how did you get fat?

Serenitytoo

I have always been heavier, but I think it started when I was bullied in elementary and highschool. I was teased a lot for being shy and slightly bigger than other girls. I ate to compensate. I weighed around 180lbs when I graduated high school. Over the years my eating habits were awful and about 8 years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroid. My metabolism was so slow at that point my Dr was surprised I was actually functioning. I started to get it a little under control, but I can admit I was lazy, I prefered to sit with the TV or a book rather than work out. I also changedjobs from a fairly active retail job to a desk job. Before I knew it I was in the 300lbs range. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder which left me in pain and unable to move a large percentage of the time. I had had enough at that point. Once I got that sorted out, I started watching calories and working out and lost 100 lbs. Then it got harder to lose and after a very stressful year I found I had gained back 20lbs. I am recommited and will lose the last 60-70 now. :happy:

lmvolk

I used to be very very active, I was a house painter and I didn't eat while I worked, I hated to take a break and just kept going. Then my mother needed daily hyperbaric treatments that took 4 hours, and a 1 hour trip each way. I had to give up my active job and traded it for sitting 6 hours at a time, with nothing to do but read ... and snack.

defygravity531

I was raised by obese parents and an obese older sister. My extended family has always been big too. I was eating adult sized (and then some) portions of things like ramen, cheese, pasta, dessert, etc. My parents didn't understand nutrition or the health effects of obesity and they didn't think there was anything wrong or different about their obese children. When I was 18 I realized I didn't have to be giant and over the next four years I lost 60 pounds. I'm still working on my weight loss but my parents followed my example. My mom is now a size 4 and my dad is below 300 pounds for the first time in his adult life. My sister is still big and I worry about her but I think she'll come around eventually. She doesn't have the confidence in her ability to do it yet I think.

I feel so blessed that my parents and I have turned our lives around with regard to obesity so that my children will never have to grow up that way.

meanbmc

i never lost the "baby fat" after i had my second child, and my eating habits were horrible! then 4 years ago i was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that partially crippled me. i could barely walk, let alone work out. i've always loved walking, and when i've lost weight it's been from walking. not being able to walk tore me up emotionally so i ate...and ate...and so on. and always junk food. and being on prednisone for 2 1/2 years really packed it on. when i hit almost 200 lbs on my 5'3" frame, i said, nope. not gonna do this. i had bought a horse, just for company. then i met a lady who has the same illness i do, and she rides every day. so, i thought, if she can so can i! my dr had told me i would never ride again-horses, motorcycles, quads, anything. well, i proved him wrong. i dropped a couple of pounds here and there, but not much. then i gained it back. well, now, i'm tired of being fat! i'm not healthy, and can't get on my horses without a chair to stand on! so, the weight is going. i'm counting my calories, and exercising, and logging in to this website several times a day for motivation! thanks, y'all, i appreciate the help! i want to live!!!!

Sweet13_Princess

When my fiance and I started getting more serious about each other, we decided to work out together. As a result, I dropped my gym membership. The problem? He worked 6 days a week and we were always too tired by the time he came home from work. First the workouts disappeared, then the healthy eating. It was like I didn't care anymore and just lost all motivation. I ate whatever I wanted, never thinking about the calories. Within a year, I went from 145 to 190. Then, Dan proposed and I found a wedding dress that I loved... problem? I could barely squeeze into the largest size it came in! So, here I am, trying to work it back off (again!). I was at 125 when I graduated high school.... gained up to 180 in college... then lost it to 135. I'm definately a yo-yo dieter. I need something to stay motivated or I give up.:-P

Shannon

Mamakatspokane

saving for later

AlySedai

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!

This is me exactly.

aaddaammggoolleeaaffss

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!!!

Exact same thing happened to be, I was thin my whole life until around 19. I started working more (desk job) and that's when I started putting it on

AmandaR910

I had 3 kids in 2.5 years.

sapphirelazuli

I kept eating like I did when I was a very active kid. Even though I was an unactive adult.

rosebarnalice

I use food as a comfort when sad, lonely, tired, jealous; as a celebration when happy; a reward when victorious or proud; and a medication when stressed, anxious, sick or under pressure. If it's an emotion, I've got a food connection to it.

And wish I could phrase that sentence in the past tense, but it's still an ongoing struggle.

sillygoose1977

I used to be a preschool teacher which meant I was active all day long. I had just split up with my husband and started dating again, so I got down to a size 2.

