are calories the only thing that matter?

calamitydown

not saying your reasoning is BS, i'm saying that it would be for me. i eat because i enjoy it, not because i want to turn wanting to "get healthy" into an eating disorder. already been down that road. plus, i wasn't referring to anything you personally said until the paragraph where i mentioned "OP". sorry you took that out of context

stephreed11

Well firstly, maybe they're not aiming to be healthy? Maybe they're just aiming to be smaller?

And secondly, healthy and healthier are completely subjective. Without knowing what the person used to be like, you have absolutely no idea what they're going through or how much effort it takes to be that much healthier, even if it doesn't look healthy to you.

Look at it this way, who deserves praise and support more
a) A person who eats completely clean and healthy, has excellent diet and looks fantastic. However, this person was raised eating clean and healthy, never had weight issues and was always fit.
OR
b) A person who eats 1500cals of junk a day, is overweight and struggling. However this person was raised, and used to eat 3000 cals of junk a day, was 50 pounds heavier and is working their *kitten* off to cut down to this level

For me, easy call. A is healthier, but is the one who needs and deserves the WTG and the support. In the case of B, that WTG post might be the motivation they need on a bad day to keep going. Or even better, to improve. And once they see the results, maybe that support will help them make little changes, one at a time, to improve their diet.

^ This!

stephreed11

This is an awesome topic & I'm really glad it was asked. Loved reading all of the responses. I'm struggling with this right now. I've struggled with weight & my image all my life. I hardly ate in high school (& when I did it was usually a salad), & would run at the track every night. I was one of those that thought I screwed up my entire day by eating a piece of chocolate. I was in great shape- but I wasn't "healthy" & I was always hungry & deprived. I now believe in "moderation" & am much happier. I'm also losing weight this way. I have seen from experience that I can eat crap as long as I stay within calorie goal & lose weight. But whether I just eat crap with all my calories, or I incorporate a balance of healthy foods as well, determines how I feel. I struggle with choosing a banana over a 100 cal pack (around same calories, one is obviously healthier). But as someone else said, we're adults who have to make our own decisions daily...one of those is what we decide to eat. It's a constant battle (with me at least). But I can say I'm much happier now then I was being in perfect shape in high school. I want to get back to (or around) that weight again, but I won't do it the same way. I'm working on finding my balance.