Why are YOU Fat?

[FadnoMore 4]

Well at a very young age I was being molested by my neighbor. When you are a child and you trust everything seems ok but then you grow up and you know that is completly wrong.Around the ages of 9 or 10 I woke up to find my sister boyfriend lying next to me he had pull my pants down while sleeping. I knew I ould tell no one so my comfort became food. Every time I am sad, ASHAMED, depressed I eat. I ate all the way to 24 years old and 408lbs

[Doreenviv 2]

Ok here I go! The smallest I ever was was a size 4 and that was after my firsr divorce at 19. Before that I had always been a 12/14. My mother and nana were overweight. I was molested by 3 different men when I was about 8-10 2 were neighbors and 1 was a friend of my father's. When my mother heard about one of the neighbors ahe asked me about it, at the time he had not touched me but my mother made the statement that if he was and I wasn't saying anything then I must like it. For GOD SAKES I was 9. So when he did start I couldn't tell her because I was afraid she wouldn't believe me. I gained 78 lbs when I was pregnant for my daughter, lost that weight and had 2 more kids, 2 beautiful sons. Weight was still ok THEN I gave up smoking after 25 years and boy the food started to taste amazing! Of course as I put on the pounds my family didn't want to hurt me by saying anything little did they know they were hurting me by not saying anything. Then as I packed on the weight I became a Type 2 diabetic with high blood preasure and everything that goes with it. So there you have it, it is part family history , part emotional ( they call it abuse these days ) and part my own doing. I'm 54 and have a 2 yr old grandaughter and a 3 year old grandson with another girl on the way and I want to live long enough to see them go to college. I want to run and play with them and take them to Disney but most of all I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't matter how we got here the important thing is we are all here and trying to do something about it and making some great friends. Thank you for sharing your stories and thank you for starting this topic.

[EQMc59 0]

OMG! I can complelely relate to that !, I am MO, overweight most of my left but MO for the past 8 years. thanks for your post!

My problem is Portion Control. The bigger the better. The more the merrier. And I love every bite of it. I am not MO, but severly obese (SO?), I have a band because I know that my problem would make me MO if I waited one minute longer.

[cbreeden28 23]

I had a great childhood. Great parents, no history of abuse or neglect. However, in my parent's house, the rule was "finish everything on your plate". That was at home, at a restaurant, or at a friends house. It was considered rude to leave food on the plate. So, that coupled with the fact that I love the taste of food (especially pasta!!) helped contribute to my weight problem. I started gaining weight in elementary school. I would sneak food from the kitchen and always get seconds of whatever was for dinner. Not because I was hungry, but because it was there and it tasted good. My Mom tried to regulate it, but short of putting a lock on the fridge, there wasn't much she could do to stop me.

Around the 3rd or 4th grade, I started to notice I was a little different than the other kids. I was fatter than everyone else and they started to notice it too. By middle school, I was known as the "fat girl". From that point on, I have been overweight and obese. In 2004, I joined Curves and started a low cal diet. I was able to lose 35 pounds and got down to my lowest adult weight of 235. I was so proud and happy. Then, I met my future husband and we began going out to eat and hanging out all the time. I found myself skipping the gym to hang out with him. The weight slowly started to pack back on and before I knew it, I weighed 295. Then, I got pregnant which pushed my weight up even more. I was 318 when I delivered. I was able to get back down to 297 after the birth, but in the year since I had my son, I have packed more on and am currently 315. It's such a frustrating and endless cycle. I have done all my requirements for the band and waiting on insurance approval and a surgery date. Can't wait to start this new chapter of my life.

[Jess55 97]

I'd have to say the reason I'm fat is this. I grew up with a father who suffers from bipolar disorder and wasn't well controlled when I was young and at times he got violent. Not really towards me, but towards my mom. I remember at a young age standing between them and kicking or hitting my father. For some reason he didn't go after me. Then as we got older, my sister started acting out and he started going after her when she did. He's now controlled and my mom said she stayed with him for us the kids. Not really sure why. Though it is kind of sad when I look at him because he seems to have neurological effects from the meds.

