Why did you gain weight in the first place?

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  • joyincincy
    joyincincy Posts: 228 Member
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    I returned to college at the age of 28. Between my job and school I sat for 16 hrs plus everyday and then the stress of being a perfectionist at both my job and my schooling resulted in me eating unhealthy. Getting my diet back in order has been easier than getting my body back in motion but I am finally at the point that I am learning to run/jog at least 3x times per week with light to moderate activity on other days. I also don't have to sit for that long anymore, which has helped tremendously. I actually think that the sitting was more of a physical stress & weight gainer than anything else.
  • JeaninePaige
    JeaninePaige Posts: 464 Member
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    I got the way that I was by being lazy. I didn't think I was "that bad" and kept making excuses for myself. I felt tired and drained all the time. Wouldn't do certain things because of physical strain or having to wear more revealing outfits.

    What really made me the worst was eating fast food all the time and drinking soda. I really didn't have a problem with over-eating, I just made the wrong choices.

    I'm about four months into my weight loss and 30lbs down. I have so much more energy. Haven't had fast food or soda since I started. I don't miss it at all.
  • JadeC_3
    JadeC_3 Posts: 6
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    Ever since I had left high school and gone to college, the weight piled on. School offered sports to which I did partake in, once I stopped playing sport going to parties with friends and dancing the night away almost every weekend was my main source of exercise thereafter. My main weight gain came after I had used birth control. I would gain and lose the entire time (3years now) once I had lost the weight I would stop maintaining my weight and eat something bad thinking it wouldn't do anything to me. Made excuses. The usual stuff. Before I joined mfp, I had lost almost 10 kg's only to gain it back (for no known reason, as I was partaking in daily exercise) and got demotivated. Now I am eager and determined as ever to lose it, and keep it off.
    Another struggle I had was that constant hunger, I'd eat because I was ''hungry'' I never considered drinking a glass or more of water and waiting to see if it were hunger or thirst. I have now learnt from that mistake, lost 1 Kg, still plenty more to go and a long hard road ahead. But I am determined to lose ATLEAST 6 kg's before the year is up.
  • JadeC_3
    JadeC_3 Posts: 6
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    That is my problem too. No matter how much I try stay away or cut back, it always finds its way to me
  • tonybalony01
    tonybalony01 Posts: 613 Member
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    High fructose corn syrup, bad genetics, big food corporations, fast food and not enough government intervention telling me what and how much to eat or drink.

    Just kidding. :laugh:

    My family always enjoyed eating, and we ate too much of everything. My sister was (and still is) an excellent cook and I was always reaching for seconds and thirds.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Pregnancy. I took the "eating for two" thing a bit too far.
  • JadeC_3
    JadeC_3 Posts: 6
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    I've also had the exact same problem as you. Unfortunately I was taught the same thing, so I'd eat whatever was on my plate. I now half the plate into halves then quarters or put it on a much smaller plate so I eat less. It does help :)
  • JadeC_3
    JadeC_3 Posts: 6
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    I ate too much, I always thought you had to eat everything in sight...and I never exercised. always had a weight problem as a kid and now... :(

    October 23, 2013 8:17 am

    I've also had the exact same problem as you. Unfortunately I was taught the same thing, so I'd eat whatever was on my plate. I now half the plate into halves then quarters or put it on a much smaller plate so I eat less. It does help :)
  • JadeC_3
    JadeC_3 Posts: 6
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    I love food.

    That is my problem too. No matter how much I try stay away or cut back, it always finds its way to me. Nor did I realise how much calories were in foods that I consumed. I'm actually TOO scared to eat now with what I have learned!
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    i have always loved food. Even as a child, I loved all food. My mom was a good cook and made well-balanced meals. I stayed pretty trim throughout high school with a solid meal plan in place and being active in cheerleading. then college hit. no more well-balanced meals...lots of fast food and junk. no more exercise either.
  • FrankiesSaysRelax
    FrankiesSaysRelax Posts: 403 Member
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    Mine was all from college. I drank 5-6 days a week and ate fried foods multiple times a day. I did work out, but not regularly. I actually think I'm pretty lucky that I only gained about 15-20 lbs over the 4 years of college considering how crappy I treated my body. I still have to be careful when going to visit friends because we slip right into that old pattern- tons of alcohol and eating every meal out. It's definitely still a challenge, even now, after 2 yrs of maintenance.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
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    1.) Got married and got lazy with diet/fitness
    2.) Had kids and gained weight both times with my wife

