Do you remember what happened to trigger your weight problems? Or do you remember when your weight started getting out of control, or becoming an issue?

Was it triggered by a single event, or has it been a lifestyle?

I was just sitting here thinking about why this time would be different for me. And I started thinking about how I got this way, and whether or not I've ever dealt with the issues behind my weight getting out of control.

Have you wondered the same?

I hesitate to say it's "always been my lifestyle." It's certainly always been my adult lifestyle, with fits and starts of attempts at losing weight in there as well, but I was a chubby/fat/obese child and I used to be quite active- I played sports, I walked or rode my bike everywhere- I probably ate a little too much, but I wasn't a big snacker or anything, I just loved whatever food was put in front of me.

Maybe I'm just too protective of the child/teenager I used to be, but I don't want to describe myself as "always having this lifestyle." I was always fat, though.

tomorrow I totally understand, that's why the 'bad habits' option was there as well.

You know, I was just now thinking back and mine is more of a combination. As a very young kid, I just loved food. My family had very bad eating habits (we would get reprimanded and whipped if we didn't finish all of the food on our plates). They would say how kids in 3rd world countries would love to have the food. And we would have to sit there and finish, and what we didn't finish we had to scrape onto the adults' plates and they'd finish it.

So I'm not sure if I ate out of the love of food, or fear!
As I got a bit older, I (like so many others) dealt with sexual and physical abuse and I found comfort in food. It's like the one thing that validated me, or somehow allowed me to be in control.

Wow, this is amazing. I never thought about those things until just now. Hmm...

When I stopped playing sports my senior year of high school the weight slowly crept on. I gained the majority of my weight after my dad passed away unexpectedly 6 years ago. I had a hard time with it and continued to stuff my heartache with food. The thing that makes my so upset about it, is my dad was worried about my weight before he passed away..and I gained at least 70 pounds since he passed away. So I am losing weight for myself and for him.

Steph, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your father and how it impacted you. That you are losing weight for yourself and for him is an experience that no one can take away from you. Way to go and best wishes for a successful weight loss journey!

Shy, Chubby girl in grammar school (age 6) who the other kids loved to pick on and no one wanted to play with. My Mom had to go into the school to talk to the Teacher and the Teacher pulled all the girls aside and told them they "Had" to play with me. Do you think they liked me after that?

Shy, Chubby teenager who got fired from her job at the yogurt shop because she was too big for the "Healthy Lifestyle" the yogurt shop wanted to promote.

So, does that count as "always been my lifestyle" or "Tragic event"?

But, the only person I have to blame is myself, 'cause the only person I can depend on to get back in control is me, 'cause guess who is the only person I can decide to do this for... ME!

Its ME Time.

"This is True Love, think this happens every day?" - The Princess Bride

I was 8 years old and my 6 year old brother was given up for adoption. I started gaining weight and never stopped.

Godiva, that's just awful that you were fired for being 'too big' ... how is that for a confidence booster aye. Yes it is YOU time! I love that.

Sit, wow. That must've really been a difficult time for you. However, as Godiva mentioned... it is your time now! You can redefine the impact that situation has had on your life.

That's something that I am dealing with as well.

It was extremely hard, I always feared I would be next and in ways I was. I became what my family seen as the (direct quote from a family member) "human garbage disposal"

Food felt like the only thing that was there that I could trust. This has carried over into my adult life and at 36 I am really understanding for the first time in my life, the one thing that was always there and that I thought I could trust is killing me.

One thing they do on the biggest loser is really stress that if you do not know why you got fat you are bound to be there again. So I am still trying to work through my issues that caused me to get to 330 lbs.

Human garbage disposal? That's just sickening and extremely hurtful. I remember when I used to be called a disgrace to the family and how hurtful that was. I would never ever wish for anyone to be called a human garbage disposal.

The beautiful thing is that you recognize those pivotal moments that contributed to the hurt and turning to food for comfort.

Wow, that thought reminded me about a poem that I had published when I was a teenager. I believe it was called 'my best friend' and one of the first lines said 'and food became my comfort'.
That is a POWERFUL, POWERFUL statement!

As a teenager, I was slim and never had to watch my weight. I got married
at 19 and had two pregnancies very close together. I found myself 50 pounds overweight after the birth of my second child. Since I had never had a weight problem, I had no clue as to how to lose the weight. These 50 pounds have haunted me for 38 years. I've taken some of them off and regained some back
too many times in my marriage. I'm here now to learn all I can about not only weight loss but weight loss maintenance as well so that I will stop the yo-yo cycle FOR GOOD.

Mine was a traumatic event. We moved to America and not only was there a huge culture clash, but I didn't want to leave my family and friends and school at all. I was a teen and not ready to be the "foreigner". I was made fun of and teased. I discovered snack foods, of which we had none of back home. I ate and ate. That began my abuse of food when stressed. Underlying all of that, my mother was s huge instigator of making me feel like an ugly duckling. I was self confident enough to weather the two forces combined. It has plagued me all of my adult life and only broke free of it in the last few years.

For me, there never was a traumatic experience. Actually, I had a wonderful childhood. So I guess for me it was lifestyle and bad habits.

I was never really overweight as a young child. I started gaining weight when I was about 13 years old, and it has been a struggle ever since. I have struggled with binge eating and compulsive over eating for many years. I have really been yoyoing the last five years, but this time I am determined to ditch these pounds for good.

This year is the longest I have stuck OP for 10 years or so.

Here is hoping that all of us can conquer what causes us to overeat and prosper as the healthy beings we know we can become!

this is a very interesting thread, thanks MyBody! When I was a kid I was tiny. I was underweight. My aunt and uncle used to bug my mom about me not getting enough food. I was a REALLY picky eater up until about middle school when I started spending the night at friends houses a lot more. I realized I felt so rude when I turned my nose to the food they gave me so I sucked it up and ate whatever they put in front of me. I am pretty sure that was my down turn. I discovered a lot of things I actually liked. If only I knew... I would have stayed that "rude" kid who doesn't always eat what you give her.