What caused your weight gain?

pawprint061

Growing up as a child I was never over weight. Through out school and into jr high I was never over weight. I was actually anorexic for a few years. There is part of my mind I think that wanted to gain weight so that I never went back to that place? I'm not sure. I had in my head that I weighed a certain amount of weight. I never checked, I always told myself and others however that's what I weighed. However, when I did finally check I was a little over. Out of no where a few years years ago, I started gaining fast. I was normally around 150 when I hit my 20's. No biggie is what I always told myself. Well, I got pregnant. I was about 160 when I found out. I never realized that I was over weight then. My doctor always said it was healthy. I never second guessed. After I had my daughter I lost everything I had gained and was back down to 160. Somewhere along the line, I went up to almost 170... this whole time I was convinced still in my mind that I was 160... until I saw a picture of myself at a friends wedding. I was embarrassed, I was in shock, I was depressed. That was in May of this year. It has taken me a while to get my body used to no longer eating the crap, and the amount that I was. I logged my food for the first time, and it was close to 3,000 calories... I was shocked when MFP figured me at 1,390 calories for the day... that's a huge gap... So I decided to get my butt in gear. A few months after joining MFP I got a new job where I walk constantly, everyday... I carry water buckets, I'm up and down all day... I get my work out. And it's helped. I've lost about 23pounds so far... I never thought that I would do it... But I'm finally below 150.... My goal is to get back to 130... I know I will...

cmriverside

Great thread! I haven't seen anything like this on mfp before. Just bumping to come back and finish reading....while I ponder the question.."What caused my weight gain?"


I suspect it was my hand and mouth. But that seems too simple.

makeitallsue

Great Thread, somethings to really think about...Nikki, I came to tears when I read your post. I am so sorry of your struggles and I can relate somewhat. I was always a chubby kid, both of my parents were alcoholics and I pretty much had the responsibility of raising my younger sister. My Adoptive Dad was very abusive (I have never met my real Dad) and My Mom put her head in the sand. My Step Dad left and My Mom began drinking and I became the parent. I was also molested by an Aunt and Uncle from the time I was 8yrs, to around 12 yrs....is it any wonder that I started drinking at 12, hated life and everyone in it. partied way to much to ease the pain, My Mom left me for a boy friend when I was a junior in high school, I've been on my own ever since. I got involved with a drug abuser and we were together for a long time, but after I got pregnant with my first daughter at age 18, (whom saved my life and gave me a purpose) he bolted and I went through another 4-5 years raising her and thinking I was just not worthy of much in life. I met my now husband and even though I did lots of things to try to force him away.....I worked through all of my abandonment issues and he loved me for me and I had to learn and teach myself that I needed to love me. I wanted to break the cycle of alcohol abuse and give my children a life I have only dreamed about.
I have had trouble letting go, I think mainly because my family doesn't like it when I begin to talk about the past, noone wants to air the dirty laundry, they just want me to stay quiet....what good does it do to bring these issues up,,,,that's what they tell me, especially my Mom, but she didn't have the same life...did she?! Her parents were there for her and she knew where she came from.....every day is a struggle, I am an emotional eater, but I am hoping to change for the better and take this time in my life to LOVE me, and nurture me and teach myself the right paths to take...I can only do it for myself...noone can do it for me! Thanks for allowing me to share, a small weight has been lifted.

DeeDeeLHF

Debra,

Thanks for sharing...and Nikki...

I think that there are many of us who eat emotionally and people can say, "Get over it" but they do not always understand the level of pain that is underneath.

My respect for you has just gone up 100 fold!!!

I have always thought I was "fat" even as a teen at 95# and after my second son was born I went down to 102#.

For me an accident that was both emotional and physical did me in.

Excercise is hard...I don't really like it...it just need it.

Thanks for to everyone who has shared on this thread...both the funny and the more serious.

slightingscale

... I am hoping to change for the better and take this time in my life to LOVE me, and nurture me and teach myself the right paths to take...I can only do it for myself...noone can do it for me! Thanks for allowing me to share, a small weight has been lifted.

((((((((((((((((((((((Debra)))))))))))))))))))) Hugs to you!
Thanks for sharing. I wish you only the best.

