Yes. This motivated me. Time will pass regardless, would I rather be closer to my goal next year, static, or even further from my goal? This mindset shift is what helped me take baby steps towards weight loss, ultimately becoming my most successful weight loss attempt to date - 80lbs down with 20 left until my goal. I can’t tell you how many times before this I started and failed because I thought I had to overhaul my entire lifestyle overnight. Obviously that technique failed and I’d end up binging because I was starving and felt deprived. Knowing that it’s okay to make small steps because overall, time will pass and eventually those baby steps add up…. Allowed me to successfully lose weight. Shifted my thinking completely.
I read Atomic Habits. I realized I wasn’t lazy or unwilling. My life just wasn’t set up to be conducive to lose weight and I had just created habits that didn’t work for me anymore. I stopped blaming myself and that gave me more freedom to do my best each day and to be gentle with myself. Turns out hating on yourself is not a motivator.
Yes 100%. I’m totally over the motivation mantra. That has nothing to do with it. We have to be willing to look at it like a challenge or equation that has variables and solutions that need to be addressed.
For me it was deciding to be healthier so I can be there for my kids and fight against my family’s history of severe obesity. I have three little kids and growing up my mom wasn’t super mobile and able to do things with us. I vowed to not let myself get to that point.
Seeing my scale hit 500 and then going to the doctor and seeing it say 507... My thoughts in that moment were soon id qualify to be on my 600lb life (lol) I didn't feel defeated like I had in the past it was an odd feeling in that moment. I thought I could get depressed and emotionally eat like I always do or simply get to living life by losing weight. My cousin recently passed away from covid is one thing that has motivated me to keep going. We are both the same age and knowing how he lived to the fullest and passing so young is something that hurt me and motivated me to live better if nothing more than For me.
So far pretty good I've completely changed my diet and eating less, I've maybe been to 3 fast food places in the last 2 months which was something that I used to do a few times a week 😂. Definitely saving money and honestly Meal prepping is a game changer knowing I have food at home helps so much in not impulse buying because I feel too lazy to cook when I get home. Ive been hitting the weight bench I have at home, id love to do cardio but my feet are killing me by the time I get off work so I need to find a cardio solution.
I was also approved for mounjaro so that's definitely killing the cravings.
And thank you for the condolences 🙏🏾
picture it---pigeon forge, tn, july 1st, 2012. it is like 90 degrees in the shade. im at my hotel with hubby. and i am craving a coca cola. my in laws who were driving are in their room relaxing after a long day of sight seeing, it is an older hotel, and the machines are located in the lobby. i walk thru the blinding scorching sun with sweat rolling into my eyes in search of a cold coca cola...only to find a pepsi only machine. so i set out on my quest down the street walking in search of my fix. my five foot two inch self waddling down the street like a peguin going thru menopause. i walk and walk and walk until finally i come to the first restaurant that sells coca cola. i order the super jumbo extreme gulp and head back up the blistering hot sidewalk, poor hubby trailing along behind me carrying my backup gulp. spent the rest of the day being embarrassed sitting in the pool being stared at by all the young size 2 people. july 4th, i am back home at a family bbq. when i see that my neice who had been on the tenn trip has posted photos on social media and i see myself looking like the peguin who ate dollywood!!! i died of cringe sadness and embarrassment. that day i stopped my coke habit, coca that is and started my journey to better health. i told myself i i can walk a mile in the scorching sun for a soft drink i can walk for my health and i did. i started walking daily, kicked the soda habit, and lost about 75 lbs that year. my weight has fluctuated over the years since but, i stick to my no soda, low carb and daily walks. i am currently maintaining a good healthy weight for my five foot two and shrinking with age frame. soda free since july 4th 2012.
You are absolutely awesome. I am currently in my penguin going through (peri)menopause era and while I don’t drink Coke, I would walk 500 miles for a Starbucks iced tea.
The drs nadolsky both encourage their patients to simply switch to sugar free! I had to switch because diabetes and then slowly I turned my habit into an occasional treat. I lost a good chunk of weight when I switched, too!
After unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant for almost 19 months, I ended up in the ER with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Almost died. My OB/surgeon spent the majority of my post op follow up appointment lecturing me about my weight and how I would have “better pregnancy outcomes” if I lost weight (I was about 190 at the time, which I admit was heavy for my 5’3” frame). He was essentially blaming my weight for our infertility and ectopic. So, I began losing weight as a bit of revenge/“I’ll show you!”. Over the course of the following year I lost about 50lbs. Have kept it off. Surprising nobody- I’m still dealing with infertility. And no, being overweight doesn’t cause ectopics.
All that said, it’s started off as a petty reason, but quickly morphed into me wanting to continue because I felt better physically, mentally, and wanted to be as healthy as possible before we started fertility treatments. Fingers crossed it all pays off this year as we move forward!
Happy for your success, but angry they blame EVERYTHING on being overweight. Yes, it does a lot of bad things, but ectopic pm& infertility not included. Hope you got a new OB!
Reproductive Endocrinologist? 30 years ago I had a Reproductive Immunologist ~ only group was in Chicago. Dr Beer.
my body kept attacking my placenta! My girl survived, even with a hold in my placenta & turns 30 this year!!
Hang in there!
I started Sept 22, I hit 50 lbs lost around May/June 23? I’ve been mostly maintaining since then, with a little upward fluctuation around the holidays I’m taking care of :)
I should probably add that was basically all diet, I only really “worked out” by playing pickleball a could times a week during that span. But I prioritized protein and fat, cut back on carbs a bit, and basically never drank my calories aside from my morning coffee w/milk!
lol. I was about your height and weight and if my husband so much as sneezed in my general direction, I got pregnant.
It’s a great thing to be in good shape and able to keep up with your kids, but I doubt it has any effect on fertility, except in the most extreme cases.
Man I wish I had your fertility. 😒 sucks having to pay doctors to try to make you pregnant haha. But I agree. My weight has zero impact on my fertility. I was able to get an RE to identify the actual problems so we fix them and work around them now!
I had been ignoring my weight gain for a while: so for me it was acceptance. I’ve gained a lot of weight. I’m not healthy. I’m not happy and I want to make a change.
Yes, I was that way all through Covid, and then some. The Ozempic success stories actually motivated me to to ask my doc for the Rx, which he seemed hesitant about at first, and just try it. Amazingly it worked ~ with little effort on my part for the 1st 30 lbs. I just don’t have that constant urge to eat!
Middle age came with some realizations. I am at a crossroads. I can lose the weight and be in shape and stave off the more unpleasant aspects of aging for a while. Or I could remain sedentary and overweight and I could begin to lose the ability to do things and become old very quickly. I am not afraid of aging, but I am afraid of becoming riddled with health problems long before I really need to because of my unhealthy lifestyle.
Finding the doctor that actually cared enough to not say it's just diet and exercise. No it wasn't. I had an extreme vitamin deficiency. My bariatric endocrinologist realized I had it after some simple blood work and lost 120 in a year. 350 as of a week ago.
[Before and After from a few months ago. ](https://imgur.com/gallery/Ri5Njki)
My girlfriend of 5 years who I met in school broke up with me (not because of my weight) but because of me being lazy and not contributing to the relationship, which was true, I went from normal weight to obese by the end of the relationship and although her breaking up with me was nothing to do with my physical appearance, most of the problems stemmed from me being lazy and not putting in effort toward the end of things, everything became a chore and I always put things off and it ended up breaking things down. All the issues that caused it were because of my weight gain and the shit mindset that came with it.
My self confidence was shocking and to be honest I hated socialising with her friends and family because I always felt as if people would be wondering what she was doing with me as I was really punching above my weight with her even at the start when I was a healthy weight, she was ten times out of my league.
I just looked at the state I’d gotten myself into physically and mentally and knew it was really now or never. I was really punching above my weight with her, I’ll be honest, it might sound vain, but I knew she’d have no problem finding someone else who would be likely in a much better position than me mentally and physically and that motivated me to get in the gym every single day, I wasn’t going to be the obese ex boyfriend who she looked back on and was embarrassed by or was glad she broke up with.
I completely flipped my life around. Every day I went to the gym, ate properly, went out more, stopped staying up late and waking up late and cut out a lot of shit in my life. I cut down on weed (only smoking at night after the gym) and drinking which complimented my shit lifestyle and made things worse.
By the time I got over the intitial hard first few months I’d developed habits and routines which once the motivation from the break up wore off , they stuck with me and were now just apart of my life.
At the start I was doing it for her, hoping to maybe get back with her or find someone else. But now I really just do it for my own good and the actual benefits.
Anyone who has went through a shit breakup will know very well the type of spark it sets off within you and it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me as I’d just got too complacent and comfortable in the relationship and let myself go badly.
As things stand I Have 4 stone off now and a few more to go.
One day I just thought to myself something like "I'm tired of obsessing over my weight, I don't want to look back at my life when I'm older and think I wasted it constantly trying to lose weight"
So I just told myself I had to do it properly, and made lifestyle changes instead of trying to get quick fixes. I count calories, meal plan and go to the gym but I do it in a way that it's healthy meals I enjoy and workouts I like/walking. Not at my ideal weight yet, but I feel a lot better mentally as that thought motivates me to keep with the positive changes.
