# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/21 "2012-04-09T00:28:29Z")
Pizza. It was rote for me to have one large pizza a week (over 2 days) and sometimes - SOMETIMES - 2 a week or MORE. I don’t eat pizza anymore and that, amongst other things, has helped me lose about 35 lbs this year. Pizza was definitely my biggest failure. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/22 "2012-04-09T00:29:25Z")
Anything and everything. I’ve been a compulsive overeater for all of my adult life. Embarrasses the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/23 "2012-04-09T00:29:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > 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. > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > True. I guess I meant what is the MAIN thing. I’m thinking too that since this is in Cafe Society it’s supposed to be a little tongue-in-cheek, not a big finger-pointing bitchfest about why we’re all fat. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/24 "2012-04-09T00:32:39Z")
I was doing okay for a while, no matter what I ate. But I think I’ve increased the bad, ever so slightly, and decreased the less-bad, as well as having no opportunity for the regular exercise I used to get, so it’s all gone literally pear-shaped. I’m also not sure if I care that much, because it’s not negatively impacting on my life in any way yet. I just think back to those thinner times wistfully. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/25 "2012-04-09T00:46:48Z")
I overindulged in nothing. Nothing at all. I went to bed healthy one night and next morning I was this fat middle aged guy. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/26 "2012-04-09T00:47:05Z")
Bought a house, changed from a stand-up retail job to a more sit-down librarian one, got older, didn’t change my eating habits from when I had a killer metabolism. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/27 "2012-04-09T01:28:40Z")
12 oz. curls ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/28 "2012-04-09T01:34:51Z")
Depression. I’ve always been a bit overweight, but not obese or anything. In the 18 months surrounding my father’s illness and death, I was in such a depression I stopped doing anything, but kept eating the same…and then some. I gained 60+ lbs. It’s come off now, but slowly. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/29 "2012-04-09T01:35:27Z")
Christ, I wish is was something as simple as soda. That’d be easy for me. Just swap it out with diet drinks. Honestly, I prefer diet drinks to full sugar soda these days. Weird, I know. For me, it’s beer and wine. I don’t really have any extra pounds any more, but when I did, that was the main source of them. I drink almost as much as I used to, but I need to make sure to keep my exercise level up to maintain my weight and not gain these days. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/30 "2012-04-09T01:43:47Z")
Junior didn’t do me any favors. I still have 10 pounds of baby weight and he’s 20 months old. And only part of it is boobs. Having children at an older age has many advantages but the body snapping back into shape isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/31 "2012-04-09T02:02:38Z")
Major depression, et al, + (antidepressants x 20 years) = 80 pounds :(. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/32 "2012-04-09T02:32:43Z")
Sugar. I have no control over it and unfortunately here in America we lace EVERYTHING with high fructose corn syrup so it’s a bitch to avoid. I’m surprised we’re not all dying of Confectioner’s Lung, as prevalent as sugar is in the US you’d think it’d be floating around in the air. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/33 "2012-04-09T02:45:02Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > I’m surprised we’re not all dying of Confectioner’s Lung I think we are. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/34 "2012-04-09T02:49:31Z")
Too many calories and too little exercise. About six years ago, I lost 50lbs. Over the past two, I’ve gained about 15 back. I got busy, I got complacent, I forgot that I hadn’t actually magically become a naturally thin person, and I stopped working out four or five times a week. My diet is basically fine (except for the booze), but I need to get back to burning it off. I’m working out more regularly now, and I’ve lost a few pounds, but I’m missing two crucial ingredients that fueled my previous weight loss; rage and the necessity of getting naked with new people. Now I’m happy, have a familiar and reliable sexual partner, and am not nearly as motivated. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/35 "2012-04-09T03:15:29Z")
Slow metabolism. Wasn’t really paying attention to my weight and next thing I knew I was 30 lbs over what I should have been. I wasn’t eating anything to excess, but I was eating like I was a 20-year-old. For those of you with a soda addiction, try switching to a flavored carbonated water like [La Croix](http://www.lacroixwater.com/). It’s basically just carbonated water with natural flavoring–no calories, no strange chemicals. It helped me kick the soda habit. ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_area](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grey\_area](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_area)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/36 "2012-04-09T03:25:36Z")
I can tell you how I lost those extra pounds. Two words. Chronic. Diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/37 "2012-04-09T03:43:34Z")
Desk job and pop, secondarily it was denial that I was putting on weight until it stuck. I hate to say this, but I lived within walking distance of work and drove every day; I never had that chance again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/38 "2012-04-09T03:56:36Z")
Two words: Ben. Jerry. I’ve lost 72 lbs so far by eliminating sugar from my diet, and until you try you have no idea how many places sugar appears in the American diet. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/39 "2012-04-09T05:48:49Z")
They are not extra pounds. They are backup and reserve pounds! America has a Strategic Petroleum Reserve – I have my ass. ---
**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, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200/40 "2012-04-09T12:22:15Z")
For me, depression equaled -30 lbs. Only good thing about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-get-those-extra-pounds/618200.md?page=3)