how did you get fat?

mrmarius

being here for these past three months has really made me evaluate the way i eat and in doing so i've been looking at how did i gain all the weight in the first place. Of course it was largely by eating habits as i've always been fairly active, i would go to the gym and work out hard and not lose anything because i didnt understand calories. also i would put things off over the years, see i would gain 10 lbs one year 10 the next, 10 the next til it got to the point that in the 15 or so years since i graduated high school i had put on 100 lbs. but the thing is i would kind of get used to the extra weight so i'd say i just need to lose a little but now that little has become more and more. now my goal isnt to get back to my high school weight as i believe i would now look too skinny but to drop another 50 lbs so far i've dropped 20 this year 15 since being on mfp. what are your stories? i really think knowing how we got here will help us never go back

muth3rluvx2

I quit smoking and substituted with chocolate and then had a miscarriage (put on another 10 lbs).

Just now dealing with a 2 month relapse and trying VERY hard not to regain nor to go back... but this time it's being just a little bit harder than it was the first time for some reason. So far though, gosh, I guess it's been a week since my last toke - and so far, no gain.

ErrataCorrige

I used to work for UPS, and it was like exercising for 5 hours a day. Totally intense. I could eat whatever i wanted all the time. Then I got pregnant, and moved to a desk job. I just kept eating like before (probably 2500 cal/day or more), but being pregnant I just thought my body was changing from having a baby. Once the baby was born I had gained 85 lbs!!!. I spent almost a year and a half being totally depressed and doing nothing. Then i got pregnant again and that was it. I exercised through my whole second pregnancy and ended up weighing less. Once I discovered MFP the weight has been falling off and I am totally in control of everything I put in my body. I only have 20 more lbs to go to get back to my original prebaby weight!

porcelain_doll

I know it sounds ignorant, but I don't really know. Obviously I was eating more than I was burning, but the thing is, I was never fat in my life until around age 19-20. And I always ate whatever I wanted, as well as how much I wanted, I did not play sports in high school, I did not work out, I sat around and did sedentary activities, and I had an AWESOME body. Never even thought about my weight, ever. My only guess is that my metabolism was high and it began slowing down at that age, though I thought that age 19 was a little young to have a metabolism begin to slow down. I have no other way to explain it. My friends used to be amazed at what I could eat and not ever gain an ounce. Oh, how things have changed!!!

time2move

I've battled weight for a while. I had a baby in April 09 and became a stay-at-home-mom. I only gained 1 lb when I was pregnant. My doctor said it was fine because I was heavier to start with (213 lbs). I weigh more now than when I was 9 months pregnant. I blame it on my eating habits, sitting in front of the tv and playing on the internet. I found this site a few days ago and am starting to change my habits. I'm tired of this!

I was maybe 135 lbs in the summer of 2001 when I did an internship on a horse breeding farm and walked and moved nonstop. So I know I can be there again.

bjmk19047

Well I guess it's a number of things really. First I went from a job where I was almost always on my feet to one where I was sitting on my butt (I was about 21-22 when this happened). Eating habits were really bad -- cheesecake is my downfall. :blushing: And then I had my kids. I gained 35 lbs. with my daughter (I was 29), and before I could even work that weight off, I was pregnant again with my son (they are 18 months apart). Before I had a chance to work THAT off I was on an anti-depressant...which didn't do much to make me more active (all through my 30s). I didn't really start to lose until after my separation (the stress diet - age 39) and then my boyfriend (my ROCK) joined Weight Watchers (age 39-40). I decided that even though I couldn't afford to join, I'd still watch points and exercise with him. Over the summer we walked 6 miles per day -- 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Since it was so darned hot, the pounds just seemed to melt away!!! I am now just under 150, and I would like to get down to 135 or so. 125 would be even better -- I'd be back at my high school weight!

stormieweather

I had a baby at age 44 and I struggled to lose the 25 pounds of "baby" fat since then (4 years until I started MFP). Old bodies don't bounce back very easily I severely under ate, interspersed with binges due to starving myself. I slowly put on the pounds...about 5 pounds a year. For the last year and a half, I've been working on resetting my metabolism and getting adequate nutrition on a regular basis. I lift weights 3x a week and am seeing great gains.

