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

LizLeigh19

I started writing this massive story and realized that I could paraphrase. I've always been a bigger girl. I never really fit in with the kids I went to school with. I was definitely a comfort eater. I can definitely say that that has ended. It certainly has been difficult, but it's working for me and I'm liking the results

mjhedgehog

I used to eat too much and move too little.

aalpass

I don't remember the last time I wasn't tired. When I'm tired I eat. I think this is both emotionally and physically tired. Can get 12hrs sleep and still manage to feel tired. At least I've found a connection. Recognition is the first step.

LovinDaNewLiz14

I just let myself go...I graduate high school in 2005 in great shape.....after I GRADUATED I begin to work a lot, partied, quit exercising. I went through some tragic event sin my life and well food became my way out and away from everyone and everything. In the end gained about 100 pounds. I am no one to blame but myself I made the choices to stuff my face and gain weight so now I have to face that, and do what is needed to do to get where I want in life. I want to be a healthy police officer, wife and future mother

rmarshalla

Depression.
Anxiety.
Overly busy. (Honor Roll, Deans list, Academic honors at UW, working on top of classes).
Lack of movement. (Almost) no history of sports, physical fitness.
i LOVE mayo.
I LOVE beer, wine, whiskey.
so... obviously... weight gain.

Amazing how eating healthy foods helps how I feel while exercising decreases my stress/anxiety and helps with my depression. Plus, loosing weight is a good feeling and you start to like what you see in the mirror a lot more.

Wish I had started this journey a lot sooner.

TiffCK

This too! But, while I do give into craving, I just make them much smaller. 1 piece of chocolate instead of 5, 1/2 cup ice cream instead of 2.

I recognize myself in many of these answers, but the REAL reason I'm overweight is that I struggle with food addiction.

Have you ever been going about your day, when suddenly you're interrupted by a voice inside your head that says "CAAAAKE!!" You try fill up on something healthy, distract yourself, take a walk, or just say no, but the voice persists? Eventually you just have to eat the damn cake so the voice shuts up and you can go on with your day? But the trouble is, two hours later, the voice says,"COOKIES!!!" and it starts all over again. By the end of the day, you're demoralized, depressed and feel hopeless and maddeningly helpless. If that never happens to you, consider yourself blessed.

If I'm able to stay on my diet for a number of days, the "voice" loses it's intensity. If I'm able to stay clean for a month, I feel like a giant burden has been lifted because my mind isn't constantly being invaded by thoughts of food.

Eating the wrong kinds of foods literally makes me enslaved to the whims of the naughty child that likes to yell "cake" at me. This naughty child has lived with me on and off since I can remember. I wish I could just send her away somewhere - like a very dark, scary closet, or even the bottom of a swimming pool, but I think she's here with me for the duration.

Eating clean consistently is the only way for me, but consistency isn't my strong suit....yet.

roiLEI1554

I'm not really fat or thin; I'm somewhere in the middle, but, ever since 10th grade and an eating disorder, I've only been able to see myself as fat. During my recovery, I ate my emotions away because I couldn't stand the sight of growing bigger (even though it was needed) and ironically turned to food for help.
Now, I'm learning to see myself for what I am: me. I am not fat nor thin, though I'm hoping to tone up and lose a few pounds for the upcoming summer season (starting early!). It's good to be on this website where people aren't just plain obsessed with getting thin (or at least not everyone is) and a lot of the focus is on eating healthier and accepting what is best for the body.

ingeh

At the moment im struglging to eat well some days as I wake 12am-1am then 3-4am then up for day at 5am with the kids. The 4 month old wakes in the night and takes ages to settle so in the daytime im so exhausted I need more energy and use food.
I got fat in the first place because of meeting my partner. We would get takeaway and meals out alot and just sit and watch tv and not do much else

Reema_capricorn

I became overweight 4 years ago when I was 21. I quit gymming coz I found it too boring and some financial loss and major depression made me order chinese and other such junk to deal with the trauma so I went from a 55 kgs to 78 kgs. I am 73 kgs now and aiming for 63

mwalle09

Sports stopped, college started, snacking started, all you can eat cafeteria started, partying started, bad break up with my high school sweetheart freshmen year magnified a lot of the previous things. I remember getting out of the shower my sophomore year and noticing a flabby middle for the first time, by senior year I had gone from 160lbs of toned body to 225lbs of beer gut.

