[Diana3271]

This has been a fear of mine. I can gain a lot of weight very quickly. I was up to 356 lbs. at one time. This was prior to being diagnosed hypothyroid. One I got on meds I started losing weight.

[rockinrobin]

Well, I was super morbidly obese. At 287 lbs - only 5 feet tall, I had a BMI of 56. To put it in perspective, a 5 foot 6 inch person would have to weigh 347 lbs to have that bmi, a 5 foot 8 person - 369 lbs. Oh my goodness, that's the first time I figured that out - wow. Anyway....

I got real scared as I was barely fitting into the largest sizes at the plus sized stores. That just may have given me the final push, "the wake-up" call.

I also had in the back of my mind (and not too far) that I would/could be one of those people who would need a wheel chair to get around.

Such misery I was in. SUCH MISERY. But I had been miserable for many years. But the misery was getting worse and worse.

I've thought about this often and have come up with no conclusive answer - cut off points. What makes some people TAKE ACTION when they're 20 lbs overweight, 50 lbs, 100, 200, etc?

I just don't know.

[Sanna Maria]

I would like to think no, but who knows. I was always normal weight, and didn't think I could get to overweight, it seemed to be beyond my understanding how it could happen to ME. Then it did, I was completely shocked and lost weight until I was about 128lb. After a while I starting sliding and this spring I found myself more than overweight, actually obese. That once again shocked me into stopping the gaining, although I probably gained 4lb just by trying to maintain over 3 months, but at least it was better than gaining 8 to 10lb a month. Finally I realised my boyfriend did not find me attractive anymore and I didn't know who I was looking at in the mirror, so I came here and have managed to regain control over myself. I know if I don't do this healthily and deal with the emotional issues this time around I could become bigger than I ever could believe, maybe not to the point of being homebound, but then again I never thought I could become overweight either.

[Heather]

I think I would have kept going. That's what finally got me losing. I fell down the stairs and hurt my coccyx and was in awful pain and laid around a lot. I imagined I was living my future. Scary. And yet even that scare, in and of itself, was not enough to get me to lose.

[time2lose]

I too was super morbidly obese. At 5' 2" and 291 pounds, my BMI was 53.2. Realizing that my mobility was being limited was one of my big motivators in this journey. I was having severe knee pain and walking was very difficult. I had given up on going up stairs and walked as little as possible.

I knew two people who were wheelchair bound because of obesity. Both had to retire early on disability and one of them was found in bed after dying some time, probably weeks, before. She was 57, just a few years older than me. Obesity killed her. I saw that severe limits on your life could and do happen because of obesity. Before I knew these ladies, bedridden obese people were just characters on tv to me. The possibility of getting so huge that I stopped living my life suddenly seemed real to me. It.could.happen.to.me.

I wish I knew why I let myself get to that point. I wish I had stopped myself when I was 20 or 30 pounds overweight. I am glad that I got control when I did. Now I am going to be a happy, active senior citizen who walks and plays with my grandchildren. That is so much more important to me than eating any type of food!

Edited to add: This thread has been very good for me. Why would I let Christmas food stop me from being that active person? It is so unimportant when considering the important things in life!

[srmb60]

Yup, I was steadily gaining. And like many here, I was getting more and more stiff and sore ... more sedentary because of that ...

[nelie]

Originally Posted by Heather

I think I would have kept going. That's what finally got me losing. I fell down the stairs and hurt my coccyx and was in awful pain and laid around a lot. I imagined I was living my future. Scary. And yet even that scare, in and of itself, was not enough to get me to lose.

Actually that was the final thing that got me to stop bouncing between 360 to 330 and to keep going down below 330. I fell down the stairs. I had trouble walking and imagined what my life would be like if I had trouble walking permanently.

[Windchime]

I suppose it could have been me, yes. I had myself fooled into thinking that I carried my weight well, that I still gave the appearance of being slim until I would see a picture of myself. At 245, there was no way that I looked slim to anyone, but in my mind I thought I still looked OK.

It was health problems that made me decide to get back into shape. My asthma was terrible. I could barely make it up a flight of stairs at work. When I would walk a couple of blocks with a co-worker who is literally NINE INCHES shorter than me, I was huffing and puffing because I couldn't keep up with her. And I felt heavy and matronly. But I had ignored all those things for a good 50-60 pounds, so I can easily imagine just continuing to ignore them and getting heavier and heavier.

I can see how it can happen. As you get heavier, it becomes more difficult to move around, the health problems make you feel worse so you tend to take it easy more often, and it becomes a depressing, unhealthy spiral. So yeah, I think it's something to be mindful of because I definitely don't think I'm safe from any of that. I need to stay on top of this.

[MBN]

Originally Posted by rockinrobin

I've thought about this often and have come up with no conclusive answer - cut off points. What makes some people TAKE ACTION when they're 20 lbs overweight, 50 lbs, 100, 200, etc?

I just don't know.

My "take action" point (this time) was 40-ish pounds overweight, my highest weight ever - even higher than 9 months pregnant. I had gotten there by slipping into bad habits (again), not exercising, and wilfully ignoring the resulting weight gain. I lived in the wonderful Land of Denial - not looking in mirrors, not stepping on the scale, and reaching for the larger sizes in my wardrobe. It wasn't until I had outgrown EVERYTHING that I reached the point that I couldn't ignore the weight gain. I didn't feel physically good at that weight and just didn't want to live like that anymore.