Mindful_Trent

I was skinny as a kid, but once I hit puberty I developed a very disconnected relationship with my body. Add to that a lack of interest in sports/physical activity and I just steadily gained weight starting in 5th/6th grade. I was simultaneously in denial over how big I really was but also disgusted with myself. Despite that, I couldn't make myself care enough to actually try to change it. I was always good in school, so I decided that I was just someone who was supposed to focus on doing good in school and tried to convince myself that it was okay not to focus on my "looks". Fastforward to after I graduated from college, and I got into a relationship in which I felt very comfortable, which definitely made it easier to gain more weight and not notice. Last spring that relationship ended and I was devastated, but it ended up being a new beginning point in my life - a catalyst for change. I wasn't happy with who I was or what I looked like, which led me here. I'm glad I found MFP! I'm now 1/4 the way through losing weight to reach my goal. I'm working on becoming the person I want to be - in more ways than just physical appearance.

sissy56

I have a picture of me in a high chair and my grandmother giving me Coke from the bottle. It was all downhill from there.

ThePoptart

Getting out of control with my life, letting stress get the best of me and turning to food to relieve any feeling I had. Bad idea!! It's funny because when I used to feel stressed out I just wouldn't eat....quite the opposite now lol. But now that I realize this, I am trying to remember how I felt when I ate my feelings and that seems to keep me from binging

FireMonkey

I've been fat my entire life - 9 pounds at birth and never looked back. Over the years it's just added up to more and more. I love food. I also used to be a stress eater but I've got a handle on that - when I get upset I run or jump around instead of eating.

Incidentally, when I was a kid I walked to school and played outside every afternoon. We didn't even have a TV. I was a fat kid anyway.

pannellkat

I have a picture of me in a high chair and my grandmother giving me Coke from the bottle. It was all downhill from there.

LMAO!!!! This was too funny.

HonestOmnivore

bump!

mommared53

Eating out at fast food restaurants waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much. Also eating junk food like it's going out of style. On top of that, I have a desk job and do a lot of sitting. Then at home, more sitting in front of the tv all evening. No wonder I got so fat. I tried to blame it on menopause, but I couldn't even fool myself with that one for very long. :ohwell:

cmriverside

bump..... and I'm adding this thread to "Links in MFP you want to read again and again." This is a good thread!

:happy:

nikinicole

ive been heavy all my life and im sick of it. i eat not of boredom completely but because i like the taste. id like to see what its like not to be the fat one for once. =/

melissahager

Where to begin... 2 children, divorce, and a love of coca-cola and wine. Notice that I didn't say diet coke! That's right- I crave the real thing all day! So there is no question where this extra weight came from...

get_fit2009

Beer, then I got rid of that and substituted wine. Plus a stressful job with plenty of available chocolate and a staff room full of crap to eat. Two active kids with after school activities. Somewhere in there I lost ME. Finding ME again means I actually WANT to exercise and be thin and feel really good. So, I now have a part time job that I love that allows me to do things for my family and myself and instead of sipping wine on the couch I get my exercise and chores all done. I still enjoy my wine on the weekends but it is no longer a daily habit. My new job is full of healthy-minded people who have dishes with sugar free hard candy or a bowl of grapes for folks to nibble on. Much easier to stay away from junk food if it is not readily available!

HonestOmnivore

I still enjoy my wine on the weekends but it is no longer a daily habit. My new job is full of healthy-minded people who have dishes with sugar free hard candy or a bowl of grapes for folks to nibble on.

I am not ready to give up my weeknight wine! One day I hope I get there but right now I'm happy to give up a few of those "100 calorie snack packs" so I can keep my wine!

Smart move on the part-time job!

get_fit2009

I still enjoy my wine on the weekends but it is no longer a daily habit. My new job is full of healthy-minded people who have dishes with sugar free hard candy or a bowl of grapes for folks to nibble on.

I am not ready to give up my weeknight wine! One day I hope I get there but right now I'm happy to give up a few of those "100 calorie snack packs" so I can keep my wine!

Smart move on the part-time job!

Honestly, it just kind of happened by itself. I got stressed out when I didn't get my "to-do" list done in the evening. After a glass of wine, the "to-do" list had lost importance and then in the morning I'd be irritated with myself for not getting it done. So, slowly, it lost its nightly appeal. Although your profile pic could make me change my mind on a Tuesday evening when I don't have to work the next day! :laugh:

dporter1183

Two LARGE babies, too much soda and fast food, and I'm just plain lazy!!!

