I have been overweight for as long as I can remember. Although I have reached most of my goals in life at age 35, (ie. I'm married, have a degree and a job I love (teaching), sustained weight loss has been one goal I've never been able to reach.
I was the proverbial plump child, chubby teenager and morbidly obese adult. I cannot remember a time when I was actually normal. As a child, I can remember going to the doctor every year and getting weighed and the doctor giving my mother heck for being overweight. She'd always reply that summer was coming up, I'd be more active and I'd probably lose the excess weight. Of course, I never did.
I grew up in a house where I ate alot of processed foods while growing up - hotdogs, hamburgers, t.v. dinners and I'm sure that played a part in my obesity. As well, I remember money being tight, but always getting a handsome allowance from my parents, which I always spent in the high school cafeteria. Being able to buy my lunches was always sort of a status thing with me. I think that helped to create the problem although I am fully aware that everything that was put in my mouth, was put in by me and me alone.
In addition to bad habits formed in my childhood, I also have a genetic disposition to being overweight. I am at least the fourth generation of obese women on my mother's side of the family. I'm pretty sure that I'm the largest of all of them now at my weight however. I've had a lifetime of convenience foods, bad habits and a little bit of just plain old genetics.
I have been overweight for as long as I can remember. Although I have reached most of my goals in life at age 35, (ie. I'm married, have a degree and a job I love (teaching), sustained weight loss has been one goal I've never been able to reach.
I was the proverbial plump child, chubby teenager and morbidly obese adult. I cannot remember a time when I was actually normal. As a child, I can remember going to the doctor every year and getting weighed and the doctor giving my mother heck for being overweight. She'd always reply that summer was coming up, I'd be more active and I'd probably lose the excess weight. Of course, I never did.
I grew up in a house where I ate alot of processed foods while growing up - hotdogs, hamburgers, t.v. dinners and I'm sure that played a part in my obesity. As well, I remember money being tight, but always getting a handsome allowance from my parents, which I always spent in the high school cafeteria. Being able to buy my lunches was always sort of a status thing with me. I think that helped to create the problem although I am fully aware that everything that was put in my mouth, was put in by me and me alone.
In addition to bad habits formed in my childhood, I also have a genetic disposition to being overweight. I am at least the fourth generation of obese women on my mother's side of the family. I'm pretty sure that I'm the largest of all of them now at my weight however. I've had a lifetime of convenience foods, bad habits and a little bit of just plain old genetics.