That's one thing. The second thing is I had lots of friends from childhood up til about 5th grade. Then everyone shied away from me, not really sure why. I still had a few but not many, then 6th grade the 3 elementary schools merged together and there were a lot of new kids and I started getting picked on. It was very hard and I began getting depressed, was brought to a psychiatrist and put on meds for ADHD and depression. I never felt they did anything. Still picked on and was depressed. I thunk I was always a little chubby growing up, but I think in highschool when I got more freedom and a car, I started going to mcdonalds for lunch and just eating crap. I'd buy bags of chips and Cookies and eat them in my room alone. My mom caught me a few times and searched my drawers and pulled all the junk out and put it on my bed, I was mortified. I think lack of friends and stuff did it. And I fell due to the lack of friends I am really awkward now, I don't know how to make conversation and stuff, so I still feel weird with friends and I don't know how I'll ever make it to a relationship. So that's my story

[collins33 2]

Why am I fat???? Well like many I ate because I was depress and alone. I did have friends but not many when I was younger. My parents got a divorce when I was 3 and at that time I knew my mom didn't want us(me and my brother) because she was too young. That wasn't a feeling it was something that was told to me by my mother. My dad was a truck driver and had to do what he had to do to provide for my brother and me so he wasn't around much since he was driving cross country. My grandparents raised us so that was a plus! My mom was living her life and came in and out of it when she could fit us in her schedule. My dad missed all of my birthdays until I was 13 but was there for my brother's. That's where I felt like I was alone......not wanted! As years went by they would wonder why I'm the person that I am and little that they know it's because of them. As I started to date I began to eat because my boyfriend was eatting even if I just ate before seeing him...stupid me I finally thought I fell in love with my son's father so I gained that "love" weight. But 2 years later we fell out of love because I wanted something more of my life and he didn't. I started to lose weight and the smallest I got to was a size 14. Yay! But it didn't last long becasue I once again fell in love and began to eat for every little reason....parties, drinking, eatting late. Then I got pregnant with my daughter.

Now having 2 kids of my own and know the feeling of being alone and fat I chose to live a better and healthier life. My daughter is slightly overweight and I chose to help her before it's too late and not yelling at her. Becasue I know that could hurt her in the long run where she would turn to food for comfort. This is one of the many reasons why I chose not to fat any longer......

[Edy 0]

Why am I fat?

There are some genetic issues I am sure....both of my parents and siblings are/were very large people. Weight Watchers was a way of life in our household. I remember being in high school and making a comment about a certain food being legal and getting the most bizarre looks. Certainly there are some metabolic issues - hypothyroidism amoung other things. But the bottom line is that I just like food and wehn something tastes good, I want to eat it until it is all gone. And you know what else, food disappears in my house during the night.............we used to joke about the ghost eating the leftovers. But I am sure that we all know who the ghost was.

I made this decision to get a band because I knew it would help me with the self control and portion sizes. Is it working? Well, the band and I are both working very hard and we are experiencing success - 71 pounds since 1/17/11, the day I started my 10 day pre-surgery diet. Just got my second fill today so I am on liquids for 48 hours again. Is it worth it? You betcha!

Edy

[Wheelchair 13]

Motorcycle wreck. Paralyzed me chest down. I can no longer do any cardio exercises.... running, biking, swimming.

And I love food.

[Cindy C 150]

Just like everyone else.....Grew up being told "Eat everything on your plate. There are children starving in the world!" (I remember offering to mail it to India.....They weren't amused! LOL!) I got it under control in my late teens/early 20's but then was in a horrible marriage, then a nasty divorce and finally 2 kids to raise with no help from their father. The weight just came and came. But those aren't excuses. There are no excuses! The bottom line is we all got fat because we consumed more calories than we burned. Thank G_d (and Dr. Bhesania) that it's under control again and it's gonna stay there!!!!!!

