Why/how did you become overweight?

I was a healthy weight up until my sophomore or junior year of high school. When I started self medicating with sugar, I started getting fat. After every hard time, I would go on a binging streak and get as much sugar in me as possible. Ice cream, cake, soda, etc.
Then I found out the guy I'd been dating for 6 months was engaged to someone. And he strung me along for another year. He would show up out of nowhere and I would just keep getting ice cream and dr pepper and donuts to deal with it.
When he got married and left, I just continued using the sugar to get through the day. I couldn't find anything that made me feel better. And that lasted for 5 years.
I got up to 250lbs. At 5ft, that's not pretty.
I would get to the point where I could deal and I could get down to a lower weight, but then something would happen that would make me rebound.

But in November, my boyfriend of 4 months died of a heart attack. Apparently, he'd had diabetes and didn't know to treat it.

So I fell back to my binging for a while. But the night of the funeral, I had a panic attack so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. I had to go to the hospital for monitoring.

They released me with xanex. But the panic attacks didn't stop. I realized the caffeine from my sodas was making it worse. I had to stop the caffeine. Which meant quitting one of the primary chemicals I'd been using to get by.

So I quit all the sodas. I drank decaf tea. Sweet at first, but slowly decreased the sugar. And I drank water.

I'm down to 228. I've been through a car wreck and my hamster died and I didn't relapse. I think I'm gonna make it this time.

Were you always overweight?
-Nope. Always a "skinny kid."

Did you "let yourself go"?
-In a way. I was always told I had a high metabolism. I do/did, but I let that mindset go to my head.

Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication?
-I'm all about the "no excuses" mindset, but I did/do have depression/anxiety issues and there was a big thing that happened in my life that was probably the turning point.

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?
-Eating waaaayyyy too much

Bump...

I think I just let myself enjoy burgers, fries, pizza, ranch dressing, etc. etc. I am a yoyo dieter. I love fattening food, but hate being fat. Trying to take the weight off again, but this time I want to keep it off. Eating decently and having occasional 1/2 servings of old favs is my goal.

I was overweight from the time I was 12 until the summer before I turned 17. I lost 65 lbs in 6 months. Then I met the man I ended up marrying and because I ate at work then ate with him I gained 30 lbs then got pregnant. I got pregnant again when my son was 6 weeks old. After my 2nd son was born I weight 220 lbs and maintained between 220 and 230 for 6 years even through another pregnancy. I got divorced and got down to 210 then my dad died and my world fell apart. I got up to 240 and stayed for a while. Then I got laid off and gained another 16 lbs which is where I was when I joined this site last week. I have decided no more excuses I will not be fat anymore.

I have always been overweight, practically since birth I guess. I grew up in a household full of overeating and unhealthy choices, in addition to minimal exercise. That combination led me to where I was before I started college. Now I'm eating healthier and actually exercising (what a concept!), and I'm steadily losing.

Those are some awful things to deal with! Sometimes I think people (and I mostly mean me) disguise our self destructive streak with foods- it's less obvious and more socially acceptable while you are doing it. It's only when it gets to the consequence point that the judgment starts.

I haven't always been overweight. I was quite skinny until fifth grade when my parents got a divorce and I started to gain gradually. I became a pescetarian/vegetarian and unintentionally lost a lot of weight in high school. Then my boyfriend of about six months moved three hours away for college after we graduated and we saw each other once a month. During the time we were apart I'd spend most of my time hanging out with my best friend every day and eating bad food to distract myself. I also have TERRIBLE self-control. Being on birth control could also be a contributing factor to my weight gain, so I've heard. Now, four years later, I live with said boyfriend and he's naturally skinny but has poor eating habits, so that doesn't help either!

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? No, I had a bit of yo-yo-ing throughout my adult life, but was never super overweight
Or were you once a healthy weight? Even at my heaviest I was only a few pounds overweight by BMI standards
Did you "let yourself go"? Yes, I guess I did to a certain extent. After my fourth child was born life got busy. It was hard to exercise and I found myself taking a lot of pleasure from food.
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? No, not really, other than having four kids- and my husband started to travel with his job.
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 overeating mostly fairly good food, restaurant food, and crap food too. I was not exercising.

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 ate all teh foodz.

Also

sabotage.

This.

I was once a healthy weight.

My dad died, unexpectedly, and I ate to sooth my broken heart. Great plan, eh?

I had a very high metabolism never ever worried what I ate. I got pregnant and my body did a flip. I would eat lettuce and gain weight. My doctor put me on a 800-900 cal diet I still gained weight. I said #%# it, if I was going to gain the weight anyway, I was going to eat what I wanted. Wrong wrong wrong attitude! I'm trying really hard to lose the weight now and it is still a struggle. I eat my allotted calories, walk 2 miles everyday and do strength training ever 2nd day to see very little to no movement on the scale. Frustrating to say the least.

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? No, I gained weight when I left home a very very long time ago

Or were you once a healthy weight? I was a healthy weight in my teens and then again two years ago

Did you "let yourself go"? Yes, I also met new friends who partied alot so I was drinking alot and eating alot....mainly greasy food.....alot

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? Mainly with bad foods and not exercising

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.

Pretty much always been overweight or at least thought I was. A few years ago I ran across some old high school photos and I was like "huh, I wasn't fat then afterall." Which made me really sad b/c I felt like I wasted so much time then. Anyway, I like junk food and I like TV and books and when I'm bored or depressed I just fall into that. That's not new. That and I have a tendency to be self destructive -not in obvious or "dangerous" ways. But with food, occasionally alcohol, definitely with smoking (6 weeks today!) speeding- that kind of thing. Like every time I've had some small success I've ruined it for myself and convince myself that it's always going to be like that. That I'm always going to fat and alone and die with my cats so I might as well enjoy what I eat. So my goal is just more better- even if it's a little at a time.

I was anorexic, then I was anorexic and bulimic, then I was just plain unhealthy (I drank coffee and smoked and ate when I remembered to eat). I thought I had a poor relationship with food, I realize that I had a general imbalance in my life. I realized that my relationship with food and exercise had more to do with where I was mentally, but also that I had a but of a lack of knowledge. The past 2 years here haven't just been about budgeting my food and exercise but budgeting my life in general and attempting to make sure that I'm functioning with balance and at full potential. Balancing our household budget, balancing my work/life reality, balancing my sex life, balancing and balancing. More where I need it, less where I don't.

I had a thyroidectomy and gained a lot of weight very quickly afterwards. These past 3 months are the first time in my life I have ever been overweight. It is a terrible feeling!