Starting a diet takes real determination, but sometimes an external "push" helps. Here are ten personal stories that might inspire your own journey.
Unwanted
My story is pretty typical: I was always a bit chubby but still in the cute category. Then I got married and let myself go—so much that I didn’t even notice how big I’d become. The wake-up call came from my husband, who one day said he loved me but no longer felt physically attracted. Hearing that hit me like a punch to the gut. The very next day, I started changing my lifestyle.
Broken
At home, the toilet seat cracked under me, and a week later, I broke a chair at a friend’s place. That was literally the breaking point.
Sizes
When I asked for the biggest jeans size in the store and even those were too small—not just a little, but so tight I could only pull them up to my knees. That’s when I knew I couldn’t go on like this.
Not Her
You know what’s funny? When we got together, my friend was the chubby one and I wasn’t. We started working out together, and she lost weight beautifully. Then I injured my knee and gained a little belly during rehab. She kept going to the gym and ended up cheating with someone she met there. I found out when I saw an unexplained message on her phone. She said, "What did I expect when she’s getting attention from guys with six-packs, and I’m sitting here with my ‘big beer belly’" (I’ve never even drunk beer). It hurt because I helped her lose weight, and she didn’t do the same for me. But now I see it was the best thing that happened—I channeled my anger into sculpting a killer body with weights.
Hannika
I was 53 when my granddaughter Hanni was born. She’s still the center of my world, and we adore each other. One day, my daughter told Hanni, “Tell grandpa if he wants to see you grow up, he needs to watch his weight.” From that day, I cut out all the fattening toxins from my diet.
The Photos
I never shared or sent a single wedding photo because I was ashamed of how fat I looked in my dress. I still don’t know why I chose a sleeveless style. I’m one of the rare brides who lost 55 lbs (25 kg) after the wedding.
The Shame
After many years, when we traveled to Greece with my family, I needed an extender on the plane seatbelt because it wouldn’t fit. I thought my face would burn with embarrassment having to ask the flight attendant in front of everyone.
Mom
My mom and I have always been on the chubby side, with similar builds. Then she had gallbladder surgery, lost weight, blossomed, and once at an appointment, people thought we were sisters. That hit me hard—she’s 28 years older—and I decided I needed to lose weight too.
The Most Important Goal
I lost 44 lbs (20 kg) before my wedding but gained back 66 lbs (30 kg) after my son was born. We wanted a sibling quickly, but it didn’t happen until I dropped below 165 lbs (75 kg) and got pregnant.
The Brush with Death
Since my teens, I was always over 220 lbs (100 kg) and used to hearing lectures about obesity risks from every doctor I saw. Once, even when I went to orthopedics for a broken wrist, the doctor gave me the usual talk—even though my wrist had nothing to do with my weight. Those lectures mostly went in one ear and out the other, but one assistant’s words stuck with me. She didn’t preach but looked at me sadly and said, “Angela, you’re killing yourself like this…” That was the moment I really thought it through and started the journey that brought me down to 139 lbs (63 kg).
