What motivated you to loose weight?

I was at a waterpark here in phoenix with one of my best friends. She is really thin, and looks beautiful. Well, I bent down to sit in an innertube, and my stomach rolled, a whole darn lot. So I decided it was time to go on a diet for the flat tummy I have always dreamed of. I have only 12 more pounds to go!

Girls.

I was tired of looking at myself and being disgusted and i was tired of being tired .. I knew something had to change i wasnt sure if i could do it, i mean i tried before lost the weight and here i am again 5 years later trying to lose what i gained back plus some. But this time is different it wasnt until i heard people making excuses as to why they cant eat healthy and exercise then a light went off in my head i was one of them people i had every excuse possible...So i changed my way of thinking and here i am on the road to success again...Oh and my neice said " your shorter in the driver seat now thats because your not fat anymore your bum is smaller" cruel yes i know but it was the nicest complament that i have received chilldren are brutally honest and thats enough to keep me going

I went to a blood drive and wasn't able to give because my blood pressure was too high. I've lost 30 lbs and bp is now considered "normal". Would still like to lose about 10 more.

I looked in the mirror and was disgusted by what I have become.

I've put on 35lbs over the last five years, mainly due to the drugs I've been prescribed for severe depression, rising from about 135 -140lbs to over 170lbs. The good news is that the drugs and intensive psychotherapy have helped me sort myself out, and my life has been transformed (thanks, NHS!). But my decision to lose weight now, in June 2012, was influenced by 2 main things.

Firstly, in May, I visited NYC with a good friend who INSISTED on photographing everything, even me, despite my protests. There was one picture in particular of me sitting on the steps of a friend's house in Brooklyn in which I looked so fat I barely recognised myself. She put all the photos on Facebook: double shame!

Secondly, I noticed that after a few new hires and a couple of retirements, half the women administrators in my department at work are either very overweight or obese, and I want to be on the right side of the 50% (I'm one of the very overweight ones) by the end of the year, which is a roundabout way of saying I don't want to be "one of the fat ones".

Oh, and I would really love to be able to wear nice clothes again, not just clothes that disguise the fattest bits.

My motivation was just a breaking point I think in my life in general. I got fired from my job, my boyfriend dumped me and I had to move back in with my mother. I was depressed. Spent every day on the couch playing video games not wanting to deal with life. I started getting worried about some chest pains I was having. I went to the hospital and they said it wasn't a heart attack which was nice but I still didn't like that I felt that bad about my health that I felt like a heart attack could be a possibility. After that period of wallowing in self pity one day I just said enough. I've gone from that very low point and am building myself back up better and stronger than before. I hate to give that crappy job and that loser guy any credit for it but I guess really they did have a hand in it, too bad they won't get to enjoy the result.

I was always the skinny one growing up- underweight, as a matter of fact. I desperately wanted to be "normal" weight. After I had my 4 kids, I finally was happy being at 130ish, and stayed there for many years without trying. After my divorce, I moved back to L.A. to live near family, and I got together with my now (wonderful) hubby, who is not in the best of shape. It was very easy for me to put on 30 pounds in the last 4 years. I hit bottom not long ago when I was looking for a cute top to wear to go out for a friend's birthday and I ended up in the plus-size store. I bought my first XL and vowed it would be my last! My dad is on MFP and when I told him I was going on a diet, he told me about it. I signed up and have not looked back! Plus my 20 year reunion is in 2 weeks, and I don't want people wondering how the skinny girl turned into the fat girl!

Let's see...how many reasons?? lol

1) Just cause I'm getting older I refuse to buy into the crappola - 'oh it's inevitable you'll gain weight' with menopause etc
2) Watching patients at MD's office where I work (as a natural health practitioner, I run the holistic side of the practice) who are in pain or on meds due to weight and weight related health issues. So many of them look and act 10 or more years older than they are!
3) Tired of clothes feeling tight or uncomfortable
4) Looking at myself in pics or mirror...cripes who is that???
5) Remember that body suit Robin Williams wore in Mrs Doubtfire?? I feel like that! lol But I can't take it off! (well I will be soon!)
7) I want to be a rock star at 50 ! Well look like one anyway. )

I saw myself tagged in a Facebook picture and I didn't recognize myself. I thought I was fine; accepted the largeness of my legs and arms, even though the clothes were a little tight and I started sucking in my stomach a lot. Then I tried on my Kate spade dress for the Holidays and it didn't fit.

My $350 dress didn't fit!!!! I didn't want my wardrobe to go to waste. January 2012, I started my MFP journey.

I am 3lbs away from my goal. Once I reach it, I may have a new goal. But I will always be with MFP because I know I will gain the weight back if I don't count my calories.

i was just so sick of looking in the mirror and not being happy with how my body looked, i have no confidence because of that. along with losing weight im hoping to gain confidence.

Health issues made me worried about it and give a small push. The big push over was the day my grandson, patted my belly and said "Mimi pillow" then proceed to lay his head on my belly. (He calls me "Mimi", grandma was too difficult). Decided I didn't want to be know as a pillow anymore. Started watching my diet and exercising, sure am happy now - I may live long enough to see grandson graduate and get married some day.

I got tired of being tired, and unable to do activities that I normally was able to do w/ ease.
I also had just came back from a cruise for my twin sister's wedding and really did not like how I looked in pics. It was my second wedding I've been in over the past two years and I was fat in both pics. Aside from that I am suppose to be going on another cruise in november w/ friends and I did not want to be the fat person in vacation pics again and never posting them on fb cuz i dont want people to see them

Well when I got back from the cruise my cousin told me about mfp and it took off fromt here. On top of that my cousin had challenged every female memeber in my family to a Biggest Loser 6 week challenge in the beginning of May. It really motivated me some more. I started seeing the weight come off and got excited. On top of that I am competitive and did not want to lose. I really started to eat right and become more active. The first round of our 6week challenged ended two weeks ago and I was declared the winner ( it also helped there was cash prize). Because all of us have been so motivated in losing weight we have decided to continue for another 6 weeks. I can't wait to see how much I can lose this time and also to help encourage my family members weight loss. Another postive thing that has come out of it is that I have noticed that my lower back pain has subsided and I am able to walk/run for longer distances w/o spasms. Im greatful for that.

A lot of changes that I could no longer ignore.

I actually had been feeling sick for a whole week, and I figured my stomach was reacting to all the crap. My waist had swelled up to a size 44! And obviously, I had trouble breathing, moving around, and feeling sexy with all that swinging around in front of me. I figured if my stomach bloats 3-4 inches after every meal all of a sudden, then I need to slow down because their is a shift in my level of health happening...and it ain't shifting in the right direction.

The other thing is I got married in April and I still haven't looked at the photos...it upsets me that I messed up my opportunity to look spectacular at my wedding.

And besides my declining health, and the fact that my wedding dress is the largest size I've ever had to purchase and wear.
Uh....my bras kept getting tighter! I never even considered outgrowing a bra as an option, like your bra size is your bra size period. So I was really disappointed in myself when I recently had to go up a number (not the letter) in order for it to stop squeezing my back. That was too much.