Why did you let yourself gain so much weight?

salembambi

trauma & a mental breakdown

i was padding myself and making it so no one ever wanted to touch me again lets just say
gaining 100 pounds in a couple years is pretty intense experience

shut_up_legs

Over eating and smoking didn't matter because I was going to quit/get healthy tomorrow.......

kbmnurse

Little hidden secrets that are weighing heavily on the soul.

allenpriest

When I was younger I was a jock and grew accustomed to eating a whole bunch as I was burning a whole bunch. After my activity level my eating didn't stop. Then I started eating to medicate some emotional issues - and I developed sleep issues so I was eating sugar to try to stay awake and be able to function at work.

Also I spent a long time in denial. I really didn't see how fat I truly was - even though I knew it in my head.

I had to get the sleep issues treated, then deal with the emotional issues and then I could start to deal with eating less. So I got started with 225 to 250 pounds to lose.

Good news is I'm half way there. Bad news is the second half is going to be harder.

booksandchocolate12

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Because food is delicious and I was lazy.

This, plus I never really learned how to eat properly or what a reasonable portion size was.

Wow....the OP sure does seem genuinely interested in all of our replies!

nutmegoreo

booksandchocolate12 wrote: »

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Because food is delicious and I was lazy.

This, plus I never really learned how to eat properly or what a reasonable portion size was.

Wow....the OP sure does seem genuinely interested in all of our replies!

To be fair though, many of us just +1'd juggernaut :laugh:

mikerisser

I had no knowledge about nutrition and though that I was just big boned.

I was not.

seltzermint555

Perfectionism played a big role for me, which sounds insane...but in a nutshell, I was always good at a lot of things in life which were more sedentary and/or intellectual, so I stuck with those things...knowing I wasn't a natural at sports and exercise, I just stayed out of that realm and didn't want to do new physical things knowing I couldn't excel instantly.

Anxiety was probably the biggest factor though - food as "self-medication" for any emotions, happy, sad, etc...

Not to blame my parents at all, but I grew up in a household where it was rare to eat vegetables outside of iceberg lettuce, frozen corn, and canned green beans. Normal to go out for fast food and eat in restaurants daily or almost. The norm to drink cola or diet cola with all meals and to have dessert after both lunch and dinner. Poor habits, essentially.

Those factors led me to 200+ by age sixteen and 300+ lb in my early thirties (now a healthy weight at 39).

firststepformefal

I had medical reasons. Once they were sorted out, I had given up on diets. Before May of this year, I had struggled to lose weight for 9 years. I had given up on trying and was only concerned with maintaining. In May, I joined Jenny Craig and have been losing. Right now, I am stuck. I am figuring out my pattern of eating, emotions and what I need for support. My counsellor is great. There are a number of people I can call, if I am struggling. e.g. standing in the store with a package of cookies in my hand, knowing I will eat the whole package if I bring it home. I can call and get support to put the cookies down.

noobletmcnugget

booksandchocolate12 wrote: »

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Because food is delicious and I was lazy.

This, plus I never really learned how to eat properly or what a reasonable portion size was.

Wow....the OP sure does seem genuinely interested in all of our replies!

What's that supposed to mean?

DorkothyParker

I noticed I gained 6 lbs in the last year. While not overweight, I saw how easy it was to do. I'm 32 so if I gained 5 lbs every year, I'd be obese at 40.

A little bit adds up over time and I think that's how it worked for a lot of people who suddenly found themselves middleaged and overweight.

Between a full time job, 3 year old, grad school, and keeping up with home duties, it's easy to not find the time to exercise or to justify that quick highly caloric meal as a fast source of energy.

It's just too easy.

Expatmommy79

All the babies and bed rest pregnancies....

Now that the baby factory is closed, it's time to shape up.

I didn't bother after the first 1, because I knew I wanted more and it didn't seem worth the effort only to put it back on a few months later.

I put on an extra 40 over 3 pregnancies in 4 years. I probably already was carrying an extra 20.

I'm now at a point where I can get those 40 off and then see about the 20 more. My eldest is 3 this month, youngest is 5 months.

15 lbs down. 25 to go for first goal.

Achaila

Sobriety. Not being dope sick all the time and actually being able to eat. I don't regret the gaining back 50 pounds (even tho I've currently lost 45 of the 50 I've gained). It was from happiness.

amyk0202

I was always underweight when I was younger & through high school. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted & never gained weight--those were the days! I was never hugely active. I've always been more interested in reading than anything else. I got up to a normal weight when I met my husband. I was 20 & actually very active at the time in martial arts. My weight stayed stable until I got pregnant in my late 20's. I gained about 60 lbs with my first but it literally melted off of me with breastfeeding. I remember stepping on the scale each day & being 2 lbs lighter every day. The next 3 pregnancies were hard as well & I gained a bunch of weight with each of them & was on bed rest for several months with each before delivering my preemies. After each baby it was harder to lose the weight--it never dropped off again like it did the first time. I would lose some weight before I got pregnant again, but never all of it. My kids are pretty close together. By the time the last one was born, I had a 6 year old, 4 year old, 2 year old, & the newborn. About that same time it was pretty clear that something was going on with my 2 year old which turned out to be Asperger's among other things. It took years of different doctors & therapists & screaming & fighting before it was all sorted out. I was completely unconcerned with my weight, my health, or how I looked. Somewhere along the way I started eating my emotions & stress. I had a lot of other people to take care of & I came last on that list. My kids are older now & I know that if I want to be around for them in the future I need to take care of myself.

pineygirl

I was 112lbs on my wedding day. I got pregnant a few months after we got married.

Then it was two back to back miscarriages. Comfort eating. Then 3 cycles on Clomid and bloating (6 to 8 lbs of water weight every cycle that would come and go). More comfort eating an not tracking. Then got pregnant and the 7 lbs of water weight I'd gain and lose every cycle didn't go because of pregnancy hormones. The well....pregnancy. Started that cycle at 116lbs. Then 122lbs when I found out I was pregnant (most of that was Clomid bloat).

I gained about 35lbs....but delivered at 36 weeks so I would have gained like 40+lbs.

Then breastfeeding and being too concerned about my supply to diet and too stressed by adjusting to new motherhood to exercise I lost about 25lbs in the first 8 weeks. Then nothing.

Very slowly lost 5 more pounds came off.

Had another miscarriage two months ago. This time it was twins. I was 132lbs when it happened.

I decided to lose weight while I was waiting to be able to TTC again.

Now down to 118lbs in about 10 weeks.

A big part of it for me was the pregnancy where I gained too much weight. Then I didn't lose all I put on. The got pregnant again.

The last miscarriage was what made me want to lose weight and get healthy. I have PCOS so being overweight makes it worse.

kdz526

Being raised on good, homestyle country cooking but being an indoor, just wanna read a book kinda kid. I never really learned proper portion size, dessert was always served after lunch and dinner. I liked tasty food, and did not realize the calories in calories out mentality. In college, beer and late night munching added to the mix. It was not till after I was done having kids and they were growing that I realized I needed to do something and that I was not happy with myself. As my kids have gotten older, I need to show them a better lifestyle, lead by example.