# How'd you get those extra pounds? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200 "2012-04-08T21:20:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/1 "2012-04-08T21:20:48Z")
For me it was soda. Soda is my weakness. Soda day in and day out. Soda all the time. Soda for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…and then more soda. You’ve heard of chain smoking? This is chain soda-ing. What’s the cause of however many extra pounds _yo\*\*u_ have? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/2 "2012-04-08T21:26:57Z")
Two children. Baby weight that just didn’t come off and finishing stuff from their plates. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/3 "2012-04-08T21:29:09Z")
For me it was also soda, although we call it pop here. Throughout highschool I’d down _at least_ two bottles of Vanilla Pepsi at school and usually at least two cans at home per day. As well as usually half to a full pot of Coffee per day with a lot of sugar in it. Mix that with all of my hobbies being of the sit in front of a computer variety and the weight ballooned as I entered my late teens / early twenties. Just switching to sugarless pop and taking my coffee without sugar had me lose about 10kg over about a year. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/4 "2012-04-08T21:29:38Z")
Mostly soda for me. I keep trying to cut it out, but it’s just so convenient and tasty. ☹ It doesn’t help that I’m limited in what aerobic exercises I can do. I used to be in pretty good shape back when I played DDR a lot (don’t judge me!) but I have [PDS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigment_dispersion_syndrome) and I get paranoid about anything that increases my risk of glaucoma. I know that there are plenty of exercises that I can still do, but I have a huge motivation problem. Exercise is just so boring and unpleasant. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/5 "2012-04-08T21:33:03Z")
In general, I eat pretty healthy stuff, but too much of it. I have very little ability to exercise portion control. Also, I’m a lazy ass and hate to exercise. Years of untreated depression didn’t help much on the energy front, either. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/6 "2012-04-08T21:36:35Z")
Sweets mostly. I eat too many sweets. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/7 "2012-04-08T21:38:55Z")
Weekends are what screw me, that and the candy one of my receptionists keeps in her drawer. Never, ever buy candy but if it’s there… can…not…stop…eating. The weekend thing is that I get up early and work dogs - giving lessons, etc, for a good 4-5 hours. It’s hot, it’s tiring and although I eat a light breakfast, I’m starving on the way home. It’s usually pushing 1 pm by the time I get back and it’s A.) take the dogs home and go back to the store to get something healthy or B.) fast food. Guess which one wins out? I’m doing better, overall down about 15 lbs. I started walking daily llast June -which lasted until Christmas- but only gained 5 lbs back and after a week of dieting and walking 3X a week, no fast food except Panda with veggies - down a pound. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/8 "2012-04-08T21:44:37Z")
Soda is a curse. It’s one of the worst things you can put into your body, and not just because of the sugar. For me, it’s the siren call of the crunchy, salty, oily snacks. And cheeseburgers. I eat way too many carbs for a diabetic, as bread and rice are two of my favorite foods. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/9 "2012-04-08T21:49:25Z")
I’ve been overweight since adolescence. Way too much junk food, candy and other crap, a sedentary lifestyle, years of undiagnosed depression, lots of injuries and accumulated damage that make exercise of any sort damn painful…basically I’m going to probably die soon. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/10 "2012-04-08T21:55:10Z")
Pizza. Well actually, anything with tomatoes and cheese - and if there’s fresh basil in the mix I’m a complete goner. That plus quitting smoking did me in. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/11 "2012-04-08T22:32:12Z")
I am proud to say that 90% of my diet is well planned, nutritious and healthy, no empty calories or junk food. It’s the other 40% that does me in. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/12 "2012-04-08T22:37:47Z")
Alcohol, no doubt about it. I’ve been tracking my food for the past week and I eat incredibly healthy without even trying. Lots of veggies, I don’t drink soda, I rarely eat sweets and when I do they tend to be tiny (one small square of chocolate, for example, or a quarter of a donut). But the beer and wine… sheesh, that adds up. One night out and I can drink up a 800 or 1000 calories easy. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/13 "2012-04-08T22:41:48Z")
Grad school. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/14 "2012-04-08T23:01:15Z")
Quitting smoking and substituting bag of chips for the cigarette. It’s only 10 lbs, but I would like to lose 5 of it. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/15 "2012-04-08T23:45:50Z")
My wife’s grandmother. She sends us ridiculous amounts of calories on a regular basis. Around Christmas she sent us FIVE POUNDS of dark chocolate malt balls that were to die for and FIVE POUNDS of cashews. A few weeks ago she gave us a dozen boxes of girl scout cookies. There were cherry cordials and peanut brittles in between those times as well. The fact that I am currently unemployed makes it even worse because I spend too much time around these treats with too little will-power. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/16 "2012-04-08T23:58:37Z")
Quitting smoking. The month I quit, I gained 40 lbs. Probably didn’t help that I was on IV steroids at the same time. Everything tasted soooo good. Even stuff I don’t like was good, and stuff I liked was the best thing ever. Good thing that wore off or I’d probably be 400 lbs now. The way food tasted for that month was almost worth it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/17 "2012-04-09T00:01:21Z")
Lots of things. Truth is that for most people who gain too much weight, it’s a combination of portions that are WAY too big, unhealthy snacking, and drinking calories. It’s quite rare that it’s just one thing. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/18 "2012-04-09T00:06:09Z")
Sweets for me. I have sweet teeth. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/19 "2012-04-09T00:20:17Z")
Beer. I am not obese. At my maximum overweight I’m only ever about 15-20 lbs too heavy. But I’m a short dude so it really shows. If I stop drinking beer, the extra lbs just drop off me within a month. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/20 "2012-04-09T00:23:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s quite rare that it’s just one thing. True. I guess I meant what is the MAIN thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200.md?page=2)