My oh my...I hadn't thought to look at the weight I lied about on my drivers license...it says 230 but I know I didn't tell the truth when asked...

This is such an interesting thread. I posted a poll on why you gain in the general section - but it seems most of you gained slowly over time. Fascinating!

I was a chabby baby and toddler, remember being teased in elementary school, really thin in late elementary school, slowly gaining between 12 and 15, really fat as a teenager (maybe 180-190 lbs), started college, smoking and boys (don't know which caused the drop!) and went down to around 140 lbs in my early twenties. Then, moves increased it somewhat, my first pregnancy I started at a decent 158, my second at 150, but then stayed around 165-170 (which I am now), but then I stopped smoking - went to 180-185 and stayed there for many years. I don't know whether it is psychology that I associate moves, stopping and starting smoking or something else with weight, I didn't think it crept except in the teenage years. For me weight stayed a long time the same, and then did jumps. Seems like everyone else here feels it was a more slow process. Hope either way this is going to work!

I was overweight since the age of about 7. My parents rarely allowed us to eat sweets and almost never fried anything. We ate baked, broiled, or boiled meat, along with lots of rice (white) or potatoes (no cream, the fat was bad for you ). I lost weight twice on low calorie plans, but true success came when I decided to eat only meat, eggs and vegetables. Most of the weight has been gone for over three years now. It can definitely be done!

I was a skinny kid until puberty, coincidental with my parent's divorce, completely stripped my gears. I've been battling my weight for the past 30 years in consequence.
I think half of my problem was emotional eating, and I got a grip on that in my twenties. But it didn't solve the whole problem, because I do have a metabolic difficulty with carbs. Cutting those down has given me my lowest adult weight ever!

Yes were here. I was always overweight as a child starting at about age six. I had a size 2 model for a mom and was never good enough for her. I did lose 105lbs on the atkins diet when I was 19 and wow I had a body. I loved every minute of it . i also loved seeing guys that wouldn't give me the time of day before my weight loss.It was fun to say eat your heart out ,you can't touch this!!!!! Yes it is fun. anyways three children later and ten years I am at it again,only I do it for myself and my husband. Godd luck sweat heart you deserve your thin body...

Well Oni ,I am sorry I assumed that you were a female,but anyways you are a sweatheart and you do deserve your new thin body just the same . and I guess in your case you'll be telling the girls to eat there heart out. So good for you I knew a few in my day that deserved it. You can do it.You will be an inspiration to everyone you come in contact with. Good luck again!!!!

I was always the fat kid in the family and remember that my eating has always been a family issue. We never snacked on our own in our family unless mother gave us a snack. Looking back we ate a very high carb diet. I don't blame my parents. We didn't have a lot of money and things like macaroni were inexpensive to feed a large family on a small budget.

I graduated highschool at 200 pounds. I remember wishing I was like the other girls and squeezing desperately into jeans and sitting in class while my legs turned blue. God forbid I woudl have to use the washrooms. I'd be in there forever, breaking a sweat as I tried to do up my jeans. What was funny was that the skinny girls were wearing tight jeans and wrestling with zippers, too! For them tight jeans were the style. For me, well, I had no choice! I often skipped lunch because I didn't want people to see me eat. At home I didn't eat breakfast often. Most of my eating happened when I got home. Bring on the macaroni!

I continued to gain weight until I was 21 and was 340 pounds. I managed to go on weightwatchers and FIGHT and struggle miserably with the old program (it wasn't like it is now. You could only have 2 tsp of fat per day an no more!) and dieted down to 240 pounds. I remember feeling so strange when I was thinner. To me, 240 was thin, alright? Especially after being 340! Anyway, I recall getting into an airline seat and having SO much room! I'd sit in a movie seat and be astonished! Every day was an adventure! I felt like I had this new body and I felt SO incredible.

Then things changed. Stress, work situations and (insert every excuse here) and I was back up to my today's journey. I tried Atkins a little while ago and it worked and I felt great. Now, I'm on it for life - and this time I mean it. I've decided to live. Period.

Mavis

I was a fairly skinny kid until I turned 6 - I never paid attention to the scales, but was probably over 200 #'s by the time I was 11. I went to a Christian school until I was 13 and the summer before starting in a regular public high school, went on a VERY strict low calorie diet / tons of heavy exercise and started Freshman year around 175. At my lowest weight, I may have been around 165ish (maybe - never weighed myself).
Since Jan 2003 I have lost a little over 40 pounds and personally think I am at my lowest weight in over 15 years (I am 27 now).
It CAN be done!!!!
Best of luck!
Beth

I am here with you all. I was always pudgy kid and exploded to the 230's by the time I was 14. If I can break 180 it will be my lowest weight since childhood.

This has been my major obstacle in this weight loss journey. I started putting on about 5 pounds a year when I was 13 and I am now 26. I have no clue what it feels like to be at a healthy weight as an adult and it scares me that I may not see that day. I don't know what it is like to wear a swimsuit without a t-shirt and I wonder if I really can make it. I no longer know what it is like to shop anywhere but the pluz size department (I'm a 16/18) and I am really sick of it. Despite it being my greatest obstacle, the idea of being thing is also my greatest motivator. I'm doing my absolute best and fighting my doubts and believing that I can make it.

Thank you all for sharing your success stories...it has really boosted me!

I've been fat my entire life.

As a toddler I was chubby. I thinned out a little between 3 and 6 - still chubby but not fat (which is mostly because my cousin was limiting my eating).

After that, I just got fatter and fatter. Was getting really heavy at 7 and 8, and by age 9 I was most definitely fat. Became obese as a pre-teen and quite obese as a teenager.

At 20 I was 280 pounds. Went on Atkins 13 months ago, today I am 138 pounds and wear a size 9.

I think the success we have with low carb or any weight loss venture depends on a lot of factors. Childhood obesity/overweight usually implies the factors are more complex or numerous than they are for most people and therefore it will be harder for you to overcome. It can be done, it just means you have to try a little harder because there is more work needed.

I think my weight problem was 70% physical and 30% emotional. The physical stuff is easy to fix - get insulin and blood sugars under control, eat low carb, no problem. The emotional stuff is much more challenging.

I wouldn't say it has nothing to do with genes. There is most definitely a genetic tendency for metabolic disorders like IRS. Science has even isolated markers which are common in people with IRS.

Still, people often think susceptability = fate. It doesn't. Even if you were born "allergic to carbs" because of what they do to you, that doesn't mean you are destined to grow fatter develop diabetes and eventually diet of a heart attack. Your choices will determine what happens. If you eat a low sugar diet you can prevent all that before it's too late.

My whole life I never could understand why I became hungry so much more quickly than everyone else, and why the way I experienced "hunger" seemed to be so much worse than others. I didn't understand why my hormones were all out of wack (by my late teens I had really bad PCOS). When I learned about hyperinsulinemia and the way food affects the body, I was able to choose health. Thankfully, I learned about what was wrong with me before I became really bad off (diabetic w/ heart disease).

Wow, you guys are all amazing. I loved reading your stories. What an inspiration you are!