Why are YOU Fat?

[WatchNMyW8 0]

First of all...I like this post. It stopped me in my tracks and made me reflect on what I've been doing since I was banded.

The reason why I'm beyond fat, but obese is because I don't exercise. Not only that, but my eating habits are horrible. In addition to eating all of the forbiden foods, I eat out 99% of the time. I skip meals and have the nerve to finish my plate although I'm full. I've broken all of the WLS rules and sometimes I've wanted to blame other people, but in the end..I have no one to blame but myself. It''s time for me to take back the control that I lost.

And that's the truth.. :-)

[sassyfrass 24]

This is a GOOD Question? I can look back at my elementary school pictures and see when the weight started, along about 10 or so, I guess. I eat because it's GOOD, and because it's so good, even when I KNOW I"m satisfied, I don't stop.....because it's good! I hate that about me. I eat when I'm lonely, I eat when I'm sad, I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm mad. food has become the center of my life and I want it to stop. God intended for me to consume food (to live, for nourishment) but NOT for food to consume me. Somewhere along the way, I totally screwed that up. I LOVE sweets and carbs too. I blame my mom for my sweet tooth because she is the same way about them. and somewhere along the way I have developed an unhealthy love for fast food drive thrus!! I have been good about going to the gym, exersing 5 hours a week at least, but the eating is my hardest part. It makes it worse at my work place since we are always getting food brought to us, and so many times it is NOT healthy. And many times it's a lot of sweets. I wish I had better control. I do better some times but it's always a struggle for me. Then there are the times that I just binge.....don't know why....I just do. That's where I hope when I get banded, it will help me, keep me from it.

[manderoo 2]

I love chocolate!

[anewchapter 0]

Well I feel like my story will be similar to others, but this thread is great because it gives us the means to verbalize.

For me it started when I was in junor high. After school I would come home and have to look after my younger brother. One of the things I did was prepare a snack for us. I was already slightly over weight for my age and was getting teased in school. The snack started turning into two or three and then into a meal. I would eat a whole box of kraft dinner. Then I would still have to eat dinner because I didn't want my parents to know what I'd done. So it turned into having a bad day and coming home and allowing food to make me feel better. The weight just started to pile on. I remember hating back to school shopping because none of the clothes fit (plus size clothing was for old ladies then). I was around 180lbs at this time.

Years went by and as I grew into an adult the self medication with food just continued to cover every emotion you can think of. Lack of exercise, motivation and my "all or nothing" mentality do not help either. I would lose and gain, lose and gain. I once lost 80lbs, but I was still over 200lbs. I have created many road blocks in my life:

- I have been told my whole life I am "big boned" and I think part of me believes it's not possible for me to weigh under 200lbs.

- I don't have a clear memory of when I was 180lbs and what I do remember is pain, I think a part of me associates being skinny/smaller with pain. The farther I get from it, the less I have to worry about it.

- Because of the excess weight that I have carried for so long I have plantar fasciitis and it can be very painful to even go for a walk. So I have no consistance source of activity.

- Dieting only works for a short time because my old bad habits come back and the binges begin again.

Things I do know:

- I have the knowledge and ability to eat healthy

- I do enjoy exercising

- Unhealthy food makes me feel like crap

- I have to clear my road blocks that are holding me back

However this time, with the band, all the things I already know will actually work. And I will be successful at weight loss

[Lap_dancer 8]

@WATCHNWH8 this ..."

The reason why I'm beyond fat, but obese is because I don't exercise."

Hits me where I live. I was banded in 2007 and watched the scale go down, down, down. Wow, that was so nice. Then one morning I woke up with horrid pain. That journey lasted two years, my weight loss slowed down then stalled because of the drugs I went on. Turns up I had Fibromyalgia. I also had gallbladder surgery. Loads of time in bed sleeping. I just was awarded disability.

I am fat because I do not excercise. I am fat because of the morphine I was on that sludged my body's ability to digest properly. I am fat because my metabolic rate is SNAIL.

@Kimalicious

That meal plan looks like what I use to eat typically. Volumous amounts of food and DRINK to slosh it down. Large tall glasses of milk....I could go on and on.

@NJGIRL32 foodies in the house!! My mother definately showed love with food. So did the rest of my extended family but go figure.

My sister is bulimic and a waif. There is huge addiction issues in my family history. SADLY, those addictions are now in my two kids who are obese and my son is now morbidly obese. I am wretched with sadness and worry as he is only 25 and weighs 366 lbs. He complains of his knees hurting and he has weeks where he slows down consumption but eats constantly. I have banned pizza from the house. He has no control over that food.

