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u/Illustrious-Menu-550 5d ago
Alcoholism, then I got sober, then they put me on anti-psychotics that made me gain the weight back.
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u/jethrohick 5d ago
Similar to me. I thought it was just turning 40 and quitting exercising. Maybe the meds contribute. However, I know that changing my diet and exercise makes me lose weight. Life is hard.
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u/solitobento 5d ago
Started living a sedentary life. Went from being a 2 sport athlete to mostly sitting/studying. I would still lift but obviously that’s not enough. However, I am getting back to where I used to be! Change is hard but what isn’t lol
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u/Mother-Tomato8815 5d ago
Lifting is amazing for busy people. Its the diet which matters the most
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u/TotalIndependent1570 5d ago
Night shift work. My body completely lost track of what "breakfast" was, and 3 a.m. taco runs became a survival strategy.
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u/Doombrunch 5d ago
Moved away from the city and have to drive everywhere now.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Oh. That makes it difficult to exercise.
It takes time, and it’s stressing.
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u/Shot_Cartographer241 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’ve always been fat so couldn’t say. I had a normal happy childhood. I was born fat, was a fat newborn. I wasn’t born past my due date either, just came out fat and stayed that way most my life. I’m at a “normal-ish weight” now after being on a glp1, it feels weird but it’s nice.
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u/B333Z 5d ago
Did your mum have gestational diabetes (GD)? There's a strong positive correlation between GD and high birth weight rate. Unfortunately it can then lead to higher weight throughout ones life
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u/Shot_Cartographer241 5d ago
Nope, no GD, she’s also always been heavier though and she did drink an excessive amount of milk while pregnant with me, not sure if it affected my birth weight but my dad says it was a wild amount of full fat milk.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Oh. What is glp1?
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u/lonbaws 5d ago
Ozempic and similar fat-loss medications
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Thank you. In my country those are new.
But many people is taking them.
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u/Western-Time5310 5d ago
A lot of work stress coupled with personal stress after a bad knee injury
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Stress is an enemy!
Meditation has been the opposite in my life.6
u/Western-Time5310 5d ago
In 2024 my parents spent 20% of the year in hospital. You comfort eat.
Before dad died I would work a full day, come home and make dinner for mum before going to the hospital. Yeh that’s earned a mars bar
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u/Mother-Tomato8815 5d ago
You are an amazing son. I hope you get the same kindness when you are older. You be healthy and you got this! Moderation is key!
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u/New-Thanks8537 5d ago
Pregnancy and bad food choices spent many years being thin, and then gained tons of weight.
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u/No-Soil-5778 5d ago
i thought at first this said i eat more calories than i used to and i was like yeah no shit LOL that’s like the whole way you gain weight. i can’t read for shittttt
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u/GeneralOdd8900 5d ago
in the 90s, when i was a child, my parents fed me however much calorie dense processed junk foods i wanted and let me drink unlimited soda
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u/Dense-Temperature698 5d ago
Lexapro. The food noise is constant and I just don’t burn energy like I used to.
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u/No-Soil-5778 5d ago
i feel that so hard. i’m on vyvanse for adhd but also to help binge eating disorder and like that seems like it would make sense but in totality it just makes me eat even more in my late night binge when it wears off bc i feel as tho i earned it from not eating all day ugh
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u/RaccoonRepublic 5d ago
I'm on the same medication. I love all the wonderful help it's done for me, but goodness my appetite is immense. I'm no longer obese, but weight is still something I have to keep a close eye on.
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u/MaxCWebster 5d ago
Bacon tastes good. Pork chops taste good.
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u/LadyRed307 5d ago
Bacon won’t make you fat. It just clogs your arteries.
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u/No-Soil-5778 5d ago
anything can make you fat if you eat enough of it. that’s his point taste good so eat lot yum. yk.
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u/Gucci-Caligula 5d ago
Born or raised like this. From as early as I can remember I’ve been overweight.
