[pinkskies]

Here's a back story on me and my weight issues.

I have been a healthy weight my entire life. Growing up, I was extremely active and athletic. My mom prepared good, well-balanced meals so I was well fed. I also was able to indulge in desserts and junk food and still maintain my weight because I was burning it all off.

Towards the end of high school, I quit sports because they became too time consuming. I gained 10-15 pounds but was still a healthy weight. Now, I'm a freshman in college. My love for food had increased exponentially, to the point where it's out of control. I still love eating vegetables and fruits and get those in daily, but now I'm having frozen yogurt, cookies, chocolate, etc, on a regular basis. Despite eating so much over the past few months, I still look fit. So this is why I think it's okay to eat so much, because my weight has not ballooned dramatically and I am not fat. I am slightly physically active, but I don't think it is enough to burn off all the calories I am eating every day. Some of my clothes are fitting tighter and I no longer have defined abs.

I know that if I continue on like this, I will gradually gain more and more weight to a point where it may threaten my health and I will not like what I see in the mirror anymore. However, there's always this little voice in my head that tells me "Oh, it's okay to eat that because you're skinny now, and it won't make a difference." I admit that I lack total and utter self control and discipline. Sometimes I'll eat FIVE full meals a day and in between I'll binge on cereal and cheese just because I feel like it... it makes me feel disgusted. I feel like I HAVE to eat something, and I trick myself into thinking that I am hungry even when I really am not. I am so sick of treating my body like trash but I can't stop it at the same time.

I just want to see what you guys have to say... help?!?!

[tessendicott]

Seems a lot like my story. My freshman year in college I was a size 8 and was 190 pounds (I'm extremely muscular and I'm 5'8). I wasn't used to having SO many food options and I went way overboard. By the end of my senior year I was probably close to 280.

I have since lost almost 40 pounds, but still have about 70 pounds to go. I had to learn the hard way, trust me, it's not something you want to put your body through. At first it's only 10 or 15 pounds and before you know it you've packed on 80 more. It was horrible.

There's not much advice that I can give you that you probably don't already know. Are you eating in a cafeteria? That was my problem. It was like a constant buffet and I couldn't handle having so many options, so I just ate them all basically.

[Jeckeree]

Tessendicot is soo right! All through highschool I was slightly overweight but healthy and pretty toned and I just thought I could eat whatever I wanted. Then I was chubby and before I knew it I weighed over 300. And trust me, the larger you get, the harder it gets. I wish so much that I just maintained when I had the chance, or started when I was a little overweight. It would have still been hard, it is for everyone, but at least I wouldn't have so far to go now. Great for you for realizing now!

[krampus]

Don't buy bigger clothes no matter what - eventually I think you'll come to a breaking point. I don't think a love of food = eating way more than normal every day plus eating between meals. I think that's more of a symptom of something greater - and it sounds like you know that too.

[Dunediner]

I too was in shape throughout HS and never even gained the "freshman 15". But when I turned 26 my metabolism slowed down and I got lazy. It took three years to gain the weight I did, but it still seems like it hit my fast. I wish I paid attention when the scale first started to move.

If you know what to do in the beginning, you can start holding a healthy weight from the get-go. Stay active and be conscious of you food decisions.

Welcome!