What made you lose weight?

[Fatty321]

Please no discussions about weight loss drugs. I don’t want that and don’t wish to open this thread for discussions on my reasons why. I want to know what made people want to lose weight? I just don’t feel motivated to. I don’t have loads to lose. I want to lose 2 stones to be in healthy weight range. Could definitely do with more but just want to focus on getting healthy

I was diagnosed with hidradenitis Suppurativa in early 2020, which was causing hugely painful boils under my arm. It’s progressive but read studies that showed if you could slow progression for over a year it may not get worse, two factors that seemed to help were cutting dairy and losing at least 20% of your body weight.

i had a bmi of around 40 at the time (years and years of yoyo dieting, bingeing etc) but this time managed to stay the course and lose weight through calorie counting and exercise.

Took nearly 3 years to lose the weight but I’m now BMI of 22 (ended up losing over 45% of my body weight) and eat a healthy vegan diet. Weight losss maintained for nearly 2 years now and no more flares of HS!

I lost weight through extreme exercise (swimming 50 lengths daily, playing a sport to excess, riding multiple horses a day) and a severely restricted diet, then after an incident, piled it all back on and more, so had a bypass. I wanted to be a normal size so I wasn’t jeopardising my future and didn’t want to be in a wheelchair and put pressure on my DH to look after me. It felt very selfish to allow that to happen through my greed/laziness. Wish I’d done it years ago.

Honestly? My annual holiday with my friends is the thing that keeps my diet and exercise regime in full swing. I want to look ok in a swimsuit. I am 42 with kids and work full time in a sedentary job, so it’s not easy! But pure vanity keeps me going!

Divorcing my abusive husband and the resulting improvement in my mental health, together with some health issues starting to show themselves. I also look after an ageing parent and realised I didn't want that for my old age if I could avoid it. It was time to lose weight and get fit. So I have. 46 kg down - 5 to go. The gym is my happy place now too.

Seeing photos of myself and just not recognising myself in my body.

What made me ? Sick of being fat! Saw a photo taken at party and thought omg didn’t realise I was that big .
i used MJ & lost 3.5 stone but upped my exercise massively , do 10k steps every day , and ideally 15

Calorie deficit

It's the only thing that actually works from a scientific point of view.

I went to the hairdressers and barely fit in the chair. That was last September. I’ve lost 3.5 stone and will be running a half marathon next month! I feel so much better for it. You just need to start, good luck

I think it was the birth of my granddaughter that made me think, right I don't want to be overweight any more and its time to do it properly. Then I was diagnosed as prediabetic and that really made me sort it out for good. So I think I've lost about 2.5 stone with both those things in mind.

Yes, I think it must be your perception not having caught up with actuality. Maybe ask others what they think - you probably don't need to lose any more without looking a bit too slim, perhaps???

I have a book coming out next year and I don’t want to look grotesque in the publicity photos.

Well I thought I was going to lose weight for being healthy in my 50’s.

what I didn’t realise was that it would get rid of ALL PAIN from my body. Sore back for 20 years? Arthritis in knees and hips? Weird exhaustion? Insomnia? Overheating?

Ive been taking drugs for 26 years, ibuprofen, cocodamol, gabapentin, lidocaine patches

all gone due to the 4 stone weight loss and the miracle hormone in the GLP1 drug.

For me it wasn’t one big thing, more like small daily habits adding up — walking more, watching portions, and reminding myself I just wanted to feel lighter and healthier. Motivation comes and goes, but routine sticks. You might find this helpful too: lizzoloseweight.com

My trigger to shift it was my children fearing that I would die if I caught Covid because needed to loose 4 stone. I did loose it and feel fab. Healthy lifestyle. All clothes fit. Happier in myself.

I've told my WL story before on MN, but here goes... I've been obese since 15yrs, left school around 11-12st, size 14/16. Went upto 14st, size 18/20 at 24, got back down to around 13st size 16/18 until my 40s. In lockdown, I put on 2 more stone and at my heaviest was 15.5st, squeezing into size 20. I was working FT from home, studying PT and homeschooling it was an awful time.

