Being skinny or looking good doesnt mean you are healthy

Sidesteal

Why can't people just do what works for them and stop condeming others?

Who is condemning someone?

"Some people fasting, some people eating less than 1000 calories a day, some people saying that since they have so many calories left that they can eat fried meat and its okay..."

Sounds like condemnation to me. I don't understand why the original poster thinks they know what's "okay" for other people's bodies.

Thanks for clarifying.

angelalawsons

Well Im NO pro at all. Im always learning new things related to nutrition, vitamins etc. But I have been spending most of my life trying to be healthy. Like i said in my first post i was so wrong when i was young. Thinking that being skinny was good enough. Its not. I mean when i was young i could run on the treadmill every day for a week and eat extremely lighty and drop weight quick. As I got older it didnt work that way. I paid attention to fat grams back then rather than calories, carbs, sodium and glucose. So I was way off. I have exercised a lot , drank 8 glasses of water a day from the age of 14 and taken vitamins through out my life. But anyhow at this point (age 36 with 3 children) Ive decided that keeping my diet close to earth is best. The fresher the better and try to stay away from packaged processed foods. Ive very recently decided to watch my carb intake because that will lower sugar intake as well and this program tells me i go over every day :-O So thats where im at. And i need to exercise SIX days a week if i want to see my body change. Otherwise IT stays the exact same. :-) But Im not trying to rush to any certain weight. I woud however like to be more toned. Thats a work inprocess

Vercell

I agree! I may be 287 lbs but I dont have a weight loss goal. I am focused on becoming the healthiest version of me. Which includes providing my body nutrients and moving my body everyday.

obrendao

Everything in moderation right??? I just feel like health should be put first.

just want to say NO to everything in moderation......please dont try and moderate my SEX, CHOCOLATE, PRAYER and CLEANING......who wants sex in moderation? See no hands.....so no not EVERYTHING in moderation :0)

disclaimer....of course this is made to be a joke, for a laugh, so before you get offended realize its FUNNY. thanks

Jess

LOL I am with you!! Heheeee that was cute...

NWCountryGal

Excellent!! Wayyyyyyyy Excellent;)

Ive been watching people. Some people fasting, some people eating less than 1000 calories a day, some people saying that since they have so many calories left that they can eat fried meat and its okay. But If you want long lasting results and health results that extend life you really need to change the way you eat permanently. Being healthy is NOT just about looking good. When I was young i thought it was cute to be skinny and eat three plates of pasta. I thought it was okay to eat healthy monday through friday and then pig out on the weekends. But once I got older and had to start thinking about blood pressure and wow my physical showed that my glucose level is high. Are these things i should worry about even though the doctor tells me there is nothing to worry about? Now I try to eat healthy everyday. I try to eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, lentils, fish. I try NOT to eat fast food or restaurant foods. Altough I DO get weak some times. I eat too much.....Im working on correcting THAT. I take a liquid vitamin every day, along with 2000 iu of vitamin d , all of the omega oils and co q10. I dont drink coffee anymore instead I have 1 cup of green or black tea in the morning and I take a tablespoon of a home remedy mixture every morning that consists of ginger, garlic, lemon, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Does anybody else care this much about their health? If so please add me. Because Im having a difficult time relating to people who starve to get skinny and to look cute in a dress for weekend binge drinking. Id like to have several people on my friends list who truly want to eat and be healthy.

chivalryder

Why can't people just do what works for them and stop condeming others?

We aren't condemning them. She's making a point that people are doing very unhealthy things, in an attempt to be healthy. If you under-eat, and lose a lot of weight doing so, you're putting yourself at greater health risk than when you were obese. It's been proven that this happens to anyone. It's not a "everyone is different" situation. Sure, we're all different, but we're all human. Our bodies all generally work the same way.

Vercell

I like that is a great goal, cause focusing on a scale will drive you crazy.

PunkyRachel

I agree totally with you, it is a lifestyle change and I am still learning and my main motivation is health, not to be skinny. I still eat fast food, about 1-2 times a month. I do go out to eat a couple times a month to sit down restaurants. I go to small orders now instead of large and try for healthier options as well. Just this week, I had dinner out with my hubby and I asked for a to go box and put half away before I started eating. I knew I'd over eat if I didn't, sure the waitress laughed at me, I don't care her option.

