Please don't be offended...

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Replies

  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Here's my story: I grew up on a farm and worked my butt off every day. I also played softball, volleyball, and ran track all through school. I am 5' 3" and always weighed 115 pounds since I was about 16 years old. I moved to town to go to college. No chores, no school activities, no exercise. Met my husband and we got married. Five months later I got pregnant and the doctor said since I was so petite he wanted to see me gain at least 35 pounds. I gained 84! The day I went into labor I weighed 194 pounds and had a 7.5 pound baby. Before I went home I got on the scale and weighed 172. Then, 6 months later I found out I was 4 months pregnant. My 1st and 2nd children are 11 months apart. And guess what? My 2nd and 3rd children are 15 months apart. I had my 3rd child when my oldest was 2 years and 4 months. My body has never seen my pre-pregnancy weight. And I never understood why. I did not sit on the couch and let them grow up. I was always the one on the floor playing with them and taking them everywhere with me.

    Fast forward a few years and try to go out to eat and afford to feed 3 active growing children. Welcome to all you can eat buffet. And I ate enough to get my money's worth, ate my weight in food, however you want to describe it.

    Then the kids got active in baseball, girl scouts, boy scouts, sunday school. I became the girl scout leader, the boy scout leader, the sunday school teacher, active in PTA, went and watched game after game after game and developed some serious bleacher butt! Ha! When you're that busy every night of the week, it is so easy to run past fast food and get dinner.

    My husband, who is 6' 2", is an absolutely wonderful man! We have been married for 25 years and never once has he made a comment about my weight. He always tells me how beautiful I am. Since we've been married, he has went from 180 pounds to 220. I have went from 115 to 286 to my current weight of 261. He is being helpful and supportive, but he also offers to buy me a bag of Fritos whenever I announce that I've hit my next 5 pound goal. Fritos are my favorite! I told him I would rather be rewarded with diamonds!

    Through the years I have continued to play adult softball, adult sand volleyball, and we bowl on a couples bowlling league, so I am somewhat active, not just sit on the couch and watch TV inactive. I am also a VERY picky eater. Not necessarily a vegan, but I do not particularly care for meat. I do not like potato chips, sweets, etc. I can pass on cake, but if I do have a piece I scrape the frosting off. However, I can eat noodles and potatoes thousands of different ways. I am a carbohydrate junky!

    One thing I have been blessed with is that my blood pressure and my cholesterol are normal, and I'm not on any medications. My doctor describes me as a healthy obese person. However, I did have my first attack of Diverticulitis about a month and a half ago and so I am a little more conscientious of what I'm eating.

    Today my children are grown and my life does not revolve around them. So I am at the gym most days either working out or taking aqua classes in the pool. And my meals can be a baked potato only if I want and not the meat, potato, vegetable meals that we used to have.

    Thanks for the question - that was kind of nice telling my story! :smile:

    And here ends the 'fat people are just lazy' myth.

    I'm exhausted just from reading that and couldn't have managed half of it even at a healthy weight!
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    Sorry this is long!


    I was fat since first grade, as a child I obviously didn't understand what I was doing to my body. I followed the eating habits of my surroundings, ate the portions I was used to seeing. I was very active, but as the weight put on I was less active. Both because it is harder to be active when overweight, and because children can be cruel and it makes it harder for overweight kids to be comfortable with exercise at school. They can also drive them to eat even more for comfort. I would love to see more work done to PREVENT obesity, because I wish someone had done that for me growing up.

    Then when I began to understand it, I was too depressed and afraid to change. I was addicted to food, you could even call it a self-treatment for my depression. My depression was majorly caused by my weight. I was overweight because I ate too much. I would self-treat my depression with food, only making me more overweight... can you see how it can turn into a vicious cycle?

    A hard one to break, because anytime you try to come to terms with your weight, it caused anxiety and depression, which triggered your urge to eat for comfort.

    I think it's honestly up to only one person, yourself, on if you are ready to lose weight. You have to come to terms with yourself and your problems, otherwise you will always avoid the issue, put up the blinders, be in denial.

