What inspired You?

[ImagineMeDisney]

I was just wondering if anyone would like to share-- what inspired you to lose weight/get/stay healthy?
For instance, I recently went on a trip to SC with my mom and sister. I've known for a long time that I needed to start changing my life (I decided not to call it a diet), but until that trip I wasn't willing to do anything about it. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like having her picture taken...well, my mom decided to take some pictures of me at the Columbia zoo, feeding some birds. this was the first time I'd seen myself in a photo in a very long time, and I was shocked at what I saw. I knew I looked bad, but I had no idea I looked that bad. It made me depressed! Even with that revelation, I didn't start changing my habits until mid-March, and right now I'm in a bit of a slump, but the important thing is I'm trying!!
I'm glad there's a place I can go for support, where other people know almost exactly how I feel--and I can get and give encouragement!!

 

[lorli]

I'll share! I've been significantly over weight for a long time, but was happy with who I was, but.... Then came health issues, first was type 2 diabetes, then high blood pressure. But the real kicker was the losses in my life and having a 5 almost 6 year old daughter I want to be around for. My father died at 48 15 years ago (long before dd) from an accident. Then we had another dd who was very premature and only lived 4 months in the hospital (first significant loss for dd). Two years later my mother died at 59 with many health complication, not diabetes or high blood pressure but health problems that could have been controlled or avoided (second significant loss for dd). My mother had remarried and dd thought of step-dad as grandpa and he has since, two years later, gone off the deepend, drugs, alcohol, suicide attempts. All new to our fammily, I came from and married into the 50's family where everything was "perfect". So now dd has had 3 major losses in her short life time, and we know a fourth is on the horizon. After some reflection I decided I can help myself have every opportunity to live a longer life by taking control of my weight and not continue to allow my weight to control me. My motivation is to minimize the losses to my daughter and husband as my dd has had way more than her share for such a young child in a developed country.

 

[DreamBeliever]

Hi lorli,

My goodness! I'm so sorry you and your DD have had such a huge amount of sadness and loss. Focusing on the positive and healthy lifestyle you want to live will be the most important life-lesson you teach your DD. Not to mention, YOU deserve it too.

I have been fighting the extra 30 pounds I gained during my back-to-back pregnancies. Unfortunately, my kids are 14 and 15 now My DH travels significantly for his job and doesn't eat as healthy as he should. There are very few medical complications in our family history, however, we are overweight. On February 25th, as I was putting on my make-up for work, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the person looking back at me. That was it! No more excuses! I deserve to feel better and my family deserve a better example.

There are a few things I have put in place since that day;
1) Joined this fabulous discussion board to seek motivation and support
2) I purchased a journal to track my food and water intake
3) Started an exercise program
4) Use Peapod to deliver groceries ~ no more tempting end-caps

My children and husband have jumped on board and it's great to see them eat healthier and become more active. In fact, my goal and reward is to participate in the WDW Race for the Taste in October with my DD.

Good luck with your journey and keep us posted with your success!

 

[lorli]

Thanks Dreambeliever, I see we are on the April Weight loss challege, so I'll look for you there and I'll be updating there if I don't get back to this forum.

 

[ImagineMeDisney]

wow...your stories make mine look petty!!

 

[bubba73]

Have you ever seen the movie "Tommy Boy"? There is a line in the movie that is what inspired me to lose my weight. Chris Farley and David Spade was driving down the road and Chris takes a packet of ketchup and sucked it down straight. David's next line was,"Oh my God! I can actually hear you getting fatter." It was a funny line. But it stuck with me the next day while I was at work. Every bite that I took that day, I felt like I was getting fatter. Then, it became every step that I took, my stomach shook. I was disgusted by this. I took my diet to an extreme to try to loose the weight as fast as I could. I went from a 38" waist to a 32" waist in 3 months. I lost 50 pounds during that time frame. At this point, I joined a gym and started learning the right way to do things and have made that my lifestyle ever since.

 

[lorli]

Good work Bubba, it takes something and we do it. You must be proud. Keep it up and Keep it off.

 

[mikamah]

I'll share what inspired me this time to lose weight. I've been a yo-yo dieter my whole adult life, and had done weight watchers many, many times. I'd lose some weight, feel better and stop going, and gain it all back plus some. I am a nurse and we wear scrubs which hide a lot and have lots of room to grow. Mine were getting tight, and when I had to bend down to empty a catheter bag, I couldn't couldn't breathe and I wouldn't go up to the next size, so I guess that was the final straw to get me to join this time. Plus I couldn't keep up with my then 3 year old. Joining had not been my problem in the past, sticking with the program for the long haul has been my problem. I weighed 45 pounds more when I joined ww this time than when I joined originally in my 20s. That was 18 months ago and I've lost 35 pounds since. My mom has multiple health issues, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and she had just come home from the hospital and rehab after a cardiac arrest. I weighed the same 226lbs as she did. Many of her issues are lifestyle related, and I don't want to be in her position in 30 years. I had hoped she would be able to change and take on a healthier lifestyle, but doesn't seem to want to or to be able to. I don't want to be dependant on or a burden to my son when I get older, and I want to be as healthy as I can for him. I'm planning to go to ww for the long haul. I've been walking and even though my loss is slow, I am determined not to give up. This is new way of living now. I know if I stop, I will gain it all back. I feel so much better than I did back then.

