Do you ever think: how did I get to this point?

In this society, with the HIGH calorie-low nutrient foods it is VERY easy to overeat every day (just to get satiated) especially when you are not tracking what you eat. That is why I do not understand people on here who say they will leave when they reach their "goal" or they need a break from logging. That is NUTS, who leaves or stops something that is SUCCESSFUL. Most people do not know what is IMPORTANT, that's why they fail.

The depression is also what gets me, two years ago I lost 60lbs and then slowly gained it back because I was so depressed and I just didn't give a f*^&. I'm so mad that I let my depression get the best of me, but I've made a lot of changes in my life and in myself, and I refuse to let the depression get the best of me this time.

I was bored, lazy, complacent and I looooove food. Pretty simple in my case actually.

Oh yes! I definitely asked myself that. I knew HOW I got to that point(I ate anything and everything) but I didn't know WHY I did. I was happy with my job, happy in my relationship and my home life. I just liked to eat. It was a picture taken in December of 2011 that got my butt into gear. I knew I was heavy but didn't think I was THAT heavy. I stepped on the scale and it stopped at 252 lbs. I cried! Right on my bathroom floor. I wondered what people thought when they looked at me, and every other horrible thing I could think up. Then I woke up the next day, joined the gym, and made adjustments to my eating habits. Thankfully, it all worked out! I went for 252 to 125 and feel like I was never even that other person.

I was cleaning out some old papers in my file cabinet the other day and found my old gym registration(that I joined in 2005) and I was 181 lbs, so I had gained 71 lbs in 6 years!

Let's all be proud of ourselves for gaining control and becoming the best versions of ourselves!

I used to think it was just a matter of getting older, and that's just what happens when you get older...but it bugged me that my best buddy never really got "fat"...he'd put on a little from time to time and then just drop it when he wanted to. Used to make me so jealous and I couldn't understand why he was just "naturally" lean, etc.

I was missing a big piece of the picture though...I'd look at him and the way he eats and compare it to myself...not much different...we both ate a lot and loved food...so what gives? Well, I used to train like a mad man back in the day...I lifted weights frequently and had a pretty good fitness regimen going on. About 10 years ago, I got lazy. I think the biggest thing that hurt me was that I quit lifting...so all of those calories that were going to maintaining and building muscle started going to building and maintaining fat stores. Mean time, my buddy has missed nary a workout in these last 10 years. "Naturally" lean...no! He just didn't get lazy like I did.

Having been here on MFP these last 6 months has taught me how important exercise is, and especially weight training if you like to eat. If I want to eat, I must lift.

Well no need in focusing on the past. The main thing is you have made a decision to make a change. Congradulate yourself on taking the first step!!!

Oh I most definitely have felt that way. Why wasn't I happier when I was 16 and 135 lbs? Or 18 and 150lbs? Or 20 and 170lbs? But dwelling in the past gets us nowhere. I'm making a change NOW, which is more than what a lot of people do. So I choose to be proud of myself NOW.

Oh heck yes! And when you start to lose weight, you look back on how much is gone, think of lifting that much on you EVERY DAY! I think most of us are in the same boat with you.

Yes. The answer is stress. Now, I am working on ways to combat that without resorting to eating the refined carbs and lots of them that got me here. I am not anti-carb, but seriously I was eating a whole lot of them there would be 90% carb days for me for sure, no one needs that many especially if you are eating like 4000 calories a day.