    After a few years of fluctuating I decided to just get with the program and make fitness and healthy eating a permanent habit while allowing myself to still have some fun and eat the occasional junk food, pizza, beer, candy, snacks, etc within moderation. Working so far.
  • jeffd247
    jeffd247 Posts: 319 Member
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    Boy we can over complicate things for ourselves, eh?


    I gained weight because I like beer, chinese food, and sitting more than I like exercise.


    Mystery solved.
  • sepulchura
    sepulchura Posts: 95 Member
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    Spinal injury, prior to which I weighed 200 at 6'0" with a 30" waist (i.e. had bulked up a bit, but was fairly athletic. It has taken ten years to get to where I can take walks and go on gentle bike rides, so now I'm excited to be on a slow track to getting down to 185.
  • sepulchura
    sepulchura Posts: 95 Member
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    Boy we can over complicate things for ourselves, eh?


    I gained weight because I like beer, chinese food, and sitting more than I like exercise.


    Mystery solved.

    But there is a lot of truth to this too... ^^^^
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
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    For me it was a combination of my autoimmune thyroid disease, and the stress that came with it and then I said f*uck it and just started eating what I wanted since I couldn't lose weight anyway to get back in shape when I was trying! lol Sooooo it was mostly me stuffing my face because I was lazy about learning about nutrition...in a nutshell. :)
  • rebeccas207
    rebeccas207 Posts: 9
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    I've never been overweight however I believe control has a lot to do with where I am now. I was cheated on in high school which led to an unhealthy relationship with food (trying to control something). Once Pandora's box was open it hasn't stopped. But rather than too little nutrition, I eat large amounts after class, work , home bored ect. (food controls me). I then feel bad and vow to be super healthy and exercise tomorrow. Then tomorrow becomes today and I've done it again... the cycle repeats, weeks- months -years. the lbs slide on, the depression thickens, I isolate myself and set myself up to be even more inactive and bored so ... eat! It helps just to say or type it out!
    I need to meet up with friends rather than put it off, I need to be busy, work more,get out and have more going on in my life than food! I keep waiting to lose weight to take a fitness class... I know silly, but I need to just go!
  • MaryLouRoyal
    MaryLouRoyal Posts: 51 Member
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    I actually lost weight when I started college in '09. I'm not sure how much, because I never paid attention to the scale; I just noticed that my pants size dropped.

    I had untreated anxiety and depression. During high-stress times, I could go as long as a week without eating any meals...maybe a snack somewhere that a concerned friend would insist upon, but nothing substantial. My best friend once threatened to take me to the hospital! I didn't have an eating disorder, I'd never cared much about my weight. I would just be so stressed and anxious about other things that I wouldn't be able to keep anything down. When the stressful situation would back off, I'd eat normally again, and my college diet was so bad that I maintained a healthy weight through most of college due to the unintended balance in calories.

    Last year, things got so bad, I finally sought treatment. Now I'm mentally much healthier, but I was so happy to be eating again that I went overboard, and my schedule often isn't conducive to exercise. I knew I was gaining, but I was focused on getting my mental health on track first. Then I stepped on my roommate's scale one evening out of curiosity, and got my wake-up call.

    I shouldn't have to sacrifice my physical health for my mental health! It's time to become the master of both. Exercise is also good for the mental aspect--my goal is to someday not need the antidepressants anymore! That will take a while...the schedule as a grad student isn't any more conducive to exercise than the undergrad schedule, but I'm trying to make time for it! Also eating a lot less...so, slowly but surely losing and feeling very happy about it!


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  • SF2514
    SF2514 Posts: 794 Member
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    Illness, medication, bad food choices, and laziness.
  • thatjeffsmith
    thatjeffsmith Posts: 110 Member
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    I ate and drank whatever I wanted, and quit exercising.

    Bad combo.

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