What was your breaking point?

quichebradford
quichebradford Posts: 327 Member
edited September 30 in Motivation and Support
One of my co-workers stopped me at the coffee bar yesterday and asked me what I've been doing to lose the weight. Of course I rattled off the usual, "eating right and exercising". She made the usual face, the one I made for so many years, when people find out it's not some miracle pill that's causing the weightloss. It seems as if she was looking for a quick fix, but as we all know, it's the exact opposite of that! Telling her about my story made me think about how I got to where I am now.

I was in a weight loss race with a few other people at my job, May 9th was our second weigh in. During a time when I should have been losing weight (I didn't take the "race" seriously) I ended up gaining 3 pounds the first week! It was funny for a moment, but I had never seen those numbers before and it quickly hit home. The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I got. I thought about all of the comments my son had made about my "jiggly belly", not being able to fit into my underwear and being too ashamed to go and buy larger ones, having to wear a body shaper that made me feel like a stuffed sausage....it all hit me like a ton of bricks...the dreaded 3 letters....I realized I was....F..A..T.

That's when I made the decision to change my lifestyle. I don't want to be a fat mom. I don't want to breathe heavy after I walk up a flight of stairs. I don't want to lay on my side and feel my belly hanging over. I don't want to have to buy "slimming" pants. I want my children to be proud of me. I want my husband to be proud to introduce me to his friends and clients. I want to look in the mirror and like what I see...not accept it, but LIKE it. These a just a few reasons, I could go on and on. :o)

So what about you? What was your breaking point? What was the moment that made you say, "enough is enough"?

Replies

  • PalmettoparkGuy
    PalmettoparkGuy Posts: 212 Member
    I was in a controlling relationship where my weight was used against me. At the same time I started a new job where my idiot boss did a very similar thing and I became the butt of all the overeating and no-self control jokes. Now they both can kiss my a**.
  • cjjones007
    cjjones007 Posts: 602
    I had three
    I couldn't get on the floor to play with my kids because I was so heavy and it hurt so much
    I dodged cameras and mirrors at ALL costs and dreaded clothes shopping and made excuses for how I looked
    I found where my ex was telling people that I was so utterly physically disgusting that she avoided being in the house with me when possible because I repelled her with how ugly and disgusting I was...

    That did it for me lol
  • my wedding ring didn't fit anymore. that was enough for me.
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    I saw a profile (side) picture of me and saw how much my chin had expanded
  • BAMA66
    BAMA66 Posts: 240
    My wedding ring getting tight and I saw some pictures of myself from a few years back
  • justimogen
    justimogen Posts: 76
    For me, it was a mental change. I realized that I wanted to LIVE and not just exist. It was like coming out of a 10-year brain fog.


    I found where my ex was telling people that I was so utterly physically disgusting that she avoided being in the house with me when possible because I repelled her with how ugly and disgusting I was...
    I don't care what size you were - That's just horribly mean! You are strong, for turning that into something positive by doing something for your health. Your progress is phenomenal and I wish you the best! :smile:
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
    I was in a controlling relationship where my weight was used against me. At the same time I started a new job where my idiot boss did a very similar thing and I became the butt of all the overeating and no-self control jokes. Now they both can kiss my a**.
    I hope you sued.
  • hellhammer
    hellhammer Posts: 45
    That night i was SOOOO drunk and i was watching staring at the whisky bottle and all those years lost....and i thought about who i was before afghanistan and what i am now, i promised myself to stop my own destruction and decided iw as time to get back to my old shape and starting tearing miles of runs everyday as soon as my ankle is allright, JUST LIKE GOOD OL TIMES!
  • hellhammer
    hellhammer Posts: 45
    No need to sue, that actually did ignite her and pur her back into shape , she should thank them and just add ,MORONS, at the end of the phrase :)
  • Sarw27
    Sarw27 Posts: 68 Member
    I was crossing a sidewalk and some guy came buy on a bicycle and nearly mowed me over. He cursed at me for being in his way and when I told him that his bicycle didn't belong on the sidewalk, he called me a "fat pig". I may be fat but I've never been a "pig". I cried for hours when I got home. Usually I would want to stuff my face with something bad for me to cope but this time I told myself I wasn't going to let some stranger have that effect on me. Instead, I went to bed early and slept off the emotion. It wasn't an over-night transition for me but the mentality I had that night finally stuck and I started making changes after that.
  • ANeWcRe8N
    ANeWcRe8N Posts: 1,180 Member
    My sister posted pics of our easter gathering on her facebook and there happen to be one in there of me :embarassed: I would try and avoid having my picture taken but that day she got one of me and it was disgusting. I was huge and you really couldn't tell the difference between my boobs and belly.. I was a hot mess. Embarrassing, but true! I was like enough is enough. I know I've said that many times before and always gave up within a day or 2 but this time I was serious and the night before I started, I prayed and asked for strength. The next day woke up, gave up sodas, ate better, and started exercising. Crazy because I never exercised in my entire adult life and I was a soda addict and I gave them up like nothing. So there goes my breaking point story lol.. :smile:
  • janemartin02
    janemartin02 Posts: 2,653 Member
    When I had to go to the regular hospital for knee surgery instead of the outpt hospital because i was over 200 lbs.
    also when I had to resize my wedding band 2xs.
    jane
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    Getting blood clots in my legs because I was so heavy and my diet was so bad... definitely got my attention!!!
  • HeyGrlHey
    HeyGrlHey Posts: 640
    My Breaking Points:

