Why/how did you become overweight?

squigglypuff

I was always underweight and under-height as a child. I reached my adult height of 4'11 back in middle school and I never had a growth spurt. I remember a point in elementary school when I weighed 48lbs and was 48" inches tall -- I was always very small until puberty, when I weighed around 95-100lbs which was appropriate for someone my height.

I ran track in middle school and the first year of high school. In high school I had friends in every clique -- athletes, slacker, nerds, etc -- and eventually I spent more time with the slacker burnout kids than my track buddies, and I found out that drinking and partying were more fun than waking up early for track meets. Since quitting track, I gained about 7lbs a year and didn't really notice it until graduation, when I was around 120lbs but in a curvy and cute way. I think i attempted to lose weight maybe once during high school but I wasn't motivated and I felt that i looked "okay" at that weight so I wasn't that determined to get in shape.

I went to college in New York City and I thought that walking around all the time would help me lose weight, but I didn't pay attention to what I was eating, and again I fell into a routine of hanging around with the wrong people and making poor choices. By the time I had graduated college I was at my highest weight of 148lbs which doesn't seem like a lot, but I'm only 4'11 and that was considered borderline obese. One of my friends got married the summer after graduation -- when I saw pictures from her wedding (the left side of my profile pic) I was horrified and I finally accepted that I was getting fat.

Even now, I'm finally down to 120lbs again but it's frustrating because I've seen as low as 113lbs a few times over the last year and I ALWAYS gain some of the weight back. My problem is with portion size, and also with choosing the right food. I always forget that I'm so short and I want to eat as much as my guy friends eat, but I have to keep in mind that my body doesn't need to eat that much.

MonMarie123

I was always underweight, but at the age of 12 I started a 5 year battle with anorexia and bulimia. With the help of some counseling and my best friends I was a recovering anorexic by my junior year in high school. Because of how bad my anorexia was I was always afraid to "diet" after i recovered. I gained 45lbs with my first pregnancy and lost it all withing 6 months just by being active and cutting out junk. I gained 29lbs with my second pregnancy but I had already gained about 15lbs back before I got pregnant. The second time was a lot harder, I lost 24lbs in the first 4wks because of breastfeeding but I hung on to those extra 5lbs. I don't know why I started gaining when I did, I have always eaten tons of carbs and fatty foods but I started gaining and couldnt stop.
It got to the point where I was staying inside as much as possible because I was so embarrassed, still I avoided dieting for fear i would "take it too far"

I am now at a healthy weight, healthier than Ive ever been in my life, I eat foods that are good for my body, i dont starve myself or binge and purge, but I have learned its okay to tell myself "no" (as well as yes sometimes) and I am the happiest ive ever been. I love my life.

msleanlegs

Gained 20 lbs during my first year of marriage. Had been on the low edge of a normal BMI and got compliments on my new curves, so I went with it. Motherhood is when the real weight came on. Too many sleepless nights with cranky babies had me eating sugary foods to stay awake. Not the smartest thing to do, looking back on it, but I was in survival mode during those years. I still exercised daily and spent most of my time chasing after the kiddos, but it wasn't enough to combat the weight gain. It's really true when people say you can't out train a bad diet.

kooltray87

Were you always overweight? not until puberty
Did you "let yourself go"? sure did, after high school I was no longer in sports so I just ate and didn't exercise at all other than running for the bus.
And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food? usually too much eating out and no activity makes me fat lol

slroggemann

I was always moderately overweight, but I gained A LOT of weight, the majority of my weight, after my parents divorced. I ate a lot of candy to combat the stress and that packed on the pounds. It made me feel better at the time, but now I'm working my *kitten* off to lose it, quite literally.

scruffykaz

Well, I put on weight for a number of reasons, one of them being the typical "couple bubble". You know the drill, meet somebody, settle down, go out for meals etc.

I've always been a foodie but I was never able to indulge greatly because I was always on a super-tight budget otherwise know as the "payday" diet....anybody else familiary with that?!? It is the kind of diet where you are forced to eat what is left rather than what you fancy with no money for extras.