I am so thankful for the band. I simply cannot eat the way I use to by wolfing down food. I would be bedridden all of the time and surely fatter than I was when I was banded had I not done something to stop the insanity in 2007.

[Margen610 0]

I'm fat mostly because of a non-functioning thyroid glad. My average weight was perfect through the age of 30, when I developed Grave's disease (over active thyroid condition). It couldn't be controlled with medication, and I underwent a radioactive iodine treatment that wiped my thyroid function out completely. I gained my initial 30 pounds in less than 3 months after my thyroid "crashed". It's been a steady progression since.

Throw genetics, chronic depression, and poor eating habits into the mix, and I'm now 100 pounds overweight.

Mrs. S,

I've been waiting for someone to mention thyroid problems! Here's a short version of my 54 years of life: I was born into a wonderful, loving family. My Mom was my best friend, but I lost her when I was 19 and I lost a part of myself forever (she was my strength, backbone and my source of confidence.) Mom had been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was 7 and had many health issues that stemmed from that illness. She was only 48 when she died.

I really never had any weight issues when I was younger....sure, I could have lost 5-10 lbs, but never worried about it. Married when I was 20 (and 125 lbs) I had 4 children by the time I was 31. I always managed to stay about 140-145 lbs between all the pregnancies...and of course the kids kept me on my toes! When I was 35, I decided it was time to quit my 20 yr. smoking habit. I waited a couple months until I felt truly ready to give them up. It took only 7 days with the nicotine patch! Granted, I slept & prayed alot, but somehow managed to gain the strength to quit....me, quit!!! me, the one with no willpower! This was a huge milestone for me!

So, I decided to join the gym, tone up & lose the 5-10 lbs. that was always in my way. Here I am, doing jumping jacks, and I can barely lift my arms. I commented to the instructor, that I didn't know what was going on, and she told me I should check things out with my doctor. I made an appointment for a physical and bloodwork and the doctor calls me with the results...here, my thryoid levels were low. So, the doctor said, "Let's wait a few weeks and retest." Well, that is when all hell broke lose! Within 5 weeks, I had gained 30 lbs. and it took everything in me to get out of bed and down the stairs...just to fall asleep on the sofa! I felt like I had aged 40 yrs. (and I had 4 kids to get up and out to school.)

The doctor ran more bloodwork and my thyroid had stopped! Nada...nothing. They couldn't explain why or how. Just that it is hereditary and is sometimes caused by a shock or jolt to the body. I am on thyroid medicine and they tell me that I should feel the same as when my thyroid was working. I swear it was because I had quit smoking, but no doctor will agree..or even look into it for me. So, there it is! Sometimes I wished I had fought more to keep my health, but I just accepted that I would never feel the same again. I lost my energy, put on an extra 10 lbs a year. Now, at 235lbs., I am hoping for a final end to this craziness! But I am just starting to learn about banding and I'm scheduled for a seminar next month.

P.S. My oldest son was diagnosed with Graves disease at 22 (had the radio active iodine, but still is very thin) and my younest son was diagnosed with Hashimoto's diease at 12- the same as me, but he is very active & thin, go figure!

I told my endocrinologist that all these years, I watched that my kids did not end up with diabetes and they had thyroid issues....he said my Mom had an auto-immune disorder where her antibodies attacked her pancreas, and in my family our antibodies attack our thyroid....just some info for anyone with these issues. Wish me luck on my journey!

[LBHopeful 1]

wow. sounds like me.

Yea me too! I always so that it went from one extreme to another, eating take out every day to feeling bad about not exercising or eating something crappy. This band definitely makes you think twice about your decisions especially when you see positive results.

PS I'm fat cause I love food, mostly delicious bad for you food

[minniekitty 44]

I'm fat because I eat too much and don't exercise enough.

There are a lot of other things that contributed to it- enlarged thyroid medication (that I stopped taking because I was misdiagnosed), puberty, depression, antidepressant medication, college weight gain (stress), yo-yo dieting, eating out WAY too much, genetic predisposition to obesity.

I could blame everything in the world, but it's my fault when it comes down to it. The other things certainly didn't help, though.

