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Author: Anne
Date: 09-02-03 13:27
Okay, I'm sure this has been posted before, but if it hasn't, I'm just curious...What was the event/comment/realization that woke each of you up to the desire to lose weight and be healthy? What was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak?
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Author: MBAgirl823
Date: 09-02-03 14:03
The light for me went off when back in May, my doctor told me that I was an ideal candidate to be pre-diabetic if I didn't get my weight down...after those words hit my ears, I knew it was time to get this under control ;)
Dawn 174/154/135
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Author: simply trying
Date: 09-02-03 14:20
I was once again at my highest weight of 195lbs which had sent me thru months of physio therapy for my back a few years ago...I knew that in order to not have a sore back I had to do this...Also got fed up of the gutt pushing my lungs up everytime I sat which made it hard to breathe(not so good when you`re asthmatic!!!)
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Author: Gary
Date: 09-02-03 14:58
I had never given up on losing weight, just kept putting it off,
but my wife had been asking me for a while to get the treadmill uncluttered
so we both could start using it again (it is in a spare room we also use as a storage room and it had gotten piled on and around over the years)
.....so I finally tackled that chore and I figured if I was going to put in all
the effort to get in about 4 to 5 miles a day on the treadmill then I was
going to also cut fat and calories and make the effort truely worthwhile,
also recently turning 50 was added motivation, I figured it would be easier
to get the weight off now while I was still feeling energetic, (of course by
losing the weight and getting fit I will be able to feel energetic a whole lot longer :-)
Gary 360/175/175
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Author: miranda
Date: 09-02-03 15:25
For me, it was the day that the misery of being overweight outweighed the misery of being hungry. I had some weight-related health problems, including high cholesterol, aggravated osteoarthritis of the knees, and back problems, to name a few. Finally, something just snapped, and I decided I was going to lose the weight no matter what it took. And it turned out not to be that hard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
miranda
230/169.5/145
"I don't need to compromise my principles, because they don't have the slightest bearing on what happens to me anyway."--Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"
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Author: efs
Date: 09-02-03 16:21
In January of this year my aunt died of cancer. Although her illness was not weight related, I realized that if I continued the way I was going, I increased my chances of dying of cancer as well.
-Emily
efs 202/163/160
program start: Jan. 2003
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Author: melissa
Date: 09-02-03 16:43
I was tired all the time, didn't want to leave the house becaulse I couldn't fit into anything good. My size 16 pants was too tight to button. I just sat down and cryed. Then one day I was looking for the only pair of pants that fit, and after looking for them for a while I relised my husband had accidently put on my jeans instead of his. I just cried and cried again. My husband offered to take me shopping but when we went I had to buy size 18 pants in the plus size. I was 21 years old and in a plus size. I was misrable. So me and my husband started out life style change togeather. That was over a year ago. My husband has reached his goal and I'm still struggling as I'm sure several of you read in my earlyier post. Thank you for your post. I'm going to TRY and stay away from the scale for a while and continue my eating right and exercising. and I will let everyone know how it went.
Melissa
201-128-125
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Author: TGIF
Date: 09-02-03 17:39
melissa, I had a similar situation with the pants. I get up at4:30am for work, after showering I go to my closet & do not want to disturb anyone I desided to dress in the dark, so I put on a pair of pants & a shirt, & in the car I was thinking to myself "these pants are fitting really good, maybe I lost some weight" when I got out of the car I looked down & saw the cuffs- they were my husbands pants! Now he is not at all overweight, but he is a full foot taller than I am! When I went home that day I just hung the pants back up,& never said anything about it to my husband, I was too embarrased. Right now I am just trying to take small steps & feel out what will be right for me long term.
TGIF = thin girl ina fatbody
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Author: Jenn
Date: 09-02-03 22:17
lets see... the light REALLY dawned when my son asked my why his belly was flat and mine wasnt... and "what are all those purple marks on your belly mommy?" and then my daughter said "wow mom has a purple belly! i wanna be JUST LIKE HER when i grow up!"
and i dont want my daughter and sons to go through what i go through... from self esteem issues (being overweight my whole life) to the health issues to you kname it....
so thats my light
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Author: Shari
Date: 09-03-03 05:55
At the age of 33 (3 years ago), I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I was told I had the joints of a 50-year-old woman. I was also told to be careful to watch my hips and knees as they would probably need replaced in the near future because of my extensive disease.
Anyway - I tried all the painkillers I could find. I was on steroids for a while. About a year after my diagnosis, while perusing the internet, I found statistics on diet and rheumatoid arthritis. Statistically speaking, people with rheumatoid arthritis generally eat a higher fat diet. I immediately changed my eating habits.
I consulted a dietician. She also agreed that the best way to protect my joints was to get down to my goal weight. Since then, I have lost 91 pounds. I only have 34 more to go. I am no longer on any pain killers, except maybe 3-4 times a year with severe weather changes.
That was my rude awakening.