I've always been a bit overweight, mainly due to lack of exercise and eating the wrong foods but it really spiralled when I hubby. We are both foodies, enjoyed eating out, my financial situation improved dramatically (due to new better paying job rather than hubby). We did little exercise and before I knew it I was bigger than I'd ever been....

Coming down the other side now though :-)

lorib75

For those of you who want to share, I am interested to hear your stories about why/how you became overweight.

Were you always overweight?
Or were you once a healthy weight?
Did you "let yourself go"?
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication?
And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food?

Thank you for sharing, I think your stories will shed some light and help us to understand our weight loss journeys, since the mental component is so important, and we have to know where we come from to move forward.

Feel free to link to other past threads or groups.

I can remember in 1st grade thinking I was fat.
I can remember in 2nd grade my teacher putting a chart on the black board of every childs weight and mine was the highest 72lbs
I don't think I was ever a healthy weight... maybe in Kindergarten.
I don't think I ever let myself go... I just think both of my parents worked so we had free reign of the kitchen as kids. I was not made to go outside and play, so I didn't.
I've had many tragedies, but they all happened in adulthood.... while I was already obese.

Anyone care to psychoanalyze that??

jennfranklin

Did not have to deal with being overweight until I was well into adulthood. With that came stress, the loss of my dad, then came the antidepressants after that, then I piled the weight on! Not blaming it on the medicine, because I ate my feelings, meaning I am an emotional eater. No longer take meds, have been off of them for years, and I was still FAT! Now I tend not to emotional eat, and I am very mindful to ask myself if I am actually hungry.

musiqueange

I was an average weight until around 10 years old when I became a little heavier. I suspect I've had PCOS since puberty (I was only diagnosed at 24) and had that stupid little belly ever since then. Lack of exercise and overeating are to blame (I chose music over sports due to time constraints, didn't eat vegetables and enjoyed delicious home cooked meals). My family did not have healthy eating habits and most of my immediate family has had weight problems.

In high school I was overweight and heavier than most and ended high school around 180, I think. The summer of 2010 before my fifth year of college I was at 210 and by August of 2012 I was at my highest of 220. Then I decided to start here and it's been pretty successful.

mk834

Hi, all. I'm new here and wanted to share my story as well.

I had a great childhood with loving parents who cared about me and what I ate. Although both of my parents have always struggled with their weight and were always overweight (until my mom lost 35 pounds in the past couple of years and is now at a normal weight for her height [my dad is still overweight]), we always ate healthy foods—just too much of them. Don't get me wrong; there were snacks in the house, too, but we always made sure we ate a balanced diet. Due to problems with portion control and always being hungry, I have been chubby my whole life, but nothing extraordinary.

When I started high school, I was a normal weight—about 5'7" tall and 150ish pounds. I played sports and ate well (except for regular cabinet raids, which caused me to gain about 30 pounds throughout high school). I weighed about 180 when I graduated, but the weight was well-distributed and I didn't look too bad. When I started college and had no one to monitor my eating, I went a bit crazy and gained about 20 pounds my freshman year. I became vegetarian, which most people would link to a healthier diet, but I would just eat pasta, broccoli smothered in ranch dressing, cheese, ice cream, etc. I didn't own a scale in college because I was scared to face the truth.

When I went to a Planned Parenthood appointment for a checkup in 2006, I tipped the scales at 235 pounds. My blood pressure was pretty high, but even that didn't scare me into changing my lifestyle. I was diagnosed with PCOS, which could partially explain the quick weight gain. In the next two years, I put on another 10 pounds, reaching my highest weight of 245 pounds. I was unemployed, kind of depressed, and living in the suburbs where we drove everywhere.

In 2008, my fiancee and I moved to the city, and I started walking everywhere. I quickly dropped 25 pounds, and have yo-yoed between 200 and 220 ever since. I'm currently 207 pounds, 38 pounds down from my highest weight, and want to get down to about 150. I recently got bloodwork results back and, due to a healthier lifestyle, my cholesterol dropped from 200 to 160, though because of my PCOS (and insulin resistance) my blood sugar was a bit high at 102. I've been eating cleanly since the beginning of the year, joined a gym, and have been going 4–5 times a week, in addition to walking at least 40 minutes a day on top of that. I want to nip any potential health issues in the bud before they develop.

