Rant, Skinny = Healthy

freerange

Ok this has been on my mind lately. I don’t know how many times I have seen losing weight equated with getting healthy; heck I’m sure I have done it before. They do not necessarily correlate. Before I go any further, I’m not saying being overweight is healthy either, I’m saying getting skinny, by any means, is not a guarantee of good health. There are many diseased, diabetic, unfit skinny people out there. A couple things brought this up in my mind, one is we hear all the time; “my friend Bob eats anything he wants and is thin, fit, healthy”, well he may be thin, but that is no measure of his fitness or his health.

Another thing I see a lot here is; Calories in v calories out is all that matters. If you follow the recommended MFP calories you will lose weight, that you don’t have to worry about where those calories come from. Well, true, BUT how has that affected your “health”? I agree that losing weight (if you are overweight or obese) is one of the best things you can do to “improve” your health, but there is much more to health than looks or size.

I commend everyone here for being here, it shows your interest in improving yourself, but I encourage you to take the next step, losing weight is a GREAT first step. Now educate yourself on “health” do more than lose weight get healthy.

vim_n_vigor

So true!

chevy88grl

You're absolutely right. Just because you stay under your calories doesn't mean you're eating healthy (and *I* know this for a fact!). You can eat crap all the time and manage to keep it under the calorie goal for the day. There's more to being healthy than simply being skinny.

brat4life

Very important concept...skinny=healthy. I can't help but think about how much damage is happening to a starved body - but it may not be evident until it's beyond severe.

gingerfoxxx

rant on, rant on! I am one of those skinny people, and i can attest that i am no where near healthy. And i struggle just as much every day to eat healthy and exercise. Its something you really have to change your life and commit too, thats why MFP is so awesome, because then you have a giant support network of (mostly) like-minded people)

And for everyone else, health catches up with you eventually.

Crystals422

My mom's friend that we have know for years has always been skinny and my mom would always envy her. Well this friend just had a heartattack from unhealthy eating. Just because you are skinny does not mean you are healthy. That is why I hate that when you are overweight and you go to the doctor whatever your are going there for they will try and say it is because of your weight.

anubis609

But "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!".....

DianaPowerUp

Great post, freerange. I totally agree! I know when I started here (last Dec.), I just wanted to loose weight, and get "skinny". But the longer I was here, and the more I read, the more I learned about NUTRITION, and how important it is to fuel your body with real, nutritious food.

Since that time (about 2 mos ago?), I've steadily lost weight, much more easily than before, and I've put on muscle. It's really amazing what your body will do for you when you treat it well.

Dkittery

I agree with you 100%. Before I found this website, I new a little about what to eat and what not to eat. I would exercise a ton and not realize how much I was eating. Thanks to this website and friends that have given advise (still trying to take it all in) I am changing my eating habits once again.... In hopes to be healthier and lose the extra fat that I do have.

freerange

But "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!".....

True, and the reason I get frustrated with people that say “I can’t”, as in, I can’t give up bread, I can’t eat spinach, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. BS You don’t want to, because you sure as heck can.

Can I change that saying a bit? Nothing taste as good as being healthy feels.

anubis609

But "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!".....

True, and the reason I get frustrated with people that say “I can’t”, as in, I can’t give up bread, I can’t eat spinach, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. BS You don’t want to, because you sure as heck can.

Can I change that saying a bit? Nothing taste as good as being healthy feels.

Seriously, please change that phrase. I loathe it. That's why I added the droolface. I can't stand seeing it posted like it's a serious motto of life. It just sounds like a slap waiting to happen. It's just me, personally, but "tasting as good as 'skinny' feels?" ... I just wanna rip my face off. /wrists

deathtaco

calories mean nothing without proper macros behind them!

LorinaLynn

I hate that phrase, too.

I've been skinny. It sucked. Chili's Jalapeno Smokehouse Big Mouth Burger is WAYYYYY better. :laugh: Maybe not every day, but once in a while, yummmmmm.

I posted this in another thread earlier today. It's me at 25 years old, and me in the same vintage swimsuit today at 38 and weighing probably about 20 pounds more.



That 25 year old was weak. She couldn't run to save her life... she thought she was going to die when when walked more than 2 miles. Her arms were like spaghetti noodles. She had a fantastic metabolism, though, and could eat whatever she wanted. Until she got a few years older and the metabolism slowed and she gained weight.

This 38 year old is strong. She eats well and exercises hard. She's gone from a wuss who couldn't run a quarter of a mile to participating in races, the longest so far being 5 miles. She's training to do a 10k in July. She gets frustrated when she puts out the garbage, and the garbagemen won't take it because it's "too heavy" for them. Wimps.

The scale is a nice guideline, but it's not the be all end all. A low weight doesn't mean diddly squat if you're not strong.

freerange

But "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!".....

True, and the reason I get frustrated with people that say “I can’t”, as in, I can’t give up bread, I can’t eat spinach, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. BS You don’t want to, because you sure as heck can.

Can I change that saying a bit? Nothing taste as good as being healthy feels.

Seriously, please change that phrase. I loathe it. That's why I added the droolface. I can't stand seeing it posted like it's a serious motto of life. It just sounds like a slap waiting to happen. It's just me, personally, but "tasting as good as 'skinny' feels?" ... I just wanna rip my face off. /wrists

Ok I got you, I a bit slow sometimes I wasn't looking at it like that. I was looking at it as a reply to excuses.

ladybg81

You are totally right!! There are a lot of people out there that could be considered "skinny fat." They are thin, but obviously not healthy for whatever reason. I like the saying "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" but everyone's "skinny" is not necessarily "stick." It could be a size 14 instead of a 0. The saying just me through some tough times and kept me focused on my goal when that snickers was screaming at me from the vending machine at work.

I also want to call BS on all the folks with the "OMG I could never count my calories, go low carb, etc, etc." If you truly want to make a change in LIFESTYLE and get healthy (whether that makes you "skinny" or not) then you can. I used to say the same thing until I started this. Now, I feel better than I have in years. I just wish I could convince everyone that says they can't, that yes you can and you will be a happier, healthier person for it.

freerange

I hate that phrase, too.

I've been skinny. It sucked. Chili's Jalapeno Smokehouse Big Mouth Burger is WAYYYYY better. :laugh: Maybe not every day, but once in a while, yummmmmm.

I posted this in another thread earlier today. It's me at 25 years old, and me in the same vintage swimsuit today at 38 and weighing probably about 20 pounds more.



That 25 year old was weak. She couldn't run to save her life... she thought she was going to die when when walked more than 2 miles. Her arms were like spaghetti noodles. She had a fantastic metabolism, though, and could eat whatever she wanted. Until she got a few years older and the metabolism slowed and she gained weight.

This 38 year old is strong. She eats well and exercises hard. She's gone from a wuss who couldn't run a quarter of a mile to participating in races, the longest so far being 5 miles. She's training to do a 10k in July. She gets frustrated when she puts out the garbage, and the garbagemen won't take it because it's "too heavy" for them. Wimps.

The scale is a nice guideline, but it's not the be all end all. A low weight doesn't mean diddly squat if you're not strong.

And may I add the older you IMHO is much hotter too.