How many setbacks?

HeidiJoLHB
HeidiJoLHB Posts: 88 Member
edited November 18 in Motivation and Support
I have a question for those of you who are currently doing well in your health goals. How long were you set back for? How many years was your health bad before you finally said "enough" and stopped with the excuses of "I'll start tomorrow" and all the other excuses. How long were you set back trying to get healthy, and what finally made you really make the decision to finally get healthy?

Replies

  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    I have been overweight my whole life. This has been lifelong work, and I've had a lot of setbacks. My worst was about 2 years ago, when it stopped being a setback and started being a disorder. I've gotten and continue to get the help I need to cope with what life throws me, so now feels like a good time to start again.
  • HeidiJoLHB
    HeidiJoLHB Posts: 88 Member
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    I have been overweight my whole life. This has been lifelong work, and I've had a lot of setbacks. My worst was about 2 years ago, when it stopped being a setback and started being a disorder. I've gotten and continue to get the help I need to cope with what life throws me, so now feels like a good time to start again.

    That's awesome, keep morning forward! Thank you for sharing :)
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    Decades, but there was no Epiphany. I just saw links back to a friend's mfp and Fitbit accounts and decided I could give it a try.

    ____________________________________________

    Down 140lbs: My story.
  • HeidiJoLHB
    HeidiJoLHB Posts: 88 Member
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Decades, but there was no Epiphany. I just saw links back to a friend's mfp and Fitbit accounts and decided I could give it a try.

    ____________________________________________

    Down 140lbs: My story.

    That's really awesome, I am actually glad to hear you didn't have an epiphany, because I feel that sometimes people wait for that moment, instead of just starting. Thanks for sharing!
  • tri_bob
    tri_bob Posts: 121 Member
    10 years ago, 38 years old, I weighed almost 180 lbs. I am not tall enough to weigh 180 lbs. It was actually Mrs. Tri_bob who drew the line. She saw me in a tailspin, and told me that if I didn't come up with a better idea I would sign up for a marathon. I did -- that marathon was a disaster -- but 10 years later I'm still running, biking, doing Zumba, etc. I think the requisite training allowed me to form the habit of exercising, that had been absent for about 20 years at that point. Now I'm something like an athlete, and don't want to ever go back.
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    HeidiJoLHB wrote: »
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Decades, but there was no Epiphany. I just saw links back to a friend's mfp and Fitbit accounts and decided I could give it a try.

    ____________________________________________

    Down 140lbs: My story.

    That's really awesome, I am actually glad to hear you didn't have an epiphany, because I feel that sometimes people wait for that moment, instead of just starting. Thanks for sharing!

    You are so welcome! I always thought there would be some Clarion call, but nope. I just woke up one day and decided to try something different.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    When I was 38 I had some really bad blood work going on so decided to do something about that...I've always been pretty healthy and active...athlete growing up, Marines, active in college, etc. I took a desk job at 30 when I graduated and my weight went up and I had some other unhealthy habits that were contributing to my blood work.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    My health was never bad because of bad habits, my health was bad because I had a brain aneurysm and serious chronic illnesses that took years to fully diagnose and treat. I gained weight because I was too sick to exercise and because my pituitary gland failed. I do not have anything like a normal metabolism. I basically have to eat in a highly controlled way and train like a professional athlete in order to stay thin-ish now.

    Once I started treatment, it took 2-3 years to really get my life back. I had several big setbacks (including a couple of additional major surgeries) along the way.

    The best thing that you can do is to be honest with yourself and do the absolute best that you can every day. If you have a day that is not perfect, just start fresh the next day.

    Are you familiar with the daily goals thread? I find that really helpful for focusing and being accountable each day.

  • kristinzilka
    kristinzilka Posts: 15 Member
    I've been overweight most of my life. I have a midwestern starchy diet. I have always wanted to lose weight have tried many different diets. My weight loss was always so excruciatingly slow that I would give up.

