At the beginning I lost about 7 or 8 pounds actually, because I had time to actually exercise and do stuff, I was somehow super motivated at the beginning. This has definitely dropped off though, and a lot of beer drinking and not working at my physical job have definitely added up. I've gained back most of the weight I lost, but also I'm pretty sure I lost muscle, cause I'm still a couple pounds less then when i started but way softer and out-of-shape then when I started.

I'm at a point where all of my clothes are starting to feel like "skinny clothes". I.e. the clothes I keep in the back of the closet from when I was skinny, used to be when I put on my "skinny pants" I'd be amazed at the little pooch of fat that stuck out over the waistband, or drooped a little when I sat.

These days, there's ALWAYS a pooch of fat coming over the waistband, in my "normal clothes" and if I squeeze into the "skinny ones" what used to be a little pooch is now a gut, and what used to droop a little when I sat is a pile of fat resting on my legs

I think for me, right now, it's just generally getting softer all over. Based on the numbers on the scale I've actually lost a few pounds over quarantine, but based on the fat roll that's eating my belt it isn't because I'm getting skinnier.

When I go back and think about it I do. I've never been someone to gain weight intentionally, it's just kind of piled up over the years.

I remember specifically when I hit 187, because that was, mathematically, the weight that pushed me into being "overweight" based on the BMI scale. At the time, that was by far the fattest I had ever been and managed to dial it back a bit for a while. Now I'm hitting the mid-190s and getting back to 187 is a goal of mine. So now I'm at the point where I have to work out and lose weight to get to my former fattest.

Looking back my gain has followed a similar progression, where I'd gain about 10lbs, lose about 5, then gain another 10 etc. but feel okay with the whole time cause I wasn't THAT much fatter from year to year even thought the cumulative effect was more significant.

Yeah, I'd say I'm almost perpetually in a state of somewhat sucking it in. Or at least I think I am, I know I CONSCIOUSLY suck it in for photos etc, which makes me realize I may be letting my chub hang out more than I think...

Yeah, definitely sounds like it. I've had the experience where I actually lost weight after a big shift to being less active, but got noticeably chubbier at the same time.

For a while it's only been my wife who has verbally noticed, with just a couple cute comments about my chub.

A couple weeks ago, one of my coworkers playfully punched me in the stomach though, and said something along the lines of "what's this? you're getting fat now too!"

yeah, I'm usually in a state of perpetually sucking it in. Sometimes, I even fool myself until I take a moment to stop, and let my belly relax and I'm reminded how big it's getting

We all know there are certain signs that we are starting to gain weight. A belt goes a notch further out after a big meal, a pair of jeans fits too snug after a big meal, or a seatbelt cuts in a bit too when driving. I realized recently that all of these occasional hints and suggestions of gaining were no longer random occurrences associated with a temporary over indulgence, but rather facts of every day life that I had come to accept and think of as normal.

The feeling of being a little bit squeezed in a pair of jeans isn't because the jeans just came out of the wash anymore, its because the fat is settling in and my jeans don't fit anymore. The fat roll that spills over my seat belt isn't because I ate too much at lunch that day, it's because I ate too much every day for the last year. And when my wife puts her hand my belly and asks if I think I drink too much beer, its not because she's worried, but because she's watched her fit, athletic hubby pack on 20lbs and a beer gut in just under a year

Yeah, its remarkable how all my clothes have shrunk in the wash lately...

The only thing that's keeping me in my current pants size is the fact that there seems to be a trend toward stretch-able fabrics in men's clothes these days. I was buying new shorts and any of the 34's without an elastic waist, I was barely able to button. I've finally had to start retiring shirts as well as I realize all my old mediums are turning into weird belly shirts.