raria

We all know that losing weight is not as simple as just the science of calorie counting and so it is with putting on weight.

So what made you become big? How big and how quickly?

For me it was doing a part time graduate degree at night. The stress of the school deadlines, the guilt of having to leave each work day at 5pm and the lack of time to exercise meant I ballooned from 190 to 250 in 2 years.

This really confused me as sure I wasn't exercising much but I was so busy I often skipped meals and was for-ever hustling to get places.

Cyclist0108

My wife saw a pic of me in grad school and said I looked anorexic. For me it was eating to compensate for sleep deprivation due to babies that did not sleep, trying to get tenure at the university, etc. and stress. Almost all my fat is stress fat (omentum), which is the most hazardous kind. I'm about 195 lbs now, fwiw, but my grad school weight was about 175 (and no, I was not anorexic).

Mark Stone

I know my answer is a bit generic, but I gained weight simply because of overeating over a long period of time. There might have been some psychological issues that attracted me to food, but I never really thought that through. I lost all the excess weight in a slow process starting in August 2011 and ending late 2016, and have kept the weight off for well over a year now -- by just counting and limiting calories, with the help of a Fitbit tracker.

Sullalto

Being 6'5" and stress eating plus not noticing my teenage metabolism abandoned me.

Mark Stone

Yeah - I need to add that comment to my post above lol ↑↑↑↑

sdmc530

Always been big I guess....now working on getting small....like a lot of us. Its a struggle fro a lot of people, I know that struggle well.

ill.clyde

Well, to start with, I'm 6'3", and was naturally athletic, so I was nearing 200 pounds by the time I was a senior in high school (not to mention I was playing football, and a lineman, so size was expected), but I was a healthy 200 or so. Played a little in college too, and needed even more size, but still wasn't "heavy."

When I stopped playing, and eventually got married, I put on some weight, but lost it over time. Got heavy again while going through a divorce, lost it when I was single and wanted to look good. Settled down again and got chubby. Lost my fiancee in an accident, depressed and lonely again so I lost weight. It's an up and down thing for me. The only difference this time is I'm still married, and losing weight.

But to really put a fine point on it ... I get lazy, and eat and drink too much.

Beachgrad05

I've always been an Athena as the weight for that status is about 150-160. I weighed that in high school when I played basketball and did track and field. I was not fat. I gained a bit when I started college (freshman 15 or so). I have for the most part been active my whole life but somehow when I moved to California I was about the 175 lb mark. I rollerbladed and at one point commuted to work about 5 miles via rollerblades. Played softball. But I smoked (started in college as a way to not snack ... nasty habit to pick up). I quit smoking in 1997 right about the time I was diagnosed hypothyroid and my weight ballooned badly. By time I got married in 1999 I was over 230. My heaviest was in 2011 when I hit approximately the 260 mark. I got my hybrid in July 2011. There is a before pic of me from that time on here. I got my road bike in April 2012 and was down to about 245. I managed to get down to about 207 when I was working at the bike shop in 2014 but weight has steadily gone back up upon returning to a more sedentary office job...my commute and motorcycle accident got my weight back up to 240. I'm not happy about that. Working on that now. My commute is now 6 miles (bikeable when I'm cleared to ride outdoors and weather is good). I'm Zwifting now. I plan to be down to 215 by June when I do the AIDS Lifecycle.

indyfabz

Got big in college from too much eating, too much drinking and not enough aerobic exercise. Cut down on solid and liquid calories and ramped up exercise. Lost 90 lbs. in 9 months. Science.

Turzy

bad choices, sleep deprivation leading to more bad choices, and stress...and genetics? we're all big framed guys in the family, we all tend to gain weight very easily

rumrunn6

my weight gain coincided with marriage & kids. not their fault of course, mine entirely

aplcr0331

Eating too much food. Not doing any physical activity. My elbow bends, my mouth opens. Nobody has ever forced me to eat food. Ever. It's all on me, I ate it and I gained the weight.


The rest is all flapdoodle.

Jarrett2

All that food I ate.

rgvg

Eating. Food documentaries on netflix want me to say sugar - soft drinks, junk food, rice... not enough veggies, and lack of exercise.

breadbin

For me it is job stress and lifestyle. I've nearly doubled my weight since I started my new career (nursing) 9 years ago. It's the worst job I've ever done. Long shifts, nights, weekends equals no routine. I think I like routine.

It's a hard enough job without the extra weight. Add to that the exhaustion, lack of confidence, bullying and *****ing there's no wonder I struggle to lose it.

On the plus side, I have made steps to move from the area I am. A few days ago I was walking out the door for good. I'll try get a transfer though and do it properly.

If there's one thing I've learnt from nursing, well 2 things. Life is too short and your health is literally your wealth. I don't want to be looking back in a few years probably riddled with cancer from stress asking myself why did I not look after myself.

raria

All the responses below mention food. But I don't think its that simple.

See my thread here https://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdal...w-my-mind.html where I *lost* weight but:

1) I definitely ate more calories. But it was different types of calories as I was in Europe.
2) I exercised less but different type of exercise: Not 4 hour rides three a week but 1.5 hour walking a day.
3) I was quite stress free.

Of course I'm not saying food pays no role in weight loss/gain, but its not the only role.

Jarrett2

When it comes to weight gain or loss, it is that simple.

If you eat 3,500 calories of twinkies, you'll gain the same amount of weight as if you eat 3,500 calories of avocados.

When you factor health into the equation, then calories are only a piece of that. Food type and quality then becomes a factor.

People tend to conflate weight loss, fat loss, muscle gain, health into one catch all, but they are really different things with different needs for each.

