How did you gain weight

Just out of curiosity how did you gain weight, and when was your I got to change moment?

I have always been a "bigger" girl but had kept my weight steady through high school and collge. I gained a lot of weight right after I got out of school. I attribute it mostly to living alone, ordering take out ALOT, and not being nearly as active as I was in college. I never realized how much walking to and from class and taking the stairs all the time helped keep the weight off. I ate badly in college but stayed active enough to balance it out.

I didnt really have an "ah ha" moment, but I did decide to join the gym after going to the store and realizing I was in the largest size that they make in my favorite jeans. I went to WalMart that night and bought a scale and was shocked to see how much I had gained in the last few months, so I called the gym the next day!

You?

I first gained a bunch of weight when I started working as a tour guide after college.  I work in the entertainment industry and when I first moved out to LA I was "starving artist" living off raman noodles and peanut butter.  I lost a whole bunch of weight but once I had a steadier income and a more normal food options I was still in feast or famine mode. I gaine weight.

Fast forward five years later.  There wasn't one moment, but my roommate joined this weight loss challenge for a TV show (it wasn't anything like biggest loser) and it inspired me, so I joined WW. I lost the weight, weighting and measuring food, keeping a diary, and exercise.  But, after I lost the weight I slowly stopped the weighting and measuring and after three years gained it all back.

And now there's now.  I gained my weight back, wasn't happy about it, and yet in still some kind of strange denial.  I just couldn't face up to starting over again.  But, then my sister's wedding rolled along and I saw the pictures.  I was so upset.  I didn't look bad, but I knew I didn't look as good as I could have.  That was it.  I got back on program.  I didn't go back to WW, but started calorie counting and it's been going really well.  Somehow the idea of tracking my calories for the rest of my life doesn't seem as odious as tracking points.  Maybe because it's a little more straight forward. 

I moved out on my own and was on a first name basis with the pizza hut delivery guy!  I ate crappy food and didn't exercise!  I gained about 30-40 lbs.  I didn't realize how significant my weight gain had been until about 6 years later when I got together with some friends I hadn't seen since then, and one of them said "you look so different!  You're thin now!". Huh.

I lost a lot of weight, then got into a bad relationship and gained back 20 lbs.  After it ended I lost 10 of it, and I'm still 10 lbs over what I'd like to be.  But I've learned to manage my eating habits and exercise when I can :)

I got older and the computer was invented. Therefore I'd still eat the same crap, but probably more of it while chatting away for hours on end. lol My "got to change" moment happened after a trip from New York, showed my friend's family the pictures and they made comments about my weight.

I stayed consistantly "big" but not "obese" throughout highschool, but once I stopped doing dance and colorguard/winterguard for school my activity level was basically 0 and, eating the same diet as I did when I was active, it caused my weight to skyrocket in a very short amount of time. My "got to change" moment happened when I realized that I needed a job and that I couldn't apply to most of the stores in the mall because they don't carry my size, and I started thinking about what that says about me as a person. I'm changing now because I don't want to be someone who takes their body, life, or health for granted and abuse it.

Original Post by vcarrie:

 

...I joined WW. I lost the weight, weighting and measuring food, keeping a diary, and exercise.  But, after I lost the weight I slowly stopped the weighting and measuring and after three years gained it all back.

...I got back on program.  I didn't go back to WW, but started calorie counting and it's been going really well.  Somehow the idea of tracking my calories for the rest of my life doesn't seem as odious as tracking points.  Maybe because it's a little more straight forward. 

 Vcarrie:  I went through a very similar journey.  Was heavier than I should have been, joined WW, lost the weight, but then slowly stopping counting points and weighing in regularly and 20 of the 30lb I lost have come back.  I'm a lot happier with the calorie counting so far.  I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment.  Tracking calories/nutritional information seems a lot more realistic to keep up as a lifestyle, and more educational as to what I'm really putting into my body as opposed to tracking points!

I had 2 kids and can't lose the weight.  I'm also less active than I've ever been since we moved to the suburbs and drive everywhere. 

oh I am not overweight but one day that could change I just thought this would be a good post for everyone so I decided to add it, keep up the good work guys you can do anything you put your mind to~erica

Having babies and growing older. Decided to change when I realized I might have a heart attack or a stroke - that's pretty sobering. Realized I needed to finally do what my mother had always said and eat right......at the age of 55.

I was a chubby kid, lost all the weight 2 yrs ago but in a kinda unhealthy way (ate too little, but wasn't full on ana), so after I immediately put on about 15lbs. That was okay though, and I maintained it for a while. But then I went to a new school and had personal blow after personal blow and started bingeing and all that stupid crap. I kept trying to restart dieting over the past few months, but couldn't stick to it. Then I realized - maybe I shouldn't stick to a 1200 cal a day diet! (I'm 5'10, 16, and I work out loads). 

