I am fairly new to the board, but I want to first thank everyone for how welcome I have felt since joining. I was thinking today of my Ah-ha moment. The - this is the final straw...event that made the light bulb go off and you say "Enough is Enough! and I am no longer going to live this way"...Mine was two weeks ago (although a liftime of struggles and dissapointments living heavy)

I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. I've dealt with the looks, the "you have a pretty face" comments, the seat-belt extender..etc. for years, but none of that moved me enough to change my ways and put my foot down. My Ah-ha moment was simple. My five year old daughter told me that she loved mommy's bed (she likes to sleep in mine and DH's bed), "because it is so warm and soft because that is were I can always find mommy." I didn't realise how something so simple coming from a five year old could affect me so deeply. It was at that moment that I see how she viewed me - tired and depressed. She needs memories of me playing with her and being fun (not laying around too tired do do anything). I broked down in tears. I think DH though I'd lost my mind. He came home the next day and told me about someone he had worked with having the LB done and how successful they were. His comment was off hand, but I felt like God was giving me a path. I've tried all the diets, exercise programs - I loose, but am not able to maintain. This thread ended up longer than I thought...Did anyone else have a defining "Ah-Ha Moment"?

my aha moment....well, it hurt to just "live"! it hurt to stand up, people started asking me if i had back problems...all i wanted to do was get in bed and sleep all day. basically, everything hurt. i knew i had to make a change.

Sure, Minpinmom, lets keep in touch.

My ah ha moment? My DH started to cry and told me he was afraid if I didn't stop gaining that he would end up wheeling me around in a wheelchair and that it would break his heart.

OMG -- Aubrie....go give that man a big ol' hug and a smooch from Nana!!!! That had me all teary eyed....until I read THIS and REALLY started to CRY....

Also she asked about the stretch marks in that area, and was please to tell me if they went in two directions they would be plaid, not just lines. :thumbup:

I did literally laugh til I cried over that!!!! What an eye for fashion she has!! She may have a future in design: interiors or fashion....all inspired by mom's bat wings~~~:crying:

My Ah-ha moment...

last month I went with some friends to a club. I am normally the picture taker. Well, this trip, I wasn't and there were pictures of me taken that when I first saw them, I did not realize was me. That was three weeks ago. I will be banded on May 31st, in Mexico.

One of my best friends has been trying to convince me to that we needed to have this done for about a year now, and I have scoffed at her, told her I was not having surgery, no way in hell. With one picture, I completely changed my mind and I cannot wait.

It is not that I have not realized how big I had gotten, but I was widowed 2 years ago and have just now begun considering that I do not want to be alone for the rest of my life, nor do I believe my husband would have wanted me to be alone. We were married 14 years, and in those 14 years, we had grown fat together, but we had each other. Now, if I don't do something about my weight, I feel like I will be alone for the rest of my life.

My husband is Active Army, he has just returned from a 15mth tour in baghdad Iraq. Their is no question that he WILL serve another tour. His job constantly puts him at risk. We have a almost 3 year old boy together, and after about 2mths into the deployment i came to the realization that my husband could lose his life at any time. Soooo i quit smoking that day. I upped my exercise routine and of course started another diet. I want to be healthy for our son. My husband has to do what he does. Serving his country is what he was meant to do. So I thought well if i die because of a heartattack from being overweight, what a senseless way to go. And then i saw WL show on Oprah where the band was being shown and talked about and realized that was for me. I need to be healthy for my son, we never know what the future holds and i want to be around as long as possible to watch him grow into a fine man just like his dad. I hope this made sense LOL...

My moment was in Wal-Mart. I was shopping for groceries by myself...trying to buy healthy food and planning my next "diet". I saw my ex-husband in one of the isles. I was so ashamed of how big I am I ran out of the store before he could see me.

When you're that ashamed of yourself it's time to change.

My moment was in Wal-Mart. I was shopping for groceries by myself...trying to buy healthy food and planning my next "diet". I saw my ex-husband in one of the isles. I was so ashamed of how big I am I ran out of the store before he could see me.

When you're that ashamed of yourself it's time to change.

Yeah, I know how this feels too. Not with an ex-husband, but with ex boyfriends or people I went to highschool with. I was 125 in highschool and I bumped into three people I went to HS with at a Halloween party back when I was 225 and I was SO embarrassed. I actually lied. yes, I lied. I told them I just had twins. LOL. I said it with a smile on my face, and who knows if they believed me, as I've never had kids, but the fact that they called me by my name and gave me that "look" was so awful. I hope the next time I bump into anybody from my past I will be under 200 pounds at least.

Mine was when I was having severe headaches and found out my blood pressure was high. Back when I was thin, they used to tell me my blood pressure was on the low side!

My "ah-ha" moment came when I saw myself in my son's wedding pictures. OMG I looked so FAT! I wanted to delete all the pictures with ME in them before anyone else saw them!

My a-ha moment was just a week ago. Satruday the 15th I walked to the CVS right aruond the block from our apartment. Later that day, my knees started to hurt. The next day (and continuing on up to and including today) my knees have been shite. Painful, weak, wobbly and cracking. if walking just a couple hundred feet can do that to my 29-year-old knees, the future is not looking too good.

I called the doc this past Monday. Been talking to the insurance co and they *should* cover it. *crosses fingers*

OMG! Two of the toilet seats in our house broke, and one at my in-laws that we visit weekly. WTF?? Humiliating!

OMG! Two of the toilet seats in our house broke, and one at my in-laws that we visit weekly. WTF?? Humiliating!

LOL - I hear ya!

Had another moment last night that concreted my determination for the band, which was already rock steady but not I will die trying to get it.... (Forgive me if to graphic) I had a hard time reaching my rear end in the bathroom!! Seriously, 25 years old and can't reach my A**!? Drastic change is needed here...

I had a Homer Simpson moment! 'Doh'!

It was when I had winged and moaned at my local GP for the second time about my weight rising yet again despite eating properly and excercising 3 times a week (netball over three nights). I wanted to try Xenical but he thought that was a bad idea given his patients experiences with it and my background of 'trying every diet possible'. I ignored his suggestion of LBS the first time as my Sister in law had it done and was not successful. I didn't know much about it by the second time he suggested it. That was my 'doh!' moment!

My AH-HA moment was when I found this site and started reading about it. That was in the morning and I was due to have lunch with my husband that afternoon. I suggested we both get it done (he's overweight too and has drastic cholesterol problems - his specialist referred him to gastric banding which he doesn't want!). He wanted to explore the LBS further so I pointed him to this site. That morning I had made up my mind and once I make up my mind I am not going to change it! I was banded 55 days after deciding I was going to have it.

I am so thankful I found this site and the pictures. That was the selling point for me. The support here is wonderful and while my journey might not be easy, I am confident I will be putting before and after photos up and show off my new sexy-momma body!

Thanks everyone!

Its really great being able to hear about everyones aha moments.

Mine was when i was sitting at the doctors at 15years of age and he told me, if you dont do something you will have a heart attack and it will be soon ..... i have never been so scared then when i heard those words. The next month i was booked for surgery.

Bel