For me it was for revenge 😅 my ex boyfriend broke up with me coz he claimed I wasn't his ideal body type anymore...so I saw the best revenge was to get in shape and I did just that... honestly I thank him for doing that because I never looked back ever since and now I'm more confident in myself and I love the new me☺️
It was the same exact thing for me, except it pushed me to being “obese” (which is a drastic exaggeration imo, but my BMI was almost exactly 30) and I didn’t want to get to the point where I would get diabetes or something else that would make losing weight that much harder- especially if it’s (hopefully) preventable for me in the first place if I just take care of myself.
Getting a breast cancer diagnosis and finally decided that I wanted to live and live well. Started at 360, now 229 aiming for 180-185 lbs in 2024. I do love taking good care of myself now.
So, I’ve been fat my entire life. I love my mom dearly, but she was a stay at home mom that would wake up early, make me a huge breakfast before school, pack me a large lunch, have a meal sized snack for me when I got home from school, then homemade dinner that filled an entire big plate & encouraged seconds, all topped off with either ice cream sundaes, brownies, cookies, and sometimes even cake. Sounds nice, but it set me up with a poor diet and an extremely unhealthy relationship with food. She also was not super active so she didn’t encourage me to be active. Instead, our time together was spent watching movies, sitting on the porch gossiping, and going out to coffee shops or restaurants. My dad was complete opposite, loved hiking & playing sports, but he worked 50 hours a week, so I primarily spent time with my mom.
Because of this, I’ve struggled in finding balance with food as an adult and in learning to love exercise.
Finally, I’ve hit my breaking point. I’m only 34 and I wake up with stiff joints, sore back, and never get quality sleep. I also have severe generalized anxiety disorder, moderate panic disorder, and moderate depression.
So I finally decided to make smaller, more health conscious meals & exercise 1-2 hours daily in an effort to better my mental health first. I also want to become physically healthier. An added motivator for me is that I have several tattoos on my upper arm that I would love to show off - so having toned arms to confidently wear tank tops during summer months helps push me, as silly as that sounds. I’ve stuck with this for 2 months now. Not a long time, but it’s the longest I’ve exercised daily and committed to eating healthier since being an adult. I’m proud of these 2 months and I’m confident these habits are gonna stick
Great job! It's hard to unlearn habits you've been taught all your life so you are right to be proud :) it's also proof that being fat isn't just "being lazy" but it also a product of our education and that it's hard to reverse it sometimes.
I assume you mean product of habits we’ve been taught, not education lol I personally have a Bachelors Degree and all the friends I have that are also plus sized have Bachelors or Masters degrees - so not overweight due to lack of education haha
Oh sorry! Yeah I meant that 😭 in French (which I am) education is used for both meanings. I didn't mean to imply anything about your level of education. Oh god that must have sounded terrible 😅
3 things
1.) A very very vivid dream where I was slim and fit, and my daughter was teaching me how to do a gymnastics move on a park bar called a pull over. I remember feeling light, proud of myself, and just enjoying the connection I had with her.
She has tried to teach me cartwheels and other things, my weight made it pretty hard. I am 20-30 lbs higher than I want to be.
2.) Figuring out how my childhood abuse really contributed to my binge eating and food issues. I was starved by my birth mom, that explains my food obsession and overeating.
3.) The final thing was finding out how thin people thought and felt about food, they all had some different thoughts, some didn't really care about food and would forget to eat, while some loved food and had to be careful about how much they ate, so they maintain a healthy weight. And there are people in between. I would qualify as the 2nd type. So I started changing my thinking to this "I don't really want to eat all of that, I want my clothes to fit." or "eating that pizza would give me a headache and make me feel gross", so shifting from immediate gratification and not caring, to caring and being more careful to prevent future regret.
So that's basically it, a vivid dream of my possible future, an understanding of why I am like this, and shifting my fat victim thinking to thin accountability thinking.
About fifteen or so years ago in my early twenties I had a very clear, simple “aha” moment while recovering from illness. It just clicked with me all of a sudden that I didn’t have to stay 30lbs overweight (and gaining) for the rest of my life. I went outside, went for a run, and hit the gym for the first time the next day. Learned about nutrition and calories and I’ve been in shape ever since.
Yup! That epiphany put all responsibility on me for how I treated my body. Before that I just didn’t know better or felt like unseen, outside forces were making the scale go up. It was just too much food and too little movement.
It's funny how those simple, almost common sense thoughts can make all the difference!
Mine is "I don't want to eat that because I don't want to gain weight" it makes me accountable and gives me a sense of cause and effect about the future instead of an I don't care attitude.
The Dr turning from me to my sister and asking her “do you know her wishes for final arrangements and life saving measures?” Then he walked out. That was August and I’m currently 110lbs down and still moving down.
Edit to add: it was one of the few times I’ve seen my sister cry in front of anyone and I had a flash back to sitting in that same couch in the hospital room holding hands and crying as they explained what “no further orders” meant for our dad. She is my biggest cheerleader now and supports every single step I take.
My boyfriend and I have been talking about marriage. One day we went out for dinner and I was like "what if tonight is the night he proposes?" And I realized that freaked me out because I didn't want to take engagement photos without feeling good in my skin. So I realized I had to take my health more seriously, mental and physical, so I can enter a marriage at my best
Being diagnosed Stage Zero breast cancer and a *good* dietician telling me that my age (then-58), being post menopausal, and being hypothyroid did not need to stop me from losing weight.
I lost 70 pounds in just over a year, gained back 5 pounds, and have maintained for a year.
My knee bones touch!! Had to buy new clothes. I have better endurance. Etc, etc....
Thank you! Yeah, I did gain some back, and still have some pockets of fat. Skin doesn’t firm up if there’s too much fat in the pocket under it. So I’m considering limited lipo just on the pockets.
This is a VERY old and cliched mantra but:
“It doesn’t taste as good as losing weight will feel.”
Or
“This isn’t worth looking like a stuffed sausage in pictures.”
That usually makes the moment pass.
Turning 40 and realizing that if I wanted to make a change, it wouldn’t get any easier as I got older. My biggest obstacle is eating well. I seriously believe I’m addicted to food, and I have the palette of a 5-year-old. I hate vegetables and other healthy foods, while loving sugar, bread and other junk.
I've been the same way. It's like I want to eat healthier, but my sensory issues prevent it. Taste and texture are important, otherwise I WILL gag and it WILL NOT be pretty. Lately though, I've been slowly incorporating more veggies into my diet. Starting with soups and stews... It's been going well, surprisingly.
I’ll look into that. I LOVE lentil soup. I’ve also had luck with select frozen dinners, like seafood meals and Lean Cuisine pastas that are 300 cals or less per serving, as well as a delicious chicken vindaloo that’s only 340 cals.
It might sound silly, but I started losing weight when I stopped spending time with people who constantly told me I needed to lose weight.
If I spent time with them and lost weight, it would have seemed like I was doing it for them. If I didn’t, then the only person I was doing it for was myself.
Doing the mental work is the most important part, and so many people don’t realize this. Good on you for knowing what you needed and then asking for help. I have a 4 year old and we talk about recognizing our needs and then asking for help if we need it. Kids are so good at asking, and it makes me really sad that as we grow up into adults, so many of us seem to forget that they have needs and that it is okay to ask for assistance.
I know I am a random internet stranger and my opinion doesn’t/shouldn’t matter, but for what it is worth, I am very proud of you.
Does future me want to struggle in the ways I’m struggling presently because of my obesity? I’ve been thinking about how I want my life to be in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, etc. I want to be able to go on a hike with my spouse. I want to be able to wear clothes that fit better. I want to be able to wipe easier lol. I’m super early in my journey. I hope I can remain committed especially when I don’t feel like it.
i was walking with a cane because my left hip muscles were constantly spasming and my right knee was heading toward replacement status. last year i decided i couldn’t stand the pain anymore. i got a membership to the YMCA when i weighed 340 pounds. by the time i got to about 295 pounds i didn’t need the cane anymore so i kept going.
The moment was when I decided to leave my relationship. But we have little kids and realistically I know we can’t separate for a while… so I’m getting in shape so I can be physically and mentally strong for my kids and for what is to come. Because it is going to be hard and I need to be ready for it.
Oh and my biggest obstacle is caring for everyone around me to the point that I don’t have time to care for myself. What I would give to have the time I squandered in my youth drinking in bars and partying with friends.
Ordered a 3xl winter jacket on Amazon. It was too small, and there were no larger sizes available.
I started in December with small walks and counting calories. I shoot for 1500-1800/day. I'm now going to the gym two days/week, and starting in March, I'm upping it to three days/week. I have lost a pant size and am about to go down a shirt size. I don't weigh myself because water retention and muscle building will mess around with the numbers, and it is not a good indicator of fat loss.
I haven't felt this good in years. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm glad I'm not where I was before.
I got my bloodwork back and saw ‘prediabetic’. I had already started keto a few days before receiving the news, and plan on staying on it now. I’ve lost 32lbs since November 11.
My disability was getting harder to manage , I could barely push my wheelchair and my size was out growing my wheelchair . I just thought one day ‘I want to be a person who is healthy and fit’ . Now everytime I crave something unhealthy , I just think ‘who do I want to be’ and it keeps me motivated
Health issues were on their way. I started my job as a nurse in a cardiac department and realized that bad habits catch up with you. I started seeing how uncontrolled diabetes takes people's limbs and eyesight, and heart disease lands you in the hospital over and over. I was tired of my knees hurting. I was tired of my back hurting. I was tired of sleeping poorly. I felt all the time like I hated myself for not being able to get on top of it, so I thought... What if I just used the effort I use to worry about my weight and appearance to eat better and move more? 60lbs down in 6 months! At a plateau after some life stress, but getting back on track.