After school I got a good job although it makes me sit around for 9 hours a day. The snacking continued and happy hours started, also knowing nothing about nutrition, doing my own grocery shopping meant I wasn't eating very well. This past August I had another bad break up and looking in the mirror at 266lbs I decided I can't keep going the way I'm going.

Mhaney

Both of my parents are fat and have no real desire to change that, and it was reflected in the food that was prepared in the house. I never went over 200 until my 3rd and last pregnancy though, so I still had a little control over myself. When the weight didn't fall off in my 3rd pregnancy like it had in the previous two, that was kind of my wake up call that I had to break old habits that had been instilled in me since birth and it's hard. Now my mom who is 60 years old and can barely move is asking me to shower her how to do some simple moves yet she never utilizes the information I give her. Seeing the state she is in is such a motiviation to NEVER be like that.

Also, while I was married, every time I tried to do something to better myself (go back to school, start working out, ANYTHING) my husband at the time would try to sabatoge me any way he could. If it was guilt tripping me for not spending enough time with him or cutting me down and telling me I'll never do it and I never finish anything I start, he had some way to manipulate me. that's all over now though and he HATES that he's lost control to the point where he's hit rock bottom in his life with no one to be co-dependent with.

RandiLandCHANGED

A caloric surplus. To me, pregnancies were an excuse to stuff my face and gain a ridiculous amount of weight. I still eat the same things but less of them.

JessieJanie

I ate too much and moved too little. Got fat Got depressed about being fat. Ate more. Moved less. Got fatter. Repeat ad nauseum.

Ditto.

RemiLynn79

I wasn't overweight at all until I had my daughter. I use to be able to eat whatever I wanted and didn't have to exercise and didn't gain any weight. I gained 60 pounds with her-she will be 5 in September. I am so embarrassed and depressed about being fat, I just keep eating more. I hate being overweight and technically OBESE. How did this happen to me?

I live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. I hate walking/running outside because I feel like everyone is staring at me and judging me. But then I also feel like everyone is judging me because I'm not exercising and am too fat.

katedevall

I was in shape throughout most of high school, then I got pregnant at 17. Gained like 65 ish pounds I think (I avoided scales). Had my baby, went trough a break up with his dad. Started hating myself really so that I just didn't really care anymore. Then I was in "fat denial" didn't think I was big and so forth. Then one day my mom is like you're not the person you used to be you need to work on loving yourself. So I thought about it looked at pics decided I was really fat. And got into eating semi-healthy and working out.. I'm 53 lbs down and only 20 more to go (:

robbieheslop

I gained a lot of weight during my teen years. When I was about 12 my sister was 18 and wasn't very well and I was at school and came home to find a note on my house door saying "go to Uncle Chris' - we'll explain later" - so I did that and my mum and dad came and got me and took me home.

When we got home they sat me down and my dad just said it, in a very concerned voice - "your sister is in hospital, she's had a heart attack and they've diagnosed her with a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, she'll need a heart transplant or a pacemaker and is now on the transplant list"

I broke down and felt the need to comfort eat, when my parents weren't at home I would just snack and snack and snack - trying to forget that my sister was in her situation and I never really got out of that situation.

At 17 I had a grand-mal seizure and I was diagnosed with epilepsy of the temporal lobe which is onset by anxiety, tiredness, stress etc.

I've tried to change my diet and how I live my life but sometimes I just feel so cautious and call myself ugly etc that I don't want to leave my house because i'm scared that people will judge me.

If I do leave the house, I have that feeling that someone is starting at me :embarassed:

Ibelievenme2

injury and menopause.
Two things I was quite powerless over.
Working on getting moving again and being accountable for what goes in my mouth.
Inventorying your food is just like inventorying your self. You never really have to face the music or the truth until you see it in black and white. Hard to deny how much your're eating if you're writing it all down.
This is the best thing that's happened to me in a while.
So thanks friend for sharing it with me.

