Be healthy, lose weight, or both?

NWCountryGal

When I first came here all I wanted was for that scale to go down. But when I started researching all "losing weight" entails, I realized that was not going to be my goal. My goal is now to get healthier by eating real foods and being active each day. Fat loss is a "bonus" to those things.

I encourage anyone who came here to watch the scale go down, to take some time to "do the research". There are so many EXCELLENT posts on any subject to do with fitness and nutrition. Lots of opinions but..you can make your own decision about what is right and wrong or at the very least, try some things out.

I want to lose fat, yesterday, but I traded that "want" in for some "meat on my bones" and also something that will last the rest of my life, a new life-style. No I don't want to be muscle-bound, just tone and hey, who says a 59 year old woman can't have a "hard body"? (No not the guy down the street:laugh: Ok, so that's a possibility, or maybe another bonus:laugh: )

This journey is fun and even exciting! I know you are thinking "she doesn't get out enough:laugh: " but knowledge is such a rush! Knowledge about how to build your body, not tear it down, knowledge of foods and how they work to build your body. I know this is getting boring for some. It would have been a thread I went on by in the beginning. I understand if you do disregard it. But maybe you will bookmark it or something and come back one day if you find watching that scale go down wasn't as awesome as you thought it was going to be, it left you with a lack of energy, and your body lighter but weak and even fragile.

I don't know, you find something great in this world and you just want to share it,

Denise:flowerforyou: :drinker: :drinker:

vidalar

Your journey sounds like mine. I would STILL like to see the number on the scale decrease; but more than ever, I REALLY want long-lasting health.

braves1girl

It took me too many years to come to the same realization! For far too long it was vanity that drove me to diet, thus I yo-yo'd every single time (which is even worse). And to top that off, I did it taking prescription diet pills! I am 45 yrs old and for the first time in my life, I'm doing it without diet pills and I feel great! I have been struggling with the whole "do I eat back my exercise calories" because since Feb. I have only lost 5 lbs! I have come to realize that I have to eat a net of at least 1200 calories. But for the first time, it is about being healthy. For that, I'm so grateful that my nutritionist told me about this website!

Lozze

I think it's very easy for people who don't have a lot to lose to claim health is their goal. For people who have 100+ lbs to lose losing the weight IS their way of getting healthy. Even now I'm still 70lbs/30kg overweight. I can focus on heavy lifting and only eating organic food and lose slower. Or I can continue with my weight loss and be even healthier.

Once I get into the overweight range I have the leisure of focussing on health. But while I'm in the obese category I won't be as healthy as I would like. Regardless of food or exercise.

marie_cressman

I also came for the weight loss, but changed to better health.

NWCountryGal

I believe we can have both, or have that scale say what we know is best for us;) Others are doing it why not us hey!! I have my weight goal set at 115 but it may not be that at all, maybe it's close but it's more of a shape(trade the pear shape in for the hour-glass:bigsmile: ) I am looking for:laugh: not a number. It took a bit for that to sink into my brain:noway: :drinker: :drinker:

Your journey sounds like mine. I would STILL like to see the number on the scale decrease; but more than ever, I REALLY want long-lasting health.

NWCountryGal

That's fabulous, what a smart nutritionist!! Thanks for sharing your story here, it helped me and I am betting it will help someone else as well;) denise

It took me too many years to come to the same realization! For far too long it was vanity that drove me to diet, thus I yo-yo'd every single time (which is even worse). And to top that off, I did it taking prescription diet pills! I am 45 yrs old and for the first time in my life, I'm doing it without diet pills and I feel great! I have been struggling with the whole "do I eat back my exercise calories" because since Feb. I have only lost 5 lbs! I have come to realize that I have to eat a net of at least 1200 calories. But for the first time, it is about being healthy. For that, I'm so grateful that my nutritionist told me about this website!

michellekicks

I think it's very easy for people who don't have a lot to lose to claim health is their goal. For people who have 100+ lbs to lose losing the weight IS their way of getting healthy. Even now I'm still 70lbs/30kg overweight. I can focus on heavy lifting and only eating organic food and lose slower. Or I can continue with my weight loss and be even healthier.

Once I get into the overweight range I have the leisure of focussing on health. But while I'm in the obese category I won't be as healthy as I would like. Regardless of food or exercise.

This is very true.

For some who have a lot of weight to lose, it's probably more important to hurry up and get as much of the fat off as possible as quickly as possible. But it's probably equally important to transition to more healthful eating, resistance training etc. once the fat on your body is no longer posing a risk to your organs.

LorinaLynn

I didn't think I would lose weight when I joined here, because every weight loss attempt in the past had been torture or failed. I thought my body was just at it's happy place, at the high end of normal... or low end of overweight.

All I really wanted to do was get fit enough to run a 5k and hopefully be able to sort of keep up with my brother and his daughter in Warrior Dash.

Now I've run about a dozen or more races, even caught a few medals along the way, was able to pass my brother in my 2nd race, and while I haven't actually beaten my 25 year old niece (we haven't run together in a long time) I have beaten her best time.

And lost the weight I never thought I would. :happy:

ryansgram

Very well written, thanks for posting. I think for me it was both. I needed to lose weight and get healthy. My cholesterol is normal for the first time in years. And my joints aren't as sore as they were when i was heavier. Heres to good health:drinker:

jayliospecky

I didn't think I would lose weight when I joined here, because every weight loss attempt in the past had been torture or failed. I thought my body was just at it's happy place, at the high end of normal... or low end of overweight.

