[carter]

Originally Posted by Eliana

Ok, here I am thinking you're referring to ME as a youngster, and you're FORTY?!! You are NOT old!!

I didn't say I was old. But to be specific, a few folks had posted above me who were 20 or thereabouts - those are the people who inspired my comment.

[Shmead]

My husband finally (after 8 years of marriage) that he would, in fact, like to have children "someday". I was like "Look, I'm 32, and if we decide to do this, I need at least a year, maybe two, to lose weight, and then another 9 months to prepare, so if by "someday" you mean "bring the baby home in 2 or 3 years" the time to decide is now. And since I am not getting younger, we need to do it if we are ever going to". He thought for about 2 minutes and said "Ok, Let's start then". I more or less rolled off the bed and got on the exercise bike. 15 months and 135 lbs later and we are half way through an IVF cycle (wish us luck!)

What amazes me, in retrospect, are all the things that WEREN'T triggers. I made so many compromises, accepted so many limitations, lived with so many anxieties and humiliations . . . I really don't understand how I lived like that, or why it was never bad enough to make me lose the weight. I think the difference is that I cared enough this time to do the research and I learned a great deal, instead of just trying to suffer through it. And that early motivation certainly helped.

[waiting2exhale]

mine was when i was gettin ready for work and putting on my size 16 work pants that had gotten tight and my belly bulged out the front and sides and i said to myself... " ok, ill go ahead and get the size 18's and start a diet again! And i sat there for a minute and thought to myself... this has been one of the many excuses thats gotten me to this weight! I would eat and eat for emotional reasons and boredom and felt depressed all the time. Finally i made a resolution to myself and give myself a gift that i truly need! A big swift kick in the *ss! And i have never been proud of myself more than i am now! Less than 10 lbs away from my #1 goal!!!!!

[Linsy]

I'm 18 and I've been overweight for years. Almost everyone in my family is overweight so I was definitely raised with bad eating habits and no self control when it comes to food. I'd often find myself up at 3AM scarfing a french bread pizza and a bag of chips with a soda. My self esteem is so terrible that I didn't even care.

I'm having somewhat of a vacation next month, and I realized that something needs to change. First I thought that maybe I'd just lose a few pounds to boost my self-confidence next month, but then after reading about it I started to realize that I need to make a lifestyle change. I'm still young so hopefully I can start early and get to a normal, healthy weight with better eating habits by the time I'm 20. Not only do I need to lose weight---I need to start taking care of myself better and stop letting myself go because of my weight issues! Right now I'm terrified of even going out and trying to get a job because I get nervous around people. I've never been a very social person but it's gotten MUCH worse with the weight that I've gained. I've been dieting for around a week now and am already feeling better now that I'm doing something about it!

[quietstorm970]

Awwww Linsy

My trigger was one night, when I was scarfing down snickerdoodle cookies and I just started crying. Since I have been big for most of my life, I have always felt that I couldn't be taken seriously in life of my weight. I ate, and I did care but I didn't do anything about it, I just wanted to be slim because I felt that smaller people had it so much easier. I feel that skinny people don't have to work as hard to be taken seriously in society. It hurt me that my biggest flaw was on the outside and people chose to look past me because of it. I am a good person, I am not mean, I am giving, accommodating, supportive and positive.

After crying my eyes out, I took the rest of the cookies and flushed them down the toilet. Yes, I wasted money but I was tired of food controlling me. I was getting closer and closer to 300 lbs and I only saw myself only getting larger!! I started my journey in late July and I have currently lost 14 lbs. I have never lost this much weight ever and I hope that next year, when I am 25, I will start living instead of hiding because of my weight.

[cherylmn]

What a fabulous thread! I have read all of our stories, and am inspired by the courage each one of you demonstrate. I feel like I can relate to part of everyone's story.

I made the full committment to lose this weight on December 1, 2009. I had a few key triggers - none of which spurned me into immediate action, but all of which accumulated & meant I had to get on with things.

1. I had just finished weaning my 2nd baby (2 kids, 21 months apart in my late 30s!), and therefore had no more excuses left to just eat whatever I wanted.

2. My second child is a girl, and she appears to have her mama's love of food. I've listened to family members tell me how chubby she is (she is NOT - at 2-1/2 years old, she's under 50th percentile for weight) and have grown increasingly angry over it. In these moments, I realized that my own eating habits would indeed influence her even more than my son, and that if I didn't demonstrate healthy living, she didn't stand a chance. I was overweight & unatheletic during my school years (obesity didn't arrive until after college), and have some real emotional scars from it. I knew I needed to do everything I could to LIVE the life I wanted for my kids...not just talk about it.

