Your decision to change?

jean1058
jean1058 Posts: 86 Member
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
What was it that inspired you to make the decision to change? Was it one thing? Did you see a photo? Did someone say something to you?

When you did make the decision to change, what was the first thing you started doing differently?

I've been at this off & on for a while and am wondering how to get the "focus" that so many of you have. I really want to succeed and am feeling a little lost.

Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • axman19
    axman19 Posts: 79 Member
    My realization came to me one day when I told my 5 yr old daughter "daddy was too tired to play with her". WHOTF am I to say something like that to the most important little girl in my life. I am and will continue to change. Been here a week now and am not looking back. Have great support here!
  • dana01996
    dana01996 Posts: 15 Member
    I joined weight watchers in 2005 and lost 80 lbs. We became pregnant in 2006 and it was a license to eat everything I felt I had been deprived of. After my daughter was born, I slacked off. I knew exactly what I needed to do, but didn't do it. I joined this site in October of last year and dropped almost 30 lbs by December. I guess my husband and I started feeling really good because at the end of December we found out we were pregnant with our son! He was born at the end of August so it was back to getting this done. With the help and support of my husband and everyone here, it will be forever.
  • JenMarie826
    JenMarie826 Posts: 143
    I remember one day I weighed myself and the scale topped out at 221 lbs. I literally stepped off the scale and threw my hands up in the air and said "Thats it." I always thought of how I can never go into a store and try on clothes and I would always come out of the store even more pissed off or depressed before I went into the store. But now I am 187 lbs. and am on the road to a new me :)
  • cmm7303
    cmm7303 Posts: 423 Member
    I was in great shape after my son was born, but gained about 30 lbs taking care of him and my brother during neurosurgeries, and becoming a work-from-home parent. I can bike 40 miles with no prep, run (even though I hate to) and walk anywhere at 175lbs, and I feel great at 160. 200? Not so much.

    When I finally hit the 200 mark, I knew I had to do something. I signed up for a half marathon with my boss and my husband in May, and am training for that, now. :)
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    Cardiac arrest
  • Izzywishes
    Izzywishes Posts: 10
    After having five kids which are aged between 16 and 3. I have spent years looking after them and have decided it was time to have a bit of time to sort myself out. I am nearly three years from being forty and I really don't want to feel the way I do about myself any more. I know the journey won't be easy but with the support from MFP I know I can do it! I am going to make 2012 the year of change for me. We only have one life and it's time we all start to live it.
  • lilsassymom
    lilsassymom Posts: 407 Member
    The real "pushing" factor for me was the fact that I hated my appearance in pictures and how uncomfortable and self conscious I felt around my husband naked. Granted, I have only lost 9 lbs. so far---but my self esteem has skyrocketed. I feel so much more confident and comfortable in my skin :smile: . I guess those 9 lbs weren't very forgiving:wink: .
  • Shoechick5
    Shoechick5 Posts: 221 Member
    We were at a BBQ 3 years ago and a friend I hadn't seen in a while lost 60 lbs on Weight Watchers (She went on to lose over 100), then the next day I saw pictures of myself at that BBQ and that was it..signed up that afternoon. I lost 30 and kept it off for a while but now 20 has snuck back on. This month is the first time in 3 years that I've felt reserved about going out, not wanting friends to see that I'd put 20 lbs back on. Didn't want to accept dinner invitations, etc. I don't want to feel like that anymore so it's time to tackle that 20lbs before it turns into 30.
  • momtimesone
    momtimesone Posts: 85 Member
    I was always bigger then most and right after having my son and having his father walk out of our lives I just gave up on taking care of myself and focused on taking care of my son and my disabled mom. After mom died I gained even more weight and did not see how big I was even in pictures I had major confidence and nothing would change my bad habits or so I thought. I fell in love with my best friend and after he told me he was mentally attracted to me but not physically it finally clicked and I was mad at him for being so shallow but then realized if I was ever going to be loved I would need to love myself first and foremost. My birthday came around and I vowed right then and there to stop drinking soda which up until then was a 4+liter a day habit. I started walking more and I was feeling so much better about myself and who I was. As I lost more weight I changed my focus on living for my son and being there for him and him only. My best friend now tells me all the time how good I look and we hang out but the feelings I had for him are gone now, replaced with a drive to reach my goals . I want this for myself and for my child but I do thank my best friend everyday because without that one statement I probably would of never got off my butt and started my new lifestyle.I am living proof that sometimes as hard as it is to hear, the truth is better then a lie or telling someone they look great when its clear they need a push.
  • LetYourLightShine
    LetYourLightShine Posts: 53
    It was as simple as going clothes shopping with my boyfriend one day. I was in the Buckle, trying on a few cute tops and jeans; one look in the mirror and I was disgusted. Right then and there I decided to change!
  • crudd12
    crudd12 Posts: 63
    I saw a picture of me and was shocked at how fat I was! Plus every time we went to my inlaws one of the people there who was friends with my brother in law always told me how fat I was! Seriously this woman made me so mad a year and half ago when she told me at dinner one night during the holidays if I'd eat more vegetables I'd lose weight! I started a year and half ago and I've gone from a 2x to a 14/16 top and from a 20 jean to a 16 jean! This year when we went to Chicago for the holidays she didn't say one word! Old bag but she got me motivated!
  • azuria518
    azuria518 Posts: 48 Member
    It was a combination of 2 things for me.

