Share the REAL reasons why you're fat (or too thin)

Pepper2185

Pregnancy!

But before that it was cupcakes.

spamantha57

I was very active my whole life & then got health issues that prevented me from being able to do much at all.

It's been a few years & I'm starting to finally get better & being able to move, but going from 110lbs to 155lbs makes everything much more tiring & difficult. I know I have to be patient but I'm not really a patient person.

SoberAlley

Depo Provera! (aka "The Devil")

Sparlingo

I had an eating disorder when I was a teen and it really messed up the way I saw food, my body, and the numbers on the scale. I had a hard time interpreting my hunger and satiety signals and would stress immensely over when to eat, what to eat, how much to take, how fast to eat, how big of bites to take and when to stop eating.

Eventually I decided to put away the scale and try to learn to eat when hungry. I must not have had great portion control or food choices... The weight slowly crept on until I realized that my feeling big wasn't body dysmorphia... I was overweight now! Decided to get my butt in gear, discovered I was pregnant. Tried going to the gym but felt like an awkward whale. Stopped going (bad idea, BTW).

That about sums it up for me in terms of the "why". Slow gain + baby weight = uh oh.

RobinV_Seattle

Weeelllll ... once I hit my teen years, I worked in several places where I had unlimited access to soda and food that wasn't the healthiest. While I wasn't technically overweight, I was developing the bad habits. I joined the Army straight out of high school and, while my activity levels were really high, my eating - and drinking - habit just kept getting worse.

Fast forward seven years when I got out of the Army. All of a sudden, I'm still eating like an idiot and not exercising at all. Hence the fact that I gained 80 pounds over the next 13 years.

A little over two years ago, something finally clicked for me. I joined WW online at first, then joined a gym and started seeing a personal trainer. I decided I wanted something I had more control over (or at least that was a little more transparent) so I quit WW and switched to MFP. I lost 50 pounds that year and then just kind of quit going to the gym and got pretty lazy about tracking. I gained about 10 of those pounds back over the course of last year.

My lesson from this is... While I was doing everything right and seeing results, I don't think that I really understood that I couldn't just start slacking off.

So, I'm back to tracking, back in the gym and seeing a trainer again. This time I really need to finish what I started, get to my goal, and then keep on keeping on for the rest of my life!!!!

alaneylane

Too many IPAs and glasses of syrah.

Proyecto_AN

I've been fat all my life; but the real trigger was before I was born: I had an older brother who died after 18 months, so this traumatized my parents; during my childhood I was overprotected and never told NO.

But also, I was a stupid kid trying to get the time of hard working middle class parents. Overeating became my way to demand attention; and for them, working to bring the food was the only way to justify the lack parenting. Now a man, I understand that life and kids are not easy.

Then with money as a teenager and early 20': more food, drugs, alcohol, etc... until a couple years ago I decided to change once for all my lifestyle; and get a solid future while i still can.

Now I have a great relationship with my parents and with myself. Forgiving myself and the others, helped me alot to break the downward spiral.

If you are lost, return to your childhood and evaluate as a rational person; usually thats where the triggers are.

xtina1129

well, a lot of issues contributed to my fatness. PCOC, Glucose intolerance, Insulin resistance, under active thyroid, strict bed rest with two kids, depression, anxiety, emotional issues, genetics, always being on the go, not caring enough, putting everything before my health, punishing myself with food. I think that would sum it up..

tattoosandheels

before i met my ex-fiance, i was at my lowest weight ever, fitting in a size 9-11 jeans. once i started dating him, and adapting to his eating habits (especially after we moved in together) i gained about 70 pounds in three years. we ate like slobs, stuffing ourselves with fast food daily, sometimes twice or three times a day. he also added much unneeded stress by pressuring me to go to school for things I didn't want to do, being unfaithful, and keeping me away from my family and friends. I became secluded and stopped leaving the house.

Now that i removed myself from the situation, i feel so much better about myself and my outlook on life.

