Real FitDay Users Share: What Was Your A-Ha Moment?

What sparked you to embark on your fitness journey? For many of us, it was one moment or incident - the "a-ha" moment - that got our butts in gear and changed our lives forever.

We recently asked real FitDay users to share their "a-ha" moments. What we received was a mix of funny, poignant, powerful and - above all - inspirational stories. Here's an edited selection of responses:

My a-ha moment came last February when I finally threw my back out so badly by simply twisting to get out of my car. I finally resolved to get stronger and healthier and stay that way so I'd never be at the mercy of back pain because of my own laziness again.

-Michelle A.

My grandson being born! A-ha! I need to be here for him! The Day I knew I had to get Fit!

-Mark H.

My a-ha moment was in summer 2005...Hit rock bottom to realize I am only a few months away from living in a wheelchair due to my weight. Started with FitDay, and was accepted into a monitored health program later. Have lost 263 lbs and counting ... approx another 40 to go. I am a vivid exerciser, burning about 10,000 cal/week with exercise, and I will run a marathon down the road at some point :-)

-Claudia F.

My a-ha moment was when I realized I was buying the biggest pair of pants I had ever worn... I have now dropped 6 sizes and love the healthy way I'm eating and feeling. This site helps me so much!

-Jennifer S.

After following advice on the Archevore blog to use FitDay to monitor protein/fat/carb percentages, my a-ha moment came when the FitDay reports made it very evident that I was consuming too many calories while eating very healthy food. FitDay quickly & easily assists me to keep all aspects of my food intake under control. I truly appreciate FitDay.com ... and I love the mobile app! Thank you, FitDay!

-Janet F.

On three different times, on three different days, with different people and situations, I needed help from getting up from the floor. The looks on my Kindergarten students and granddaughter (situations 1 & 2) were bad enough, but the kicker was my DIL's grandmother helping me up.

-Miriam M.

Other than just terrible photos and clothes not fitting - eating out in NYC and seeing in the calories in things (on the menus) that I thought were "reasonable" foods for eating out...

-Mandy S.

My a-ha moment came when my aunt offered to pay for a different online weight loss program and my husband said, "She won't do it." Normally supportive, he has seen me "not do it" many times before. I have recorded my eating with Fitday, and have lost 6 pounds in a little over a week!

-Carmen E.

Two things in two days. Seeing my dad on Christmas for the first time since he was diagnosed with diabetes. He's always been a big man and has never cared what he ate. Now he's at that point that you either make the changes or you die. He's eating better and has lost 40 lbs over the last few months. I don't want to be 67 and get that news. The next day I suddenly became aware of how very uncomfortable my clothes had become. I'm 5'3" and popping out of size 18w clothes. That day, on my 2 hour drive home from family, I was utterly miserable. Jeans too tight in every place, but cutting into my stomach worse than anything. Button down shirt so tight around my huge arms and sliding up constantly over my fat rolls. Bra poking and binding. Tugging, tugging, constantly at everything. Even my shoes. Anything but the flattest tennis shoes, and even those to a point, hurt my feet. To stand more than an hour or walk around is just painful.

I've lost 7 lbs since that day, with 78 to go. I've tracked every bite faithfully every day since 12/27 and been to the gym 5 out of 7 days each week since then. Here's to turning 36 healthy this year!

-Tonya K.

I needed a total knee replacement and knew it would go much easier on me if I lost 20 pounds before having it done. Started logging my intake on fitday and it didn't take long to see I had to cut portion size drastically. It worked! My rehab is much easier with the weight off. I'm motivated to keeping the weight off and that keeps me in daily contact with Fitday.com Thanks.

-Lane K.

I saw pictures of myself. I was tired of being tired. My back ached all the time (and that's not so much the weight, more because I wasn't getting exercise and using it). And I hated looking in the mirror. Still not a huge fan of any of those things, but I'm on the way!

-Phyllis L.

The day I realized that there are no quick fixes, that it's not all about numbers and that by sharing and embracing support, we do not have to do it alone :)

-Shelly E.

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