[sr7110 0]

Good old fashioned run of the mill stress and anxiety - and I guess I need healther coping mechanisms to replace gorging my face

[TXNurse77 0]

I'm from the South where we take pride in what we cook. The bigger the feast the better! That was my old way of thinking before getting the band. I love food. I love preparing food for others. Today (3 days post op) I made my husband and our neighbors a pan of Peanut Butterscotch chocolate Rice Krispies. Preparing that dessert made me feel good inside. I didn't taste any of it but I know it will put smiles on the recipients faces.

Food comforts my emotions, especially down home southern cooking. When I'm upset or had a bad day it was nothing for me to go to Chick-Fil-A and get a sandwich, fries, and a sweet tea on top of eating my regular Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I did a lot of fast food dining. Food made me feel whole again when something just wasn't right.

[Cindy C 150]

I'm from the South where we take pride in what we cook. The bigger the feast the better! That was my old way of thinking before getting the band. I love food. I love preparing food for others. Today (3 days post op) I made my husband and our neighbors a pan of Peanut Butterscotch chocolate Rice Krispies. Preparing that dessert made me feel good inside. I didn't taste any of it but I know it will put smiles on the recipients faces.

Food comforts my emotions, especially down home southern cooking. When I'm upset or had a bad day it was nothing for me to go to Chick-Fil-A and get a sandwich, fries, and a sweet tea on top of eating my regular Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I did a lot of fast food dining. Food made me feel whole again when something just wasn't right.

You think you had it bad? I had a southern father AND a Jewish mother! I was doomed from the start! LOL!!!

[NJGirl32 43]

Why am I fat? My father had a drinking problem and was never the warm fuzzy type. But when he was drunk he would bring Chinese food home-that was one way he showed attention to the family. He would bring soft pretzels home (a Philly thing) and that showed me he loved us and thought about us. He took great pleasure in cooking amzing breakfasts-so food was my father's way of showing that he loved us. I guess in my brain I relate feeling loved with food. My 3 brothers are average weight and so is my mother. My father was about 40 pounds overweight.

11 years ago I was in a medical study and I took Meridian and lost a lot of weight. Meridian stimulates the serotin in the brain. I never thought about food. However the pills stopped working (I guess I got use to them).

I eat when I am nervous,sad, worried, lonely or anixious. I need to refocus those feelings into something other then food.

[AlyGurl 3]

I eat healthy food... BUT I eat TOO MUCH of it!

[AlyAnne 2]

Let's look at my pre-band daily menu and see why I am fat!

Breakfast:

Chickfil a chicken biscuit with hashbrown and ketchup and a large coke.

Lunch:

McDonald's Big Mac meal supersized with a coke and apple pie

Dinner:

Mexican restaurant with chips and hot sauce, then huge plate of beef nachos and about 4 cokes then sophapillas for dessert!

Never one minute of exercise and I sit at a desk all day in front of a computer.

I have eaten this way my entire life. I am from the south so my mother only cooked deep fried southern meals as I grew up and I loved every bit of them.

I do have an obsession with food. I think about it constantly. I love to watch cooking shows and our friends make fun of me and my husband because we will get in a conversation about the best Chicken fried steak meal in our area or which restaraunt has the best fried pickles. When I am stressed I want to eat, when I am excited I want to eat, when I am sad I want to eat, When I am alone I want to eat and so on and so on. If I am going out to lunch with a friend at work now I have to find out where we are going and sit down at that place's website and figure up a meal in my calorie range. I do this for hours at a time planning just one meal. If I were to go in and not planned I will order my usual bre-banded meals still! Obsession with food is something I am seriously thinking of going to a shrink for. I don't know what started it, but I know it is nothing I can kick on my own.

The reason my band works for me is not because of the little bit of restriction I feel on occasion, but because I told everyone I was having this surgery and now that I have had it I will be the biggest loser ever if I don't lose the weight. All of my friends feel it is so drastic so I feel I would let them down if it didn't work, so see even with the band I am still losing weight for other people and not myself. I don't have excuses anymore for my portions when I have a band. That right there is why I love my band...It no longer lets me make excuses to myself and when you constantly have people asking how you are doing it makes all the differece in the world to not want to look like a loser to them and keep the weight on. Obsession is a biatch!

wow. sounds like me.