What caused your weight gain?
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You guys are so great. This is the only place I can go to where I don't feel so alone with my weight issues!
Ain't THAT the truth!!???!!! I love MFP!0 -
Ohhhh the many reasons....
1. portion control
2. COLLEGE (fast food and beer are a deadly combo!)
3. Boyfriends...when you get comfortable you get fat!
4. Work..I work downtown near a mall that has a food court...oh no.0 -
:indifferent: Freshman year of college -- surgery to remove an abdomenal tumor. Hormones went whacky, I started GAINING instantly.
:indifferent: Marriage. Poor marriage from the start. Depression.
:indifferent: Pregnancy. Docs should have gotten on me to keep my weight down. I gained 60lbs. I was already 185 at only 5'4''.
:indifferent: C-section, poor recovery involving ER stint, high blood pressure.
:indifferent: Unemployment, post-partum depression.
:ohwell: Started to realize I ate my emotions. Too many bad years = too many bad foods shoveled into my mouth.
Started to take control, monitor what I was eating, forced recognition of eating my emotions. Began exercising.
:indifferent: I dissolved a shell of a marriage while losing my job. Gained again.
Regained control of my life. Found another job. Realized my life was good. Realized how worthwhile I am as a person. Realized how many people love me dearly. Began rebuilding me. Now, roughly 15 lbs from goal weight, roughly 55 lbs lost. Very proud, still motivated, taking baby steps. :bigsmile:
I've seen your posts before, but never had the chance to tell you YOU ROCK!0 -
I was a cheerleader in high school, but even then I was one of the "bigger" ones at 150. However, I was fit and looked good in a bikini In college, I fluctuated from 150-180. I lived in the sorority house (we had a chef) and I had a boyfriend so I was comfortable and ate just like he did, which was a big mistake! Yet, I was always fine with my body...until I came to medical school. To be honest, medical school is depressing, it kills your social life, and you have no time for anything. It is even a chore to hang out with non-medical friends because they have no idea what you are going through. As a result, I am in a little med school bubble, and no one wants to hear about how I did bad on a test or how so much studying is depressing. All my friends are going through the same thing so they just don't want to hear it.
Last winter, I began to self-medicate with food and wine :blushing: and I finally hit my tipping point when my biggest pair of jeans were too tight and I couldn't stand to look at myself in pictures. I joined MFP in January of this year but didn't get serious until June when I joined the fabulous group June Starters on here. I couldn't have done it without the support of those wonderful ladies...and of course everyone else here at MFP! Thanks you all so much! The rest is history....0 -
I agree with a lot of you on getting comfortable with your mate (husband or boyfriend) because they love you just the way you are right?0
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Honestly...I was the skinny bone rack kid in school who got made fun of all the time. I was the only girl in grade 9 without a chest and no need of a bra. I remember getting older doing a LOT of socializing and drink and stuff and started to gain a little weight..it was the FIRST time in my life I had a chest. I think the emotional scars from being made fun of for being so flat chested reared it's ugly head and i started to like having boobs! hahahaa...(some girl actually spread a rumor telling people my boobs grew inverted...ya)...so then i loooved having a chest and i think i stopped caring about weight. I looooved food and just ate whatever i wanted whenever i wanted..add to that falling in love and going out for dinners and spending weekends in bed cuddling and ordering in and presto! Too much weight!!! hahahaha......0
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I think all my life I have been on the chubby end if the spectrum. When I was a junior or senior in HS I began to gain weight. Not entirely sure but I think it might have been because my Dad had passed away and we weren't having as many home cooked meals. I know for sure now that my serving size back then was double than it should be. Three years ago I moved from CA to AZ and let em tell you that I hate cooking. I just don't like doing it. My relief was McDonald's or Carl's Jr. Not good friends if you ask me. Well I ate there so many times in a week that my calorie intake was far beyond what it should be. Sometimes I would hit these places up a couple times in a day. Now I know what my portion size should be and I know how many calories the foods I eat are. Back then I didn't know, nor did I care what I was eating. I realized when I had gotten into a size 20 that something had to change cuz the 20 was getting a bit tight. I looked at pictures and was blown away as to how I looked.
I am glad that something clicked in my brain to get me to the point I am today. I am loving the way my body is changing and I am feeling better about myself. This has been the best change that could have happend.0 -
You guys are so great. This is the only place I can go to where I don't feel so alone with my weight issues!
here here! when i first started reading these stories, i was like--that's so not me. but then, here and there i remembered my reality and there i was in the stories--just like you. i usually just look at the last 5 yrs but your stories helped me see a bigger pattern.
anyway--biggest reasons i gained
*too much food and lots of it fatty and junky
*baking and eating my own goodies too often
*not believing there was anything i could even do about it; that i was just going to be the chubby 30-something mommy (i'm 38 now)
Thank goodness for mfp and all of you!! i have learned so much and now believe again that i can have a stronger and smaller body. that mental component has been critical!
thanks for starting this thread. very enlightening. :flowerforyou:0 -
I agree with a lot of you on getting comfortable with your mate (husband or boyfriend) because they love you just the way you are right?