Lorli- I'm so sorry for all the losses you and your family have endured. It's so unfair and heartbreaking to see the little ones have to deal with such loss. She is adorable, and it sounds like you have unbelieveable strength and you all will be ok. to you and your family.

ImaginemeDisney- I hear you on the pictures. I have a bathing suit photo that I use for inspiration sometimes. Hang in there. You can do this. Looking at it as a new lifestyle is key. Good luck.

Dreambeliever- it's great to have support of family. I love visiting with my brother and sil as they eat healthier than any of my other family.

Bubba- Congratulations on your weight loss and healthy lifestyle. I've seen you around these boards and you are very inspirational.

 

[bubba73]

Thanks lorli and mikamah. I have tried to use my story for several years to assist people with their thirst for a healthier lifestyle. I have made it a point to take the word "diet" out of my vocabulary. Diets will set people up to fail and I can't stand failure. Diets mean that you have to do without. Lifestyle changes mean that you still eat what you want just in moderation. Set yourself some goals to achieve. Do something like go and buy yourself a spa package. Then, give it to a spouse or family member that you trust and that you can feel comfortable holding you accountable. Tell them that this is your reward for reaching your short term goal. Then when you reach that goal, go and spoil yourself. You deserve it!! The most important thing in this world is to remember that we are not going throught the trials and the tough times alone. We all have faced it. But these trials build character, discipline and strength.

God Bless all of you and good luck reaching your goals!!
Bubba

 

[ImagineMeDisney]

When I first set my mind to changing the way things are, I set very small, very accomplishable goals for myself and wrote them on my calendar...for instance, March 12th my goal was to have lost 2 lbs., and another 2lbs. by march 28th...etc. it really worked, and it really kick started my "habit" as my DH calls it.

 

[AuntieM03]

I will be turning 39 next week and I want to be far more fit at 40 than I was at 30. I lost about 50lbs in 2001 and swore I would never hit my top weight again. When I did something clicked in my brain. I joined a gym which led to a personal trainer and I am still exercising 7 months later (which is a first). It is coming off slowly, but it is coming off

 

[Desiree]

Watching the movie, "Bend It Like Beckham" strangely enough. That movie reminded me of how I used to be as an althete and it made me want to get back to that point again.

 

[ImagineMeDisney]

Have you ever seen the movie "Tommy Boy"? There is a line in the movie that is what inspired me to lose my weight. Chris Farley and David Spade was driving down the road and Chris takes a packet of ketchup and sucked it down straight. David's next line was,"Oh my God! I can actually hear you getting fatter." It was a funny line. But it stuck with me the next day while I was at work. Every bite that I took that day, I felt like I was getting fatter. Then, it became every step that I took, my stomach shook. I was disgusted by this. I took my diet to an extreme to try to loose the weight as fast as I could. I went from a 38" waist to a 32" waist in 3 months. I lost 50 pounds during that time frame. At this point, I joined a gym and started learning the right way to do things and have made that my lifestyle ever since.

I work with mentally ********/developmentally disabled adults, and I had to take them out last night for dinner (Bob Evans) I didn't stick to my rules there (I'll explain why in a minute) and I got a sausage sandwich...the first couple of times I took a bite of my sandwich this went through my head!!


I haven't been following my rules for my lifestyle change for the past week...DH and I are staying at my mom and dad's house (while they're at WDW!) so we can watch their dogs, and they are NOT dieting, so the food they left us is not good food, and this past week has not been a very productive one. I decided that we'll get back in our routine once we get back to our house. I'm not eating right, but I'm still trying to walk and I'm still only drinking water, and that has helped a bit, but I've still gained back a little weight. Its frustrating, but I know that in four days we're getting back on track.

 

[pindecisive]

Originally I had an online friend who was a boy and wanted to be healthy/pretty for our meetup. It never happened but I kept up with it for a total of three months and lost about 40 lbs. I lost about another twenty but gained 10 back while being with my current boyfriend. Nesting I suppose.

I'm on my current diet because I miss being a size 8 and want to be it again. So i'm trying to lose the ten or more (I'm not weighing myself this time) for my Disney Trip in June.

 

[luv2nascar]

mine was Bob Greene on Oprah show. He just makes sense. Best Life I want the best life I can have. I asked myself was I living the best life I could be. NO I want more. For my DH this Oprah show was followed by his mother being taken in the ambulance to ER for a possible heartattack. Her blood pressure was 230/180 they put her on a nitro patch right away. DH panicked at thought of losing his mother. It turned fine she was having a problem with her mitral valve which she knew she had and not a heart attack. But DHs father did have a heart attack 6 years ago. So his family history is not great. DH has high blood pressure and is extremely overweight.

