What flipped the switch for you to get serious about weight loss?

I am curious what the defining moment (s) that happened in your life to get you serious about weight loss.

For me, it was waking up on New Years Day morning and looking at the new calendar I bought.  Realizing that NOTHING had changed about me from the previous year-except my weight had gone up 10 lbs.  This was now my 5th year of vowing to lose weight.  All previous attempts were usually given up with in about two days.

I wanted to sit down and cry, but then I got angry (at myself).  I couldn't believe that at only 27 yrs old I pretty much gave up on myself.  I went to Target that day and bought all new measuring cups, spoons, workout clothes etc.  I spent my Christmas money on new shoes and so on.

It has been over three weeks and I am down 13 lbs and have lost a couple inches off my thighs and stomach.  I credit this to finally getting serious and taking a different approach.  Instead of giving up the moment I mess up-I resign myself to it and start over the next day.  Not living in constant shame and anger at myself and living with renewed hope and optimism has been all the difference.

That my wedding rings and my grandmother's ring that I wear were getting "inbedded" in my fingers. My co-worker said that they would have to cut them off!!! I could still move them but it just freaked me out thinking that if there was an accident or something that my rings would have to be cut off. My grandmother's ring is an heirloom and sentimental. I was in the shower and thought about that comment and suddenly felt really clausterphobic- so I soaped my fingers and was able to get all 3 off- now I wear them around my neck on an necklace- so I need to lose weight to be able to put the rings on comfortably! Plus- I'm sick and tired of wearing size 3x scrubs at work.... I've yo yo'd practically all my life and NO MORE! I will get to a size 16 and stay there!

I posted this in my journal and also in my profile, but this was it for me:

There is a picture of me taken from the side in the spring of Grade 12, I'm wearing jeans and a turtleneck... and I have a ROCKING BODY. I'm 5'4, built very well, I hold my shape quite easily and people often think that I weigh 20-30lbs less than I actually do. So at the time I was about 150ish, but in the prime of my athletic involvement and so my body was great.

Yet, do I remember for a single second a time when I wasn't fat? Haven't I been the overweight girl all my life? Don't I associate with that every moment of the day? HASN'T BEING THE FAT GIRL BEEN THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF MY LIFE???

Yes it has. As a child I was a tomboy/bookworm... not fat yet, but I sure as heck wasn't pretty (mushroom cut, glasses) therefore I was outcast from all the pretty girls in class from Grade 1 on. Because of that ostracization, I started folding in on myself, becoming more and more inactive to the point where, yeah I was starting to get a little chubby. By the time I hit puberty and that weight started distributing itself in some more flattering places, I was already in full-fledged fat girl mode: hating gym class, loathing intense sports, preferring to stay at home and watch tv or draw or read a book than going out to play with friends. I craved junk food and sweets and ate like food was going out of style. My gym teachers knew not to expect much from me because I refused to really participate... I didn't want to sweat and show off my jiggly fat in front of the class. In my group of tiny little gymnastic friends, I was the funny, fat one. All the women on my dad's entire side of the family are overweight and I had always been in their club. It's just the way it was.

During high school, I wasn't fat at all. I just had that little belly that most people have. But it never crossed my mind that I was anything but fat. Why? Because I wasn't in with the prettiest, skinniest girls in school, because guys always just wanted to hang out with me, but never date me?

So I'm looking at this photo of this beautiful, ENTIRELY NOT FAT girl... remembering the pain, the self-consciousness... I mean, you can see it in my face... how uncomfortable I am that you might catch my fat side. And I start thinking... what if somehow I had realized that I wasn't fat anymore? What if I had looked in the mirror one day in Grade 12 and been like, "Hey! I've actually thinned out and I'm looking good! Well, I better start taking care of that... maybe work out a little more, not eat so many chips!" How different would life be for me now?

And that's when I realized what the answer to my roadblock was. In my journal, I posted an entry about how I knew why I couldn't lose the weight. And it was that I didn't want to change. I couldn't change! I'm the fat girl goddammit! I don't go work out every day, I don't eat healthy foods! Goes to show how just how destructive our perceptions can be. And they're not just our perceptions, though God knows we come up with some pretty crazy ideas of who we're supposed to be. We have "roles" in our families, with our friends, with our boyfriends, at work, in the public... heck, I'm a different person buying groceries than I am buying make-up (Well, not anymore... I'm getting better!).

So never mind how difficult it is to persist with any change that you make to your life or your lifestyle when your family, friends and aquaintances revolt against them... how difficult is it to train your mind and heart to accept fully the impact that your persona had on you previously? It's extremely challenging to accept it and move forward from that point, believing that you have the power to change it.

