Who are we losing weight for... Really?

zealey77

3 weeks now. 3 weeks I've been weighing **** out and calorie counting. I've been jogging every day too. I feel great. I've lost nearly a stone. But I'm thinking who am I really losing the weight for?
Of course we all say 'it's for me' - but aren't we all doing it really so we feel sexy and acceptable? Acceptable to magazine ideals, to people we wish would love us if only we lost a few, etc...
It's all bull**** really, isn't it? We are the same however much we weigh - it's our minds and personalities that matter. Someone who is un-sexy and irritating at 18 stone will still be the same at 12 stone, there's just less of them to be irritated by?

SomeNights246

I actually started losing weight for my health. I couldn't climb stairs without panting, I couldn't run for longer than a minute, at 21 years old I was actually starting to have knee problems (that have entirely disappeared now, mind you). I had finally reached a point where I wanted to be healthy. All the other things are just extra benefits to it all.

I guess, though, for some being sexy is motivation. Just saying, not all of us.

navyrigger46

Nope, I could care less about other people, if anything I'm doing it so I can live longer if for no other reason than to annoy the living dog snot out of everyone I come in contact with, which I take great joy in, hence, doing this for me.

Rigger

19TaraLynn84

I'm losing weight because I feel like crap at my current weight. I feel unhealthy, and my family is suffering with me. I do not care about appearing sexy for anyone except my husband. I'm losing weight for myself and my family.

chatogal

I agree with "Them"....yes, certainly a good part of it is for looks... but mostly I think those who have been struggling for a good whileand dealing with a good amount of excess weight.. it IS about HEALTH!! Now of course there are those who are almost under weight already who wish to achieve under weight status who have a different set of goals!

YorriaRaine

It REALLY is just for me, I saw my health deteriorating and I realized I didn't want to live out the rest of my life unhealthy.

Don't get me wrong, I do think I'll feel better about my appearance in the process, but even then I'll feel better for me, and not for Joe and Jane Schmo who have poor ideological view on beauty. I have significant other, friends and family who I love and support me. I have everything I NEED but health, and that's what I'm aiming for with the help of myfitnesspal. :flowerforyou:

Duck_Puddle

Nah. I'll never be sexy. I'll never be in a magazine. And that's not my ideal. I am not trying to become attractive for anyone. And I was perfectly acceptable as a human being when I was morbidly obese.

What I couldn't do was fit in airplane seats, carry the groceries in the house, walk the dogs, carry laundry baskets up/down the stairs, stand for any period of time, go for a walk on the beach, go for a bike ride with my son...

Now I can.

SharonNehring

Number 1 reason is for my health. I had a scare recently when I lost the feeling in my toes and was discovered to have diabetes. Changing my diet and exercising are imperative to controlling this disease for the rest of my life. It was a wake up call to say the least. Good news is.. I can feel my toes again!

Number 2 is looking good, being able to buy cute clothes and being able to do the things I want without the hindrance of this extra weight. I'd love to learn to scuba but there's no way I'm getting into a wetsuit at this point. I am hoping to change that.

davert123

I'm losing weight for me and my kids. The more I do this though the more it is for me because I can see the positive benefits this lifestyle is providing.

cardinalsfootball

Because we love our significant other?

ChrisMayhew87

I'm losing weight for myself, I want to feel better about myself.
I got to a point when I said enough is enough and gave this site a try and hey it worked quite well!

65lb and counting!

unFATuated

Probably 95% for me and the other 5% for my husband and daughter. I could have kept on the way I was, getting bigger and bigger, and more unhealthy by the day. I was lucky enough to not have suffered much in the way of obesity-related side-effects (mild fatty changes in my liver, varicose veins, snoring and joint problems were my main issues) but I'm sure had I kept going there would have been more problems down the track. I didn't want to be a fat wife and a fat mother. I want to have the health, energy and mobility to enjoy my family.

I also HATED having to buy size 16-18 clothes, I hated not being able to walk into stores and know if the clothes would fit me, I hated seeing myself in pictures. I no longer recognised the girl in the photos I saw and I didn't want to feel like that anymore.

I am so much happier and more confident in myself now. I'm better at what I do every day. I don't sit around all day, I'm not exhausted when I wake up (I am sure I probably had mild sleep apnoea as well as the snoring), I have energy to run around with my daughter, I play with her at the playground and go down the slides with her. I can buy the clothes I like, instead of the only clothes that fit. I have a little way to go before I'm satisfied, but I feel great!

fishnbrah

i do it to be able to pick up younger and hotter chicks. just being honest

Hearts_2015

bump

jenifr818

All of my friends keep telling me I don't need to lose weight, that women look better with "meat" on them. Nope. It's definitely for me, not them. I got sick of being fat

wertgirlfor

I'm losing it for me. I was happy before I started losing weight, but I decided to lose the extra weight and learn portion control before it gets out of control.

ayyyemanda

Personally, I'm doing it to feel better about my self and to feel healthier. A 19 year old girl should be able to run a few minutes without feeling like dying, (which I'm now capable of!) My body feels better when I exercise regularly, I feel more awake. Just eating the right foods and exercising can make you sleep better, have a more positive attitude, and so many other things. And if you think about it, you're not benefiting yourself by sitting on the couch eating potato chips. So why not? Plus I hate feeling insecure in a bikini. I miss being hot.