3. I learned that my HS-aged niece was battling (still is) a very serious eating disorder. The 1st day that I realized it, I became so ill that I cried & could barely eat for 2 weeks. I then understood how disgusted she must have been (and may still be) by me physically. How I was the person she did not want to become. How she was likely extremely embarassed by me. In my head, I had this wonderful relationship with her, but in reality, I had to come to grips that not only did I not know her, she didn't know me.

4. I started into couselling the autumn before I committed to losing the weight. It was extremely painful for me as I was going through a major depression. After a few, in-depth sessions with a therapist I really liked, she let me know that she & her husband were moving to Florida. I could not bare the idea of going through the pain again of starting over with someone knew, & I felt the 1 thing I could control was my weight issue. I had hoped that would be the cure-all (which of course it isn't). It was a start.

5. I'm turning 40 in a few months...'nuf said

6. Lastly, I spent a BOATLOAD of cash on a program up-front. I am cheap. I do not spend $$ on myself. It nearly killed me to sign over that money for a program that seemed a little to the left of normal. There was NO WAY I was going to be unsuccessful after having shelled out that cash! So, I went heads-down, followed the program (kicking & screaming most of the way) and lost almost 60 lbs in 6 months.

I have to say that I do not feel I could have done any of it without the incredible support of my awesome husband. He has stood by me, supported me, given up chips with me , and even lost over 20 lbs. himself. He is my rock, and I know what a blessing I have in him.

Whew. I've never vocalized any of that before! Now, of course, my goal is to not come out on the other side of winter & be completely embarassed by having regained all this weight again! I'll be here posting regularly & focusing on fitness goals now. This next phase is even more scary than the first (losing) as it doesn't come with nearly the same amount of immediate gratification. It is, however, a blessing to demonstrate to my kids the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. We talk about nutrition all the time & they love watching me get exercise (and joining in, too!). So, the pain & tears & comittment is worth it, and I will continue to do this for ME and for them.

[lora m]

I have lost a significant amount of weight twice. My first trigger was in 2001 when I realised that my UK size 20 clothes (US 16) no longer fitted me. I was not prepared to go up yet another size.

My more recent trigger, after a long period of regaining weight was August 2009. I had swollen ankles with pitting edema and I was noticing some breathlessness after mild physical activity such as walking up one flight of stairs. I went to get checked out by the doc who sent me for various cardiac and other tests, and told me to lose weight.

I whined a bit about how I'd lost weight in the past and regained, but I took heed anyway, going back to following the Weightwatchers points system and reintroducing regular walks into my life. The hospital tests turned out OK but it was a wakeup call for me that if I didn't have serious problems now, they might occur later. I wasn't feeling good and I felt older than my age in the mid-40s. Although I did it for my health and fitness rather than to get into a smaller size, I absolutely love having a greater choice of clothes again. I only regret leaving it so long to get back to sensible eating.

[caryesings]

Originally Posted by Shmead

What amazes me, in retrospect, are all the things that WEREN'T triggers. I made so many compromises, accepted so many limitations, lived with so many anxieties and humiliations . . . I really don't understand how I lived like that, or why it was never bad enough to make me lose the weight.

This. While I'll often list 3 things that got me started this time those reasons had always existed, so I can't say a trigger really motivated me. Just finally put it all together from what I had learned about myself and my body over previous attempts and did all of them at the same time.

[kateleestar]

Originally Posted by alisonlerae

We went to this bar that was packed, wall to wall with people. So, while I was making my way through the crowd, coming back from the bathroom. Some guy turned around and said "Hold on dude, SOME FAT CHICK IS PUSHING ME!"

Did you punch him in the face?! OMG. How DARE anyone EVER say that to ANYONE. Lord, help me and my temper.


Anyways, I don't know that I had a trigger, so to speak. One day I got up and just... decided. I was done. I was doing being 'big'... I've always been the big friend, the big cousin, the big... whatever. I got boobs at 8. Also, I wanted to show all the people in my family that despite my success (house, car, husband, job, friends) I was MORE than the big one. One day they WILL BE SORRY they treated me so badly all those years. They will have nothing NOTHING to say to me or about me in a negative light. Stupid jerks.

[Cali Doll]

Originally Posted by carter

I hope I am not out of line to say this, but I'm impressed with you younger folks who are getting a handle on this issue now.

I know this might sound patronizing, but please bear with me. As difficult as it is to lose weight at any age, time is not on our side - the older we get, especially women, the more recalcitrant our bodies get about giving up that extra weight. Metabolisms slow down. Years of carrying around extra weight makes our joints ache, making exercise that much tougher.

Not to mention how many of us look back at our young adulthood, and even some folks who are happy with their lives wonder if they could have been even better had they not spent those years being fat.

