New Life: Overcoming the Old Life

I've struggled with my weight since I was 9 years old. 2 days after my 9th birthday, I had my tonsils and adenoids removed. For the first time in my life, I could swallow normal sized bites of food. And even better, I could taste every bite of food, something that had been a challenge since my airways had been so obstructed. So I ate. And ate. And ate. I remember being teased in 4th grade by a boy who referred to me as "big butt." In high school, there were more jeers at my weight as my peers commented on how certain boys couldn't lift me for show choir dance routines. Every comment  broke my heart.

When I started college, I felt like I had a new beginning. I had friends who exercised, so I joined a gym, picked up some aerobics classes, and started doing Pilates and weight lifting. I slimmed down and was in great shape. And as could be expected, I fell in love and got married in 2005. And then the weight starting creeping up as soon as the stress did.

I was still in school finishing my Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and I worked two part time jobs. Then there was a new husband, a new house, and bills quickly followed by graduate school and eventually a baby. Over 6 years, I gained over 50 pounds. I'd been a size 10 at my wedding, but I wound up in a size 22.

But the question is how did I get here?

Before you can begin losing weight, you have to identify your triggers and know what got you to where you are now.

I had my share of sodas, fries, and burgers.

1. The couch and the bag (or box) - I developed a nasty habit of plopping down on the couch with a whole bag of cookies or candy or chips or box of ice cream. I would munch while I wrote papers, paid bills, and watched movies. I am not sure if I was ever really hungry, but it was a habit. Thousands of mindless calories were consumed.

2. Bottomless soda - On a dare in college, I'd given up soda, but at a family reunion in 2006, I decided the dare was over, and I took a drink of soda. I remember it didn't taste that great after a long abstinence, but I was hooked on the sugar and caffeine. From then on, we kept soda in the fridge, and I had it every time we went out. I'd order a large and refill it once or twice. I could easily consume 500-1000 calories a day in the sugary drink.

3. Living like hobbit - I rarely left the house. My husband and I worked different schedules, and we had little money, so we rarely went to recreational activities (aside from eating fast food). Gone were the days of ice skating, miniature golf, and volunteer projects. I was bound to my computer, writing and grading papers for my education and career. Sitting burns few calories.

4. Poor nutrition - As a new wife, I bought into whatever the television wanted to sell me. You've read about my couponing downfall, and that greatly contributed to my weight gain. My freezer was stocked with cheap frozen dinners, pies, cookie dough, and ice cream. The cupboards were full of white pasta, white bread, white sugar, and anything else refined that I was told I had to have. I didn't realize nutritious food was just as affordable, probably because the television never told me it was.

5. Pure gluttony - I worked hard, so I felt like I was entitled to every morsel of food I got. I saw food as a reward for finishing my work early or getting an "A" on a paper. When Prairie Girl arrived, I saw food as a comfort, much the way she did as a new baby. But mostly I was just gluttonous. If I wanted it, I ate it. If we didn't have it, and I wanted it, I went out and bought it. I didn't pay attention to how much I ate because I thought I deserved it.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Make your own list of what your downfalls have been that have caused you to gain weight. Feel free to post them in the comments. The more we talk about problems, the easier it is to find solutions!