Who or what was...

 No not at all.  I am just living my life and happy now and she no longer affects me.

I'm glad to hear that you are doing so well on your weight loss journey.

the most influential people that made me decide to have my surgery was my husband, my son, and my daughter. my children are not small they are adults and i want them to be proud of their mom they are always showing off like i am a prize package thick or thin.
they know that i was truly not happy with myself. being a retail manager for many years and in the fashion industry, made it easy for me to dislike myself i loveeeeeeeeeeee clothes and i was not liking me in any of them.

my deciding moment was when i was finding it difficult to bend down and tie my sneakers. i began to snore something i have never done
moving foward im down 23.2 pds in a lil over 3 weeks and i feel great i no longer gasp for air when i tie my sneakers and i no longer snore with just that weight off of my 5 foot 4 inch frame i feel so much better
(great question Liz)

 You are doing great diva!!  And thanks guys for the support.  All  is good now and I do not let anyone make me feel inferior anymore.  My fav quote now is No one can make you feel inferior without  your permission."  - Eleanor Roosevelt
It is true:)

So true Girl!  You should be proud of the strong woman you are! 

Amazing and heart breaking stories...but you know what, that's what has helped us become the strong women we are...sometimes it takes negative comments to react and the people that say them don't realize the damage they cause in people's lives.

But look at us  now!!!! Lets celebrate the new us!!

Liz

Very good point Liz :)  Too bad people didn't give as much positive feedback as they do negative..world would be a better place. 

Very true Liz  and the new us ROCKS  

My deciding moment came after a six week diet and exercise program and getting ont he scale and not one pound or one inch came off my frame!!! I knew that something had to be done because I was only getting bigger and the last I wanted was to keep aiding life threatening illnesses..I had high blood pressure and joint problms already and sleep apnea had begun.  Since April the 19th I have lost 37 lbs and I no longer take blood pressure meds and I do not have sleep apnea and I do not snore anymore and my joints do not hurt and I have more energy than I can get rid of!!! I am loving the results...I say that but not to downsize the struggles of getting enough fluid and protein in.  Finding foods to eat that sit well is challenging but to me it has been worth it all!!!

Betty

My ah ha moment came in 1999 - aboard a dive boat.   Our youngest child has LD, when he expressed an interest in becoming certified for scuba diving, I jumped on the opportunity for him to learn the physics of pressure, time, ascent and the ability to do the math to log dives.   Because of his age, a parent had to accompany him at all times.   I am not a strong swimmer but dh is claustrophobic and didn't think he could do it - that left me by default.

The child studied and learned over a period of time and passed all written tests and pool skills tests and then had to demonstrate skills in open water.   I was on the dive boat when the captain asked the boat boy to assist the "fat lady in the back" because "she can't possibly handle her own gear".

I was embarrassed but the look on my child's face, I knew then that if I wanted to be healthy and be able to participate in activities with my child - I needed to stop pretending that  the next new diet fad would work.  It was time to face reality and do something to address weight permanently.

Hugs to all who have had an epiphany moment that has changed your life!