Why did you gain weight?

MehiraDeOro
MehiraDeOro Posts: 117 Member
in Motivation and Support
So MFPers I was wondering if you're willing share why you gained weight?

For example was their a traumatic event in your life, an injury, just didn't care at the time, had kids, etc.


I gained weight because of low self-esteem. I have been kicked out of college 3 times for bad grades. The last time it happened, I hated myself. I gorged myself on comfort foods and sat around on the internet, and I never exercised.
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Replies

  • teagensmommy
    teagensmommy Posts: 13 Member
    So many reasons! Number one reason is that I was unmotivated! I spent my early 20s being rail thin, and never thought I would be considered obese. In fact I looked down on and made fun of people for being over weight. Perhaps my weight gain is karma. I got pregnant at 24. Had my son at 25. Gained 36 lbs with him. Lost it all quickly. Then divorced at 26. Gained it all back plus some. Stopped feeling sorry for myself and started working out. Lost 46 lbs. Quit smoking to become healthy. Gained it all back plus 10 lbs. So here I am starting over and hoping to keep it off forever this time. Good luck to you.
  • charmander89
    charmander89 Posts: 37 Member
    I really didn't have a good excuse :P I ate more and moved less, and kept telling myself that it wasn't my fault, and that it would change when life events changed. So after 50lbs of this I had to just take responsibility for it or keep on gaining!
  • KeriLoy
    KeriLoy Posts: 23
    It snuck up on me, no tramatic event, high self esteem, bounced back after each of my children were born, always active, always busy....but I love food, rich food, pasta, sauces *mouth watering*, I'm probably "over active" but consumed 4500 calories a day (if not more)...now my goal is to be just as active and consume 1550 calories a day. Sheesh...I love to cook...I love to eat, But I will undo this!! Good luck to you!
  • betterme1291
    betterme1291 Posts: 61
    laziness, low self esteem, health problems etc
  • NoChub4Me
    NoChub4Me Posts: 27
    I ate more calories than I burned.
  • asallen7
    asallen7 Posts: 301
    It was my way of self-medicating emotional wounds.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    I gained weight from over-eating and not getting enough exercise. I never had a weight problem until after I had my 3rd child, but then I managed to get down to a decent weight. It has crept back up slowly over the years, mostly because I just ate too much, not really paying attention to portion sizes. I got lazy about working out. Just didn't make myself or my weight a priority. I don't have any big emotional hang-ups about food, nor was I ever a binger. I am thankful for that.
  • Txnurse97
    Txnurse97 Posts: 275 Member
    Bump to read/respond later!
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    Several pregnancies, my deep love of pizza, eating when I was bored.. So many reasons.
  • Madelinew22
    Madelinew22 Posts: 289
    Hypothyroidism and two pregnancies
  • donovanart
    donovanart Posts: 55
    I've always had terrible self esteem, never liked the way I looked (Looking back I'd kill to be in the shape I was once in.) I developed a hypothyroid, depression and arthritis all in the same year, also got accused of having an affair with my soccer coach (which I certainly didn't) which in return made me give up soccer. After that nothing really seemed worth it anymore. I went to college for a year and failed all my courses except for two, and ended up eating my problems away.
    Now I have a very supportive, loving boyfriend who does his best to remind me I'm beautiful, smart and can do anything and I'm trying to loose all this hate weight.

