Anyone else have oveweight siblings? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Dolly · 06-03-2009, 01:15 AM

We used to all be skinny--I was the skinniest of them all until I had kids. Now my siblings who are in shape have to work really hard at it. My nephews and nieces are even having to watch their weight once they hit their twenties. This is not a family trait I like to see.

My sister and I are going to set up a badmitten court for the next get-together so the focus isn't always on food. We also thought of having a weight loss challenge among the few of us that are competitive.

Just wondering if any MRCers had overweight siblings and what attitudes towards weight gain were instilled in your mind as you were growing up.

joz · 06-03-2009, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by little edie

We used to all be skinny--I was the skinniest of them all until I had kids. Now my siblings who are in shape have to work really hard at it. My nephews and nieces are even having to watch their weight once they hit their twenties. This is not a family trait I like to see.

My sister and I are going to set up a badmitten court for the next get-together so the focus isn't always on food. We also thought of having a weight loss challenge among the few of us that are competitive.

Just wondering if any MRCers had overweight siblings and what attitudes towards weight gain were instilled in your mind as you were growing up.

My brothers are both rail thin. They do not get why I struggle with my weight.

Dolly · 06-03-2009, 01:34 AM

I had this three year period where I would not let myself believe that I had to change my eating habits so I wouldn't gain weight. I had convinced myself that I could eat anything I wanted in my thirties and it would not affect me.
What a rude awakening!

My kids are a healthy weight which is what I'm most concerned about.

JulieJ08 · 06-03-2009, 09:28 AM

Sorta. My mother had to lose weight, she was obese and had diabetes and heart disease. I'm really proud of her. Dad has diabetes too, but hasn't lost the weight. Two of my siblings have been overweight, but not obese, and lost the weight. Two siblings had gestational diabetes. So health is on my family's mind a lot. But change is still hard.

I don't actually remember much regarding obesity when I was growing up. My mother gained weight as we grew up, and I remember thinking, of course, that I would never let that happen

. But none of us kids gave food a second thought or had a weight problem until we were all a lot older.

lcmaly · 06-03-2009, 11:40 AM

My two brothers and I were very overweight growing up...but we somehow all managed to take control and get healthy. We grew up in a single parent household with food and tv as a babysitter. It's kind of funny (yet sad) looking back now but all of us thought it was just "unfair" that we were fat. We had no idea why we were all so fat. We had no idea that eating a half gallon of ice cream or an entire pan of brownies in a day was doing it. I didn't know was a calorie was until I was 18! I had no idea that eating made you fat.

My mom is still overweight...always trying to lose with a new or different diet. I told myself when I was 18 that I didn't want to live my life like her...so I started making changes. I started reading up on healthy eating, starting working out and actually became obsessed with being "thin". Not to the point of anorexia or anything but I did everything I could to get that body I wanted. Over the last 8 years I've eaten healthier and healthier, worked out better and better and now with this diet have finally gotten to the "thin" me I always imagined I could be.

I've seen my brothers go through a similar transformation (though not as much because they are guys and don't care as much as women do). But they watch what they eat during the week most of the time and work out more than the average person. I'm proud to say we are all a lot healthier than my mom ever was and I don't forsee any of us going down the path of being overweight again.

OmegaJane · 06-06-2009, 04:08 AM

Well. My brother and I started out thin, but then things started catching up to us when we were six or seven...

My mom let us have free range as far as junkfood went, which really surprises me now. My mother was overweight when she was young, but never by too much (maybe by 20/25 lbs.). My dad has been seriously overweight his entire life.

One thing that annoys me:

Maybe about two weeks before I started at my Metabolic Center, my brother started walking and limiting his caloric intake. He's since lost almost 40 lbs.! He's losing pretty quickly...which makes me so jealous!

Dolly · 06-09-2009, 01:16 AM

I brought the subject up of joining MRC with my sister again today. I would pay for her to get started. I've brought it up twice after she commented on her weight (a frequent topic with us) but she needs time. She's not ready to diet and we all know if you're not ready then no diet can be successful.

I'm going to drop the subject and wait until she asks me about it. (sigh) It's such a struggle to give up comforting habits.

sknymom2b · 06-10-2009, 12:39 AM

I went back home this last weekend and was dissapointed to see that my 15 year old niece has ballooned up to a womens size 20. It was so sad and disheatening to see how fast she has gained weight. She is now the size of my sister, my mother and myself.
No one commented on my weight loss, but they were curious about the suppliments that I am taking. After I told them what I was doing they seemed interested and even sat down with me to go over menus. I was excited at the thought of my sister and my niece wanting to address the issue. They ate what I did for 2 days, which I thought was great! I was very hopefull.
On the day we were leaving I told them that I was going to get my girls lunch at Wendy's and would meet them at home. Needless to say, they followed us to the restaurant... When we all got home they were finisihing their root beer floats only to follow it with lunch. sigh... I made a salad with all the fixins and we sat across the table looking at each other with dismay. I know my sister felt bad, I just wish she wasn't taking her daughter down this path of obesity with her.
I am only able to cheer them on through calls and text messages, but I don't think that's going to be enough. I will keep them in my prayers and hope that I can be an inspiration to them.

rosekeet · 06-10-2009, 01:05 AM

My mother was slightly overweight but lost 30lbs on weight watchers. My dad and I both lost weight on weight watchers too, but he has since gained it back. My little sister, on the other hand, is a very picky eater and doesn't really eat that much. She's super skinny.

My mom and I worry about my dad having a heart attack, but he just refuses to diet....