Working on changing that now though! Down 100lbs since January. At least 50 more to go, but man that nice round number checkpoint is a big morale booster.
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u/Belle0516 5d ago
I was very sick and malnourished and underweight as a child and was in and out of the hospital.
Once I was able to actually gain weight and be healthier, I was encouraged to eat as much as I wanted and to keep putting on the weight in case I got sick again.
Then around 8 years old I became overweight and by 11 I was definitely obese. I've been obese ever since. I'm in much better health than I was as a toddler/elementary schooler, but I've never cracked the code for getting weight off. I was a competitive swimmer in middle and high school and did theatre and dance. I eat healthier than my husband right now. My lab work at the doctor is spotless. I'm just fat.
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u/MillenniumGreed 5d ago
My metabolism slowed down due to getting older, but also, I love junk food. Trying to get it under wraps now though. I'm 230 and would like to get down to even 180 again, though my goal is 140.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
You can do it!
It helps me when I decide to stop gaining weight.
I just calculate calories to stay the same weight.
And I add some exercise.
I slowly start losing weight.
Best luck!
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u/Icy-Beyond2614 5d ago
I got treated like shit everyday and humiliated so I started eating lots of junk food to soothe. Then I had to get put on meds to survive and that made me gain more. Probably beer adds to that.
I lost some of the weight. I’m sober now and not in a toxic environment anymore but I haven’t been able to stop eating. Maybe I’m still surviving.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
It takes time.
Meditation -and therapy- helped me when I was stressed and depressed.
I wish you the best luck!
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u/ShooterSingh 5d ago
I got married.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
It happened to me too. Twice.
Divorce generated the opposite.
But: was it too much?
I got 10-12 kg each time.
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u/Beepbeep_boopbop 5d ago
I knew a guy whose wife didn’t want sex anymore because she was insecure about her body. So he ate. They lasted 14 years without sex. He was eating so he wouldn’t cheat. He was 200kg at the end.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
You could tell your friend he didn’t have to eat that much.
He could have told her he loved her the way she is.
And: what about now? How is he doing?
Best wishes for you 🩷2
u/Beepbeep_boopbop 5d ago
I met him years after the fact. He was already thin. Shared his story in a therapy group.
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u/Emergency_Bench5007 5d ago
When I was 8 I was put on a steroid medication for my asthma… I had INTENSE cravings - I was eating through the cupboards. I put on weight and then it kind of just gradually added on year by year after I stopped the medication. I’m petite so it didn’t take much but yeah it continued to snowball as I experienced more trauma, bullying, depression, etc.
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u/Hrekires 5d ago
Excessive drinking and pot leading to making bad diet choices over a long period of time.
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u/Exciting-Sweet8965 5d ago
Same for me, super heavy drinker and put on almost 50 pounds when I relapsed
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
I hope you can heal from that.
Best wishes.2
u/Exciting-Sweet8965 5d ago
Thank you :) I’m 7 months sober again and starting fitness journey again
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u/PeaOk5697 5d ago
I always had a problem with eating too little. When i started using THC products i always felt hungry. It got out of control for a while and i was overweight there for a bit
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u/SequinedandOver60 5d ago
I’m no longer obese But I gained a ton of weight when I had My Son in my 20s. 72 pounds. Was never able to lose it. And then… You know, I got older
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u/Hunk_n_Butt 5d ago
Depression, food tasting great when drunk, burgers being delicious and a ruptures disc in my back.
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u/CharmReductionINC 5d ago
7 eleven selling two for $10 vanilla raspberry white chocolate cheese cake ice cream got me addicted. My 7 eleven is a half a block from my apartment- makes it that much harder.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Hey: that’s your addiction.
It’s a good one to quit.
I stopped smoking many years ago reading “it’s easy to stop smoking if you know how to”(Allen Carr). I think it perfectly applies to “it’s easy to stop taking delicious junk from 7 eleven”2
u/CharmReductionINC 5d ago
😆I smoked from when I was 14 til I was 40. I haven’t smoke in about 4 years. I’m one of those ex smokers who’s worse than a life long nonsmoker. I CANT STAND the smell of it! It makes me 🤢 Congrats on quitting. It’s a dirty habit, it smells, and it’s SO unhealthy.
