what was it that was most difficult/impacting/special to you to realize when you started losing weight or finally came to terms with yourself as being fat?

... for me -- it was realizing that its my fault that i am where i am. and that i can change it by making a choice.

what about you?

I finally realized that I couldn't just 'not get the weight off.'

I remember driving through Wendy's after giving in to my daughter's requests. I ordered a Frosty, 5 chicken nuggets, and a medium fry (3 bucks). Then, as we're driving and I spilled some Frosty on my then much bigger belly, I thought about how it sucked that pregnancy had made me so fat. The next bite, I realized "No, it wasn't pregnancy. It was THIS."

Mine was kind of a pathetic reason..

I've always wanted to lose weight; I knew I wasn't the thinnest person in the world and was self concious ever since 5th grade. But what actually got me determined to actually throw myself in the wagon was when I overheard a guy in class a few years ago compare me to a whale. I wasn't obese. I was a size 9, but compared to the other size 2 girls, I felt and seemed pretty huge. That, and I got really sick for a week resulting in a 5 pound weightloss. I motivated me that I could ACTUALLY lose weight and was determined to continue.

Well...anyway, i lost, i gained again and now im finally getting the new motivation to completley start again thanks to a gym membership, a new school year and the best trainer ever!

Good luck KateRN and Altari on your weightloss

It was realizing that I ate terribly and I was going to have to give up my unhealthy eating habits forever to lose weight...lose weight and KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF. I was always a short time dieter - restrict calories, suffer, long for it to be over to go back to eating what I liked. I would lose weight, gain it back, lose weight, gain it back. I always gained back a little more weight, getting heavier and heavier. This time, I thought...I can lose weight, why can't I keep it off? I realized that I thought diets were something I could start and stop, I had to realize that I had to start it and keep it up forever. It really changed everything for me, I had to pick something that was easy enough and satisfying enough that I could do it forever.

Huge huge radical paradigm shift for me - long term weight loss.

It was realizing that I was killing myself by eating garbage. I know I have to get this weight off, to live, not to just look better. Looking better is a huge plus though!

Oooooh I got dumped. Either because of a) my insecurities because I was overweight b) his not fancying me anymore because of my weight or c) neither of the two but it FELT like that!

So I'm "showing him" how thin and attractive I can be, but really it's become about showing myself how fit and healthy I can be, and how someone can gradually do a complete U-turn with their lifestyle habits.

Before I used to get in from work/school and slump with a book or watch TV, now I don't get home till 9pm because I've been working out! I used to "NEED" sweets - for car journeys, for the cinema, for a headache, for a treat, "because it's Friday", for no particular reason, now I don't need them, I don't want them, I don't particularly crave anything. I don't comfort eat much at all although I'm still doing battle with desserts when we go out for meals, but that's one vice I can live with