I'm working on the lazy part, but I've pretty much kicked soda and FF to the curb. I allow myself FF twice a month, THAT"S IT! I have to be strong this time, I almost hit the 200 lb mark. I was thin all through out school, then I met the man of my dreams and brought on what i like to call "happy fat." I was still comfortable being a little thick, but 2 babies and 50 lbs later, i've had enough!:bigsmile:

Positively_Me

What caused me to gain weight???….I’ve been over weight ( or some extra meat on my bones for the winter months –lol). In addition, portion control, lack of exercise, and emotional eating got the best of me. I was teased for being big “fat” (by family members, siblings, and my so-called friends)…and so my only true friend I had was FOOD (to heal the pain I was feeling). At the age of 15, I wanted to lose weight…starved myself, I would only eat one banana and with endless cups of coffee…. I lost weight….but not enough to be recognized by my family! Lost some weight…and found my hubby at the age of 16…I got married at the age of 17 and first child at 18…gain 35 pounds then gain more weigh when I was pregnant with my 2nd child 18 months after first child. Trying to lose weight ended up gaining more weight, contributes to the endless yo-yo dieting..one fad diet after another! Ten years after my second child, became pregnant with my third child (he is 4 y/o) and ever since been trying to lose 60 pounds…managed to lose 35 and then gain half of it…then I found this site…small steps. I find it not all about losing weight but healing the pain and learning what caused me to gain the weigh..Being unhappy about myself!

gympamela

I was in great shape, 16 percent body fat and ripped and smoking hot, then add the depo shot, a terrible breakup, leaving the military, and working in a bar- instant 50 pound weight gain! I lost almost all of it but 15 pounds in the years following, then got pregnant with my daughter and was at 173 pounds until recently. I have not lost alot, just about 10 pounds or so in 18 months.
So now I am in it for the long haul- I remember what it felt like to go from being the fat kid to the fit kid, and I want that feeling back!!!

Hemis_mom

I think it all started when I became a teacher--I don't know why but when I grade papers (for hours) I munch--and because I spend hours on my career I don't take care of myself--there isn't time to eat right, cook right, exercise--a lot of eating out--living with a husband who can eat ANYTHING he wants and doesn't gain an ounce--portion control (or lack of)--emotional eating--rewarding myself with food---letting food make me feel good instead of other less harmful things--I just tipped the scales at 200 I have to do something but still feel like my job is such a sabotage on my health in more ways than just eating-- I think the stress creates cortisol which sticks the fat right to my belly--YUCK-- I need to figure out how to balance everything but have to admit right now I have not--

Thank you for sharing your stories you are so inspiring you make me feel like I can do it! I just need to figure out how

stormieweather

A very late age pregnancy (40's) put 30 pounds on me. I didn't lose the weight when I had the baby. She was only 6 pounds of the 35 pounds I put on. Then I tried hard dieting (ie: eating as little as possible). And I gained...slowly, but I gained, all while eating less than 1000 calories a day, actually most of the time I ate less than 600-700 calories a day.

So now it is a major struggle to get my metabolism working again. I lost 2 pants sizes and 13 pounds in the first 3 months after I started MFP, but have been stuck ever since (not losing). Maybe I killed my metabolism entirely!! /sob.

Ashia1317

Hmm . . . as a child I was always active all the way through college. I barely sat still. Even through all that, going to school with guys, i never had to watch my weight. I would finish pizza's with them, i would eat at the local Burger King and down whoppers. I could eat anything I wanted.

Then, once I graduated college and was hired at my current job, my metabolism changed but my eating had not. I never noticed the weight gain at first. Clothes started to get tighter, and of course, my grandmother had to comment.

It's been a hard road trying to train myself to eat healthy and watch portions since I never really had to focus on it before. My mother always had healthy meals at our house, which I always mocked, not really understanding that "Mother is always right". I would sneak candy or something "bad" for me.

I have a young sister who is on the path that i was on. I tease her for being a size 1 (being only age 14). But in reality, she won't be that way forever if she doesn't get her healthy habits in check. She's a huge ice cream -aholic and not so keen on veggies like I was. I hope my changing habits will be good for her as it is for me.

As you get older, it gets harder.

Ashia1317

I see many people on the forums that are trying to get "back" to where they were before they gained weight. Some of us have gained 50 lbs or more and some just a few lbs to get off. What do you think caused your weight gain?

