Why was I overweight?
Replies
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motivatedgirljess wrote: »motivatedgirljess wrote: »I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but here it is...
I have always been chubby since I was little. I never over ate or even had junk food very often. I don't even like pop and I always drink tons of water. Never really cared for sweets or candies much. The thing is... as long as I can remember I have always been insecure about my weight. At one point I was about 156pounds and only 5'3". I know that's not too terrible or a good weight either but the thing is I was never eating badly. I never did sports but I was always moderetly active. I've changed my diet completely (eating ONLY fruit and vegetables, nuts ect...(NO oils) and have been doing a lot of excersize and the weight is coming off! My question is why was I ever overweight? When I start lowering my excersizes (when I reach my goal weight) will I start gaining weight again? Do I naturally just have a slow metabolism..? Will I forever have to be deiting to maintein my weight..?
Has anyone else had a similar expirience?
For clarification:
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them. What I mean is that I eat foods that are natural e.g. oatmeal for carbs (without adding sugar (fruits naturally have them). Nuts (protein)... so on... I'm just not eating things like pasta ect... I make sure that I am eating healthy not just a crazy diet. I feel great and have much more energy.
In the absence of a medical condition, the bolded portion is patently false. You've consistently eaten enough calories to maintain or gain your weight. Eat fewer calories than your body uses and you will lose weight.
Uuups! Sorry I meant to say "I almost never over ate". Sorry about the confusion... editing that right now...
How do you know? did you weigh and measure everything you ate?
Only way to put on weight, get fat, become overweight is by overeating, eating too much. Pending medical conditions.0 -
I'm confused, you say you rarely ate junk food in the past but are now only eating healthy. Those seem to contradict each other since usually people think "junk" food is unhealthy food.
You obviously were overeating in the past. Maybe not a massive amounts every day, but enough to keep you gaining weight over time, especially if 156 was your highest weight. Doesn't matter the source of calories, how "natural" or "healthy" the food may be, you eat too many and you will gain weight.
ETA: I was overweight as a child as long as I can remember. My mom doesn't eat red meat so we always ate lean meat (turkey, chicken and some seafood) at home, we didn't keep cookies, sweets, etc in the house, always had veggies as part of the meal, only had diet soda in the house but I still was overweight. I overate though to gain weight even though on the surface I was eating what you would think of as "healthy".0 -
caracrawford1 wrote: »motivatedgirljess wrote: »I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but here it is...
I have always been chubby since I was little. I rarely over ate or even had junk food very often. I don't even like pop and I always drink tons of water. Never really cared for sweets or candies much. The thing is... as long as I can remember I have always been insecure about my weight. At one point I was about 156pounds and only 5'3". I know that's not too terrible or a good weight either but the thing is I was never eating badly. I never did sports but I was always moderetly active. I've changed my diet completely (eating ONLY fruit and vegetables, nuts ect...(NO oils) and have been doing a lot of excersize and the weight is coming off! My question is why was I ever overweight? When I start lowering my excersizes (when I reach my goal weight) will I start gaining weight again? Do I naturally just have a slow metabolism..? Will I forever have to be deiting to maintein my weight..?
Has anyone else had a similar expirience?
For clarification:
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them. What I mean is that I eat foods that are natural e.g. oatmeal for carbs (without adding sugar (fruits naturally have them). Nuts (protein)... so on... I'm just not eating things like pasta ect... I make sure that I am eating healthy not just a crazy diet. I feel great and have much more energy.
Can I ask you why you would reduce your exercise once you reach your goal weight, whatever that is? This, plus relaxing on tracking food or paying attention to what we are eating is some of the reason why we gain back/become overweight again.
I would reduce it slightly and change my calorie count so that I would no longer be losing weight (just maintaining it).0 -
motivatedgirljess wrote: »motivatedgirljess wrote: »I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but here it is...
I have always been chubby since I was little. I never over ate or even had junk food very often. I don't even like pop and I always drink tons of water. Never really cared for sweets or candies much. The thing is... as long as I can remember I have always been insecure about my weight. At one point I was about 156pounds and only 5'3". I know that's not too terrible or a good weight either but the thing is I was never eating badly. I never did sports but I was always moderetly active. I've changed my diet completely (eating ONLY fruit and vegetables, nuts ect...(NO oils) and have been doing a lot of excersize and the weight is coming off! My question is why was I ever overweight? When I start lowering my excersizes (when I reach my goal weight) will I start gaining weight again? Do I naturally just have a slow metabolism..? Will I forever have to be deiting to maintein my weight..?
Has anyone else had a similar expirience?
For clarification:
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them. What I mean is that I eat foods that are natural e.g. oatmeal for carbs (without adding sugar (fruits naturally have them). Nuts (protein)... so on... I'm just not eating things like pasta ect... I make sure that I am eating healthy not just a crazy diet. I feel great and have much more energy.
