What enabled so many of us to gain so much weight?

[zmdh39]

Last night, or early this morning I should say. I was watching a documentary on fasting and fruit juicing. In the documentary, the guy asked over weight people how they became over weight. I was surprised by some of the answers, and it made me curious as to how I gained my weight...then I was curious about what some of your would say is how you gained your excess weight? There is a point to me asking this question, and I plan on posting my personal response after I get some shut eye.

But you guys out there, when you really analyze your history with your weight...what caused you to gain the weight, how many years did some of you spending trying to lose the weight...what made those attempts fail? And I am especially curious to learn what happened, or made you believe that having weight loss surgery would be what was needed for you to finally succeed?

[tinman]

Here is your answer...apparently. Makes all the sense in the world to me. 75% of the folks in my family are height and weight proportionate.

What I can't say is why removing 80% of my stomach was the solution. I'm guessing that portion control is, ultimately, the final answer.

Twin Study Reveals How Gut Microbes Can Help Combat Obesity - Health News - redOrbit

This piece of research could be a game changer.

[Ann2]

Until 10 years ago, I was the only one of seven siblings who had "a weight problem." (One brother has since gained a lot of weight.)

Throughout most of my life I simply ate too much. And moved too little. This imbalance wasn't huge. But it doesn't take a big imbalance between calories in and calories out to become increasingly overweight.

This began happening before I was 7 years old. So I became accustomed at a very young age to being larger than other people. I thought that that was my fate.

Therefore, my "alarms" / motivation to deal with my overweight didn't go off until I was larger than most people. When I was motivated to lose, I was a great loser. But my "eat slightly more / move slightly less" lifestyle (which was also a habit) always returned.

EDIT: Yes, I had times of great activity with wonderful outdoor adventures. But I spent a tremendous amount of time at the office (working way more than 40 hours/week) and didn't offset that with a daily exercise program. My life was more about warp and prone speeds than a constant, healthy speed.

Yo-yo dieting ensued. Bad habits reigned. Metabolism declined -- probably just a little bit with each lose/gain cycle, but as with other lifelong issues little differences have big effects.

Our characters and our personal resources are the greatest forces in our lives. But our habits and our companions also tilt our lives. Good ones or bad -- those are also powerful forces.

That's why I have always viewed VSG surgery as a miraculous opportunity for me to change my lifelong unhealthy habits. That's what will make the ultimate difference for me -- healthier habits.

Best wishes to all.

[zmdh39]

Here is your answer...apparently. Makes all the sense in the world to me. 75% of the folks in my family are height and weight proportionate.

What I can't say is why removing 80% of my stomach was the solution. I'm guessing that portion control is, ultimately, the final answer.

Twin Study Reveals How Gut Microbes Can Help Combat Obesity - Health News - redOrbit

This piece of research could be a game changer.

Thanks for sharing the article tinman, very cool stuff.

[mjb]

Hmmm, I was identified at an early age, like 6 or 7, as heavy by my weight obsessed grandmother. My mother had died so she was an important figure and dragged me to the pediatrician for dieting in the 1960s. The more food was forbidden the more I longed for it. Alternately, being heavy I was not very athletic and preferred sedentary hobbies like art, drama, reading. Always last kid picked for teams etc. As a teenager I was TWICE sent to Weight Watchers camp where I would loose 25 pounds and proceed to regain it when I got home. In my 20s I got interested in exercise and worked with a nut. and got to a pretty healthy weight for me, about 150. However from 30 to 40, I would cycle, losing, then regaining, but always ending up a bit higher. I am a lesbian and when my partner got pregnant I gained 30 pounds with her and now was hanging out in the low 230s. In my 40s sometimes I'd just hang out at that weight, other times I'd gain. I did a high protein dr. monitored weight loss program and went from 260 to 200 in 6 months. Exercise helped at first to keep the weight off, but over time I gained that all back. For me, food is something I love. I celebrate with it, comfort myself with it, calm myself with it. Exercise hasn't been so hard (treadmill or elliptical) but portion control--Forget about it. And the larger I got, the more I ate. Rarely was hunger a cue. My PCP had been suggesting bariatric surgery for a number of years as a lot of her obese patients had been successful with this. I and my friends and family were initially opposed. However, over time and with research I decided to go for it. I am now one month post-op from the sleeve and have lost about 40 pounds overall and 25 post-op. I still struggle with portion control and have had no adverse effects (naseau, vomiting, diahrea) from eating too much. I have kept my calories down to 600 per day and protein at 60+ grams. The challenge for me, I think, will be to eat slowly enough and stop soon enough. As of this week my nut said 750 to 900 calories per day for the next 11 months. Hoping that will work. So far, very happy with my surgery, but for me the big issue is always keeping the weight off.