    You deny to yourself how bad it has gotten, and avoid the issue. For almost everyone it just finally comes to a point, where you realize you have to change. It is a lot like drug addiction. I have a drug addicted brother (addiction runs in the family I guess!), and he was very much the same, the drug was a comfort or self-treatment for his depression---it was also the cause of said depression. He was addicted, and It took something incredible to make him change that. He always wanted to change it i'm sure, but there is a difference between wanting to and actually doing it.

    The only problem is, you have to have food to survive, and you are always surrounded by enablers. I have so many friends who mean well, but love to say 'one piece of pizza wont kill you, one cupcake wont kill you, a night of drinking wont derail your diet!' This is were you have to find that willpower inside yourself, that everyone has, because otherwise you'll find yourself back where you started.

    I think as a nurse you need to remember, a lot of these people are in denial, and trying to force them to see that they are really endangering themselves can make it even worse. You have to be careful with this issue, because before I finally got it, anytime someone mentioned my weight in a bad OR good light no matter their intentions it automatically made me want to eat in order to find comfort. That being said, they should still be encouraged to lose weight for their health.

    Also, it took 20 years to put on 185 extra pounds, it isn't like we woke up one day and decide we would just 'let' ourselves become nearly 200 pounds overweight. Most people didn't even weigh themselves to realize how bad it was, I think you should have worded your question better. Ask people what it was that caused them to be overweight, or what their history is, no matter if you say 'no offense' or not. The people on this site are obviously here to change that.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    I never got that fat, but the reason I have overeaten in the past largely comes down to hunger and impulsivity. Oddly enough, I recently went on Strattera for the ADD that has plagued me all my life and a side effect is reduced appetite. It's so nice not to be hungry all the time! Also, it has made me less impulsive and able to delay gratification, so instead of needing to have whatever came into my head NOW NOW NOW, I can plan and set priorities. I haven't HAD to go get some fried chicken as if somehow it could stop existing tomorrow, and I have also been buying less of other things.
  • just figuring this out...sorry....i realized reply creates a post and that i should message or quote to respond.....i will get this
  • I think they just don't care and it's disgusting.


    Is this how you feel about your own weight problems. Unhealthy weight is unhealthy whether it is an extra 60 or extra 100.
  • gabriellejayde
    gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
    Everybody has a different breaking point. A lot of overweight people reach the point at which they say, "omg, I have to do something about this" and the task seems so daunting that they let it go, until the next breaking point happens. Each time, it gets harder and harder to DO something about it, because the situation has gotten worse.

    the worse it gets, the more depressing it is too... and that makes it even harder to be motivated.
  • MtnKat
    MtnKat Posts: 714
    This may not be a popular, but it's just an idea that may help:

    If you want some research on the reason why someone is overweight, watch episodes of the Biggest Loser, Heavy and Extreme Weightloss Edition...the first two are on Netflix, the other is on the net. Yes, I know it's reality tv - however those are real people with real issues, too.

    It may be a tv show but they always try to get down to the real reason someone is morbidly obese. Most of the time there's a tragedy or something in the past that triggers the weight gain. I also know they show you what the producers want to see....but the contestants themselves really are trying to work through why they are morbidly obese.
  • Diyah13
    Diyah13 Posts: 76 Member
    I am/was 85 pounds overweight. How did I get there? I love food. It tastes wonderful, and there's no other feeling in the world like finishing a wonderful meal and that sated state that comes afterward. I'm also on the go a lot. I have two children and work full time as does my husband. When we come home in the evening, the idea of making a meal and eating an hour later is daunting. We have all of those food places like McDonald's, Culvers, KFC, any pizza chain you can imagine, and so on all over the city. The price you pay to have someone make it for you is worh it.

    I also go there because I have a sweet tooth. I have a lot of coworkers who enjoy bringing in chocolate and other "snacks" to the office. Who can turn it down when it's right there in front of you? In the last year or so, we've started bringing in fruits and vegetables, but the other high calorie items are still there.