So yeah. Ahahah. 

I've never really "gained" weight since I've always been overweight my whole life, it's all I've known until now

1 very depressing/stressful year of college

I went on a holiday 5 years ago to visit my family back in europe for 7 weeks where my grandma got up extra early EVERY morning to bake me cakes!!

I gained close to 10kgs and my weight has been a yoyo since!

my big moment was about a month ago when i realized i was not going to be the thin bride i had always imagined i would be :( but the motivation i got from that is really helping

Gained about 15kg in two years of uni from crappy food and alcohol!

Original Post by sassysarah21:

Original Post by vcarrie:

 

...I joined WW. I lost the weight, weighting and measuring food, keeping a diary, and exercise.  But, after I lost the weight I slowly stopped the weighting and measuring and after three years gained it all back.

...I got back on program.  I didn't go back to WW, but started calorie counting and it's been going really well.  Somehow the idea of tracking my calories for the rest of my life doesn't seem as odious as tracking points.  Maybe because it's a little more straight forward. 

 Vcarrie:  I went through a very similar journey.  Was heavier than I should have been, joined WW, lost the weight, but then slowly stopping counting points and weighing in regularly and 20 of the 30lb I lost have come back.  I'm a lot happier with the calorie counting so far.  I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment.  Tracking calories/nutritional information seems a lot more realistic to keep up as a lifestyle, and more educational as to what I'm really putting into my body as opposed to tracking points!

Yes I agree. I feel like I have a much better sense of how much food I'm consuming. Also, for me there is a certain mental comfort with my calorie range versus the points. When I started I was at 22 points and after losing 10 lbs was down to 20.  It just seemed so small even though   I'm eating the same amount of food now counting calories as I did tracking points.  :)  

Still, I'm glad I did WW and recommend it to anyone who asks me about it.  I learned a lot from the experience and so many of the habits I'm incorporating or reincorporating into my life to get fit and stay fit I learned in those meetings.  

I've always been overweight, since I was 7 or 8 so I kind of always was big, I'd just go up and down on the scale between kinda big and really big.  

I had my got to change moment when my Dad got sick.  I suddenly realized that he was getting older and so was I.  If I wanted to keep myself from getting sick, I'd have to do something about it. 

you mean initially? I was heavy since I was a child, from since age 8-9. I was heavy basically since well, ever, even though it has flucuated alot.

in hs, I was around 230. Now i'm around 189.

I have always been overweight, even as a child because my parents never bothered to teach me healthy eating or self control. Never told me candy and fast food was bad to have every day either, i was encouraged to clean my plate and it was always o.k to take seconds or even thirds. My mother always portioned out my meals for me, she gave as much to me, as she gave to herself, even though she was a full grown adult. Exercise was never mentioned in my family either.

Basically, my parents neglected in teaching me how to eat normally, and stop when my tummy didnt feel empty anymore.

My "a-ha!" moment arised when i was looking through recent pictures of myself, seeing that i was the biggest of all my friends, and was mortified of how big i had become, right under my nose. I decided i didnt wanna be "the fat girl" anymore. I didnt wanna stay in this body my parents had helped create. Its my body, not theirs, and if ANYONE in the house would learn some self control-by golly it was gonna be me, the only one in the house who learned how to eat right and get some daily activity, the ONLY ONE. And sure enough, im hella proud to have done it myself. I look back, and they're either at the same weight, or getting even bigger.

I will never neglect to teach my future kids about health, ever.

I started really gaining weight when I met my boyfriend. I became 30 pounds comfortable as they say. we ate out waaaayyyy to much and I drank way too much soda. Along with the excess calories I was consuming I did not exercise. Funny thing is I realized that the scale was changing but really wasn't motivated to lose weight. Over the period of 4 years I had gained 36 pounds.I crash dieted all the time. Every week I was trying something new.

The day that I decided I was gonna lose for good was when I looked at a photo of myself standing by my boyfriend and I looked like a freakin cow! I thought to myself "Why does he stay with a fatty like me when he can easily find someone better looking.?"

March 2009 I gave up Soda for good, I watch what I eat, and work out on occasion. I am 36 pounds lighter today. I am the same weight I was when I first met my sweetie!

My mom bought takeout/fast food almost every single night.

I've dieted on and off again since fifth grade but this is the longest time I've stuck to it. I was reading a book about an overweight girl and in the book she got a dozen donuts and ate them all. I remember thinking "thats disgusting" and then i realized i'd do the same thing. the book just saddened me and i didn't want to end up like the character in the book.