I felt so bad about talking about wanting to lose the weight, but not doing it. The kicker, this time, was just not wanting to be unattractive to my hubby (and of course for myself) but he is so good to me. I always love on him, telling him how hot he is, and I can tell he is missing the days when I was "so cute when we first met." Before I had two babies and gained 80 pounds in about 4 months.

Sounds rediculous, I know. But imagining how he sees me, made me realize I needed to get myself back to the me I want.

Coolmom75:
Not ridiculous at all. I think most of us here have very loving and understanding husbands who would love and desire us at any weight. But along with the other reasons we may use to motivate ourselves, the desire to please our mate is often a primary concern. And it makes it even more rewarding when we do lose the weight, because they've loved us thru thick and thin (literally), and they get to share in our happiness! I know my husband is very appreciative, and the way I look in his eyes gives me deep satisfaction. It's the icing on the cake (oops, wrong analogy to use here!).

And an update: I went to SteinMart 1 1/2 weeks ago, and bought a pair of capris in size *8*!! WoooHooo! AND, last night had someone take a double look at me and say, "Oh it's you! I thought you were someone's daughter!" Which, technically I am, but I know what she meant...

I had a couple experiences that really got to me. One of which being that fact that I could no longer fit in the chairs at my college. The ones with the attached desk. I could sit in them but my stomach would push against it and make me so uncomfortable and embarrassed.

The second, most mortifying experience was when a customer at my job asked me when my baby was due. I. Was. Not. Pregnant.

What got me through it (and continues to get me through it) is realizing that the process isn't to be dreaded. The process is enjoyable! It isn't alot of hard work to get to some far off goal, it's a new wonderful lifestyle.

Now I'm wondering what kind of answer you gave them. I have such a smart mouth at times, I figure I'd have either said "next week" or "9 months after I get pregnant".

When I think about my turning point I almost have to laugh. I was in the shower. (Baths were next to impossible then because I was simply too big at 267 to get in and out of it without pain.) Anyway, I turned a certain way and a muscle in my stomach drew up like a Charlie Horse and I couldn't move! I was stuck! I kept trying to stand up straight again but I couldn't without pain! All I could think of was I was going to have to go through the rest of my life stuck in this position (which wasn't pretty) and naked to boot! That's when I knew. I had to lose the weight. My husband never said anything at all about the 100+ lbs I'd packed on since we married back in '92 but he rarely touched me anymore either. I was also beginning to hate myself. Things are different now. I'm still quite a ways from goal but I know I'll do it.

haha. I was so mortified I didn't no what to say. But the customer is always right, right? So I just said "3 months" and smiled. A month later I quit so hopefully I'll never see that customer again.

My turning point was about 3 weeks ago when I was on my way home from a week long trip with my father, up at my sister's house.

We were driving home (still had about 5 hours to go and were dead tired) and my dad told me that he had a bad dream weeks earlier that I had suffocated to death because of my weight. He didn't want to tell me because he thought it would hurt my feelings (which it did). He said that since that dream - he has had a hard time sleeping, and all he does is worry about me and my weight. He didn't want me to end up like him with diabetes...etc...

I started crying after he told me...I could barely drive! We ended up pulling over at a rest area where I sat in the bathroom stall for 15 minutes and cried every tear that I could push out of me. I really needed to just cry. When I was finished - my dad was sitting out on a bench with his head down...he must have felt bad for saying anything at all.

And for the first week after getting home - I was angry at my dad. Angry that he told me, angry for making me feel guilty that he was losing sleep, and angry for making me cry in front of him (which I haven't done in a long time.)

Now - about 3 weeks later, I am over the fact that he told me about his dream. I shouldn't have acted so angry towards him because I know that he was just trying to help me, and look out for my health.

After spending a few weeks thinking about what he said, I decided that YES, now is the time that I HAVE to do something. I should be as concernd about my health as my father is!

So now I am working hard to lose this excess baggage, and be the person I know I can be!

I actually had a woman pat my stomach and ask if I was pregnant. I said "no, its just my fat tummy." And I never wore that scrub top to work again, lol.

Around the same time, someone asked why I wasn't wearing my wedding band, and I said it was because my fingers were still too fat. I decided it was time to get-er-done.

My turning point was when the doctor diagnosed me with diabetes September 2003. May of 2002, he diagnosed me with HPB. I was like well, ok, but when I became a diabetic, and my body started acting funny like feeling numb in my feet, I knew it was time to get serious. I wear glasses and having diabetes can mess with your eyes, like it does mine now. My doctor told me that I have a good chance of being healed of those two if I lose weight. I have read a few success stories about people being healed of it when they lost weight. I also got to the point were I don't feel good about myself. I figure, if I don't like me, who else will? You gotta start loving yourself, no matter. My self esteem was gone, there was no low. When I started speaking positive things over myself, I began to see all kind of changes, even weightloss.

Hi Everyone, I'm really new to this, but I figured that if I declare my turning point to everyone, that I will be able to stick to it. So here goes:

I have always been a big girl maintaining around 190 lbs. But when my fiance went to Iraq, I turn to food and gained about 30 lbs. I know this may sound strange, but I work at a bar, and when I started the job about a year ago, I was constantly being hit on, granted they were mostly very drunk men, but even still it is nice to feel attractive, ya know? Well about two weeks ago, I suddenly realized that the very drunk men don't hit on my anymore. I can't even attract a man with beer goggles attached to his head. This really bothers me, not that i want any of these men, I am very much in love! But the feeling you get when a stranger asks for your number is so nice. Well in about 6 months my fiance will be coming home, and even though I know that he loves me no matter what, I don't want him to see me like this. So here it is, my turning point. Any advice would be most welcomed! This is a wonderful site and I am very proud of all of you. I hope to join your ranks as a success story very soon.

