1. Was on a cruise and excited to buy the fancy portraits they take, until I saw mine and realized no matter how I try to cover it up, it's there and it shows. Up until then I had no clue that I looked like THAT!!
2. Tired of people treating me like I have no feelings just because of the weight.
3. Just plain tired! I know how physically good it feels to be lighter.
4. Going on a trip in 3 months and want to make the most of the time I have beforehand.
5. Don't want my kids to be embarrassed by their big 'ole mom.

October 2004: I lost a lot of weight in the hospital before doing any LC on IV for 12 days following abdominal surgery for a fever and infected pouches in the large bowel (diverticulitis) -- I was given potassium and dextrose IV. The 2nd time in hospital for 8 days after another surgery I told the docs "don't give me any sugar just electrolytes-- I have plenty of fat to survive on." They said we can't do that or you will go into ketosis. I looked ketosis up on the internet and found out it was not harmful and discovered the low-carb diet plans.
I had been on a semi LC WOE like South Beach for almost 2 years, 6' tall and stuck at 208. I just figured it was my weight lifting and it would all come off in time. Well it did not, and I started to gain. While at the bookstore I noticed they had plenty of the old Dr. Atkins books from 1973. I picked up one for $3 bucks and read it-- that was my 'jumpstart.'

I already lost 10 pounds in 11 days on induction, a lot of water I suspect, anyway my loss is slower now-- but steady. I will never be fat or always hungry again. I am in control now. I eat to live, not live to eat.

My Grandson called me his beautiful, fat, Sashi [his word for me].

How are you a grandmother? You look very, very young to me.

I had been unhappy with my weight for a long time, but did nothing but complain about it. What gave me the kick in the a$$ was first I broke down and bought big pants with a stretchy waist band because nothing I owned fit me, then a few months later they were too tight too and I had to snip the waistband to keep from being in pain. That's when I finally said enough is enough. Those stretchy pants literally fall to the ground when I pull them on now.

We had made a family video to send my niece at Christmas because she could not come in. We were previewing the video and I questioned who this change lady was and it was me!!! I did not realize how large I had become. It was heartbreaking but it also was an eye opener.

I was always very skinny when I was younger. After my first baby I went from 125 to 170 and had a male co-worker tell me that another guy that worked with us had said I 'used to be one of the hottest girls he'd seen'.

Wow. That sucked but I still stayed the same weight.

Then I had twins and slowly kept gaining after that until I was 220! I spent my entire 20s feeling bad about how I looked. It was a struggle to find pants that fit properly, I only shopped in plus sizes and I had terrible back problems. I just wasn't pleased with how I looked.

One time I went to a fair with my two very thin friends. I had to sit on the inside of the spin ride and we all knew it was because of the weight distribution. My friend got mad at the carnie but I wasn't. It was a fact, I was much heavier and I'd squash the other girls as the ride spun. I understood.

My Grandparents would make little comments. They weren't meaning to be hurtful, but it was.

I didn't own a bathing suit for 10 years!

Buying a pretty outfit for the annual Xmas party at work was always depressing. I hated that. I owrked in a restaurant and all the girls were younger and very pretty and thin.

I also didn't like meeting up with people I used to go to high school with. No one ever said anything to my face, but all I could think was how they were commenting about it afterwards. "Wow, did she ever put on a LOT of weight since school!" How could they not comment amongst themselves? I looked dramatically different.

I'd been hearing about Atkins, and one day talked briefly to someone who was on it and loved it. My MIL happened to have the book and she lent it to me. I read it and followed it religiously. I lost 65 pounds in a year. I felt wonderful. Shopping is a joy! In fact, the last time I bought pants I was complaining to the saleslady about how pants never fit me properly because they always gape around the waist. She said my pant size was too big and gave me a smaller size to try on. I almost fell over! They fit perfectly and were SMALLER. Ha!

My husband never had any problem with my weight, so I was lucky. My best guy friend always said I was pretty, and he never once commented on my loss as it happened, or even now, not because he is mean but because he really didn't care how I looked. That's a true friend!

I go on a trip with work every year and the comments from the people who hadn't seen me since the loss are very nice. Plus, I now am happy to wear my bathingsuit.

I went to a free body composition test at Curves. When I stepped on the scale and saw I was over 200 pounds I *FREAKED*! I signed up that day.

A month later I had hardly lost anything and decided that I needed to overhaul my diet. Atkins was the "in" diet to be on and promised no hunger, so I started it. I've been on it ever since and am 60 pounds down. I had lost 64 pounds at one point, but I gained some back.

I'd always been small. I am 5'2" tall and very petite, with small bones. My entire life I was always
yo-yo dieting. Even at 104 lbs. I thought I was fat....dabbled in anorexia....sometimes would not eat for days. I wasn't fit....I was what I called "skinny fat" small but hopelessly weak. That was my teens, 20's & 30's.

Fast forward to my early 40's. I went through a painful divorce. I weighed 110. I was in such emotional pain I just didn't want to eat.