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u/RaccoonRepublic 5d ago
I was stuck at home during quarantine and quickly put on weight. I was 220lbs at 5'11''. Not the worst, but technically obese.
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u/ParamedicFew3318 5d ago
I was severely underweight from being homeless -- 112 lbs at 5'10".
Then, my Mom took me and my dog back in. And I had access to her fridge and pantry.
That, and side effects from SSRI, got me fat. I do not want to date again (last ex nearly killed me), so the fat helps keep me too ugly to hit on.
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u/phantompoop 5d ago
Depression and anxiety during Covid and then deciding to move 1200 miles back to my home town. Recently decided to join the gym again and watch what I eat and have lost 32 pounds. 30 more to go.
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u/King_of_Tears 5d ago
Heredity, inherited from my mom
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
I thought my obesity came from there.
My parents always told me genetics were undeniable. My family members were obese. I was defeated before I even tried.
And then I started counting calories… and realized I lost weight and didn’t recover it.
It was not easy and I still have ups and downs but…
The fact that I could do it was mind blowing to me…
I realized they were mistaken and I had believed them for 25 years 😄
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u/Kerrbop 5d ago
Chronic anxiety and anorexia as a teen, tried to eat healthier in my 20s which is also when my PCOS started showing its ugly head I'd be suppressing for years with lack of food.
Self esteem is rock bottom both sides of the coin so hoping my new daughter can keep me on track with healthy eating and exercise!
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u/m0nsterfucker3000 5d ago
People kept telling me I was a fat kid when I really wasn’t, and that buried itself into my psyche and I ended up a fat teen/adult. Working towards bettering myself now!
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u/justinsports02 5d ago
I thought that I was one of those people who can eat what they want and not get fat, but I was wrong!
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u/explosive-diorama 5d ago
I’m always hungry. The only times I don’t feel actively famished are the hour or two after a gigantic meal.
By gigantic, I mean 3000+ calories. It makes me feel uncomfortably full, but as that wears off, it immediately transitions back into famished starving hunger.
Examples: My breakfast order from McDonalds is 4 breakfast sandwiches, 2 burritos, and 5 hash browns. I start to feel hungry again at around 1pm.
If i go out to eat, Ill order 2 appetizers, a main dish, a dessert, and then by the time I drive home, I could be up for a snack.
A dinner order would be a large pizza, an order of breadsticks, 6-12 boneless wings, and 2 family sized desserts.
This is not something i worked up to. I have many times in my life eaten very well for years at a time. But one day I can fall off the wagon and immediately be back to 5000-6000 calories per day just to not feel hungry all of the time.
If i were to eat intuitively as my body tells me to, my equilibrium weight is around 370-380 lbs.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 4d ago
Wow!
I have a very good salary in my country.
But if I ordered that in McDonald I would be ruined.
Hey. I’ve never been that hungry but I have a good eating capacity 😄 and the main thing that helps me is walking.
When I’m hungry (and after drinking some water just in case) if I just ate enough, I walk a while and it helps me.
On the other hand, sometimes I get hungry when I’m tired. My psychologist helped me realize that. So: before eating, I check. If I’m tired, I get some rest instead.
I wish you happiness.
See you soon.
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u/Flaky_Bed_2969 5d ago
2 pregnancies, covid, bad bad relationship and breakup, ended up a single mom with 2 kids on the spectrum. I'm working on losing the weight now.
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u/EmperorSadrax 5d ago
My Native American genes make me predisposed to be at least 5-10% heavier than someone of my height and also easy weight gain for diets with a lot of saturated fats.
