Everyone had that "oh my goodness" moment when they realized how out of control their life had become. Can you remember what it was that made you want to make a lifestyle change, for good?

Mine came about four years ago, when I was looking over some vacation photos of myself (I suppose that's how many people wake up to the truth of their unhealthy habits...) I had always told myself that I was not photogenic, and that I looked fat in pictures because I didn't photograph well, but there was just this one time where it clicked: that's how I look. And I decided then and there that I would take off the weight and get healthy, because not only did I not look good: I felt miserable. Food was ruling my life, and I refuse to be ruled by an inanimate object that I could EAT for heaven's sake

Sometimes it's helpful in staying abstinent to remind ourselves what motivated us to make a change and remember how far we have come, both mentally and physically, from that point!

My moment of truth came on October 9, 2005. I stepped on the scale after a very long time away from it. I was expecting it to say 175, 180 or even 190, but instead it said 204. I had never been over 200 in my life. I am 5' tall. I was a size 18/20 at the time. After that weight in, I basically shut down a little bit and just felt depressed. Then I said. Obviously, this is a wake up call and something needs to be done.

I have a history of diabetes, heart disease and obesity in my family. A little bit from each side. I decided that starting October 10, 2005, I was going to "beat the odds". I did a lot of research online. Looked for the right diet. After reading pros and cons on each one, I thought to myself. You've tried dieting. You've yo-yo'd your whole life. You have to find another way. So then I starting looking at "healthy eating" opposed to "dieting". I found www.mypyramidtracker.gov A fantastic site where you can journal your food and based on the USDA Food Pyramid, you can find out if what you are eating follows those guidelines. There is also a physical activity tracker and an energy balance feature. This feature lets you know if you have eating more or less calories than you have burned in one day. A wonderful way to know if you are making a difference. So not only was it telling me how much fat, carbs, calories, etc...I was consuming in one day, it was telling me my levels of nutrients and vitamins. Over time it can give you a healthy living history for eating, physical activity and energy balance. This is helpful to monitor treads and stuff. I even checked this with my doctor and he encouraged me to give it a try.

So once I had discovered this wonderful, free tool. I started entering the food I was eating the next day. I was surprised to discover just how much I was eating. How much saturated fat, sodium and other things I was eating in excess. That quickly changed. Over time this tool helped me get a grip on how I was eating and gave me the tools I needed to rediscover good food and just how well your body functions on good, clean, lean food.

I also discovered prevention magazine. What a great read. Then I started going back to Bally's after a 5 year break. I worked out there for 4 months before I decided to buy my own home gym. Which I now work out on 4 - 5 days a week. Weight training will start up again in June. I have been recovering from surgery for almost a month. But before my surgery I was doing 90 mins a week of strength training. That made a huge difference in my progress. I am 161 lbs as of 3 weeks ago, which was my last weigh in. I am not going to weigh myself again until June 27th, when I have been able to strength train again for 3 weeks. I am also a size 10/12. I feel great, I look much better and people just can't get over the change I've made in myself in almost 8 months. I want to do it properly and slowly. I still have 36 lbs to go and I am giving myself a year from my birthday this year (June 9th) to do it. I know that seems like a long time, but I know I will struggle when I get down to the last 20 or so pounds. I don't want to get discouraged ever. I am allowing myself room to groove.

For me, this was a life long solution to a life long problem. I know I can do this for the rest of my life. With 11 more lbs lost I will go from Obese to overweight. Then in with 20 more lbs lost, after that, I will be "normal". I am in the best health I have ever been in in all my life. I want the holy grail. I want to reach the top and keep climbing. I am not that girl anymore. The one who thought so little of herself to lose all control of her health and eating. I am now a responsible, healthful, conscientious eater, who still has a lot to learn and conquer.

Thanks for reading...

Most importantly my kids. I was tired of being tired and not being a Mommy! I also wanted to look and feel good for my husband. I decided I wanted to be a hot soccer mom!!! : ) So Im doing it.

In order to take care of my family and other commitments properly, I first need to take care of myself - healthwise at least. That finally sank in. I want to be the best I can be for the people that I care about.

I have loved reading your responses Very inspiring!

After a serious weight loss of 65lbs in a mere 11 weeks, my then marriage ended in divorce. I was a SAHM and had no work experience to speak of. I had to go out and make a living for myself and my son quickly. After 6 years of focusing on my carreer and raising my son alone. I found myself working 12 hour days in a very high stress envoirment and gaining rapidly. Yet I still ignored it, I had by far more on my plate than I could manage. But I had no choice. With no family backing to speak of ( I have an older sister that is also a single Mom in the same situation) I just kept on. Finally after a three year roller coster courtship ( I'm still amazed at my DH patience and understanding) I found myself accidentally on purpose (I soooo wanted another child but had trust issues) pregnant with my second son. I KNEW it was bad but I found myself having to face my weight for the benefit of my unborn baby and took the plunge. I had not been on a scale in 5 years. Last I had looked I was 158lbs. Mind you these are just numbers, I knew I had gained quite a bit. My "normal" weight most of my life was around 180lbs, since puberty. I assumed I was around 210 or so...bigger than my norm for sure.....the scale read 242lbs. It was like a dream. I was no longer standing there...I couldn't be right!!!! But it was. After a couple of days of dispair and coming to terms with what I had done I took control. My greatest fear was reaching 300lbs with the pregnancy. With controling what I ate and how much, I gained 30lbs with DS. When I left the Hosp. I was only 10lbs lighter. So at 262lbs and 11 weeks post partum here I am. 24lbs into the most liberating, realistic weight loss journey I hope to ever HAVE to have.