Mark Stone

It's certainly not that simple, but for some it can be. If there's one thing we've learned IRL and in C&A (this forum), weight loss and what works for individuals is very different from person to person. For me, it was that simple, for both the weight gain and the subsequent weight loss and maintenance. It was food food food, and counting calories with exercise lost the weight. But for many it is not simple - but for all of us, generally speaking, there's no "box" or solution that is a catch-all.

RayLee

boredom munching and lack of exercise along with way way too many calories.... Moved from PA were I was riding and just much more active to South NJ and just lost interest (flat, sandy and humid) My diet has always been really bad but cutting out almost all of my physical activity and I really started packing on the weight.

I think the worst things for me was all the fruit juice, sports drinks, and soda! I work outside in the heat and never stopped drinking... 12-13 hours a day non stop, gallons of sugar water!

At 6'3" 247lbs I decided it was time to change...down to 194lbs now. ridding again, eating decent and zero sugar candy drinks.

travbikeman

A prior job I had while trying to take care of babies (my children) throughout the night had led to my sleep apnea. For a long time I never understood what was happening to me, I was so tired all the time. I used food and soda's as an attempt to wake me up. I used to even have this uber strong coffee, and put a whole packet of hot chocolate in it to make it taste good. I did this for many years until I was 537 pounds and I eventually had a sleep test. Once I started using my Bipap machine, the weight started going down since I didn't use food as the crutch to wake up.

Still having difficulties getting down to my ideal weight, currently at 295lbs, but am making a new effort this year to get down below 200 lbs.

I look back and I realized that I let that job I had get to me so much, that I even got rid of a prior bike I used to enjoy just because I put too much time at that job.

In High School, I was 170lbs, but too thin, funny how my doctor back then said I needed to gain weight. I became a weigh lifter during college and was at 220 pounds, with very little fat, my doctor at the time though called me overweight. So I'm going to what I want at 195 pounds and heck with the doctors!

aplcr0331

Eat food, not so much, mostly plants.


You can do all the Jedi Hand Wave tricks you want. It comes down to how much and what kinds of food we shove in our fat mouths.


Your way? It's a mystery, must have been the magic dirt of Europe or something. How were you tracking your calories? How were you tracking your exercise kj burned? Were you tracking in both places, with both diets, and with both types of exercise utilizing the same tracking method?


My way. It's all on the individual. And that can be hard to accept...that it is truly and indeed you and your mouth. You can lose weight without exercising.


Your way is full of excuses. My way it's all on you baby. Accept that YOU are the sole cause of your weight gain. Not hereditary, or some disease-of-the-month you read about on some make-excuses blog. Once you accept that it's you and you alone, then you can understand that YOU are the only cure to effect you own weight LOSS.

DMC707

Ive always been a big guy --- I joined the Army after high school at 5'8 and 203 lbs --- instead of losing weight in basic and job specific training like most do, i gained 15 more pounds of lean muscle , at roughly 10-12% bodyfat -- (just guessing because that's typically the threshold where most can see their "6 pack" but aren't necessarily "ripped" ) ---- most people assumed i spent all my time in the gym but in reality i rarely worked out then outside of military mandated physical training

After the Army, came college then my first real job ---- due to my military background it was easy to maintain in those years and the job was a swing shift job ---- i had set break and lunch times and i had a love of riding by then ---- after work i typically spent an hour at the gym 3-4x a week to kill the boredom before going home and going to bed late , then would wake at 10 or so and get in a road ride of anywhere from 20-50 miles depending on what other tasks i had to do that day --- get home, prepare my food for the day at work --------then repeat that cycle 5x a week with an occasional race or long group ride or charity ride on the weekened

Life was good in those days , but heck i was training roughly 18 hours a week without actually realizing i was "training" --- just a youngish single guy obsessed with his bikes and barbells


After a few years of that, i kind of fell into my next career, --- one that requires extensive travel, being away from home for months at a time on occasion, irregular hours, and massive customer service obligations.
I all but quit riding for a while

It literally took me a mere 2 years to blow out from 215 pounds to 290. Then ultimately reached my pinnacle of 335 before having my "moment of clarity" . Funny thing is i have never been one for the usual suspects -- fast food, sweets, etc. --- but i maintained the same healthy beer appetite that i had when i was training for hours and hours a week

A few beers here and there wont kill the deal for most people , ----- but when you get a proper buzz and have a hankering for pizza at 10pm , ----- it doesn't matter if said pizza dough was completely organic and hand stretched by Tony Soprano's cousin, with grass fed toppings, fresh veggies and a spritz of olive oil from the Pope's own stash , ---- its still a pizza and its still time for bed, not eating a heavy meal

That's just an example ---- heavy travel also usually involves lots of late night eating at places like Outback and Applebees ---- (You can eat a solid meal at these places, but i would guess that few people just go in and order a 7 oz fillet with a side of broccoli and seasonal fruit )

Hey, --- its 2018 now and I'm on the mend, -- still way too close to 3- bills , but i feel good about my lower carb and sugar approach ! I don't physically have time for 20 hours of training per week now, -- and that wont change, so i have to keep eating to compensate

raria

I hope your not as angry as you sound! It's not healthy.

Firstly, I now weight 172.5 pound and within 6 pounds of my high school weight. So I don't need any of your advise.

But clearly your advise has a simple counter-example? If its only depends on what you put in your mouth then how come the twenty year old version of ourselves could eat more than the forty year old version of ourself and still not put on weight?

I think your forgetting your metabolism plays a key role in weight gain/loss. I don't think doctors fully understand the effect of stress, diet, exercise etc. on metabolism.

rgvg

Media says not all calories are the same and I'm inclined to agree. I figure I can go through 3500 calories of twinkies much faster than 3500 calories of spinach. I know you said avocados but spinach is just so much harder for me to eat...

raria

Kudos my friend. That's an amazing accomplishment. Good luck with the last 100 pounds.