AABru

I agree with OP on one main point...starving your body will not end up well. But even if I cringe inwardly at some people's diets and exercise habits, I rarely mention it because there is someone cringing at mine as well. I TRY to eat well, but I also want to look and feel my best. I maintain the moderation idea...sometimes EVEN with sex. :blushing: And moderation in my life includes alcohol and fast food...always, always keeping in mind that my children are watching though!

obrendao

Well Im NO pro at all. Im always learning new things related to nutrition, vitamins etc. But I have been spending most of my life trying to be healthy. Like i said in my first post i was so wrong when i was young. Thinking that being skinny was good enough. Its not. I mean when i was young i could run on the treadmill every day for a week and eat extremely lighty and drop weight quick. As I got older it didnt work that way. I paid attention to fat grams back then rather than calories, carbs, sodium and glucose. So I was way off. I have exercised a lot , drank 8 glasses of water a day from the age of 14 and taken vitamins through out my life. But anyhow at this point (age 36 with 3 children) Ive decided that keeping my diet close to earth is best. The fresher the better and try to stay away from packaged processed foods. Ive very recently decided to watch my carb intake because that will lower sugar intake as well and this program tells me i go over every day :-O So thats where im at. And i need to exercise SIX days a week if i want to see my body change. Otherwise IT stays the exact same. :-) But Im not trying to rush to any certain weight. I woud however like to be more toned. Thats a work inprocess

I am with you as far as staying away from packaged processed foods. I also have changed my eating to a mostly plant-based diet and most of my protein comes from legumes, some dairy and eggs. I try not to eat much meat or poultry at all. If I do I have to choose organic which is costly. I'll do fish sometimes.

Eliminating sugar has been my best weapon. No refined carbs, white grains, white potatoes, white rice etc, No sweets, sugar drinks, or added sugars (ketchup, sauces, etc). Now blood sugar is great and BP is stellar.

I also exercise 6 days a week and on the 7th I still walk two miles...

Focus on being toned and leaner and measuring the waist and hips and less looking at the scale.

zyxst

For me, it's skinny first, health second. Why? If I get rid of 150# and get down to the prescribed "healthy" weight, my doctor might, just might, realize that the health problems I do have aren't because I'm super fat.

phnx72

Why can't people just do what works for them and stop condeming others?

We aren't condemning them. She's making a point that people are doing very unhealthy things, in an attempt to be healthy. If you under-eat, and lose a lot of weight doing so, you're putting yourself at greater health risk than when you were obese. It's been proven that this happens to anyone. It's not a "everyone is different" situation. Sure, we're all different, but we're all human. Our bodies all generally work the same way.

I would have to diagree, I believe it is an "everyone's different" situation. I agree with the sentiments of the OP but how could you simplify health and nutrition to some standard that everyone must meet to be "healthy" in your eyes?

angelalawsons

Im not judging anybody. Im just saying I want people on my profile that have similar goals. Putting health first. Id be interested in knowing how exactly fasting is healthy for our bodies. Becuause dont we need a certain amount of vitamins daily? I mean .. if somebody is keeping an eye on their iron level or a diabetic lets say who keeps an eye on sugar goes without food for a day isnt that unhealthy???? Im just wondering. I know nothing about it so.....

phnx72

Im not judging anybody. Im just saying I want people on my profile that have similar goals. Putting health first. Id be interested in knowing how exactly fasting is healthy for our bodies. Becuause dont we need a certain amount of vitamins daily? I mean .. if somebody is keeping an eye on their iron level or a diabetic lets say who keeps an eye on sugar goes without food for a day isnt that unhealthy???? Im just wondering. I know nothing about it so.....

I'm sorry if my comments are offensive, I don't mean to be at all. I was just addressing something that caught me off guard in your post because I generally agree with you said. I'm not an expert by any means, I'm just resistant to the idea that there is a "one size fits all" road to health. As with most things in nature, this is never the case.

