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

rubberbiscuit

Theres no one reason. No one solution.
medical issues seem to always get in the way of my attempts at living healthy. After 8 abdominal surgeries and one for a broken neck that led to being permanently disabled because of ongoing nerve pain and weakness in shoulders and arms which lead to medications and physical therapy. Meds for nerve pain, muscle relaxers, pain pills, anti deppresents,....ad nauseum. Have taken me from being a very physical and active 140 lb 40 something woman to weighing 223 within a couple years.
I still struggle with chronic pain and resentment of having to put away my previous lifestyle of being able to work hard for long periods of time to not being able to do much on a daily basis for myself. See a place where a beautiful picture should hag? Gotta wait til the hubby gets home. Wanna go shopping? Gotta wait cuz driving is painful with moving my neck. Grocery shopping??? Unable to lift over 10 lbs.
Im hoping for better days as I accept where my lifes journey is today. I am eating healthy, laughing more and even went for a short walk outside yesterday. Not much but for me is huge.. slow and steady.....

((Hugs)) Hope it gets better.

bcattoes

I met the perfect guy, fell in love, preferred spending time hanging with him to exercising, stopped exercising, got fat.

litatura

I was always a healthy weight and I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted (although I was always active/athletic) until I became pregnant at 23. I had about 20 lbs. of extra weight left after he was born and instead of working to take it off, I slowly proceeded to add about 5-10 lbs a year to it by not being active and eating crap (it wasn't quantity of food, it was quality). Because it crept on slowly over time, I didn't realize notice it until I was over 200 lbs. and saw a picture of myself and didn't even recognize me!

lovejulez03

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 for me, honestly. That's the biggest part. But the underlying issue goes all the way back to my childhood with sexual abuse. Food is an addiction just like everything else and science is proving that. It doesn't excuse my laziness or emotional swings, but I definitely fell into that roller coaster of feeling sorry for myself and starting stuff then stopping it. Food is like comfort for me (big sigh) lol Now that I'm healing the inside I'm starting to become a little more dedicated.

cheshire1865

All honesty, my love of junk food and hatred of exercise.

I had been a size 12 from age 16 to 21. I used to do p.e. at school and even used to dance and cross country running. Even when I was 20/21, I used to commute into London for work and used to run up and down escalators and walk for half hour after that (each way).

I then went to university and lived on campus. I stopped exercising, still eating the same size portions as before. I also had a new partner who was large himself. Instead of eating proper portions, I tried to keep up with him. So I went from a size 12 to a size 22 in a year. And even when I was unable to fit my clothes, I just bought new ones rather than exercise.

Have now gone down from a size 22 to a size 16 in 2 years. Determined to get back to a size 12 by end of this year

Videogirl15

Hmmm, that's a deep question for me. I would have to write a book. I am an emotional eater and there's a reason why for sure. Long Story short. I feel that because of things that have happened, and my environment growing up, I have chosen to overeat because of low self esteem. I have consistently sabotaged myself on every diet that I have been on. I'm 47 now and It's getting tiring. I now just want to feel good:) The difference now is, I'm changing my negative thoughts, and seeing and feeling results and I just want to keep going. The past is behind me, I'm really excited about my future.

ICarla

Low self esteem, depression, laziness.

jackie5136

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

^^^^This! I am a closet binge eater, who hates herself for being so weak. Its a cycle I am trying to break.

TheeAshmeister

The REAL reason I'm like this is laziness and poor eating habits.... I have NEVER liked to run. Even going back to a child. I was very video game and tv addicted and if I broke a sweat my life was over. On top of that I had poor dietary habits. When I broke off into my adulthood I curved my apetite and would skip breakfast and sometimes even lunch. If I DID eat lunch it was a bag of Doritos or something equally unhealthy. Then I'd eat a heaping plate of mac and cheese or chinese or something for dinner. In the mean time my Ice Tea habit kicked in. I was eating less and drinking a gallon or more of Tea a day. (Not even diet) and 10yrs ago began working for T-Mobile 1st call center and then the R&D dept... 10hrs a day/50 days a week in a cubical sitting, typing away on my pc. I'd go home and straight to that couch. I went from being overweight in high school (5ft2 and 180lbs) to being even more obese as I hit 30 now finding myself 5ft2 and 230lbs (at the start of this I am now dropping day by day ) but the weight lead to depression which made me Not want to put a single effort EVER moving or walking short of taking my dogs for a walk.... I DEF did this to myself... Nothing else to blame but me... But I'm here to make the change and already feel so much better about myself.