AncientLullaby_

emotional eating is a *****

chamorita79

I love food. I especially love sweets and I used to eat too much and not exercise. I am turning that around now

EtreMieux

I can't control myself - food is my reward and my comfort. For everything. All the time. I have never been able to stuck longer than 4 weeks with a healthy eating plan.

Girlikecupcake

I like to eat. Not the full feeling, but the act of mastication, tasting, feeling it go down. But I also have really poor eating habits, back to even before puberty. In middle school I had to do a month long food diary. I wasn't getting much more than 500 calories per day before loaded snacks. It was really bad junk that got me to 'optimal' number of calories per day for someone my age, like chips or donuts or cookies. The vegetables we had were usually potatoes or corn, but it was far more common to have chips as a side for dinner. If you didn't eat those sides, you had hardly anything the whole day. Don't get me wrong, we were fed, but you get far more food for the dollar when you're buying stuff that isn't good for you.

So now, at the age of 21, I'm not fat, overweight, or even too skinny. I'm at the high end of average for my height and sex, but I'm trying to break the bad eating habits (even now only 800 calories in a day is normal without carby foods), removing carbs as a long-term aspect, and hoping to get back to the body I had when I was athletic.

allie7383

Oh boy let's see.. I think for most of my life I was always a bit chunky, never thin. However, I danced all the way up through high school, and was in marching band, so the activity kept me at about the same size. Once I was in college the activities were no where near what I had before and like so many others, I used to pig out with friends and gained the freshman 15+ and it continued from there.
After college I put on about 20 more pounds, and it was through laziness, bored-eating and not moving, and honestly not giving a crap about myself.

Fortunately a couple years ago I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and actually started caring, and here I am. Honestly I think I'm around the same weight, maybe minus 5 pounds or so now than I was in high school, but fitness wise I've never been better. Still not done, and I'll always be looking to improve myself.

jaimrlx

Quitting an addiction. I replaced substance with food. I am a compulsive binge eater, it's like a drug. I also got comfortable in a 3yr relationship with someone who cheated, dumped me, took all of my money and ruined my finances. I have barely a support system, and the one I do is very unhealthy.

MissBlonde91

My weight has always fluctuated. I often get criticised for calorie-counting etc since I'm not that big to start off with (119lb currently, and 5 foot 3in) but just to get to where I want and keep it stable has always been difficult (I want to get to 112 and stick there without fluctuation). Anyway, went to drama college at 18, gained muscle (dancing every day) and freaked out when I saw it on the scale. Also felt the pressure of being around fellow actresses who were stunning/skinny. Subsequently did some horrendous and some very stupid dieting, lost about half a stone but was not healthy with it. Got a bit ill. Then put it back on and it's gone between the two ever since, usually due to stress to be honest! So yes... my weight issues in a nutshell! x

ms_leanne

In the long and hsort of it, I overate. Society hasn't helped with this when you look at portions from the takeaway and when we eat at pubs (bars that serve food) too.

Everything from a pub is served with chips (thick cut fries). The portions are OTT so when doing food at home you get into bad habits of controlling the size of your portion. I was also have takeaway too often, always eating the meat loaded pizzas and loved pie and chipc (fries).

Cake ad chocolate are definitely my downfall. When I got stressed at work it's the first thing I would reach for and given the number of different Birthdays where cake was brought in a couldn't say no.

That's pretty much it!

cerenia

Reason number 1 - very few fruit and veg portions - have tried loads over the years, and result is often vomiting.
Reason 2 - When I lived in London with my ex, takeaways 4-5 times a week were normal in the evenings - and lunch was often something like creamy microwave mash and gravy, or some microwave meal at work (hour lunchbreaks didn't help).

Peaked 19st at worst state, went on a mini diet to lose weight before going to America - gained that back within a week, and more! Lost some weight moving back home to the countryside and starting a more active job.

I'm a carb addict - I could happily sit down and eat a whole loaf of white bread, plain. No more!

MtnGirl525

Wine, Wine and more Wine! Calories add up when your too tipsy to count!