    Then, I really packed it on when I was expecting both times. I would lose a lot of it after birth and during the six weeks of maternity leave, but it would slowly creep back on after a while.

    I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any quesions.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I never got that fat, but the reason I have overeaten in the past largely comes down to hunger and impulsivity. Oddly enough, I recently went on Strattera for the ADD that has plagued me all my life and a side effect is reduced appetite. It's so nice not to be hungry all the time! Also, it has made me less impulsive and able to delay gratification, so instead of needing to have whatever came into my head NOW NOW NOW, I can plan and set priorities. I haven't HAD to go get some fried chicken as if somehow it could stop existing tomorrow, and I have also been buying less of other things.

    Yeah, ADD definitely does not help. With weight or anything else.
  • zombie_porno
    zombie_porno Posts: 199 Member
    I grew up in a mostly obese family. My mother always gave us heaping plates & we rarely only had one full plate, usually two. I was never encouraged to go out & play, but rather to read & study. The combination of eating habits I developed combined with a very couch potato mentality led me to early obesity. I also found out later on from various doctors that I have thyroid & metabolism issues. It wasn't so much that I "let" myself get this way, rather I was turned fat by my biological issues & my family's habits. I'm STILL fighting that combination to this day.
  • zombie_porno
    zombie_porno Posts: 199 Member
    I think they just don't care and it's disgusting.

    As someone who IS fat, I don't understand how you can view other fat people this way?
  • mom2dms
    mom2dms Posts: 152 Member
    I put weight on over the last 20 yrs (as long as I've been married). I got married and had my first baby within 9 months. It was always easier to make the boxed foods or fast food. They were cheaper and I didn't know how to cook.
    I seem to remember at one point a few years ago, that I realized that I was probably as fat as I'd ever been..and seriously had the thought...well it's too late now.
    I was taking 12 different medications each day, had horrible joint pain and was wearing clothes that were so large it was terribly difficult to find any that fit me. (being that I'm not even 5 foot tall..the bigger the clothes, the longer they are)
    I saw a picture of myself and thought..who is that? I realized it was me. I cried. Then I realized that I wasn't looking at myself in mirrors. I simply looked where I needed to see to get dressed. (i.e.: my face for make up or my hair to dry)
    I have two teenage daughters that I've worried about having body issues their whole lives. I realized that I was not setting a good example for my girls if I couldn't look at myself in the mirror.
    I decided then and there to make a change. January 2011 I began the journey to a happier, healthier me. I've shown my girls that with determination, dedication and good choices, you can make the changes you want.
    Hope this helps...I'm not really sure I've answered your question.
  • GoBucks96
    GoBucks96 Posts: 13 Member
    I love this response! We went to Disney over the summer, and I was afraid to even attempt getting into some of the rides. I didn't want to embarrass my children if I couldn't fit, so unless I saw someone bigger than I ahead of me, I wouldn't even try. We haven't been to Cedar Point in years because I have gained so much weight, and I am too afraid to go there too. So, I completely relate to your plan of Disney, Universal and Cedar Fair Parks! That is how I think about it too!!!

    As for the why/how I gained the weight...I was on bedrest with my youngest child, and then had a spinal injury during labor and delivery. I had essentially been on my back for several months by the time I was released to move about again. Then, when I tried to go back to working out, I was like a race horse immediately out of the gate -- fast and furious. I ended up fracturing a vertebra and was, you guessed it, flat on my back again...literally. I got to the point where I was just sick of trying, and I really let myself go. At my heaviest, I weighed 230 on a 5'9" small frame, and now I struggle with food addiction; and like many others on here have already said, it is very much like any other addiction. When I'm sad, I eat. When I'm mad, I eat. When I'm scared, I eat. It makes me feel better, but that good feeling is only temporary. Now, I am trying to retrain my brain to cope in other ways, like taking a walk, or reading, or playing catch with my son; but this is not any easier than it is for an alcoholic or drug addict. It takes time; there are setbacks; and everyday presents new challenges.

