Why are you fat? Time for honesty!

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COVID19 has brought obesity to attention. The greater risk of becoming seriously ill or dying with COVID19 if you are overweight cannot be denied.
64% of the UK is overweight or obese yet many seem to be in denial or not aware that they are in fact overweight.
Time for honesty- if you are overweight or obese, why? Is it will power? Money reasons? Lack of knowledge of health eating?
Have you been in denial about your weight? Has coronavirus alerted you to the fact you are indeed overweight?
I am speaking from experience as I was in denial for years - thought I could eat anything I wanted and didn’t put on weight. It wasn’t until I went with the friend to a WW meeting (only went to keep her company as she didn’t want to go on her own) and I got weighed and was shocked that actually I was overweight be a good 2 stone!
So- why are you fat and are you going to bother to do anything about it?

I put on weight during a very bad period of mental health. I feel better now and am not getting bigger but can’t/don’t know how to shift the weight I put on. Like @QuacksInTheDark I feel happiness to be invisible too, given past experiences

This is a great thread.

I have spent my whole life with a terrible relationship with food. Fat child, chubby teenager, then in my 20s hovering below an eating disorder. Pregnancy? Put on 3.5 stone, then did WW and lost it all and more. I won't bore you with the years in between but I am now a very active 50 year old that is probably 1.5 stone over an ideal weight. My problems lie in bread products and alcohol. My job means I don't really have time to shop smart and end up earring toast for dinner most nights,

So, why am I fat? Eating too many carbs and not moving enough..I know!

My bmi is 29.

The reason is I'm very greedy with no will power.

I don't have a great social life anyway due to my boring personality, so "looking good" isn't much of a motivation to me (who would see it?).

Health is a motivation but that's also hard because I feel completely fine. For a few years once I did get down to a healthy weight and got fit and felt exactly the same . I didn't feel better, have more energy, move around easier or anything like that.

Sorry but I call complete bs on anyone who lives in the UK today and says they "don't know" what food is healthy!

Well, I guess it's because I eat too much and don't move enough. Quite simple, really.

Of course, there are lots of more complex reasons too. Mental health is definitely a factor in my case, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. Learned behaviour is also an issue - I learned at an early age to self-soothe with food. And my poor coordination skills (and possible dyspraxia) meant that I found PE humiliating, and didn't really learn to appreciate the benefits of exercise until quite recently. Deep down, I suspect I'm also quite lazy. And I feel overwhelmed by how much weight I have to lose, so it's easier to just keep comfort eating in order to take my mind off it.

I have wanted to lose weight for ages, but Covid-19 has certainly helped to focus my mind with regard to this issue. I feel like I've stupidly put myself at increased risk, and it has made me fearful. Of course, I know that there are many other risks that are also associated with being obese. It isn't just this virus, but it has been a good kick up the backside.

I've been exercising every day since mid March, and I'm trying to watch what I eat, but I'm not crash dieting because I want the change to be sustainable. I'm limiting portion sizes and trying to eat more fruit and veg, less junk. I've lost a few kilos so far, and my overall fitness has definitely improved, but I still have a long way to go.

Sorry @countdowntonap but if you’re a sz 8 you’re obviously not fat, so what exactly are you sharing??

For me it's a variety of things. I used to have a stunning figure and took it for granted, thought I could eat what I wanted forever and I'd stay slim with curves in the right places. My ex husband introduced me to takeaways and I put a ton of weight on which I can't shift.

I can't exercise much due to a back problem from a horse riding accident as it makes things a lot worse. I'm also very picky with food and don't like much that is healthy .
I cook large portion sizes and my DP insists on a pudding most days.

I didn't think I looked that bad until my mum took a few photos of me with my new baby. She said it was fine that I was carrying extra weight due to the baby - but I know that I was just as fat before. I'm also 5st heavier than my DP (he's tiny though, and I'm a size 16).

I’m a lazy fat cunt (I really am) and as soon as I’ve sobered up enough to I read this thread..I WILL

I need to eat less.

I'm too short, if I was a foot taller my weight would be fine. I'm 5' 7"
Seriously, it's wine, too much wine. Too much food as well.

I think slow metabolism is in my family as a number of people are over weight. One grandma was in a perpetual diet and exercised to Jack Lalane from my earliest memory.

I am slightly shorter than DH. We both have fit bits and we set/sync them Each time we’re walking or exercising like we’re in a secret mission.
During lock down, it’s been very interesting. We eat the same, have been walking the same number if steps as we do a walk together every day (me sometimes slightly more plus I do a bit of yoga. He’s dropping weight quickly and I’m not. He weighed much more than me at the start of lock down, but not now.

So two people can eat and exercise the dame, but one can lose weight faster.

As a pp said, I eat my feelings.

I'm lazy, hate exercise, like fatty foods and take aways, eat when I'm stressed, tired, happy, sad! Don't get me wrong I know I am overweight and have been trying, with varying success, to lose weight for 25 years and think about it constantly but all I have managed to do is put on more and more weight. You would think COVID would scare me into doing something but no I've managed to put on half a stone. I am 9 stone overweight.

2 babies in 2 years, a love of junk food and a dislike of exercise. I’m on a health kick though... I need to shift it. I’ve lost 1 stone in 5 weeks. 2.5 more to go. I hate it! Haha

"are you going to bother to do anything about it"

You sound like a judgemental arse who thinks fat people are fat due to their own fault or sheet laziness.

Because I have binge eating disorder, depression, anxiety and I comfort eat. After a couple of years in remission from BED I have relapsed due to massive episode of anxiety and depression whilst on the waiting list for bariatric surgery which means I may no longer be eligible.

Because I'm really lazy, I make the wrong food choices and just eat because it's there., I was going to the gym but obviously I can't now, I also have fibromyalgia so i struggle some days with exhaustion and pain

@Toilenstripes

yes to the shock about how few calories needed!!!

I eat too much chocolate....

*I’m really lazy and really greedy. Plus I know it sounds flippant but I feel like I have an actual addiction to deliciousness.

I eat when I’m happy, sad, bored, tired, celebrating, commiserating etc. and the diet is perpetually starting on Monday.*

This is me to a tee. But I do exercise every day so am not massively overweight. Probably a stone. My BMI is 25.5.

I have always been up and down but ballooned after my second child. He didn’t sleep through the night for years. I had a stressful job and no sleep and I was permanently exhausted for about four years so I ate far too much sugar and was too tired to exercise. I was miserable and so I treated myself to chocolate and comfort food especially in the evenings when all I had ahead of me was a broken night followed by a terrible day at work.

He started sleeping through, I quit the job, I’ve cut out a lot of carbs and lost three stone. I’m not on the blood sugar rollercoaster anymore and don’t feel that ravenous hunger that I used to but I do think about food pretty much all day - what can I still have to eat today? When do I close my eating window and have to stop? How can I prevent myself from snacking? It’s harder in lockdown. I have got better at dealing with emotional eating but boredom snacking is a very tough habit to break.

Underactive thyroid. Yes really! Probably undiagnosed for almost 20 years.

Carb addiction didn’t help though.

Overactive knife and fork.

Portion control and comfort eating and having an unhealthy relationship with food caused by low self esteem as a result of being over weight as a child and equating being slim to being worthy.

Self abuse when stressed. I eat and eat until I can't eat no more. Same as PP every Monday morning I'm going to stop doing it but I can't stop.