In the absence of a medical condition, the bolded portion is patently false. You've consistently eaten enough calories to maintain or gain your weight. Eat fewer calories than your body uses and you will lose weight.
Uuups! Sorry I meant to say "I almost never over ate". Sorry about the confusion... editing that right now...
How do you know? did you weigh and measure everything you ate?
Only way to put on weight, get fat, become overweight is by overeating, eating too much. Pending medical conditions.
I guess I really can't be sure because I did not measure it but I ate relatively little compared to the rest of my family/friends. To the point people would comment on it.0 -
If you're tracking your food and exercising and not losing weight, you may want to talk to a doctor about getting your thyroid and blood levels tested. This almost sounds like a metabolism issue.
It isn't a big deal to be a little chubby if you have a low metabolism, especially if you're eating healthy and exercising regularly. The only thing is that sometimes conditions that cause low metabolism/weight gain (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, prolactinoma, etc) need immediate treatment because they can cause other problems that are much more serious.
I'm saying this because I waited way too long to talk to a doctor. I tracked my calories and exercised regularly, and I just assumed that the continuous weight gain was due to stress from a demanding job that I had. I even knew that thyroid issues ran in my family, but I really wanted to believe that if I worked hard enough, it would go away. Then I had some other symptoms that were extremely serious, and I FINALLY quit beating myself up and I called my ob-gyn about getting some blood tests done. Now I'm on medication for the thyroid and other metabolism problems, and I feel so much more energetic. Losing weight is also so much easier, because I've been struggling for so long. Please find a way to get tested!0 -
motivatedgirljess wrote: »motivatedgirljess wrote: »motivatedgirljess wrote: »I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but here it is...
I have always been chubby since I was little. I never over ate or even had junk food very often. I don't even like pop and I always drink tons of water. Never really cared for sweets or candies much. The thing is... as long as I can remember I have always been insecure about my weight. At one point I was about 156pounds and only 5'3". I know that's not too terrible or a good weight either but the thing is I was never eating badly. I never did sports but I was always moderetly active. I've changed my diet completely (eating ONLY fruit and vegetables, nuts ect...(NO oils) and have been doing a lot of excersize and the weight is coming off! My question is why was I ever overweight? When I start lowering my excersizes (when I reach my goal weight) will I start gaining weight again? Do I naturally just have a slow metabolism..? Will I forever have to be deiting to maintein my weight..?
Has anyone else had a similar expirience?
For clarification:
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them. What I mean is that I eat foods that are natural e.g. oatmeal for carbs (without adding sugar (fruits naturally have them). Nuts (protein)... so on... I'm just not eating things like pasta ect... I make sure that I am eating healthy not just a crazy diet. I feel great and have much more energy.
In the absence of a medical condition, the bolded portion is patently false. You've consistently eaten enough calories to maintain or gain your weight. Eat fewer calories than your body uses and you will lose weight.
Uuups! Sorry I meant to say "I almost never over ate". Sorry about the confusion... editing that right now...
How do you know? did you weigh and measure everything you ate?
Only way to put on weight, get fat, become overweight is by overeating, eating too much. Pending medical conditions.
I guess I really can't be sure because I did not measure it but I ate relatively little compared to the rest of my family/friends. To the point people would comment on it.
They didn't see what you ate 100% of the time. What they saw you eat was not all of what you ate.
Also, the calories you eat care not what family and friends eat themselves or see you eat. If you eat more than your body can use, it will store it for use later, even if it's only 50 calories over, it will store it. 50 calories is a bite of candy bar/burger/enter small amount of many foods here. That won't look like much to family and friends but it's what will tip the scales.
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Why?
You ate too much.
NEXT QUESTION?0 -
jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
Why would you need to cut these out when you can enjoy them in moderation and still lead a healthy lifestyle? I have ice cream at least three times a week and cheese all the time and I've lost 50 pounds.
OP, when you aren't paying attention to what you're eating, you don't realize that you're eating more than you need. You can still overeat and gain on those foods.0 -
There are many possibilities for this case. My mom has hypothyroidism and my sister has hyperthyroidism. Both diseases can cause you to hold onto or lose weight depending on the type. Talking to your doctor about your weight should be your first step. Ruling out any underlying issues could mean the difference between keeping the weight off in the long run and gaining it all back.
Personally, I have found that I don't lose the weight and keep it off without doing some HIIT (High intensity interval training) sessions at least three times per week. I will do the elliptical, bike, and run for these sessions...anything that gets my heart rate up and my body sweating for 30 minutes. Strength training will also boost your metabolism while adding definition and strength to your body. By having more muscle, your metabolism will actually speed up! Keep in mind that 1 lb of muscle looks a lot smaller than 1 lb of fat too.
In the end, it often comes down to portion sizes and nutrition. It sounds like you are eating healthier now and instead of thinking of your eating habits as a "diet", you might want to consider it as a lifestyle change. The way to keep the weight off is to maintain your eating habits as part of your lifestyle. Some people need to track their calories every day to stay on track. Other people can eat healthy on their own without journaling. Eating healthy, working out, and taking proper care of yourself can never be avoided if you want to be your healthiest.0 -
motivatedgirljess wrote: »
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them.