rotill

I was overweight, but never obese, so it's not really a dramatic story, just long and - it felt - pretty hopeless. I became hypothyroid as a reaction to my first pregnancy. This made it extremely hard to lose the pregnancy weight. After the second pregnancy I had gained more. Then I just kept gaining slowly, a little each year. I tried everything, more exercize, watching calories, all the "correct" ways of eating. I finally managed to lose a decent chunk of my weight 10-12 years ago, by changing my diet completely to low GI eating, and being very strict about it. Two years ago I moved, and a lot of things changed. One of them was the easy access to gluten-free bakeries! I was also very ill for a while, had surgery, was alone and isolated and inactive - it all made me gain back almost half of what I had lost.

Then I cut down on alcohol, chocolate, nuts and cheese, got back on the low GI diet, AND had a significant change in my metabolism. I suddenly lost weight! Now I am well below where I was 12 years ago, when I was at my largest, and safely within "normal" BMI range.

I am still seeing a doctor to get help balance my metabolism and possibly stop the weight-loss though. I am not thin yet, but I need to find a balance, so I know where it is.

Will210

Not 100% sure but believe i suppressed my emotions with food..if bored I ate..if lonely I hate...if sad..happy... Kind of a zombie like life for a few good years and not really feeling any emotion. What is really strange is now I seem to have much more free time after adding a couple hours a day of exercise. That is because I am not longer comatose on the couch every night and weekend after a binge.

lovejulez03

my fat was a shield after a sexual assualt. I know... crazy but it worked for a while... I am happy to say that I have dealt with my issues and am losing the weight...

Good for you! I'm in the same boat. Hugs

javajinny

I didn't realize it until a few years ago when someone asked me "When did you start to get heavy?" My dad left us three days after Christmas and week before my 10th birthday (a big deal, those double digits). My twin and both almost instantly gained weight. I spent my teens trying to get my dad's attention and since I failed every time, I ate the pain/shame. But I don't let his lack of love/attention hurt me anymore. I'm better off without him and I'm taking control of my health. Food doesn't make me feel better, but exercise and looking good does.

I hope everyone finds healing, happiness, and health.

Erica262

I love food. My mom loves food. My aunt loves food. My friends love food. I'm from the South. When we're not eating food, we're talking about food. When we are eating food, we're talking about that recipe in Southern Living we have to try soon. The food we loved was biscuits and butter and all things fried.

I didn't know what a calorie was until I was in my 20s. I didn't get really overweight until halfway through college because before that I was active enough just playing outside and going out with friends.

In college, a lot of time was spent behind a desk doing homework or in the art studio working on projects. I didn't care for sports and am not particularly competitive. I went to a lot of parties and drank a lot of cheap beer and "jungle juice." I skipped breakfast and ate lunches and dinner in the dining hall where I could eat at much as I wanted. I always had dessert, but if I didn't want dessert I'd "just have cereal." Even when I realized I was overweight I didn't know what to do about it. And I was in a relationship with a guy who I guess didn't notice or didn't care.

A year out of college I was working a desk job with a box of cheez-its and other snacks in my drawer. I got laid off and depressed and was so broke I was concerned I wouldn't have money for food, but somehow still ended up eating too much. I found another job, a great job, and things started looking up. That's when I noticed I was nearly 200 pounds.

That boyfriend and I broke up. I became a vegetarian (or technically a pescatarian). I lost 20 pounds almost immediately just by eating less and eating healthier. Less fried things, more fresh vegetables. I joined a gym and lost 20 more pounds. I still loved food, but this time I loved healthy food. It was an adventure to find healthy new recipes. And I lost another 15 pounds. I started running and gained a little weight back, but in the form of muscle. I felt great. I looked great. I had a lot of fun.

Then my fiance and I started dating and we spent a lot of time celebrating. We celebrated with food, drinks and parties. We got engaged and there was more celebrating. I celebrated myself into a 35-pound weight gain.