[zmdh39]

Hmmm, I was identified at an early age, like 6 or 7, as heavy by my weight obsessed grandmother. My mother had died so she was an important figure and dragged me to the pediatrician for dieting in the 1960s. The more food was forbidden the more I longed for it. Alternately, being heavy I was not very athletic and preferred sedentary hobbies like art, drama, reading. Always last kid picked for teams etc. As a teenager I was TWICE sent to Weight Watchers camp where I would loose 25 pounds and proceed to regain it when I got home. In my 20s I got interested in exercise and worked with a nut. and got to a pretty healthy weight for me, about 150. However from 30 to 40, I would cycle, losing, then regaining, but always ending up a bit higher. I am a lesbian and when my partner got pregnant I gained 30 pounds with her and now was hanging out in the low 230s. In my 40s sometimes I'd just hang out at that weight, other times I'd gain. I did a high protein dr. monitored weight loss program and went from 260 to 200 in 6 months. Exercise helped at first to keep the weight off, but over time I gained that all back. For me, food is something I love. I celebrate with it, comfort myself with it, calm myself with it. Exercise hasn't been so hard (treadmill or elliptical) but portion control--Forget about it. And the larger I got, the more I ate. Rarely was hunger a cue. My PCP had been suggesting bariatric surgery for a number of years as a lot of her obese patients had been successful with this. I and my friends and family were initially opposed. However, over time and with research I decided to go for it. I am now one month post-op from the sleeve and have lost about 40 pounds overall and 25 post-op. I still struggle with portion control and have had no adverse effects (naseau, vomiting, diahrea) from eating too much. I have kept my calories down to 600 per day and protein at 60+ grams. The challenge for me, I think, will be to eat slowly enough and stop soon enough. As of this week my nut said 750 to 900 calories per day for the next 11 months. Hoping that will work. So far, very happy with my surgery, but for me the big issue is always keeping the weight off.

Thanks for sharing, congrats on the baby...I always thought it was so strange how people can genuinely have pregnancy sympathy and symptons being the spouse of a pregnant person. I never really believe it was true until I got pregnant and my fiance started showing the same symptoms that I was having on various days...go figure?

[azladyrider]

Last night, or early this morning I should say. I was watching a documentary on fasting and fruit juicing. In the documentary, the guy asked over weight people how they became over weight. I was surprised by some of the answers, and it made me curious as to how I gained my weight...then I was curious about what some of your would say is how you gained your excess weight? There is a point to me asking this question, and I plan on posting my personal response after I get some shut eye.

But you guys out there, when you really analyze your history with your weight...what caused you to gain the weight, how many years did some of you spending trying to lose the weight...what made those attempts fail? And I am especially curious to learn what happened, or made you believe that having weight loss surgery would be what was needed for you to finally succeed?

My mother fed me crap starting as a young child - I have read studies that say that early years determine the weight issues later. Pizza, potato chips, sandwiches for dinner, she rarely cooked a real meal - she was too busy out bowling and living her life to pay much attention to her "surprise" kid that she had 13 years after the oldest so.... and yes I know later on it was my fault but I ate what was in the house and that was mostly crap. My dad traveled for work and even on the weekends she rarely cooked since they went out to their social events. I outweighed my dad by the time I was in 5th grade - my dad was 5'8" and maybe 160 then. Funny in the catch 22 my dear sweet mother (sarcasm is free this morning) belittled me for my weight most of my life too WTF??? But anyway when I got out of high school and on my own I discovered the world of "piss whites" (us old folks will probably know what that is) but for the younger crowd it's speed. And ok I can't forget to mention the coke (not coca cola either lol - don't freak here - sober and clean since July 2001)
I got down to 100 pounds and stayed there for quite a few years. Then up and down and up and down. I loved Dr Pepper and pop. Sweet tooth big time. I just never really cared all that much... well I did but not enough to get my ass up and move. I worked as a waitress and bartender before and even after (part time) I got into corporate management. Once I went to a straight desk job the weight got up there. I remember after I had back surgery and wore a full brace for 8 months I was mortified that I had gotten back to nearly 200 pounds. I finally did get off my ass and started walking every morning. Dropped the weight in 5 months to a size 6 where I stayed for years. When I moved to AZ in 2007 I was 135 pounds, then the recession hit and I had no job after a layoff. I sat here at home looking for jobs in elastic leggings so the weight crept up again. I got into the horrible nasty disgusting habit of drinking pop all day every day. (Now I can't stand the taste). Then I hit my early 50s and started my own accounting firm and still worked from home in comfy clothes. So I got bigger - I didn't have a scale but I knew I couldn't fit into my biggest jeans anymore. I worked damn near 24/7 all hours of the day and nite at the beginning of my business so it was nothing for me to jump on the bike or get in the car and pop down to McDonalds and grab a burger and fries at 11 PM. I got on a scale at a clients office and was horrified to see I was 172. I tried to lose but just kept eating and drinking pop every day. One day in April 2012 a friend stopped by to have coffee on the patio and she mentioned that a friend of ours had the lapband in Mexico and I thought HMMMM really? Never thought of that. So I researched and found the sleeve. Finally saved up enough money and right before Memorial Day 2012 I called and set the surgery date. I still eat crap at times but just smaller portions. NEVER drink pop anymore, I think I have had less than one can in 2.5 years. One sip and that's it, down the drain. Not going to say I will never gain it back but for now I'm holding

