Why/how did you become overweight?

Born big - 9lb plus in the early 70s, both parents overweight. Spent most of my childhood eating way too much, being topped up on chocolates and cake by my Holocaust-surviving grandparents, both overweight too, who lived with us. Never told not to eat something or to stop eating or to eat less.

Finally when I was in the last year of high school, I told my parents I was going on a diet, lost 10kg+ and kept it off for about 5 years but regained. Then been yoyo dieting ever since.

Now, working on a healthy method of weight loss, doing exercise and targeting a sustainable and realistic GW.

Had always maintained a healthy weight until a few years ago. Piled on 28 lbs through not exercising any self discipline. Felt worthless seeing my reflection but couldn't muster the motivation to do anything about until recently. My self esteem improves a touch with each pound that comes off.

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? Started gaining around age 10 and gained 40 lbs in one year.
Or were you once a healthy weight? Was a very hyper skinny kid before that
Did you "let yourself go"? As much as most 10 year olds.
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication? Have no idea
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? It was the 1970s so everything we ate was either killed by my dad or grown in our garden. The closest fast food is still 30 minutes away.

I answered above, but to elaborate. I was a little chubby before 10 years old and then my weight just kind of blew up. By age 12 I was 218 lbs. I was in track, played softball and was a cheerleader. I was very active and ran two miles a day and in the summer time spent all my time roller skating and swimming. We didn't have cable in the 70s and 80s so I spent all my time outside playing. My mother took me to one doctor after another because my paternal grandmother had to have her thyroid removed, but her thyroid problem never showed up in regular tests. My paternal aunt had thyroid cancer. My maternal aunt is hypothyroid and so is my mom. My maternal cousins all have thryoid disorders.

My mom knew something was wrong with me because I would be super hyper one day and then the next I would have to lay down just to fold washclothes. Each motion made me physiclally exhausted. My thyroid showed up normal on the basic test they would do. No one ever tested me further or checked my anitbodies.

One doctor finally told my mom that my problem wasn't medical it was a case of "too many donuts" so my mom put me on a diet and put me in a weight loss group where as an 11 year old girl was told that a good way to motivate myself was to take a picture of a pig and put my picture on it and stick it on a fridge.

I learned to hate myself. I kept gaining even though I was very active. When I would swim people would tell me "no one wants to see you in a bathing suit stay home" so I stopped swimming.

When I would be walking kids would say "stay in your house"

People want fat people to lose weight, but apparently don't want to have to watch them go through the process. I became very depressed and of course stopped doing anything. If you do nothing even if you eat very little you're gonig to gain weight if you don't burn any calories. I didn't understand this basic concept. I also wouldn't eat breakfast or lunch. I would wait until I got home from school to eat. I would then overeat, but nothing like binging.

I am now 405 lbs and my mobility is fine. My last job was carrying 40 to 50 lbs boxes around and jumping up and down to load printers. I would like to get down to 299.

A lot has changed for me. Mostly my opinion of myself. I don't hate myself any longer. This has led to me making healthier choices. I am trying to be more active, but still having problems with energy even though I am now on thyroid meds and the endo informed me I have Hashimotos and have probably had it my entire life. I didn't go on meds until age 42. I am now 44.

I've been logging my foods without really restricting and in 32 days have been under my calorie goal 28 times. I am set to lose 1 lb a week.

I haven't weighed myself since I started and I probably won't. I am just taking it day by day.

i was overweight as a child my mother always gave me seconds sometimes thirds. I was active some bowling some basketball with friends and bike riding but most times was video games and a soda or chips. then i got older and lived on my own and always made sure had plenty of soda on hand would go through two or three 3 liters in a day not good i know and my teeth are bad

but time for a change just ened to eat better and get the stress of my life

if any one here wants to add me feel free and tell me why

Was Working in an office, sedatory lifestyle, just got lazy. Stopped going to the gym and work hours increased. As work got busier I'd be leaving home at 6 in the morning and grab something on the way in, get something lunch time then more likely to pick up something on the way home rather than cooking, or cook at 10 etc. Found myself snacking too. Had a year or two I wasn't happy with the partner [now ex-girlfriend, best decision I ever made] and I was fed up/depressed, but that just sounds like an excuse with hindsight. She was quite lazy too and liked ordering pizza in, etc, or cooking crap rather than anything proper.

I'm 6ft, Got up to 222lbs, although I didn't look nearly 16 stone I was mortified when I weighed myself on day. Had a load of change at once, broke up with the ex, moved town, changed role at work, and met the girl I'm with today. My girlfriend suggested the app to me as she was looking to lose a bit of weight and I thought I'd do it too as a motivational thing, I think I've taken up on it a lot more than her. I'd had a few comments from family etc about my weight but just kinda brushed them off, despite the office. Now people are starting to notice the change, and it's great.