Anyway, sorry for the long-windedness, but it feels good to get it all out! I'm hoping to lose 1 to 1.5 pounds a week so that I can look amazing in my bathing suit when I go to Hawaii in November.

Kitsada

I'm 5'6", was a normal weight as a child and young adult. Was probably about 130 in high school. Maybe 135-140-145 through college.... and then I'd say I was on a steady slow gain, about 5 pounds a year, more or less, stabilizing at about 180-185, which I weighed for probably ten years, and consider/ed my 'normal' weight. After two kids and gain/lose though, I did get back to ~185... but then started sleeping much much less to get a bit of 'me' time in, and went up to 222, and now, I'm 44, and struggling to go back down. Healthy eating and logging x 6 months and I'm at like 207 now. I always ate fairly well, but I ate bad things too. Always have drank frequently as well, though not often excessively, not since college. No injury, no particular medications I can blame.

I ate too much. I look back, now that I'm logging, and see I probably easily ate 2500-3000 cal a day, more or less. Not binging, not a ton of fast food, just too much, probably too much booze/cookies, as well, too much late night eating.

I eat better now, it should just melt off, right? Yeah, right... lol

crystalfisher89

I'm 5'3" and have always had a very muscular body so according to BMI, most of high school and all of college I spent overweight. I am easily stressed and in high school and college I over ate- not to mention our cafeteria food sucked. All through high school and college I did workout about 3-4 days a week. During my busiest weeks though, I often didn't get any time in because of being a music major. All through college I yo-yoed on my weight because I would work on getting super fit during the summers that I had off and then I gained it all back around November till March because I usually super swamped with school.

My first year of teaching I was actually pretty fit, then I steadily started putting on weight because I started stress eating again even though I was working out consistently. I even did P90x 6 days a week and gained 20 lbs in that time. I hit close to 170 in May 2012 and was super upset, I've always been heavy because of my muscle mass, but this wasn't muscle, it was fat I'd gained, in masses.

That was when I realized that I NEEDED to lose weight not so I could attract boys or fit into my pants that were WAY too tight, but because I felt horrible and had no self-confidence in myself. That's when I started training to races and picked up running and biking quite a bit. I didn't start really losing pounds until August though when I started up with MFP and started counting my calories. I realized that I just simply ATE way too much.


What launched me into my weightloss in August was instead of eating when I was stressed, I made my number one thing to do after work (because it was my job that was/is stressing me out) and I'd work all my stress off on the machines and feel ten times better. I suffer from depression, but don't take medication because all it makes me want to do is sleep, but exercising keeps me balanced and keeps me from stress eating as well. Now I have to say my exercise habits have now became a feel-good addiction. I guess it could be worse huh?

AuntieMC

bump

keepingm0tivated

How? My body started collecting fat and storing it.
Why? Because cats.

SammiSpring

I've been obese since I was 4 years old. I really know nothing else. It has been a life long struggle, and I still have my doubts it will ever end.

I was even very active as a kid. I rode my bike outside every day, swam all summer, I was a fat cheerleader in junior high (yeah, people were rude about it so it wasn't that fun) on top of P.E. where we ran A LOT. Still fat through it all. I remember at 6 years old weighing 120 pounds. The lowest I remember being was 170 after I lost 30 pounds when I was 11.

samweee

I was always thin growing up. After moving 1300 miles away from all of my friends and family, I found it hard to get off the couch. Im no longer out shopping, or doing whatever it was that kept me busy. I now spend my free time wayching tv. Needless to say, ive gained due to inactivity and stress eating.

cinbol

Were you always overweight?
I was severely underweight until age 9 - because of this the family fed me anything I would eat which mostly consisted of "bad" foods - high sugar, fats and carbs - by age 10 I was "chubby" - somewhere in my medical records it was noted that they gave me a "tonic" (this was in the early 60's) - my current doc thinks it may have been something to correct what they thought was an overactive thyroid.