I know for me, it started with the depo shot, birthing 2 children and not breastfeeding, and those darn Rockstar Energy drinks daily just did me in!! Oh and not staying active. Went from 125 to 175 in NO TIME!

I'm noticing some people on here have said about Depo. I was 8 lbs lighter before i started it and now i gained 5 of that back. ugh! i'm wondering if that's the culprit . . . .

DrJerryFowler

As a person posts in their Daily Food Diary here, they will probably find what I found:

Sugar, Bread Products, and Fat/Chocolate filled products have the most calories.

I WAS WAY OVER MY CALORIES - FOR MANY YEARS (no matter what "diet" I was on).

Most people (including me) have no idea how easy calories add up - unless they track EVERYTHING they eat/drink.

Now that I'm tracking everything, I have no doubt I will lose weight.

dporter1183

I see many people on the forums that are trying to get "back" to where they were before they gained weight. Some of us have gained 50 lbs or more and some just a few lbs to get off. What do you think caused your weight gain?

I know for me, it started with the depo shot, birthing 2 children and not breastfeeding, and those darn Rockstar Energy drinks daily just did me in!! Oh and not staying active. Went from 125 to 175 in NO TIME!

I'm noticing some people on here have said about Depo. I was 8 lbs lighter before i started it and now i gained 5 of that back. ugh! i'm wondering if that's the culprit . . . .

I gained 30 lbs in 60 days on the depo, but I was younger and really thin before hand, so the extra weight wasn't too big of a deal to me, but I slowly started to pack it on after that! I even asked the nurses before I got it "I heard this shot makes you gain weight, is that true?" and they said "No, most girls actually lose weight!" I have a hard time believing that!

Ashia1317

I see many people on the forums that are trying to get "back" to where they were before they gained weight. Some of us have gained 50 lbs or more and some just a few lbs to get off. What do you think caused your weight gain?

I know for me, it started with the depo shot, birthing 2 children and not breastfeeding, and those darn Rockstar Energy drinks daily just did me in!! Oh and not staying active. Went from 125 to 175 in NO TIME!

I'm noticing some people on here have said about Depo. I was 8 lbs lighter before i started it and now i gained 5 of that back. ugh! i'm wondering if that's the culprit . . . .

I gained 30 lbs in 60 days on the depo, but I was younger and really thin before hand, so the extra weight wasn't too big of a deal to me, but I slowly started to pack it on after that! I even asked the nurses before I got it "I heard this shot makes you gain weight, is that true?" and they said "No, most girls actually lose weight!" I have a hard time believing that!

I did my research before i talked to the doctor. i heard there was weight gain and asked my doctor what her opinion was. she told me it's usual for 5 lbs a year possibly. i was under 138 when i weighed in one week before starting depo at my physical. a year later, i'm 5 lbs heavier and counting . . . i've been craving things i never did before and i feel fatigued a lot. i'm assuming that's part of it (like i'm PMSing all the time) . . .

MercuryBlue

I see many people on the forums that are trying to get "back" to where they were before they gained weight. Some of us have gained 50 lbs or more and some just a few lbs to get off. What do you think caused your weight gain?

I know for me, it started with the depo shot, birthing 2 children and not breastfeeding, and those darn Rockstar Energy drinks daily just did me in!! Oh and not staying active. Went from 125 to 175 in NO TIME!

I'm noticing some people on here have said about Depo. I was 8 lbs lighter before i started it and now i gained 5 of that back. ugh! i'm wondering if that's the culprit . . . .

I gained 30 lbs in 60 days on the depo, but I was younger and really thin before hand, so the extra weight wasn't too big of a deal to me, but I slowly started to pack it on after that! I even asked the nurses before I got it "I heard this shot makes you gain weight, is that true?" and they said "No, most girls actually lose weight!" I have a hard time believing that!

I did my research before i talked to the doctor. i heard there was weight gain and asked my doctor what her opinion was. she told me it's usual for 5 lbs a year possibly. i was under 138 when i weighed in one week before starting depo at my physical. a year later, i'm 5 lbs heavier and counting . . . i've been craving things i never did before and i feel fatigued a lot. i'm assuming that's part of it (like i'm PMSing all the time) . . .

I gained 25-30 pounds on Depo- in 6 months! It seriously disfigured me, gave me stretch marks all over my thighs LONG before I had children. I actually found support groups online for Depo users who not only gained weight but also suffered other, terrible side effects. I HATE Depo.

cheri03

too much hand to mouth disease.