mzenzer

Fast food for two meals a day on average about 4 days a week. Due to a job change I went from relatively decent local mom and pop restaurant style foods, along with home cooked meals, to that crap. I did that for two years and went from about 180 to 235. That was about 13 years ago (when that job ended) but I have struggled since mainly due to low back injury and an inability to remain consistent with exercise, however I'm still convinced that two years of fast food in that volume screwed me up sorta permanently. For example, one thing I struggled with was fatigue for 10 years and after your standard MD not being able to figure out why, except to always say exercise and lose weight (which didn't help even during those periods when I was pretty fit), finally a nutritionists diagnosed me with hypothyroid, which I also attribute to the fast food for reasons to involved to go into here. All is good now I'm 205 but I have a lot more muscle so I'll never be back to that 180, which is fine by me I was kinda skinny then.

What basically happened to me over a 2 year period is what you saw in the film Super Size Me, except he did it in 30 days. Fast food is evil.

MrsMills712

I never enjoyed working-out, so I didn't. I've always enjoyed food, so I ate.
Too much pop, fast food & other junk. Too big of portion sizes.

Then, I got married and started eating the same size plate of food as my husband.
He can eat whatever and not gain, and I'd just go along with him.

Not paying attention. Not caring. Until my clothes stopped fitting. Then I started to take charge!

catherine1979

I use food to comfort myself, and to self-medicate. When I am unhappy, I eat!

coachniquenya

I became sedentary. I had been self-employed for a very long time which meant that I could wake up and still in my pajamas, log onto my pc and sit at my desk all day long snacking. Or even worse, in my bed with my laptop AND the tv on while I nibbled on this, that and the other thing. I used to be a gymnast and a dancer. I used to be that girl on the football field with all the guys. I stopped moving and kept nibbling. Then on top of all that, I broke my ankle twice in the same place which the doctors tried to convince me would cripple me for the rest of my life. I'm not crippled but the injuries had immobilized me enough to completely fall off any type of exercise regimen I had been doing.

MzBug

Simple, I opened my mouth and inserted food too often and too much.

BeckyJill7

I was an athlete my entire life. I graduated college, quit smoking and started drinking/eating a LOT. I lost a bunch of weight two years ago and was so proud. I was so busy being proud of myself that I gained all the weight back. I was back at day one in September. It took a lot to see I had a problem- sheer laziness. I decided it was time for a lifestyle change. So far so good. I don't really have goals other than to be healthier- for the long haul.

Procrastinator

Well to start off with I am actually in a normal weight range to begin with but if I do gain weight its mainly because I have hypothyroidism which results to a slowww metabolism.

Mhaney

I was married to a military man so we moved a lot, and had 3 kids over those 7 years. I don't think it was having the kids that was the problem. Every time we moved back to the area (and during his deployments) I came back home to my parents' house, and they eat like crap, they buy nothing but junk food and snacks. I always was about 10-15 pounds overweight before I had kids. I'm sure having them didn't help the situation, but I think the eating habits I learned from my parents was a bigger problem. When ever I didn't live at home I ate better and felt better, and my kids even acted better. Now that I am back home once again due to the divorce, I have taken over the grocery shopping and have thrown out all the junk food and demanded it not be brought into the house because it's all my kids will eat if it's available. They walk around acting like they are starving cause there isn't any snacks in the house. When they get hungry, they eat, instead of doing it because they are bored.

I have also tried to show my dad there are other ways to cook stuff than frying. It's rare he cooks but when he does, a deep fryer is involved. He gets mad when I cook something else, but that's okay, he can get mad all he wants.

debbyrae3

I may not be "fat" by any means, but I gained about 30 pounds in the almost 3 years since I graduated high school.

When I graduated high school I was about 130 pounds, had an active job (waitress at a small, hometown restaurant that was one of the few places to eat), ate whatever I wanted to eat (since I had such an active job), and never worried.