Naturally, smaturally, big poop.
It does not matter much WHERE the calories come from. You can eat lots of stone ground organic oatmeal and look like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon.
Calculate your TDEE (search for it, not difficult to calculate)
Track all input for a week, then open your diary and see if the daily intake is above or below the daily TDEE.
Then come back and post the result.
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jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, yes (but smoking isn't food and shouldn't be on this list anyway), nope, nope, nope and nope.
It's not the individual foods that are unhealthy, it's only proportions of foods (or lack of foods) that don't allow people to hit all of their micro and macro nutrient needs.0 -
jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
You are 100% incorrect.
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happyfeetrebel1 wrote: »jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
You are 100% incorrect.
To be fair, I don't think eating cigarettes is a good idea or healthy. So you are 98% correct about that 100% incorrect.0 -
jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
I did not think these foods were healthy. I don't eat these foods anymore anyway. 0 -
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jessyjordan567 wrote: »To have a completely healthy lifestyle, you should begin with cutting out on all unhealthy foods. These include: fried food, chocolates, alcohol, aerated drinks, processed foods, packaged foods (like potato chips, etc.), sherbets, jams, pickles, butter, cheese, sugar, jaggery, ghee, smoking, ice cream, cakes, biscuits – with or without cream, packaged fruit juice. Here are some unhealthy foods which you thought were healthy, but are not.
Why would you need to cut these out when you can enjoy them in moderation and still lead a healthy lifestyle? I have ice cream at least three times a week and cheese all the time and I've lost 50 pounds.
OP, when you aren't paying attention to what you're eating, you don't realize that you're eating more than you need. You can still overeat and gain on those foods.
You can defenitly still eat these foods and lose weight (and also be healthy) ! However, I'm choosing not to. I want to eat good, natural foods AND not overeat. I feel that I will make more progress this way by not eating high-calorie foods. I will continue to eat this way even after I reach my goal weight because I found that I actually enjoy eating these foods.0 -
There are many possibilities for this case. My mom has hypothyroidism and my sister has hyperthyroidism. Both diseases can cause you to hold onto or lose weight depending on the type. Talking to your doctor about your weight should be your first step. Ruling out any underlying issues could mean the difference between keeping the weight off in the long run and gaining it all back.
Personally, I have found that I don't lose the weight and keep it off without doing some HIIT (High intensity interval training) sessions at least three times per week. I will do the elliptical, bike, and run for these sessions...anything that gets my heart rate up and my body sweating for 30 minutes. Strength training will also boost your metabolism while adding definition and strength to your body. By having more muscle, your metabolism will actually speed up! Keep in mind that 1 lb of muscle looks a lot smaller than 1 lb of fat too.
In the end, it often comes down to portion sizes and nutrition. It sounds like you are eating healthier now and instead of thinking of your eating habits as a "diet", you might want to consider it as a lifestyle change. The way to keep the weight off is to maintain your eating habits as part of your lifestyle. Some people need to track their calories every day to stay on track. Other people can eat healthy on their own without journaling. Eating healthy, working out, and taking proper care of yourself can never be avoided if you want to be your healthiest.
Exactly! It's not really a diet to me at all I just didn't know what other word to use. I do also do HIIT and some strength training. I have been working really hard and although I've only lost 15 pounds since I have started my body looks much more toned and better! Strength training was always part of my routine because of its affect on your metabolism.0 -
motivatedgirljess wrote: »
I make sure that I get proteins, carbs, and fats I just make sure that they only come from foods that naturally have them.
Naturally, smaturally, big poop.
It does not matter much WHERE the calories come from. You can eat lots of stone ground organic oatmeal and look like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon.
Calculate your TDEE (search for it, not difficult to calculate)
Track all input for a week, then open your diary and see if the daily intake is above or below the daily TDEE.
Then come back and post the result.
Well okay... I obviously know that if you eat too much of anything you will be fat. I choose to eat "smaturally" because these foods generally are more nutricous and have more vitamins. I suppose you could eat your carbs from some chips and even limit the calories so that you won't eat too many but you could get your carbs from "stone ground organic oatmeal". Which do you thhink would be better for your overall health?
I already have made a lot of progress (for me) eating this way. If you want you can see the results in another post I made under "success stories."0 -
Despite what you might remember, or WHAT you were eating, you must've been eating more calories than your body needed to sustain a healthy weight.
I know.
What I was wondering was WHY I was eating too many calories. I was eating regular portions (generally actually reading the backs to find the right portion size) and exersizing semi-regularly.0 -
Well......because you ate to much!!! If you are still gaining weight it's because you are eating to much, there is no way around it!!! Surplus in calories you gain and deficit in calories you lose and when you don't lose or gain you are in maintenance!!! Also it doesn't matter what foods you eat either!!!
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