    Lastly, I want to say thank you for being brave enough to ask this question. Some people want to pretend that the how/why we got here is no longer important now that we are trying to do something about it. In my mind, we must understand that how/why so we know how to learn, grow and protect ourselves from it in the future. And as a nurse, I think you will find that there are many reasons how/why each person got to where they are. The how/why and the path to successful health/wellness can be as individual as snowflakes.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    The tl;dr version of my post is basically this, I grew up fat. I was fat since first grade. I think we should focus on preventing obesity, by changing how our schools feed and teach children to exercise.

    Food is a self-treatment for the depression and anxiety that being overweight causes, therefore it's a vicious cycle that can be hard to stop.

    While food is an addiction, it is very different from drugs, you need it to survive. There are also a LOT more enablers for food addiction than for drug addiction, how many times have any of you heard "having one piece of cake isn't going to kill you!" (Your grandma doesn't normally say, "One hit of the ole crack pipe wont kill you!" Does she?)

    Denial plays a big role, most people aren't just 'letting' themselves become obese, they just are avoiding the issue and people who bring up their weight usually spike the anxiety that triggers the urge to overeat-- another reason I think that it is the person themselves that have to decide when enough is enough. Though there is nothing wrong with friendly encouragement when the person seeks it out. Hence, MFP!

    Finally, the wording of your question, I think, could be better. Instead of asking why we 'let' ourselves get this way, ask what our story is, what caused us to be overweight. It's never just one factor, and honestly, very few want to be fat. No one wakes up and says, "I'm going to let myself gain 300 pounds!"

    edited for grammar.. :P
  • All your stories broke my heart.

    Thank you for your answers; I truly appreciate everyone's help.

    Good luck with weight loss, and I hope you all are able to reach a point in life when you are truly happy with yourselves. I am not there yet myself, but I am working on it! :)
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    . Ask people what it was that caused them to be overweight, not how could they let themselves be so morbidly obese...

    "Morbidly obese" is a medical term for someone who is at least 100% over his or her normal weight. It's called "morbid obesity" because to weigh that much is associated with serious and life-threatening disorders.
  • TheFinalThird
    TheFinalThird Posts: 315 Member
    There are also a LOT more enablers for food addiction then drug, how many times have any of you heard 'having one piece of cake isn't going to kill you!' (Your grandma doesn't normally say, one hit of the ole crack pipe wont kill you! Does she?)


    ^^^^^
    This!!!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    I was always very thin. Then I got very sick with MS. Years upon years of steroids and I mean heavy duty steroid IV's for 5 days or more and followed up with 18 days of prednisone, the inability to walk or even sit up for years is what did it to me. Now after 7 years of remission and slowly getting my strength back. Going from only being able to walk 6 feet etc. Research MS and you'll see the treatments and health issues it causes. Then I developed hypothyroidism which made it worse plus going through "the change" etc. etc. you name it. Finally in remission from MS and thyroid levels are fine now so I'm finally able to lose weight. For a long time my weight just kept going up and up no matter what I did. Now with my health straightened out I"m able to lose weight. IT was coming off slowly on its own just with eating the way I always did but with the help of WW and MFP plus exercising every single day it's coming off faster.

    So there are many reasons why people put on weight and get obese. I was at a 30 BMI when I finally broke down crying to my DR that I needed to get to the bottom of my weight problem because everything I was doing on my own wasn't working. We went over all of my meds and did full blood work up. Thats when we discovered my thryoid problem. I also went off all of my MS meds with the dr's help and supervision. Most of my MS meds caused weight gain. I lost 6 pounds the first week after going off those meds. Then the thyroid got straightened out and the weight loss was steady ever since.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    . Ask people what it was that caused them to be overweight, not how could they let themselves be so morbidly obese...

    "Morbidly obese" is a medical term for someone who is at least 100% over his or her normal weight. It's called "morbid obesity" because to weigh that much is associated with serious and life-threatening disorders.