    Good luck to you!!!!
  • squidd100
    squidd100 Posts: 1 Member
    i give up smoking, and had a couple of kids. Was so busy looking after everyone else did not look after myself.:smile:
  • Madelinew22
    Madelinew22 Posts: 289
    Double posted
  • lunchlady1208
    lunchlady1208 Posts: 127
    I quit smoking....and I work from home...so why not eat all day instead of smoke all day??? 60lbs later......
  • ScientistStudy
    ScientistStudy Posts: 249 Member
    I like food.
  • sdoldsMD2013
    sdoldsMD2013 Posts: 128
    I gained weight from not exercising enough and over-eating. Since I've begun closely watching serving size and counting calories, I have realized just how easy it is to overeat, even when you don't think you are. Great post.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    Binge eating disorder/bulimia.
  • MsDreaB
    MsDreaB Posts: 97 Member
    I was in a deep depression and food was the one thing that I actually enjoyed. I ate and ate and ate until 30 pounds (went from 134 to 164) was gained. I saw a picture of myself and couldn't believe how big I was.
  • thinrunner
    thinrunner Posts: 16 Member
    I had a concussion that was so severe it lasted 5 months. I could do almost nothing and one of the medicines i was on had a side effect of weight gain :( Sadly i put on the pounds very quickly. BUT, i am now working hard to get them off! Just saw my first bit of improvement yesterday :)
  • jennnnn2u
    jennnnn2u Posts: 133
    Since I had kids, I have struggled with my weight but always kept it under control. I was always a little thick but not obese by any means. Until the day i slipped and fell at the park. This fall caused two of my discs to herniate in my cervical spine and the next 5 years was spent in constant pain. Needless to say, I packed the pounds on quickly and by the time I finally got the spinal surgery my feet were a mess from carrying around so much weight. Now I've had spinal surgery and two foot surgeries and I'm finally free of most of the pain. I'm pretty sure that the remaining discomfort will go away when the weight is gone. At least that is what I am hoping!
  • placeboaddiction
    placeboaddiction Posts: 451 Member
    Was always very active. Did sports my whole life, then when I was a young adult I did warehouse work. never had to worry about calories or anything. Then I got a great office job, and continued my eating habbits. Gained, gained, gained, gained, gained, gained.. That is why I gained weight. Plus I come from an obese family that never taught me how to eat right. So i was raised on junk food and fast food.
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
    ((Macaroni & Cheese + Pizza + sweets) - (activity + good sense)) x 30yrs = fat

    I'm not so hot at math, but I tried! Literally picky eating, bad nutrition as a kid, laziness...
  • Sepheara
    Sepheara Posts: 208 Member
    I lived in a bad home situation and skipped a lot of meals taking care of my brothers and when my grandparents too us in I went from doing everything to having everything done for me and it left me feeling empty so all I did was eat and sleep and work.
  • selig0730
    selig0730 Posts: 509 Member
    ive always been big and not watching my calories and not excersing and the weight got higher and higher. then one day i was 249 and deciding i need a change so i got on MFP and starting losing the weight. 7 months later im at 192 and feel so much better about myself. couple years ago i lost weight and then it came back so this time its not coming back this time.
  • KilikiMom
    KilikiMom Posts: 237 Member
    because i was lazy...plain and simple LOL i hated exercising i didnt want to do the work to get fit and healthy....i ate too much and didnt move enough....

    then one fateful morning i stepped on the scale and i was in the 160's and i flipped out! something had to be done! so that is what motivated me....i was so out of shape i couldn't even do 5mins on the elliptical without being winded....but now i can do 40-50mins at a time...and i feel SO MUCH BETTER...im not tired all the time...i love having energy...i love that my kids can see that i am taking care of myself and being healthy and being active....that alone is a great motivator for me....knowing my kids have a good role model in me
  • BR3ANDA
    BR3ANDA Posts: 622 Member
    Because I'm lazy and I make excuses for it.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    I was very active and fit until ligaments in my knee were severed in an accident. At about the same time I found out my now EX husband was cheating on me, and I came down with 2 long-term diseases. Not surprisingly I developed depression on top of it all, and at least one of the drugs I was on from this whole mess was later found to cause thyroid damage for some - including me. I just gave up for awhile: food became my main source of solace and joy in life. I didn't care about the weight. I had too many other things to worry about.
  • fanniev
    fanniev Posts: 7 Member
    I quit smoking - within 4 months I put on 20lbs in the blink of an eye. I'd rather be over weight than be a smoker again.
  • LuchaLovely
    LuchaLovely Posts: 1
    I moved across the country, away from everyone and everything I knew. Alone with my kids and husband, I just ate more I guess to try to comfort myself. Then I got pregnant with my fith child. 2 weeks after giving birth I was weighing 45 pounds more than when I had moved! Through hard work I lost it all in about a year. Then recently gained 10 back, so I am trying to do some damage control! I never had a hard time with my weight until I moved. I could always eat how I wanted and I lost weight after my babies by just breast feeding. Now my metabolism is my enemy! If i look at a bowl of Ice cream I gain 2 pounds!
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Through pregnancy.

    I will sound really dumb here but with my first pregnancy I just didn't see it, I mean I knew I was putting on weight but I honestly didn't realise just how much (60lbs!!) and just thought it was normal for being pregnant!! It wasn't until after the birth and I looked at some photos, man was I shocked, I looked like I'd been inflated.

    I've had 3 children and have put on less weight each time. I lost the weight from the first 2 within 8 months, but the 3rd one took over a year. But this time I've been working out so much more and the results I like alot and will carry on working out.

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