I as captain of this ship and took over. I buy the groceries and do the cooking so I was making my family fat basically. I buy healthy stuff only now and cook so much healthier. We as a family have lost over 100lbs in 3 months time. I have lost 30lbs, dd11 has lost 15lbs, dd3 eats healthier no weight loss, and DH has lost 65lbs. DD11 has another 15lbs to lose, I have another 100-115lbs to lose and DH has another 150lbs to lose. I can't believe we let ourselves get this bad but we will get this under control because we want to be a healthy family and be around for each other for a long time.

 

[lorli]

Good luck luv2nascar. If you are doing it as a family it will make life that much simplier for you. However, I have a very supportive husband. He does all the cooking in the house and will often make two main dishes so I can eat the right kind of stuff. I have found beef processes differently for me so I eat ground turkey instead of beef and the family eats steak once aweek now as opposed to 2 and 3 times a week and sometimes I still have chicken. You are off to a good start. Your story touched me because I too have a significant amount of weight to still lose after the first 38. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Colleen27]

I was just wondering if anyone would like to share-- what inspired you to lose weight/get/stay healthy?

For me, it has been a lot of things building over a year or so. One big moment was going to Disney with my mom and seeing how she struggles with an active vacation. We weren't going commando-style because DD was only 4, but the heat and the walking exhausted her. She's been overweight since I was born, and even though she is healthy when it comes to blood pressure, cholesterol and all that, being so out of shape is catching up with her. I'd rather deal with the challenges of losing weight now, at 27, then at 60 like she's trying to do now.

Another biggie was not being able to shop at one of my favorite stores anymore because even an XL wouldn't fit. I am blessed/cursed with a build that carries extra weight well, and with juniors sizing going up to 15 or 17 now, its really only been the last year that I couldn't get the clothes I like in my size. That was a biggie, because I don't feel old enough or overweight enough to be shopping in the plus size stores.

And something else that shouldn't matter as much as it did was an offhanded comment from a dear friend that wasn't meant to be hurtful at all, but really made me see how my weight changes the way people see me. Lets just say that when I was in better shape and looking more like myself, the phrase "soccer mom" never would have applied. I don't like feeling forced into an identity that I'm not comfortable with because I'm too big for the clothing and styles that feel more "me".

Basically, I'm just tired of being fat. It took a long time to get to that point, and even longer to get annoyed enough to do something about it, but that's where I'm at now, and I'm determined to make some changes.

 

[TxRabbit]

First, I apologize in advance for my ability to run off at the mouth, or rather with the keys

As the year 2005 changed into 2006, DH and I got really serious about being healthy people and having life reflect the desires in our hearts. Our change of residence even reflected this, and due to life circumstances, we were living in rental housing with our DS, and so we moved to an apt that was close to a gym that we really wanted to go to, we lived on the third floor, (hello, carrying the groceries home was a WORK OUT), and we made a serious commitment to achieving our goals. The church we attended at the time even helped tremendously with our goals, but that is its own testimony...I lost close to 40 pounds and DH lost close to 25.

Our inspiration came from not letting this world dictate our lives, but rather deciding to overcome this life to achieve a life that is something that is purposed rather than default.

Flash forward to today, where another long distance move (the 3rd in as many years) has turned our routine upside down. 9 months later and we still aren't completely unpacked, and the fact is that was is unpacked is still very unorganized. Our son started kindergarten and we are still trying to determine what normal should be in our new circumstance. Consequently, half of our weight loss has been regained. And perhaps this is the sticking point, where again, we look at our life and say...who is in control here? Is anyone in control here? We know who should be in control and now we are striving to again be an overcomer in this battle. And that is our inspiration.

 

[Andrea_loves_Disney]

Wow! Reading all your stories here is inspiration in itself! I don't really have a story other than the pounds have been creeping on over the years and I think about needing to lose weight CONSTANTLY but never do anything about it. I have felt like such a LOSER (not as in weight loss - as in personally) that I have not been able to take control of my life and do something about my misery... Well, one of my friends mentioned last week that she wanted to go on WW and that was it! This is only week one for me, but I think it is different this time! I feel commited and I am not going to quit! I am trying to remember whenever I feel hungry or sad about not eating (all the goodies that I love) that I AM going to fit in those pants that I wore last summer! And maybe someday in the not so distant future I can wear a sleeveless top!
Anyway, my story is not very interesting but I am thankful for the support and inspiration I get from all my lovely DIS*board WISH friends!!!

 

[Mom2Ty&Lins]

My story is not very interesting either, thank goodness! I don't have any illnesses and my family is relatively healthy also.

The first sign that I needed to do something came in December of 06. A friend of the family took some Christmas pictures of DH, DS, DD, & me at the beach. One picture the friend wanted to take was one of all of us holding hands and looking out at the water. It seemed like a good idea at the time...Until the picture came back. Oh, Did I mention she took it from behind ! Holy cow! And I do mean cow! I could not believe how wide I was. It was depressing, frustrating, embarrassing and, luckily enough, motivating. BUT - not motivating enough to get me started immediately.

In mid-January, I realized I had "outgrown" yet another clothing size. That, coupled with the image of my rear end permanently burned into my mind's eye, was the last straw.

I joined WW on 1/18/07 and have lost 22.8 lbs. I feel better, I look better, and I am SUPER proud of myself!