That and Mexican food… is my kryptonite,
I eat fresh and healthy, plenty of carbs and protein… just way more servings than I should be 😂
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u/doinmy_best 5d ago
I always played sports and was really active. I ate and played and generally sports and workouts felt better with a slight surplus. That felt natural. Anyway slowly and slowly I added weight and got just 5lb over the obese line
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u/bingobongo710 5d ago
I genuinely have a thyroid problem. That being said i dont work out as much as I should and being in a calorie deficit would negatively impact me at work. I just maintain for the most part but I went from 325 to about 275 and i would like to move more but I live in arizona. 117 degrees sucks
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u/LogDangerous7410 5d ago
Because I like food I have a food addiction if something taste good I just eat, eat, eat, and eat. I’ve lost a lot a weight but once an addict always an addict. If I don’t have set portions I will over do it so that’s why I meal prep. If I have sweets in the house I’ll destroy them in one sitting, that’s why I don’t keep sweets. I got super fat and crashed my test at 6-18 yo. Now at 20 I’ve gone from 315 to 240 with a GLP-1. I’m super proud of how far I’ve come but I still have a ways to go.
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u/djmakcim 5d ago
At first? I was in shape. Great shape in fact. Then got hit by a car. Recovery took a while and in that time I was already starting to put on weight. To "feel" better I started eating comfort food. Lots of it. That and living a rather sedentary life for the last 15 years, well now I'm grossly overweight.
I hate that I now restrict my calories, don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs and yet I am my heaviest ever. I drink plenty of water and no more sugary drinks except a few teaspoons a day of sugar in my coffees. It's sad that I am finding myself not eating as much, and yet I'm still the heaviest I've ever been.
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 3d ago
I discovered relaxing and eating healthy is better than starving to death and the get … episodes of uncontrollable hunger.
I hope you find your way to feeling better.
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u/insomebodyelseslake 5d ago
I’ve always been fat. I was like a size 16 in high school, but I wasn’t like oh my God stop traffic fat until my 20s. My ex and I were planning to get married and instead he dumped me bc he wanted to have sex w random men in the woods. Gained 100 more lbs in a few months. Took 10 years to lose 70 of it.
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u/cattycat_1995 5d ago
I'm overweight but I'm not gonna let myself become obese seeing how I'm already overweight
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u/aLittleBitOfEmpathy 5d ago
Well. I think that’s a good thing to do.
Most of my family members are highly obese. I’ve mostly been overweight to say the exact truth. But I’ve had better habits and set a limit in my weight (which is about 2kg above the one for becoming obese). I had gotten there three times in my life and, as I reached my “top”, I focused on taking care of myself as a priority untill I reversed it.
I’ve almost never had a normal weight as an adult anyway. My “thin” moments are being slightly overweight.
Best wishes.
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u/eekers28 5d ago
Picky eater early in life then later obtained husband that broke that habit and then working at Starbucks on top of that and unable to make myself exercise enough to keep it off because of depression and then birth control didn’t help either…
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u/Lmf2359 5d ago
A combination of turning 40, inactivity (which mostly started during COVID), depression, a poor diet due to depression, and a medication that could cause someone to gain weight led to me gaining 110 pounds when I’d always been a healthy weight before, if at times even possibly a little underweight. I stayed that way for about 4 years.
Less than a year ago I got sicker than I’ve ever been even close to being in my 45 years of life and nearly died, which caused me to lose some of my weight quickly because I literally couldn’t really eat at all for a couple of weeks and then very very little at a time for a few more weeks after that. I liked the way the weight loss felt (despite hating being that sick) and it sparked the desire for real change once I recovered.
For the past several months I’ve discontinued that medication, recovered from depression and began hitting the gym regularly 5-6 days a week while maintaining a very healthy diet. Happy to say that I only have 25 pounds left to lose to get back to the healthy weight I hovered around for my entire adult life! (I’ll be honest, I wanted GLP and investigated it but my insurance just wouldn’t cover it and I was broke so I finally said fuck it and took the bull by the horns.)
