When is it enough already?

avasano

I know people can make anything into a drug. When is enough, enough? Yes we all want to be fit, healthy, even skinny. I have a friend that has passed all of this, to unhealthy, skeletal and dangerous. How do I get her to see that weight loss can also develop into too much of a good thing. We are looking at hair and teeth loss on her. How can we get her to be happy? What is the end point?
I thought it may help if I can find out what other people's goals, and stopping points look like. What is your end goal? How do you know you have reached it? When are you good enough for yourself? Feedback please is appreciated.

McLifterPants

I see fitness as a lifelong journey. However, the key is in the terminology: "FITNESS", not weight loss. I set a body fat percentage goal for myself in the "athletic" range, and once I hit that point I will do my best to maintain it through diet and exercise. I'm very sorry about your friend, I have watched too many girls go through this. Unfortunately, at some point, many people become unable to see the truth and see a distorted view of themselves in the mirror. Aside from seeing a therapist, I don't know what to tell you on helping her get healthy again.

kdiamond

I see fitness as a lifelong journey. However, the key is in the terminology: "FITNESS", not weight loss. I set a body fat percentage goal for myself in the "athletic" range, and once I hit that point I will do my best to maintain it through diet and exercise.

Agree with this for myself (been maintaining for 7+ years now), but I know people are never going to be happy with themselves. That is unfortunate, but really there is nothing you can do except maybe set a healthy example for her to follow, as her friend. Other than that, she may need to seek therapy if it gets out of hand.

JesterMFP

If she's intentionally making herself thin enough to look skeletal, lose hair and teeth, that's gone far beyond "too much of a good thing". That's an eating disorder.

avasano

If she's intentionally making herself thin enough to look skeletal, lose hair and teeth, that's gone far beyond "too much of a good thing". That's an eating disorder.

She doesn't see that she is skeletal. She still thinks she can drop some more weight. She thinks the hair and teeth problems are unrelated. As we try to tell her nicely, she thinks we are just being jealous because we are still "fat." It is like she looks at everything with some weird distorted perception. It is so sad to see her this way.

avasano

Thanks guys, if anyone can offer positives to look for in your healthy bodies?

spikefoot

Staying fit and eating well is a lifelong thing in theory there should never be an end to it. If your perspective/body image gets twisted that is in an entirely different category, the two do not belong together just because they have similar traits. They are completely different.

You could argue that it doesn't progress into this but it just continues down the path to the set goal.