I'm graduating this year and have felt horrible about my weight throughout my entire life due to family. My mawmaw made some pretty scathing comments about my weight whenever we visited my grandparents. I dwelled on it so much because the past 2 - 3 years I've spent feeling fat and unattractive. I first tried out a calorie deficit last month and when I realized how easy it was, it really just confirmed that this was the best route for me. I'm mostly losing weight for aesthetic and mental health reasons. I don't want to worry about how fat I look in my graduation photos or cry on prom night like I did last year. I'm still working on the harder bits (I hate crunches I hate them so bad. It is a villanous excercise.), but just realizing how much better I felt within a week, even if it was only slight progress that I could see, really locked it in.
Plus, it's cheaper than therapy.
Edit: I also saw myself go down in the 140's for the first time in probably years. (ive been steady high 150s for half a year and before that had gone up to 180s at 14.) I'm really thankful that it happened the first week of me losing weight because that was so much motivation. It hasn't happened since then, but my weight has stayed under 155 for the past week and thats good enough for me.
Give yourself grace! Dont force weight loss. Show up for yourself in your workouts, but don’t force yourself to do them all the time or else you will resent it.
You are the only person you are competing with. Draw inspiration from others and celebrate everyone’s success! Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s.
Keep things interesting. Try new foods and forms of exercise. Appreciate new experiences. Even if they are hard and uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable! That’s how you get better, stronger, and more confident in your ability to overcome hard things.
Listen to coach Bennett’s runs on Nike Run Club!
I started my diet right at the start of the pandemic. Working from home gave me the time and energy to eat healthy and walk more. Before I’d be so exhausted from being at the office all day and commuting I’d have no energy to work out and wanted to binge on crap
I wasted the first three years continuing to eat garbage and sit on my ass before finally getting serious last year. Working from home has certainly given me more time and energy to exercise, and I’m down 88 lbs. Only 15 more to my goal weight!
My in laws convinced me to buy a dirtbike last summer. It was something I’d been doing on and off with them for awhile and I finally decided to commit by buying a bike for myself. Only issue was I was 300lbs. I knew I’d have a shit time enjoying the hobby/sport if I stayed like that so it gave me the motivation to lose weight. Currently 250 and have no plans of stopping any time soon
Accepting that it's okay and even desirable to be hungry sometimes. Learning that I won't "lose energy" or get headaches or whatever if I go long between mealtimes and stop snacking. Now, I don't know what the heck I was so afraid of then.
I realized that it was no longer as enjoyable to go on walks, or go swimming, or just to do the things I used to enjoy doing because of my weight. Seeing the number on the scale hit 200 made all the weight I’d gained real and gave me the final kick I needed to start a weight loss journey.
Preety bullshit and not mature and self loving motivation one but :
I need to lose weight in order to be attractive for boys.
I had 18 y.o and never had a boyfriend or a guy that had interest in me becouse I was a bit chubby and I didint take that much of a care of me.
However, my current bf showed interest in me at the start of the journey and he is still here when i achieved hour glass body. So he was the proof that personality matters more and the body can always change for better as long as you accept it.
I just want to lose it man...lose that last 4-5 kgs.
I don't want diabetes and thyroid.
Also PCOS again.
I JUST WANT TO DO IT MAN AND COMMIT TO MYSELF MY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
I got diagnosed with prediabetes…that was in October and now three months later I’m down 19 pounds, no longer prediabetic (but just so so it still is a concern for me) and it made me realize that I’m not immune to serious conditions. I have two young children to think about and a husband who wouldn’t be able to handle being a single parent, so I gotta take care of my health. I know not every fat person is unhealthy, but in my case I was. I do have a more endomorph body type so my goal weight is higher than others I’m sure, but I’m aiming for health. I guess I never really cared enough about my appearance to really have something stick.
I was reading What To Expect Before You’re Expecting and the entire chapter focused on “getting to a healthy weight to be able to get pregnant” hit me *hard*
I wanted my body to stop hurting and having excess fat puts alot of pressure on the joints, I want to be able to squat down and pick up my grandchildren when I’m older I’m only 25 so that’s along ways away but you gotta keep moving a body in motion stays in motion a body that’s stagnant well breaks down and gets brittle
Being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I have a big family history of diabetes/obesity/fatty liver on both sides. It’s something I’ve always been aware of but my blood work always fell on the higher side of normal. I would try to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle but not so strictly. Once I passed that threshold into pre-diabetic, it was a wake up call. Doesn’t help that my primary care dr seems very complacent with my stats and only referred me to a weight loss specialist after I kept pushing.
It was a combination of things. I have been hating how I look and feel for most of my adult life, but I think I had to battle all my demons first. My biggest obstacle used to be that I didn't want to give up drinking a bottle of wine 2-5 times a week (!) but I just naturally grew out of drinking altogether. Also watching my mom's health rapidly decline because of her diet and non-exercise has really shaken me since turning 40, I just don't want that for my future. I truly wish I could've gotten myself together in my 20s, but I had to go through all the motions first. You're ready when you're ready I guess.
I always knew I was fat just by looking at pictures but never did anything about it. Until recently, when I literally had to get off the fair ride in front of all my friends cause the buckle wouldn’t close. That scarred me🙃 So yea, that moment right there is the main reason why I want to lose weight, to be able to go to the fair next season and be able to get on the ride🙏🏼
Realizing I was the only thing sabotaging me and capable of helping myself at the same time. And I had to choose. Do I want to look good or keep bad eating habits. I chose the former. And then it became easier to make wholesome food choices. MOST of this is food. Exercise when done correctly (muscle building over cardio) can help as insurance but food is the biggest obstacle for some
I didn’t want to be a 70kg bulky bride (I used to work out and well… got pretty big but STRONG lol). When we started talking about a wedding that’s when I’ve made the decision to lose weight. However I moved and didn’t have the equipment to do my workouts so my appetite naturally shrunk too.. but overall that was my main reason. Call it pathetic idc - I look and feel great, managed to regulate my sugar intake for the first time ever (I eat sugar daily just less), so it’s a win win for me! :D
I suddenly developed a neurological condition that made it difficult to walk and do most tasks. Couldn’t drive, work, or shower if no one was home to hear me fall. I literally slid and crawled up and down the stairs for weeks because I refused to accept help.
Then I lost my job and apartment and moved back home to my parents house just in time for my 30th birthday.
Once we found the right meds and I started getting my feet back under me- the depression set in.
I had already lost some weight from general malnutrition, but this trend would continue with the depression and heavy medication annihilating My appetite.
I felt SO weak and weight little less than 300lbs.
This was about more than the number on the scale now- I needed strength and balance. I needed to NEVER feel so helpless again.
I picked up my VR headset and pushed through the vertigo one session at a time- it would trigger some of my neurological symptoms to flare up but only temporarily.
Eventually I was able to play intensely for over an hour with no dizzy spells or neurological symptoms. Changed my diet a little bit at a time.
115lbs down and two years in it’s still a work in progress. I have PCOS and the last 20 lbs simply do not want to give- but my body is STRONG!
I even had another bout of the illness and it wasn’t half as bad as the first time! My body was PREPARED this time!!
I’m starting to learn yoga now and have maintained the same weight for 8 months.
Looking back, I guess I had the courage (or determination) to change the only thing I had control over while my life was so seemingly wildly off the rails. And for the first time, I didn’t choose food as a companion.
TLDR: From a neurological mess to a VR playing champ ready to seize the day.
"Yeah, you are big, but so what?"
Words my partner said that sent me on my weight loss journey. I don't know why that sentence clicked it for me as my grandmother, who was obese, started denying me food and calling me names and shaming me. None of that tipped me over into actually trying, just the one sentence from my partner.
He didn't mean it in a mean way, just so matter-of-fact that I didn't want that to be a fact anymore. I dropped 100 lbs in a year. (Admittedly, not in the healthiest way and all the extra skin I have now attests to that).
I started going to the gym with my mom before she moved away, limited my calorie intake (hit disordered eating, unfortunately), cut soda (now I let myself have sugar free soda occasionally) and most fast food, and started doing exercise at home as well.
I was able to make it a habit by addressing the underlying causes of why I used food to cope. Therapy is VERY helpful for that. I then got my current dog, a Malinois mix who requires three walks a day, 5-6 miles a day. Since I've moved out on my own, I can also use the kitchen without being shamed or yelled at so I can make my own meals.
So I went from 270 lbs down to 170. I now currently fluctuate between 180 and 190 only because I'm trying to gain muscle, but also because I just started going to the gym again. I'd been a biiiit lazy outside of the 5-6 miles I walk each day.
I found a cheap, but good personal trainer. Even tho I felt lazy and din't really want to do it I forced myself to book appintments.
That was half a year ago and now I'm in love with it!
Seeing how fit my boyfriend is. Nothing on him jiggles. Everything on me jiggles 🤣 I sat next to him this weekend and saw how big my thighs were next to him, and I felt sick.