I'm still running, but slower. I'm looking for a balance between my love of food, love of fun, and love of running and being healthy. My goal is to lose 40 pounds by October.

tRiNaBeAnZz

I have never been active or an athelete. In high school and college, I was in the choir. I started dating my husband back in high school, he was a college football player and worked out two to three times a day for practice. He ate whatever he wanted and looked like a model out of an underwear magazine. I ate what he cooked or ordered - usually hamburger helper, tator tots, fast food, Subway footlongs, etc. - and slowly I started gaining weight. Not that I watched what I ate before dating him, but my parents cooked pretty healthy - skim milk, turkey bacon, lots of veggies. I am really small, only 4'11, so 10-15 extra pounds on me looked terrible. I joined fitness pal and started logging what I was eating - WHOA - no wonder. The calories I was putting into my body was outrageous! I now eat around 1300 calories per day, I have completed the Zumba program and am now working out with TurboFire (60 day measurements and photos coming up next week!) I have lost 4 pounds in the last 50 days, which puts me at 15 pounds lost in the last 8 months.

I have to say I actually enjoy working out now. I still need to improve my diet, but this isn't a quick fix for me. An occasional fast food stop or scoop of ice cream isn't the end of the world. I will just burn it off later!

runnergirl246

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

This definitely sounds like the past 28 years of my life......

cuterbee

Terrible marriage, not sure what I thought I was accomplishing by staying, that ended, worked full time while going to nursing school full time (during this 3 year period, moved x3), moved to another city after graduating, worked two jobs, got the kids launched, got really, really sick, got through deaths of several significant people in my life.

Too much stress, too much responsibility, too little assistance with said responsibilities, too little time, too much sadness. Too much comfort eating, not enough energy left over to exercise.

Eh. Stuff happens. Learned some life lessons. It's all good and getting better.

rishonb

Honestly and hopefully this is a universal answer ..i was just too lazy..its absolutely no excuse to eat recklessly and not exercise ..this the thing everybody have to do food shopping so you can't tell me that u have to buy unhealthy foods..if you going to cook anyway why not cook healthy and substitute recipes when u have to..now when u on the go and sometimes u want something quick ,even if u go to the drive thru they too have healthy meals for you..so as far as my reason for being out of shape ..i was just too damn lazy and way to reckless..

dsoucy

Besides being lazy and my body getting older, quitting cocaine for some reason increased my appetite. Not real proud of admitting to being a (former) druggy, but it is the truth. Five years later though, it boils down to just flat out being lazy.
I have spent the last year working on food choices, but remained a lazy a**. This year is going to be the year I get back in shape though. I am unhappy with the way I look and always having to dress to hide a muffin top. I have a shiny new gym membership in hand and my daughter for a gym buddy. 2013 is the year I get it together, finally!

MyOwnSunshine

I am a compulsive eater. Always have been, always will be. I pretty much think about food and eating all the time.

I come from a very dysfunctional family of origin and there was never any affection, positive reinforcement or esteem-building going on there. There was a lot of food -- really good food, for the most part. I tend to turn to food for things that normal people turn to other people for -- comfort, encouragement, consolation, celebration, pleasure, reassurance.

I also suffered from untreated sleep apnea for my whole life. I lived in a constant state of exhaustion. I always mustered enough energy to work full time and take care of my daughter, but that's about it. Sleep apnea actually prevents leptin (the hormone responsible for feeling full and satisfied) from being released. Once I was diagnosed and started using a CPAP, I had so much energy that I couldn't believe it! It's amazing how free you feel once you actually sleep at night instead of awakening to breathe every 2 to 3 minutes. And, in case anyone is wondering, after losing 100 pounds, my sleep apnea hasn't changed one bit -- sleep apnea is sometimes the cause of obesity and thin people have it, too.

I know that I will always need to manage my compulsive eating issues. I attended cognitive behavioral therapy for several years and it was very, very helpful, but I'll never be cured and will always need to be vigilant about how and why I eat.

brittany17love

Laziness. Its not the food but the fact that i would never do anything all day except lounge around. Now im almost constantly on my feet!

alexsao

I grew up in a home where nutrition and exercise were not important. My mother had always struggled with her weight, so she didn't really have the best idea of how to eat right and she never pushed us to exercise. Being overweight was normal. It wasn't until I got older and branched out of my home that i realized that eating that way and not exercising was just a bad idea. I have since lost 60 pounds and I'm on my way to losing another 30 more. I eat clean, I workout.

rchupka87

I got fat because I ate my feelings. For two years, I was in an abusive relationship. I had no outlet, no family, no friends, (both of which he made sure I had NO contact with), and I was alone all the time. I ate when I was sad, when I was hurt, when I was angry, when I was scared... You name it. And I put on over 100 pounds in about a year - maybe 13-14 months.