Yet that was my answer:

Janelle, you're not the fat girl. Yes you've made unfortunate decisions that were emotionally and culturally inspired. But you can change them. You can decide today that you're the girl who goes to the gym. You can decide today to take better care of your body and make sure you're eating nutritiously. You can decide today to get rid of everything that's holding you back. You can.

Well it was new years eve and my bf  and I went to the mall to find pretty dresses for the party she was having and guess what....NOTHING FIT.  We were horrified.  We could not find anything in the stores that would fit on our too large bodies.  My friend looked at me like she was ready to cry and said "maybe we just need to go to Lany Bryant....maybe we're just those kind of girls now."  Well we ventured into LB and left almost as quickly as we entered.  It was very sobering and eye opening.  At that point I just said to myself THAT"S IT!  Now 10 lbs later I feel I'm on the road to the person I used to be!

Thank you for posting this question - it's a good one.  

For me it was simple.  I stepped on a friend's scale (maybe it helped that I was somewhere other than home) and it read 220.   I am 5'7".  I should weigh about 145. My father weighs more than I do, and he is 6 feet tall and trying to lose weight too. 

I have been depressed and self-medicating with food for years.  I was with someone for 8 years who belittled me and made me CONSTANTLY feel bad about myself.  He said mean and hurtful things about my body and about my personality - he pretty much ripped me to shreds without physically beating me.  And that was when I weighed about 160 - 165.  I finally kicked him out of my life, and it felt great.  BUT.... He's been out of my life for six years, and I am still fighting to get his voice out of my head.  It's as though he left and I took over for him.  As much as I fight it, I still have that feeling that I will never be good enough. 

I remember when I lost weight just after I got out of that relationship, and it felt great.   Tyring on clothes that hadn't fit in a long time and being able to wear them - what a reward within itself.  I look forward to doing that again. 

It takes SO much energy to worry and feel sorry for myself for being fat and lazy.... I am going to use that energy for something else.  Exercise and paying attention to calorie intake.  LIFE can be more enjoyable than overindulging on FOOD.  Feeling like my old self - like that thinner woman that is still inside, trying to get out.
I WILL lose the weight.  I WILL!!!

i realized that i am 29 and year after year iv been saying 'i need to lose weight before im 21...and then each year passes and i havnt achieved anything :/ i recently saw pics of myself with chubby cheeks and it makes me wanna work harder. now that im 29.......i NEED to lose weight before im 30 hahah

Good question. I used to be an avid athlete: dance, track, gymnastics and lacrosse. I was in awesome shape, toned and healthy. During college, I was not as active and I lost lots of my lean muscle mass. Generally I was okay with that. Unfortunatley, I developed some emotional bingeing habits and got up to 144. Heavy for me and all fat. I got down to a healthy 130 and was feeling good, just in time to get pregnant! So I have lots of motivation. I want to feel healthy, fit and toned again. I really want to be able to be confident in the way that I look and enjoy life with my family. I do not want to be on the sidelines. I want to able to surf with my son and my love, to run like I used to and to feel confident enough to join dance again :)

I have been a chubby person for as long as I can remember, but the one time I really truly realised that I was fat was when I was in 3ed grade, I got on the scale, and saw my weight at 90 pounds, and I almost cried, I was so very, very sad. My friend only weighed about 60 pounds and she was pretty much the same height. It's been ten years since, and I'm well aware of what goes into my mouth and how much I exercise, and now I'm quite close to my ideal weight, which makes me incredibly happy. But I will certainly never forget the day I realised I needed to lose weight.

In 2005 my weight jumped from 105 to 112. When I started my new job, end of 2005, I said to myself I was giong to lose those extra pounds but it never happened. Then, in July 2006 I joined this site and joined back the gym. I was 115, but still didn't do anything about it. I didn't go to the gym, nor diet, but kept playing tennis.

After all, I was keeping 114 - 115 for some months.

At teh end of the year, my husband had an injury and we had to stop playing tennis.

2007 comes and on Friday 12th, I still hadn't done anything, including going to the gym, which was one of my New Years resolution. I co-worker said to me on that Friday:" It's not that late in the year to get started". For some reason, that hit me. I made myself a promise of going to the gym, and was failing on myself.

On Sunday, January 14th a went to the gym for the first time this year and weighted 124.6 lb. That was a shock for me, I had gained extra NINE pounds since last year. So I looked for my account here, deleted the old info and decided to be serious about it.

It's been just two weeks, but I've been exercising at least 30 m/day and  doing c-c diet (1200/day). I weighted 120.6 last Sunday:)

I knew I had a problem for over 3 years..... I finally just said screw this, I'm going to back to a nice weight and feel good about myself again.

I found this site, 'fat like me', and started buying healthy stuff within a few days!

2 pounds down!