I also watch the stories about the super morbidly obese and their struggles and empathize greatly. I identify with their struggles, and have had similar ones, just to a lesser degree. I know how much 40 extra pounds weighed me down, how awful it felt to want to move and do things and how much harder it was then. It affected my cholesterol level and blood pressure. It affected me psychologically - I held back from doing physical things because I didn't think I could do it. I've had my comfort/stress eating binges and know what it's like to feel out of control with food. Why was my "take action" point lower than others'? I don't know either.

What scares me is that everytime I've yo-yo'd, the "take action" weight was 5 lbs higher. If I don't keep ever vigilent in maintenance, I fear that it would be SO easy to slip right back into those bad habits again.

[juliastl27]

interesting thoughts everyone. i think that the caregivers are also similar to families who enable drug users and alcoholics.

i also turned to food because it was the last thing i had. i have SEVERE panic attacks and agoraphobia (for those not familiar, its basically when your anxiety gets so severe that you don't want to leave the house). food was basically the only joy i had left to indulge in, and boy did i. in 3 years i shot up from 150 to 220. my breaking point was when my size 18 pants *barely* fit. i always feared moving into the size 20s. i decided it was time to take control. my husband was also an enabler. he felt sorry for me and knew that food was one of the few things i still had to enjoy.

now that ive lost over 50 lbs, i notice my anxiety decreasing somewhat. i still get uncomfortable in public, but at least i dont have the added fear of everyone making fun of me and judging me. not that im "thin", but ive lost enough that i no longer feel like the "fat girl".

i also realize that metabolism slows SEVERELY when one is bed ridden, but i think that the caregivers need to be firmer. "sure, order a pizza, but im not letting the delivery man in, you have to get up and open the door!"

a bag of peanut M&Ms sure did feel good back then, but it's nothing compared to hearing someone say, "oh my gosh you look GREAT!"

[Aclai4067]

I think it could have been me. Up until a few years ago I would have said no way. I actually enjoy exercise and for a long time that kept me from getting over 260. But when I got depressed I stopped caring about exercise and I started binge eating. It took a lot for me to pull myself out of that cycle. And I have to be ever-mndful to keep from falling back into it. So yeah, sucks to say it, but that could have been me.

[Aclai4067]

Originally Posted by MBN

Why was my "take action" point lower than others'? I don't know either.

What scares me is that everytime I've yo-yo'd, the "take action" weight was 5 lbs higher. If I don't keep ever vigilent in maintenance, I fear that it would be SO easy to slip right back into those bad habits again.

You're take action point may be lower because you've been at a healthy weight as an adult. My sister also has a much lower "take action" weight, but she was a healthy weight up until college (and never made it near the obese catagory, just overweight for a few years). For me, having been an obese child, there have been many points in my life when reaching goal just seemed unrealistic and I was sick of trying. I think because you know how it feels to be a healthy weight, you know what to look forward to in getting there. For me, being thin (or even down to just an overweight BMI) is like fairytale land. I can imagine it, but I really have no idea what it's like. And it's easy to believe I never will. As far as the "take action" weight getting 5 lbs higher every time. Well, the younger you start dieting, the more times you have for that number to go up.

[Smiling_Sara]

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

Yes. Undoubtedly. I don't know what my "top off" point would have been, but I was near 300 with no signs of stopping the gain.

This, my *known* highest was 278, but I have a feeling from photos I may of been higher at some point. I would of been 300 or over had I not changed my life.

[CLCSC145]

It may be naive of me, but I don't think I would have gotten to that point. But that doesn't mean I wasn't in a prison of my own making in much the same way.

For me the panic point was realizing that 90% of my size 24s no longer fit and I didn't know where people went to buy clothes bigger than that. And I didn't want to find out. I probably could have gained more, but I'd like to think that some inner alarm would have gone off before I became immobile or bedridden.

[DCHound]

At 287 lbs - only 5 feet tall, I had a BMI of 56. To put it in perspective, a 5 foot 6 inch person would have to weigh 347 lbs to have that bmi, a 5 foot 8 person - 369 lbs. Oh my goodness, that's the first time I figured that out - wow.

Robin, that was my starting weight--I bet we could have traded clothes (well, shorts, anyway)

I was extraordinarily fortunate that I have always had ridiculously good health and am a physically strong person. I was not in as nearly bad a shape as I should have been at 370 lbs...but compared to the shape I'm in now, the difference is night and day.

I do believe there's a significant difference, beyond weight, in people whose starting weights are over 300 and people whose starting weights are under 200, regardless of how much they want/have to lose and many other things. Those of us who start out with BMIs over 50 are looking at, among other things, early death. Early, painful death. Among other things.

Could it have been me? Sure. I probably would have still been mobile at 450-500 lbs, but things like stairs, or walking around a store, would have been severely curtailed. Or tying shoes. Taking a shower. Visiting a public restroom. I suspect I could have still walked, slowly and painfully, at 500, simply because my legs are so strong, but I'm not positive. Thank god now I won't have to find out. I could walk at 370. I can run at 210. I'll be able to float at 180.