what was your "moment of clarity?"

To keep a long story short: I turned 45 this past March and my pants were getting too small. I had more of them in the "I'll fit in to these again some day" pile than I had hanging in my closet. I stepped on the scale and discovered I weighed 140, which is really close to being at my highest weight ever (except pregnancy, which doesn't count!). I realized that it only gets harder from here. If I didn't start to eat better and exercise, this is the smallest and fittest I will ever be. No way! I started eating right and cutting out some carbs, found MFP, started C25K in April and the rest is history.

I had been overweight for most of my life but the death of my husband in 2002 is what really started me in the direction of getting healthy. Both of my parents died young of heart disease and with my husband gone my kids especially my youngest (she was a huge surprise) I feel that I need to take care of myself. It hasnt been easy and I continue to struggle and I;m glad I have found this site for support. I have had a steady decline in weight through the years but it is slow. Sorry for the rambling on. :flowerforyou: Mary

my moment was when i came home from the hospital with my daughter and i couldn't even look at pictures of myself with her because i just looked terrible.
i also devolped gallstones while pregnant and every time i ate something bad i would end up in the hosptial .. made me realize what i shouldnt be eating to begin with !!
not sure if that makes sense but that was my moment !!

I couldnt stand to look at pictures of myself or even in a mirror. When I delivered my 2nd child in March 2009, I weighed 235 lbs. I remember with my first child, when I hit the 200s at one of my OBGYN appts and almost cried. I am 5'10, but was always very athletic and never over 175 before I got pregnant the first time. (I was once at 165 with 15% bodyfat but looked sickly).

My turning point was when my son was born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension & we were rushed to another hospital that specialized in infants with heart problems. We lived in a Ronald McDonald House for two weeks and when I came home (with a healthy son) and actually got on a scale, I weighed 230 lbs. I had delivered a 9 lb baby (plus we all know how much all that OTHER stuff weighs that you lose when you give birth) and I only weighed 5 lbs less than when I was 9 months pregnant!
I couldnt get off the couch by myself while I was holding him...I was SO embarrased to have to hand off my newborn to my husband to be able to stand up!

My husband is an avid runner and in 2009, ran his first mini marathon in honor of my mom who had passed away in 2007 from skin cancer. I remember thinking to myself, "Wow, I wish I could do something so cool to honor her. I probably couldnt WALK a mini marathon right now." That got me thinking about my kids. I was 27 when my mom died. I already have all the genetic issues that triple my likelihood to die young from skin cancer, and even if that didnt take me from my babies, being fat would. How would I keep up with them in the yard? How would I climb to the top of the sand dune and roll down with them? It was that moment that I decided if I was going to do it for anyone, it was my kids. They deserve a healthy, happy mom.

I am happy to say, I have lost 51 lbs and am 9 lbs away from my mark of 20% body fat at 170 lbs. I know a lot of people say this, but I have NEVER felt so good...even when I was a gymanst, strutting my 15% bodyfat in a leotard! I was skin and bone and now I have muscles and definition Ive never dreamed of! I thank God everyday for my wake up call. I remember the pic we took at my sons second birthday party... and I thought...wow. Theres the pretty, happy, healthy person I remember being inside of me..and Ive lost 20 more pounds since then!

One night I was having dinner with my daughter and had made the comment that I was "so full" and then she looked at me and said "Mom, if you're so full why do you keep eating?" Good question I didn't have an answer to. That did it for me. I knew at that point that I needed to be a better model for my children and, more than that, I needed to be around for them.

Uplifiting story, keep it up. A great reason to be losing!

My mom had a scary health emergency that was directly related to her weight. As I sat there crying over it, I thought to myself- Wow this is what you are going to put your daughter through. And then I just decided, no more excuses. That was 30 days and 10 pounds ago.

I knew for a while that I needed to lose, and had been "passively" trying to lose. Pretty much just eating less of the crap I was eating. Not much else. That's why it says I joined in Feb. I was looking for a site my friend was on and thought this was it. Ijoined, then realized I was on the "wrong" one.

I wish I'd stayed on this at that time! Anyway, my final straw was that I went on a girls weekend with my friends, and realized I didn't have anything to wear since I'd grown out of my clothes, so I went to buy something new and the size 16s were too small.

I went on our weekend trip feeling really crappy about myself, and the worst part is that we were going to Chicago... shopping! I didn't buy one thing for myself.

I came home and re-dedicated myself to this. It's been just over a month now that I've been on here seriously. I'm down only 2 lbs, but I'm hoping to get myself all figured out soon so I an start losing a little bit more quickly.

Thank you. I should edit to say I do it for my mom, too! She would have given anything for more time with her grandbabies (5.5 mos. and 8 mos. when she passed) and I know she would want more for me!

