How to Tell If You Are Gaining Weight

I hated it when people called me skinny. I hated the word skinny. Skinny made me feel like I did something wrong. I couldn't help it that I ate a ton and never gained any weight. Thin always sounded much better. That's what I was. Thin.

I didn't start gaining weight until I was in my late 20s. Since I always had a tendency to wear clothes that were slightly too big I really didn't notice the weight gain at first. Going from a size 4 to a size 6 was no big deal and going from a size 6 to a size 8 only caused mild levels of concern. It's from here on up when I should have stopped ignoring the warning signs and taken action. There are little things that happened that should have caused me to freeze in my tracks and re-direct my path to the nearest treadmill. Since I didn't realize what was happening to my body until it was too late, I decided to put together these signs to help you out so you will know how to tell if you're gaining weight.

1. You notice cellulite on your own thighs. If this happens to you, do not laugh. It's not funny. Seriously. When I saw cellulite on my own leg for the first time, I started laughing. My exact words, "Oh look, I have cellulite." It was so funny to me because I had never seen it before and I had no idea where it came from. I had not changed my eating habits at all so I just assumed that wherever it came from it would find its way back there. I did nothing to stop the formulation of additional cellulite.

2. You start to blame the snug fit of your clothing on the dryer. Those things must have shrunk because it's not at all logical to think that you have grown. No, your jeans aren't just a little tight today. If you feel actual pain when you put your pants on, they are too small. You have gotten bigger. If you can no longer fit your arms into your favorite denim jacket, don't blame the jacket.

3. You don't fit on a toilet seat. This also applies to a subway seat, folding chair, computer chair, etc. Physically you have room to sit down but your body doesn't fit the same way it used to. You are covering the entire seat and then some.

4. Your pants have little fuzz balls at the point where your thighs have been rubbing together. Sad but true. I never had this problem with my pants until I started gaining weight.

5. You have bruises on your upper body from where your bra has been squeezing you senseless. I don't know why this was one of the last sizes I increased. That was a very painful time in my life.

6. The clothes in your closet that are too small for you to fit into start to look like they were made for a child.

7. New people you meet don't recognize you in older (thinner) pictures you have of yourself.

8. You don't recognize yourself in current pictures you see. The problem with changing sizes is that in your mind you always see your "small" self. You know that you are putting on weight but you don't notice it visually until you see yourself in a picture. Even then it is hard to determine what you actually look like. You find yourself asking others to show you someone who is your current size so you can get an idea of what you truly look like. Don't ask your poor unsuspecting spouse. They may want to tell you the truth but they can't really. Ask your sister or your best friend.

9. You have not seen your collar bone in a few years. When I was thinner my collarbone was always very pronounced. People used to comment on that here and there. But I honestly have not seen my collarbone in three years.

10. You have to ask someone if you are fat. C'mon. If you have to ask, then yes, you are.