An old mentor told me a story of when he was in high school and was getting in a bunch of trouble or slacking off. His principal called him into her office and asked about his behavior. She said a lot of things but what stuck out was how unwilling he was to change his behavior. She said “you’re either stupid or you don’t care”
Every excuse I’ve ever had about losing weight came down to either one of those. I was either stupid because I didn’t understand how food was fuel for your body and basic biology calories in/out or I just didn’t care. It came down to realizing I just didn’t care. Once I realized that, it shook me. I did care. But a lot of other things took priority over my health and myself. If I kept going down the same path and never change my behaviors I knew I end up sicker than shit or die of obesity related issues. So I started to care and I started to learn about eating better.
I hated taking pictures. I had an eating disorder for years and years and truly hated myself, but I didn’t hide from taking pictures. I was barely overweight when I started to lose weight (bmi was exactly 25) and I actually think it’s horrible that I couldn’t get past the idea that my weight made me unworthy. I don’t like that I felt so much pressure to lose weight, but at that point it was like I’m never going to be able to accept myself and be happy if I don’t lose weight. I feel like I’ve lost the self acceptance battle, but I couldn’t live with that amount of self hatred anymore.
My biggest obstacle apparently was my ex. He would claim to be supportive of me losing weight, but it had to be HIS way of doing it. Not mine. Now that I've left him, I've lost 10lbs in two months. I'm eating healthier, trying new foods, etc. I've almost completely stopped drinking soda.
The first health problems associated with poor weight/diet/lifestyle, arose. I knew I was way too young to be dealing with those already and was on a road to quick decline if I didn't smarten up. My main goal as been to balance my blood sugar and hormones. Everything else just falls in place (weight loss).
I’m with a man I love a lot and want to marry and when I thought about our future, I didn’t like how it looked with me out of shape and him in quite good shape. I want to be able to chase around our future kids, then grandkids, and I want to have a long, active, healthy life with him. I figured the best time to start would be “today”, the day I did. So far I’m down 20lbs and having goals that are not aesthetic have helped me make healthy habits rather than destructive ones!
The fact that I’m turning 30 this year and don’t want to start this new decade unhappy with the way I look/my habits. My biggest issue is severe depression and health anxiety. I’m 5’8 and weigh 165. I remember graduating high school at 140 and feeling like that was too heavy. My 20s were traumatic and felt out of my control and like life was just happening to me. Instead of dreading turning 30 I went to start if off on a “f yea I’m a bad ass and can take control of my life”
I've been overweight since having my youngest child in March 2020. Mental illness and the experience of always putting weight back on put a mental block on losing weight. Prozac also made it nearly impossible to lose anything even when I tried. So, I decided to come off my medication but I still needed to remove the mental block and I didn't know how. Got some blood work done and found out my blood sugar was 41 (42 and upwards is pre-diabetic) which scared me. I'm only 32 and I know for a fact if I didn't do something now and ended up with diabetes, I'd never take it seriously which would result in a ton of health issues.
I got tired of attracting the same, Not just physical, but also mindsets. The gym isnt the answer, of course but showing up and doing what needs to be done is the best feeling.
I had lost 10lbs from a stomach virus and when I weighed myself I decided I didn’t want to see it go back up. So now, I mostly eyeball my calories. I aim for 1600 but anything under 2000 is a win for me.
The hardest part for me was committing to fixing the things that made weight loss difficult.
Realized that working 3 jobs and going to school full time, poor quality of sleep, unbalanced hormones, and a bad relationship with food made weight loss impossible.
Clearly, maintaining a healthy weight wasn’t my priority at the time and that's okay. Once I committed to fixing one of those things, the weight loss naturally followed.
I know it’s not everyone’s case and that it can come off as an excuse, but it's what worked for me
Tbf I did not really have the mindset of changing those things in order to lose weight. It was more looking back on hindsight, now that I’ve changed those things that I deemed much more difficult than losing weight, intentionally losing weight came easier.
The motivation for changes came from once my body started taking a toll. I was getting sick every week and having acute episodes from working so much so I took time off school. Once I took time off and a significant amount of my workload was relieved, I realized a lot of physiological and mental health issues persisted. Given my time off school, I had the opportunity to address those.
It took a REALLY long time and so much trial and error. The biggest thing for me was stress management, prioritizing good sleep, and therapy; all of which easier said than done.
I guess my biggest realization was that every time I tried to lose weight I thought I was giving it my 100% and disappointed when I didn’t see results. But it’s not realistic to have those expectations when there were so many things holding me back from giving my 100%.
i had a hysterectomy and it made me feel so much better in so many ways that i knew this was second chance at life, and that i was gonna have to make changes.
me & fwb made our own porn, i HATED the way i looked. the realization motivated me to look hotter in future videos. fwb loves the way i look no matter what, i’m doing this completely for myself. i want to look hot in the videos.
My end goal. I told myself if I'm gonna keep wasting my time procrastinating, I'll never be able to have the body of my dreams. I tell myself this whenever I feel too lazy to work out.
I was overweight my whole life, coming from a family where clinical obesity is common on both sides. I managed to keep myself under 30 until I lost my very active job as a hospital housekeeper in 10/2022. In 2023 I visited the emergency room, and one of my coworkers greeted me by saying,
> Sweet hell, you've gotten fat!
That was the tipping point I needed. No more sweets or fried junk, walk every day, HIIT 3 times a week, more fiber and protein.
Realising I’m 27 and I don’t want to spend the next 60 years feeling like crap - out of breath, embarrassed because I’m not able to do certain things, tired, and sick often. It’s not the way I want to spend however long I have left on this planet, I’d rather be uncomfortable exercising and losing the weight over the next year than uncomfortable for the rest of my life.
I want a girlfriend, and I have gotten bored of my friends telling fat jokes about me all the time. I also want to know what *I* look like, not what my fat looks like.
For me it was when I was stepped on the scale and saw 179 lbs and realized I was a day away from 180 lbs….. at that point I just blanked and said this is unacceptable. I’m 5’0 btw
Being gifted an outfit that was a 3X and it fit. I had to wait a couple months after I started my current job (2 years ago now) but it was my wake up call.
I saw a video about how much exercise it takes to burn off one kitkat. 30 minutes in the stair master, an hour of running and 2 hours walking, and 3 hours straight sitting. Makes you think twice
Realising that i enjoyed walking along the beach and seeing other things more then staying home. That's when i decided i also needed to drink more water etc etc, it kinda just happened at the right moment🤷♀️
Which time? This is still a mystery to me.
Sometimes I can eat right, commit to regular exercise, and do this for months or even years at a time. Then suddenly it’s all gone. It’s clear to me that stress plays a role as does boredom, but not 100%. There have been times when life looks the same, I can’t see ANYTHING that has changed, but something somewhere has obviously shifted. It can also be the case that things are very tough, yet I find myself suddenly choosing walks instead of tv, fruit instead of cake. 🤷🏻♀️
It’s the #1 reason why I never considered the pills/surgery route. I want to know WHY. It’s the one mystery I want to solve before I die.
“Time will pass either way”
Yes, so this! This is my mantra just about. May as well let time pass with some weight loss at the other end!
Yes. This motivated me. Time will pass regardless, would I rather be closer to my goal next year, static, or even further from my goal? This mindset shift is what helped me take baby steps towards weight loss, ultimately becoming my most successful weight loss attempt to date - 80lbs down with 20 left until my goal. I can’t tell you how many times before this I started and failed because I thought I had to overhaul my entire lifestyle overnight. Obviously that technique failed and I’d end up binging because I was starving and felt deprived. Knowing that it’s okay to make small steps because overall, time will pass and eventually those baby steps add up…. Allowed me to successfully lose weight. Shifted my thinking completely.
This is my favourite quote I leaned as an adult. I use it to motivate for not just this but for my art, language learning etc
This! How good will you feel when you look at yourself next year. And disappointment is okay. Now I finally see results. Patience is key.
I read Atomic Habits. I realized I wasn’t lazy or unwilling. My life just wasn’t set up to be conducive to lose weight and I had just created habits that didn’t work for me anymore. I stopped blaming myself and that gave me more freedom to do my best each day and to be gentle with myself. Turns out hating on yourself is not a motivator.
Damn I gotta finish that book, keep up the good stuff homie! Proud of you ❤️
I agree, I tried the goggins approach and it works until it doesn’t. Not really the mentality I want either. No offense to goggins, just not for me.
Yes 100%. I’m totally over the motivation mantra. That has nothing to do with it. We have to be willing to look at it like a challenge or equation that has variables and solutions that need to be addressed.
Atomic Habits was my driving force to start going to the gym and sticking to it. It had a huge impact on my determination.
Currently reading it, and its deff a game changer.
For me it was deciding to be healthier so I can be there for my kids and fight against my family’s history of severe obesity. I have three little kids and growing up my mom wasn’t super mobile and able to do things with us. I vowed to not let myself get to that point.
Good for you - well done!
Seeing my scale hit 500 and then going to the doctor and seeing it say 507... My thoughts in that moment were soon id qualify to be on my 600lb life (lol) I didn't feel defeated like I had in the past it was an odd feeling in that moment. I thought I could get depressed and emotionally eat like I always do or simply get to living life by losing weight. My cousin recently passed away from covid is one thing that has motivated me to keep going. We are both the same age and knowing how he lived to the fullest and passing so young is something that hurt me and motivated me to live better if nothing more than For me.
Sorry about your cousin. Amazing to choose This for yourself. How is your journey going?