    Sorry, I'll change it. It really wasn't the point of my post.
  • lenoresaari
    lenoresaari Posts: 500 Member
    Good luck in your nursing and teaching diets to people. Hopefully they will listen and learn and apply what you have to say.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    When I began working for myself and didn't pay close enough attention to the fact that I was letting 35 extra pounds creep on (over 7 years) I also didn't pay close enough attention to the fact that my son was putting on about 50 extra pounds. He was "a growing boy" and his therapist even said that it was baby fat that he would lose easily. He has not lost it easily. By his senior year in high school, he had ballooned to 207 lbs. and he's only 5'7". At his insistence, we rejoined the gym, but he only managed to lose 10 lbs. before he left for college because he did not change his eating habits. Yes, I should have made him, but telling an 18 year old how to live his life is much harder than it would have been if I had started when he was 12.

    But the good news is that he has bought a bike that he is now riding every day, he walks miles every day now as well, and he's finally started to pay attention to the food choices he's making. Not sure what he's lost yet, but I can tell from pictures he has sent that he is shaping up. I get to see him in 3 weeks and can't wait to see just how much progress he's made.

    Agree with others that compassion is the first thing that you are going to need in your chosen profession, but don't be afraid to be straight with people, either. If they don't understand the importance of changing and that it's really possible no matter how hard it might seem, they won't get better.
  • lalalyn12
    lalalyn12 Posts: 80 Member
    For me I was overweight ever since childhood, and I was active as a child as well, played outside etc. My family made bad foods, and they allowed me to have free range of the kitchen. I did not have to ask to eat something, if its in there I ate it. Not only that I also got picked on as a kid, did not have many friends, so I also turned to food as my friend. So my family gave me money everyday for snacks. So i would go to the corner store in the morning for candy and chips, and then when i get off the bus heading home, then I would get more chips, candy and then added some little debbie cakes. I did this all away up unto my adult hood and still was doing this up until I started my journey. So no I am not unhealthy thank God, no diebetes, or anything else. But I realized that I became friends with food. So now I am trying to change my relationship with food, and eat for surviving vs eating for pleasure. I want to be able to eat out once in a blue moon vs I use to do it everyday, I want to eat my favorite snack one in a while not everyday.
  • MargaretWalks
    MargaretWalks Posts: 38 Member
    I was a very skinny kid and teenager. At age 16 I weighed 128. When I got married at age 22 I was around 140. Over the years I put on 130 pounds. It certainly didn't happen overnight. I don't drink or smoke so eating and eating out was my pleasure. In 2000-2001 I lost 80 pounds. I'd gone without sugar for 9 months. When I began to eat sugar again the pounds slowly started adding on again. I'd rationalize: okay...200, no more. Okay...205, no more. ETC. Until I got up to 271 and was scared to death of how close that was to 300.

    Now I've lost back down to less than 190. I'm older and the skin is saggier. It has taken me 4 years and I've learned so much. I plan to never be heavy again
  • eviegreen
    eviegreen Posts: 123 Member
    I think you'll find that there is no single reason for people becoming obese. Every reason is individual, based on a number of personal and emotional circumstances.

    But if you read any of the posts on the subject of "what was the defining moment that influenced you to change," you'll find that a number of people simply had not realized they'd let themselves get so big. We see ourselves in the mirror every day, and weight creeps on so slowly that it's difficult to notice a lot of weight has been put on. For me, I tried to wear my winter jeans and couldn't even get them up my thighs -- I knew I'd put on some weight, but didn't realize that I had gained 50 pounds. For others, it's looking at the scale after a long time and seeing a number they never thought they'd see. Or trying to find clothing at the store and realizing they don't carry a size that big. Or riding a roller coaster and struggling to get the safety bar down. They all have a common theme: we didn't know, until that moment, just how overweight we had gotten.

