I was aware that every year my weight was going up by 10-15 lbs. My local Dr. told me it was the prednisone (steroid) and there was nothing I could do about it. I went to see a new hepatologist and he plainly told me that yes the medicine does make you hungrier but it is what you put in your mouth that is making you fat. He flat out told me that I needed a liver transplant and that I was not eligible due to the obesity and the list of other health related problems that I had . My choice was to continue to eat whatever I wanted and die or to lose the weight and be eligible for the transplant. It was a slap in the face and a no-brainer. I still have children to raise that need and love their mother. I chose to lose weight and try to be as healthy as possible.

I'm having surgery later in the year, and one part of the surgery involves a tummy tuck, so I thought, if I'm getting the chance of this, I might as well lose as much weight as poss and make the most of it!

Also a lot of the reasons others have used are true for me too. Breaking my heart the night before my sisters wedding, as I knew I was going to look a mess and spoil her photos. Seeing photos of me where I looked about twice my age. And also I'm in love with a guy who isn't attracted to me at all, so i thought "I'll show him" lol. Since I've started losing weight though, my reasons have changed. I love the feeling I get when people notice I've lost weight and tell me I look good, so want to lose more and hear more compliments! I love the feeling I get from exercising in the gym. I love being able to buy nicer clothes, and can't wait to buy even nicer ones the more I lose!!!!!

The final straw for me was being severely ill with attacks of nausea, vomiting, low grade fever, chills, and vague pain in my abdomen. The doctors were not able to find a cause for it. I was unable to eat very much during that time so I went on a very clean, health food diet. And when I wasn't having an attack, I noticed that I was feeling much better eating less and eating healthy foods. My doctor eventually theorized that maybe I passed a gall stone or a kidney stone. But whatever the problem was, it went away after 2 months of misery. And I decided to stick with my diet and join weight watchers. I'm afraid to go back to bad eating, in case whatever the problem was comes back. I don't want to see doctors every month or 2! I'm so sick of going to the doctor. I just want to be healthy. Who cares about looking good. I just want to feel good and be able to do stuff like a normal person!!!

That is awesome lilybelle. I hope you get your transplant soon. I really admire your fortitude in the face of such adversity. It's really inspiring!

Two things really for me - first, my family trip to Costa Rica (my husband's family). One thing I've always wanted to do is go scuba diving, but when the time came to get in the pool for practice, they didn't have a large enough wetsuit for me. The instructor said he'd bring one to the dive, but there was NO way I was going to risk getting all the way out there & trying it on and have it not fit. So I made up an excuse about the mask hurting my sinuses and then I went back to our room and sobbed.

Then when we got home from vacation, my knee (it's been injured many times and I've had one surgery on it) was very stiff. I went to my ortho surgeon, got x-rays before seeing him - and when he walked into the room after viewing my x-rays, he said, "Had I not known it was you, I would've thought I was looking at the bad knees of a 65-year-old" (I was 36 at the time). He said I was going to have to have total knee replacement...IN 5-10 YEARS! Losing weight was the best way to have stave off knee replacement...

So here I am. 3 months & 26 pounds later.

And BTW - my "goal reward" is to get SCUBA certified!

There really wasn't a straw, not in the sense most people are meaning it. I didn't wake up one day and DECIDE to be serious. After decades of dieting, I pretty much thought long-term weight loss just wasn't going to be possible.

Then, unable to work because of health problems (some caused or worsened by my weight) I sat home all day - and lost weight without even trying. About 12 lbs, I think. No effort at all. Losing weight without trying, in 36 years of dieting (since age 5) that had NEVER happened to me before.

WEIRD, I though. The reasons were obvious - more sleep, less stress, eating better (because I like good, wholesome food and didn't miss the vending machines that everyone including me ate out of, out of habit).

Another coincidence helped me lose a few more pounds - a doctor suggeting I stack bc to reduce or eliminate periods (I'm a major PMS binger - no menses, no premenstrual cravings), and try low-carb for hunger control.

Having weight come off and stay off without Herculean effort, it's been a life-altering experience for me. It's now time to put in alot more effort into losing weight and exercising, and being more rigid with my food plan. My health has improved to the point that I FEEL like exercising and working towards my goals.

I kind of started putting on lbs and every-time I saw the scale I'd say 'really need to lose weight' and then would do nothing about it. Then sometime later I started having 'fat days' and they turned into an everyday occurrence till I just refused to go out anymore. It actually got that bad. Then my mum gave me a Rosemary Conley book - I tried counting calories for a week and after losing a few lbs I thought 'I can do this and I can be thin and happy again'. And here I am!

You'll get there, and you'll love it! I'm working on my scuba certification this summer! Definitely not something I could have done at my highest weight!!!!

I have had several moments. I just didn't listen to them as well as I should've. Mind you, I had lost 60 lbs before, but gained some back. Yesterday, well it changed everything. I am a diabetic. A type II and they have no idea why I ended up being one at the age of 25. No previous diabetes, I was checked often. I just don't want those things to happen to me that I have seen happen to others. I have already went through heart testing and everything else.

Throughout my teens, I never weighed more than 130lbs. Now i am at 217. I figure its time for me to quit making excuses and get my life back.

What did it for me: Having to buy a $75 bra plus having to make my own underwear!

I am newly married, and my husband and I were talking about weight loss the other day. He said, "Yeah, when I looked at the scale, and it said 167, I said 'Whoa, I need to lose weight.'" Internally, that just crushed me. I haven't seen that number in years, and I wonder what he would think if he knew how much I weigh. I've become moody and unhappy about my weight, and I don't want to become resentful because he is a normal weight and I am not.

A co-worker was trying to quit smoking. She asked for help staying on track and keep her accountable.

So, one morning I asked her if she was good or had that morning smoke on the way to work. She replied, "I don't know! Have you eaten yet today?" It took me a minute to realize that she had just called me fat.

It was hurtful, but motivated me at the same time.

Thankfully I don't work with her anymore though.

My moment came while scrubbing our tub. I turned to pick up something from the floor and caught a glimpse of this ginormous butt in the mirror. All I could think was who is that fat a**ed lady in my bathroom. I started crying when I realized it was me.