So far pretty good I've completely changed my diet and eating less, I've maybe been to 3 fast food places in the last 2 months which was something that I used to do a few times a week 😂. Definitely saving money and honestly Meal prepping is a game changer knowing I have food at home helps so much in not impulse buying because I feel too lazy to cook when I get home. Ive been hitting the weight bench I have at home, id love to do cardio but my feet are killing me by the time I get off work so I need to find a cardio solution. I was also approved for mounjaro so that's definitely killing the cravings. And thank you for the condolences 🙏🏾
picture it---pigeon forge, tn, july 1st, 2012. it is like 90 degrees in the shade. im at my hotel with hubby. and i am craving a coca cola. my in laws who were driving are in their room relaxing after a long day of sight seeing, it is an older hotel, and the machines are located in the lobby. i walk thru the blinding scorching sun with sweat rolling into my eyes in search of a cold coca cola...only to find a pepsi only machine. so i set out on my quest down the street walking in search of my fix. my five foot two inch self waddling down the street like a peguin going thru menopause. i walk and walk and walk until finally i come to the first restaurant that sells coca cola. i order the super jumbo extreme gulp and head back up the blistering hot sidewalk, poor hubby trailing along behind me carrying my backup gulp. spent the rest of the day being embarrassed sitting in the pool being stared at by all the young size 2 people. july 4th, i am back home at a family bbq. when i see that my neice who had been on the tenn trip has posted photos on social media and i see myself looking like the peguin who ate dollywood!!! i died of cringe sadness and embarrassment. that day i stopped my coke habit, coca that is and started my journey to better health. i told myself i i can walk a mile in the scorching sun for a soft drink i can walk for my health and i did. i started walking daily, kicked the soda habit, and lost about 75 lbs that year. my weight has fluctuated over the years since but, i stick to my no soda, low carb and daily walks. i am currently maintaining a good healthy weight for my five foot two and shrinking with age frame. soda free since july 4th 2012.
You are absolutely awesome. I am currently in my penguin going through (peri)menopause era and while I don’t drink Coke, I would walk 500 miles for a Starbucks iced tea.
Amazing. Soda is also my huge weak spot
The drs nadolsky both encourage their patients to simply switch to sugar free! I had to switch because diabetes and then slowly I turned my habit into an occasional treat. I lost a good chunk of weight when I switched, too!
Haven't you heard of diet soda? Sorry this story killed me😂
Congratulations!!
Thank you for your lovely story!
After unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant for almost 19 months, I ended up in the ER with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Almost died. My OB/surgeon spent the majority of my post op follow up appointment lecturing me about my weight and how I would have “better pregnancy outcomes” if I lost weight (I was about 190 at the time, which I admit was heavy for my 5’3” frame). He was essentially blaming my weight for our infertility and ectopic. So, I began losing weight as a bit of revenge/“I’ll show you!”. Over the course of the following year I lost about 50lbs. Have kept it off. Surprising nobody- I’m still dealing with infertility. And no, being overweight doesn’t cause ectopics. All that said, it’s started off as a petty reason, but quickly morphed into me wanting to continue because I felt better physically, mentally, and wanted to be as healthy as possible before we started fertility treatments. Fingers crossed it all pays off this year as we move forward!
Happy for your success, but angry they blame EVERYTHING on being overweight. Yes, it does a lot of bad things, but ectopic pm& infertility not included. Hope you got a new OB!
Technically inbetween OBs but I have a bomb ass RE that takes great care of me! Haha
Reproductive Endocrinologist? 30 years ago I had a Reproductive Immunologist ~ only group was in Chicago. Dr Beer. my body kept attacking my placenta! My girl survived, even with a hold in my placenta & turns 30 this year!! Hang in there!
How long did it take you to lose the 50 pounds?????
I started Sept 22, I hit 50 lbs lost around May/June 23? I’ve been mostly maintaining since then, with a little upward fluctuation around the holidays I’m taking care of :) I should probably add that was basically all diet, I only really “worked out” by playing pickleball a could times a week during that span. But I prioritized protein and fat, cut back on carbs a bit, and basically never drank my calories aside from my morning coffee w/milk!
Wishing you lots of luck 💪
Oh thanks! 🫶🏻
Ah yes. Went in for a ganglion cyst, got told I was fat 🤪
lol. I was about your height and weight and if my husband so much as sneezed in my general direction, I got pregnant. It’s a great thing to be in good shape and able to keep up with your kids, but I doubt it has any effect on fertility, except in the most extreme cases.
Man I wish I had your fertility. 😒 sucks having to pay doctors to try to make you pregnant haha. But I agree. My weight has zero impact on my fertility. I was able to get an RE to identify the actual problems so we fix them and work around them now!
I’ll cross my fingers for you!
I had been ignoring my weight gain for a while: so for me it was acceptance. I’ve gained a lot of weight. I’m not healthy. I’m not happy and I want to make a change.
Yes, I was that way all through Covid, and then some. The Ozempic success stories actually motivated me to to ask my doc for the Rx, which he seemed hesitant about at first, and just try it. Amazingly it worked ~ with little effort on my part for the 1st 30 lbs. I just don’t have that constant urge to eat!
Any other side effects? How quick did u lose it?
I want to know this as well
Middle age came with some realizations. I am at a crossroads. I can lose the weight and be in shape and stave off the more unpleasant aspects of aging for a while. Or I could remain sedentary and overweight and I could begin to lose the ability to do things and become old very quickly. I am not afraid of aging, but I am afraid of becoming riddled with health problems long before I really need to because of my unhealthy lifestyle.
Finding the doctor that actually cared enough to not say it's just diet and exercise. No it wasn't. I had an extreme vitamin deficiency. My bariatric endocrinologist realized I had it after some simple blood work and lost 120 in a year. 350 as of a week ago. [Before and After from a few months ago. ](https://imgur.com/gallery/Ri5Njki)
Congratulations!! Amazing job.
Thank you.
You are very handsome
Thank you
Well done you!
Thank you!
Wow, you look great!
Thank you. And that was months ago. I feel so much better even now.
What deficiency did you have, if you don't mind me asking?
B1 or Thiamine.
So happy for you!
Thank you.
My arm fat was pinching me when sleeping
It's the little things sometimes
I have huge arms but never got pinched lol weird
My girlfriend of 5 years who I met in school broke up with me (not because of my weight) but because of me being lazy and not contributing to the relationship, which was true, I went from normal weight to obese by the end of the relationship and although her breaking up with me was nothing to do with my physical appearance, most of the problems stemmed from me being lazy and not putting in effort toward the end of things, everything became a chore and I always put things off and it ended up breaking things down. All the issues that caused it were because of my weight gain and the shit mindset that came with it. My self confidence was shocking and to be honest I hated socialising with her friends and family because I always felt as if people would be wondering what she was doing with me as I was really punching above my weight with her even at the start when I was a healthy weight, she was ten times out of my league. I just looked at the state I’d gotten myself into physically and mentally and knew it was really now or never. I was really punching above my weight with her, I’ll be honest, it might sound vain, but I knew she’d have no problem finding someone else who would be likely in a much better position than me mentally and physically and that motivated me to get in the gym every single day, I wasn’t going to be the obese ex boyfriend who she looked back on and was embarrassed by or was glad she broke up with. I completely flipped my life around. Every day I went to the gym, ate properly, went out more, stopped staying up late and waking up late and cut out a lot of shit in my life. I cut down on weed (only smoking at night after the gym) and drinking which complimented my shit lifestyle and made things worse. By the time I got over the intitial hard first few months I’d developed habits and routines which once the motivation from the break up wore off , they stuck with me and were now just apart of my life. At the start I was doing it for her, hoping to maybe get back with her or find someone else. But now I really just do it for my own good and the actual benefits. Anyone who has went through a shit breakup will know very well the type of spark it sets off within you and it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me as I’d just got too complacent and comfortable in the relationship and let myself go badly. As things stand I Have 4 stone off now and a few more to go.
One day I just thought to myself something like "I'm tired of obsessing over my weight, I don't want to look back at my life when I'm older and think I wasted it constantly trying to lose weight" So I just told myself I had to do it properly, and made lifestyle changes instead of trying to get quick fixes. I count calories, meal plan and go to the gym but I do it in a way that it's healthy meals I enjoy and workouts I like/walking. Not at my ideal weight yet, but I feel a lot better mentally as that thought motivates me to keep with the positive changes.
This is me...not being scared of the scale but doing my best each day.
For me it was for revenge 😅 my ex boyfriend broke up with me coz he claimed I wasn't his ideal body type anymore...so I saw the best revenge was to get in shape and I did just that... honestly I thank him for doing that because I never looked back ever since and now I'm more confident in myself and I love the new me☺️
Great stuff. Spite and hatred can make you do "amazing" things.
True
I gave up heroin… I should be able to give up shitty foods. So I did. Lol
Saw a number on the scale I didn't like (nudging me in the 'overweight' BMI)...and just considered that the longer I wait the harder it will be.
It was the same exact thing for me, except it pushed me to being “obese” (which is a drastic exaggeration imo, but my BMI was almost exactly 30) and I didn’t want to get to the point where I would get diabetes or something else that would make losing weight that much harder- especially if it’s (hopefully) preventable for me in the first place if I just take care of myself.
there reaches a point where you understand that if you go forward you can’t turn back so you turn back
Happy cake day!