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Author: Melody
Date: 09-03-03 06:48
the reality hit me in February of 2002 that something needed to be done. I went to my ob/gyn for an appointment. When I stepped on the scale (doctor slide scale that stops at 350) it just kinda needed to be bumped a little past 350 so the nurse wrote down 354 on my chart. That was the heaviest I've ever been in my life. I cried... Even when i was pregnant with my twins, I maxed out at 350 and then lost some after the birth. I knew I needed to do something, but didn't really know where to start. I knew I COULD walk, but didn't want to start becuase it would be summer soon, and I knew I'd give up as soon as it got hot outside. I then lost my job in a daycare in May 2002 and spent the summer "home" with my kids and searching for a new job (that I could take my kids with me to work for free or reduced price). I found a fitness center (international chain) that had childcare for the members and got employed there. I was able to bring my kids with me for free, and that was great, but then I found out that I got a free membership as a "perk". I thought, oh cool..... As soon, as I started working there late August 2002, I had an epiphany (sp). I've got a free membership to the world's largest gym chain, and I'm all about free stuff. I am NOT gonna let this go to waste. I cut out my junk food and started walking on the treadmill about 3 times per week. I saw a few pounds come off the first week. That just gave me more motivation. The first month, I lost 14 pounds. I was amazed! The first 4 months I lost 40 pounds! I've come a long way since my first time on a treadmill last year. I had to quit working at the gym back in January because they had fewer and fewer hours to offer and the pay sucked. The day I got offered a job as a grocery cashier making $2 more per hour I quit the gym and joined the YMCA. I felt so good about myself, and my committment. I am a new person. There IS a thin person hiding inside of me..........
My mom told me the other day "I am so glad that you have not given up on your workouts. You have inspired me to lose a little weight, too." My mom wears a size 18. I told her... "this is a new me. I don't ever plan to stop working out, now that I know I can do it."
Thanks for the question.... I've rambled long enough and it' time to go to step aerobic class....................... thanks for reading!
Melody
350-278-*249 by 1/1/04
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Author: Anne
Date: 09-03-03 08:03
Ok, I guess I'll share mine, since I did start the thread. LOL When I got married, I hovered around 123-126 lbs. I was a size 5/6 and felt great. I got pregnant right away with our son, gained the normal amount of weight and lost it very quickly. In March of 2002, I found out I was pregnant again and everything fell apart. From day one, I had a horrible pregnancy health-wise, and went into premature labor twice. Shortly after the last episode of early labor, I went into a preeclampsia condition. To avoid a C-section, my midwife had me on huge amounts of protein. I was instructed to eat every hour of the day and not move at all. We didn't want the baby coming early. Soooooo...I ended up gaining over 80 lbs. with that pregnancy. Anna was born, full-term and healthy, but I went into severe depression when I went to my closet a few weeks after she was born and found out that I couldn't even get any of my skirts over my thighs. I'd never had to deal with it before and I didn't know what to do. Thankfully, I breastfed my little girl, so as I started being careful with calorie consumption the weight slowly but steadily came off. However, it seemed like my body just wasn't going fast enough for me, so I found this discussion group and it has helped me keep going. I still can't fit into any of my old clothes, but I'm not giving up!
Anne S.
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Author: Fabulous@50
Date: 09-03-03 11:15
I had been slowly and steadily putting on weight over the years and just got used to it. I would rationalize it by looking at people who were bigger than I and say, "at least I'm not THAT fat." My clothing sizes got larger and I was wearing 18, then 20, then 22; still it didn't bother me that much, even though my joints started to ache, my cholesterol was 220, and my blood pressure was "borderline high." I'd just have a pizza, a Big Mac, or an all-you-can-eat buffet and deal with it tomorrow.
My "time of reckoning" came when I went on a vacation in May 2003. We had to fly in an airplane to get to our destination. I hadn't been on an airplane in almost 2 years. When is sat down in the seat, I couldn't get the armrest between the seats to come down without uncomfortably wedging my butt between the armrests. To add injury to insult, I had to let the seatbelt out dangerously close to the "stitched over stop tab"...meaning I was getting close to needing a seatbelt extension!! That was the the first "wakeup call" but I hit the snooze button and continued on the vacation.
The second alarm went off later in the vacation. One evening I got dressed up for dinner with my hubby. I looked in the waist-length bathroom mirror and thought I looked pretty good. As we walked down a corridor approaching the restuarant there was a floor to ceiling mirror at the end of the corridor. I watched in horror as I saw my huband walking with a big, fat woman on his arm...I didn't recognize her! To my horror, I realized THAT WAS ME! I gasped a bit, but never said anything to my husband.
As I returned from vacation (again wedged in the airplane seat), I made a vow that I was going to live a healthy lifestyle from that moment on out. Whenever I have an urge to miss an exercise session or pig out, I just go back to that image of my husband and the fat, unhealthy lady that is burned on my mind.
My weight is down, my cholesterol is down 20 points, by blood pressure is healthy, and my clothes are getting bigger...I'm kicking that fat lady's ass that my husband was sporting around!
Fabulous@50
225/156/150
Program Start: May 12, 2003
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand - and melting like a snowflake.”
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Author: Jen Fad
Date: 09-03-03 16:46
The straw that broke the camel's back was the day three people asked me if I was getting fat {all on the same day}.
145/142.3/141
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Author: Spud
Date: 09-03-03 17:17
A few things caused me to want to lose weight. I figured that while I was in the lucky position of not having to work and not having to worry too much about money I should put that time to valuable use. I figured that it would be much easier to lose a bunch of weight and get healthy if I didn't have a lot of stress and pressure in my life. This turned out to be true. Right about the time I started my weight loss program my friend Robert died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. This event helped kick me into high gear. Being morbidly obese put me at a fairly considerable health risk and I wasn't ready to die. In fact, there was a lot of stuff I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it thin and healthy.
Spud
457/183.5/170
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Author: TGIF
Date: 09-04-03 17:21
Good luck to you Spud, you will achieve everything you put an effort into. ao sorry for the loss of your friend.
TGIF = thin girl ina fatbody
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