Hey everyone,

My weightloss journey has been crazy and exhausting. Since 2005 I've gone from 250 to 170 to 195 to 159 (my smallest) and over the past year or so I'm back up to 185.

I know my eating problems are 110% psychological, I think it's that way for most people. I've read countless success stories and it seems like a common theme is that, for successful people, they make a total shift in their thinking. One day they make the choice to do it right and to really commit.

I feel like after all these years I'm close to this choice but I can't quite get there.

Has this been true for any of you? Did you make a change in your thinking? Please tell me how you got to that point...

my turning point was when I had to take off my engagment ring because it was literaly choking my finger (very painful when I got bloated on my period) that when I truely realized that I gained weight and actually still had 100lbs to loose. so i took it off (with much effort) and had to explain to my fiance that I got too fat for it....so sad.

I started a new job and couldn't keep up with my co-workers when we walked a few blocks to go out to lunch. That was enough for me.

It was clothes shopping - I was tired of the limited choices and expensive prices for poorly made stuff.

As far as a mind change, I had to look at food as less of a source of pure pleasure and happiness - I was using it as a drug to cope with stress or being made fun of, etc - and more of plain old sustenance. Most of my eating stemmed from boredom or emotions, so I had to work on (and still do) figuring out when I was genuinely hungry, and when my body was satisfied but not to the point that I felt sick or uncomfortable after a meal.

Another shift was looking at actually how much I could eat while 'dieting' and learning that I could definitely make room for my favorite treats daily, just in moderation. I browsed the Picture Perfect Weight Loss plan to see that, for instance, I could have 1 serving of french fries OR 4 ears of corn for the same caloric value. It's all about how calorie dense something is.

And finally, I realized that the taste of a food is temporary but being overweight (even obese) continues on. It's kind of like alcohol or drug abuse - you keep eating to get that 'high' from the taste or being so full that you keep continuing the cycle. It's an every day struggle still, and I do fall off the wagon from time to time, but reading through 3FC and seeing all these other options and opinions has really helped me in a way nothing else has!

Just a better quality of life. Prolongs life, prevents mental and physical illness. Exercise helps battle depression, gives you a sense of achievement.

What it was for me, was I knew I was overweight, and I lied to myself that it wasn't a big issue, it wasn't much weight and I could lose it if and when I wanted to. But I wondered when that would be, when I ws 40? That's a bit late! I should be having my best years now. And I made the decision that I don't want to be fat, therefor I won't.

My husband of 6 years (the one that said "we'll never be able to lose weight without gastric bypass so why even bother trying exercise?") left me on New Years Day 2010 to go live with another woman and I went on a complete binge for 3 days straight. I went to the doctor 2 weeks later and weighed in at 407 lbs. The doctor told me "You will never lose any significant amount of weight without surgical measures". A few weeks later, I had to quit my job because I couldn't afford the apartment on my own and I moved back home to Chicago to live with my parents.

I decided I was alone, unemployed, no place of my own and completely broke - why not work on the one thing I DID have control of in my life (my body)? I started walking and eating healthier, found a GREAT job, made new friends, still live with my parents, get more attention from men than I ever have before in my life, have enough money in the bank and the rest is history!

As my roommate is at this very moment trying to cinvince me to eat a Blizzard, I think of this quote:
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." -Nietzche
Understanding why I wanted to lose weight was a huge hurdle to get over. After that, I know that I can do whatever I need to to get to my goal.

And now I have to go- I agreed to walk to DQ while SHE gets a Blizzard.

I'd known for years I was overweight, but I didn't realize by how much. When I went to the doctor's office one day and got on the scale, it tipped at over 200. I was shocked. I decided then that my feeble attempts at being healthy hadn't been cutting it and I needed a real plan. So I just did it. It helped a lot that I was doing it with my husband, so we could keep each other on track. I started well and truly working out, and that just got me addicted to exercising. But it's been the numbers on the scale (and owning a scale for the first time in my life) that has made the biggest difference in changing my lifestyle and keeping it changed.

In Sept 2009 I went for my yearly checkup and the clinic scale only went to 120 kg (about 265lb) and I had to use another scale - I weighed 142 kg (313lb). That's when I started walking every day. The weight started coming off.

I got a letter from the city health dept - we have fully socialized medicine here, so every dept knows what is going on everywhere else - and the letter said, the next Metabolic Syndrome class is in January. I ignored the letter in 2010 but this year I decided to go.
When I went to the first class (held by the city health dept) I was surprised to see that they had all of my past checkup reports, weight, vitals, blood work etc. Not that I thought it was a big secret but I was surprised how the private medical clinics share data with the city.

We had dietary classes, exercise classes (how to do exercises, not periodic ex. classes), etc. Plus a 6 month book to enter weight, food notes, steps per day from pedometer, etc. And I go once a month for weigh ins etc. The last weigh in is August 8th.
It's been a very positive experience and I have made steady progress downwards.

During one random evening I realized that I wasn't at my ultimate.

I realized that I wanted to look better and I realized that I can stay fat and unhappy or I could decide right that second to make the change that I'd been longing for my entire adult life.

The choice, as they say, was all mine. And I'm thankful every day that I made the correct choice.

I also agree with everything Michi702 said. :-)

I've only started recently, but last weekend, my boyfriend and I went away for my birthday. We were about to go to the pool... but I was too embarrassed to be in a swim suit. I wouldn't even come out of the bathroom. I don't want to miss out on fun things anymore.

i got tired of being asked if i was pregnant =/

I kept gaining weight... I thought eventually it would level off and that would be that... but the scale continued to creep. I realized that if I didn't do something, I was just going to keep gaining. I weigh 40 lbs less than I did then. I have 40 more to go. The reason I KEEP trying and keep going - is I feel awesome. I focus on the things that make me feel good. Eating fruits, veggies and lean proteins keeps my energy going. Exercise helps me keep up with my 2 yr old. I do exercises I enjoy - not ones that feel like torture. I eat veggies I like, the WAY I like them - I don't force myself to eat lima beans or beets or carrots.

Bit by bit, I am learning to separate my emotions from food. I cheer myself on for every little, silly accomplishment - no matter how small.

#1 - I was panicked about my friends visiting from the UK because I had gained a few (ahem 30) pounds since I'd last seen them. I feared the whispers behind my back "just another fat American" (no offense intended, just my personal thoughts). I prayed they would have a change in plans and not be able to make it. Guess what? My prayer was answered, they didn't come up to see me...but how crappy was that? These are my friends, for 10+years we've been good friends. Decided that I can't hide forever, nor do I want to.

#2 - I'm heading to Vegas in September and didn't want to be the out of breath just walking around. I'm turning 40 this year, Vegas is my birthday trip, and I decided that I would make this the year to get healthy. I have been overweight my entire life. No more! My mother has diabetes and my father passed of a heart attack at age 44. That's just 4 years from where I am. Not gonna happen!

So both of those realizations hit me in the course of 2 months and I could talk about it or I could do something about it. I'm doing something about it.

To answer more directly: My mindset shifted this time since all other attempts have failed and I've put the weight back on. Instead of focusing on the short term "let's get the weight off", I've decided to eat healthier. It's less urgent, focus on eating right and the weight will follow type thing.

~DD