So tell us...is being skinny worth it?

BinaryPulsar

I'm assuming that when the op said skinny she meant slender, fit, a healthy weight.

shortntall1

I'll never be skinny. It's not my body type but I'll be healthier. I'm short with a stocky build.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Worth what? It's really not that hard...

brevislux

"Skinny" is such a bad word to use here... And a bad thing to aspire to.
But there are so many things in life to enjoy, and having good health and being in good shape will allow you to enjoy life more. And for longer of course.

AHack3

I tried be skinny before many times and hit goal and then put it all back on plus some many times....now my goal is be healthy and fit and skinny is just an added bonus and yes it is worth it and I have every intention of remaining healthy and fit with the added bonus of being skinny!

wheird

It doesn't have to control your life. But it ultimately depends on your life goals.

I think being able to hike up and down hills and valleys is pretty rad.

GertrudeHorse

Personally, I think that if it is that much "work" to lose weight or maintain your lighter weight, you are doing it wrong.

Agreed!

jenilla1

I don't know what your friend was talking about. You can enjoy food and be slim. I eat whatever I want - I just don't eat a crap ton of it. I just now had a Peanut Butter Snickers...and I enjoyed it. Tomorrow I'm going for a hike and I'm packing potato chips as a snack. One of my favorite hobbies is planning, cooking and eating gourmet meals. But I also keep the portions reasonable and enjoy many physical outdoor activities as well. My balanced lifestyle is very satisfying to me.

You don't have to be deprived or punished to be at a healthy weight. Your friend probably used unsustainable means to lose the weight and then just reverted back to his old, comfortable lifestyle when he got tired of sacrificing. It's easy to use "miserable diet food" as an excuse.

If you design your lifestyle change to be a fun and positive experience it's easy to maintain. I've been maintaining here for 3 years now. :drinker:

krawhitham

To a point, yes and no. I am about 5'3.5" and I've been muscular and 125 lbs (size 2 thin) And able to run 10 miles at a time, I felt invincible. My body at this time was lean and mean, it was a machine! I could go out for a run on a whim, I'd run to the grocery store and back, it was incredible!

Then, life got in the way and I gained about 10-15 lbs, and I was 135 or so for a while. I actually *really* enjoyed being 145 and realized that I do not like being as muscular as I was back when I was heavy lifting at 125 lbs.

I know a lot of people here advocate for heavy lifting, but it's not something I can be into. I don't like having a rock hard body. I like having a bit of a mooshy butt, to be honest.

Well, then work really got in the way of my health goals and I gained a ton of weight and ended up being 172 lbs. That's obese at my height. It was HORRIBLE. I was always out of breath, could barely go up stairs. Every pair of pants I own, I now have a hole in the crotch just from walking in them because my thighs rub together so much. I would literally cry over how fat and miserable I was.

I think finding that "happy place" weight is the best. I know I can be 125 lbs, all muscle, running a bajillion miles at a time, but oddly enough I felt more like "myself" at 135 lbs - I had a bigger, softer butt, bigger boobs and a little extra on my thighs & arms... AND I was still able to run 10 miles and stay in shape. It really all depends on your own personal comfort level!

In my opinion it's just important to be within "normal" weight limits for your height.

bajoyba

There's no way I would rather go back to being 235 pounds.

I was happy at 235 pounds and had pretty great self-esteem. I ate what I wanted with reckless abandon and felt good about who I was as a person, but I didn't feel well physically, I couldn't do a lot of the things I wanted to do, and finding clothes that fit comfortably was difficult.

My goal is not to be skinny, my goal is to be healthy and active. I'm much happier now, at 160 pounds, not because of what size I wear or what the scale says, but because of how good I feel and all that my body has become capable of. I want to run races, bike to the next city for a weekend, and climb a volcano. My knees no longer hurt, I can go jogging or biking or take my dogs for a long walk, and buying jeans is no longer a day-long ordeal. Regular exercise and good nutrition has also alleviated a lot of my anxiety.

I eat all of the same foods I ate before - I just watch my portion sizes and make food choices based on my body's nutritional needs, which also helps me feel better and more satisfied overall. I would rather fit a single serving of Ben & Jerry's into my day and maintain my current lifestyle than have a giant, indiscriminate bowl of ice cream and give up any of my strength or endurance. I truly enjoy practicing moderation, and I find it very freeing.

But ultimately, it's a personal choice. What makes me happy may not make you happy. I don't think it's wise to base your happiness on the way your body looks or what the scale says, because some day we'll all be saggy and wrinkly, but you have to decide what will allow you to get the most out of life. It's different for everyone.