My turning point was in Oct 2023, we had a few days in the Lakes and my knees were in agony for walking for an hour, I was knocking back cocodamol just to get by. I started WL meds as soon as came home and joined a gym. I chose to focus on my health from clocks change Oct to Mar and emerge from Winter a whole new person. I lost my lockdown 2st in that time, came off the meds and maintained that for another 6m.

I did the same Winter leveling up in Oct 2024 and decided to try mounjaro to aid further WL as I'd not been below 13st since my early 20s. I changed to a nicer gym, kept focusing on nutrition and small portions and I'm currently at 10st7, size 12/14. I feel incredible. I'm now tapering off the meds whilst still hoping to lose a further stone, I'd love to be a size 10.

I couldn’t face another summer feeling so anxious about warm weather - how hot I was, how uncomfortable I felt, how clothes looked dreadful. I just knew if I really tried and lost some weight summer would be a different experience and I was right, this summer has been a totally different summer to the many years before

When out for a meal with my husband and his friend and the friend's wife. I had always thought his friend was rather dishy in a rugged sort of way. While we were eating he looked at me and said " us chunky types love our food, don't we? ". This was more than thirty years ago, I've never forgotten his words. Gradual lessening of portion sizes and a daily walk helped me lose a couple of stone over time.

I had been trying to lose weight rather half heartedly for most of my adult life - I was very fit and active though so kidded myself it wasn't that urgent... The lightbulb moment was my daughter noticing my calves swelling horrendously during a flight home from holiday - I had been feeling lethargic and weak for a while and I now realise my body had just had enough. 2 days later I made a start and 14 months later I am 8 stone lighter. I am astonished at the transformation not just in how I look but how I feel - I'm in my late 50's and feel that this really was my last chance to give myself a good run of older age (fingers crossed).

I've already outlived my mum by several years who died in her early 50's (not weight related) but I didn't want my kids to go through losing their mum before they should...

Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

First diet ever. Lost 3.5st, blood sugar normal at last test. Challenge now to maintain (or ideally lose another half stone).

Bonus - I feel more like myself now.

My youngest DD will never be able to live independently.

Her prognosis is that she'll only make her teens/early twenties at very most, however she's been in ICU 6 times in her life so far and she's pulled through. She's had 14 operations and two of them were ones where we were told it was very touch and go that she'd make it through. Every time she gets a set back she seems to have a determination to survive.

One day I just had a huge feeling of - well she's fighting hard to stay alive so I owe it to her to work my arse off to get fit and healthy so that I can be around as long as possible.

I've lost 10.5 stone so far. I had lost 11, but somewhat ironically put on half a stone during her recent hospital stay as the food options available to me are crap.

My husband died suddenly when I was 36. I'd like to say that the primary reason was because I wanted to be healthy for my daughter, but honestly it was because I wanted to be able to date at some point in the future!

Lost 6 stone and went from a size 24 to a 16. Zillions more energy, no more back pain, less health issues – and had a lovely time dating before meeting my now fiance. It was 100% worth it.

@Agix i feel exactly the same. I've got 2 stone to lose

Start by accurately counting the calories you eating now and see where the big number are. To lose a lb (3500 calories) a week you need to lose 500 calories a day. You will be surprized where you can easily lose say 5 x 100 calories in a day, for example a slice of bread is say 80 calories. I found this was a good reference. https://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/lostart.htm#google_vignette

Well done on such an impressive weight loss! Do you mind me asking how you’ve done it? Your situation sounds very similar to mine.

My reason is vanity rather than health, I don't have a lot to lose., but I'm hitting 70 this month and all my clothes are a little tight, and I have a wobblier tum than I have ever had.

I think it may be harder than ever it was, but I'm trying - 40 minutes dog walk most days, yoga from YouTube, and weighing every single single thing that goes in my mouth.

I really really love food (and wine), so I am making sure I love every single thing I eat - most of it is healthy but I have ended the day with a mini double caramel magnum - it just comes out of my allowance - I'm using Fat Secret, aiming to lose half a pound a week.