The past year and a half I gained 40 pounds. I knew it was a problem, but i never realized just how big i was. All the pictures I had taken actually looked ok, (must've been taken on my good side..haha) my face didnt get any bigger, and no one was around telling me I was fat. This Christmas/New Years break my boyfriend's side of the family had a huge family reunion in Florida. On the second to last day there, they took a bunch of family photos, and a bunch of photos on the beach. After viewing all these pics i couldnt believe what i looked like. I guess you cant hide in a swimming suit! My calfs looked twice the size as i thought, my face was now round instead of oval, and i had more rolls on my stomach then a bakery. I was so depressed for the next two days. Then i realized, i did this to myself. and just thinking about losing weight isnt going to make it happen, and no one can do it for me. So how much more out of control do you want it to get before you actually do something? Low and behold, we returned home on the 4th, i started here on the 8th, and have officially lost 4.3 pounds! And thats only the beginning!

I feel ya Chels! It was my 30th birthday last month that did it. My mother had bariatric surgery in 2001. I have bad genes and a big belly and decided it was finally time to do something about it other than whine about being overweight. Plus, I'm graduating medical school May 11th and want to do in great shape!

I've always been just a little bigger than average which I've never had a real problem with.  I've always wanted to loose a little weight and look a little better but never had the motiviation; I was healthy enough.

August 2006:  I started living with my little sister while we were both going to school.  She's 5'10" and weighed near 200 and could really come off as scary.  It amazed me how much she could eat and how often she would eat.  About the same time I realized that my older sister was noticably gaining weight. 

Since we all lived near each other we started our "Sisters Dinner".  We each chose a day of the week and cooked dinner for the other two sisters.  I started to gain a little weight and realized that one of us had to do something.

In my family we don't really talk about these kinds of things so I decided I would have to just start being an example for my sisters.  I would make healthy dinners on my day to cook and would limit my portions on their days to cook.  I wanted to exersize more but found it difficult to fit into my busy school and work schedule (I would often spend 10-14 hours a day in the library).

July 2006:  I graduated from school and started a desk job.  I sit on my butt for 40 hours every week.  I started always having the munchies and was afraid that I would start to gain weight but still didn't do anything about it.

August 2006:  I moved into an condo where there is a gym run by the HOA.  I decided to utilize the gym and began losing a little weight and, more importantly, I began to feel healthier and look better.  My family noticed.

Now:  A few months ago my mother started going to the gym 3-5 days a week.  Her blood pressure and cholesterol have dropped dramatically even though she hasn't lost weight or inches.  My older sister cooks healthier foods for our dinners now and I've noticed that she eats less.  Her cloyhes are becoming looser and she just bought an exercise bike (that she uses) after enjoying exercising with me in my condo's gym.  My little sister (who now lives pretty far away and we can't commuticate with often) exercises daily and watches what she eats.

Now more than ever I am motivated to eat right and exercise.  I'm not worried about my health but the health of my family.  Because I've shown them that it is possible, they are changing their lives and that is the greatest change I could ask for.

I had my defining moment way back in high school... I was extremely athletic, played a sport every season and never really had to worry about what I ate.

I disclocated my knee playing basketball and ended up having surgery in spring of 2000 (my junior year) It didn't really occur to me that I would have to change my eating. I really don't remember how much I gained, but it was a lot! And... I have been trying to lose weight ever since.

I lost 20 here, gained 20 here, then lost 15, gained 25, you get the idea! I found CC last March and absolutely loved it. I joined the gym and walked every day with a coworker. I loved how I felt and how I started to look.

By June I had lost 15 lbs, BUT... then I moved! And now I have gained 20! So finally, FINALLY, I am back here, back to the gym, and back on track. And I feel better already.

I am 53 and I have been a yo yo dieter all of my adult years. I have always felt fat, even in school. When I see pictures of myself in high school, I was skinny. I don't know why I thought I was fat. I started diets at 18 years old. I weighted 124 pounds then. Like I said I have lost weight and gained back more. I have been on every diet even made. I have joined everything except Jenny Craig. I can count points, carbs, and diet pills. I have never counted calories though. I was on the computer and was looking for a site that had a list of calories for food and found this. It was December 6, 2006 and it has changed my life. I have never lost weight without paying someone money. I have lost 17 pounds and feel great. I started at 235 my hightest weight ever. I am at 218 now and feel great. I worry about my health. It was hard to go upstairs, I would get winded, that is already better. I haven't got into the exercise like I should, but it will come when I get smaller, I just know this is it. This is my new lifestye. I don't drink  cokes of anykind now. I have had 3 since December 6, but there were circumstances. I can't even remember what I was looking up the calories for but I am glad I found this site.

I've been fat (first chubby, then fat) since age 8/9.  I didn't exercise and I ate whatever I wanted in whatever portions I wanted until two months ago.

