What motivated you to loose weight?

A few things:

I avoid cameras at all costs but my 5-yr old daughter has managed to get a few profile shots of me on her LeapPad while I have been sitting at my computer desk and, to be honest, I looked like Jabba the Hut. It was like--eww, WTF is that! I would yell at her not to take my pictures--which made me feel bad since she was not doing it deliberately. Now, whenever anyone tries to take a pic of me she will tell them that her mom doesn't like to take pictures--which is both embarrassing and sad. I am still too ashamed to post a pic on here.

You know how most fat women have a story about someone mistaking them for being pregnant? Well, I was the one who was thinking I looked pregnant--though I knew that definitely was not the case! Even when I put on Spanx, I still looked pregnant. It was disturbing.

I switched primary care providers and my new doctor ordered about a thousand tests for me because of my medical condition..."obesity". I have always been fat but to me an obese person is someone who you see on the Maury Povich show. I was stunned to realize that medically I was considered an at risk patient. It scared the crap out of me.

I am hoping this works because I need to change.

My motivation...40!
I only have two options I'll either be 40 or I'll be dead, so since my options are limited why not be healthier and thinner at forty.

Peace of mind. At 275 lbs I experienced a series of panic attacks that I believed to be heart attacks. After my 3rd or 4th time being driven to the ER just to be told I was not dying, I decided to take the steps I needed to take to lower my risk factor so I could be absolutely sure I was having a panic attack and not a heart attack.

I don't get panic attacks nearly as often anymore, and when I do I'm not nearly as afraid of them, but I decided to lose the rest of the weight because of how much more comfortable I am in my own skin. When I was obese I wouldn't go swimming, I wouldn't go clothes shopping, I wouldn't wear tank tops or above-the-knee shorts or skirts, the list goes on and on.. and these are all things I've found that I love to do now that I have the confidence! The next goal is short-shorts and miniskirts. Soon.

I enjoyed most of my teens and early twenties relatively in shape. I gained 80 pounds while pregnant with my son in 05/06, and lost it all and then-some afterwards. I quit smoking four years ago, and started replacing cigarettes with snickers, and went on Depo at the same time. Then, I slipped on ice and tore my ACL. That was over six months of hell. My husband finally got fixed and I was able to go off the birth control, but between my inactivity from the ACL, quitting smoking, and the birth control, I put on a fast 85 pounds. I am heavier now than I was when I was 9 months pregnant with my son. I also have a sedentary job, which doesn't help my cause at all.

I didn't think much of it until about a year ago. I was wearing a tank top and pajamas, lounging around the house. I asked my husband if he thought I was fat. He didn't answer, and my son, who was 5 at the time (6 now), piped up. He said, "Mom you're not fat!" Aww warm mushy feelings inside... that were squashed a half a second later when my son finished his thought with "Well, if you were pregnant you wouldn't be fat." I started really looking in the mirror, and at all the pictures on Facebook that I refused to let myself be tagged in, and realized... Oh hell... I am huge. I am out of breath just sitting in a chair. That has to change, and I am hoping MFP can help me with it. I am trying to get my husband on board as well, to help keep both of us motivated!

I've always wanted to lose weight.. I've been overweight/ obese my entire life. I always 'knew' I was chubby.../fat.. I noticed myself gaining weight, I never really paid attention to how much I was gaining. I honestly asked my boyfriend to tell me 'was I cuter when I was around X size'? He said 'Yes'. (He went on to tell me I was beautiful, he loved me, wants me to be happy).. I love him and I'm bigger around than he is.. and that makes me feel bad =( I don't want people to look at us and wonder why I'm so much bigger.. I also want him to have a cute and fit girlfriend..

I got on the scale one day and it told me 214.something.. and I cried. I've tried dieting before and it never worked.. I don't know, something in my head clicked and this time is different.. I wish I could explain it better.. =/

I know for sure I'm sick and tired of telling myself I'm gonna do it, and it never happening and then getting upset over it! And my sweet amazing boyfriend deserves to have me at my best I think that sums it up..

Health and well being were the motivating factor for me. I have had a series of life changing events that came in 2007 but rolled through to 2010. I have been on a journey to a new me this past year. I have lost 25 lbs and am working to get into the heathly BMI.

here is my story-- In 2010 I was sitting munching watching tv, my back had been killing me for days. At 5'1 at 214 lbs no wonder. Right?? So I decided to dust off the treadmil and walk.. I could (I am ashamed to say) walk at 2.8 mph and I was winded. I was thinking. WOW I cant beleive this slow and I am winded. I am not going to be fat and forty. So, I kept telling myself it takes 6 weeks to break a bad habit so why not start a good habit. That was how it began soon I was at 3 mph then 4 mph. then running at 5. I was doing couch to 5 K. Running the 5K on the treadmil. Then the dreaded, unmotiviating thing called exercise induced asthma smacked me right off. One day I was running 36 minutes within a week I couldnt even run 3 min without getting short of breath. Talk about an unmotivator, I tried over and over again, but just couldnt seem to get it back. Lost my stamina and motivation. I kept walking tho. I can still out walk everyone I walk with in speed and distance. I am doing insanity now. I am stuck at a 50 pound loss and have been for a while. I have decided to suck it up and stay inside on those hot humid days and use that treadmil, work again on the couch to 5 K. I will run a 5 K outside someday. Trying to work on breaking that plateau. With changing up calories and exercising differently. I still have 2 1/2 years before I reach that forty mark. So what is your story?