Well, after graduation I moved 12 hours away, got another job (still active, but not as active as the waitressing job), and continued with my bad eating habits.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, I went shopping with some friends because I needed winter sweaters and everything I tried on looked terrible on me and I tried on a multitude of styles. I just got so depressed. I decided that something needed to be done.

A friend had P90X DVDs and offered DVDs to me. I took them and decided that this was what I needed. I'm now on Day 17, haven't dropped more than 7 pounds, but am already seeing changes in my body. I would love to get back to 130 pounds, but would settle for being heavier if that means my body looks fit and healthy.

Thanks for posting this! It's nice to have my realizations/goals/etc. written down!

mjd1980

I put on weight because of My love of Pizza, Curry, Chineese, Kebabs and lager - now i try to cook for myself and try to stay away from the alcohol (apart from 1 day a week) xx

mmreed

I was in the military, so I got regular exercise and ate fairly well.

Once I got out, I took a job in the IT sector where I sat most of the day and worked long hours. I stopped working out, started eating a ton of junk food. Became depressed which caused me to seek even more comfort foods. Laziness set in and took a home with me. And here I am ... vastly overweight and needing to get back to the "good life"

lizm64

I could say it started when I got pregnant but my kids are in thier early 20's so I really can't use that as an excuse anymore. I switched jobs 12 years ago and know manage a bank so I sit at a desk on most days. I continued to eat as if I were still running around everyday managing a store. I didn't excersise so the weight just kept piling on. I knew this was happening and would 'diet' for a few weeks and lose a few pounds. Then I felt as if I could go back to eating whatever I wanted. Then for a while I thought who cares, I am married have a couple of grandkids, why does it matter what I look like. Well it is not always about how you look but how you feel. I started getting sick, diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes. I want to be around for a while to see my grandkids grow up and I want to play with them without getting tired, so here I am

AngieSWatson

After I had my four children I still remained in pretty good shape. Than after my 5th child, lack of exercise, eating whatever I wanted at whatever time I wanted being in a new relationship when all he ever said was come sit with me made a big difference. I have tried to lose it before but I think now its a matter of taking it one day at a time and do what I can when I can.

dlvetter

I like to watch the biggest loser on Tuesdays and the trainers always try to get to the mental/emotional part of why the contestants are overweight. I struggle with this part because i have never been someone that likes to talk about my feeling. My family contributes my being overweight to the fact that my sister died when i was in the 3rd grade. I do believe that i eat to comfort myself. my thing is how to i overcome this feeling. My dad died almost four years ago, after his death i let myself go even further to the point where i was 340 pounds. This last year I worked hard trying to eat right and exercise and i lost 50lbs since then however i have gained 20 back. I have started today on my journey to a healthy weight and would appreciate any accountability that i can get.

dlvetter

I like to watch the biggest loser on Tuesdays and the trainers always try to get to the mental/emotional part of why the contestants are overweight. I struggle with this part because i have never been someone that likes to talk about my feeling. My family contributes my being overweight to the fact that my sister died when i was in the 3rd grade. I do believe that i eat to comfort myself. my thing is how to i overcome this feeling. My dad died almost four years ago, after his death i let myself go even further to the point where i was 340 pounds. This last year I worked hard trying to eat right and exercise and i lost 50lbs since then however i have gained 20 back. I have started today on my journey to a healthy weight and would appreciate any accountability that i can get.

heatypablo

Well, I would like to blame genetics since my mother and sister are so THIN... but that's not true. Lack of exercise and lack of healthy eating habits. I also had a horrible habit of eating the WORST foods very late at night. :sick:

uniquelady42

Just plain lost control!!! putting to much in!!! It's all my falt!!! I am to blam!!

skinnyminnie

I blame my mom!
But not in the way you'd think. She was always cooking healthy, low fat meals with small portion sizes for our family, encouraged us to exercise, etc. So when I finally moved out I though - "I'm free!" I had the stupidest mini-rebellion in history. I ate all the things that were banned in our household - and for a while, it was great! Everything tasted so wonderful. But then my portions got bigger and bigger, and it got harder and harder to feel satisfied till I was eating as much or more than my husband - and I'm small framed and only 5'3". That's why for me.