[candik]

I would say "forced" portion control has been the thing that allowed everything else to fall into place. Before surgery I would allow my mind to decide when I was full instead of listening to my stomach. Letting my mind be in control allowed for me to accept the excuses I was telling myself as to why I needed more or why I chose not to eat healthy. Now that I have turned it around so that I listen to my body I make much better decisions and make sure that the small amount of food I eat is nutritionally sound.

[char602]

Growing up I was athletic. I was never thin, but always very muscular and shapely. My activity level was insane, so even though I overate, it didn't have a noticeable impact on me. Once I had a family and became less active, the weight started creeping up slowly. Then I went thru some pretty hurtful things at a time in my life when I was very isolated from friends and family, so food became my solace, my friend, my support system.

As far as deciding on WLS, up until the past few years, I was a healthy fat person. So though the weight wasn't pretty, I didn't feel it was hurting me. But as I am getting older, the weight I have carried around off and on for last 18 years has started to take it's toll. High Blood Pressure and hurting joints, getting easily winded from just walking up some stairs. I don't have a single doubt that I can lose the weight, I have done it a few times over the years. But it always find its way back, with a vengeance. As Ann said, our unhealthy habits are powerful forces.

I think having the forced restriction is the key to helping me, as well as dedicating myself to doing the mental work.

[okieatheart]

I was fine until a year or so after marriage. During high school I was always on the go and didn't really think about food. Once I got married and started cooking, which I enjoyed, I cooked things I liked, and I had office sit down jobs and started gaining weight. At 121 lbs. I started dieting because I thought I was overweight (what a joke) and tried jogging which I hated. That is when the yoyo dieting began. After each diet, I weighed about 10 lbs. more. I think depriving myself caused me to go overboard when I went off the diet. I never lost more than 30 lbs. at one time, then put on more each time to where I finally found myself at 278. I did like to eat as well as I liked to cook and I've always hated exercise. I think always having a desk job didn't help, plus the fact that I didn't get out and stay active. I also drank a lot of soda.

I chose the surgery as a solution because of its success rate with obese patients. I've tried myself for years going on diets and increasing my exercise to no avail, so it was worth the surgery approach. It has worked for me and I'm down 85 lbs. which I have never been able to do myself. I actually enjoy going for walks now...get a little bored with an exercise bike, but enjoy getting outside on my regular bike which won't be happening for the next six months since I live in Wisconsin and it is snowing now! I will either join a gym or exercise to video tapes, plus using my stationary bike. I'm still trying to get the last 40 to 50 pounds off that I would like to lose, but believe I will get there slowly. Maybe I could still use some of that good bacteria Tinman posted the article on! I hope they find that to be a real solution to help people avoid going where I've been.

[kenziesmom_2000]

mine was eating away my sorrows -- comfort foods. i was in an abusive marriage, moved my kids and i out in approx 45 mins one night while he was working, hid out at my bosses house for awhile and ended up living in my best friends garage for about 6 months. durring all of this i lost both of my parents. i had already gained some weight from pregnancies, but the majority of it was eating thru depression.

i have never been "small" ... even in high school i stayed around a size 12 ... but i am only 5'3" and have a very small frame so when i ended up over 200 lbs i knew it was time to take my life back!

[Joe Poppa]

Bad habits as a child of overeating and high caloric food choices in abundance?
I take full responsibility, even though the NIH issued statements that gastric surgery is the only solution for effective weight loss for many people.
I don't blame my parents or life experiences or society or fast food or the American diet or corn syrup or even my fork, spoon & knife.
I used food as an emotional & physical crutch and wasn't fully committed to losing weight until this year (I have successfully started to lose weight in the past through dieting, but regained it back later).