Our stories are very similar. At age 35 I was at my highest weight, 214#. I am 5'1" and was disquested with how I looked. The TV program BIggest Loser got me started, I figured if they can I can too. I joined weight watchers and started to exercise. I signed up for a half marathon started to run. I could only go 30 seconds before I had to stop for a break but I persisted. I was able to finish my first half marathon in less than 3 hours which was my goal. After about 13 months I was 124# and felt great. I have since ran a few more half marathons with much improved times, I mountain bike regularly, and did a Tough Mudder event this year.
I have gained a few pounds back but home with MFP I can shed those pounds. I always say if I can do it, anyone can!!
Congratulations to you for reaching 50lbs lost, keep going through the plateau you will get past it!

First let me say, I'm 22 but feel so much older because of my weight....I suffer from depression & IBS (both are made worse due to my weight) which is one reason, but there's a lot more to it than that. I got married almost three years ago & a few months before my wedding I started gaining weight like crazy, within 5 months I had gained 45 pounds & the day of my wedding I was so embarrassed to show my arms or anything else. That night (honeymoon) I cried when I looked in the mirror & for the first time, noticed the large red stretch marks now covering my belly. My grandma had already told me that I looked pregnant several times before then (which hurt) but I was so caught up in wedding plans & our new house & stuff that I didn't really take it to heart. After i noticed the stretch marks, I actually convinced myself that I HAD to be pregnant since I was only gaining in my stomach....I was sure I was gonna end up on that stupid 'I didn't know I was pregnant' show haha:). I wasn't pregnant though....just gaining weight at a really rapid pace. 6 months before my wedding I was a size 7 in Hollister jeans (they run small)...by my wedding day I was a size 15 in cheap target jeans (they run large)....I can't even fit into size 18s now though! Anyway, fast forward to today and another 45 pounds, totaling 90 pound weight gain in 3 years. I invited my parents & their friends over to a cookout & to swim at my house a few weekends ago...my mom (she's 46) & her friend (she's 52) both showed up in bikinis & looked AMAZING. I have NEVER looked good in a bikini so seeing these two women over twice my age wearing them was a major wake up call. From that day on, I vowed that by next year I WILL be back in my size 7 jeans, or somewhere close & someday I hope to have the courage to rock a bikini!

The last year or so was really rough on me in terms of my health. I have a herniated disc in my back that started acting up again. I ended up with a kidney stone too big to pass on its own so I needed "surgery." My weight was at an all time (non pregnant) high. I was stressed, sick , tired and just all around run down. The straw that broke the camels back, so to speak, was my kidney. Surgery removed the stone but not the kidney issues. I suffered for a few months with blood in my urine for no apparent reason, constant infections, and pain. It is a scary thing when one of your major organs are not working properly. Something simple like peeing was not happening as it should. I had become increasingly aware that I took my body for granted and decided that it needed to end. The sky high medical bills helped push me as well.

One day I told myself I am too young for all these issues and the change began. I purchased a membership at the local Y for my kids and myself in March 2012. I decided that rather then spend my hard earned $ on medical bills, I would use that $ on preventing the medical issues to begin with. From March until June I was working out pretty consistantly and trying to be healthier in terms of food choices but I was still plagued with blood in the urine and other issues. In June I came across MFP and signed up. June 3rd I began tracking what I ate, watched calories, continued to work out (only with a bit more focus and drive.)

Today I am almost a month into my journey and I am happy to report that I feel wonderful. I am eating clean wholesome foods at regular times each day. I have lost just about 10lbs. I have more energy. But the best change that I can tell you about is that I no longer have blood in my urine. My kidney are functioning as they should. That is the best feeling ever. I have changed my health for the better in this short amount of time.

Friends always welcome!

Wendy

I have had lots of motivators, and lots of "starts" to diets in my life. Most recently, my 5 year old telling me I had a big butt, seeing the beginning picture of me in a bikini, seeing old pictures of me in Grand Cayman in a bikini and knowing that I have it in me to be thin, my pants not fitting, my ugly cellulite, only wanting to be naked in the dark....the list can go on and on and on. Why is it we can be motivated at times and ready to take on the world, and other times feel so defeated????

My story!!

I started my journey at 232 pounds. I'm at 125!! I have lost 107 pounds!! I went from a size 18 jeans to a size 4 and shirt size was a 3X to a medium now. I'm a healthy weight! I have so many people ask me how I have loss the weight

I started eating smaller....I have dinner on a luncheon plate. I make everything at home from scratch. No pre-made foods...no processed foods...This means no salad dressings. I make it myself. I only sweetened with Stevia!! It's a natural sugar!! I use apple cider vinegar with spicy mustard as a dip & salad dressing.
I eat more veggies no starchy veggies (No potatoes, carrots or corn), & fruits (apples & berries)... lean meats and no sugar!!.
I exercise six days a week... mostly walk.
I don't eat junk. I very rarely eat out.

My turning point was that I'm 21 years old and weighed 315 pounds. I could barely do anything without working up a sweat and be out of breath. Plus I hated how I look and I avoided the mirror at all costs. I didn't want to die young either. I want to enjoy my life and be healthy.

But honestly it was seeing 315 on the scale, I never want to see a number beginning with 3 again. Plus I'd love to have a single digit clothing size.

my self esteem was too low, I want a guy to give me a piggy back ride, and actually like the girls i'm jealous of.

add me?

Long story short a rocky marriage and high blood pressure. Figured my weight was the one thing I did have control over since I cannot make my husband change for the better.

It started with a bet with a colleague that I work with after consuming way too much ranch dressing at a professional dinner! It has only been 3 months, but has led to a complete lifestyle change for me. And I'm down 50lbs so far as well!