I knew I had been gaining weight for a few years, but I didn't realise it was so bad until a business trip recently. I had to wear my high vis clothing and the pants had got so tight, that even though I could still fit into them, the button on the waistband was actually causing me pain.
These are the same size that about 2 years ago, I needed a belt to wear.
I also got sick of my thighs chaffing when I was walking if I wasn't wearing the right clothing and finally I am aiming to ride my horse competitively and an overweight rider is not going to help the horse, or help paint the pretty picture that helps win.

So many things contributed to my moment of clarity: My weight had been steadily rising for years. I knew without weighing that I was well over 300 pounds, but of course, I didn't even own a scale since I didn't want to see it. At work I could tell I was not in favor with my manager. No one said it was my weight, of course, but I knew my appearance was working against me, and it was also affecting my performance as I had become listless. The pain I was experiencing in my hip and knee made sitting all day in my desk chair very difficult. Oh, and naturally I had to have one of the special "big" chairs. I didn't even want to think about what my blood pressure might be. I'm very good at avoiding things I don't want to think about.

I had been thinking about starting a weight loss program but I couldn't quite get myself motivated to start. I didn't even have a doctor because any halfway decent doctor would have a fit over my condition, which meant that when I was in pain I just endured it. It's probably a bad thing that I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. The breaking point finally came one morning at work in February 2011 when I started experiencing strong, unexplained spasms of pain in my upper back. The location of it made me worry about a heart attack. My father died of heart disease when I was 21. At the same time I noticed that my feet were numb which scared me also. A friend of mine that I confided in recommended her doctor so I made an appointment.

Fortunately, the symptoms I experienced were not a heart attack and I was feeling better by the time I went to the appointment. I kept the appointment, though; I knew it was time for me to do something about the state I was in. The doctor did exactly what I expected: He let me have it right between the eyes about my weight, my blood pressure, and my general state of health. He basically ordered me to go buy a copy of the Abs Diet for Women and to read it cover to cover several times. I listened and did exactly what he told me.

Today, I'm down 92.4 pounds (yes, I own a digital scale now) and I've lost several clothing sizes. I have a gym membership and I haven't missed a day working out there since the beginning of June. I'm working with a personal trainer a couple of times a week. My blood pressure and cholesterol are great and my knees are better. I shock my doctor every time he sees me now. The last time I was there he told me he wished he had a patient like me every morning! I still have a long, long way to go but I'm enjoying the journey now. Friends ask me how I've managed to be so disciplined about staying on course and I just tell them I'm on a mission. I don't know that I'll ever love my body, but we are starting to be on speaking terms again. Maybe I'll even become comfortable in my own skin someday.

Sorry for the long post. Seems like it's something I've wanted to express for awhile.

I had my first mammogram in January 2011 and they found a lump. This was after getting back an abnormal pap result. I felt so out of control and didn't know how to deal with the stress. I decided I couldn't control my body but I could control what I put in it. So I started watching Food Network and then subscribed to Cooking Light Magazine. the weight coming off was an amazing feeling. Then I added a walk... Then 2... Now I walk 6 days a week. After an MRI and Surgery, I have been given a clean bill of health. But what I have learned along the way has been amazing. No matter how bad I think life is, I go for my walk and thank God I'm here another day to deal with it! My husband has also joined me on this journey and also lost 33 pounds! My 22 month old loves couscous and broccoli and my 12 year old loves fish! (he actually asks for Arctic Char by name lol)

Amazing stories everyone! You've all made me smile and reminded me we all have our own journey to take... Enjoy yours as I have enjoyed mine!

When I got winded shaving my legs. I mean like seriously "I need to sit down a minute" winded, just trying to shave. :0( That was a sad...sad day!

mine was actually my doctor. I went in for a sinus infection, and he looked at me and asked "Are you happy with your weight?" I was so taken aback. My response was "No, but what does that have to do with my sinuses?"
He just laughed, and told me how I was falling into a hole that is really really hard to climb out of. That day he gave me not only a prescription to clear up my sinuses, but a lot of info on how to healthily lose weight. He even suggested I join a support group at a local gym or online.
Here's the kicker to my story. I didn't take his advice until 1 year and about 20lbs later. I, being stubborn, was a little offended that he wanted to offer up this info without my asking for it. I pushed it out of my head and tried to forget about it until one day, I realized he was right. I looked at myself, and decided to go ahead and take the advice I didn't want or ask for.
I have since switched insurances, therefore having to switch doctors. My new doctor is very pleased with my weight loss, and has no clue is is due to another doctor's recommendations.

I knew deep down that i was getting bigger, and at 5ft it wasn't a good look. Pictures which were taken of me were awful, the clothes were getting bigger (size 18!) and when i stepped on the scales on 17th Jan 2011 after a break away for new year, i was horrifed to see that i was 1lb away from 182lbs! (13 stone!). From that day on I have eaten healthly (with one or two days off!), exercised (i never used to at all!), set myself goals and as at 27th August i was 48lbs lighter (although put on a few the last week or so as been away!).
I feel great, look great (or so people tell me!) and am never going to look that way again!