Then met my boyfriend (together 5 years now!) we bought a house & settled into domestic bliss.
As my mid 40's progressed I gained some weight. It was a combination of being happy, some meds I take & a slowing metabolism. I was now within the normal range. Around 120 lbs.

I ended up at 150 lbs this March of 2006.
I know that 150 might not sound like much, but when you are as small as I am, it's a pretty heavy load.
I felt heavy, my clothing was tight, I was tired ALL the time! I saw a photo of myself that a friend had taken at a party! OMG....I had 2 or 3 chins!! I looked bloated, tired and OLD! The reality of how out of control I was slapped me in the face hard.

It scared the CRAP out of me. I had a serious talk w/ myself. I had only 2 options that I could see.
#1 Continue to gain weight, risk my health, feel like hell.
or
#2 Do something about it.

Thankfully I chose #2. I found this website & started in on Atkins in March 2006. So far have lost 14 lbs.
My goal weight is 120 lbs.

I kept that terrible "Fat" photo of my self too. Just to remind myself of what will happen if I stop caring for myself!

I feel blessed by all of you wonderful people out there!
I don't feel alone & am inspired by others hard work & acomplishments.

My friends son told him he looked like a big Pooh Bear.

He went on a LC diet the same day....so far he's lost 40 lbs.

My kick start was a step that I didn't want to take on the perpetual search for jeans that fit...Lane Bryant. Even though I joked at the time that it was nice to be wearing the smallest size in a store for once, it wasn't really funny.
My journey into Low Carb was started by George Stella. I flipped by his show one day, still thinking the whole Low Carb thing was a passing fad, and wondering what this chunkyish guy was doing on a "diet" show...until I saw his "before" picture, at which point my jaw hit the floor.
Then,
when I was at the library a week later, his cookbook literally fell off the shelf right in front of me. I took it as a sign.

When I was 26, I started gaining weight. Every Christmas or Birthday since then my family would buy me clothes, but the clothes never fit. I wore size 3X, but they would intentionally purchase clothes in Medium or Large. They would say, when you lose weight, these will look good on you. Wow...Merry Christmas! I still HATE the holidays.

Actually the worst thing that Ever happened to me, was my 41st Birthday this past May. My sister invited our whole family out to a mexican restaurant for dinner, to celebrate my 41st birthday. She said that we should go back to her house and have dessert (birthday cake), and have me blow out all my candles. (lots !)

So we go back to her house and my parents said that my sister was picking up the Birthday cake on the way back from dinner. So we are all sitting around waiting, for the cake to arrive. Then I have to attend to our 2 year old Son having a tantrum in another room, as my wife was on a business trip. As I am tending to our Son, my sister comes home with the "cake". The cake was a package of "Zingers" she purchased at a gas station, along with 2 birthday candles. She put the Zingers on the counter in her kitchen & lit the candles. Her two kids were screaming so much that they wanted cake, so they sang Happy Birthday among themselves, and gave the "zingers" to the kids to eat. When I finally walked back into the room with my Son. They had a tiny piece for him to eat. My sister says to me... You snooze...you loose. We called you 5 minutes ago.

I'm looking around like "where's the cake"?

They decided on the way home that I was too fat to have cake on my birthday, so they just bought zingers for their kids.

I haven't spoken to my sister since May. The thing that bothered me the most, is that they made it seem like it was a celebration, but in reality, they were telling me that I was too fat.
I could have cared less about having a cake..it's just being treated like dirt that hurts the most, when your own family treats you like you are fat AND stupid.

Ok...this is really the last one.

6 years ago I got hired at my "dream job". Something I have been working towards since I was 18 years old. It took, blood, sweat, and tears to be where I wanted for my dream job. After multiple interviews, stress, and many up and down times, I made it. I did it with allot of hard work. Allot of people helped me along the way, and I learned from my mistakes (best way to really learn).

My father says to me..."You know the real reason you were hired at "XYZ" is because they felt sorry for you, because of your weight; now you owe them.
You have to lose the weight so that you can show them you are actually a smart person. "

Over the years I have learned first hand, what it is to be hated and humilitated, especially from my family.
The world for a person who has a weight problem is tough. You learn to toughen up your emotions. You build a brick wall around yourself, and isolate yourself from friends and family, at least that is what I did. It is easier to cope when you are alone. Life can be a lonely place when the World despises you.

Of course my life has been transformed, as I have a beautiful wife (pookie98) and a Son, who when I come home from a business trip, runs to me and hugs me and says.." I luvv you da-da". That unconditional love means more to me than all the money or riches that I could ever aquire.
I also found God. Because of that love that was given to me, through Jesus Christ, I have forgiven my family, and I asked God to help me if that is his will. My life is being mended. I don't hate anymore.
I am being transformed. I know it's sounds all religiously weird, but it's happening. Anyway. That's my story!

That's like my mom sending me Weight Watchers material (that she got for free) for Christmas. As I remember, that was the only gift she gave me (except for the small check I always get). :-p Totally disgusted me. Merry Christmas, you're fat.