Then, a couple of years later, I went back to an office job, quit smoking and met the man of my dreams. I went out more and was drinking a lot more. It took 2 years but I put on about 50 pounds and just kind of ignored the fact that I was gaining and gaining. I was just happy. When we started doing all the active things we love to do again, I just couldn't keep up. So now I am trying to lose 30 of the 50 I put on. I feel no need to ever be a size 2 again. It is just too small for my age.

fitmom125

MFP has forced me to also evaluate what I eat and drink. I have not been active in a while. and changing my diet is a a big change for me. I lost about 2lbs already, so i'm doing something right.

HW2Hottie

I had health issues and then gained weight while sitting on my butt for a year waiting for my husband to come home from deployment. Losing this weight has been much harder past 30 than having baby weight to loose from earlier. I just ate what I wanted and never really worked out on a regular basis. I would hit the gym post delivery, get back down and be done. No more of that!

ashley0616

Honestly I think it is the manifestation of a life-long struggle with self image, self worth, and abandonment issues. I use food as a comfort and I'm just naturally a lazy person. I work hard every day to get up and work out, and then I am SO happy when it's over, lol!

The last few years, I had gotten myself into a bad cycle. I was on a starve and binge routine that probably helped me gain a good part of the 100 lbs I've put on over the last dozen years. I would do all the fad diets, see no results in a few weeks, and quit. I didn't know how to do it! I didn't know how to be patient or work hard, I was depressed and making myself more depressed every day thinking about how much I sucked because I couldn't stick to a simple diet!

Thanks to MFP and some of the wonderful people here, I have learned a lot. How to eat, how to exercise, how to think about food. I know that the 18lbs I have lost in 3 months is actually AMAZING and I am so proud of myself. I can't remember the last time I said that. I am PROUD of ME. It's awesome. Truly.

JenCM

I was never the super skinny kid (of course, the 10 lbs more I weighed than other kids now, seems like NOTHING!) but I grew up in the country, was very active...rode horses, played soccer, etc. The first thing that happened was my mother took a job where I was constantly with her at work when I was about 11-12 and all I ate was food out of a vending machine or pizza, and my soda intake went from once a week as a treat with a meal....to that being ALL I drank everyday. Then my parents divorced, I got away from my mother finally and then all the stress of custody, etc...caused me to start eating to calm or comfort myself. When I was in 7th grade, I was about 30 lbs overweight. But it just got worse....I kept turning to food and I just got bigger and bigger. Bad day....I'd eat some donuts. Sad about something. I'd walk to Walgreens and get a bunch of candy. And the whole like, binging on sweets or super carby stuff, only got worse with age and things in my life. Then my Dad passed away 2 1/2 years ago and I lost it....I didn't barely get out of bed, except to go eat something or move to the couch and eat something. That's how I got where I've been now. =/

akalei

I was always slightly heavier than my friends. I worked a lot of fastfood jobs through highschool and after. I didn't go to college until 4 years after graduated. During that 4 years I spent like 95% of my time working as I was a supervisor. I got free food. So free KFC, Burger King etc was basically what my diet was. I went from being only 20-30ish pounds heavier than my friends to nearly 100 pounds. I used to have all these excuses to why I was over weight. I did lose 30 pounds the summer before I started college. (Unfortunatley it wasn't a healthy way to lose weight) I met my current fiance a month into college. I moved to a new city to attend college. We moved in after only 2 months. I felt comfortable with him I gained that 30+ back within a year into the relationship.
Then I got pregnant. I only gained 10 pounds in total. After birth I had baby blues and was more stressed. I just let myself go. Being a SAHM I found all excuses to eat. I ate when I was bored which was most of the time. As a result I gained another almost 50 pounds by the time my daughter was 2. Like wtf? Most people lose their pregancy weight then some....So that is basically how I became fat.