My wake-up moment came from my doctor. I was 234 lbs. and he basically told me I would die if I didn't get the weight off. My daughter was 13 yrs. old and still needed her mother. This set me on track to get the weight off. I have now been on my new lifestyle for 11 months and am down to 150 with 5 lbs. to goal. I feel better and healthier than I have in years. I look better and younger. I am getting out of the house more, I felt like I was in a tunnell for the last few years. I basically had to stop working as an RN due to my health and just stayed home all the time. I didn't even want to go around family because I had gained so much weight. (I was put on steroids 3 yrs. ago and put on 50 lbs. in that 3 yrs.) I am still on the steroids now, but am losing weight fine and don't let my intense hunger make me grab for junk food any more. I was to the point, that I knew I wouldn't live to see my DD graduate high school. Now, I feel like I'll even live to see her marry and have me some grandbabies.

I've had a few wake up moments in my life but the real one came 3 weeks ago when I threw my back out and it took me half an hour to crawl on my hands and knees just to reach the bathroom that was 10 feet away from my bedroom door.

The....worst....pain....in....my....LIFE!!!!

I'm tired of having a gut, tired of wearing "old lady clothes", tired of wheezing when I go up and down 3 flights of stairs to the laundry room.

I don't want to be bone thin, I just want to be healthy.

I've been big since I was like 6 or 7 and I was just getting tired of always wanting to be smaller and healthier. Right after I turned 17 I guess I just had something click and finally in late October I decided to do something about it.

I had posted this response to a similar question a while back. It seems to describe my moment the best:

I had "gotten sick of being fat" and went on The Diet - at least a few dozen times. Never worked. Was it feeling like I was going to have a heart attack for the first time? Nope, that diet didn't stick. How 'bout the second through, I dunno, tenth time? Nope, not those either. How about, I want to live a long and happy life with my husband? That didn't seem to work any better for me. How about topping 290 pounds for the first time? Almost... but no... What the heck was wrong with me? Did I want to die!?

I came to 35 years old and functioned like a much older person - bad back, bad knees, always ill. I hated my job, I had never finished college, I was morbidly obese and felt like a complete failure.

Last summer I finally decided to go back to college. In December I gathered up all of my courage and changed everything. I quit my job, I went to college orientation, and became a "stay at home mom" to my cats. When classes started in January I thought... what the heck, while I'm changing everything else, why not tackle the weight one more time? And like some other folks have said, this time it just "clicked." I got it, it worked, it's still working, and I have no idea why. This time I can do it and it's not painful.

Thanks for the thread!

-Lala

I was sick enough that I had to go to the doctor, which I normally avoided like crazy for fear of the scales and the lecture. When I saw how much I really weighed (did I mention I avoided scales at home also), I knew I had to get serious about controlling my weight. Seeing 346 lbs on the scales was my click moment.

A grade 8 grad picture of me at 151 punds (5'1)

Bone cancer

Leukeima

all three were my "ah ha" moments--each time I vowed to take care of myself...now I am doing it for good!

oh i remember that moment all too well.

we were in Galveston visiting one of their space musuems, and there was a huge scale where you can weigh yourself and see what you weigh on different planets. Of course all my family got on it, but I refused. To see your real weight you'd have to choose "Earth" at the scale. Anyway, after we left that exhibit, I secretly went back, because I did want to know what I weighed (I didnt even know)... and it was 268 lbs. A number I never expected. That was it for me. After that we went out to dinner, and I didn't eat.

I got down to 145 lbs., the last two years have been a horrible binge cycle and I got up to 167 this year. Today I'm 158.

But I can tell you one thing for sure.. that scale is NEVER going to have a 2 as the first number AGAIN!!!

My moment was realizing that in less than 2 hours I had eaten 2 boxes of Little Debbies Im talking those devil square kinds i had TWO boxes..I realized I was out of control, bought a scale and saw that my 135 pound body was now 160 pounds and decided to turn it around...That was January and I am on my way to my Prepregnancy weight of 125 (in 1999, was pregnant in 99 2000 and 2001). I have let myself get out of control and i am taking it back now.

Mine came a few years ago. I work in an office and was chosen by my company to go to Los Angeles for some specialized computer training. I never travelled much and was very excited to be chosen to be a part of this project. But then I realized that I would have to actually fit into an airplane seat to get to LA. I weighed upward of 330 pounds (that is all the higher my scale went) and I had no idea if I would fit or not. I had visions of getting to the airport and being told I was too fat to fit into the seats, or actually getting on the plane and not being able to get the seatbelt buckled, or having to leave the plane because there wasn't room for me. And if I was unable to get to LA, how do I explain that to my boss and co-workers? After weeks of worrying myself sick and starving myself, I did fit in the seat without an inch to spare with the seatbelt! But a time of my life when I should have been feeling proud and excited, I only felt embarassment and shame. I vowed I was never going to let my weight issues take away from the joyful things in life. It has been a struggle, but the weight is slowly coming off.

Hi! I really enjoyed reading everyone's "aha!" moments and wanted to share mine.

It was September of 2001 and I weighed 245 pounds. I was having this terrible foot pain which turned out to be plantar faascitis (sp), related to weight, and had to wear sneakers around the house. I couldn't sit on the floor and play with my four year old because my legs would fall asleep. I was so embarrassed by my appearance that I didn't want to ever meet any of my (then DH) XH's friends/coworkers ... And then, 9/11 happened. Like everyone else, I spent hours in a daze watching the TV and realized just how precious life is, and decided to do something about the lack of quality in my life caused by my weight. I wanted to be around for my child (and was hoping to have more children). And, I just knew that this time was IT. And, it was!

Kelly