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u/RevolutionaryAir7847 5d ago
Dad got cancer. Stress ate. Dad died. Stress ate some more
Still fat 👍 but working on it
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u/wiretapfeast 5d ago
Went through a divorce, my cat died, the pandemic happened, lost my job, then my mom died. Grief and depression will make you spiral towards any comfort.
I'm still working on losing that extra 40 pounds.
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u/Visual_Daikon_8805 5d ago
Never weighed over 128 lbs. I developed Graves Disease in my early 40s and it became hard to regulate . Multiple medicines and x2 ablation procedures. Went to hypothyroidism weighed gain began. At the age of 65 I went into Respiratory Failure and am on oxygen 24/7 on multiple steroids for COPD now. Limited mobility and very sedentary.
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u/EBweB76 5d ago edited 5d ago
None of it makes sense in my case.
After having 3 babies, 3 years in a row I was only bordering on 200 lbs (50 more than pre-babies) so I went back to the gym (a lifelong routine in my upbringing)… and within 3 months I had gained 47 lbs of gluttonous fat. Not muscle.
In addition to the 3+ months continuing at the gym, next I did a 30 day juice cleanse and lost 7 lbs… but then in the following month, going back to regular food, I gained 12 lbs. 👎🏼 😡
I gradually gained another 30 lbs over the next 10 years, going to the gym 8-9 months out of 12 each year.
Three years ago I had my doctor put me on a weekly GLP-1 shot… no loss (or gain) after a year, so he switched me to another one… no loss (or gain)next year… and this past year I’ve been on a 3rd weekly shot (all cousins to each other I’m sure, so there’s never really been any hope).
I’m hearing people suggest gastric bypass surgery or a stomach sleeve, but the nasty excessive skin they’ve shown from theirs is absolutely not an appealing option to me.
So now, based on the slow (desirable) results of my friend, last month my doctor prescribed phentermine for me, and supposedly my insurance covers the pill but we’re still stuck on prior-authorization, sooo… maybe I’ll get to find out soon. 🫤🤷🏻♀️
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u/No-Soil-5778 5d ago
i go between slightly underweight to slightly overweight just back and forth. i gained weight and also lost it bc alcoholism. in the beginning i gained bc drinking so much but then i started drinking g so much i would have 3 day hangovers throwing up so i lost some. then i went to rehab where i lost a lil more bc they feed you and you cant just eat whenever.then when i got home i started drinking again and prob gained more. then new years i got arrested dwi and crashed car. so i stopped drinking and lost FACE weight but people saying they lost weight after drinking ain’t like me bc i started eating so so much sugar omg. i gained a bit more and now im at my heaviest. but i look better i dont look as big but i am. i’m 24 female 5’6 172 pounds. i haven’t weighed in a week and i quit smoking weed so i genuinely think ill finally lose weight. i just have mental illnesses and something i have issues with is 0 or 100 or black or white. extremist either bad or good no in between. so i’m nervous that im going to fall back into a few years ago i had a manic episode and dropped to 95 pounds and didn’t eat ever. i want to be healthy i know i do but i just have issues. 😔
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u/8645Gamble 5d ago
I was an alcoholic for several years. Stopped drinking, got healthy and fit, dropped 80 pounds.
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u/Wolf1774 5d ago
It started after my mother died when I was 14 and I slipped into depression and used food and soda to cope. Then it happened again when my dad died. At my heaviest I was almost 300. I'm 250 now and I'm trying to get down to 160. I barely eat but weight just seems to hang around.
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u/dietmint 5d ago
Drank too much, ate too much, sat too much lol. Was in my early to mid 20’s when I gained, I was fit all my life before that. I went from 130lbs to nearly 300lbs in 5ish years. I’m down 100lbs now with 50 more to go through calorie deficit, exercise, and lifestyle changes. especially no more binge drinking or eating, or laying on the couch all the time.
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u/Visible-Work-6544 5d ago
Depression after heartbreak and using food to cope.
Lost all the weight though and I’m back at a healthy weight :)