Curiosity - What was your wake up call?

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  • bmarq21
    bmarq21 Posts: 45
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    My stomach started to hang over my pants and I got tired from simply walking up the stairs!!
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
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    I’m 66 years old, was 271 lbs, Type 2 diabetic, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and didn’t take it seriously enough. My mother dying of a heart attack at 48 and my dad having several over three decades until the big one at age 68 wasn’t enough to scare me in living a healthy lifestyle. Over the last 15 years, I lost 61 lbs (from 332), but hadn’t really changed my bad eating habits and exercising was non-existent. Then, I spent the 4th and 5th of July in the emergency and cardiac units at the hospital in Atrial Fibrillation for 16 hours. I was put on a low sodium and restricted diet and told to start exercising or suffer the consequences. I have a wonderful wife, a great son, two loving daughters with great husbands and 2 and 3 year old grandsons. I don’t want to die. I have too much to live for.
  • cheshirechic
    cheshirechic Posts: 489 Member
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    1. Having to buy pants for work that were in the largest size I've ever bought as an adult.
    2. When he put a ring on it, and I realized that wedding photos last (almost) forever!
  • BethanyMasters
    BethanyMasters Posts: 519 Member
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    I had gotten down to 160 pounds while I lived with my diabetic father.

    Met my boyfriend and ballooned right back up to 220 pounds.

    When my size 18 jeans stopped fitting. Oh heeeeeeelll no, I do not want to have to shop at a plus size store.

    I still struggled with my weight, taking two steps forward, giving up and taking a step in the wrong direction, then two steps forward and so on.

    Then something clicked. I decided I wanted to become a personal trainer and help people and I started learning more about fitness and nutrition. I learned how to set more realistic goals and how to go about it in a more effective way.

    For the past two months or so the pounds have just been melting off. Knowing that being healthy is basically a prerequisite for my career choice. On the days I feel like giving up I tell myself. "Well I can give up and spend another five years deciding on a different career choice. Or I can suck it up and just do it so that I can continue on the path I already chose."
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    1. I was no longer in the "normal" weight range.

    2. I hit 200 pounds.

    3. I went from 185 to 200 in about a month, without realizing it. My father in law was sick and died. I was drinking a lot and binge eating all of the time. I could barely walk around the block.

    4. My husband told me that I had gained a little weight (he usually does not point those things out). I didn't think I had and weighed myself on a different scale than I was used to. It said 204. I didn't think that could possibly be true and pulled out my scale. Sure enough, that said 204. I almost cried and started walking soon after.
  • AshDHart
    AshDHart Posts: 818 Member
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    My husband was diagnosed with diabetes in March 2011 and instead of going on medication he wanted to make dietary changes and lose weight. Also, in March I was hospitalized with pneumonia and have been on oxygen full time since.

    My wake up call was my husband health and the nudge to keep it going was the doctor telling me I had to lose the weight or I might never get off the oxygen.

    My husbands blood levels are improving every month without medication and he has lost over 50lbs! My doctor told me I'm doing so well that when I get the weight off my lungs will be healthy enough to run marathons!

    Biggest thing for me is to drink lots of water!
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
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    1. my SIL really upset me and lit a mini fire under me over last Christmas ( it was anger) I couldn`t let it out on family so I let it out on myself in the form of exercise
    2. I was NOT going to buy a size over 16jeans and my then jeans where getting tight
    3. I wanted to play with my kids for longer than 5-10 min at a time without getting winded and needing a break

    I held onto #1 until May when I just kinda broke and focused on me gave up pop and started to exercise then the rest has just started to fall into place. ( I was drinking over 12 cans of pepsie regular before May1st everyday and I quit cold turkey Now I drink water HUGE HUGE change for the better). I`m currently a size 14 almost ready to move into some 12s and its only been 3months.
  • NeverStopRunning
    NeverStopRunning Posts: 36
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    My wake up call was on my birthday last year. My boss always gave the employees a birthday gift. I was at my desk working away when I got an email from her with the subject "Happy Birthday". I opened the email to find the following note: "Don't take offense but I thought you would enjoy this" follwed by a big picture of the gift.

    What was it? A subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine....

    I went to the bathroom and cried. As rude and hurtful as that was though, it was the wake up call that I needed. I lost 32 pounds and counting and I no longer work there.
  • audram420
    audram420 Posts: 838 Member
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    My wake up call was on my birthday last year. My boss always gave the employees a birthday gift. I was at my desk working away when I got an email from her with the subject "Happy Birthday". I opened the email to find the following note: "Don't take offense but I thought you would enjoy this" follwed by a big picture of the gift.

    What was it? A subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine....

    I went to the bathroom and cried. As rude and hurtful as that was though, it was the wake up call that I needed. I lost 32 pounds and counting and I no longer work there.

    Oh my gosh, how rude was that??? I'm so sorry it happened but I like the way you have used it to push yourself to lose weight!!