I knew I wanted to drop weight but never had the motivation to gym crazily or go though the punishment of a diet. I'm probably eating more than I ever was on MFP, but I'm more educated on food and have a better idea of what's in things. I'm ramping up gym activity too and overall a bit less sedatory. Allow myself to snack etc, but as long as I know what I'm logging it's fine, or I'll switch to something which isn't as bad.

Was never 'small' but I wasn't big either. Kinda upper end of healthy range. SInce June I've gone from 16stone to 12.8 and feel like once I hit my goal I can maintain it this way if I give myself a range and infrequent weighing - if I push the top end, cut back a little.

My goal has changed too now, I want to get my fitness up and possibly bulk a little once I hit my lower range [where I'll probably be skinny-fat]. At the moment strength and fitness is sorely lacking.

All in all, no excuses, stress didn't help but I got lazy and comfortable then with what I was doing, didn't realise quite how bad a lot of things were and I had no motivation to change the rut I got stuck in. Now I've got a different motiavtion that feels manageable.

I've never dieted before [I have used the gym alone to lose weight - lost 2 stone then at one point over the next year put 3 on once winter struck, a few injuries and excuses to avoid going to the gym crept in] and it always sounds like it's meant to be torture. This hasn't felt like a diet.

Fatty foods and lack of exercise caused fatness and weight gain. Avoid all fatty foods like meats, nuts, grains, cheese, fast foods, fried and dairy products. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, yogurt, drink green tea, fruit juices and plenty of water. Go for walking, running, and cycling. It burns fat,make strong bones and muscles, boost energy, improve heart functions and improve fitness.

MY CAR AND MY JOB MADE ME FAT !!!!!


I was never skinny but never over weight I am 5` 1`` and weighed 105 lbs when I graduated high school , I was always very active - rode my bike everywhere, Played tennis, volley ball, soccer , danced alot , 100 sit ups every night before bed , I never sat in front of a television .

After high school I got an office job and a car and the rest is history I remember driving around a parking lot 10 times to get a parking spot close to the entrance to a mall !!! LOL now I park as far as I possible can .

Fatty foods and lack of exercise caused fatness and weight gain. Avoid all fatty foods like meats, nuts, grains, cheese, fast foods, fried and dairy products. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, yogurt, drink green tea, fruit juices and plenty of water. Go for walking, running, and cycling. It burns fat,make strong bones and muscles, boost energy, improve heart functions and improve fitness.

<a href="http://befittacoma.com/">Tacoma gyms</a>

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?
Or were you once a healthy weight?
Did you "let yourself go"?
Or perhaps it was due to a traumatic event, injury or medication?
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?

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.

Both my parents are I overweight, and I started to get overweight as a teenager, despite eating healthily (we were never allowed to go to places like McDonald's, and the first time I tried a take-away was in my 2nd year of university!). I didn't know a lot about eating properly then, so I used to starve myself. I'd eat a small bread roll for lunch, and that was it. I also wanted to save my school dinner money for books lol. I used to walk to and from school, a mile each way, as my dad was always at work and my mum didn't learn to drive until I was 14, and then my parents shared the car. I did PE twice a week in school, played badminton after school on a Fri etc. so I was fairly active, and I didn't eat junk or stuff my face.

I lost a load of weight at university, and then by about age 23 I was a uk size 10/12 (US 6/8). I barely ate though, and did loads of cardio.

I put some weight on again when I was about 26 and had moved in with my now husband and started doing teacher training, which was very stressful and time consuming. I got engaged when I was 30 and lost loads of weight again. Then I got pregnant just after my wedding and put weight on, lost it, got pregnant again, put more weight on as I was lazy in that pregnancy, lost it all and more and became a very toned size 6/8.

Now i am 20 weeks pregnant, still logging and eating well, and exercising 4 or 5 times a week. I hope that next April I won't be having to lose loads of weight again!

For me, I come from a family that is naturally big on both sides. Then on top of that we always "cook" good and "eat good" I've always been unhappy with my weight/size b/c I was developed way before other girls my age. I thought I was fat many times when I really was just an average size. Now that I am older, i have used food to deal with my emotions and being bored etc. and I eat like theres no tomorrow. Now that I am truly big I am wishing that I was the size I was when I thought I was fat. I've been trying to lose weight for years only to lack the dedication and willpower needed to succeed. But now I'm fighting to regain my old self again!