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

I guess we are all different, but for me, being at my goal weight is awesome! I enjoy every aspect of life 10 times more than when I'm overweight. Some example are, I enjoy eating, shopping, working, dancing and partying more when I'm slimmer, among other things:)

2014myyear

I was never so self-conscious in my life as I was when I was about 10 lbs "underweight". Naturally, that is. Still, strangers I didn't know comment on my body, ask me what size I was, make assumptions about what I did/didn't eat. I didn't want to wear tank tops or t-shirts, because I would, without fail, get a comment from sad middle aged woman about how tiny I was, and how did I maintain such a body? What's my secret, hmm?! So rude, invasive, embarrassing. People would assume I couldn't lift things, I was constantly mistaken for being 13-15 (I'm turning 21 this year...), bleh just a whole bunch of embarrassing things. Which is the reason I joined MFP, actually. To gain and maintain! I've got a petite frame, technically only meet a BMI of 18.something, but I fully fill out a size small now (up from XS) because of the way my weight sits on my frame, and the comments have finally stopped. I feel less androgynous, less boyish and finally a lot more feminine and womanly.

So, is SKINNY worth it? I wouldn't say it's something you should aspire to.... find a healthy medium/body type that works for you. Where you don't have to restrict or obsess over calories to maintain a certain weight, but also where don't feel like giving up and hiding under big t-shirts in the summer.

Exactly! being healthy is worth it. There is no point aiming for a body type because if you look around there really isnt one type. Being able to do the things you want and your body not holding you back is the aim I think, whether it be mentally or physically. If its a chore then your doing it for the wrong reasons, do it cos you WANT it otherwise you will fail.

BinaryPulsar

I like reading people's answers.

LiftAllThePizzas

I know someone who lost weight and maintained it for a bit, but then realized he wasn't able to enjoy life as much. He sort of thought "life is too short to be worrying about being thin". He has gained back the weight and now is a jolly, older man with no regrets regarding his lifestyle.

I have such high hopes for how much better I will feel without the extra weight, but is it actually worth it? Does life then become less enjoyable because we're not quite as free-spirited when it comes to eating food?

Skinny to me means "scrawny" so no, I wouldn't want to be skinny again. I chose strong instead. I not only can do lots of cooler/funner things, I can eat a lot more without gaining, and I don't have to face all the side effects that the extra body fat will bring with it later on.

MsJulielicious

It was only "unpleasant work" when I restricted food groups and set an unrealistic calorie goal and did too much cardio.
I eat what I want within reason. I really enjoy cooking and eating food. I enjoy knowing the nutritional content of food and how certain nutrients benefit my body and brain. I enjoy doing reasonable amounts of cardio and I enjoy the *kitten* out of lifting weights.
I also enjoy feeling like a sexy sexy beast. I enjoy that very much in fact

hlcook

I know someone who lost weight and maintained it for a bit, but then realized he wasn't able to enjoy life as much. He sort of thought "life is too short to be worrying about being thin". He has gained back the weight and now is a jolly, older man with no regrets regarding his lifestyle.

I have such high hopes for how much better I will feel without the extra weight, but is it actually worth it? Does life then become less enjoyable because we're not quite as free-spirited when it comes to eating food?

With all due respect ... I transport a lot of "jolly old" men who are unfortunately quite sick or slowly dying due to comorbidities associated with being overweight. So he might not have regrets NOW ...

I've never wanted to be THIN. I want to be strong and lean. And I enjoy the challenge of feeding my body good things with some "fun" eating in there once in a while.

I echo what others say ... being healthy is always worth it.

pen2u

I've got 10 - 15 lbs to go, so I'm far from "skinny." But even though I'm not at my goal weight, it is wonderful to not be embarrassed to walk into a room full of people now. I'm not automatically the fattest one there. I no longer need to spend a lot of time worrying about my weight or how others are judging me, which frees up a lot of time and energy. I eat plenty of good, healthy food & I exercise 'cos my body craves it now.

Yes, it's worth it!

Domineer

It's not about being skinny. It's about being healthy, fit, and active. You don't have to be a twig to be fit. You can be skinny and unhealthy. Lets know the difference!!!

astronomicals

youre 18... not an old man.. you have different priorities...

chrisdavey

being skinny, hell no, ripped yeah

When I was very overweight, I had no energy to do anything other than going to work (office) and sitting on my butt watching TV.

For the majority of the time I have focused on increasing performance. Initially that was running, then mma and now powerlifting. I have always tracked cals during this time as I have a big appetite and realize that you can't out train a bad diet.

This doesn't mean that I obsess over going over by 100 cals or eating "junk" food. It makes it nice and easy to see if I need to tighten things up from time to time.

I still go out and party and eat too much food from time to time. ( I do eating competitions also) But because I enjoy training and trying to become the best me possible it's easier to do that and not go back to being a fat slob.

The one downside I can see from my path is joint pain and injury. The harder you push the more likely you are to injure yourself (in any sport). But if I didn't do anything then I'd be MUCH more likely to be at risk of diabetes (family history) and metabolic syndrome. So I'll take a little bit of joint pain over much more serious health issues any day.

And not that I have a big head or anything but I went from very low self esteem to feeling much more comfortably about my physical appearance too.

And FWIW, from all of the people I know and have trained I've never seen anyone completely reach their goal weight/physique and gone back to their old ways. Plenty give up along the way though. Typically, these are the ones who are in the sprint not marathon mindset with very restrictive eating habits.