Or were you once a healthy weight? I was 5'7" in HS and I always was one of the "bigger" girls but wouldn't I love to be 135 lbs again! So during those years my weight was pretty normal

Did you "let yourself go"? Wedding (at 145) and then two children and yes I let it go.. Gained 15 the first year of marriage, and then added another 15 after each child. yo-yo'd for about 20 years ( got to goal at WW once but gained it back now)

Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? The sudden loss of my son at age 22 put me into a depression and I just haven't cared for the last 10 years... life without him has been hard but I am moving forward and a recent change in PCP got me to see that if I kept going the way I was I would be on insulin within 6 months....

I spent my free time watching tv, playing on the computer and of course eating lots of chips and sugar.... NO MORE!

CoxTX

I've been reading through this thread and pondering where it all started for me . . . I've never thought about it much, my family was big (tall & heavy), I was always the biggest kid in class, from the time I became aware of my weight, it was more than all of my friends, etc. -- but the root of the problem?

I'd have to say jealousy of my older brother. From the time I can remember, I've always been jealous of my brother. There was always a vast disparity in the WAY he and I were treated. He could do no wrong, while my behaviour was constantly being corrected. If he didn't want to do something, he would pout, and my parents wouldn't make him do it -- if I didn't want to do something, I got made to do it anyway. I believe it was my parents way of trying to help him cope with the death of our older sister -- I was only a few months old at the time so I was basically unaffected, but my brother was 4 and was devastated. Anyway, even down to chores, he was treated differently. His chores were to help my dad or grandfather build or fix stuff, which was maybe 1 night a week or a Saturday, mine were to do the laundry & dishes & clean the house every day. When he became old enough to get a job outside of the house (16), his job counted as his chore. When I got a job at 16, I still had my chores on top of my job.

All that said, the only way I found to ever feel I was getting anything equal to my brother was food. I tried to express my desire to be treated the same by eating as much as he did. I started at this fairly young and I remember my mother always saying that I didn't need to eat as much as my brother. He and I had a volatile relationship as well, if we fought, he'd tell me he wished it had been me instead of our sister that died. We never really got along until he moved out.

I developed pretty young (5'10", 160 lbs, and a 34C in 5th grade). I went to a very small school that was predominently hispanic -- girls were 5'2" and 100 lbs and I was a Jr. in High School before even the boys caught up to me. I was ridiculed for my height, my weight, any attempt at sports was a spectacle, etc. I struggled with my feelings about my weight all through high school but managed to maintain at 165 lbs. Looking back now, it was a very healthy weight for me, and I looked good, but I couldn't wear a size 4 or 6 like my classmates, so I was fat.

I joined the military immediately and went to boot camp a month after graduation. at 166 lbs, I was put on the 'Chunky Chicken' program. Once again my weight was scrutinized and everything I put in my mouth was watched. When I graduated from bootcamp, after 6 weeks of fish & veggies and constant marching and running in July in Texas, I was 148 lbs. The least I ever weighed since hitting puberty. It lasted about 45 minutes. I went to tech school, going to school at 3 p.m. and getting out at midnight and discovered Midnight Chow! Oh wow! A long night at school, then huge omelets and biscuits and gravy and pancakes and then right to bed. Brilliant plan! Then, off to Italy where there was amazing food and no drinking age! Woo Hoo!

I struggled with my weight for the entire 4 years, always on the weight program. Once I got out of the military -- Katie bar the door. Shot right up to 200. I've been somewhere between 185 & 215 ever since. Up & down & up & down. And in my head is a constant commentary about how happy I'd be if I had a flat stomach or if I wore a size 10 or if my boyfriend could pick me up like you see in the movies -- yet food is still my go-to for everything; celebration, comfort, love.

Wow that was really long and complicated -- but thanks, now I feel like should go have a good cry and let some of this stuff go.

cricket_77

Were you always overweight?
Nope. Graduated highschool weighing 110 lbs. at 5'7". Had two kids in my 20's but weight was still under 130. Got into my 30's and my weight was around 134 and I was probably in the best shape of my life. Had another child in my late 30's and weight went up into the low 140's.