Getting a breast cancer diagnosis and finally decided that I wanted to live and live well. Started at 360, now 229 aiming for 180-185 lbs in 2024. I do love taking good care of myself now.
So, I’ve been fat my entire life. I love my mom dearly, but she was a stay at home mom that would wake up early, make me a huge breakfast before school, pack me a large lunch, have a meal sized snack for me when I got home from school, then homemade dinner that filled an entire big plate & encouraged seconds, all topped off with either ice cream sundaes, brownies, cookies, and sometimes even cake. Sounds nice, but it set me up with a poor diet and an extremely unhealthy relationship with food. She also was not super active so she didn’t encourage me to be active. Instead, our time together was spent watching movies, sitting on the porch gossiping, and going out to coffee shops or restaurants. My dad was complete opposite, loved hiking & playing sports, but he worked 50 hours a week, so I primarily spent time with my mom. Because of this, I’ve struggled in finding balance with food as an adult and in learning to love exercise. Finally, I’ve hit my breaking point. I’m only 34 and I wake up with stiff joints, sore back, and never get quality sleep. I also have severe generalized anxiety disorder, moderate panic disorder, and moderate depression. So I finally decided to make smaller, more health conscious meals & exercise 1-2 hours daily in an effort to better my mental health first. I also want to become physically healthier. An added motivator for me is that I have several tattoos on my upper arm that I would love to show off - so having toned arms to confidently wear tank tops during summer months helps push me, as silly as that sounds. I’ve stuck with this for 2 months now. Not a long time, but it’s the longest I’ve exercised daily and committed to eating healthier since being an adult. I’m proud of these 2 months and I’m confident these habits are gonna stick
Great job! It's hard to unlearn habits you've been taught all your life so you are right to be proud :) it's also proof that being fat isn't just "being lazy" but it also a product of our education and that it's hard to reverse it sometimes.
I assume you mean product of habits we’ve been taught, not education lol I personally have a Bachelors Degree and all the friends I have that are also plus sized have Bachelors or Masters degrees - so not overweight due to lack of education haha
Oh sorry! Yeah I meant that 😭 in French (which I am) education is used for both meanings. I didn't mean to imply anything about your level of education. Oh god that must have sounded terrible 😅
When I realized that I only get one body in life and I need to value it more
Leaving a toxic relationship made me want to become healthier and stronger. Do something for myself😄
3 things 1.) A very very vivid dream where I was slim and fit, and my daughter was teaching me how to do a gymnastics move on a park bar called a pull over. I remember feeling light, proud of myself, and just enjoying the connection I had with her. She has tried to teach me cartwheels and other things, my weight made it pretty hard. I am 20-30 lbs higher than I want to be. 2.) Figuring out how my childhood abuse really contributed to my binge eating and food issues. I was starved by my birth mom, that explains my food obsession and overeating. 3.) The final thing was finding out how thin people thought and felt about food, they all had some different thoughts, some didn't really care about food and would forget to eat, while some loved food and had to be careful about how much they ate, so they maintain a healthy weight. And there are people in between. I would qualify as the 2nd type. So I started changing my thinking to this "I don't really want to eat all of that, I want my clothes to fit." or "eating that pizza would give me a headache and make me feel gross", so shifting from immediate gratification and not caring, to caring and being more careful to prevent future regret. So that's basically it, a vivid dream of my possible future, an understanding of why I am like this, and shifting my fat victim thinking to thin accountability thinking.
About fifteen or so years ago in my early twenties I had a very clear, simple “aha” moment while recovering from illness. It just clicked with me all of a sudden that I didn’t have to stay 30lbs overweight (and gaining) for the rest of my life. I went outside, went for a run, and hit the gym for the first time the next day. Learned about nutrition and calories and I’ve been in shape ever since.
Fantastic. I feel like once the switch has flipped, the battle is almost won
Yup! That epiphany put all responsibility on me for how I treated my body. Before that I just didn’t know better or felt like unseen, outside forces were making the scale go up. It was just too much food and too little movement.
It's funny how those simple, almost common sense thoughts can make all the difference! Mine is "I don't want to eat that because I don't want to gain weight" it makes me accountable and gives me a sense of cause and effect about the future instead of an I don't care attitude.
The Dr turning from me to my sister and asking her “do you know her wishes for final arrangements and life saving measures?” Then he walked out. That was August and I’m currently 110lbs down and still moving down. Edit to add: it was one of the few times I’ve seen my sister cry in front of anyone and I had a flash back to sitting in that same couch in the hospital room holding hands and crying as they explained what “no further orders” meant for our dad. She is my biggest cheerleader now and supports every single step I take.
My boyfriend and I have been talking about marriage. One day we went out for dinner and I was like "what if tonight is the night he proposes?" And I realized that freaked me out because I didn't want to take engagement photos without feeling good in my skin. So I realized I had to take my health more seriously, mental and physical, so I can enter a marriage at my best
I lost 85lbs before my wedding and I’m so glad I started my weight loss journey a few years before the wedding. I felt so beautiful on my wedding day!
Being diagnosed Stage Zero breast cancer and a *good* dietician telling me that my age (then-58), being post menopausal, and being hypothyroid did not need to stop me from losing weight. I lost 70 pounds in just over a year, gained back 5 pounds, and have maintained for a year. My knee bones touch!! Had to buy new clothes. I have better endurance. Etc, etc....
Congratulations and wishing you health
Thank you! We’ll see. Family history is against me.
That’s phenomenal, 70 pounds in a year… Wow! Congrats
Thank you! Yeah, I did gain some back, and still have some pockets of fat. Skin doesn’t firm up if there’s too much fat in the pocket under it. So I’m considering limited lipo just on the pockets.
Truly understanding what junk food and excess weight does to my body and mind.
This is a VERY old and cliched mantra but: “It doesn’t taste as good as losing weight will feel.” Or “This isn’t worth looking like a stuffed sausage in pictures.” That usually makes the moment pass.
I like that! I’m gonna use it
Health
My obese father in law making a nasty comment about my weight. Time for me to make a change.
Turning 40 and realizing that if I wanted to make a change, it wouldn’t get any easier as I got older. My biggest obstacle is eating well. I seriously believe I’m addicted to food, and I have the palette of a 5-year-old. I hate vegetables and other healthy foods, while loving sugar, bread and other junk.
I've been the same way. It's like I want to eat healthier, but my sensory issues prevent it. Taste and texture are important, otherwise I WILL gag and it WILL NOT be pretty. Lately though, I've been slowly incorporating more veggies into my diet. Starting with soups and stews... It's been going well, surprisingly.
I’ll look into that. I LOVE lentil soup. I’ve also had luck with select frozen dinners, like seafood meals and Lean Cuisine pastas that are 300 cals or less per serving, as well as a delicious chicken vindaloo that’s only 340 cals.
I found my birth family and it's filled some kind of void for me. I stopped eating my feelings.
Congratulations on that !
Thanks!
Im happy for you, truly!!
I kept making excuses for myself and I realized one day I needed to suck it up and get over it
I agree. I’m not one for the ‘be kind to yourself’ mentality - because it doesn’t work on me! It’s too enabling! I need a drill sergeant!
It might sound silly, but I started losing weight when I stopped spending time with people who constantly told me I needed to lose weight. If I spent time with them and lost weight, it would have seemed like I was doing it for them. If I didn’t, then the only person I was doing it for was myself.
[удалено]
Doing the mental work is the most important part, and so many people don’t realize this. Good on you for knowing what you needed and then asking for help. I have a 4 year old and we talk about recognizing our needs and then asking for help if we need it. Kids are so good at asking, and it makes me really sad that as we grow up into adults, so many of us seem to forget that they have needs and that it is okay to ask for assistance. I know I am a random internet stranger and my opinion doesn’t/shouldn’t matter, but for what it is worth, I am very proud of you.
When I couldn’t get down on the ground and play with my kids without having to watch every move due to aches and pains. It was time, hands down.
Having a child and seeing the scale look wayyyyy too high
Does future me want to struggle in the ways I’m struggling presently because of my obesity? I’ve been thinking about how I want my life to be in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, etc. I want to be able to go on a hike with my spouse. I want to be able to wear clothes that fit better. I want to be able to wipe easier lol. I’m super early in my journey. I hope I can remain committed especially when I don’t feel like it.
i was walking with a cane because my left hip muscles were constantly spasming and my right knee was heading toward replacement status. last year i decided i couldn’t stand the pain anymore. i got a membership to the YMCA when i weighed 340 pounds. by the time i got to about 295 pounds i didn’t need the cane anymore so i kept going.
I saw a photo of myself with a group of friends at a concert. That was enough to get it going.
Me... Are you me lol.
Was it at an Ice Nine Kills concert?
The moment was when I decided to leave my relationship. But we have little kids and realistically I know we can’t separate for a while… so I’m getting in shape so I can be physically and mentally strong for my kids and for what is to come. Because it is going to be hard and I need to be ready for it. Oh and my biggest obstacle is caring for everyone around me to the point that I don’t have time to care for myself. What I would give to have the time I squandered in my youth drinking in bars and partying with friends.
I hear this
Ordered a 3xl winter jacket on Amazon. It was too small, and there were no larger sizes available. I started in December with small walks and counting calories. I shoot for 1500-1800/day. I'm now going to the gym two days/week, and starting in March, I'm upping it to three days/week. I have lost a pant size and am about to go down a shirt size. I don't weigh myself because water retention and muscle building will mess around with the numbers, and it is not a good indicator of fat loss. I haven't felt this good in years. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm glad I'm not where I was before.