The funny this is...my boyfriend now DOESN'T! That is a whole issue in itself that I know I need to take care of, but its even HARDER to lose weight when you're trying so hard and you have someone telling you that you're fat.0 -
My weight gain: I was always FAT growing up, and my dad used to make fun of me allthe time.. leaving me in tears, and comforting myself with more food.. When I went home after school, if no one was home, I'd clean out the cabinet full of junk. When I was a teenager, my dad kicked me out and I went into state custody..More eating to comfort myself... That went on for a year, then when I was 17, I moved back to my hometown and skipped school all the time, but with no money to get on the bus, I had to walk EVERYWHERE! & I covered MILES every day...I barely ate, cause it seemed my foster parents didn't care about feeding me.. so I was used to having no appetite.. the only time I really ate was when I was uber drunk and/or high... I was 180 for 2 years.. Then at 19 I got pregnant with my son, my SAVIOR! I ate whatever I wanted because my babydaddy left me to raise the baby by myself and I figured 'oh, what the hell, no one else will want me now...' I got into a better relationship, and still hadn't lost the 50 lbs from baby 1, then I got pregnant with # 2.. and here I am.. I was 280 when I had my daughter(12-08)... I am 232 now.. And I struggle everyday...0
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Started my first year of college with the dreaded freshman 15. Then I quit smoking and settled down with my boyfriend all in the same year and gained another 30.
I've heard that when you quit smoking you tend to eat more to fill in that void. Did that happen to you?0 -
I've been fat all my life. I honestly don't remember a time when I was small or close to the size I should've been for my age. I remember every summer trying to lose weight while out of school with fresh garden vegetable available. That's when my dad would tease me about wanting a milkshake or some other scrumptious dessert he could think of. He thought he was just picking on me but what he was really doing was depressing me and I just ate more. Now we didn't have junk food. We ate out of our garden and limited meats that were bought but there was always plenty to eat. When I was 20 I started dating DH and went on birthcontrol and gained 30 pounds. Got married a year later and for the next 10 years slowly gained until I was 325 pounds. Started LA Weightloss and lost 49 pounds in 3 months, got pregnant, gained over 40, had the baby lost all of it but once I quit BFing I gained it all back. Started WW and lost 33 pounds in 3 months, got pregnant gained 40+ but after having the baby didn't lose any of it. I think lack of sleep, working a full time job, taking care of 2 kids and a house just got the best of me. Last February I found myself weighing in at 354 pounds and totally unable to sit still because my clothes were so tight. I knew I had to do something. I saw this website on a message board I frequent and decided to give it a try. Funny thing is that my dad that always teased me as a child had also gained up to 280 pounds and didn't think it was so funny anymore. In March he started counting calories and has now made it down to the 220's and is doing much better.0
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I agree with a lot of you on getting comfortable with your mate (husband or boyfriend) because they love you just the way you are right?
The funny this is...my boyfriend now DOESN'T! That is a whole issue in itself that I know I need to take care of, but its even HARDER to lose weight when you're trying so hard and you have someone telling you that you're fat.
I'm not going to say anything that could come off as being judgemental. All I have to say is THAT SUCKS. Boo on him.
My husband's made a comment or two himself, but not in a negative way. It's not like, "you're fat." It's more along the lines of seeing old pictures of me (at my goal weight) and commenting on how sexy I looked then, how he misses that girl, etc. I know he's not just talking about the weight, but also how carefree and fun I was. Still, it can sting. He's told me that he thinks I'm beautiful now, but I need to lose weight. When I got offended he clarified that the reason he thinks I need to lose weight has to do with my own body image. I'm not happy with how I look, so I dress differently, am more self-conscious, don't want to be intimate as much, etc. So while HE is fine with how I am, he feels that I'll be more like my old self personality-wise if I lose weight. Which does make sense when you think about it. Even when I got down to 145 from 155 before having my youngest, I felt a change. I was a lot more confident, which made me more carefree and randy... hense me getting pregnant again, lol!!!
Still, I'd be lying if I didn't feel some pressure to lose weight for his sake. It's like, I don't want to be THIN for him- I just want to be HAPPY for him.0 -
I started gaining weight in puberty. My parents were British so we always had gravy on our meals, lots of butter and desserts. There was always cookies in the house. Add to that I had an older brother that could eat almost anything and not gain a pound and I tried to keep up with him. I did not exercise nor did I know how to eat properly or correct portion control.
This last year has been a real eye opener for me. I have learned how to eat correctly and to love exercise0 -
I agree with a lot of you on getting comfortable with your mate (husband or boyfriend) because they love you just the way you are right?
The funny this is...my boyfriend now DOESN'T! That is a whole issue in itself that I know I need to take care of, but its even HARDER to lose weight when you're trying so hard and you have someone telling you that you're fat.
