what was your "rock bottom"? what made you change?

i dont know if it was my rock bottom but i have had enough of fat crystal ...i dont like her...she is lazy and never wants to go anywhere....i just want to be me again.

seeing stretch marks on my arms and lower legs
not watching to hit 200 pounds (i'm only 5 feet tall)
also, being single.. i guess.
my own kids even said i was 'chubby' lol
buying new clothes gets expensive!

everyone in my family has diabetes or even cancer.
i haven't been to the doctors in 7 or so years.. too scared to go.

My rock bottom was from arthritis in my right knee. I had no idea how it had effected me. I didn't want to be on my feet at all for any reason. I thought it was old age or just laziness. What got me off the bottom was total knee replacement surgery for the knee pain. When the pain was gone I got active again for the first time in several years. I now feel like exercising and the exercising has led to care about my diet. It feels so good to be active again without the knee pain that I have nearly become obsessed with working out. Currently, I workout seven days a week. I know that my left knee will eventially fail me the same way. I won't hesitate to have it replaced too when it comes time.

Being diagnosed with PTC (pseudotumor cerebri) - aka swelling in the brain. The first thing the neurologist said was "you should really lose some weight". We always hear that from the doctors, no matter the sickness....but this time it was different. I needed to lose weight to save my eyesight.

After sinking into a deep depression, gaining over 100 plus pounds on my already morbidly obese frame and losing everything (My live in boyfriend of 5 years, my job, my apartment, my social life), my rock bottom was having to book TWO airplane seats for a one way flight to Florida to live with my parents after losing everything. I knew I gained weight but was in denial as to how much weight I actually gained, but the day of my flight was a real eye opener. My lower back was aching something terrible and my legs were shaking from the pain of attempting to walk to my gate at the airport. I was out of breath, sweating, and deeply embarrassed at the looks I was getting from strangers. Not to mention I almost missed my flight from having to stop at every gate to sit down and rest my aching back and legs. Once on the plane people gave me the "Oh no I hope this fat girl isn't sitting next to me look". I had to use a seatbelt extender. I cried the entire flight to Florida. Once here I let everyone get off the plane first before I very slowly and painfully made my way off the plane (at this point my ankles and feet were extremely swollen) and it took me over an hour to get to baggage claim. My mother walked right by me because she didn't recognize me.

I was completely emotionally and spiritually broken at that point in my life. I had hit complete rock bottom. Since then I've been working hard on healing and picking up the pieces of my life. I've made some amazing mfp friends who keep me motivated and encouraged everyday, and while I know I still have a very long journey ahead of me (I need to lose over 200lbs) I believe I will get there.

3 weeks ago i was at my heaviest (had been for a while) and i was in my friend's wedding.... saw pictures the next day and vowed to make those wedding pictures my "before" pictures. I'm in two more weddings in september and so im looking forward to seeing the difference. kicked my myself into gear and lost 11 pounds so far. going to keep working hard til the next wedding which is in 68 days.

The boy I thought I loved told me I just wasn't his "type" of girl. He said I was awesome and for pure fact of personality he would date me, but he couldn't picture us together based on my looks. It was mean and harsh, but it was the push I needed.

This past January, seeing 200lbs was when I finally woke up to the realization that although this past year had been incredibly sucky, I wasn't doing myself any favors by letting myself go so bad. I knew that if things kept going as they were, I was going to have an incredibly hard time getting a job and paying off student loans once I got my visa and could move to marry my fiance.

Moving forward to losing the weight meant that I had to take responsibility for my weight gain, which is something I had never ever done, but I am so glad I finally did. This journey so far has even taught me the values of creating goals and implementing plans, as well as strict budgeting, and organization. Thanks to all of these things my fiance and I are a million times more confident that our future is going to be great

My rock bottom came when I was buying some jeans. At my heaviest in the past, I've only ever been up to a size 18, and up to 190 lbs. They started getting a little tight on me, so I'd been wearing elastic-waisted stuff since late spring, so I didn't really notice. But as I tried on pants, I found out that I wasn't just a size 20, I was a size 22 or 24, depending on the pants brand. I weighed myself when I got home, and saw that I was up to 230 lbs. I couldn't stand it, so I decided it was time to get my act together.

for me it was going to the doctor for a checkup, seeing that i was 270, and then hearing him say "we should discuss your weight." that was followed by a blood sugar check that revealed i was pre-diabetic at age 29. this was no surprise to me, because i was so thirsty all of the time that i had fantasies about diving into a pool of gatorade and drinking the entire pool.

currently, i'm 160, i have a BMI of 22.3, i exercise every day, and i'm a non-smoker. i feel and look better at 37 than i did at 27, and i plan to continue maintenance and toning for the rest of my life. i'm grateful that i hit bottom before it got worse, because losing 110 pounds was hard enough. but i don't ever ask myself if it was worth it, because there's no doubt in my mind.

You all are so inspiring!!!

Having outpatient surgery and having them bring in the BIG wheelchair to take me to the car!

My rock bottom was in April 2012 when I was sitting on a park bench at the end of the walking trail with my 7yr old son who is a BIG "mama's boy". I was sitting there but physically I couldn't walk the trail because my back hurt SO BAD and I couldn't get 20ft without having to stop and catch my breath. My kids asking me "Mama are you alright? Are you ok, Mama?" My son was sitting there with me because he didn't want to leave me alone to walk with his brother, sister and my hubby. He wanted to go SO BAD he started down the trail and started to cry so my husband sent him back to me. I decided seeing his tears that THIS IS SO STUPID. There is NO REASON for this. I don't want to sit at the end of the trails anymore. I don't want to sit at home and miss out on the field trips because I can't walk around the zoo and take care of kids because I can't breath and my back hurts because I'm TO FAT. THIS IS STUPID..I'm TIRED and THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE!

Angel

The carneys at the county fair asked me and my wife to both leave the ride they couldn't start it, It was one of those rollercoasters where all the bars lock in together we were keeping everyone else from locking in, that was pretty bad too.

When my Mama was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. I started studying. I wanted her to get better. I didn't find the cure for her......But I did for me I guess. I lost her but I have changed for the better and am taking my family with me. Working out gave me an outlet for the pain. I just could not let nothing good come out of losing her. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but that was my rock bottom, life changing event.