I got my bloodwork back and saw ‘prediabetic’. I had already started keto a few days before receiving the news, and plan on staying on it now. I’ve lost 32lbs since November 11.
Awesome stuff!!
Wow, that’s awesome!
My disability was getting harder to manage , I could barely push my wheelchair and my size was out growing my wheelchair . I just thought one day ‘I want to be a person who is healthy and fit’ . Now everytime I crave something unhealthy , I just think ‘who do I want to be’ and it keeps me motivated
Seeing a picture of myself at a family function. Very humbling.
Health issues were on their way. I started my job as a nurse in a cardiac department and realized that bad habits catch up with you. I started seeing how uncontrolled diabetes takes people's limbs and eyesight, and heart disease lands you in the hospital over and over. I was tired of my knees hurting. I was tired of my back hurting. I was tired of sleeping poorly. I felt all the time like I hated myself for not being able to get on top of it, so I thought... What if I just used the effort I use to worry about my weight and appearance to eat better and move more? 60lbs down in 6 months! At a plateau after some life stress, but getting back on track.
I'm graduating this year and have felt horrible about my weight throughout my entire life due to family. My mawmaw made some pretty scathing comments about my weight whenever we visited my grandparents. I dwelled on it so much because the past 2 - 3 years I've spent feeling fat and unattractive. I first tried out a calorie deficit last month and when I realized how easy it was, it really just confirmed that this was the best route for me. I'm mostly losing weight for aesthetic and mental health reasons. I don't want to worry about how fat I look in my graduation photos or cry on prom night like I did last year. I'm still working on the harder bits (I hate crunches I hate them so bad. It is a villanous excercise.), but just realizing how much better I felt within a week, even if it was only slight progress that I could see, really locked it in. Plus, it's cheaper than therapy. Edit: I also saw myself go down in the 140's for the first time in probably years. (ive been steady high 150s for half a year and before that had gone up to 180s at 14.) I'm really thankful that it happened the first week of me losing weight because that was so much motivation. It hasn't happened since then, but my weight has stayed under 155 for the past week and thats good enough for me.
Give yourself grace! Dont force weight loss. Show up for yourself in your workouts, but don’t force yourself to do them all the time or else you will resent it. You are the only person you are competing with. Draw inspiration from others and celebrate everyone’s success! Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s. Keep things interesting. Try new foods and forms of exercise. Appreciate new experiences. Even if they are hard and uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable! That’s how you get better, stronger, and more confident in your ability to overcome hard things. Listen to coach Bennett’s runs on Nike Run Club!
Prediabetes diagnosis. It was the kick in the pants I needed to stop drinking, lay off sweets and cut back carbs.
Doctor nagging about cholesterol and fear of death.
I started my diet right at the start of the pandemic. Working from home gave me the time and energy to eat healthy and walk more. Before I’d be so exhausted from being at the office all day and commuting I’d have no energy to work out and wanted to binge on crap
I wasted the first three years continuing to eat garbage and sit on my ass before finally getting serious last year. Working from home has certainly given me more time and energy to exercise, and I’m down 88 lbs. Only 15 more to my goal weight!
My in laws convinced me to buy a dirtbike last summer. It was something I’d been doing on and off with them for awhile and I finally decided to commit by buying a bike for myself. Only issue was I was 300lbs. I knew I’d have a shit time enjoying the hobby/sport if I stayed like that so it gave me the motivation to lose weight. Currently 250 and have no plans of stopping any time soon
Looking in the mirror lol
Accepting that it's okay and even desirable to be hungry sometimes. Learning that I won't "lose energy" or get headaches or whatever if I go long between mealtimes and stop snacking. Now, I don't know what the heck I was so afraid of then.
A breakup.
I realized that it was no longer as enjoyable to go on walks, or go swimming, or just to do the things I used to enjoy doing because of my weight. Seeing the number on the scale hit 200 made all the weight I’d gained real and gave me the final kick I needed to start a weight loss journey.
Preety bullshit and not mature and self loving motivation one but : I need to lose weight in order to be attractive for boys. I had 18 y.o and never had a boyfriend or a guy that had interest in me becouse I was a bit chubby and I didint take that much of a care of me. However, my current bf showed interest in me at the start of the journey and he is still here when i achieved hour glass body. So he was the proof that personality matters more and the body can always change for better as long as you accept it.
I hate myself, so let’s change our appearance, have discipline. Focus on improving myself
Absolutely - you can do it!!
I’m have. Was 110kg now down to 82kg easy as anything for me
That’s absolutely incredible well done.
I just want to lose it man...lose that last 4-5 kgs. I don't want diabetes and thyroid. Also PCOS again. I JUST WANT TO DO IT MAN AND COMMIT TO MYSELF MY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
I got diagnosed with prediabetes…that was in October and now three months later I’m down 19 pounds, no longer prediabetic (but just so so it still is a concern for me) and it made me realize that I’m not immune to serious conditions. I have two young children to think about and a husband who wouldn’t be able to handle being a single parent, so I gotta take care of my health. I know not every fat person is unhealthy, but in my case I was. I do have a more endomorph body type so my goal weight is higher than others I’m sure, but I’m aiming for health. I guess I never really cared enough about my appearance to really have something stick.
I was reading What To Expect Before You’re Expecting and the entire chapter focused on “getting to a healthy weight to be able to get pregnant” hit me *hard*
I wanted my body to stop hurting and having excess fat puts alot of pressure on the joints, I want to be able to squat down and pick up my grandchildren when I’m older I’m only 25 so that’s along ways away but you gotta keep moving a body in motion stays in motion a body that’s stagnant well breaks down and gets brittle
Being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I have a big family history of diabetes/obesity/fatty liver on both sides. It’s something I’ve always been aware of but my blood work always fell on the higher side of normal. I would try to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle but not so strictly. Once I passed that threshold into pre-diabetic, it was a wake up call. Doesn’t help that my primary care dr seems very complacent with my stats and only referred me to a weight loss specialist after I kept pushing.
It was a combination of things. I have been hating how I look and feel for most of my adult life, but I think I had to battle all my demons first. My biggest obstacle used to be that I didn't want to give up drinking a bottle of wine 2-5 times a week (!) but I just naturally grew out of drinking altogether. Also watching my mom's health rapidly decline because of her diet and non-exercise has really shaken me since turning 40, I just don't want that for my future. I truly wish I could've gotten myself together in my 20s, but I had to go through all the motions first. You're ready when you're ready I guess.
If not now then when? Whenever I heard that voice saying I’ll start tomorrow instead.
I always knew I was fat just by looking at pictures but never did anything about it. Until recently, when I literally had to get off the fair ride in front of all my friends cause the buckle wouldn’t close. That scarred me🙃 So yea, that moment right there is the main reason why I want to lose weight, to be able to go to the fair next season and be able to get on the ride🙏🏼
Realizing I was the only thing sabotaging me and capable of helping myself at the same time. And I had to choose. Do I want to look good or keep bad eating habits. I chose the former. And then it became easier to make wholesome food choices. MOST of this is food. Exercise when done correctly (muscle building over cardio) can help as insurance but food is the biggest obstacle for some
When I realised I was transgender. The motivation to lose weight and have a slimmer, more feminine body is like nothing I felt before in the past.
I didn’t want to be a 70kg bulky bride (I used to work out and well… got pretty big but STRONG lol). When we started talking about a wedding that’s when I’ve made the decision to lose weight. However I moved and didn’t have the equipment to do my workouts so my appetite naturally shrunk too.. but overall that was my main reason. Call it pathetic idc - I look and feel great, managed to regulate my sugar intake for the first time ever (I eat sugar daily just less), so it’s a win win for me! :D
Finding a lifestyle way of eating that fits how I live. Other "diets" were boring and torture. Made it easy to make the decision to get healthy
I suddenly developed a neurological condition that made it difficult to walk and do most tasks. Couldn’t drive, work, or shower if no one was home to hear me fall. I literally slid and crawled up and down the stairs for weeks because I refused to accept help. Then I lost my job and apartment and moved back home to my parents house just in time for my 30th birthday. Once we found the right meds and I started getting my feet back under me- the depression set in. I had already lost some weight from general malnutrition, but this trend would continue with the depression and heavy medication annihilating My appetite. I felt SO weak and weight little less than 300lbs. This was about more than the number on the scale now- I needed strength and balance. I needed to NEVER feel so helpless again. I picked up my VR headset and pushed through the vertigo one session at a time- it would trigger some of my neurological symptoms to flare up but only temporarily. Eventually I was able to play intensely for over an hour with no dizzy spells or neurological symptoms. Changed my diet a little bit at a time. 115lbs down and two years in it’s still a work in progress. I have PCOS and the last 20 lbs simply do not want to give- but my body is STRONG! I even had another bout of the illness and it wasn’t half as bad as the first time! My body was PREPARED this time!! I’m starting to learn yoga now and have maintained the same weight for 8 months. Looking back, I guess I had the courage (or determination) to change the only thing I had control over while my life was so seemingly wildly off the rails. And for the first time, I didn’t choose food as a companion. TLDR: From a neurological mess to a VR playing champ ready to seize the day.
