What was your aha moment that made you finally start a weight loss journey?

My doctor said, "Exercise and lose weight or more drugs."

I was sitting on a bus with my three year old and my one year old (this was 8 years ago mind you) and I saw a very large woman get on and sit in the back. She was arguing with her little boy, who wanted to go to the beach, but the mother was saying she was too tired. When the boy burst out crying and said "but you promised" the mother got angry and said "WELL WHAT DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOU'RE 5! WE ARE GOING HOME."

Now, I was just listening, at first relating because I was overweight and a trip to Walmart had me exhausted. But then I was horrified. I decided right there I would not be that person, the one that was too fat, exhausted and angry to go to the pool, beach, park, whatever.

I started that very day. Haven't looked back.

It was a few weeks ago and i got on the scale and i was at my heaviest of 255 lbs, i can only wear a few things in my exstensive closet. I don't want to go out because of my weight so i turn down invitations to go out with other couples. Right now i'm 11 lbs down but i've got a long ways to go but this time i'm going to try my best to stick with it.

Fed up of being fed up about it. I was boring even myself with it! Also bugged me that other people managed it so why could I not?

Sitting on a beach in Belize in my fat lady swim suit and meeting a stranger. She was a nice lady who visited with me for an hour - then she said "well you are obviously pregnant- when are you due?" (I am 52) lol - if that wasn't a kick in the butt - don't know what it would be

So interestingly enough I hit my highest weight at 360lbs in approximately 2013 or early 2014 and I was like OMG I have to do something about this . . . I HAVE to. So I did, and I dropped a good amount of weight - my lowest being 250lbs. Over the last 6 or 8 months, ish, I have actually gained 25 of it back. Recently I was at the doctors and he suggested - even with losing as much as I have - I would be a good candidate for bariatric surgery. I don't think it's right for me - I am considering it, weighing all the options so only time will tell - but ever since that visit I don't even look at food the same way. I have gone vegetarian and even in the short couple weeks I feel AMAZING! So I guess my doctor telling me, even after almost 100lbs loss, I need bariatric surgery kicked me into gear. I lost the 100lbs with half assed will power because just changing how I eat and what I eat, and adding in some exercise was enough. Now it's not enough and I have to make some more changes to kick it up a notch. For me, my actual kick in the *kitten* was half way to goal . . . which is weird, I guess, but that's when I happened for me.

My husband told me I was snoring consistently (instead of just a few snorts) all night.

When I went to get my first ever facial, during the consultation she asked me how much water I drink a day. My answer was none. Literally not even a cup of water. My entire day was energy drinks and coke instead of the water I knew I should be drinking.

That tipped me over the edge from the vague "I really should start dieting soon" to "no more excuses, let's do this!". That was just about 3 months and 20 lbs ago. I haven't had an energy drink since I left that appointment.

My husband took a picture of me before heading out to an amusement park. I looked at that picture and didn't even know who it was I was looking at. I decided then and there that I needed a change. That next day we gave away any unopened food and threw away any food that was already open but that we weren't going to eat anymore.

An acquaintance of mine lost over 150 pounds and I read something on her blog that hit me. She said 'You can either pay now or pay later. But either way you're going to pay.'. In other words, either take the time now to get yourself together, or pay later with possible health problems, extra meds, etc. Simple but it reached my heart. That was 2.5 years and 120 pounds ago. i never looked back.

I was at the heaviest in my life, and I was embarrassed at what I looked like in pictures. But that was still not quite enough of a kick until I realized I was winded from carrying my infant son in his carrier from the garage to inside the house. I was a few months shy of my 38th birthday. I am now 42 and in the best overall shape of my life.

A few weeks ago I looked at my medical records online to see some blood test results... and saw that one of the medical codes my doctor had put in my chart was for "morbid obesity". Turns out she had put in that code every time for the past couple of years, I had no idea my weight was considered that level. Two days after seeing my chart, I left on a business trip and it was almost impossible to buckle my seatbelt on the plane. I spent a 4-hour flight squished in my seat, unable to get up for fear it wouldn't buckle again. The moment I got home, I made the commitment to change my eating habits for good.

I knew I had a serious weight problem from my teens onward, but I was always fine with the way I looked, had no real issues or problems, none of the expected health concerns, etc. I kept up with friends and even outdid a lot of my average or slightly overweight friends when it came to anything active/sporty. So I thought I was good.

Then I started working at a more professional job, which was a lot more stressful and sedentary. I suddenly put on even more weight. I was not happy about that, because I was almost 30 and ever since high school I'd been able to grab anything in size 20 or XXL and know it would fit me perfectly...suddenly I needed bigger clothes, sometimes the biggest available in the plus section... and that scared me.

Then I went on an Amtrak trip with my normal weight boss (who was a woman about 8 years older than me) and I REALLY couldn't keep up with her and found myself huffing and puffing with pains in my shins and ankles, out of breath after a couple flights of stairs, etc. It was time to change.

That is when I started my ~130 lb weight loss. It took me about six years though to lose it all, and I didn't discover MFP until I was ~50 lb down and several years in.

In many ways realizing I had sleep apnea allowed me to make peace with what had happened to me. I'm not saying it gave me an excuse, but it allowed me to look at the situation and say that it wasn't completely my fault, I had a pretty severe case that just wiped me out so badly that I had no energy to do anything but sit in front of the TV and eat. I loathed the idea of going on walks or even leaving the house and alcohol was my comfort.

After realizing I had severe sleep apnea and recognizing what it was doing to me, I knew there was a very different me trapped inside. I could finally hear his calls, and knew... He needed me.

I hadn't been feeling that great about my body, I had been trying to "embrace my curves" even tho I wasn't happy.
I had a medical emergency and saw the number at the scale while at the emergency room. Afterward I knew I needed to start taking better care of myself and make myself a priority.