Did you "let yourself go"?
Yes...see answer below.

Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication?
Turning 40 was an awful year for me. Two months after my birthday, I found out I had thyroid cancer. Had my thyroid removed over the summer and pretty much didn't feel like working out and was eating only semi-healthy. Weight slowly started creeping up into the upper 140's. Still dealing with doctor's appointments and radiation treatments this past year and at the end of the year my weight was at it's highest at 156.

I'm about to turn 42 and I have lost a few lbs. and have been eating a lot better and exercising. I'm finally starting to get my energy back and things have settled down a little medically. Right now I'm at 152. My goal is 140 or upper 130's would be really nice!

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

Were you always overweight?

No, when I was young, I was not overweight, but I thought I was. I think that was part of the reason I became overweight, I always thought "Well, I'm fat anyway, no use in counting calories..." I'm 5'3 and when I graduated high school, I was 180 lbs. Then I went to college, became depressed, ate nothing but fast food, possibly 3000 calories a day and went to 220 lbs.

Did you "let yourself go"?

Certainly did. I think it was basically between having always thought I was fat and then becoming depressed and losing my sense of self-worth. Now when my depression comes back, I know to limit my intake of sweets and carbs so I only go 200-300 calories over my goal instead of going over by thousands.

And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food?

Mine was essentially eating way too much fast food. I still eat fast food today, but I don't eat nearly as much of it.

LoveMy3Boys

Were you always overweight? I have always been told I was overweight. All through childhood and so on. Looking back I don't think I was.. maybe heavier than most girls but I was never big until I was an adult.

Or were you once a healthy weight? I have been a healthy weight.

Did you "let yourself go"? Yes.

Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? I like many people, use food as comfort and as a celebration.

And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food? I first became very heavy as a vegan... but I was not a healthy vegan. I also make a lot of foods from scratch. Still easy to be heavy that way.

MommaChocoLatte

I was always thin growing up, then I had kids. That changed my metabolism drastically. The medication I had been on all my life for epilepsy has/had a side effect of weight gain, which I did not see until my hormone levels had been affected. I got lazy and depressed and gave up.

Had ovarian surgery, which screwed up my hormone levels even more so I recently switched my seizure meds to one that has a side effect of weight loss instead of weight gain. Since I have been off the old med completely (about a month now, lost 6 lbs prior to joining MFP), it has been a lot easier to lose weight.

Francl27

I've always been overweight. My parents just let me eat whatever I wanted all day... so I was an overweight kid. I did a diet with a dietician when I was 20 that worked very well, I was around my ideal weight (125) but then I started to work and couldn't follow it anymore (couldn't take my lunches and had to eat out, and the diet was very restrictive), and I put it all back and then some very fast (hello stretch marks).

Then it's been slowly increasing the last 10 years since I moved to the US and stopped walking 1-2 hours a day (I used to work in Paris in France and never used my car pretty much). Also did some fertility treatments, and I've had a few rounds of steroid and I've been on steroid inhalers since I was 14, which probably doesn't help. In December I weighed in at 213 after yet another round of steroids and decided to do something about it after the Holidays.

gapm

I was a skinny kid and I was never overweight until my first pregnancy. I gained 60 pounds with each pregnancy. After the first pregnancy, I settled out about 10 lb heavier than before, and after the second I settled out about where I had been after the first pregnancy. I do have a sweet tooth and my eating habits were not great.

Side note: I did not have gestational diabetes, but my second child weighed 10 lb, 9 oz, and I just barely passed the long glucose tolerance test each time. At the time I was told I was at risk for type 2 diabetes.

When my kids were little, I was physically active with them until the youngest started kindergarten. Then my activity level dropped off and work at the office went crazy. I started skipping breakfast and lunch, grazing at the candy dish at work, and gorging myself at supper. My weight started to creep up over the course of several years - about another 10 lb.