I am so sorry to hear this. You are such a pretty girl. Your boyfriend should be encouraging you and not trying to make you feel worse. I hope things get better, but for now you should know that you are beautiful.0 -
My husband's made a comment or two himself, but not in a negative way. It's not like, "you're fat." It's more along the lines of seeing old pictures of me (at my goal weight) and commenting on how sexy I looked then, how he misses that girl, etc. I know he's not just talking about the weight, but also how carefree and fun I was. Still, it can sting. He's told me that he thinks I'm beautiful now, but I need to lose weight. When I got offended he clarified that the reason he thinks I need to lose weight has to do with my own body image. I'm not happy with how I look, so I dress differently, am more self-conscious, don't want to be intimate as much, etc. So while HE is fine with how I am, he feels that I'll be more like my old self personality-wise if I lose weight. Which does make sense when you think about it. Even when I got down to 145 from 155 before having my youngest, I felt a change. I was a lot more confident, which made me more carefree and randy... hense me getting pregnant again, lol!!!
Still, I'd be lying if I didn't feel some pressure to lose weight for his sake. It's like, I don't want to be THIN for him- I just want to be HAPPY for him.
Same here! I am terrified to get in front of a camera and have been since our first year together. My fiance won't come right out and say it, but he does make little comments when he sees a picture of us from 3 1/2 years ago. I have gained about 35lbs since we met, and his comments include things like "if you just lose that little spot and some from there, you'd be great". I know he's not being mean, but I can tell he misses the thinner, more self-confident, and "randier" me!0 -
I think my initial weight gain as a child was caused by my mother. She is very much into looks. She would say things like "you would look so pretty if you lost 5-10 pounds" This is not a good thing to say to an 8 year old. She would put me on diets that were unhealthy and if I lost any weight it would come right back. Eventually I started to resent her for this and sneak food. I yo-yo dieted until I was an adult.
About 2 years ago I decided to educate myself. I learned why none of my diets worked. I ate healthy and exercised and lost over 50 pounds. I was about 8 pounds away from my goal weight.I felt wonderful ! I stopped seeing a change in my weight and I thought I had plateaued. WRONG! I was pregnant. Totally shocked because my fiance and I have not used birth control in 6 years. My new healthy body decided it was the right time to have a baby. I ended up gaining exactly 50 pounds while pregnant. It was my fault. I ate horribly.
My daughter is now 6 months old and I have lost 34 pounds since the day I had her. Losing the weight is so much harder this time around. I have so much less time on my hands. I have fallen off the wagon a couple of times but I am not giving up. I will get to where I want to be and I will keep it off!
I loved reading all of your stories. I am so glad I found MFP 0 -
I was never heavy as a kid - but when I hit puberty I was the most over weight in my family and in my group of friends. Looking at pictures now it's not very obvious until my senior year. I have big hips and I held weight in my hips- but my upper body was great and I could wear regular shorts without looking fat!
Oh I wish I had enjoyed what I had then!
I got married at 19 and lost the fat but I was never in shape. thin and flabby! I held onto my figure for a few years but by my late 20s I was looking more like a pear. I didn't look good in a bating suit but I looked OK in a dress. My real weight issues started in my early to mid thirties when I got a good job and started to travel for work. YUM - eating out at nice restaurants, developing a taste for wine and good beer... YIKES!
Then I had this ginormous health crisis. I was working, life was fine, and I started having panic attacks. It was weird because I'm not a very nervous person and I always knew it was just a panic attack but they were wicked strong and happened more and more until I had to leave my job. I tried therapy and drugs and more therapy and more drugs and finally a doctor sent me to have a sleep test and it turns out I had some weird side effect to sleep apnea where my body was FREAKING OUT due to lack of oxygen all night - and then it would just keep doing it even though I was breathing during the day.
Over this 18 months I gained 50 lbs. After I started using a CPAP I got better in a few months but the weight didn't budge. I joined a curves and I would walk there (2 miles each way) and 30 lbs came right off! But I was better so I got a job. With a long commute - and more travel... and yeah. So that was 2004 and I guess the good news is that when I was my heaviest I was 215, and last year I think I may have been around 225 so at least I didn't go up a LOT more?
I created an account here last winter during our office "The Biggest Loser" contest and now I'm back and now I'm GOING TO DO IT!
Last spring both my older sisters got breast cancer and we found out I have the BRCAII gene mutation which means I have a very high chance of getting breast and ovarian cancer. I had my partial hysterectomy in August, and I am going to have a mastectomy NEXT January (2010). Before I have the mastectomy I need to get rid of this extra weight. Fat holds estrogen and estrogen is my enemy. I also need to be thin so the reconstructive surgery will look OK.
I haven't found time to exercise yet but I am doing pretty well with the diet part.
I LOVE THE SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY HERE AT MFP!!!0 -
Yikes! Can't get rid of the extra post?0
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Sorry, no. It's here to stay.Yikes! Can't get rid of the extra post?
My weight gain in one word: Thyroid.
I was never overweight as a child. Lost all my p.g. weight after birthing each of my 4 daughters. But started gaining in my mid-30s. Would need to be on 600-800 calories to lose - then regained because that was starvation. 40 pounds later, I got help.
Now happily treated, I'm happy to join normal thyroid people again in my journey to lose 40 pounds.
I
MFP. 0
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