Starting at morbidly obese--what made you finally stick with it?

Realizing the simplicity of it all. Calories. Not carbs, not processed food, not a diet lacking in pistachios or blueberries or kale, but simply calories. Started tracking them and the weight started coming off. I knew the secret and I had no more excuses.

In January 2016 (just last year) my BMI was over 40. I'd been overweight for a good 20+ years and for at least 15 of those I was obese. Tried and failed dieting in various forms over the years.
The one thing that turned things around was the decision my wife and I made the third week in January 2016 which was to lay off the booze.
At the time we didn't specifically plan on stopping drinking forever, but it's turned out to be the best decision we ever made.
I noticed within a few days of not drinking that I wasn't snacking anymore. The evenings of sipping wine and feeding myself with all kinds of junk food were over.
Started to notice weight was coming off all by itself, that huge amount of excess calories from the wine and snacking no longer making me get fatter.
It was May before we finally bought a scales to start measuring the weight-loss and another couple of months before discovering MFP and getting a food scales as well, but even in that time I had dropped several trouser sizes.
Now I do everything: Prepare food from basic ingredients to ensure good nutritional value, accurately weigh and record everything I eat, ensure my food is balanced for all nutrition groups (though always protein-heavy to maintain my lean muscle and keep hunger at bay), stick to daily calorie goals, drink plenty of water and take regular exercise (walking, walking and more walking with a bit of walking on the side!).
During 2016 I dropped nearly half my body weight. My BMI is now around 21 and I've maintained a normal weight for over a month (I haven't stopped doing all of the above, just increased my daily calories to maintain).
I've gone from having to buy clothes in "fat people's" shops to having to buy clothes in "skinny people's shops", my trouser size is typically one size lower than the smallest size on the racks in Asda and places like that!
I'm teetotal now, never want to drink alcohol again, don't miss it, don't miss the lack of control it gives you.
I know plenty of people who don't think they drink enough for it to make any difference to successfully losing weight, but I also know a lot of people aren't entirely honest about the amount they actually drink, probably not even to themselves.
So my one thing to pass on to anyone struggling with weight-loss is to quit drinking. Everything else has a far better chance of working out if you do that.
Good luck.

I chose losing weight over a life of chronic pain and slowly losing my ability to walk. I, at 160kg / 350lbs, decided to specifically put my body first instead of everything else around me for once.

I knew how it all worked, yet had chosen to do nothing for so long because it was hard. I enjoyed food, and didn't want to give up on that. Once I realised how simple it actually was to do, I hit the ground running.

My blood pressure was beginning to rise. My mom was going through health issues of her own and I decided I didn't want to end up with the issues she was having. I started by going to the gym every other day. Now, almost 3 years later I've lost 113lbs, go to the gym minimum 5 days a week and I absolutely love lifting weights. I can't get enough Good luck! You can do it!

Sweet_Misery_ wrote: »

For those who started out very overweight, what was your catalyst to finally start living better?

The realisation that the scales were only going in one direction unless I got off my backside and did something about it. No-one else was going to do it for me and no-one else really cared apart from me, so it was all down to me to deal with it.

I also decided that I did not want to be at higher risk of a heart attack, diabetes, cancer, stroke etc etc. I want to live for a long time and see my children develop into the adults they want to be.

As an obese person, life was a struggle. Walking up a flight of stairs was a struggle. The only exercise I got was walking to the car, or to the duck pond over the road. I was a mess. My BMI was 46+. It was a scary place to be, really.

I had a choice. Either carry on as usual and increase my risk of dying prematurely or start doing something about it. I knew this and still didn't do anything. For years I did nothing about it. Maybe I perceived it as too much effort?

I don't know what happened, or what made me do it but I woke up one day and decided that today was the day to sort myself out. And I got on with it. I am still getting on with it as although I am now a "healthy" weight, I have plenty of fat to get rid of before I am happy with how I am and how I look. Having said that, my life is completely different to my formerly-obese self - I can walk miles, cycle miles, I go to the gym, I do strength training, I eat healthily and with the right portion sizes. I feel so much better in myself and about myself and I have tons of energy. I can't sit still for long these days. The best thing about all this is that my improved habits are rubbing off onto my family as well so they all eat better, exercise more and are becoming healthier. This is the ultimate satisfaction as I want THEM to live long and healthily as well.

The only thing I have in common with my formerly obese self is difficulty in buying clothes - I used to struggle to find clothes when I was UK size 28/30 and I struggle to find clothes now I'm size 8/10! A bit annoying but I'd rather be a healthy weight than obese.

You have to find the determination to do this from within yourself. It's there, it's just a case of finding it. Once you find that determination, it's not as hard as you think, it's more a case of consistency than anything else. You have to do it day after day consistently and that's where the determination comes in.

Start now. In a year's time you'll be pleased that you did. I certainly was.

Good luck

I was at the border of obese and extremely obese and beginning to feel the effects when I began in earnest to lose weight - though I'd been gathering information and working on mental health for years prior.

What causes me to stick with it, the motivation in the forefront of my mind, changes.

In the first few months it was an accumulation of my own successes that inspired me to keep going. It wasn't, and isn't, perfection, but progress. Five pounds down? Progress. Walked a mile? Progress. Stayed faithful for a whole week? Progress. Didn't get sidelined by a day of overeating? Progress.

And now - Sometimes it's looking at old pictures. Sometimes it's a beach vacation. Sometimes I just want to see what it's like to be super fit. Sometimes it's the way my husband can't keep his hands off me. Sometimes it's reviewing the year and seeing how much my physical and mental health are intertwined. Sometimes it's the joy I get at realizing that I easily hit 8000 steps without intentional exercise and without trying. It's realizing that if I keep it up, I WILL be able to hike the Appalachian Trail when my kids are older. Sometimes it's wanting to prove people wrong. And sometimes it's wanting to justify their confidence in me. It's knowing that I can do hard things and being proud of myself. I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.

When I first started, there were only a few reasons to do it and as time has gone on, I've found more and more reasons.

I am 5'1" and started at 259 lbs, you can look at my diary. Morbidly obese. I got mad in July 2016 after a break up and decided to change. The only thing I did was count calories, no exercise, no food exclusions, just count calories. MFP made it easier by letting me input how much I wanted to lose per week. I am losing on average 1 lb per week. I have lost 33 pounds. I accept this is going to take a long time. I am not perfect and some days I go over calories but I know that overall I am losing weight and that's good enough right now.