Why did you come to the conclusion to lose weight?

I have always been overweight always hovered around 205-220 pounds. One year i got really devoted to losing weight went down to 182 pounds and was really enjoying my life. Unfortunately my little brother passed away and really hit me hard. Now I am 280 pounds and just want my life back. I would rather be 220 then what I am now. I am not sad about where I am now just really eager to get back where I was.

Honestly...stretch marks.
I had known that I was slowly and steadily gaining weight. I was kind of putting in a half effort to lose it, but the scale kept going up.
One day, my upper arms were absolutely burning all day at work. Like, my skin was on fire. My stomach area, too. I got home and took my clothes off and saw brand new, red and inflamed stretch marks.
I sat on the floor and cried for a good thirty minutes.
I started taking it seriously then. I lost a good 10-20 lbs but kept regaining it and losing it again.

Then my ex boyfriend of 6 years cheated on me with my best friend of 10 years and left me for her. (Her loss, my gain.)
She was overweight, too, and we had always tried to lose weight together. So, being the petty, spiteful soul that I am, I got hot while she packed on another 30 lbs or so. My ex, too, has gained quite a bit of weight.

About 27 lbs into my weightloss journey, I met my wonderful husband. He quickly became my best friend and my strongest support system. He encouraged me every step of the way to lose the remaining 30 lbs (though he has made it known from the start that he thought I was beautiful when he met me, bless his heart) and he even got me into weight lifting.

For me it was advise from the hospital to cut out a lot of things and to be more carful otherwise my lifestyle wouldn't be much of a style or that of a life really. It was a huge wake up call so i am here trying to use all the meathods and means to hand.

I've been wearing the same "fat" clothes for about 3 years, and I realized I was going to have to replace them after this winter. I realized I just did not want to buy these big sizes anymore. I've always hated clothes shopping (even when thin), but having to find stuff in big sizes is just depressing. So, there was only one alternative (well, other than going naked for the rest of my days). There are so many reasons, but for some reason, the wearing out of my fat clothes was the trigger.

Let me count the whys:

To get healthier
To look better in my clothes
To have more energy and less anxiety
To bring my sexy back
To find a meal plan that will satisfy me as a lifestyle (low carb, Mediterranean style)
To have my daughter admire a mom who will stop looking like a frump
To make happen my birthday wish to come true
To let my inner confidence come thru (it hides behind my frumpiness)

There are more. But basically, to take back my life and start the next decade in a positive manner.

I hated that phrase MORBIDLY OBESE. Postmenopausal issues. I wanted to walk and not be short of breathe

I've always been a little bit bigger, but once I got free of my ex-husband who hoarded and was a binge eater, I went to the doctor in an effort to take control of my neglected health, and found I weighed 296. That was Not Okay. But since I'm with two people who love me and support my weight loss, and I have MFP, I can do it. I had that appointment January 2, 2020. By this date I've lost 25 pounds, two pant sizes, and one shirt size. My orthopedic issues after a car accident in my twenties had always kept me from weight-bearing exercise, but with just this much weight off I have about double the ability to stand and walk, and now I'm busy and active and happy. I've discovered a love for weightlifting, and a desire to be what's under the fat; a big strong woman with pinup curves. I will probably need surgery to deal with the loose skin on the front; I am short-torsoed and had three large babies, and my abs and skin have not recovered. But I have a burning desire to stop looking six months pregnant, to be able to get through the day without a nap, and be 100 pounds less by this time next year.

I fought my weight for most of my life and I was always heavier than would be considered healthy. At 45 I was accepted into a masters program that required me to live away from my family (3 kids and a husband) for 3 summers. During the school year, I worked full time and took classes full-time online and then I spent the summers away from my family doing compressed classes. I was one of the oldest and heaviest people in the program. And every year I out on more weight. During the summers our classrooms were on the 3rd floor and I arrived at every class huffing and puffing, sweating, red faced, collapsing into my chair. During the second summer, in July 2018, my husband and I went to CO and had planned to do a hike with my daughter's boyfriend's family, who we were meeting for the first time. Everyone else in our group was fit and loped up the steep slopes like gazelles. Not me. After a particularly steep incline, I couldn't go on. I had never quit a hike before. My husband is very fit and it was so embarrassing to have to stop and say that I wasn't going to make it. I had always been able to do hikes (although slowly) but never had I had to stop and not go on. It was a wake up call. I've lost 75 pounds since that summer. It has been SLOW. I have 25 more to go. I do great for awhile and then spend 3 months gaining and losing the same 5 pounds. But I keep going because I never again want my weight to stop me from participating in life. This thread has been super motivating to me. Thank you, everyone for sharing!

This time around? My mom died.