    A fat picture of me next to my one year old who just beat a very rare form of brain and kidney cancer that doctors initially told us she had a month to live with.

    She fought so hard to live, the least I could do is become healthy to live my life with her.
  • ymhand
    ymhand Posts: 188
    Me and my step dad pulled out a scale and I weighed 271 he stepped on and weighed 20 less than me. That was it!
  • cmm7303
    cmm7303 Posts: 423 Member
    *Cardiac Arrest*

    Wow! yeah, that's a wakeup call!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    In one sense, I simply woke up with a lot more energy than usual one day and was in the mood to work out. And I kept going from there. Still going after two months, to my considerable surprise.

    What led to that mood is more complicated. I think it's partly the realization that I might live to be a very old, fat, shut in. The thought of doing literally nothing but sit in front of this computer playing games for the next forty years suddenly didn't seem so appealing.

    Of course, the road is not smooth nor clear, because there are worse things than being a shut in. Working at McDonald's for forty years, for example, would be much worse for me, as I have zero tolerance for boredom and even less tolerance for people. Especially rude, bossy customer people.

    I still don't have it all figured out yet, but I've at least decided what I'm not going to do with the second half of my life. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do. So I broke it down to this:

    First body
    Then mind
    Then journey
    Then destination
    Then power

    Don't anybody quote the underpants gnomes meme at me, please. I know I'm still a bit vague on where this is going, but the weight loss is definitely step 1 in a much bigger plan. Possibly one leading to world takeover! *Insert evil laugh here* :laugh:
  • AlliGM
    AlliGM Posts: 86
    I've been whittling away at my weight for the last two years but not with much success (8 pounds). Then my husband decided to get fit and lost down to very close to my weight. That gave me the the extra push to commit to really work at it this year. Also, I am tired of always feeling tired. Time to change that. Now we are working on it together which is great because I have a competitive streak!
  • sweetoblivion314
    sweetoblivion314 Posts: 55
    Failing to get the girl far too many times.

    Kevin
    bodyspeechmind.com
  • ashcandi
    ashcandi Posts: 35
    My coworkers were going through some old pictures from the office. I couldn't believe how different I looked just a few years ago. This made me realize how much weight I've put on through the years and how unhealthy I am. I don't want my daughter to grow up when an unhealthly mom. And I really hate for people to see my husband and me together and wonder why on earth he is with this overweight person.
  • JennyGeek
    JennyGeek Posts: 5
    When I look in the mirror, I don't see myself as overweight. But then when I see a photo of myself, it's almost shocking to realize how heavy I actually am. Sometimes it's almost like I don't recognize myself.

    I'm embarrassed to hang out with friends and be the heaviest one in the group. I don't even want to shop or really buy clothes for myself anymore and I hate that I get winded doing really stupid things like walking fast down the street.

    I'm ready to stop eating fast food once or twice a day and let go of the soda and junk that I'm eating.
  • mommyoverboard
    mommyoverboard Posts: 105
    When my BMI got above average and went into "overweight" I had to face reality. I had to make a change so that I can live a long healthy life alongside my family.
  • Tennessee2019
    Tennessee2019 Posts: 676 Member
    I decided in 2010 that I was NOT happy with the way I looked or the fact that I kept going up in clothes sizes. I joined MFP, changed my eating habits & exercise routine. I logged in on a daily basis to record my food & exercise & slowly started to see changes in how I felt & dropped a few pounds. Along the way I also made quite a few friends on here who supported me.
    In June of 2011, I had foot surgery for a fallen arch & all my exercise routines came to a screeching halt. I still watched what I ate but without the ability to exercise, the pounds that I lost came back + some.
    So here it is 2012 & I am re-focused on doing what I meant to do in 2010. I have plans for my future & want to live the best life possible.
  • lurkette
    lurkette Posts: 25 Member
    A suicide attempt that failed miserably... but it made me realize that things needed to change and certain toxic people needed to be evicted from my life. I also learned that certain foods can make depression worse. When I eat better, I feel better. Whatever helps, right?
  • teagin2002
    teagin2002 Posts: 1,900 Member
    I gained weight after a few close family members past away, it just really messed me up. I went through counselling for it, then realized how big I was after seeing some old photos of me after high school (I was a size 10 jean, and when I was looking at the photo I was a size 24 jean). I just cried and I am not a person who tears up easily. After that I decided it was coming off and I actually did it, I am a size 8 jean now and 110 lbs smaller.
    I love my life and my MFP friends. I share a lot with them, things that I don't share with my family and non MFP friends. I just feel like I can confide in them and that they really care.
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
    Me having such poor self confidence and being alone all my life made me realize something needed to change, and soon.
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 926 Member
    Poor confidence, seeing the scale almost tip 300lbs, not being able to keep up/ski/run/whatever like I used to, pictures from my vacation this past summer
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    tight feeling clothes,out of breath and such
  • rhouser9021
    rhouser9021 Posts: 26
    I realized I needed to lose weight when:

    - I started wearing size 38-40 pants and shorts
    - I felt bloated all the time
    - I looked so much bigger than I used to in the mirror
    - I wasn't working on ME, and focusing on others too much
    - I realized that I'm only 21 and shouldn't be living like this

    I'm ready for change...this time for good :)
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    I've always wanted to be thinner. All my life.

    Up until 2008 I didn't really know how to lose weight. I discovered calorie counting and I started losing weight!

    A large project at work then took most of my attention and focus and I ALLOWED myself to stray from my weight loss plan. Not only did I stop tracking my calories, I stopped eating healthy and I stopped exercising. I had also taken up SMOKING! I mean, WOW! Did I go in complete reverse!

    By the end of 2008 the project wrapped up and I went to Phuket for New Years. It was a good reset for me as I learned to stop working every waking moment. After getting back home I quit smoking and started a weight loss plan. I was exercising every day, lifting weights, playing tennis and dropping the kilos again.

    Then I tore a calf muscle. I was pushing myself too hard and not taking a break from activity when my body was crying out in pain.

    I let that injury derail me. Instead of the 6 weeks of recovery a torn muscle needs I took 6 months to get better. It was so scared of re-tearing it that I avoiding exercise all together. With the lack of exercise my motivation for tracking my food went as well. I say that like it's not my fault. I could have focused on what I could control; I could have kept tracking my food and doing weights that didn't require my calf muscles but no, I CHOSE not to.

    I started seeing Karen, who is no my fiancé, and while I tried to get my diet back on track it's hard to force your diet on to someone you just started seeing. We got into a few fights where I was incredibly insensitive when refusing to eat food that she wanted to enjoy with me.

    I got up to 127kg (280lbs) over the course of a year and a half. Karen and I moved in together and we were happy. But, I kept putting more and more of my clothes in storage because they wouldn't fit. The only clothes I had left to wear were my 'fat clothes'.

    After I proposed I got serious again. I discovered MFP which wasn't just a calorie counting site like fitday or calorieking. It had this quasi Facebook feel to it. The friend you link with on here keep you on track and keeps the whole weight loss thing in your mind.

    I've been on the site for nearly a year. I've lost nearly 20kg (44lbs). I could have lost more but I lost focus half way through the year. I didn't gain weight but I hovered around the same weight for months. I figure that's better than gaining weight so I'm not too upset.

    Now, though, I'm on point again. I'm logging everything, even when I don't feel like following my diet. Since getting serious again I've lost 3kg (6.6lbs). I'm going to ride this wave of focus for as long as I can. I know me, and I know that the fire won't be there indefinitely so I'm making the most of it while it's there.
  • sskcrm
    sskcrm Posts: 9
    wish i could say it was an inner desire to change, but for me it is a bp of 170/100, inability to go up the stairs, knees beginning to ache, diabetes family history (although I haven't been diagnosed), and cancer scare at my colonoscopy. I just decided I have got to do something different or I'm not going to see my daughters get married and have children. It's selfish, but I do have some other things I want to do later (when the kids are out of the house). I'd like to travel, perhaps spend sometime in missions or tutoring underprivaledged children. That's hard to do when your 270 lbs.
  • Shell_7609
    Shell_7609 Posts: 786 Member
    It was a combination of things over a 2 week time period. first was turning 40, then going to a concert & thinking i was going to die on the walk between the car and the venue - and I had tennis shoes on, my friend was wearing heels & had no problem. The final straw came 2 days after that when I went to my annual well-woman exam and the scale read higher than ever - 278.8 lbs. I left the office in tears & vowed that day to do whatever I could to change so I'd be sure to see 41
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