    And that's why we're on MFP. So we can track our weight, our food, and our fitness, so we never reach that point again.
  • For me, it was when i got pregnant. I was a healthy weight and size before that and i ate junk so i wasn't really very healthy at all! Just thin. When i was pregnant i started eating better, lots of fruit and less chocolate and crisps/chips but i still gained 50lbs more than i did before.

    For 18 months after that, i accepted who i had become and decided it was all worth it because i have a healthy baby. And i still think that! I would gain any amount for my baby to be healthy and i wouldn't care. But im 10lbs down now and im looking forward to being healthy myself.
  • lkcuts
    lkcuts Posts: 224
    Well if you watch any tv there is food all over it...this is good, that is good, all for a low price..Looking back to 1940-50's people were alot smaller. No tv, no computers, no fast food. a one car family made the walks more frequent. you walked or rode a bike to go to the local store or a friends. Some people never really think of food that much, I, on the other hand ALWAYS have. I can taste and smell a food item before I bake or cook it. I think this makes great cooks.
    Junk food was never around our house except chips or pretzels for a party or special occasion and the rare treat of a baked good was far and few in between. I would take lunch money and buy candy. I remember When I was little my mom made homemade doughnuts. they went to the store and I, kept thinking about those doughnuts. needless to say, i got into them savoring every bite. Got in lots of trouble when they got home but it was worth it to me
    . My parents were always telling me how much to eat. In highschool I was, for my height still about 30 pounds over weight even though I walked almost every where. I was always in about a size 14 pants... The last time I weighed 120 pounds I was in the 6th grade. My dad was always telling me I needed to lose weight. he would say, "thats enough jelly, or no u can't have a second helping. Thank God for that, cause in the later years when I would ballon up to 270 pounds, lose it back to 180, go back up. lose it,thinking I looked good but someone would always remind me that I was still big. My mind always goes back to my dads comments.
    I am saying this because if someone had not kept me under control at a younger age, I would have never thought about losing weight and probably be about 500 pounds right now had I not tried to lose it the times I did.
    I was adopted at 5 months old and found some of my blood family. My sisters are all short and as round as they are tall. My uncles were all tall. My family all fought weight, some gave up. I am 5'8 which allows the weight to creep back on without much notice until its too late and out of control, then I diet and excersise again.

    Had i not had the guidence in the younger years, I would most certainly be one of the morbid obese. I think thats important.

    I can't wait until the scientists can come up useing stem cell means to be able to know, when a family's DNA history shows over weight, high blood pressure, or something that is bad in the genes, to be able to remove that cell before birth. I do believe alot of it is in the DNA of the family genes,plus add no education on keeping weight off on top of it plus the era of ride not walk, video games computers , tv food commercials,and easier access to food via fast food, makes for a whole new generation of obese people.
    Oh and btw, when I went ot school, they actually COOKED wholesome lunches , learning dance was required, plus p.e., now, in alot of our schools today, all the physical stuff has been done away with for financial cuts, they have stopped "running on the play ground" in fear of someone getting hurt and a law suit. Sports are still available but now, you have to pay to play.. SAD
  • I love how skinny people, people that have been thin their whole life speculate on here. Why am I fat (335 lbs)s? I like food and I don't like to exercise. I am I lazy? Do I eat, 2 sausage biscuits and 3 hash browns for breakfast, 3 burgers for lunch, 2 large pizza's for dinner and guzzle it all down with soda? Nope. I work in recreation so I am fairly active at work, my house is clean albeit cluttered, and I enjoy the outdoors. I do eat large portions, as in 12 oz steaks or 12 oz chicken breasts with a large scoop of a starch, veggies, a side salad (with a little dressing, I hate salads drowned in dressing!) and wash it down with a water or unsweet tea (can't stand sweet tea). A smoothie, a whole sandwich, chips, and a cookie at lunch. Bowl of "healthy"cereal for breakfast. Do I know how to eat healthy? Yep. Been fat my whole life, since I was born. I know how to diet, started when I was 8. I loathe it! I hate the fact that I can't eat like other people and not exercise but I gain weight.