kimmi8

Hi,
I put my weight on when i was diagnosed with WENGERS..an auto immune disease which saw my body as an invader and started attacking me. its a simular disease to LUPUS. By the time i was diagnosed i couldn't walk, lift a cup of tea or do anything. The doctor put me on 60mg of steriods a day plus other medication. I took the tablets at 9am in the morning and by dinnertime i was able to get myself out of bed on my own . They are miracle drugs and without them the doctor said i would have been dead within six months. They do make you gain weight, but it has taken 10 years to get down to 2.5mg a day as they didnt want me to have another flare up. There isnt a cure so i will always have it, but they can keep it under controll with drugs. So i now need to shift this damn weight and get on with my life and enjoy it with my wonderfull husband and daughter :happy:

lkm111

There are many reasons for me - too many to list here. But for the past five years it was due to injury - disc rupture, sciatica, heel spur, plantar fasciitis and knee problems.

From all of those combined and because I spend my day on my feet, all I wanted to do when I got home was stay on my recliner because I was in so much pain. Resting seemed to help me heal, but it made me gain at least 40 pounds.

I had to start very slowly with exercise. I started two years ago with a Wii Fit and gradually was able to move more easily. I listened to my body and when I needed a break, I took one. I've now graduated to Zumba, KettleWorx and 30 Day Shred, so I think I've made a lot of progress. It was slow, but for me it worked! Now my goal is to run a 5K!

reesepieces

In middle school, I was a cheerleader. I was always active. I played softball during the summer all through high school. At 16, I began working at KFC. We were moving all the time, but I was also eating a lot more since the food was free for employees. At 18, I was too old to play softball for the rural league. At 21, I had my son where I gained 20 lbs after I had him. But the problem wasn't there. After I had him, I didn't do much moving around or anything because I was watching him. I lounged around and ate and got a desk job. BORING! I didn't eat the healthiest either. Fast food. Starches. Very little fruits and veggies...and so it explains why I got the way I did.

ropedancer

When I was in college, I lived a relatively active lifestyle. I walked pretty much everywhere, went to the gym occasionally, and was forced to keep my portions down because if I ate too much dining food, it made me ill (they didn't cook things as thoroughly as I was used to). Then I graduated and got one of those dreaded desk job. The furthest I walked was across the parking lot. As far as food went, my workplace had a fantastic little cafeteria that baked fresh cookies every day, and an everlasting supply of snack food in the break room that was on sale for charity (for charity!). My sweet tooth was in heaven, but I put on twenty pounds, like most of the staff. On top of that, I was incredibly dissatisfied with my work-life. Working in a call center wasn't what I had in mind while earning my college degree. The work quickly became monotonous, and I was tired of people yelling at me. It was very difficult to motivate myself to do anything healthy. Actually, it was difficult to motivate myself to do things that I loved, like read.

Now I've made a lot of positive changes, eliminating a lot of the bad elements of my life and bringing in positive ones. I feel more in contro, and am doing my best when it comes to acting more healthy. Granted, my time after college made me realize how easy it could be for some people to just give up hope and life an unhealthy lifestyle. You always have a choice, but sometimes it can be hard to see that.

SummerMerrill

I had a baby :O...and many snacks...probably over-eating.

chucko24

Hmmm Used to play high school sports, was in the light infantry in the US Army, and could eat and drink all I wanted.

Now some 15 years later i have the same eating and drinking habits. I have reached the point where I have said, "Thats it, no more , never again!!"

I have just become satiated with feeling and looking like crap.

Now I have started a blog at www.howtostartlifeover.com and am tracking my experiences as I quit smoking, get in shape, repair my relationships(including with myself) and start making real money again.

I encourage all of you to check in every once in a while to keep me accountable & I will be sharing strategies and techniques that I use along the way.

I understand it is not a destination, but all about the journey.

PS this app on my i phone is helping me a lot as i have an easy way to track my calories. I got a nice HR monitor and am going into a full fledged p90x/ weight lifting/running regime. This should be fun as we go!

Good luck to everyone on here. I hope to hear from you all.