Weight gain: How it probably happened to you

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  • BethHarrell
    BethHarrell Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info! Not all weight gain is from over eating though..I had my thyroid removed 2 yrs ago after 4 yrs of of feeling awful...now 60 lbs later and feel worse. Doc's have finally adjusted meds to suit me, not my lab values...so I hope to start losing...have any tips for the over 50, thyroid-less?
  • VoodooLuLu
    VoodooLuLu Posts: 636 Member
    i got pregnant twice both really close after each other and kept eating for 2 even after i had the babies :D
  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
    Thanks so much!!! I've actually been upping my cals since February. Prior to that I was eating anywhere around 700-1000. Now i'm gonna stay at 1800 for a while and see what happens. I've only gained like 3 pounds from February. But what i'm also wondering is since i'm eating lots more then I have been for probably years now, does my body think that i'm at a deficit as 1767 is my 15% under TDEE OR am I able to add LBM since i'm eating so many more cals then it's use to?

    The real BMR/RMR is the preferred level of calories to burn on that basic metabolism. If the body has it available, it'll burn that much on those required things. If there's not much left over, not much for body to build with. Some aspect of breaking down unused muscle can allow building up very used muscle.

    Just depends on where that 1767 falls in the scheme of things.

    If you start losing 1/2 lb weekly, then you got the expected deficit about and know you are there. That should be enough to really feed your workouts for body improvement.
    Which is actually the issue of seeing 1/2 lb loss on the scale, your body is going to be making a bunch of improvements it just didn't have the energy for before, if you are exercising a decent amount.

    Be prepared for inches lost, not weight lost.

    Thanks again :) I just looked at your profile...funny I always thought you were a female, not sure why. Guess cause you're so nice haha Hope you don't mind if I send you a friend request.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    I sat around playing WoW for 7 hours a day drinking 4-5 cans of soda, pasta with cream sauce, taco bell, and late night binges to deal with emotional problems. It crept up on me throughout high school until I saw pictures of me at a New Year's party and my weight was 195 pounds that it was a real problem.

    This is pretty much my story. Except I saw my pictures from Easter and cried. Never again!
  • JAllen32
    JAllen32 Posts: 991 Member
    I know exactly how I gained weight. Overeating, alcohol (and more overeating) and being a lazy BUM. That'll do it! Fortunately, all of that is under my control and I realize that now. So I'm gonna fix it!
    Same here! Met my hubby, started going out to eat several nights a week, never exercising. Looking back now I alone probably consumed a good 3000 calories per dinner. That being an appitizer shared with hubby, dinner, bread, wine(or other alcohol), and then add dessert on occasion and its even more. And we did that several times a week!! And I just didn't understand why I was gaining weight so rapidly! UNBELIEVABLE! lol
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Thanks again :) I just looked at your profile...funny I always thought you were a female, not sure why. Guess cause you're so nice haha Hope you don't mind if I send you a friend request.

    My wife would be seriously upset if I tried to make her wear a backpack that big! Might as well not even go on the trip then.

    Sounds good.
  • khelser
    khelser Posts: 27
    Wow, that really puts things into perspective! Thanks for the info!
  • asamuels85
    asamuels85 Posts: 170 Member
    Thanks! I must share!! I feel really bad about my weekend now..... and will be running my a** off this week :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    bump
  • stelsher
    stelsher Posts: 21
    I think my initial weight gain was probably a reaction to finally gaining some freedom. Throughout my youth and late teens I competed to international level in my chosen sport, training 5 times a week solidly for about 8 years. When I'd had enough and quit the sport, I went to University, discovered alcohol, a disposable income and no-one telling me 'no' for the first time! The net result was by the time I left I'd gained about 3.5 stone (or 40ish pounds) and through my mid-20's never really got rid of it.

    2 years ago I successfully lost 52 pounds in about 6 months through a re-dedication to training, then a year ago got derailed somewhat through 2 really bad injuries and since gained about 20 pounds back, which i've now finally been cleared to do something about.

    I'm very much 'all or nothing' so when I do something it's either one extreme or the other, so these 20 pounds don't worry me, it's making sure this time they stay off and I don't go from training 5 times a week to suddenly doing nothing like I have in the past!
  • avocado22
    avocado22 Posts: 19 Member
    bump to read later
  • TheLotusBlossom
    TheLotusBlossom Posts: 12
    I'm 26, almost 27, and I weight 236. About 5 years ago, I started smoking...although it only lasted about 1 yr...when I quit it snuck up on me! I was 140 lbs 5 years ago. I had known I was picking up weight when a guy at work told me I looked good thick. And then people started asking me if I was pregnant....like almost every week. I would cry I was so hurt, but tried and never could stick with anything. I went to nursing school and didn't realize I was as fat as I was until we graduated, went out for celebration and my picture got taken. WOW. And now 2 years after graduating nursing school the weight just keeps coming. I am determined to do something about it. I want to be able to wear "normal" clothes (not scrubs) and people NOT ask me if I am pregnant. Me and my fiance are getting married at some point this year and want to start a family...soon...I can not be going into pregnancy this overweight.