    1. I realized I was bigger than my boyfriends mom (who is in her 40's).
    2. When the scale said I was 166lbs at 5'2
    3. When my mom was diagnosed with Diabetes
    4. When my "big" clothes weren't fitting anymore
    5. When I started cutting the sides of my pants near the waist because I refused to buy anymore "fat" clothes
    6. When I started realizing that people in public weren't staring at me because they thought I was "pretty", but overweight.

    I have had a lot of breaking points and set backs. I am determined to get to my happy weight again. I did it once and I know I can do it again, and once I get there I will never get back to such an astonishing mind blowing weight.

    M.:heart:
  • jessradtke
    jessradtke Posts: 418 Member
    You all are so amazingly strong! This post is bringing tears to my eyes AND making me feel incredibly inspired.

    I didn't have one complete breaking point, I had a series of small cracks. When I turned 40 I realized that it was very likely my "half way point" in this life. I started thinking about how fast the first 40 went and how much faster the years go by as I get older. I also had a series of injuries and illnesses that kept me inactive for close to a year. My weight went up, my energy went down, my rings were stuck on my fingers, my clothes wouldn't fit, I was having to catch my breath on only three flights of stairs, and I felt depressed. I came out on the other side DETERMINED to turn my life around before I got even older and getting healthy got even harder. I wanted to get fit NOW while my kids were still young and while I still had a lot of life left in me. I want to get to the end of my life and be able to say I really and truly *LIVED*.
  • dawnrenee567
    dawnrenee567 Posts: 292 Member
    I found where my ex was telling people that I was so utterly physically disgusting that she avoided being in the house with me when possible because I repelled her with how ugly and disgusting I was...

    That did it for me lol

    CJ that is absolutely horrible. Kudo's to you for spinning that into something positive for yourself. You've done an amazing job so far!


    My breaking point? Seeing horrible horrible pictures from our holiday party. And slowly but surely growing out of my 'fat' clothes.
  • jllipson
    jllipson Posts: 646
    When I knew I needed to lose weight - last summer I was miserable not being able to play with my girls as much as I wanted and was so worn out all the time. I was in the bad habit of sleeping until 1:00 on off days despite my girls begging me to get up. I did the bad mommy thing of turning on tv, feeding them and laying around with them until at least noon. Some of this was depression and coping with my company cutting me to part time and not being able to find something new.

    I first learned to adapt to the reduced income, then my hubby asked me about a boot camp. He wanted to go and wanted me to go also - problem was, we could only afford to pay for one of us. So, we decided he would go and bring information home and share with me - This was my major turning point! My sister found out about and introduced me to MFP from others in the program that she and my husband were in, and in mid-January we all began our "Lifestyle Change". Summer has been a challenge for me, but even though I've been in the 220's since beginning of June, I'm happy that I'm maintaining in that range rather than gaining a lot of weight back. Vacation is over now and I have a goal to meet, so I'm back on board... as soon as I finish at the grocery tomorrow. I have been exercising and logging foods, just haven't been eating the better foods much.
  • tanyaMax
    tanyaMax Posts: 524 Member
    I'm not too sure...bu i do remember going on a trip to visit my husnbands family up in georgetown. and just feeling very uncomfortable. i was squeezed into these jeans and couldnt bend over to tie my shoes. i think i had my husband tie them for me..how sad
  • amyd03
    amyd03 Posts: 129 Member
    when my kids stopped picking on me and started telling me for real that i was big. they liked making mommies tummy shake. they never came out and said i was fat just big. then my son was being picked on at school for me being fat.
  • RobinsEgg
    RobinsEgg Posts: 3,702 Member
    One of my co-workers stopped me at the coffee bar yesterday and asked me what I've been doing to lose the weight. Of course I rattled off the usual, "eating right and exercising". She made the usual face, the one I made for so many years, when people find out it's not some miracle pill that's causing the weightloss. It seems as if she was looking for a quick fix, but as we all know, it's the exact opposite of that! Telling her about my story made me think about how I got to where I am now.

