What was your Wake Up Call?

For me it was self worth and self love. I did not like the person I had become. I was embarassed to go out in public to let my co-workers see me so I hid behind big coats extra big clothes. If invited to go to a party or somewhere fun I did not go. I figured that people do not like fat people they judge us by our size and so I hid.

In 2007 I had to have surgery but could not have it until I was down under 250. I was having the surgery out of state so I lied to the Dr. about how much I weighed. I told him I weighed 240 when in all actuality I weighed around 270. So I hit the gym and really changed how I ate. Surgery time came around and I weighed exactly 240. I took time off for a month after the surgery and hit the gym again. I got down to 225, then we got pregnant (October 08) in November we lost the pregnancy and I was devestated so I stopped doing anything I sat on my pity pot and for each month that I did not get pg again I became more depressed. I cryed all the time. The last big depressive episode that I had was in March when I found out once again I was not pregnant. I cryed off and on for 2 weeks and my weight was up to 230.

So one day while I was in town I drove past a boxing place that was opening up. I LOVE to watch boxing and UFC so I called and the first time I asked the guy that answered was not very personable so I decided not to go. Then my co-worker who had just told me she was scared for me because of my personality change talked me into calling again. I got ahold of another guy and this one was very friendly(and is now my personal trainer). I was very honest with him that I was a bigger girl and wanted to make sure that I would not be out of place. I made an appt. to take a class so the next day I showed up very nervous but I made myself do it. I took the class and then sat down and talked to Sonny he was really nice made me feel at ease so I signed up for 2 weeks of personal training and all the classes I wanted to take. That was April 3. I am keeping my personal training for atleast 3 months and I train with Sonny 3 days a week and take boxing and kickboxing classes the other 3 days with one day of rest. I feel more like myself again. I can smile and laugh and all of that stress is gone. I realized that getting pregnant and having another child does not define who I am and I am not at a healthy weight to carry a baby anyway so we are no longer trying. I am doing this for me and only me. I have to be happy with who I am. Do I still get down on myself......Ya since I lost 3 and gained 1, but the inches are falling off and I only have 2 pairs of pants that fit me now and they are both really lose. My BP before I started was 150ish/95 to 100. I took it last week and it is 121/71 what a difference.
 
Hm... I would have to say when I realized one night that if I didn't stop my bad eating habits and start excercising, I would end up having to take BP medication, diabeties medication, and I would end up alone, becuase I would find every reason to push people away, becuase I didn't love myself.

Plus, I want to feel sexy. It's been a long time since I felt that way, and to be honest, I miss it. I use to dress up in sexy little numbers, wear sexy skirts, and have a higher libido when I was thinner.

Also, I am approaching my 30's. I DO NOT want to be obese through my 30's, like I have been through my 20's.
 
Last edited:
Rock bottom

this is a really cool thread, it's like reading everyones life in a few sentences.

okay, what was my wake up call?
1) I LOVE TRAVELLING but stopped because not only could i hardly fit in the plane seats but was scared i'd be asked to buy two seats....so saved myself the trouble and haven't travelled in like 2 years even when i had the opportunity. By the way, the last time i travelled ie 2yrs ago, i had marks on my legs for months from the indent the arm rests of the plane made from the many hours of seating.

2) i haven't been to a movie theatre in 2 years for the same reasons as stated above, the last movie i saw in the theatre, i was suspended in mid air in my seat because my ass/hips couldn't go all the way down. i was in so much pain, i don't even know what the movie was about.

3) going out with my thin friends and them getting free drinks left right and centre and getting hit on, but no drinks for me and not even a glance in my direction. the only men who ever came up to talk to me were actually just asking for my thin friends numbers. the past two years i've been out about 5 times.

4) going to the plus size clothes store and immediately trying out the biggest size of clothes, out of every 10 items i try only having one fit very tightly. i haven't been to a clothes store in months, and now shop online for PLUS PLUS sizes.

5) when i was younger alot of people would tell me i had a pretty face and just needed to loose some weight and i'd be fine. the past few years, even the pretty face comments subsided because of how much weight i've added and has puffed up my face with extra chins, cheeks etc

6) i can go on and on and on. but will leave it at my number one and the one thing i hate most about me now. I HAVE BEEN WEARING THIS ONE HUGE JACKET EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE, I CALL IT MY HARRY POTTER INVISIBLE CLOAK BECAUSE WHEN I'M IN IT I FEEL INVISIBLE TO THE WORLD, AND LIKE PEOPLE CAN'T REALLY SEE HOW FAT I AM. EVERY PIC IN THE LAST TWO YEARS I'VE HAD THAT COAT ON...AND I WANT TO THROW IT AWAY....NO I WANT TO BURN IT! I HATE IT AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS AND ONE DAY I HOPE I'LL LOOK BACK AND SAY I'LL NEVER EVER COME BACK TO THE ROCK BOTTOM POINT I WAS IN JANUARY...hence i made my lifestyle change on february 1st. I still wear my jacket because i don't have any other that will fit for now, but i'm waiting for it to get really loose before i dump it for GOOD.

