Why did you gain weight?

Pimpmonkey

When I was little, I never ate. My family would threaten to take me to the doctor and give me a shot if I didn't eat. Now I'm 24, fat , and afraid of the doctor. I come from a family where wasting food was wasting money. My grandmother showed 3- 5 days a week in elementary and middle school. As I got older, I associated eating with boredom. Eating was and still is for me, a soial activity. If I'm bored, I say, "Why don't we go out to dinner?" I'm working on that though

My mom would make my sister monitor me at school and "report" on what I ate for breakfast and lunch! I actually got grounded for skipping lunch twice before I learned to get the dang tray and just give the food to someone else so when she came by my tray was there but empty. I wasn't trying to starve myself or anything I just wasn't hungry and never could understand why I had to eat all day long at school and then come home and eat this huge plate of food at dinner!

RacerX_14

Because I got lazy as hell and ate all the damn time.

JuniperT

I really just came to this realization...some of it was from my pregnancies and laziness, but I used to be the party girl...smoke, drink, drugs all that bad stuff and when I smartened up, I ate. I didn't realize it until I was talking with my sister last week that I just replaced my old addictions with another one. So I cried, and then I got over it. Now, I'm pulling up my big girl panties and getting my butt in gear. I realized I have to do this for myself because if I'm doing it for my kids or my man, I'm not doing it for the right reasons. I know in the long run it really is for them, because if I don't get healthy I won't be any good to them.

CynthiasChoice

I'm a sugar addict. This is what I've finally determined after 40 years of frustration and bewilderment. When I'm not eating sugar and empty carbs, I have the willpower of a "normal" person. It's still tough sometimes to resist tempting foods, but if I'm not "under the influence" of sugar, it is do-able. If I eat sugar, I just want more and more high carb food, and I feel completely powerless. And when my eating is out of control, I feel guilty, stupid, weak, despicable, not to mention fat and ugly.

Staying free of sugar changes EVERYTHING for me. Living without compulsion and shame is totally worth the price of living without sugar.

BabyGrl726

I was fit all the way up until about October last year...fluctuating between 160 and 165. (size 8) Then my daughters father who had pretty much been non existent in her life and for good reasons married his ex. She has money. So he decided to take me to court for custody of my daughter. Needless to say with his horrible history I won sole custody. But its been a battle because he wants visitation. I go back and forth on it and only because i want to be sure my daughter is safe and he is not abusing his prescription meds. He has a lawyer that his wife pays for and I cannot afford one. I also in that time had lost a job and had to take time off of school because the stress was overwhelming. I became depressed, layed in bed, ate golden oreos <

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my kryptonite. So I gained about 60 in about 9 months. Thats a lot!!!

I moved to Ohio and now live with my sister. You would think that would make for a great workout partner but she doesn't like to exercise really and they dont eat as healthy as I like to. I am glad I found this site. it keeps me on track! The support has been tremendous as well.

michaelsgirl1210

Mine amounts to stress and OCD. Before I got married 6 1/2 years ago, I worked out like crazy. Then we got married when I was a junior in college. I gained 10 pounds the first year because of student teaching, mounting bills, and renovating our home. Then I started grad school and gained 25 pounds during those two years. I got pregnant with our daughter right after graduation. Amazingly, I only retained 3 pounds from the pregnancy. But I suffered from PTSD which triggered my OCD, and one thing I've obsessed about is food. If only one cookie was left in a box, I couldn't leave the one cookie; it had to be gone. Or if I was served a plate of a food in a restaurant, I had to clean the plate. 15 pounds later I finally got my OCD under control with sleep and vitamin therapy, but then I was 53 pounds over what I was the day I got married. I feel like now that I know what caused me to gain weight in the first place, it will be easier to control in the future.