Much Love,
Katyiris

Looks like this thread has been dead for a while until katyiris' post. Oh well. I had a few turning points.

The first was when I saw a video tape that my friends and I recorded at a party we had and I saw how huge I looked, I was shocked and got so depressed about it, I knew I had to change that.

The second one was before I started work, I had to go shopping for biz casual clothes. I went to the Gap and the size 16 was too tight to button and I didn't see any 18's (I was so embarressed, I wasn't going to ask). I sat down in the dressing room and cried for a little while, this was the ultimate turning point for me as I started dieting and exercising the next day.

I also want to look in the mirror and like what I see and I don't right now. I just want to love my body. I want to feel confident with myself. I want to make heads turn.

This is a really good thread.

My turning point was a few weeks ago when I went to a doctor for a check-up and he said, stunningly , I needed to lose weight. For some reason that was the extra push I needed. I obviously knew I needed to lose weight before that but I need that 'click' of determination for me to start losing weight by adopting better daily habits in exercise and eating. I always consider eating to be at least three main things, what I eat, how much I eat, and how fast I eat. If I just slooooww done I eat less at each sitting.

It was also a good news bad news. I had started losing weight at about 330-340 in 2001. I got down to 215-220 about a year and half after I made lifestyle changes. When I went into the doctors I was at 272. This was after going back to bad habits really starting in the summer of 2002 when I was doing field work in a Latin American country and it was harder (but not impossible) to make good choices under the particular conditions I was in. However when I got back to the states I kept making bad choices which was entirely under my control.

So 3 years of not eating right and not exercising enough and I had gained back half. I figured at least I am better of then I was before and this time I will not 'go back' to unhealthy habits. I got married recently and me and my wife want to have children ASAP so there is a lot to be healthy for.

My turning point was when I looked at a picture of myself as a skinny mini. Taken 5 years ago. And I put a picture of myself (now) right next to it. To say the least it didn't look good. Also a remark my husband said to me when I asked him if I could buy (yet another) an exercise DVD from a TV commercel. He said "Ok Rachel, you can get it, you have all these dvd's when are you going to use them?" and "You have enough to do your own home gym" Which was true, you see I have: The Core, Tae Bo, The Winser Pilates set, Slim in 6, and also a Yoga flexability dvd. All of which I would only do for 2 days then they would collect dust.
He was right, last week I decided to put those dvd's to work. I have no excuse of being bored I have many workout dvd's to last me a while. Well I did see a workout set I saw this morning on TV that I liked.....never mind, lol.
I'm tired of only working out for 2 days and giving up. Then sitting there feeling sorry for myself b/c I don't look the way I did back then. I have decided to fight against this fat. Like that song goes (well, I changed the words a bit) "Hit the road FAT, and don't you come back no more!"
My motto for everything I have ever done has always been "If so and so can do it then so can I." I used this when I went back to school to better my life. I used it when I was having struggles with Breastfeeding and I wanted to quit. Why can't I use it in this case. This too is something my husband brought to my attention, He was right.
Rachel

My turning point was when I met my biological uncle for the first time (I'm adopted). I had located my birthmother in Texas, and through her letters and phone calls, she seemed really excited to get to know me, meet me, etc. But she kept backing out whenever we had a firm plan to meet. My uncle flew to Massachusetts to visit me on his own, and explained that my birthmother is so heavy that she has to drive around on one of those motorized scooters because she can barely walk. And because of that, she was/is embarrassed to meet me. He explained that she barely ever leaves her house, and that her only real social contact is with him and with one of her cousins.

I've been heavy for pretty much my whole life (except at birth, when I weighed 5 lbs !) And even when I wasn't heavy, I was convinced I was. When I was 12, my pediatrician saw that I weighed 140 pounds (at 5'4") and said: "You need to lose 20 pounds." At which point I said to myself: "The **** with it. I guess I'll just be fat forever." The irony of it is that 140 is my goal weight now! And that will likely be a size 8 for me!! In addition, my adoptive mother was anorexic -- 5'9", 98 - 100 lbs for 15+ years -- so I was always "heavy" compared to her (as was pretty much everyone else in the Free World!)

So, when I learned about my birthmother's serious weight problem and the social issues that resulted from it, I was basically slapped into reality -- if I didn't get a handle on things I was just going to gain and gain and gain. I know there is a part of me that is capable of getting totally out of control with food -- I don't know if it's officially "binging," but I AM capable of eating a whole large pizza in 10 minutes flat (among other things). So, it may sound a bit harsh, but realizing that it is genetically *possible* for me to gain so much weight that I would lose my mobility and require a scooter to get around was my turning point. I really hope that doesn't sound cruel...I don't mean to sound like I'm putting her down...

I turned 30 the week after my uncle visited, and I decided to give myself the greatest present possible -- a gym membership, a personal trainer, and a healthy me.

Great thread, by the way!

I can't believe I missed this thread! it's great!
I have three points in time that are important to me.
My weight has crept too. I don't really recall being 140 or 150 anything. Just all of a sudden I was 162.
I'm a nurse. I have looked after the same lady (very overweight) thru a couple of joint replacements. She's almost too big for our beds. We need special chairs and equipment for her. Each time she comes back, she's bigger. Her weight creeps too!
Then there's the black slacks ... I had to go to a funeral. They're the kind that double over and do up in the pocket. They didn't even reach. I had to lasso the button to the buttonhole with an elastic band!
And the other is a health lesson. My Mom was 74 and so debilitated from heart disease and diabetes that she couldn't pick up my year old nephew. So sad.