7) oh sorry, i have one last major one, last christmas and new years were the first holidays i've ever spent alone in my entire life. i told everyone i spent it with friends I LIED. i lied to them because i was too scared to hop on a plane to go see my family because of the reasons i've mentioned in point 1 about not fitting into plane seats. the feeling of hearing/seeing everyone with family when i was alone watching cable eating every form of junk food known to man was.....DEPRESSING. that was my rock bottom, that was when i knew it all had to end...and that i needed to change.

-wow, this is some good venting, i needed it...i'll actually go paste this in my diary.
 
Last edited:
You know, Chef, if I didn't like you, I would probably do that. But as it is, you seem like a nice person, so I would never do that to you. They aren't nice, believe me....you'd lose your eyesight, and probably any interest in women for the rest of your life! :ack2:

i am pretty sure chef is willing to take that chance lmao
 
High Blood Pressure, edema in my feet, and on and off asthma which seems to have been caused by the high blood pressure. I went to a walk-in clinic after gasping on the chesterfield trying to sleep upright for two weeks --couldn't get to my regular doctor. The doctor thought I might have congestive heart failure (gulp) and sent me for an x-ray which seems to be okay.

Then the doctor told me I'd be on pills for the rest of my life, and after trying 2 different blood pressure medications he gave me that made me terribly ill, I said "Forget it" and now I'm going the low-sodium, low-fat eating program and exercise.

Scary though when vital organs start having symptoms. Kidneys, lungs, heart. Yikes, I was terrified.
 
Last edited:
High Blood Pressure 165/110, edema in my feet, and on and off asthma which seems to have been caused by the high blood pressure. I went to a walk-in clinic after gasping on the chesterfield trying to sleep upright for two weeks --couldn't get to my regular doctor, they wouldn't let me in--welcome to rural life. The doctor thought I might have congestive heart failure (gulp) and sent me for an x-ray which seems to be okay.

Then the doctor told me I'd be on pills for the rest of my life, and after trying 2 different blood pressure medications he gave me that made me terribly ill, I said "Forget it" and now I'm going the low-sodium, low-fat eating program and exercise.

I feel a lot better but a long way to go. Scary though when vital organs start having symptoms. Kidneys, lungs, heart. Yikes, I was terrified.

I know what you mean. Sent to the ER with a BP of 172/127. Doc sat me down and had the "you're going to die" discussion, throwing out phrases like "stroke", "congestive heart failure", and "diabetes". I didn't want ANY of that.
 
Ooooh! Edema!!!

High Blood Pressure 165/110, edema in my feet

That scared the crap right out of me too! One day when taking my socks off I noticed HUGE dents in my lower legs! Anywhere I pushed,. even very lightly and even where I thought it was just bone, my finger would sink in and leave a crater in my flesh for 15-30 minutes....... I was so freaked out!!! I looked it up online and tried the stuff pregnant women do with limited success. Then found an article (perhaps even here) suggesting I simply walk and exercise more.... Took a couple months but finally went away.

To this day I poke my lower legs just to make sure it is truly and completely gone....

sirant
 
That scared the crap right out of me too! One day when taking my socks off I noticed HUGE dents in my lower legs! Anywhere I pushed,. even very lightly and even where I thought it was just bone, my finger would sink in and leave a crater in my flesh for 15-30 minutes....... I was so freaked out!!! I looked it up online and tried the stuff pregnant women do with limited success. Then found an article (perhaps even here) suggesting I simply walk and exercise more.... Took a couple months but finally went away.

To this day I poke my lower legs just to make sure it is truly and completely gone....

sirant

Me too! I had it from the feet all the way up to my knees and I hated it. The flesh on my legs would actually get SHINY from it. So gross.
 
OMG it's true! I'm obsessed with my feet and ankles and checking twice a day at least to make sure they aren't swelling up.

So walk and exercise Sirant, got it! There is hope, that's good.

Yeah the spectre of congestive heart failure (which I'd never heard of until 5 weeks ago) is dreadful. I knew about stroke and Type II diabetes but this whole involvement of the heart and kidneys somehow didn't filter in (pun) to my consciousness.

Wake up indeed.
 
Yeppers!

OMG it's true! I'm obsessed with my feet and ankles and checking twice a day at least to make sure they aren't swelling up.

So walk and exercise Sirant, got it! There is hope, that's good.

Yeah the spectre of congestive heart failure (which I'd never heard of until 5 weeks ago) is dreadful. I knew about stroke and Type II diabetes but this whole involvement of the heart and kidneys somehow didn't filter in (pun) to my consciousness.

Wake up indeed.

Damn..... The shiny legs too!!! Deja-voo, I totally thought this was all just happening to me.....

After researching and finding the whole congestive heart thing I damn near had a heart attack on the spot. But before trying docs and medicine I started walking 15 minutes a day, then 20, 30, etc. Come to think of it, that may very well have been the trigger to my overall 70 pound loss. Seriously. I was so horrified of the dents, I worked through the pain and changes just to make it go away. And now that its gone I keep going so it never comes back...

sirant

Exercise will make it go away though.
 