Blue801

My husband is freakin' delusional and thinks I'm sexy/can't keep his hands off, so I'm not losing the weight for him. My kids don't care because I play with them already. I couldn't really care less about the rest of the world because I'm well liked at work and live in the South where there are free roaming fatties like myself everywhere. So, I'm losing for me, 'cause I want to run really fast which is difficult when you're 300+ pounds.

geebusuk

I generally find trimmer women attractive, so want to be able to offer the same.
Also helps with all sorts of stuff I like to do - climbing, bike riding (motor and mountain) - AND general long term health - grand parents have suffered with dementia and the like - my mum pointed out at some point that she hoped she wouldn't be so bad as she was making more of an effort to be healthy and that certainly does seem to help.

plankaddict

I guess for some people could be like that. For some, many, it isn't. I get very extremely grumpy when I ate a lot and have one of those days I feel fat. Or when I actually put on weight. I become a worse person. Whereas when I feel skinny and fit, when I fall within my standards of beauty, I am very pleasant, fun, entertaining, lovable. Some of my friends behave similarly. Do you have this problem as well?

jenifr818

My husband is freakin' delusional and thinks I'm sexy/can't keep his hands off, so I'm not losing the weight for him. My kids don't care because I play with them already. I couldn't really care less about the rest of the world because I'm well liked at work and live in the South where there are free roaming fatties like myself everywhere. So, I'm losing for me, 'cause I want to run really fast which is difficult when you're 300+ pounds.

:laugh: :laugh: totally love the 'free roaming fatties in the south' comment. We're everywhere in Alabama!

plankaddict

I hate that expression! "with meat on"! that's such an old fashioned way of thinking. Not saying some girls can't pull off a rounder body (ex: Kat Dennings), but they are not very many. Meat looks good on very few people. Most of us humans are way better when thin.

MickeyBoo

I am not doing this for anyone else but me. I am unhappy being overweight, I am in a lot of pain with back and leg problems, and my weight is only exacerbating that. I know that the lighter I am, the less pain I am in, the better mobility I have and the happier I will be. Pain is depressing and dealing with it everyday on top of my own self inflicted weight problems makes me an unhappier person in general.

I am not losing weight to look sexy in a bikini, after 5 kids and multiple operations I will never be bikini ready LOL my hubby doesn't care how much I weigh and loves me regardless, so it's not for him either. And to be honest if I were in a relationship that was balanced on how hot I was I think I'd have a few more serious problems than a few extra pounds. I don't care about magazine pics and their ideals, I live in the real world.

I lost a lot of weight years ago in my mid 20's and I did it for all the wrong reasons then, which is why I'm back here now. But I did learn the lesson that my weight doesn't define who I am, and does not change me as a person. It may change others perception of me, but that's on them and has no impact on how I go about my day.

I am comfortable in who I am as a person, I don't need to meet societies unrealisic ideals of health to feel accepted. Maybe its something that comes with time and experience, when I was in my early 20's I saw judgement and took it personally, now I see the same judgement and I really couldn't give a f**k about it.

katierrt

definitely for my health! I don't want to have a heart attack and I'd rather modify my lifestyle than have a big scar down my chest! j/s.....I don't want to hear a doc tell me I have heart disease that could have been prevented! I will do what it takes for however long it takes to change my destiny and avoid a fate like my grandfather's....

meganjcallaghan

I'm doing it for my dad. He needs a kidney. It started out that if I turned out to be a match I would still need to be under a certain BMI in order for them to operate so I figured I might as well get started so I wouldn't get through all the testing just to find out I'd have to then lose weight to get any further. Since my blood pressure has gone up with the weight loss though, now it's a matter of making sure I'm doing every single thing "they" say you're supposed to in order to reverse that.....do buttloads of cardio, eat the "right" fats and cut out the "wrong" ones, reduced sodium......all that adds up to more weight loss....which is another thing you're "supposed" to do (though considering the trend, I'm tempted to believe that's what's got me in this pickle at this point). I guess we'll see how it all pans out.

To be honest, I've never felt less "sexy". lol. I liked me when I was bigger. It is annoying when people act like you're a completely different person just because your fat cells are smaller. Fat Me and Less Fat Me are the same person and I feel like I am not honouring how awesome Fat Me was every time someone gives me a compliment for losing weight and I have to say "thank you" or agree to their comments that I'm looking "so much better now" just to get them to stop talking. Blech. I wish that if people feel it necessary to comment at all (which it REALLY isn't....you COULD just treat me like I'm the same person you've talked to every other time we've interacted....cuz I am) just say "wow, you're looking different". At least THAT's true and not subjective. Done and done.

Ok. Rant over

19TaraLynn84

My husband is freakin' delusional and thinks I'm sexy/can't keep his hands off, so I'm not losing the weight for him. My kids don't care because I play with them already. I couldn't really care less about the rest of the world because I'm well liked at work and live in the South where there are free roaming fatties like myself everywhere. So, I'm losing for me, 'cause I want to run really fast which is difficult when you're 300+ pounds.

I hear ya on the delusional husband! ????

zealey77

Yeah, yeah, yeah, who you trying to convince? ME OR YOU?

jenni_d1990

I quit drinking not too long ago and I want to be healthy. My wonderful boyfriend thinks I'm perfect but I would love to lose the weight I've gained from being an alcoholic. I know how wonderful it feels and I want that feeling back.

wheird

Myself. I want to look hot and badass and being an Iron God.

19TaraLynn84

Yeah, yeah, yeah, who you trying to convince? ME OR YOU?

Do you really believe that everyone on this site just wants to look like some cookie-cutter model of what society has deemed to be perfect and sexy?

bethyv1030

I really hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror! I used to love my body when I was in shape. I could no longer shop at the stores I used to and buying clothes which used to be my favorite thing to do became depressing. I can't deny that wanting other ppl to find me attractive motivates me, but I am definitely losing weight to feel good about myself!