Then near Valentine's Day in 2006 I started playing an MMORPG - lots of sitting and lots of chocolate. Within a month I put on 15 lb. Over the next few years my weight continued to creep up even though I cut back on the junk food. In 2010 I had back problems that ended all exercise and could not seem to get a handle on getting my weight back under control. Finally at a physical I complained to my doctor that I could not seem to lose weight and she suggested that I track what I ate. I did and it was eye-opening. MFP has been extremely helpful for me in losing weight.

And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food?

I do know one person who might meet that criteria, but he was on medication that made him gain weight.

LovelyLumos

i was overweight my whole life. my mom never said no when i asked for a candy bar. i would get fast food 3-4 times a week and would eat ice cream almost every night. i just started on this path from childhood. i knew what was healthy i just never ate it. i would eat about 3500 calories on an average day and eat 4 meals a day. i thought a family size bag of chips was a serving size.it was a viscous cycle. its not surprising i ballooned to 250 pounds! i would whine and complain about having to shop in the plus size store but never did anything about it. i had a very distorted image of myself and even though i was a 4X i didnt think it was THAT big. it look me just as long to realize i was overweight as it did to lose the weight. i was also very depressed.. my parents were going through a divorce and instead of talking about my feelings i would eat them. i got on a diet my senior year of high school and have never looked back. now i don't eat my feelings and eat 3 healthy meals a day

nznatural

I was born without a thyroid gland, and was normal weight until I got to puberty.

But as I've come to realise, it wasn't the thyroid gland that made me fat, it was the Wendys!

I ate a calorie excess for all four years I was doing my undergraduate, and surprise surprise, weighed 120kg at the end of uni (I was 70kg at 16, 99kg at 17 and 120ish at 20). All of that was helped along by an abusive boyfriend who was stick thin, and always wanting to eat crap - if I didnt go along with him, why did I not love him, why did I not want to spend time with him anymore? And eating Wendys/McDonalds/The highest calorie sub from subway was way easier to do inbetween lectures/labs/studying in the library than bringing my own lunch.

I knew what I was doing was wrong, I just couldnt help it. But gave the boyfriend the flick when I weighed my heaviest, and dropped 15kg that first summer alone. That was 2007. I lost even more after that (got down to the low 90kgs for a couple of years), but then returned to uni and the same habits creeped back - only this time it was kebabs and stuff from the cafeteria. And alot of full fat lattes.

Now I'm out of uni, again, single, and focusing on work and getting thin - wont let uni be an excuse for when I go back and do my PhD!

kellolio

Were you always overweight? I have been since I was a teen.
Or were you once a healthy weight? I was a healthy kid prior to 13.
Did you "let yourself go"? When I got with my ex-partner at 18 it went rapidly in the wrong direction, he was a fan of take out food and would push to have it on an almost daily basis, it was easier to give in than constantly argue about it, and then as the relationship went down hill, it was just a terrible spiral down.
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? Partly this too, when I got to the age of 11 and realised food was a way to numb myself from various issues and then when my grandfather died at 15, I ate a lot, went up a few dress sizes, but was almost down to a healthy weight when I met my ex at 18.
And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food? Mostly from crap, but it was a little from very large portions of food I had made myself.

CorvusCorax77

Were you always overweight? - No.
Or were you once a healthy weight? - I was in a range between healthy and a little pudgy, but still healthy most of my life.
Did you "let yourself go"? - I guess. I gained most of my extra weight when I stopped nursing my son and gave up veganism in the same month. I just kept my eating patterns what they had been for years of pregnancy and nursing and ate lots of cheese and got large.
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? - no.
And did anyone become overweight while still being an active person and (over)eating homemade, whole foods, or was it only through eating essentially crap food, processed foods, restaurant/fast food? - I was active when I was overweight. I ran regularly, walked long distances, was in better cardio vascular shape than a lot of "skinny" people and had better endurance. I also ate mostly organic whole foods, just ate too much of them.

RobynMWilson

I starting gaining weight in 2nd grade. Extreme insecurity + family problems + emotional eating + parents who didn't say "no" + Triple Cola = me at 192lbs in 8th grade and a BP of 200/120. I've kept my weight off for over 20 yrs now...

_EndGame_

I got overweight from sitting on my backside, playing too much Xbox and eating the wrong foods.

Damn you Call of Duty!