canuck:
i totally see this now - it is like hitting a critical mass, and now it seems to just happen on its own. my appetite keeps my belly fueled, my metabolism is converting all the calories to fat, and it's almost a self- perpetuating system!
i keep thinking, "better slow down," but it never happens!
This is what your girlfriend meant by “the point of no return.” You can still break the cycle, of course - but it will require a major lifestyle change.
“Slowing down” is very difficult without lifestyle change because your growing belly has increased your appetite and daily calorie consumption while also slowing your calorie burning. Your fat cells have doubled and doubled again, and insulin resistance causes the "gain train" to gather speed, potentially fattening you up to weights that once seemed impossible.
To paraphrase Hemingway: "How did I get fat? First slowly, then suddenly."