This

newmrswood

bump

BeingAwesome247

Ate too much, moved too little haha pretty basic

shirdiana

I like to cook and bake and am pretty good at it, it makes me feel good about myself when my family wants me to bake rolls ect...unfortunately, I love homemade stuff and I can't stop eating it! So I have to find other outlets to feel good about myself, maybe develop some new talents. Also, having my kids started my obesity ( I hate that word ):grumble: then I got divorced twice, which actually made me lose weight, then remarried, happy again, and for some reason the weight always climbs when I'm happy. So I've got to do lifestyle changes, and it's not easy..but I am not going to give up!!!!:noway:

Dancerbean

As a kid, all through elementary school I was overweight. What I weigh now, is what I weighed in grade 4 - embarassing. My parents were extremely overweight (still are, but my mom is now eating healthier and has been losing weight!) and ate very unhealthily, and because I was a child and didn't know anything about calories, good vs. bad food, I ate what my parents ate. We didn't exercise, my dad wouldn't even let me go outside after school to play (I feel he was emotionally/mentally abusive but that's a whole other story). Anyway, I kept gaining weight throughout school, and was made fun of constantly. I kept saying in grade 7/8 I wanted to lose weight and I would try but when your parents cook your meals and don't allow you to cook by yourself, what can you do, I was trapped into eating their unhealthy food. Finally in grade 11 I couldn't take it anymore - I was overweight, I knew people secretely laughed at me, I was unconfident, didn't know what I wanted to do after high school, and my dad and I weren't getting a long at all and homelife was getting increasingly worse. This is the point where I broke. I had ben taking dance since grade 7 and decided it was time for change. I took gym class everyday, came home and worked out for 5 hours a night on top of dance classes and work. Weekends all free time went to working out, and I barely made 800 calories a day. I became very thin, 113 pounds for 5'6 female and kept losing, felt guilty if I ate, so I didn't. Eventually I injured my hamstring and pelvis to the point I couldn't walk. Thus, I had to quit dance, couldn't work as much and spent more time at home with the father I always fought with.

My lack of eating caused me to become very ill and I had to be hospitalized for a month to re-balance my body. After that I graduated high school, and my dad passed away a week later. I started to gain the weight back I had lost, but I went to university and that's where I gained the freshman 15. But then I just kept gaining because I didn't care anymore.

This time, I'm trying to lose weight - but am attempting to do it in a more healthy, sustainable way. However, I do often find myself feeling guilty for eating, and wanting to exercise more than I should, it''s hard to find the balance.

ktliu

I love good food and Video Games. I'm lethal in Halo and all things FPS. and quitting smoking doesn't help. Instantly added 20ibs. So now what get me in this mess is what gets me out.
6-9 mths ago I started being interested in Vegetarian food and thought that might be the answer. I still gain weight albeit slower but still healthy. So I'd think this time around , I need to learn portion control and exercise. with the help of Phentremine+ Kinect Video games. I found my old love of Dancing and Martial arts. (2 things I was really good at before quitting smoking) So the pounds came off steadily and looking forward to doing things that I Love daily.
Still trying to avoid dancing infront of my teenage boy for fearing scaring him for eternity for see his old man dance. (conduct unbecoming of Asian fathers)LOL

xXxHBICxXx

When I got pregnant with my first son I was 18 and stupid, I had gained 40 pounds on birth control to prevent my little surprise (Though I love him more than anything in the world) I thought that every pound I gained would be baby weight so I should eat any and everything I want while I can. I got up to 222 pounds with him and couldn't get back down past 180 after having him because I wouldnt refuse extra servings, junk food, sodas, and fast food. Then I got depressed because I didn't like who I seen in the mirror and knew I needed to change. I got pregnant with my 2nd son and watched the food I ate only gained 28 pounds with him (50 with the 1st) and now I am watching what I eat even closer.

oldandhealthier

hard physical work all my life that burned a lot of calories, then i retired bt still took in the same amount of cals with no excercise.

cnelson1974

I ate a lot of unhealthy items because it was easier to pull into a drive through then go to the grocery store.

toxikon

I've very slowly gained weight since graduating high school. Thankfully it didn't spiral out of control, and now if I can manage to lose about 25lbs I will be a very good weight.

I never really paid attention to calories, and after I got my license and moved out, fast food and restaurant food became too easy to get. My boyfriend and I love dining out, and would sometimes do it 3-4 times a week. I've also never been a very active/gym person.

Now I've start religiously counting my calories, cutting back on dining out and going to the gym regularly. It's been great so far!

Viveyp21

Ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, drank ALOT and stopped playing college sports...

teshiburu

I was in the Scouts and such growing up and as such was a very active person, out walking near enough every weekend, and I could eat what I wanted, started working at a desk and continued on with the eating habits

Nuff said lol

turkeyhunter60

Even with working out at least three times per week, can't seem to give up a couple of diet drinks per day, Quick Trip donut, or peanut butter and crackers.

Smuterella

Aging, Mirena, red wine.