Wow... I'm glad your taking intiative as well to get your weight under control.  God knows, I don't want you to die as well.  I will definitely keep you in my prayers for the chest pain at night as well as YOUR life altering surgery that's quickly approaching.  I wish you nothing but the best, if you ever need encouragement or an ear to listen I'm here. 

 Have you ever had a sleep study done?

For me, it was when my husband pointed out that I had lost my joy.

I was constantly on some sort of diet or another, and life was just not a whole lot of giggles for either one of us.

My wedding pictures.

Type 2 diabetes. My husband died of complications of type 1 after suffering for seven years.

I had to stop and give this one some real thought.  It wasn't just one thing, like you mentioned in your question, but I guess, and this may sound vain to some, it was when I couldn't look in the mirror anymore.
When I could see that the light in my eyes was fading, my smile was smaller and I couldn't stand to look at my 250+ body all stretched, rolling and jiggling around to the point where I alsmot didn't recognize myself.

 An extremely uncomfortable roller coaster ride was my final straw.

I saw the scale read 300 and I wasn't even 30.
I couldn't even ride on amusement park rides anymore...having to walk away while my friends had fun was embarassing.

I felt the springs in the car move when I sat down

I didn't get to a 'breaking point' in fact I'd never even thought about having WLS in my life...not once. It just wasn't for me.
Yes, I'd always struggled with my weight from about the age of 10 I guess. But I'd put it on, take it off...put it on more, take off some - I was the classic yo-yo dieter. I was secretly very proud of how no one could drop weight like me. No one could deny themselves food like I could. I'd call it 'going on the wagon' & I LOVED it, it was highly addictive (& unhealthy). It wasn't easy to 'get on' but once you'd managed to fast for about the first 48hrs it was incredibly easy afterwards. & there is a real sense of energy & euphoria when you've got it going.
Trouble is its a precarious existence because it relies on an OCD focus to maintain - once something comes along in your life unexpectedly you get bounced off & derailed & the next thing you know you're on the sofa with a tub of Ben & Jerry's.
What it meant was a lot of the time I could be pretty sleek & a lot of the time a whale. But I never even thought about surgery.
Anyway, by chance I watched this documentary (approximately April of this year) & it was written &presented by this female (clearly naturally slim) surgeon all about how she (like me) thought that all WLS was about was restricting the calorie intake & absorption of people who. couldn't control themselves - & of course I wasn't 'one of THEM' so I was watching it purely as a mildly interested spectator.
But what this woman found when she investigated the neuro science of it all was that people AREN'T necessarily just 'out of control' but their genetic makeup & hormone production profile dictates their sensations of hunger & (as she said she was loathe to admit) her slim figure was NOT due to her superior & self-disciplined character at all but due to the chemical makeup of her brain & digestive tract. They then looked at patients who had undergone bypass surgery & realised that their post-op makeup resembled that of a naturally thin person - & this, they believe, is caused by the separation of the part of the stomach which secretes grehlin.

In short, being overweight could actually just be a physical consequence of naturally having a larger drive to intake calories in an environment where food is easily available - its got nothing to do with being an inferior human being...in fact if a famine hit us tomorrow our genes would be an evolutionary advantage to us!

Once I realised I'd been conned by society into feeling so crap about myself I'd actually spent a considerable portion of my life punishing myself I just got really angry & thought 'no more - if I was short-sighted I'd get laser correction so this is no different'. I had an appt with my surgeon that week & am now a week & a half post-op. xxx

While I did this mainly for my health, I would say my breaking point came when the town drunk hit on me.  I have been fortunate? enough to be flirted with by some real hotties and when this guy thought he might have a chance, I knew that I had gone really downhill.  My ego was at an extremely low point and now it is back to where I like myself again.  Sad, but true.

Haven't had the surgery yet but my breaking point was living in with constant pain in the joint every time I tried to walk very far. I want to be healthy and do lots and lots of things.

I had considered WLS for about 2 years before having it on 6/28/12. I finally got serious about having it after I got stuck in a manhole at work and 2 of my very strong co-wokers had to pull me out.  It was the most embarassing day of my life and I am never going to have another one like it.

When I got to the point that I was in pain every day (hip and ankles) and couldn't be active. My husband and I vacation a lot and we were not able to enjoy the sight seeing anymore. I was up to 330 and at 250 you can go on a lot of tours due to weight restrictions.

Heading on vacation in September and I am happy that I am now under 250!

I became disabled about 4 years ago because of congenital spinal stenosis and degenerative disk disease.  I also had arthritis and fibromyalgia, so I can relate to those who have chronic pain.  Not working and not being able to sit, stand or lay for long periods really put a damper on me working, visiting folks and doing the things that I really enjoy.  After 4 years of dealing with this and putting on more and more weight to the point that it was creating more pain.....my poor joints are carrying the weight of two people!  I haven't had surgery yet, but finishing my requirements prior to surgery....AND I CANT WAIT!!!

For me ist was my health I had developed High blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. But the final thing was seeing pictures of me holding my grandson and I knew if I did not do something I would not have many more of those moments plus I still have kids that I need to raise.
Christy

My breaking point was pain. I was 261 pounds and was in pain daily. I had to take tylenol 500mg just to go to work. My knees, ankles, back, etc... were constantly throbbing and hurting. I knew the constant use of pain relievers were killing my liver. I had to do something.

I did some research on my health benefits- looking to see a dietician and found info that it actually covered WLS. The rest is history. I immediately started the process and had the surgery (Lap Band) six months later. Now, I am enjoying the benefits of ONDERLAND...I still have 40 pounds to go..but it so much better than 110 pounds to go...I went from a tight 24 to barely hanging in a 14. Love my decision and the fact that my band is working for me! This is MY JOURNEY :-)

Eight years ago I had lost 80 of my 330 lbs on WW -- it was to be my last shot by myself, and then if I didn't make it, I would consider the RNY. Then my father passed away and I started to gain the weight back AGAIN -- I had lost and gained 100 lbs about 3 times. I thought, "NO WAY!" I knew I needed spine surgery in my lower back, which was becoming debilitating, and I knew that I would never get through the surgery well and have a good recovery with all that weight on me.

Then, like Carrieb., I went to a documentary. This one was by a female comedienne. It was not very funny, but riveting. Her surgeon was in the audience, and when it ended, I went to speak to him. The things he said to me were jarring and gave me the final push to make the decision. One of those things were that for someone who had lost and gained weight so many times, my body was just waiting to grab fat back on my body at every turn and I was not on an even playing field. It would ALWAYS be a battle. The surgery could give me a normal life. That night my decision was made. I called the Dr. whose info session I had gone to and made an immediate appointment. I was on the table 2 weeks later, glitches and all (when I make a decision, I can move mountains).

Other reasons:
I'm a guidance counselor -- How do I say, "Just DO IT" about anything when I didn't about something so obvious!?
My young son was starting to have weight issues.
Several hundred other reasons....

Marla

I realized that at 452 lbs I was not going to be able to walk by the time I was 40. My knees and feet were constant agony and I knew I had to do something. So I did and I have 2 and 1/2 years to get fit by 40.