim, aerobics, you name it. But I have an unhealthy relationship with food that I can't quite get to the bottom of.
My ultimate goal is to be happy in my own skin and have a healthy relationship with food. I'm open to ideas on how to get there!
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Thanks for sharing your stories
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Well where can I start...... I'm a wife and mother of 4 children, and work full time.
I guess at some point in my life I forgot about me.... My husband and children came first while juggling work it was a never ending circle. When I met my husband I was at a size 8 now I'm size 22( yay!! Seriously).
I hated looking in mirrors and taking pictures ( I haven't taken a family photo for over 7 years)
I guess my turning point was giving birth to my last child, the pregnancy went well but giving birth I nearly died and was unable to be with my child for a while, I'm so greatful for a second chance!!
Reality is I don't know where to start but I know that this is not about weight loss alone but it's a journey of discovering who I am loving me and for being more healthier for myself and family.
Simply things like playing in the park without being out of breath within minutes, and yes of course being that women my husband fell in love with( even though he says he loves me for me)
My short term goal is to get from a size 22 to a size 18 then evaluate once again.
Any advice would be helpful!!
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Thank you for sharing everyone! Change 04 I can definitely relate to your story.
I was not really concerned with my weight in high school. It fluctuated. I am 4'10" my sophomore prom dress was a 4, junior a 6, senior an 8 then a year later my wedding dress was a 4. I got pregnant and had a very difficult pregnancy. I gave birth to a preemie and I believe that's when I first stopped taking care of me. I gradually started gaining a little. 3 1/2 years later I got pregnant again at this point I was not obese but probably overweight for my height. I continued letting myself gradually gain. Then 3 1/2 years ago I lost my mother in law. My husband clammed up and I went into severe depression. I turned to food for comfort. I am also a stress eater (something I still battle with.) I got to the point where I did not like pictures of myself, my self esteem was extremely low. I wouldn't even take pictures with my kids anymore. I just kept getting bigger and I just kept telling myself after this I will start, or when I this I will start. A year ago that we're having a biggest loser competition at work I thought you know why not. At this point I was 168 lbs( almost in the morbidly obese category) at 4 ft 10 wearing a size 16 which for my height was ridiculous. I couldn't barely stand to walk for very long at a time. I didn't play outside with my children. That's when I found MFP and decided I not only need to get rid of the weight but I needed to start the journey of finding myself again, of loving myself again. I had success at first loss 45 lbs then in August we took guardianship of my nephew who was under 2. At this point my own children were 7 and 11. So it was quite a shock so I turned back to stress eating. Then in October my grandfather got sick and passed in November I fell off the wagon and started making excuses again after the holidays I started realizing that the whole new wardrobe I had bought was getting tight so I buckled down again by this time I had gained 20 lbs back. I walk (a lot) about 15,000-20,000 steps a day but I do not have a exercise program outside of walking. I am starting to lose again with the exception of last week which was an extremely bad week.0 -
I was a sedentary kid but wasn't overly fat. I remember weighing myself when i was 18 at the end of high school and i weighed 65kgs which was "overweight" for my age and height. I always had a body image problem as most of my friends were skinny.
Around a year later i started hitting the nightclubs and everyone i hung out with was into party drugs. I got the taste of it and couldn't go clubbing without them. Before long i had dropped a *kitten* load of weight and loved it. At my lowest i weighed 49kgs. My mum thought i had anorexia at one stage. But even then i still had a body image problem. But of course when i stopped partying i put some of the weight back on.
Fast forward 4 years and i decided to give up smoking cold turkey. I lived on top of a massive hill so i decided to walk it everyday (sometimes twice a day), i also did squats,push ups and crunches. I gave up simple carbs. I was sucking on lollipops to curb my ciggie cravings and also ate mints (not chocolate ones). I don't how much weight i lost as i didn't weigh myself but looking in the mirror i could tell i had lost abit and when we went on holidays to visit family everyone complemented me on how good i looked.
Fast forward three years and i fell pregnant with my first child. I remember someone saying eat what you want enjoy it. The first five months i craved cheeseburgers and quarter pounders. I didnt have the energy to exercise as i worked. I put on over 30kgs. After i had my daughter i talked about losing weight but never did anything about it until she was 4. I joined the gym and had lost 5kgs and then 6 months later i fell preggers again. This time because i was still overweight my midwife put me onto a food diary and i only managed to put on 16kgs this time around.
So when my son was 6 months old (July 2013) i started my weightloss journey again. I was 73kgs. I had my doctor put me on Duromine (an appetite suppressant) and with proper eating habits and exercise i lost 4kgs in one month..69kgs. I was seeing a personal trainer twice a week and i also did a 12week challange twice. A friend and i also worked out together 3 days a week. By December 2014 i had dropped 14kgs (i was 4kgs off my goal weight). Then i lost all motivation. I stopped working out and started eating crap and drinking alcohol. By November 2015 I had put on half of what i had previously lost.
With me Iv never had a problem with the exercise, its the junk food and drink. So I started back up with my trainer once a week, started eating better (not completely good though).im down 4kgs (could have been more but iv fallen off the wagon a couple of times in between).
I just want to feel good about myself again but its hard when my partner isnt a healthy eater or into exercise. My mum is obese and my 2 sister are really overweight aswell. I dont want to be like that and thats my why.0 -
My "why" in high school I was always skinny but never healthy. I always over ate but I was a swimmer so I'd always burn it off. I weighed 110Lbs I am 5'4. Well a couple years ago I stopped working out. And then I got a desk job which meant my eating habits just got worse.. I got up to my highest weight of 199.8 back in January of 2015. Now I have lost a bit of that and down to 151.8 right now and am healthier as I have ever been! I would like to get down to 130 by August as that's the next time I'll see my brother. He is in the navy and one of my biggest supporters. I am also doing this for myself my husband and my future family I want to have0
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Being raised in a family of 4 girls I was always the “fat” one. As a teen at 5’3” I had lousy eating habits and weighed in at over 150 lbs. I might not have been the fat friend, but I was by far a skinny/healthy looking kid. I would come home from school starving and eat an entire bag of tater tots with ketchup (mmmmmm... haven't had those in DECADES). Food had no boundaries for me. Food was my companion.