It was a long time coming, but what really tipped it was this:

I went to the movies alone.  I prefer doing that, but this time I was just going alone so I could binge on snacks.  I ate the concession stand junk until I was sick to my stomach.

The next day I woke up and said, you know what, that is ridiculous.  I don't want to do this anymore.

A month later I was diagnosed with diabetes, but I was already well into my diet, and the diagnosis just confirmed my decision.  Every day from now on I will treat myself right, even if I make little mistakes along the way.

well i do a lot of bike riding and most of the books I was reading keep saying how guys like me will spend all kinds of money to improve their bikes and do nothing to improve themselves!!

  So i researched lots of websites and books on healthy diet and what a guy like me should weigh and how to get there. I totally changed my lifestyle, I eat better and watch what i eat.

So I lost 45 pounds from Jan 06 to Dec 06 (185 down to 140), feel great, look great and now I can drop those young studs on hills and that makes it all worth it and that's what motivates me to keep it off too!

btw I'm 51 years old! just take a look at the pic my daughter put on here of me!

For me it was thinking about buying life insurance to take care of my family.  I started looking at rates ( which are based off of your weight & BMI ) and found out how much cheaper it is when you are "normal".  I started at 289 lbs 4 months ago and to date I've lost alittle over 36 pounds.  Though I'm happy, I've got a long way to go...

My turning point... Good question...

Everytime I start a new 'diet' or start "trying to lose weight", I try to convince myself that it is my turning point, saying to myself "This time I am going to do it"! Well, I am 36 now, and ever since I started gaining weight around 27 or 28, I have tried many diets and programs... and failing ultimately in the end every time. I don't know if I ever had faith in myself... or the willpower. Sometimes I did lose, I would lose 20 pounds, and then gain it back a few months later. Other times I would fail right away and just say "Heck with it", and start eating cheeseburger and fries by the next day.
There are only so many times you can lose weight, gain weight, lose weight, etc... before you just feel hopeless and give up and just think to yourseflf that you are never going to succeed.

I had such a great body in my teens and early 20's... I even won a few 'hot body' contests in dance clubs - LOL! I used to eat healthy, went to the gym 5 days a week, and even trained for a Miss Fitness contest at one point.
Then, at 28, I decided to change careers, went back to school & worked fulltime, stopped going to the gym, started eating out alot, and the rest is history - Life happens I guess.
Once I gained weight, I felt so humiliated and horrible for how I looked. I was embarrassed to go to the beach or god forbid wear a sexy outfit! I was so jealous of all my skinny friends and the great clothes they can wear.

Here I am 36 years old and still in the same pattern. Gain/lose/gain/lose/gain again! I was the heaviest I had ever been this past christmas, at 186 pounds. I was at a family reunion in Florida for christmas, and I was absolutely embarrassed to be in a bathing suit and forget shorts! That so wasn't happening!

I got engaged last Feburary (2006), and vowed (again) that I would lose weight by my wedding, May 2007. Well, all I did was gain 10 pounds since last feb!
As of January 1st, I finally put my foot down sand decided I have been cheating myself out of really enjoying life b/c of how I felt about my weight. I hated shying away from having my picture taken all the time, I hated the way I felt about myself and my perceived self-image!
Do I really want to hate every single picture that my well paid photogrpaher is going to take of me at my wedding?! My wedding on May 12th is going to be one of the most important and memorable days of my life. I do not want to remember it as always feeling like I looked horrendous. And Forget the honeymoon - I do not want to be embarrassed on my honeymoon either! I want to be able to have pictures taken of me and not cringe when I see them!

With all this being said. Now is the time - I am doing it - and I am going to succeed! I will do it! I have vowed to myself that I will do it! It also has been helpful that my fiancee' is counting calories too! He is so supportive of me!

WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!! I have lost 5 pounds so far... by eating healthy; writing everything down, and working out in the gym. Each day is a struggle. I often compare it to a similar struggle that an alchaholic would go through... or any other addict. I feel that my addiction was food. And each day is a struggle to make sure I don't fall off the wagon!

My goal by May 12th is 20 more pounds... to bring me to 160.
Then after that, I will keep going til I hit my ulitmate goal of 135!

Sorry so long- but it was fabulous to read everyone else's posts, it motivated me, and also feels good to type all this out - Kind of like therapy! LOL!
:)

last february seeing 199.8 on the scale. wayyyyy too close to 200 for someone 5'7. now im 12 away from my goal of 135!

Well i am getting married in July and am desperate to look good on my big day. My dress fitting is next month and i am not ready for it at all. I am 115lbs and my goal is 100lbs. I hate the thought of having muffin sides hanging over the back of my dress. I am rubbish at dieting and end up eating everything in sight. I am just hoping the wedding creeping up is enough motivation for me to do it.