Diminishing Dawn
How did I become fat?
I think I know the reasons why I became an obese adult. First of all, I grew up in a house that did not have normal meals. My mother did not like to cook at all and growing up, to be quite honest, I was fed on a diet of overprocessed foods. Things like hot dogs, bacon sandwiches and kraft dinner were staples of my typical diet. We did not have "family meals" - my father worked shifts and so we all ate on our own. As well, my father is a very picky eater. I can be honest and say that growing up, the only vegetable we ever had was corn because my dad did not like other vegetables. So I grew up on a diet of basically junk food. If it wasn't processed crap then it was typically fast food. I did not establish healthy eating habits as a child at all.
Secondly, growing up, money was extremely tight and my father was often laid off. Things were often financially difficult for my family when I growing up. Despite that, my father always made sure to give me a really generous allowance. In high school, it made me feel that somehow purchasing french fries in the cafeteria was like a "status symbol" to me. I always could afford to buy my lunch instead of brown bagging from home. That was an early association for me - buying lunch (or any food) was a pleasurable thing for me.
I think these two issues have a lot to do with how I got fat in the first place. As an adult, it seems that trying to undo these habits and associations are difficult. I have always been overweight as far back as I can remember.
About Me
Before & After
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