I broke the cycle and got out. I've spent the last 4 years trying to undo the damage I did to myself during that time period. Breaking old habits, believing in myself, trusting new people... and it's been a long process.

I am now much healthier - both mentally and physically, I am engaged to a wonderful man, and I am 60 pounds lighter. I am still on my journey, and I am still overweight. I have another 60 pounds i'd like to lose - but I'm getting there.

rsharper97

I really didn't start to gain weight until I discovered the fun of going out with friends and drinking alcohol. Alcohol alone is enough to add calories (and fat) to your frame, but then you add the fried bar food you can't resist and its just way too much. Its hard to make healthy choices when you are drinking and all your friends are ordering the good (full of fat and calories) stuff.

Soloflyergirl2

I used to be dazzling, a jogger, trim, taught aerobics, and a first grade teacher, for 20 years......Then, I switched to teaching middle school for 20 years .. and ate from stress , depression,and anxiety. Snacking at my desk between class periods, eating a full lunch and dinner, not being able to walk after work due to grading papers and it's too dangerous in the neighborhood at night. And as you get older, other problems start.... like blood pressure, menopause, cholesterol issues............. I can find excuses. So now, I retired from 40 years of teaching, and I'm getting a second chance.... Thanks for asking. That is a very important question in this process.

Fatandfifty3

I'm fat because I eat too much. I eat to distract myself from all the things I fear. Those fears are all within me. I'm breaking that pattern.

blably

loss of a child + no support of anyone = depression -> brought the emotional eater out.
eating a lot = have no energy = watch tv /sleep/read --> me being 95 kg

now that i dealt with it, broke up, moved out, its time for me and take care of ME.

letsdothis2010

As far as I can remember, I've always been an emotional eater. I don't blame my family, and I think a lot of people are like this, but we always celebrated with food. As I got older, I dealt (or didn't deal) with my emotions by eating. Sad? Time for some pizza or chocolate. Overwhelmed? Time for some chips and as much food possible. In turn, eating makes me even more unhappy because I get fatter. I eat when I experience strong emotions of sadness, anger, or when I'm overwhelmed/stressed out ... I guess you could say that I have a hard time dealing with my emotions sometimes, and don't have any great established outlets for them. I have a very stressful job which doesn't help. Every time I get on the right track, I allow myself to derail for some reason, usually tied to stress. It's not a good excuse, and it's something that I work on each day ... I just haven't found a way to beat it yet.

It felt good to say this.

SurfyFriend

I've never told anyone the real reason I gained 10kg. But here goes...
I lost my best friend and was bullied in high school and had a distant relationship with my family. I changed schools and didn't make any friends. Got into the party scene, smoked a joint and developed schizophrenia. Then I was put on antipsychotic and antidepressant medications by a psychiatrist, which made me so drained and tired all the time I gave up sport and then couldn't sleep (ie 3 hours sleep a night). I ate high energy foods during the day to compensate for my lack of energy.
I believe my weight gain was a side effect of the medications.

JENNJA1985

I have always struggled with my weight, but I became morbidly obese after the death of someone really close to me. I began eating to fill in the gaps so to speak. A bad breakup followed that death and it just went downhill from there. I literally didn’t see the damage I was doing to my body until I woke up one day and noticed myself in the mirror. The girl standing in the mirror was a sad representation of the inner girl. I try to view food differently now. I love food, I’m not going to lie. That enjoyment though created the monster of a girl that was in that mirror. So, I am thankful that I went to a doctor who helped me see the light and showed me what I was missing out on by being overweight. Even though I am still on this weightloss journey I can say that I can see drastic changes in my personality and appearance. I’m not as fatigued as I once was either. But I’d say the blame of why I am as overweight as I am is because I didn’t face the grief that surrounded me, I chose to fill the empty lonely places with food…and lots of it.