-My size 38 pants were way to tight but I refused to go to a size 40
-I had AWFUL heartburn all night, every night
-I snored all night, every night
-I was too embarrassed to go swiming with my daughter (I told my wife I just didn't like swiming, but I really love it)
-I felt like people judged me everytime I put food in my mouth
-I was shocked everytime I saw a picture of myself because I didn't know I was that fat
-I wore really big clothes and layers of shirts to 'tuck the fat away' and 'hide my body'
-I got winded taking the trash out, walking up stairs, and felt tired all of the time
-I felt like a poor role model for my kids
-I felt like I was throwing money away to buy expensive clothes because they did not look good on me
-I always felt and looked sloppy
-Being healthy was a failure of my life. I hate to fail and vowed to turn that failure into a success story.
 
I wanted to get into Law Enforcement. My mother was a cop, my older brother was a cop, I was fascinated by every aspect of it. It seemed so much for me, but I didn't want to be "just a cop," I wanted to be something more. Move up, get into SWAT or something like that, just seems for me. But though it's possible, I don't feel right getting into it in my current condition. When I hit 20, I realized it was time to start putting the wheels into motion and change myself for the better, to be what I want to be and do what I want to do the best I possibly could.

I just want no excuses, I guess.
 
I wore a white shirt to work one day that my dad bought me, I was huge.
I literlaly phoned the gym and said hey sign me up!
 
Walking into my office building, I saw myself in a reflection in a window. I didn't recognize myself.

I decided it was time to lose the weight. I only just seriously decided to lose the weight though, because it hadn't dawned on me how much work I needed to do. (After 4 months, I did the calculation of how much time it would take to reach my target weight at the rate I was going... almost 9 years.)
 
well i had my 'Divine Intervention' today. I realized that time passes no matter WHAT and for about 18 months now I have been yo-yo dieting, never sticking to anything...binging constantly & feeling sorry for myself. It could all be over in 3-4 months, IF i just stick to it 100%. Life is too short to put off things any longer, I want to be at goal so bad. I am sick of being unhappy...and the only reason I am unhappy is what i am doing to my body, and that's not treating it good!
 
Last edited:
I had my wake-up call last year at a work conference. We were flown to Perth and had a couple of days of presentations from people. I don't normally wear flash clothes to work (I'm an engineer), so I hadn't worn most of my good stuff for a while. The whole time I was miserable and conscious of the fact that the shirt was tight around me. I decided that I had to do something, so I improved my diet and starting jogging.

I had a slip over christmas and early this year due to planning our wedding, now I'm back to my original weight. Oh and my runners fell apart and I couldn't afford a new set!

Last night I was in the bedroom, sitting on the bed and sorting some laundry. I turned around and saw myself in the mirror, and thought "who is that little fat man?". I looked terrible.

So that's me, back on the warpath. I bought some new shoes (now that we have money again!) and am determined to get healthy.
 
My wake up call happened last week - the sun came out here in blighty (rare occurance!) and i couldnt fit into any of my summer t-shirts. I went to town in a sweatshirt (roasting!) and had to buy 2 sizes bigger than last summer!! I bought 3 t-shirts and vowed then i would never again be buying clothes in this 'new size'. I came home and started searching on internet for diets etc. and came across this forum, as i have about 3 days willpower normally on my own i thought i'd give this a try - so far done 5 days and still feel motivated (thats good for me!!).
 
My wake up call was manyfold... I mean I knew I was "chubby" but I did not associate a lot of other problems of my life with my lifestyle and weight, selfconsciousness etc...

When I was diagnosed with coeliac disease and I had to change my diet completely I really started. Also my GYN (who I see yearly due to family history) told me "There is nothing wrong with your hormones but a lot is wrong with your lifestyle!" Yup, he was right.

Now in hindsight I see that my being depressed etc... was all linked to the weight/lifestyle. I am beyond happy that I decided to do this and I feel like a million bucks now (and still have some of the way to go). But I needed to be ready and I was this time!
 
Great thread! My heart goes out to those who are still struggling. Hang in there, it is SO worth it!

My own wake up call came via a photo that should have made me very proud (the occasion, anyway) but showed me UNDENIABLY how large I had become. I was truly shocked. However, the hormone problems (PCOS) and plantar fasciitis had all paved the way to make me take WL seriously.

Best wishes to us all!:seeya:
ABBA
 
I have been big my entire life. If you look at any early pictures of me, I am a wee little chunky monkey.. this carried on throughout my adult life. Despite being diabetic, having high cholesterol, and have battled 9 leg infections, I couldn't seem to commit myself to lose the weight. There are many reasons I had to stay big, but it took me having a close friend going through the same thing as me to reach out to me and say..."WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING" She has the same self sabotaging tactics as myself and we often enabled each other to do so. Well... she started to truly commit herself to becoming healthy, and I realized that it was NOT an unattainable goal. It may take me a long time, but it can be done. She is down 145 pounds and looks fab. Im only down 30, but my cholesterol is now normal and I am no longer taking diabetes medication. Long long story made short, I realized that I am worth the effort.- Michelle
 
Back
Top