LittleNicci

I moved from San Diego, CA (hometown La Mesa, CA) to St Louis, MO (currently Maryland Heights, MO) with my then boyfriend. Back home there are TONS of healthy fast food options (ie: vegan, vegetarian) Here in Missouri not so much. I was so used to living on the go it was hard to change but I slowly started cooking at home more, prepping my meals and brown bagging it to work. Then we got married, 3 days later my mother passed away and I lost it. I didnt know which way was up or if the sky was blue. I was happy I was married but lost without my mom, she was my everything. I ate worse and worse. Things got terrible with my husband, he got into drugs and ended up cheating on me several times. I was willing to work through it but he wanted his space so I gave it to him. I felt so alone and continued to eat worse. FInally, Id had enough! I was tired of being sad, tired of being angry, tired of being overweight. So I started walking my dog everyday that I could. That was almost 2 years ago. I hadnt weighed myself when I started but I did after Id lost some weight and was at my heaviest of 245 lbs. Now I'm 209, so Ive lost a lot and kept it off but not anywhere near a healthy weight or my goal weight of 125-130lbs. Got an amazingly supportive boyfriend now and the rest of my family is too! Going home to visit just after Labor Day so I joined a 10 week challenge and have been tracking everything. ON MY WAY TO GW! :-D

sdavis448

I turned 18, lol.

ReallyI have no idea.. I always had a great body, like literally got compliments from strangers in the street up till I was 17/18 ( i looked older). I didn't have to work for it though. I worked 35 hous a week all through high school and ate pretty normal, and that was it.

The only thing I know for sure is birth control started it. Got on Depo provera.. and was crazy hungry all the time. I shot up 30 lbbs in 3 months. didn't get a 2nd dose but kept gaining for a few months after it. then college, freshmen 15.. worked 3 jobs and went to school full time, didn't have much time to breathe let alone eat healthy.

a couple years pass.. I had my 2nd daughter and the scales tipped at 300 lbs

I don't think it helped that I've been with my fiance since I was 17 though.. he loves mybody regaurdless or maybe I would have put a stop to this earlier.

lauralu89

I gained weight because when I met my fiancee I moved to where he was from and I got really depressed and lonely because I didnt know anyone and his family hated me and I missed my friends and family and I am also on Depovera shot but when I moved and got depressed I quit being active and just slept and sulked all day long

GoTakizawa

I like food and playing video games. I also have had many unpleasant years with depression, anxiety and migraines...so pleasure was hard to come by most days.

Debbe2

I gained weight my entire life because I really didn't have a clue about nutrition. I also was completely unaware that I would actually enjoy exercise until I started to do some.

1Pharns

I was always in shape and healthy... Played soccer all my life, did marital arts and was in the Air Force traveling the world etc... I was playing soccer and was clipped from behind and incurred a full rupture of my R. Achilles tendon. It was so bad that I ended up in bed & rehab for a bit over a year. So no exercise and unable to stand and cook. I ordered plenty of food for delivery... Hence, an added extra 50lbs...

small_ninja

I just wasn't watching what I ate... I worked out a lot and thought that would compensate for whatever went past my lips; it didn't, and I gained at least 3 kilos over the past 3 years. It was that, plus a mini rebellion against myself that I had going on; I'm short and convinced myself that I would be living on salads if I ever wanted to have a bikini-acceptable figure and I just thought it wasn't worth it.

SimplyStacey

I gained weight mainly because I wasn't watching what I was eating nor was I getting enough exercise. I tend to be a stress/boredom eater, and the past 3-4 years had been filled with a lot of stress and family drama that caught up with me. I knew what I should and should not have done to keep the weight down, but I didn't care at the time and continued to chow down. I did it to myself, can't blame anyone BUT myself. While I've never really been skinny or in perfect shape, I never have been as heavy as I am right now. Plus, I will admittedly say that I am a carb *kitten*. Breads, cereals, pasta, chips and crackers, pizza...I'm a fan of it all, and it loves me back in all the wrong ways. :embarassed:

soo_z

One word: Antidepressants =|

runningmommycrosland

I've struggled with depression and anxiety for years, but I didn't start getting treated for it until after I had my third baby. I had three babies in 4 years, and right before my third baby was born, my brother committed suicide in a very traumatic, gruesome way. I went through postpartum depression after my third... My family ended up moving away, and I started teaching full time which was very hard on our family. I actually lost some weight that year because I was more active, but I ate horrible and felt horrible (LOTS of Coke Zero). I have since quit my teaching job and my family has moved (again), but we feel this is a really great set up and we want to be planted here. There are lots of opportunities for our family where we are now! I will start teaching part time (at a preschool) in the fall, so I want to create good habits right now as I'm home for the summer so I can continue my routine into the school year.
I don't need to lose a whole lot (I'm about 153 at 5'7"), but I mostly want to just feel better emotionally/mentally/physically, get somewhat toned (3 babies in 4 years did a number on my tummy), and be active (as a family).

runningmommycrosland

I gained 47 pounds since Jan 3, 2011 after my 14 year old daughter Shelby committed suicide. I was very depressed and lost. I am trying as hard as I can to do this.

I'm so sorry that you had to experience that kind of loss. My brother committed suicide on November 29, 2009... It has definitely been very difficult on my mom, especially. I'm praying for you. Getting healthy is one of the best things that you can do! I'm proud of you!

girlonfire15

I was a skinny kid up until the second grade. I did both cheerleading and dance, but quit dance around that point, so I think that's why I started gaining. No traumatic event or anything - honestly, I wasn't even really aware of my weight until middle school, and it didn't bother me until high school.

LindaCWy

Everyone kept saying "Don't worry it's just baby fat, it will go away once you go through puberty"... puberty came and went and I was wondering why I wasn't hot yet.

Wasn't until 2nd year university when I thought "okay this s@it aint gonna happen on its own"...

lost 50...

fast forward to last year gained about 25 of the 50 back. Was in a bad work situation, couldn't sleep... gave me anxiety, depression, had to medicate. It's amazing how no sleep and high stress really does affect your weight. So I said "eff it"... took control of my life and started losing weight and working out... within 2 months of changing my life I found a new and better job. Handed in my two weeks the same day I signed the offer, left that hell hole and started new. I made the mistake of letting work and others get to me, letting it get personal, that was my biggest mistake... never again. Now I'm like a pig in s*it...

TadaGanIarracht

Laziness, that is all.

feltlikesound

I always had tragic self esteem, but really packed on the pounds during an intense, drawn out breakup after 4-year abusive relationship. That, combined with graduate school (which was time consuming and exhausting) really did in my body!

jazzmaniac

Parents were fat. Grandparents were fat. Closest sibling also fat. And not fitting at school was painful as a kid.
Food was comforting. Food never rejected me. And I'm a bit of a pleasure addict.

Then I watched my grandmother and my parents and how their bodies have fallen apart, and decided I won't suffer that same fate.

I've replaced food addiction with a love of health-- healthy foods and lots of exercise.

I love 38 pounds last year and have kept it off for 7 months. I intend to lose 50-65 more pounds before this year ends.

dakotababy

DEPO PROVERA.

40 LBS IN 3 MONTHS!

lindsy721

I don't have any real story to why I gained a few extra pounds... I just pigged out on junk a bit too often! I've always been active, but as I got into my early to mid twenties my body just wasn't burning as fast as it used to as a kid

I never got to a point of obesity, and even now I've only got about 10 pounds of fat I'd like to lose.

shelbyfrootcake

Enjoying life a bit too much without moderation. Too much eating out, drinking, new partner, more sedentary job...

jessicae1aine

I could say, "I got pregnant with my daughter, had some complications, etc," but...

Let's be honest.

Sure, that contributed. But in all honesty, I'm lazy and I like food.

kale_powered

Simply because I always ate whatever and whenever I wanted to, regardless of if I was hungry or not, and I never exercised. I was a lazy person.

HeatherGTaylor

It was my way of self-medicating emotional wounds.

Same. Lack of friends/love/hobbies didn't matter cause there was always food. Even today when I'm haing a rough time of it all I think of is must eat something super naughty because I deserve it, tough one to change.

sheri02r

A new found love for baking.

Goal_Line

Beer and potato chips