    My point is, when people that have high metabolisms (or whatever it is that keeps you thinner (size 12 and under and what ever the equivalent is for guys) without much effort), look at fat people (250 lbs +) they are like "ugh, how do they do that to themselves". Well some of us are just being normal, but our bodies don't metabolize like yours do. My thyroid's been tested, I've been tested for strange diseases that are making me fat and nothing. If I want to lose weight I have to eat under 1.500 calories a day and exercise regularly, and I have to do it for the rest of my life. Well that sounds like a crappy deal to me. Am I going to do it? Yes, because unfortunately obesity causes other health risks (so does eating poorly even if you are rail thin), I like to travel, I haven't been able to go on a roller coaster for years (I love roller coasters), and I want to get pregnant.

    So please don't be offended when I give you a dirty look while your shoveling in carbs and sitting on the coach watching the Kardashians not gaining an ounce! Could this anger possibly come from being tormented my whole life for being fat? Yep. Did I get made fun of daily all throughout school 1st grade to twelfth? Yep. Do I get told at least hourly how horrible it is to be a fat person by society? Yep. I think you can understand why this may offend and upset me. But ya know what, life isn't fair so I'll just suck it up and move on.
  • I've always been heavy so it was never about "letting myself go". Growing up we never had a lot of junk food but the meals were always fattening, even the vegetables came from cans and got cooked in butter/bacon grease. I knew that I was big, always being the biggest of my friends and classmates, but I could keep up with them for the most part so I didn't think it was a big deal. It wasn't until I reached nearly 300lbs that I woke up out of denial.
    I agree with what other people have posted, by the time I really recognized that I had a problem I didn't think it was worth it to try and change.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    I think they just don't care and it's disgusting.
    Interesting... as I scan the profile picture.

    THAT being said, life gets in the way. There are a large number of factors. There could be stressful issues like a loss of a job, death in the family. A few months later, massive weight is gained.
    So please don't be offended when I give you a dirty look while your shoveling in carbs and sitting on the coach watching the Kardashians not gaining an ounce! Could this anger possibly come from being tormented my whole life for being fat? Yep. Did I get made fun of daily all throughout school 1st grade to twelfth? Yep. Do I get told at least hourly how horrible it is to be a fat person by society? Yep. I think you can understand why this may offend and upset me. But ya know what, life isn't fair so I'll just suck it up and move on.
    Would you like some wine with your cheese? For the most part the whole metabolism thing is bunch of BS. Sure there are variances but they are not huge like many make them out to be. The problem is the lack of exercise and proper food choices. Most importantly the lack of will.

    Granted I said, life gets in the way. However, one must accept personal responsibility. You sitting there looking "dirty" at someone eating carbs is childish and absurd.

    Yes, I use to 315lbs. So I was fat.
  • OK, I'm also not obese or overweight, I'm here to just lost a little and get fitter. At my heaviest I weighed about 145 pounds which FOR ME is far too much, clothes don't fit etc, etc. Every time my weight has gone up has been when I have been happy, not depressed. When I am happy in a relationship I like going out, I like nice restaurants. I like snuggling up on the sofa watching a movie with a giant pizza and big bowl of popcorn. When on my own, there's no point in baking cakes and pies, and if I'm not hungry I don't eat. Yet I can't tell my husband "I'm not hungry so I'm not cooking". Hence eating when not hungry, which puts weight on. And cooking desserts and cakes etc which I'd never do when on my own.
    I am lucky in that my husband also realised he was getting a little large, and we are on the MFP journey together, doing pretty well so far. If he weren't, I know I wouldn't resist the "hey hun, want to go out for dinner tonight" or "shall we make cakes"!
    I know the key to me not getting overweight again is support from my husband, and also being surrounded by friends who are also not overweight, so I notice if *I* start gaining. If all my friends were big eaters and 200 pounds plus, the support and "benchmark / comparison" wouldn't be there, and I'd be a lot bigger, I'm sure.