    I was in a weight loss race with a few other people at my job, May 9th was our second weigh in. During a time when I should have been losing weight (I didn't take the "race" seriously) I ended up gaining 3 pounds the first week! It was funny for a moment, but I had never seen those numbers before and it quickly hit home. The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I got. I thought about all of the comments my son had made about my "jiggly belly", not being able to fit into my underwear and being too ashamed to go and buy larger ones, having to wear a body shaper that made me feel like a stuffed sausage....it all hit me like a ton of bricks...the dreaded 3 letters....I realized I was....F..A..T.

    That's when I made the decision to change my lifestyle. I don't want to be a fat mom. I don't want to breathe heavy after I walk up a flight of stairs. I don't want to lay on my side and feel my belly hanging over. I don't want to have to buy "slimming" pants. I want my children to be proud of me. I want my husband to be proud to introduce me to his friends and clients. I want to look in the mirror and like what I see...not accept it, but LIKE it. These a just a few reasons, I could go on and on. :o)

    So what about you? What was your breaking point? What was the moment that made you say, "enough is enough"?

    You started a good thread, girlfriend. There's a lot of outletting of pain here, so much heart ache!
    For me, I needed a formal dress for a wedding - ugh - had to spend too much money to cover my flabby arms. and wear Spanx Double Ugh!
  • MelissaE27
    MelissaE27 Posts: 682 Member
    For me it has been various things..
    1. I've put up with bad abusive relationships where I felt unwanted and needed because that's the best I thought I could do ..
    2. My kids are teenagers now and I lost out on so much because I couldn't be active I was in to much pain..
    3. Im going to be 40 this year I don't want to look like im 20 years old than what I really am

    4. The biggest thing that finally made it click though is when I was trying on a pair of jeans and realized the size I thought I was didn't fit anymore so I was looking in the mirror and didn't recognize the person looking back at me.. I just sat in the dressing room in tears.. and I started exercising that day!
  • cjjones007
    cjjones007 Posts: 602
    You are doing awesome - ALL of you - Remember - the breaking point doesn't have to be a big one (was just being honest) it just has to be the big one for US! We are all incredibly wonderful people inside and we just have to be willing to let the world see that - we hide it because of how we looked on the outside - I was done - I wanted my kids to look at Dad as Superman - and now I have a 2x shirt that was once 3 sizes too small that I wear because of it :)

    We are all winners inside, we just have to find those things that add up to the big reason to change.
    I'm proud of every one of you on here for doing it - for your honesty - and for the motivation you provide!!!
  • ANeWcRe8N
    ANeWcRe8N Posts: 1,180 Member
    You are doing awesome - ALL of you - Remember - the breaking point doesn't have to be a big one (was just being honest) it just has to be the big one for US! We are all incredibly wonderful people inside and we just have to be willing to let the world see that - we hide it because of how we looked on the outside - I was done - I wanted my kids to look at Dad as Superman - and now I have a 2x shirt that was once 3 sizes too small that I wear because of it :)

    We are all winners inside, we just have to find those things that add up to the big reason to change.
    I'm proud of every one of you on here for doing it - for your honesty - and for the motivation you provide!!!

    :flowerforyou:
  • dunsu47
    dunsu47 Posts: 13
    For me it happened after I had a hip replaced. I had a problem at home post op and had to go to the ER. The responders had to call for back up to get me in the ambulance. One of the gals tried to make light of it by saying she had not eaten her wheaties that day. I looked at her said " Don't you make excuses for me, you do not force me into eating what I put in my mouth!' She understood and at that moment do did I. That and the early death of a dear cousin due in part to weight issues made me realize I did not have to die an early death...the road is not an easy one, but we can do it..." Making some changes.. all for the good...making some changes..won't be misunderstood. Making changes..just for me.. making some changes yes siree!"
  • Init_to_winit
    Init_to_winit Posts: 258 Member
    Love this thread!

    Mine was when I went wedding dress shopping for the first time. I was so excited to go, had my maid of honor and mother in toe, everyone in high spirits. But quickly my heart broke as I could hardly fit in any of the floor dresses and when I did, I hated the way I looked. It was depressing, how was I supposed to feel beautiful and find that "perfect dress" when I couldn't look past my body?

    Good news is, I dropped a few pounds, went out again and found the perfect dress! However, kind of plateaued until I started this website - back on track now though, 7 lbs down and I know I can lose more before the big day! I WILL feel beautiful walking down that aisle!
  • LAYLAH17
    LAYLAH17 Posts: 170 Member
    When my scale said 200.
    I would always kid myself and said well at least I'm not 200. I'm not there yet. But then I got there it was a shocker. I refused to eat for like days when I got on the scale a couple of days later and it said 207. My weight would have just kept going up if I didn't do something about it.
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