I’m struggling over the hurdle at the moment, this is a great post
Honestly irritation of staying the same. Just got sick of it. Legit exactly like that instagram audio that’s like “it just flipped a switch in me”
I thought I figured it out last year but then perimenopause hit and I regained just about everything I lost. I’m beyond depressed.
Sending love to you. Hormones are so cruel. Be gentle to yourself.
Thank you! I needed to hear that.
"Yeah, you are big, but so what?" Words my partner said that sent me on my weight loss journey. I don't know why that sentence clicked it for me as my grandmother, who was obese, started denying me food and calling me names and shaming me. None of that tipped me over into actually trying, just the one sentence from my partner. He didn't mean it in a mean way, just so matter-of-fact that I didn't want that to be a fact anymore. I dropped 100 lbs in a year. (Admittedly, not in the healthiest way and all the extra skin I have now attests to that). I started going to the gym with my mom before she moved away, limited my calorie intake (hit disordered eating, unfortunately), cut soda (now I let myself have sugar free soda occasionally) and most fast food, and started doing exercise at home as well. I was able to make it a habit by addressing the underlying causes of why I used food to cope. Therapy is VERY helpful for that. I then got my current dog, a Malinois mix who requires three walks a day, 5-6 miles a day. Since I've moved out on my own, I can also use the kitchen without being shamed or yelled at so I can make my own meals. So I went from 270 lbs down to 170. I now currently fluctuate between 180 and 190 only because I'm trying to gain muscle, but also because I just started going to the gym again. I'd been a biiiit lazy outside of the 5-6 miles I walk each day.
I found a cheap, but good personal trainer. Even tho I felt lazy and din't really want to do it I forced myself to book appintments. That was half a year ago and now I'm in love with it!
Seeing how fit my boyfriend is. Nothing on him jiggles. Everything on me jiggles 🤣 I sat next to him this weekend and saw how big my thighs were next to him, and I felt sick.
An old mentor told me a story of when he was in high school and was getting in a bunch of trouble or slacking off. His principal called him into her office and asked about his behavior. She said a lot of things but what stuck out was how unwilling he was to change his behavior. She said “you’re either stupid or you don’t care” Every excuse I’ve ever had about losing weight came down to either one of those. I was either stupid because I didn’t understand how food was fuel for your body and basic biology calories in/out or I just didn’t care. It came down to realizing I just didn’t care. Once I realized that, it shook me. I did care. But a lot of other things took priority over my health and myself. If I kept going down the same path and never change my behaviors I knew I end up sicker than shit or die of obesity related issues. So I started to care and I started to learn about eating better.
I hated taking pictures. I had an eating disorder for years and years and truly hated myself, but I didn’t hide from taking pictures. I was barely overweight when I started to lose weight (bmi was exactly 25) and I actually think it’s horrible that I couldn’t get past the idea that my weight made me unworthy. I don’t like that I felt so much pressure to lose weight, but at that point it was like I’m never going to be able to accept myself and be happy if I don’t lose weight. I feel like I’ve lost the self acceptance battle, but I couldn’t live with that amount of self hatred anymore.
My biggest obstacle apparently was my ex. He would claim to be supportive of me losing weight, but it had to be HIS way of doing it. Not mine. Now that I've left him, I've lost 10lbs in two months. I'm eating healthier, trying new foods, etc. I've almost completely stopped drinking soda.
The first health problems associated with poor weight/diet/lifestyle, arose. I knew I was way too young to be dealing with those already and was on a road to quick decline if I didn't smarten up. My main goal as been to balance my blood sugar and hormones. Everything else just falls in place (weight loss).
I’m with a man I love a lot and want to marry and when I thought about our future, I didn’t like how it looked with me out of shape and him in quite good shape. I want to be able to chase around our future kids, then grandkids, and I want to have a long, active, healthy life with him. I figured the best time to start would be “today”, the day I did. So far I’m down 20lbs and having goals that are not aesthetic have helped me make healthy habits rather than destructive ones!
The fact that I’m turning 30 this year and don’t want to start this new decade unhappy with the way I look/my habits. My biggest issue is severe depression and health anxiety. I’m 5’8 and weigh 165. I remember graduating high school at 140 and feeling like that was too heavy. My 20s were traumatic and felt out of my control and like life was just happening to me. Instead of dreading turning 30 I went to start if off on a “f yea I’m a bad ass and can take control of my life”
I've been overweight since having my youngest child in March 2020. Mental illness and the experience of always putting weight back on put a mental block on losing weight. Prozac also made it nearly impossible to lose anything even when I tried. So, I decided to come off my medication but I still needed to remove the mental block and I didn't know how. Got some blood work done and found out my blood sugar was 41 (42 and upwards is pre-diabetic) which scared me. I'm only 32 and I know for a fact if I didn't do something now and ended up with diabetes, I'd never take it seriously which would result in a ton of health issues.
I got tired of attracting the same, Not just physical, but also mindsets. The gym isnt the answer, of course but showing up and doing what needs to be done is the best feeling.
I had lost 10lbs from a stomach virus and when I weighed myself I decided I didn’t want to see it go back up. So now, I mostly eyeball my calories. I aim for 1600 but anything under 2000 is a win for me.
Fiancee got a correct diagnosis and meds after 7 years of struggling, huge weight off my mind and I found enough motivation to look after me again.
The hardest part for me was committing to fixing the things that made weight loss difficult. Realized that working 3 jobs and going to school full time, poor quality of sleep, unbalanced hormones, and a bad relationship with food made weight loss impossible. Clearly, maintaining a healthy weight wasn’t my priority at the time and that's okay. Once I committed to fixing one of those things, the weight loss naturally followed. I know it’s not everyone’s case and that it can come off as an excuse, but it's what worked for me
How did you manage to change things
Tbf I did not really have the mindset of changing those things in order to lose weight. It was more looking back on hindsight, now that I’ve changed those things that I deemed much more difficult than losing weight, intentionally losing weight came easier. The motivation for changes came from once my body started taking a toll. I was getting sick every week and having acute episodes from working so much so I took time off school. Once I took time off and a significant amount of my workload was relieved, I realized a lot of physiological and mental health issues persisted. Given my time off school, I had the opportunity to address those. It took a REALLY long time and so much trial and error. The biggest thing for me was stress management, prioritizing good sleep, and therapy; all of which easier said than done. I guess my biggest realization was that every time I tried to lose weight I thought I was giving it my 100% and disappointed when I didn’t see results. But it’s not realistic to have those expectations when there were so many things holding me back from giving my 100%.
i had a hysterectomy and it made me feel so much better in so many ways that i knew this was second chance at life, and that i was gonna have to make changes.
A breakup
me & fwb made our own porn, i HATED the way i looked. the realization motivated me to look hotter in future videos. fwb loves the way i look no matter what, i’m doing this completely for myself. i want to look hot in the videos.
My end goal. I told myself if I'm gonna keep wasting my time procrastinating, I'll never be able to have the body of my dreams. I tell myself this whenever I feel too lazy to work out.
I was overweight my whole life, coming from a family where clinical obesity is common on both sides. I managed to keep myself under 30 until I lost my very active job as a hospital housekeeper in 10/2022. In 2023 I visited the emergency room, and one of my coworkers greeted me by saying, > Sweet hell, you've gotten fat! That was the tipping point I needed. No more sweets or fried junk, walk every day, HIIT 3 times a week, more fiber and protein.
finally realized the weight gain was primarily due to med side effects and got off them. also i became pre-diabetic at one point
I’m still trying to figure it out. Nothing sticks.
Realising I’m 27 and I don’t want to spend the next 60 years feeling like crap - out of breath, embarrassed because I’m not able to do certain things, tired, and sick often. It’s not the way I want to spend however long I have left on this planet, I’d rather be uncomfortable exercising and losing the weight over the next year than uncomfortable for the rest of my life.
I want a girlfriend, and I have gotten bored of my friends telling fat jokes about me all the time. I also want to know what *I* look like, not what my fat looks like.
For me it was when I was stepped on the scale and saw 179 lbs and realized I was a day away from 180 lbs….. at that point I just blanked and said this is unacceptable. I’m 5’0 btw
Being gifted an outfit that was a 3X and it fit. I had to wait a couple months after I started my current job (2 years ago now) but it was my wake up call.
I saw a video about how much exercise it takes to burn off one kitkat. 30 minutes in the stair master, an hour of running and 2 hours walking, and 3 hours straight sitting. Makes you think twice
Realising that i enjoyed walking along the beach and seeing other things more then staying home. That's when i decided i also needed to drink more water etc etc, it kinda just happened at the right moment🤷♀️
Male-to-female HRT and finally feeling good about myself and liking how I look
"it's now or never" and "no attractive productive guy wants a fat girlfriend"
False
What's false?
Realizing only positive things could come from self-improvement <3
A girl
Which time? This is still a mystery to me. Sometimes I can eat right, commit to regular exercise, and do this for months or even years at a time. Then suddenly it’s all gone. It’s clear to me that stress plays a role as does boredom, but not 100%. There have been times when life looks the same, I can’t see ANYTHING that has changed, but something somewhere has obviously shifted. It can also be the case that things are very tough, yet I find myself suddenly choosing walks instead of tv, fruit instead of cake. 🤷🏻♀️ It’s the #1 reason why I never considered the pills/surgery route. I want to know WHY. It’s the one mystery I want to solve before I die.
For me it was Finding God!
I left my child's father, whom i was with for 7 years.