Sidesteal

Im not judging anybody. Im just saying I want people on my profile that have similar goals. Putting health first. Id be interested in knowing how exactly fasting is healthy for our bodies. Becuause dont we need a certain amount of vitamins daily? I mean .. if somebody is keeping an eye on their iron level or a diabetic lets say who keeps an eye on sugar goes without food for a day isnt that unhealthy???? Im just wondering. I know nothing about it so.....

Certain people may have medical conditions that could require them to be mindful of food intake beyond what everyone else may need to monitor. However, generally speaking the human body is WAY smarter and more resilient then we give it credit for. I'm not going to label fasting as good or bad without context, but suffice it to say that "most" people who fast are referring to 16h or 24h intermittent fasting. Based on the research I've looked at, there's nothing inherently dangerous about it and for many, it allows them to hit their nutritional targets with ease, and that's critical regardless of your eating schedule.

nrvo

Fried meat is delicious. I'm just sayin'.

jetscreaminagain

For me, it's skinny first, health second. Why? If I get rid of 150# and get down to the prescribed "healthy" weight, my doctor might, just might, realize that the health problems I do have aren't because I'm super fat.

Wouldn't it be a wonderful outcome if you did lose your 150# and found out that your health problems went away? That would be awesome. I've argued with my doctor about a health problem and I was convinced that it was one thing that someone in my family has and not the thing my doctor said. I sort of put my foot down and said I wanted all the tests. I went and had all the tests (2 days at the Mayo Clinic and NOT fun) but the result? It was what my doctor said. And you know what? I'm glad he was right, because I don't want what my family member has. (But I am glad to have ruled it out).

Anyway I wanted to say to the OP that I totally agree with your sentiment about doing unhealthy things to get skinny or looking good. However, my main argument when I came in this thread was "well, it depends on what 'looking good' means". [ I am not intending to skinny bash here and will do my best to word my thoughts in a way that expresses my feelings without expressing body hate for another person.] I don't think skinny looks good. I lift weights. I do some cardio that I feel I have good health, but I'm not anywhere near what a marathoner can do in terms of endurance. But I lift weights and I try to watch what I eat. I find that what I think looks good--muscle tone, lower body fat--correlates with healthy. It isn't starved with thinning hair and atrophied muscle (I am thinking of someone I know and worry about here because I care about here). It isn't overly bulky with excess fat percentage beyond the healthy range. What I think looks good happens to take a good deal of discipline, resistance training (which builds a musculature that prevents injury and builds bone strength) and mostly good eating.

So if we think about what "looks good" and adjust it to something that looks healthy not starved/emaciated like a runway model, not roided up and unnatual, not with excess fat that is at an unhealthy percentage, then what looks good does mean healthy and you have to do things that are healthy to get there.

CajunNino

I have said it before and I'll say it again...Being "fit" is an optical illusion. Example: By looks, who is more fit, the 300 lb man with the fat gut or the sexy runway model in the bikini? On looks alone the bikini model looks much better, so she's obviously the fit one.
However, you discover that the 300lb man plays in the NFL as an offensive lineman and pushes big strong men up and down a 100 yd field all game long every Sunday. Whereas the bikini model cannot run up a flight of stairs without passing out because her diet consists of 3 crackers and a diet coke. How many 300 lb football players are there? Too many to count. I don't dare say they are currently unhealthy. Save the 'after retirement' speech about health and eating habits...I'm talking about current health.

It's about doing more.... not what the measuring tape says.

pblack53

Hi I'm Pamela. I've never been a part of an exercise message board with the intent to encourage each other in being healthier.. Do you pick someone who you resonate with and send them a private message or is this the encouragement place? Be patient now. I'm very sincere.

rileysowner

Why can't people just do what works for them and stop condeming others?

Who is condemning someone?

"Some people fasting, some people eating less than 1000 calories a day, some people saying that since they have so many calories left that they can eat fried meat and its okay..."

Sounds like condemnation to me. I don't understand why the original poster thinks they know what's "okay" for other people's bodies.

For that matter, unless you are specific about fasting, short term, what is called intermittent fasting, has been shown to have great health benefits. Our bodies are not made to be constantly fed.