What was the deciding factor for you?

My doc telling me that he is giving me 3 months to get my weight under control or go on blood pressure medicine. I am OCD about taking medications.

When I (a very prompt person) was late for everything because I can never find anything that fits

Wearing a size 20 dress to my daughter's wedding and seeing the hideous photos!

My ex-husband died two years ago, and that's when me and my son decided to live healthier lifestyles. I've lost 60 pounds since then, he quit smoking. I have a long way to go, but I'm determined to stick with it.

Mine was when I went in the hospital because I was having trouble breathing. They found my lungs full of clots, as well as my right leg. I had visits from a general physician, a pulmonologist, a vascular surgeon and a cardiologist. I was told if I didn't loose the weight, quit smoking and stop taking anything with estrogen in it, I was at greater risk for clots, I would be left on blood thinners and that I would have to have gastric bypass. I wanted to live. I wanted to be healthy.

Then 3 weeks later when I was just starting to be able to breathe semi normally, my son had his 1st birthday. When I saw myself in the pictures I was disgusted and cried. After that I started eating better and exercising. I want to be a better mother and hopefully a mother another time over. If I cant' stay off the meds, that won't happen.

Mine was seeing the words obese under the conditions section on my medical report my doctor filled out.

LOL, I've known for years. Dropped 75 lbs back in 2001, gained it all back, plus another hundred over the years. My back finally got so bad that I couldn't tie my own shoes and walking to the car was agonizing (ruptured disks in my lower back). That wasn't enough to inspire me. I'd gotten to the point where drying off after a shower was enough to leave me gasping and winded. Still not enough to get me moving because I felt absolutely certain that it was too late, I was too far gone to fix. But when the clinic told me I was diabetic, that somehow registered. I guess because, unless I wanted to be drug-dependent (and I didn't), I was going to have to watch what I ate and move more, whether I lost weight or not. Somehow, that did it for me. So a big THANKS to diabetes!

Mine was trying to get life insurance on myself just in case for my children and realizing I wouldn't be covered because I also have fatty liver. I was told it was better but I got the blood results and was denied. It isn't as bad as fatty liver caused by alcohol but it still can lead to other complications. I was also told to only lose weight at the most of about 2 lbs per week because otherwise it could turn into NASH depending on the elevation of your liver enzymes. So far I've lost 13 pounds from about the second week of January. When I've lost weight quicker my enzymes were elevated higher, triglycerides were higher and my blood pressure. If that isn't a wake up call I don't know what is! It was what I needed to get myself serious because I have wanted to lose weight before to look good (and I still do!) but now I have 3 more reasons at home to get myself straight and healthy. Best of luck!

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I was tired of clothes not fitting well and not wanting to buy bigger sizes. I have been making excuses for my bad choices and it really has to stop. I've been back on now for a couple of weeks and I'm feeling much better about myself and the ways that the clothes are starting to fit once again. I have a ways to go but knowing I'm determined to NOT make any excuses is a great feeling.

Seeing myself sideways in the mirror and being SO appalled by my stomach sticking out. Oh, and realizing that the reason I hate shopping for pants is because I always look fat and it depresses me. This made me realize the reason I was wearing 7-10 year old pants still was because I just couldn't stand to face my fat butt and go jean shopping. How pathetic.

For me it is clothes, whether that be standing infront of the wardrobe having tried on everything and still finding nothing that will hide the fat, or seeing my favourite clothes in there knowing how i'm too fat to fit them. When you look good you feel good, when you look fat you feel dreadfull about yourself. My moment was the realisation that everyday i could stare into this wardrobe, but the outcome could be something positive or negative depending on what i put in my mouth.

I have two children that are 6 1/2 years apart. I started my weight loss journey about 6 months before my oldest daughter started kindergarten because I didn't want to be the "fat mom" in the classroom. I lost 104 pounds during that journey and ended up pg with my youngest daughter. After a 2 years in a nasty, drawn out divorce, I realize I lost myself and with my youngest turning 4, i again have the fear of being the "fat mom" in the kindergarten classroom. I realized the time was now to completely change my habits. It is a slow journey so far but the changes have been good. I already have more energy and see the benefits of making better choices.

I was always on some fad diet or other but the tipping point was 3 miscarriages in a row, the last being last September. I decided thats it I have 3 kids and never a problem and now at my heaviest I have 3 miscarriages one after the other so even though I know there is no reason (so they say) for mc's I decided that if I am going to try again later this year I am sure as hell gonna be a bit lighter and healthier and who knows I might have better luck. It couldnt have helped being 19st ! I will be 39 this summer so its my last chance saloon and I want to give it my best shot.

Who knows if I keep loosing weight I might not want to put it all back up by being pregnant again ! One day at a time !

Oh and my litttle brothers wedding & a 21 yr out school reunion this August are helping me to keep focussed also !

Also me and my best pal have a pact to be skinny for our 40th ! Roll on ........................

It's been an on and off battle for me as well. I realized that the weight was creeping on since I was in my early twenties and out of school, but I was in denial of just how bad it was getting. Then came stress and emotional eating as well, and as the years went on, I ballooned up to 245 lbs at my heaviest when I was only 26 years old. I felt horrible, had no energy and would avoid cameras like the plague. I did lose 35 lbs after seeing a naturopath that warned me that if I didn't lose some weight soon, I'd be diabetic within a year. I've never gained the 35 lbs back, but I haven't gotten under 200 lbs either, which is a constant source of stress and failure to me. I did several 'fad' diets, and would get frustrated when I'd hit a plateau or wouldn't see the results I expected. So I would give up and gain it all back. But this year is the year of me. I actually started working out and changing my diet drastically last year, which did yield some inch loss, but the scale still didn't move very much. I'm hoping to change that this year as I've taken on a personal trainer who'll hopefully be the key to finally getting back to Onederland before I die MFP is great for tracking my food and being accountable for what I'm eating. Please lord, let this year be the year!