    That's my story.... 5'9'' 236 lbs
  • hellohoney86
    hellohoney86 Posts: 21
    Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. It's a real eye opener that that little smidge of extra mayo, or a few fries off of my kids plate make a big difference. This post has put a lot of things into perspective for me !
  • wodforbacon
    wodforbacon Posts: 40
    High Fructose Corn syrup is why a lot of people gain fat. If you don't know anything about High Fructose Corn Syrup take a look at Sugar: The bitter truth on youtube. Even if you don't gain weight from this stuff it destroys your liver just like alcohol does.

    Eat Paleo! (Shameless Plug)

    1 12 oz soda / day = 15,000 calories/year. How many big gulps have you had today?
  • veganpoler
    veganpoler Posts: 50 Member
    I love the note at the end: Remember, it works both ways! That is very empowering.

    Although, the weight gain part of it wasn't true for me. I gained weight during each of my three pregnancies. My problem is that I lost all but 10 pounds with each child...so I accumulated that extra 30 pounds by the time I had my 3rd one. I was always a pretty thin/fit person my whole life, and I don't tend to gain weight...but I don't easily lose it either, I just stay the same.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    High Fructose Corn syrup is why a lot of people gain fat. If you don't know anything about High Fructose Corn Syrup take a look at Sugar: The bitter truth on youtube. Even if you don't gain weight from this stuff it destroys your liver just like alcohol does.

    Eat Paleo! (Shameless Plug)

    1 12 oz soda / day = 15,000 calories/year. How many big gulps have you had today?
    I know a lot about sugar and eat it. I just don't eat hoards of it. It's extreme to think that just one item would do it. I'll bet dollars to donuts that if you cut out HFCS, but still overconsumed on fat and protein, you'd still get fat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • klacount77
    klacount77 Posts: 270 Member
    I actually gained about 90 pounds when I got pregnant with twins. Most of that weight was gained in the last trimester. I was limited to bed rest. I had a three year old son and was trying to cook, eat, clean and parent from a propped pillowed throne in the bedroom. My husband did his best to care for himself and our son while I was restricted and hospitalized and restricted ... I gained 17 pounds the first five and half months going from 133 (which I felt was heavy) to 150. But those last 3 and half months I went from 150 pounds to 221 pounds. By the time the babies came ... I thought I would walk out of the hospital being heavy maybe 10 pounds over prepregnancy weight so around 143-145 ... but the inactivity for so long showed me I wasn't going to be wearing my cute little dresses any time soon. I left the hospital weighing 202! that was 69 pounds more than before I got pregnant. I got really depressed. My twins were sick and in the hospital for almost two months. I never left their side. My three old and I lived at the hospital, day in and day out. I gained another 20 pounds during that time and by the time I finally got to bring my babies home; I was almost 225 in less than a year. After that, the weight gain was gradual. I couldn't understand why I wasn't losing weight when I returned to my normal lifestyle. I was gaining about 5 pounds a year. Until last year when I know something had to change. Those twins are 10 years old and I started with my fitness pal a year ago weighing 278 pounds. I have lost 46.5 pounds and have a long way to go to even reach 150. But I keep telling myself; this didn't happen overnight - although most of it did happen rather quickly, so I need to give it time to come off.
  • tara12riley
    tara12riley Posts: 22
    I put 35 pounds on in 5 months, after a car accident and was on all kinds of meds and couldn't exercise for 1 and 1/2 years until they did surgery. Well after surgery and getting off the meds, the weight didn't magically disappear, so I had to work at it, and of course my hitting 50 didn't help. I joined Weight Watchers and lost 30 pounds of it, then quit due to expenses, gained back 15 and I found this site and I've lost 4 already. So the weight didn't creep up on me either I always watched what I ate but the meds and age did a number on me.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Most of the my anecdotes is that people will be at a stable weight for years, and then suddenly blimp out seemingly out of nowhere. I can't recall anyone who gradually gains weight year after year.

    Could be that they had been gaining slowly over time but it wasn't that noticeable. Then when they reached a higher amount of gain people could tell. I could gain 5-10lbs and still wear the same clothes and blame it on being "bloated". But if I got closer to a 20 lbs gain I would need different clothes and it would be noticeable to others. I can see how 20-30lbs could sneak up on you, but anything more than that would need new clothes for sure and I'm not sure how you wouldn't notice that.

    "Gosh, these days they're cutting the clothes differently than they used to, making me look like I'm a bigger size!"

    "Oh, in my usual brand I'm a 12, I must be a 14 in these because they're a different brand."

    Or you just have a bunch of clothes of different sizes in the closet.

    I've either done or heard the above things.

    Also don't forget the ever evolving lines of clothes that are stretch and have elastic waistbands. If you buy a pair that is almost loose, by 30 pounds later it will still 'fit.'

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