    Mine was when I had my baby and was under the impression I could "lose the baby weight" in no time...hahaha...2 years later and I'm only 10lbs smaller from when I gave birth and 30lbs heavier from pre-baby time!! GRRRR!
  • AntoinetteC
    AntoinetteC Posts: 90 Member
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    Hiding from cameras did not do it for me, it was when my job had to send me home because me BP was 180/100.
  • jenttifer
    jenttifer Posts: 90 Member
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    Several things...I, too, was at my highest weight for the SECOND time in my life...I feel you on that one!

    My father was diagnosed with diabetes, mother with high blood pressure, and a whole family history of heart disease.

    Pictures always make it more realistic! I always thought I just didn't photograph well...not true...I was fat!

    I go out with my girlfriends for happy hour once a month and I was so depressed every time because I had nothing to wear that I looked good in...they are all thin and stylish and I wanted to get excited about dressing up to go out, too! They are also all married...and all the single hot guys were looking at them and not me (the only single one in the group!).

    The biggest reason I decided to get in shape is that by the end of this year I want to attempt pregnancy with donor insemination and I know that it's easier to get pregnant when you're healthy...I figured if I'm paying the big bucks for it I need to give it the best chance possible. I also pictured how much I would weigh fat and pregnant...and how much more weight I'd have to lose after pregnancy if I was fat prior to pregnancy.

    Tips? Don't give up!! I have a tendency to lose several pounds all at once, then plateau for several weeks before losing several more pounds. At first I let this get me down, now I know if I just keep on working hard my body will catch up! I always think back to standing on the scale and being stuck at 221 and being very angry...and now I'm on the scale and stuck at 180. I made it past 221 and I'll make it past 180, too...I just need to keep working!
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
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    Several things: Realizing I was just a few pounds away from being "obese"; seeing myself from the back in a video of a school performance -- I couldn't believe how big my butt looked and the rolls of back fat -- ugh! Also, a little bit of peer pressure -- I work at a school where most of the teachers are pretty slender and fit and I realized one day that I was one of the fatter teachers on staff. Many of those thin teachers are over 50 too which debunked the notion that I had that once you're middle aged and your metabolism slows down, you have to just accept some extra pounds.

    My biggest tip: Find time for exercise EVERY day. That's often hard for me with the crazy schedule I have during the school year and some days I can only work in 15 minutes, but 15 minutes is better than nothing!
  • Kudabada
    Kudabada Posts: 2
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    I was always thin growing up, and in the past could lose weight easily...now, with 5 children & the busyness of life, I was horrified to realize I weigh more than I did at 9 months pregnant...and it is not so easy to take the weight off as it used to be, probably a combination of the amount of weight I have to take off (if you think about it, my pregnancy weight included 8 lbs of baby + fluids, etc which change your weight right after giving birth--I'm presently HEAVIER, with no baby accounting for part of the weight!!), and getting older.
    Also, I believe life is a gift from GOD, and I need to start treating my health as precious now so I can stay healthy/become more healthy.
    My tip is to drink plenty of water and take vitamins to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. Exercise is key--not always my fave thing, but as I become consistent, it is becoming a habit. As time goes on, I may even look forward to it! Lol
  • CynthiaPreciosa
    CynthiaPreciosa Posts: 16
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    My dad has diabetes and since i am overweight I could get it too. Also I just want to be healthier, I just had a baby and I put on so much weight after that, I want to be healthier to so I can see my son grow up. I wanna be able to run with him when he gets older and not get winded. All that, plus I want to look and feel so better overall.
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
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    There were a number of things for me... Seeing a picture of me at my highest weight Mothers Day weekend, I'm getting married in March, I want to tstart trying to conceive my second baby shortly after that, then I have my 10 year high school reunion in the fall!
  • Litsa24
    Litsa24 Posts: 1
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    I took my two kids on vacation two weeks ago and they begged me to get in the pool with them, I refused because I'm too embarrassed to get into a bathing suit. It broke my heart that I can't have fun with my kids because of this weight. I'm so ready to be thin again!!
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    when i began working in a hospital and seeing the patients we see. this is a rural hospital, full of poor people with no health insurance..its the south so its mostly fatty, fried foods they eat..so we see a LOT of obese, copd (smoking), diabetic patients, heart issues due to diet and obesity...thats when i woke up.. i dont want to be like of the folks i see here..55 yrs old and bed ridden
  • sweetsapphire85
    sweetsapphire85 Posts: 386
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    I developed high blood pressure at 25, was going to mcdonalds and throwing out the wrappers before i got home so no one knew i went, and was afraid to step on the scale for a few months (when I did my pants were getting tight and I was at 152) I promised I'd never go over 150 even if i was pregnant.
  • sweetsapphire85
    sweetsapphire85 Posts: 386
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    when i began working in a hospital and seeing the patients we see. this is a rural hospital, full of poor people with no health insurance..its the south so its mostly fatty, fried foods they eat..so we see a LOT of obese, copd (smoking), diabetic patients, heart issues due to diet and obesity...thats when i woke up.. i dont want to be like of the folks i see here..55 yrs old and bed ridden

    My sister is a nurse and says about the double wide wheel chairs and double wide beds, people that are too large to roll on their side. It's really scary and I can't imagine how they feel on a daily basis. It' has to be so hard.
  • theSidekicks
    theSidekicks Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm sick of having no energy and dreading doctors appointments.

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