Just curious....but what made you finally take control of your life, your eating situation and/or your exercise regime? I'm feeling a little down because I was walking the dog last night and saw my reflection in a window. I couldn't get over on how I let myself go. What happened to me? I didn't recognize the person in that window reflection and it saddens me deeply.

So I'm just curious...what took you "over the edge" when you decided that this is the time for me to lose weight, get into shape, get healthy, etc.?

Thanks for your answers. I'm hoping they will inspire me. Have a good day.

Mine was two things, one I could barely get my size 14 jeans to button, and two my husband hadent shown any interest in me in 7 months. Although I am losing the weight for myself and not for him. But it did open my eyes.

I know this may sound odd, but what finally helped me take control of my eating was getting control of my finances and spending first. I took a 3-month course in personal financial management at my church and started applying some of the principles. I must have been more stressed out about money than I had realized, because once I started getting control in that area, I no longer needed to sedate myself with food.

I admit this is a strange answer, but I also overheard one of the other ladies who attended the study mention that she's lost 40 pounds recently. Coincidence?

My (now ex) daughters father called me a fat *** in an argument and that is IT, no one was EVER going to call me fat again. I had already lost like 70lbs in my life at that time, * he didnt know me then* My daughter was like 3 months at the time. My defense was that I was fat because I had his daughter, truth be known I had lost all my pregnancy weight.. hehe but I didnt know I was still looked at as.. "fat". So I lost weight and havent been called fat again. Even though Im not at my goal and I am CLINICALLY overweight I still havent been called fat lol

I think the final straw was when I would go shopping and I would try on size 12 pants and they would be tight. I love to shop, so I would go to the mall 2 to 3 times a week, and I was just soo frustrated that nothing would look good. So I decided to make it my New year's resolution to lose weight, and now I am in a size 8!! the old size 12 jeans (that were tight) are now really big on me. Oh yeah and I loooooove to shop now because I can buy really cute clothes!!

*I can't wait to be a size 4 and go shopping, I will probably go broke

Simply put, I got tired of feeling fat.

When you are truly tired of something, you'll make a change.

OK, this insight really made me rethink how vain I really am. We are going to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary in November. We were there for our 5th and I was in terrific shape-if anything a bit to thin. So, for our upcoming trip my vanity took over and I decided I WILL NOT LOOK BAD IN A BIKINI OR BE ASHAMED TO BE SEEN while we are there. That is what did it. Pure and simple vanity. Isn't that terrible! I really didn't think that was me but it is.

I was definately tired of feeling fat. I've been overweight since 3rd grade.

But what really got me to change for the better was one day I realized I hadn't ate anything even remotely healthy all day and all I was doing was showing my two little boys that it was ok to eat sugary foods all day. I don't want them to grow up in the same type of household I did with junk food plentiful in the cabinets and unlimited soda in the fridge and out in the garage.

Now I am setting a wonderful example. We all eat healthy meals about 99% of the time and I feel more in shape to go out and play soccer with my family or walk down to the park and play on the playground.

I truely believe you have to have that "click" in your head to make it really stick.

Agreed! I told myself for years I was fat... ever since I was tall enough to see in the mirrior. But one day I woke up and it was like - I dunno - a new me? I never felt that way in my life about how fat I really was and it just clicked and I stuck to a 'diet' (lasted longer then two weeks!) for the first time in my life.

When I went to Hawaii the first time I lost at least 10 pounds. Don't remember what I weighed but it was probably the lightest I ever was in high school. But that is because I had my appendix removed while in Hawaii and after that I couldn't wear a Bikini anyway... or for that matter even go for a swim! lol I ate gross food for like a week... or tried, usually I just didn't eat - that paid off on my ride out of the hospital with these pills I felt sooo sick cuz I hadn't been eating, anyway long story short we went to the Hard Rock Cafe and I had a buger and fries... and that my friends is how I got to be so fat! lol

Great idea for a thread. I don’t think I had an epiphany moment where I was just like “this is how it’s gonna be from now on”. In fact, until about 6 months ago I had never had any success at losing weight. Not that I’d really been trying, I kind of gave up on “dieting” in high school because I realized it was making me both miserable and crazy and I sort of resigned myself to being a “big gal”. I’d be lying if I said that appearing in a bridesmaid dress in from of a bunch of people next October didn’t have anything to do with this, but I started by joining a gym and exercising because I was just not feeling so hot about myself and wanted to feel like I was doing something. As I gathered steam I stated paying attention to what I ate as well, and I just felt so good about accomplishing something and seeing changes in my body that I decided this was worth my commitment. You’re only young once, I think I might hate myself a little if I made it to 30 without ever having felt really pleased about the way I look. Quitting smoking and taking a interest in my health in general has also helped my efforts a lot. I know my body is capable, it’s just been a question of getting my head on board.

I decided to take control time and time and time again, and for some reason it never worked. Even if I did lose weight, I would gain it-- and more-- back quickly. Then one day I just started working out and eating better, and somehow it worked that time. I have no idea what was different then, but I wish I knew so I could use a little more of it now!

Basically... I want to live longer. Simple as that. I looked at my husband of three and a half years (second husband. I married him when I was 38) and wanted to spend MANY more years with him. We had always talked about spending at LEAST 40 years together and that wasn't likely to happen if I kept letting myself gain weight at the rate I was.

It is funny to read other people's responses about not really knowing what 'clicked', but knowing that SOMETHING did. I have tried to lose weight before, but not really seriously. This time, I just KNEW that I was going to do it this time. From the very first day I decided to do this I haven't once thought that it wouldn't happen and I haven't thought that I wouldn't be able to maintain the loss. Those two things are VERY unusual for me, so that is why I know that something is different this time. More than two years down the track and I still feel this way, which is SO refreshing.

Take care all,

Zelma

I was really close to being obese.

Truthfully, what made me start losing this weight is because I am having trouble with liver failure. I need a transplant. My doctor was very blunt with me that he would be unable to provide this procedure to me due to the obesity with resultant hypertension and diabetes. I had to first lose the weight to get these other things under control, or I wouldn't survive the surgery or the recovery. I think this is incentive enough for anyone to stay focused on losing weight. Now I have lost 76 lbs. and my liver enzymes are down four-fold, my blood pressure and blood sugar are both controlled. I think it may even be quite some time before the transplant will become urgent. So, weight loss has helped every aspect of my life. I was not at all happy when Dr. first said I had to lose all this weight, but he was right, and I now thank him for it.

I just got tired of looking like I do. I got tired of having such low self esteem and being so awkward and feeling old and out of place. Got tired of being an outsider, wanting desperately to fit in, be a regular teen.