I know that there is a heading why are YOU fat, I feel that this should be a positive sight ---people want to change, so I personally would like to have positive headings _WHY PREVIOUSLY FAT? A heading as you have lost a significant amount of weight you can post on there as a positive reinforcement for self and others, yes iI know there is also a heading those at or near goal, but hec not many posting on there, hope all the now skinnys are not leaving this sight, but will stay to help others and reinforce to themselves that YES YES YES I DID IT _ AND I AM NEVER GOING TO BE FAT AGAIN.

What I was doing wrong, okay you have heard it a million times before - yep I know, but I am going to say it anyway, yep I was lazy-did not excercise, i am not saying all overweight people are lazy,but I know I was, and the more weight I put on,the less excercise I would do. Also eating all the fattening foods, yep drivethrough -- got to go here or got to go there,can't be bothered to cook for myself, yet now I do not say I never have a hamburger but not like 5 times a week with double cheese, and yes I will have the scones ,yes sometimes a little cream,most times plain,not the way I use to do it before making certain every last drop of cream was on my scone,sometimes I tell you that was hard to do, because had to pile it on top of all the jam --- shivers my mentality was I paid for it I am going to enjoy it,gsh paid the same amount for the one scone with jam and cream as I could buy 6 scones in the supermarket for. I now make good food choices most of the time, and also get the extra excercise in hee and there, say when visiting a friend and it is a nice day -- hey why don't we go for a walk across to the shops, or go to the lake?

And yes I was an emotional eater, eat when I completed or achieved something, when I was upset,stressed etc.

Come-on all inspire me and others, this is like my weightloss maintenance site, and a sight where others can see we all been there and done that.

May everyone achieve their goals, God Bless.

We are all here for each other,to help each other ,what may work for one may not work for another, the weight loss speed is different, but certainly you will be able to relate to some users on this site, and yep we help each other.

I was fat cause I ate too much for the wrong reasons and because I sat on my ass too much! I am so much more aware now and sort of grossed out by the old me.

I'm the same way ginger and I'm also grossed out by other people who over eat...sorrry but its true... I was fat because I had a baby and my relationship fell apart so I did what a lot of moms do and just focus on being everything for my son except lose the baby weight ...and I love cookies ...

I notice that now I look at fatter people in the supermarket and see what they are buying, also what they order in the cafe,etc. I use to think gosh a pack of portioned cheese is so expensive compared to a block, ok if I do buy the block I read the label and cut it to the correct portions from the beginning. No more buying uneccessary large serves because it is cheaper, would I rather save a little money, and have to spend on buying larger clothes in the long run, and medical bills, no feeling good about myself, well i KNOW LOTS OF THESE PAST HABITS WERE LEARNED BEHAVIOURS, HEY i AM SMARTER,MORE CONFIDENT NOW I CAN MAKE THE CHOICE, and I know my choices are far far better now

I never use to read labels , oh now I do, infact if I go shopping with my Sis, the comment is what took you so long to buy those few items, then she says i know you were reading the labels, now she often buys the brands/ products I use,as do here friends, and guess what they all losing weight. BUT THE BAND HAS BEEN MY SAVIOUR IT HAS CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE, yep and only had it done in Sept 2007, gosh if I could live my life over again I would eat sensibly ,the right portions,and excercise, but alas if I was force feed and use to all the fattening foods, wow I would get out there and have the band quick smart, and then re educate myself as I have done, reading articles on food, reading this sight,weight loss magazines, etc.

I was fat because i am a FOOD ADDICT, and i now can admit that i am addicted to food the same way as others are addicted to drugs or cigarettes or alchol. I obsess about food, i dream about food, food monopolizes my thoughts..not just sometimes but everyday. My band enables me to control the outcome of the obsession.

I'm the same way ginger and I'm also grossed out by other people who over eat...sorrry but its true... I was fat because I had a baby and my relationship fell apart so I did what a lot of moms do and just focus on being everything for my son except lose the baby weight ...and I love Cookies ...

