I didn't have a weight problem until I went to visit relatives the summer I was 15.

And it was my mother that pointed out the problem (not very nicely). I immediately got a diet book that said I could lose the weight (I had gained 11 pounds) in a month if I went on a 1,000/day diet. I did go on the diet, and I did lose the weight in a month. But if it had been handled differently, I never would have dieted and I sometimes think I wouldn't be in this mess right now. If I had just realized then that going back to normal eating and normal routine I would have eventually shed the weight.

Since that time, it has been an up and down ride. The reality...up until five years ago, I was never more than 15 pounds over my ideal. And in reality, was not overweight by any charts. If I had just exercise regularly then, I probably would have never dieted. From my own experience, I do believe that dieting makes you fatter. Not only regarding more weight gain, but also less muscle mass.