Here’s some personal stories from friends of mine. They struggled with weight issues for years and finally decided to do something about it:
I used to weigh over 300 pounds. I’m not a jumbo sized athlete, so that amount was not healthy in the slightest. I finally realized something had to be done when I stepped on a scale and it couldn’t tell me my exact weight because it could only go to 300. That’s a wake up call.
At that point I considered the health of my grandfather. I recalled that he struggled later in life after having a few heart attacks and strokes. Those incidents significantly decreased his quality of life and I remember it making me sad. I then realized that if I didn’t do something about my own weight and health issues that I would probably suffer the same fate. This is something that has kept me motivated over the course of my weight loss journey.
I currently weigh about 210 pounds. I suppose I need to drop another 15 or so. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve lost at least 100 pounds so far. I feel and look better than ever. As an adult I’ve never been in this great of shape. I can actually exercise now without heaving and panting. My joint pain problems have subsided and nearly vanished. Clothes are easier to wear and buy. I’m not embarrassed when I go out in public. My moods are better and I feel happier in general.
I must say the information here on this site is pretty good and I hope you check it out thoroughly. I encourage you to find something that works for you and stick with it. You’ll be much happier. Adding years to your life doesn’t hurt either.
- Jacob from Oregon
When I was younger I had no trouble fitting into a nice bikini or one of my favorite black dresses. Sure, I didn’t have ripped muscles or anything like that, but I didn’t have much extra fat so I had a decent figure. Guys would notice me. I didn’t get hit on constantly, but it wasn’t that rare for a cute guy to at least approach me and strike up a conversation. I really missed those days. I’m over 40 now and still single. It hit me one day that I had let my weight gradually get out of control. I used to weight about 125 pounds and at my heaviest I was nearly 200.
I don’t think my weight gain could be blamed on any specific thing. Over time my eating habits got a little bit worse. I had a problem snacking on junk food at work and I didn’t exactly make the best choices when shopping at the store for things to shove in my cabinets and fridge. I used to be more active. I did a lot of walking and swimming when I was younger. Those things eventually got replaced by more work and watching TV shows. I know it may seem pathetic, but I honestly didn’t want to be alone for my 40s, 50s, and then into my golden years as well. I try to be an independent woman, but I still get lonely and that’s just the truth.
This is when it hit me. I had to get in better shape. If I couldn’t love my body, and believe me I didn’t, then how could I expect someone else to? Crash diet approaches never appealed to me, so I took it slow. I lost anywhere from 0.5-2 pounds per week. It wasn’t blazing fat loss, but it did come off. Before I knew it, I weighed the same as when I was a teenager. That had to be one of the happiest days of my adult life. I realized that the prospect of being alone had motivated me at first, but I then understood that staying healthy, feeling good, and not suffering with age related ailments was a great motivator to keep it off. Regardless of my dating prospects, staying in shape was something I needed to do. It seemed impossible at first, but my slow and sure approach helped me through it. I would encourage everyone out there to do the same.
- Francine from California
I am obsessed with junk food. Chocolate? Love it. Chips? Yes, please. Pile on the extra cheese. Give me extra helpings of pastries. You know, I still have those urges to eat way more than I should, but years ago it was completely out of control. I was a mad person on a face-stuffing rampage. I have no clue what got into me, but it was as if I just didn’t care about my weight or health. This was especially idiotic of me since I work in the health care industry. Go figure.
I suppose my job is what eventually opened my eyes. Each day I see cases where someone is having heart trouble or diabetes. Generally these things result from poor diet and exercise choices. For years I didn’t pay any attention to these people’s plight. At least, I didn’t apply their situations to my own life. I just never considered myself as being at risk for anything despite being fat. Yes, I said it. I was fat. I weight about 225 pounds when as a 5’7″ woman I should weigh maybe 130 at most. My body was just crying from all that extra weight and I ignored the signs.
Well, I guess I finally realized what was going on one day when I took a long look in a mirror. I’m not sure why I spent those extra moments looking at myself that day, but it’s a good thing that I did. I noticed the fat rolls on my sides and front. I saw how my boobs were getting way too big and causing my back to hurt from lugging them around all day long. My face wasn’t what it was when I was younger. It was almost like a different person. At that moment something clicked. I knew I didn’t want to continue being that heavy so I decided to change it. I jumped right into diet and exercise. I dropped my bad eating habits and committed myself to making lifelong changes in my behavior.
By the time I was done I didn’t quite make it to 130, but I guess 139 will have to do. After all, I did end up putting on some muscle. I didn’t lift weights or anything like that, but I did do some body weight exercises every now and then like push ups and pull ups. Of course, I couldn’t do those things at the start. It wasn’t until I had lose 40 or 50 pounds that I could even manage a single push up. It was thrilling when I finally managed to do it. That may seem dorky, but I was grinning at the time. Now that I have a taste of being fit I will never go back.
- Zoey from Nevada