I was the odd girl in college in that prior to my freshman year I joined a gym (for all the wrong reasons - see my bio page) and DROPPED 15 lbs. That’s when I developed a love of lifting weights.
With the birth of my two sons (1999 and 2002) I was back up to my 150+ lbs.
In 2009, with two herniated discs in my lower back and not realizing how out-of-shape I was, my stars collided:
- I took up tennis and threw my back out to the point I couldn’t walk
- I started reading Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet
- I tried running which caused me to injure my iliotibial bands
- I had a girlfriend who was trying to get me to buy a facial line of skin care because it was “better for me.”
- I went out to dinner with a friend who looked amazing. He did it by going back to the gym and lifting weights “an hour every morning with some cardio.”
- I was approaching 40 and was determined that I was NOT going to look frumpy and 40!
Something clicked in me. I realized at that moment that I needed to do what I LOVE (lift) and not what the skinny chicks in my neighborhood did (jog), and that if I care enough about what I put ON my skin, shouldn’t I care about what I’m putting IN my body?
I committed to myself to change. Within three months of eating “clean”, logging every bite into a spreadsheet (MFP before apps were born), and working out, I went from 150 to 127 lbs. I went from size 12 to size 4/6. I had a skin condition on my forehead that cleared up (and has been gone since). I slept better, had more energy, could fit into my clothes, and was happier with my attitude! Since then it's been maintenance (a lot of ups and downs), but maintenance that I'm happy to deal with.
I have yet to determine what my challenge will be starting Monday. I joined because I am continuously inspired by those who walk the walk, talk the talk, and have overcome obstacles to get where they are. I’m determined to not live within the typecast of my friends who are starting to whine “it sucks getting old!" No, it does not suck getting old... It sucks LETTING yourself get old. I’m proof that you don’t have to settle, you can change. And I want to continue to change, push my limits, evolve, and be the best I can be.
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I was pretty healthy as a kid (back then I wouldn't have agreed). When I got pregnant at 17, at 5'2" I went from 130lbs to 194lbs!
I was on the verge of gestational diabetes and for whatever reason just swelled up in the beginning of my second trimester. Fortunately, 2 weeks post delivery I was back down to around 155lbs. That was 6.5 years ago. I developed postpartum thyroiditus (hypothyroidism) and let that be an excuse to not be as careful about my weight when I wasnt happy with where I was.
I maintained around 146-158lbs for a few years. When my husband and I started dating 2 years ago my weight slowly crept up to 184lbs in January 2016. I wanted to look good for my husband again. We decided we wanted to have a baby, and I knew our chances would be better if I wasn't at an obese BMI, and it would also lead to less probable complications during pregnancy. I joined MFP and in just over 60 days I lost over 20lbs (now just overweight!).
Today, I've lost 27 lbs, weigh 157lbs and am now about 6 weeks pregnant. My goals are now slightly different, but my current why is to have a healthy pregnancy and do what I can control now to be in a better position nine months from now to "get back my body".0 -
Wowza....great inspiration! Mine is pretty basic. I was always fit, not skinny-fat, but actually fit. Trained regularly in the gym, competition stuff. Also running marathon style....I used to run regularly 8 to 10 miles a day. Crazy business maintaining that.
"Life" happened....marriage happened, twins happened, divorce happened, major auto accident happened.....NOW I am getting MY life back again.
It's not a very moving or emotional story, it's not an inspirational story, but it is a basic story and sometimes BACK TO BASIC is the foundation we look for to rebuild again.
As always, MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!
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Some very truly inspirational why stories here. I love the fact them at there are so many different and unique stories.
Here's my Why Story.
Growing up I was always chubby but I was not lazy. I was often found outside with all my skinny friends running around causing chaos in the neighborhood. I played soccer when I was 10, my coach put me as a fullback because of my obvious weight difference but after seeing that I could run I was moved to a halfback position. I loved hiking in the mountains and would go as often as my parents let me.
Throughout Highschool I was a steady 180 lbs (5'8) and played football. Once I graduated and went out on my own my eating habits went downhill fast. Within 4 years I had gained 105 lbs. I was at an all time high of 285lbs. Going through a lot of emotional stress at that age I decided I wanted to leave everything behind and join the military. I HAD TO LOSE WEIGHT. I started going to the gym 2 times a day for 2-4 hours each session. I starved myself and within 6 months I had dropped all the way down to 197 lbs. In 2005 I joined the Army and began to eat healthy and exercise much much more (Not by choice) I soon found myself in the best shape of my life at 200lbs. I could run two miles in 14 minutes, go on a sustained run of 10 miles without stopping. Life was Great.
Here's where my trouble started. Plantar Fasciitis crept up on me and I didn't know what was happening to my feet. I pushed through the pain and ended up doing far more damage to my feet and legs than I ever imagined. I was discharged (Honorably) from the military 6 months early due to my foot problems. By that time I was so depressed and disgusted with myself that getting out felt like a blessing (It wasnt).
In 2010 I moved to Texas to begin working at a prison. At the time I was 220lbs. Within 4 years I had jumped all the way back to 285 lbs and knew I had to change. My ultimate goal is to become a Peace Officer in my adopted state of Texas. I have dropped about 35 of the 85 lbs that is my ultimate goal. Hopefully by next year I'll be ready for the academy.0