Exactly. I was in the supermarket parking lot about a month ago talking on my cell phone. I usually park a ways away so I have to walk farther and I was getting off thee phone and I noticed a woman near me going AT it with a bag of whataburger at 10am. I was thinking, 'that used to be me'. I would chow down food in my car in hiding then dispose of the 'evidence' so no one in my family knew I had just eaten a ridiculous amount of food for no good reason. It disgusted me at the time I was doing it but I did it anyway. I am so grateful not to be chained to that guilt anymore.

M&M's! I blame the Peanut M&M's

I was fat because I was hungry all the time. I didn't eat crazy big portions, but my body was built to maintain my weight at 1000 cals/day. I'd eat 2000 and think "I'm eating like everyone else" and I was still hungry. Go figure.

Once you overeat to the point where you have stretched your stomach, and then do it again and again, in time you need more and more food to fill you up. Your stomach is no longer the size of a fist, now it is a football. If you only eat enough to fill it half way, you will start to take off some of your stored fat, but once you eat till it's full again, you just put the weight back on. And the lose and gain cycle goes on forever. Some feel that dieting can return your stomach to its normal size, But I don't agree. Your stomach will always be stretched. It's like a balloon. You'll always be able to put as much food in it as you last could. Thus why to maintain a wt. loss is even more difficult than the diet to reach the goal. Hence why everyone knows 'diets don't work.' That's why lapband or bypass is the only real solution that will keep it off. You just can't put food in there even if you want to.

With that said, I was fat because I continually stretched out my stomach by overeating, and I needed more and more food to feel satisfied or full because of it.

I was fat more through periods of overeating rather than constant, and those periods kind of got more and more and the periods of sensible eating less and less. I'd always had a large appetite, not monstrous but too large for the energy I expended, so I was always heavyish - BMI 28 or so,but never got really fat till I had babies. Started sitting round on my lardy ass breastfeeding and eating Cookies all day, my relaxation was a pot of coffee and a packet of cookies and something I'd taped to watch while the baby was asleep.... etc etc. The weight went on, I started to feel worse and worse about myself and more and more helpless and so I started eating things I'd never in my life eaten regularly, like McDonalds and milkshakes, and more weight went on and then suddenly it didnt matter if the family ate pizza one night and fish and chips the next coz by now I'd had 2 babies an was trying to work and I was too busy to shop or cook properly etc etc.

It was all just excuses and lazy behaviour. I'm busier now by a factor of about 100 than I ever was and I find time to exercise, shop and cook, keep the house clean etc.

I'd just sank into fat miserable laziness, and yes, watching other people do it grosses me out completely too - probably out of a sense of fear that I had such a near miss with morbid obesity.

1. Consumed way to many calories
   
2. Did not exercise
   
3. And did not make myself a priority
   

I was fat because I was hungry . . . and relied on fast food too much due to a busy lifestyle. Hunger and impulsive eating ruled my existence before, but now I feel like I have my life back.

It was all just excuses and lazy behaviour. I'm busier now by a factor of about 100 than I ever was and I find time to exercise, shop and cook, keep the house clean etc.

I'd just sank into fat miserable laziness, and yes, watching other people do it grosses me out completely too - probably out of a sense of fear that I had such a near miss with morbid obesity.

I understand this 100%. Eating becomes a cycle of behavioral habits that can be negative or positive.

I think overeating makes you tired, causing you to take shortcuts with meals that are not nutritionally sound . . . and then it repeats repeatedly. I am no less busy, but healthy eating is now a priority instead of an afterthought and I now have the energy to follow through with it.

* stopped being active - biggest reason*

* fork disease - didn't know how to put it down*

I was fat because i was lazy and liked to stuff my face with fast food everyday. I didnt take care of my health or have any concern for it until it came to a serious point where my healthy was terribly becoming inflicted. I am too grossed out by those who over eat. Im much more aware of it now and how i used to be. Omg mindless eating is what i did.. i would sit down and eat a whole bag of chips and dip without blinking and be stuffed but continue to pork it in. sad sad sad. I can never return there again.. EVER.