[mominoc 11]

I've been overweight all of my life. Born @ nearly 10 pds. Mom, Brother, Sister all foodies. Genetic and addiction. Sad to me how long I've battled food and all I've tried to do to conquer it. I always thought it was my fault (it is my responsibility) until I really understood I was an addict. I was in OA for years and still lost and gained. Yo yo all my life. My Dad owned grocery stores which I used to pray he owned furniture stores or car dealerships. Food was available and that is the addiction all but my Dad had. I sure wish I had been ready to get banded years ago, but grateful I am now. I'm losing well and happy with my 'internal tool'. I call my band my friend and I often pat it saying thank you. I make better choices now prob because I don't like cravings & they come back if I don't keep my Protein up. Before banding, I tried so hard to help myself and I tried all the time. Now, I feel calmer knowing I'm an addict and I did the right thing for an addict. I take care of my addiction every day, but I now kind of feel like I finally put the cork in my own bottle with the band. I needed the band all along, but I just understood this fact not even a year ago. I'm relieved I accept who I am and take care of myself, so I can finally have a quality life. I never thought I was a surgery candidate, I always thought I was suppose to control it all by myself and if I couldn't I was weak. Food for me is love, comfort, escape, joy, Mother, Father, feeding fear. Food is my valium. Thankful for my band.

[anewchapter 0]

I'm fat because I eat too much and don't exercise enough.

There are a lot of other things that contributed to it- enlarged thyroid medication (that I stopped taking because I was misdiagnosed), puberty, depression, antidepressant medication, college weight gain (stress), yo-yo dieting, eating out WAY too much, genetic predisposition to obesity.

I could blame everything in the world, but it's my fault when it comes down to it. The other things certainly didn't help, though.

Thanks and well said.

[Clown 1]

Kala hit the nail on the head. I ate too much and didn't exercise. I love to eat. I love food. Not big on sweets, but I would eat them if they were in front of me.

[Shelli_d 38]

i grew up fat..since i was born actually ( i was a 10lb baby) and now i know that i have an addiction..its so much harder when you are addicted to food b/c its something you need and you cant quit it cold turkey..i eat when im bored, when im happy, when im sad etc etc..i have motivation for awhile then something happens and i turn to food..my dad has heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea the whole deal..plus he is obese..my mother was the same..im to the point where i need the help..and i feel the lapband will be the thing that keeps me on track for living a more healthy life style

[Gabandgirl 1]

Lap Band May 3 2011 down 52 lbs! I am fat because I love food especially sweets. I was not so bad with Portion Control of regular meals, although compared to what I eat now I probably am in a little denial! I was terrible with sweets and especially eating sweets at night while watching TV. I would wear a path between the couch and the pantry to see what was new in there or what I could eat......if nothing else I would eat a couple bowls of sugary Cereal. Everything was centered around food and I just plain enjoyed eating things that were "good". It just managed to creep on over the years and the older I got the less I could get my mind right to actually loose weight, it was a huge task to loose 80-100 lbs! I am so happy with the lap band surgery I haven't been this small in quite a few years and in just 22 more lbs I will hit the 100's!

[bellaloco 13]

These are the reasons I am fat:

1-I am Italian...anyone else that is Italian knows the emphasis we place on food, and that all family gatherings are centered around the dinner table. I grew up loving food and not understanding the importace of nutrition and exercise.

2-when i finally did learn the importance of fitness at age 13...always the fat girl, of course, i joined the swim team. I toned up quite a bit. Swimming 11 times a week will do that! After i graduated high school, i was so burned out from swimming that i just stopped, but continued to eat like i was swimming 11 times a week...this is where my first big weight gain happened.

3-I hovered around upper onederland for quite a few years. My biggest weight gain started about 3 months after I got married. I had a pretty severe back injury that prevented me from doing most activities. The combination of the injury, adjusting to married life, plus going back to school full time and working full time led to a lot of really, really bad choices. The day of my surgery, I weighed a whopping 286 pounds (yuck). I am struggling with a major plateau right now, but I am NEVER letting myself get to that point again.

[zabber 0]

Great thread, I am now in the beginning stages of going through the full process before I get the band in March 2012. I am fat because of a few things: 1 I am a snacker at night, and I don't eat when I should...I can go until 12 noon on two cups of coffee and the I eat all day (snacking mostly) on carbs...I am a huge sweat eater, and have to keep it out of my house, which is tough because I have two kids under 6...I regulate their treats, but not my own...sadly.

I also have pustular psoriasis which is a rare form of blistering and seeping scales on my heels and can't walk much. I can walk a bit with an open back shoe or flip flop, but not long distances. I do love to circut train with weights so I do this twice a week and love it, however, its not enough to lose tons of weight or the 80 lbs I need to get off. So, it took me 13 years to and two kids (which made me gain more weight and can't get that extra 15 from those kids off either) to make this decision for myself to get the band.

I never eat seconds and don't eat a ton at meals, I would rather have little things throughout the day...my mother's side of the family are all obese 9 children and only 1 is not obese, I suppose I don't have great genes to boot.

Well, thank you all for sharing your stories, the first step is seeing it clearly and then doing something about it is the big relief!