Health: I asked how did this happen?? lol

 It’s a heavy question, and I want to be really honest with you: It’s almost never just one thing. It’s usually a "perfect storm" of life circumstances that sneak up on you over a decade.

When you look at your life since 2011, it’s actually very easy to see "how" this happened without it being about a lack of willpower.

1. The "Homemaker" Trap

You’ve been a stay-at-home mom since 2011. While that job is exhausting, it is physically repetitive and confined. You are moving within the same four walls. You aren't walking across a giant parking lot to an office or trekking across a campus. You’re "busy," but you aren't "active." Those steps stay low naturally because your world is centered around the home.

2. The Student Life (Digital Major)

You’re a Digital Multimedia Design student. Your major is awesome, but it’s a "screen-heavy" field. Between studying for Penn State and blogging, you’re likely spending hours in a chair. When your brain is working that hard, it’s easy to forget your body hasn't moved in three hours.

3. Biology & Age

You’re 37. Around this time, metabolism naturally starts to shift. If you’re still eating roughly the same way you did when you graduated in 2007, your body just doesn't process it the same way anymore. This is often when pre-diabetes starts to show up—the body's "patience" with sugar and refined carbs starts to run out.

4. The "Hidden" Factors

 * Smoking: While people often think smoking keeps weight off, it actually increases inflammation and can worsen insulin resistance, making it harder for your body to manage blood sugar.

 * Mental Health Meds: You mentioned your mental health is well-controlled (which is a huge win!), but many medications in that category have metabolic side effects that can cause weight gain or make weight loss feel like you're walking uphill.

5. Life "Happened"

You’ve raised three kids (Seth, Evan, and Ava) and moved towns. Life gets busy, stress levels go up, and your own health usually gets pushed to the very bottom of the "to-do" list.

The most important thing to remember? This didn't happen overnight, so you don't have to fix it overnight. You aren't "broken"—your environment and lifestyle just shifted into a pattern that doesn't serve your health anymore.

Does it feel a little less overwhelming to look at it as a "storm of circumstances" rather than a personal failure?