^^that's the one. Self medicating. 'What? Guilt starting to set in? No worries. Have another drink...'

Hbazzell

I have never been thin but I lived in a metro area so I walked a lot more. I also danced and did musical theater which involved a lot of sweating. I had a crazy busy life so I started to get used to grabbing fast food en route from school to practice or work. I lost weight for a while when I worked at a health food and smoothie place but that was pretty much due to starving myself. Then I turned 18, moved 1000 miles away, and had to work and go to school fulltime. I ate fast food and spent all my time in my car. I had no money for the gym and lived in an unsafe area. I also dated a person with an overeating disorder and made bad decisions with him. Then one day I looked in the mirror and hated myself but I didn't have the skills I needed to fix it. I kept the same patterns until I joined the Coast Guard. Now I am paying for those years of fast food or late night binging after starving all day. Oh yeh, and drinking and partying didnt help either! ha.

benny150592

I've always been big, all through growing up, but recently it's just been to much crappy food and not enough constant exercise. I train three times a week, but coupled with a poor natural metabolism and eating terribly, the lbs just piled on.

thebigcb

The real reason Im fat is

I sit at home, alone, in a dark room, crying into my Ben and Jerrys

lucasberghaus

I was extremely clumsy - always last to be picked, the worst person in my class in pretty much every gym class I was ever in, and resented all forms of exercise and being told to go outside. I still hate all sports. Even so, I never had a lot of love for food and was only slightly overweight (170) in high school. When I got out I ate a lot more fast food, quit smoking, and tended to order more than I needed, and eat too fast because I was in a hurry. Alcohol didnt help either. I gained up to 250 within 6 years of graduating. Then I slowly gained another Fifty over the next five years.

Now I'm tired of it. I have a lot of willpower once I decide to commit to something - quit smoking, drinking, with no problem, and losing weight is now finally a commitment for me. I am going to walk, and after I lose enough eventually maybe bike as those are a couple exercises I don't resent.

eveadams721

When sadness due to loss of a loved one sets in and school testing is an an all time low (flunked twice prep tests with only 5 days left for the REAL BIG ONE), and food is a comfort although you HATE to LOVE it...where do I find my willpower when my insides are pretty darn weak? Loosing 30lbs between now and November seems impossible yet I did it once a few years ago on Weight Watchers..similar to this I had to JOURNAL..but dissimilar to this calories emotional stagnation wasn't the issue..so now I ask you WHERE do I find my deep willpower that seems to be the only motivating factor for me?..

BrightonBelle

I went through a stressful time workwise and spent a fair few months living on takeaways and vodka! I was spending most of the day (and night!) sorting out lots of heavy paperwork so very little exercise, very little sleep, lots of booze and a takeaway diet. Very quick weight gain!

twelfty

wasn't fed enough as a kid, wasn't allowed enough food with my ex = skinny, i've put on roughly 10lbs in 3 months part of it is my metabolism the fact i need alot of food to be a healthy weight seems to annoy people lol, but now i decide how much food i buy and eat i'm free to be me

rduhlir

Because I got lazy.

fitinthirteen

OK- THIS time I can say it's because I quit smoking for real and for good. But that doesn't explain the ups and downs of a lifetime. Since I was about 9-10 I've gained and lost the same 40 lbs at least 3 times; I've been more stable the last 10 years so right now it's only 15 lbs but it could easily be more. I LOVE food- no doubt! But I love healthy food and that doesn't explain the food addiction part of this: I'm in love, so I eat; I broke up, so I eat; I had a bad day, so I eat; I had a great day so I eat to celebrate. The truth is: I'm addicted to those treats and it's hard to let go, just like it was hard to let go of cigarettes. This one is even harder! But I'm here and I'm determined to get this done this time- with all of your support!

JasmineReeseII

I became a recluse.

crissyrox

Depression, stress, death of my mother. Instead of dealing with things I ate, it became a compulsion. Everyday I have to make a choice to do better, some days are better than others, but I just have to keep going, my family and my health are worth more to me.