    This time around was different, I did have an epiphany! I turned 46 and realized it was now or never. I looked into a medically supervised program which is a higher protein moderate carb program. As an RN the science in this program made perfect sense to me. I had labs done and found I am pre diabetic. As a nurse the 2 scariest diseases to me are diabetes and Alzheimer's so my labs were all the motivation I needed.

    I have been on program since Dec 1,2016 and have lost 20 pounds. Still slow but doable. More importantly my labs are improving. My bp and resting HR are stellar, my blood sugars are lower and next month they will check my cholesterol and HgbA1c levels. For me it is about being as healthy as I can I don't care what size jeans I wear, although a smaller size will be a plus too. Good luck on your journey!
  • Geocitiesuser
    Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
    36 yrs old, rollercoasted a lot but never got to a healthy weight before now. So, 36 years of setbacks :) No one taught me healthy eating habits as a child and it took a lifetime to learn them.
  • suncluster
    suncluster Posts: 539 Member
    In the Spring of 2015, I was down to my goal weight and my (now ex) husband started getting jealous and picking fights. I finally asked for a divorce that Fall and I began my unhealthy eating again and gained nearly all the weight back. Now, I am in a better place emotionally and physically and starting over.


  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    I did have a moment. It was when it occurred to me that a stroke leaving me drooling on my shirt in a wheelchair was a more likely outcome than just falling over dead. One of the better moments of my life, 23 years ago.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I was fat growing up, was in a bad relationship and when it ended I went insane. Binge eating, locked myself away and hardly saw anyone but my work for a year. Can't tell you how much I gained cause I don't know where I started but when I went to the doctor for the first time in three years (at that point) I was 320lbs and I was floored. It still took a life changing event to make me do something. I was born with my Jaws not touching and I couldn't chew properly or even remotely healthy foods (a carrot is much harder to chew than soft cooked pasta for example). I was given the opportunity to get it fixed because my parents offered, it was an expensive surgery but we could save $10k by making it outpatient versus in the hospital but I had to have a BMI of 35 or less. I made it there just in time but I basically crash dieted my way there. I regained about 50lbs and I spent about two years there. Stress from work, new relationship, etc all seemed to be in my way. My wedding is coming up this summer and that's been my kick in the pants. I want to enjoy myself and feel good. I don't have a huge time sensitive goal but I will definitely be in a better place by then. It's just a process, you're not ready until you're ready.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    HeidiJoLHB wrote: »
    I have a question for those of you who are currently doing well in your health goals. How long were you set back for? How many years was your health bad before you finally said "enough" and stopped with the excuses of "I'll start tomorrow" and all the other excuses. How long were you set back trying to get healthy, and what finally made you really make the decision to finally get healthy?

    I've been slender and fit and active and healthy for most of my life.

    I stepped into the overweight range for about 2 months in my early 20s while I was working two jobs, packing to move, and recovering from major surgery. About a month after the move, I was back into my normal BMI range again.

    And there I remained for the next 20 years. During which time I ate normally, and did a whole lot of cycling and other exercise. I've always been very active.

    I gradually put on a bit of weight in 2009/2010 after a move from Canada to Australia during which time I developed DVT which completely sidelined me for a few weeks, and then made it a struggle to get out there and be active when I did. Warfarin is nasty stuff. Again, I just stepped into the overweight range toward the end of 2010 ... but fortunately then I was taken off Warfarin and it was like emerging from mud. So in 2011, I lost enough weight to drop back into my normal BMI range. I also greatly increased my cycling again that year.

    I gradually put on a bit of weight in 2012 while travelling the world with my husband. We had our bicycles with us for the 8 month trip, and did cycle quite a bit ... but there's a whole lot of good food out there. :mrgreen: Then things were unsettled in 2013 and 2014 ... moving, health issues, etc. and ever-so-gradually I crept up to my highest weight ever ... just a little bit higher than the previous two times. I was still cycling, of course, and walking and keeping moderately active but I was obviously eating slightly more than I was burning.

    I lost the weight in two sets of 16 weeks each in 2015, and have been maintaining since. And I'm back to doing lots of cycling again. :)
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