All I really wanted to do was get fit enough to run a 5k and hopefully be able to sort of keep up with my brother and his daughter in Warrior Dash.

Now I've run about a dozen or more races, even caught a few medals along the way, was able to pass my brother in my 2nd race, and while I haven't actually beaten my 25 year old niece (we haven't run together in a long time) I have beaten her best time.

And lost the weight I never thought I would. :happy:

I'd love to be able to say this someday.

In the meantime, I am focusing on fitness goals (trying to, at least) and we'll see where that leads me. I've lost a whopping 0.6 pounds in the last 6 weeks, but I am getting much more fit. I can run for miles now, and I was always the person who could barely run a few hundred feet in the past. My resting heart rate is going down, and the weights on my dumbbells are going up. I feel good about all of that.

NWCountryGal

We all have that choice don't we, I think I mentioned that. I do want to say here that you don't know how I feel about myself, or the excess fat on my body. You don't know what is easy for me and what is not because you aren't in my shoes. I also don't know anything about being in yours.

I wish you success in your weightloss, it is just not the way I choose to do mine and I want to share what I am doing if it's something others might be interested in. That's all, denise:drinker: :drinker:

I think it's very easy for people who don't have a lot to lose to claim health is their goal. For people who have 100+ lbs to lose losing the weight IS their way of getting healthy. Even now I'm still 70lbs/30kg overweight. I can focus on heavy lifting and only eating organic food and lose slower. Or I can continue with my weight loss and be even healthier.

Once I get into the overweight range I have the leisure of focussing on health. But while I'm in the obese category I won't be as healthy as I would like. Regardless of food or exercise.

NWCountryGal

I think it is a wise decision. I am glad I came to it as well:drinker: :drinker: denise

I also came for the weight loss, but changed to better health.

NWCountryGal

This was an awesome read;) It's almost as if I am so focused on nutrition and fitness I am thinking of the fat less and less and it is melting away, not at any highspeed but I feel great because I am busy, I am energized by the foods I'm eating. Like I wrote somewhere, can't remember, prolly need brain food:laugh: losing fat is going to just be a bonus;)

I didn't think I would lose weight when I joined here, because every weight loss attempt in the past had been torture or failed. I thought my body was just at it's happy place, at the high end of normal... or low end of overweight.

All I really wanted to do was get fit enough to run a 5k and hopefully be able to sort of keep up with my brother and his daughter in Warrior Dash.

Now I've run about a dozen or more races, even caught a few medals along the way, was able to pass my brother in my 2nd race, and while I haven't actually beaten my 25 year old niece (we haven't run together in a long time) I have beaten her best time.

And lost the weight I never thought I would. :happy:

NWCountryGal

Awesome, and I so agree on the combo, congrats on your health AND weightloss, wtg, denise:drinker: :drinker:

Very well written, thanks for posting. I think for me it was both. I needed to lose weight and get healthy. My cholesterol is normal for the first time in years. And my joints aren't as sore as they were when i was heavier. Heres to good health:drinker:

NWCountryGal

All these success stories are giving me chills, good chills!! I am so proud of your courage and willingness to look at the "big picture". I think that is the key, looking at all aspects instead of just focusing on say, the scale;)

I didn't think I would lose weight when I joined here, because every weight loss attempt in the past had been torture or failed. I thought my body was just at it's happy place, at the high end of normal... or low end of overweight.

All I really wanted to do was get fit enough to run a 5k and hopefully be able to sort of keep up with my brother and his daughter in Warrior Dash.

Now I've run about a dozen or more races, even caught a few medals along the way, was able to pass my brother in my 2nd race, and while I haven't actually beaten my 25 year old niece (we haven't run together in a long time) I have beaten her best time.

And lost the weight I never thought I would. :happy:

I'd love to be able to say this someday.

In the meantime, I am focusing on fitness goals (trying to, at least) and we'll see where that leads me. I've lost a whopping 0.6 pounds in the last 6 weeks, but I am getting much more fit. I can run for miles now, and I was always the person who could barely run a few hundred feet in the past. My resting heart rate is going down, and the weights on my dumbbells are going up. I feel good about all of that.

sunnyside1213

Well said Denise. I agree with everything you said, but for people with a lot to lose, getting it off IS getting healthy. I am prediabetic and have high cholesteral, but can't take statins. Way to many side effects. So, losing weight is my way to getting healthier.

NWCountryGal

I agree for those like yourself that have doctors orders. This is a whole other plan of action and I should have written that in my OP;) Glad you pointed it out Sunny! Very good for us all to remember.

denise:drinker: :drinker:

Well said Denise. I agree with everything you said, but for people with a lot to lose, getting it off IS getting healthy. I am prediabetic and have high cholesteral, but can't take statins. Way to many side effects. So, losing weight is my way to getting healthier.

FlaxMilk

I think it's very easy for people who don't have a lot to lose to claim health is their goal. For people who have 100+ lbs to lose losing the weight IS their way of getting healthy. Even now I'm still 70lbs/30kg overweight. I can focus on heavy lifting and only eating organic food and lose slower. Or I can continue with my weight loss and be even healthier.

Once I get into the overweight range I have the leisure of focussing on health. But while I'm in the obese category I won't be as healthy as I would like. Regardless of food or exercise.

I am guessing you mean because of motivation? Because I think anyone can eat healthy foods, regardless of their weight. But I absolutely agree that if someone who is very overweight has the motivation to eat less but not necessarily more healthy foods and exercise, that is a big step to getting healthier. It's definitely the better choice to do what you can than nothing at all.