I accepted I have a weight problem (it's kind of hard to hide ). I know my weaknesses and will do my best to control them; I also know my strengths.

[zmdh39]

For me, I was never over weight in my younger years, I was also a very active person. I played tee-ball, soccer, soft ball, was a competitive gymnast for years, I played pee-wee football when I was in the sixth grade, and when I hit 7th grade, I tried out for my schools football team. I played both years on an all boys tackle football team, and I was a damn good player. I was a first string defensive guard, a offensive running back, and played on the special teams in games as well.

My family was very poor when I was growing up, and being from a small town my brother and I were both bullied in school. Even though I was proud of my athletic ability and achievements, I was very self-conscious about my muscle mass, and the fact that it made me larger than all the other girls. I have a natural larger frame, but I was very fit, and very toned...but I had some serious insecurities of ugly ducking syndrome, and as a kid, I just wanted to fit in. So my 8th grade year I opted to try out for cheer-leading instead of the football team, I cheer-leaded for 2 years, and after the second year I realized that I was SO much happier playing football, and had planned on going out for my high school football team the following year.

Then my dad got diagnosed with cancer, so instead of participating in after school sports, I had to get a job to help my family pay the bills. I worked as a waitress through the rest of high school, this was me during my younger years and through high school:

FBPic2.jpgFBPractice2.jpgBandPic.jpg

and this was my senior year high school picture, I weighed 140 in that photo:

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Once I graduated and went to college, my dad was still having health problems, so I worked two jobs throughout my college career, one at my college, and the other as a bartender/waitress, while taking 19 credit hours a semester. My dad had been repeatedly denied for disability, so I spent all of my spare time working to make sure I could help pay some of the bills back home and get his medication every month.

In just a few months of my freshman year of college, I went from 140 lbs, to 210 lbs...I was amazed how fast this happened:

Captured2028-1-500015.jpgCaptured2028-1-200025.jpg1910390_506857876166_2359_n.jpg

Eventually my dad got approved for disability, so I decided to cut back my work schedule and join the ROTC program at my college to help me lose weight so that I could eventually commission for the army. Even with the daily PTs, the 5 mile ruck sack runs, and the ROTC training boot camp, the lowest weight I was able to get down to was 160 lbs:

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In 2007 I found out I was unable to commission to the army due to a previous injury I had sustained. My family was still struggling back home to make ends meet, so I dropped the ROTC program and upped my work schedule again. My weight continued to yo yo over the years, and in 2010 I found out I was pregnant with my son. After my pregnancy it was like weight loss had just became impossible.

I had spent years not paying attention to my eating habits, and I wasn't a fan of working out, so getting to my highest weight of 235 lbs, was just because I ate constantly, and was too lazy to exercise.

I chose to have surgery in 2012 because I knew that I didn't have the will power to do it on my own...food had became such an addictive crutch in my life, and for reasons I still can't really explain I just couldn't stop eating. I felt the only way I would ever be able to gain a hold on my eating habits and portion sizes was if I could physically not eat that much food.

Still struggle some days with food, but there is no question in my mind that I made the right decision for myself in having surgery. It was apparent that my weight, even though I hadn't carried it around as long as some, was effecting my body. My knees hurt, I was always tired and out of breath...even the simplest of tasks became a struggle for me. Since surgery I have gone from 235 lbs to 150 lbs, I want to make it to 140 again, but I am very happy with my loss.

[char602]

I want to make it to my normal BMI, just to say I did, but then I don't mind the 150's. It looks good on you. We are the same SW, what is your height?

[bikrchk]

This is a very GENERAL statement, but I believe it rings true for me personally...

Look back 70ish years... When we had more farmers, more factories, more jobs that required physical WORK. Our grandparents ate butter, sugar, meat and potatoes and they, for the most part, maintained a reasonably healthy weight. While folks didn't live as long back then, (medicine was not a good either, btw), obesity was NOT the epidemic that it is today. What changed? People MOVED as part of their work day back then. They ate primarily whole foods. Not so much today. We don't even get up to change the channel on the TV anymore! As a society we HATE exercise and eat like crap.

Getting 90% of my stomach removed has FORCED me into portion control which was half the battle for me. The other half is I MUST move my body regularly! I'm not a gym rat, but 5 days per week I'm up an hour early to spend 45-60 min in cardio followed by a bit of strength training at home. Could I maintain without the exercise? Maybe, but I've learned that I feel like crap when I don't do it and I'd have to live like I was on a "diet" which I refuse to do! I only HATE to exercise for the first 5 minutes, (when I've gotten out of my warm bed way too early), after that, I can see it for the gift it is to my body. I have to look at it like that of that first 5 minutes will GET me!