I myself am fast approaching 40, and while I have no qualms about growing older (I keep hoping that wisdom will turn up sooner or later ) I know that I do not want to enter my 40s with this same weight (and then some!) that I have been trying to lose ever since I was 16 or so.

And as busy as life feels when you are in school or working your first full-time job, believe me it doesn't get any easier as you get older. More demanding jobs with more responsibility, kids to take care of, aging parents to take care of - whatever it is, life never makes fewer demands on you as you get older, only more.

So I'm delighted for you folks who have the sense to handle the problem NOW, when your bodies are more resilient and most of your life stretches ahead of you! Best of luck to you.

Now get off my lawn!

Carter, I literally laughed out loud at this post. You're hilarious! And I agree with every single word.

For me, I guess I just got tired of wanting to be thinner and wanting to lose weight and wanting to feel better about myself and wanting to have a small waist and stomach etc... I guess asked myself (one random Sunday evening), "Wait, why can't I get this?? I CAN have it if I just get off my butt and do it!". I joined Weight Watchers online that night and I haven't turned back since.

[uvachic1215]

realizing that i have clothes in my closet that i avoided looking at because i knew i couldnt even pull the jeans all the way up not to mention i hated even looking at myself in the mirror. in addition I realized how much of a hypocrite i would be with my future patients if i was counseling them about being healthy, exercise and weight loss while sitting there with a BMI higher than theirs. i don't want to be that doctor at all.

[Kyla0709]

For me it was a combination of things. First off, I'm young, 22 and I would really like to not spend the rest of this decade of my life as a chunky girl. Second, I have two sons. Very crazy, hyper little boys that run me wild all day long, and without a healthy diet and regular exercise I am just too darn tired to care for them like I want to. Another reason is that I have bipolar and a anxiety disorder and exercise is the only therapy I have found that helps to ease my symptoms without medication. One of the biggest triggers was seeing how much of a problem I had with eating, I wanted more than anything to just have a healthy relationship with food. I wanted to learn to cope with the feelings that usually cause me to eat until my stomach feels like it will explode.

One last one! I found a pair of jeans that I've kept since I was about 16 or so, I bought them brand new without trying them on and they were far to small. Way back then I resolved that I would be able to fit into them one day, I tried them on a couple weeks ago and they fit! I was so blown away!

[MollyBell]

My trigger was hearing about all the things my friends were doing (softball game, ultimate frisbee, roller derby, sprint triathlon) and realizing I would feel uncomfortable doing any of those things with the spare tire I have now. I want to do fun things! I haven't played a sport in YEARS!

[LittlePinky82]

Last summer I took some online classes because my family decided not to go on vacation since my father wanted to have some things worked on with our house and yard. So instead of being really bored I did a few online classes to get some things out of the way. One was a speech class and I could do things on my own and record it and send it in. So I did that. My last speech was with a crowd I didn't know.

The speech class went well and I passed with a B. When I reviewed the video to make sure everything was okay that's when I really saw myself. I didn't recognize who I was anymore. It's different when you're looking at yourself in the mirror. So that evening I made the decision to start looking at my diet better. To listen to my obgyn from earlier in the yr who suggested I watch my calories. So I did and lost five pounds in the first week. Now it's a yr later and I'm still going.

[stephanieg]

Originally Posted by alisonlerae

I'm sort of an introvert. I rarely go out to the bars like other 22-year-olds do, but one of my closest friends was having a going away party since he was moving out of state. My fiancé wanted to go. So I agreed. We went to this bar that was packed, wall to wall with people. Everyone bumping into one another. I tried to stay out of everyone's way, but it's impossible when you're in a place that busy. Even if you weigh 120 lbs. So, while I was making my way through the crowd, coming back from the bathroom. Some guy turned around and said "Hold on dude, SOME FAT CHICK IS PUSHING ME!" Oh, so the five other people within the 3 feet we were in weren't pushing him? Just the fat chick. I felt devastated. I couldn't even do something as normal as go to the freaking bar with friends without being terrified that someone's going to make me feel like crap for being over weight. I decided I wanted to be able to socialize without being terrified of other people making fun of me. I mean, I'm 22. I'm an adult. I should be able to quit making excuses.

Alisonlerae, I totally could have written this too (and I'm from Omaha originally!). I generally do not have a very good memory for details, but I remember one experience from high school, more than 20 years ago, when I was a 9th grader and walking behind two older boys. They turned around, looked at me, and then said they were going to form a "no fat chicks" club. I was only marginally chubby in high school, but this scarred me so much. I let it tear down my self esteem for years. Now I'm almost 36, with 3 kids, and it's time for me to stop making excuses and start living the life I want to live for myself and set the example I want to set for my family.

And let me just say that had I been at that party, I would have punched that guy in the nose for the way he treated you!