I'm curious to know what motivated you all to begin this journey of weight loss and getting healthy? What has motivated you to stick with it? Was it a family member? TV show? Health scare?

For me, the realization hit me a few weeks ago that this is something that I will struggle with my entire life. For what seems like forever, I've been telling myself that I only have to be "good" for long enough to reach my goals, and then after that I'll be able to relax again and slip right back to my old ways. But that's not true. I've come to realize that whatever changes I make while I'm on this journey, are changes that I need to make a part of the rest of my life. Accepting that has made this process more permanent to me, and that's actually made it easier. I've started to see this as a health-change, instead of merely weight-loss efforts.

So, how about you? Willing to share?

I have struggled with my weight all my life. In July of 2008, I was at my highest weight of 330 pounds. I was on medicine for high blood pressure, my blood sugar levels were elevated and I could barely even walk from one room to another without being out of breath. I finally decided I didn't want to just be alive, and the way I was going I wouldn't have been for much longer probably, but I want to live and I made changes. I have bad days and it is difficult at times but I try to focus on why I began this in the first place and I am determined to make this work for me.

What make it "click" for me was seeing a photo of myself from Christmas with my kids. They are so beautiful, I just didnt "fit" with them in the picture. I was disgusted and depressed for days. I realized that I was living inside someone elses body and wanted out. I realized that who I was then was not who I wanted to be.

A photograph too. I was advised to gain weight when I had troubles to concieve, so I happily gained like 10 lbs, then 35 more during the pregnancy, then never lost all that much and ended up still in the healthy range, but just border-line over-weight. So, because I was NOT BMI overweight, I was thinking to myself "I don't have a problem". Then I saw a photo on the lake with my then almost 2 y.o daughter. And it just won't leave me, because in my mind I was still slender young woman, not puffy and matronly middle-aged 'boy, did she let herself go' case.

I noticed that I have to delete photos from the vacation trips too where I looked downright ugly more and more often.

So, finally, ~6 months after that fateful photo on the lake, I told myself to forget the comfy voice who said that 'after the baby you can't expect to be the same as before the baby," and started excersising again. Slowly. Then I signed up for the impromptu Biggest Challenge at work and started to seriously watch my portions and cut out all the sweets. So, yeah, the photo was what did it for me. Can't say I look like a swim suit model now, but at least I don't look like a whale with an extreme case of cellulite either!

My deployed boyfriend challenged both of us to tone our body and lose some pounds before our next meeting. I need to lose around 15 pounds and I am already struggling during my first phase. I am always amazed of how driven u r to be able to put off more than 4 pounds. I always go back to my original weight.. But I am not giving up yet. Being here already helps me. Tq ppl.

I guess I am somewhat fortunate. I have always been a little bit larger than my peers - not by enough to be considered 'the fat kid,' but it there was always a couple sizes separating me from my friends. Finally, I decided that I didn't want that anymore and I went on an extreme diet and exercise plan. I lost 30 lbs very rapidly. I was always unhappy or cranky, and I was sick very often. In addition to this, I never felt like I was thin enough. I couldn't acknowledge that I had made any progress whatsoever.

Luckily, someone very special made me realize that I was beautiful no matter what the scale or my strict trainer said. I was sick of being the crazy health freak at social events, so I just let go of everything. I gained the weight back and then some...but I was actually happy, something I never was before.

So why start losing weight again? I feel like I have my head on my shoulders this time and can take an approach to weight loss that won't make me crazy! I'm not punishing myself, or comparing myself to others. I'm just taking it one day at a time, making good choices for myself. I'm never going to go to that dark place again. This time will be different.

Originally Posted by 20670

I'm curious to know what motivated you all to begin this journey of weight loss and getting healthy? What has motivated you to stick with it? Was it a family member? TV show? Health scare?

For me, the realization hit me a few weeks ago that this is something that I will struggle with my entire life. For what seems like forever, I've been telling myself that I only have to be "good" for long enough to reach my goals, and then after that I'll be able to relax again and slip right back to my old ways. But that's not true. I've come to realize that whatever changes I make while I'm on this journey, are changes that I need to make a part of the rest of my life. Accepting that has made this process more permanent to me, and that's actually made it easier. I've started to see this as a health-change, instead of merely weight-loss efforts.

So, how about you? Willing to share?

You are so right, this is a concept that still hasn't totally clicked in my head. I keep thinking I'll work hard and lose the weight just so I can go back to my old ways. But really, what's the point of all that work then??

When my BMI had almost hit the obese range, then was when I realized I had to stop risking my health and happiness for food.

Thank you for making the weight loss sound like a good habit. That way, I won't obsess about it. I'll just do it and move on. That's the way it's going to be starting now. I'll have certain selections of food for breakfast, lunch and supper and maybe fruit or veggie snacks when hungry. Carol

Originally Posted by 28985

Thank you for making the weight loss sound like a good habit. That way, I won't obsess about it. I'll just do it and move on. That's the way it's going to be starting now. I'll have certain selections of food for breakfast, lunch and supper and maybe fruit or veggie snacks when hungry. Carol

That's right - obsessing about it definitely isn't a good thing. Your diet shouldn't be the all consuming aspect of your life...just a happy addition. Otherwise it's easy to get sick of it and go into a self-destructive spiral...

It click when people will appreciate the ways losing weight and probably it will stick. There are keys for losing weight.

Check out this site for more info:
Exercise and Weight Loss - Exercise to Lose Weight and Lose Fat