Inspired by one other message about "how did you all get so fat?", which was a bit rude, I really do want to ask: Could you nail a "cause" to your weight gain? I heard lots of people saying having children - I lost weight after my first one, but I breastfed for a year which takes A LOT of calories! So one year after giving birth, I was better. Moving to another country (US) and stopping smoking were my biggies. SO, I will post, and leave an "OTHER" option, because my own completely biased experience is probably not catching it all. Once I get a few more ideas,

The reason behind this is: People now know

Stress...I gained some weight in Middle School, but likely never reached Obese...I went on my first LF Diet after that and started High School at 168 pounds. I went off that diet and started trying to Graduate in 3 years [which I succeded in doing BTW.] I went from 168 to 290 in my last 2 years of HS. After HS, my weight levelled off at about 290 +/- 10 pounds. Then, in 2002...I lost a close family member to Hypertension/Diabetes and started packing the pounds on again. I gained another 30-40 pounds in the 8 months or so before I went on Atkins.

I had been chubby as a young child, but just before puberty (at age 9 or so) I gained a lot of weight.

Then, after high school I was less active and gained about 25 lbs, FAST.

Funny, I'm thinner now as an adult than I ever was as a child or teen.

7 years of college, and late nights and to much fast food while studing and candy to get the suger to make it through a test. basicly my college years did it to me.

My weight gain seems to be a cycle of depression. First I get depressed, then I eat, then because I'm gaining weight I get more depressed, then I eat more.
Trying really hard to break this cycle this year. First WOL I have ever tried that I can eat and not be hungry, irritable, etc...

I don't know, honestly. I started packing on the pounds when I was about seven, and I don't think I ever had a "spurt"; it just kept gradually adding up (notwithstanding a short, modestly successful bout with an insanely low-fat diet, a la Susan Powter) until October, when I started Atkins.

Thin as a rail until I married. Used to ride my bike about 250 miles a week. Not an acceptable amount of time to spend in the saddle for a married guy.

Thanks to Dr. Atkins however, I'm again thin as a rail!

Mine was prescription drugs. After I had my 1st baby 9 years ago, I went on Depo-Provera right away along with Zoloft. I was on the depo for 1 year, but was on the Zoloft for 6 years. My weight, no matter what I did, just kept climbing. 3 years ago I stopped taking it when my mother died, and it took a year after that before my body was able to "normalize". I had also quit smoking, but got pregnant during that time and gained 55lbs with the pregnancy. Thank goodness I'm almost at the end of my tunnel!!

Mel, the depo did it to me, too. I'm convinced it's permanantly messed up my glucose metabolism. I'm so grateful I found LC, or else I'm sure I'd be low-fat dieting my way straight toward diabetes right now.

I ate just a little too much at each meal, drank booze liberally without allowing for the extra calories in my planning, and didn't move enough.

I had a lot of the stressors on the list but the ultimate culprits were my poor choices. I'm not saying that to badmouth anyone else, as I realize that some things are partially or totally beyond one's control...hormone wackiness and medications, to name a couple of common causes. But for me, it was my own damn fault.

I totally agree with Tholian8--sure, 3 pregnancies, depression, lack of exercise, getting married all contributed but ultimately it was my own choices that got me here. I also work a lot of shift work so I'm eating dinner sometimes at 2am, other times at 6pm, other times at 11am...you get the idea...sleeping when I can, grabbing whatever food I want and what's available. Lots of stuff.

BUT, for specific big gains that I can pinpoint, pregnancy and antidepressants (postpartum depression) are specific times that I gained noticeably so that's what I answered in the poll (pregnancy).

Nicole

I lost about 15 pounds when I began the depo shot, anyone had this experience?

when I married the she dog from hell herafter refered to as the ex rather than the name I would like to call her she would moan shout and generally make a big fuss whenever my friends came around for me to do the stuff I did before marriage. I was size 28 waist which is about size 10-12 for womens sizes (uk) weighing in at around 10-11 stone (140-154 pounds) and was a wopping 16 stone ish (224 pounds) when I finally left and have basically yo yoed since then this is the first time i have consciousley tried to do something about it though.

Decreases in exercise due to the types of jobs I've had at times. Long hours, all desk bound will pack it on for me. I actually chose my current job because I can balance the desk times with plenty of time on the manufacturing floor (which is great - BIG building and a lot of ground to cover.)

I actually find it easier to clock up steps at work than at home right now, and at home we have 15 acres of hills we hike daily. The right job really helps me manage my weight.

Lynda

freshman 15... but gained a lot more. Big drop in metabolism causing 50 lb. weight gain... runs in family. Plus Thyroid disorder.