Sugar_Apple

Baby no. 1 I couldnt get off the last 10 pounds but I was still in a healthy BMI - 140lbs
Then hormone issues....another 10 lbs - 150Lbs (2000)
Studying overseas and eating badly i packed on 10 more pounds - 160lbs (2004
More hormones issues - 175lb (2005
Surgery - 185lbs (2006)
Baby no.2 - 197lbs (2009)

and the whole time I've been trying to lose weight.....I remember the day I hit 150lbs I cried so much because now I was offically heavier than when I was 9 months pregnant with baby no. 1...being thin all my life I could not understand it. The hormone issues were hard to grasp as well cause back then I was eating healthy and exercised regularly but I was still ballooning...Eventually i just gave up and started to love my new 180lb body.....and just focussed on being a healthier me, so in 2009 the pounds started to come off and then i got pregnant and after the baby I just decided to continue my journey to a healthier me.....I no long strive to be that 120lbs 18 year old and I think that is what was sabbotaging my efforts all these years

happy_vegan

we'll all make excuses for our weight gain, but the one time in my life when i really saw it get beyond where i should be was after i had a hard labor job. I would be outside working my muscles for 8 hours a day in the baking sun, and once that job ended i was still eating like i had that job. big mistake!! now i'm loving myself and getting back into a healthy bmi

happy_vegan

I was never the super skinny kid (of course, the 10 lbs more I weighed than other kids now, seems like NOTHING!) but I grew up in the country, was very active...rode horses, played soccer, etc. The first thing that happened was my mother took a job where I was constantly with her at work when I was about 11-12 and all I ate was food out of a vending machine or pizza, and my soda intake went from once a week as a treat with a meal....to that being ALL I drank everyday. Then my parents divorced, I got away from my mother finally and then all the stress of custody, etc...caused me to start eating to calm or comfort myself. When I was in 7th grade, I was about 30 lbs overweight. But it just got worse....I kept turning to food and I just got bigger and bigger. Bad day....I'd eat some donuts. Sad about something. I'd walk to Walgreens and get a bunch of candy. And the whole like, binging on sweets or super carby stuff, only got worse with age and things in my life. Then my Dad passed away 2 1/2 years ago and I lost it....I didn't barely get out of bed, except to go eat something or move to the couch and eat something. That's how I got where I've been now. =/

jen i can totally relate to your wanting to binge based on emotional letdowns, eating silly processed food you're not even that hungry for from places like walgreens. 100% on the money.
don't give up hope..you're on MFP! you're headed in the right direction!

tater8589

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!!!

Exact same thing happened to be, I was thin my whole life until around 19. I started working more (desk job) and that's when I started putting it on

Stress can do it and you both might want to have a dr check your thyroid.

KendalBeee

bumping for later

SugarDiva

simple answer... I ate my feelings :noway:

Serenity79

I was always a chubby kid, but when I got into my teens I kind of 'grew into' my weight and by the time I was 20 or so I was around 126 pounds (although with my warped sense of self I thought I was huge) and by 24 I had got down to 118. That was too small for my frame and so I went back up into the 130s and naturally stayed there without having to really do anything and I was happy enough with that - although if someone had told me I could click my fingers and be 120 again I probably would have done it. Unfortunately in the last few years bad health has really set in and the combination of poor eating, almost zero mobility and medications that cause weight gain as a side effect, I went up to 161, 25 of those pounds just in the last year.

amicklin

There is a list:

- Heavy / chunky kid with no friends growing up (ate away lonliness/ ate for comfort)
- Homeschooled in the early years, never left the house or did ANYTHING active
- Had little to no knowledge about proper nutrition/ eating
- Loner, added to the inactivity

reese1206

3 kids in 3 yrs.....That will do it. I have 4 total. I am working on it though and I know I will not have anymore....Thank God because my body NEEDS a break!

BraydenCarlson

I sadly stopped playing sports such basketball and football, and I decided video games was a better route. So, I wasted valuable time sitting in front of T.V which helped me achieve nothing. It doesn't help that I became addicted to McDonalds and energy drinks.

mlb929

I was in great shape, when I was in a car accident. Someone rear ended my vehicle going about 60mph, when I was at a dead stop (it was a 35mph zone). It took me years to even have feeling return to my left side. I was introduced to a detox diet called the Fat Flush Plan, which put me on the path I needed to get healthy.

lilRicki

I've always been fat...I played all the sports in highschool but hated them, I'm just lazy...and I love to munch...nothing better than watching movies with junk food layed out on the coffee table...I've never really had low self esteem though, because I always knew I'm smart...and that lasts longer than looks...but now I want to be healthy too...

lilmommy

I went from being a stay at home Mom to a DESK JOB!! Thank god Im a stay at home Mom again!! I need to be moving or the weight just clings to me, now to get it off by summer time!!