is being skinny worth it?

ChefTJP

Obviously healthy is the primary goal but to be brutally honest I want to be skinny as well. Society has such a negative take on "overweight people". It is sad and unfortunately, I have let that perception ruin my relationship with my wife b/c I wasn't string enough to see that she loved me for me not my weight.

I don't believe in being skinny at all costs though! I work at it and will continue to work at it everyday of my life. MFP is my savior in alot of ways. Great support - my friends always know exactly what to say.

Flamenquero

really, is it worth all the time and effort that women put into eating foods they don't really love, exercising when they'd rather not, and just not being truly happy to be "skinny?" what do men/women really think about skinny women, and what do you women think about society and feeling like you must achieve a certain body image to be considered attractive? do you wish you could just eat and not exercise and let your body do what it wants and be happy like that, or do you feel content with eating diet foods or restricting calories, daily exercise, and feeling the pressure to be skinny?

this is not meant to offend anyone of any body type, i'm just curious as to what you all think! society frustrates me sometimes.

It's worth the effort to be fit. Our bodies were not designed for the sedentary lifestyles we live today. This is what causes ill health like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. The reason we find being thin attractive is because thin, or I should say lithe, is the way we were designed to be. We don't spend enough time doing physical labor, hence we don't burn the calories we ingest. Food is also very easy to prepare, much more so than even in my grandmother's day. Hence we eat more calories than in the old days. This is why we get fat.

Do it for your health. The head-turning from the improved appearance is simply a side benefit.

meggonkgonk

really, is it worth all the time and effort that women put into eating foods they don't really love, exercising when they'd rather not, and just not being truly happy to be "skinny?" what do men/women really think about skinny women, and what do you women think about society and feeling like you must achieve a certain body image to be considered attractive? do you wish you could just eat and not exercise and let your body do what it wants and be happy like that, or do you feel content with eating diet foods or restricting calories, daily exercise, and feeling the pressure to be skinny?

this is not meant to offend anyone of any body type, i'm just curious as to what you all think! society frustrates me sometimes.

I think you are asking a much bigger question than you realize. Being skinny? No. Not worth making yourself miserable over. But being healthy, both mentally and physically, is worth striving for. But that includes finding things to enjoy that aren't pizza, finding activity that you love to do, enjoying food and drink in balance with life as a whole. Because just eating whatever you want isn't often worth it either.

Being attractive isn't about being skinny. It's about being awesome. No matter what size you are.

Everything is about balance.

Kerri_is_so_very

really, is it worth all the time and effort that women put into eating foods they don't really love, exercising when they'd rather not, and just not being truly happy to be "skinny?" what do men/women really think about skinny women, and what do you women think about society and feeling like you must achieve a certain body image to be considered attractive? do you wish you could just eat and not exercise and let your body do what it wants and be happy like that, or do you feel content with eating diet foods or restricting calories, daily exercise, and feeling the pressure to be skinny?

this is not meant to offend anyone of any body type, i'm just curious as to what you all think! society frustrates me sometimes.

If this is how you feel, you're doing it wrong.

loserbaby84

Society tells women to be skinny every day ..

We've been brainwashed that if you are not skinny, you are wrong. Sad but true. Some of us can not break free of this mentality so striving to be skinny is the ultimate goal.

Slowly, as society evolves and people have noticed such drastic stereotypes the thought process has changed to "healthy" and "fit". Now, those words mean something different to alot of people..

cbk93

Being skinny and eating foods you don't enjoy...NO! Being healthy, confident, fit and strong; finding foods that taste good and are healthy for you...YES!!

supplemama

Yes, being 'skinny' or rather being fit, healthy and trim is worth it!!

I wonder when I look at obese people if all that gluttony and sloth is worth the strain and pain and sickness they put on their bodies.

When I was obese and had a health scare back in January, it was definitely NOT worth it to me any more! to keep eating and eating whenever and whatever I wanted to, to not exercise, to not care about my own health (and thus happiness, because when you are sick sick sick it's hard to be happy).

I don't always like exercise, and there are plenty of times I get a little ticked off that I can't/don't stuff my face anymore, but YES it is worth it!!!

DrMAvDPhD

I see a lot of people saying it's not worth it just to be skinny but it is to be healthy, I think that mindset can really depend on where you're at or your starting point. I'm already healthy, there probably won't be a lot of benefits health-wise to me losing another 20lb. but it wouldn't be unhealthy either. Healthy is so subjective anyways, what does it even mean? being able to do a certain amount of push ups, run a mile, good blood work, clean diet, etc? (that's a rhetorical question, not actually looking for an answer).

I think a lot of people feel the need to justify wanting to lose weight by saying they're doing it to be healthier because they feel that it's not okay to admit that it's for vanity reasons. I know that's not the case with everyone who says that, but I have a suspicion that it applies to more than want to admit it.

I think you are missing the point entirely. I mean, you TOO are doing this to be healthy. You want to have a HEALTHY self esteem which is linked to your level of body acceptance. This is true for many women. Mental health is just as (and in some cases) more important as a motivator.

And, I seriously doubt you will achieve that mental health if you lose 20 more pounds but do it the wrong way and end up just as flabby as you are at a higher weight. Hence, the physical health side of losing weight will also matter to you, whether or not you realize it.

caseythirteen

I've always been thin so what I do is not really to lose weight or be "skinny". Sure, I could have lost a few pounds and I did, but what I'm doing this time around is so much different. Now that I'm lifting weights I realize how much stronger and fit I can be. I can be more active with my 10 year old son because I can keep up with him better. I can feel good for the day because I started my day busting hump at the gym. Does looking better in a bikini also feel good? Heck yea! And yes, it is one of the reasons I wanted to change my body, but I'm not suffering to do it. I enjoy going to the gym and I eat plenty (between 1700-1900 calories a day) and good tasty food. I don't eat much sweats any more but not because I'm sacrificing, because I've really lost the taste for them.

1shauna1

Hope I don't get bashed for this, but yes, I want to be thin (different than skinny, I think). Healthy (I have always been healthy) and strong yes, also, but my goal is to be thin. It is sad but society does treat thinner people different. That is not why I want to be thin; I've been miserable being overweight since I was 20. I remember what it was like to be thin (of course then I wasn't happy with my body either). Now my goal isn't to be AS thin as I was back then, but I have a goal in mind (I think I would still be classified as overweight but I will be happy) and am working towards that.

MissTattoo

I see a lot of people saying it's not worth it just to be skinny but it is to be healthy, I think that mindset can really depend on where you're at or your starting point. I'm already healthy, there probably won't be a lot of benefits health-wise to me losing another 20lb. but it wouldn't be unhealthy either. Healthy is so subjective anyways, what does it even mean? being able to do a certain amount of push ups, run a mile, good blood work, clean diet, etc? (that's a rhetorical question, not actually looking for an answer).

I think a lot of people feel the need to justify wanting to lose weight by saying they're doing it to be healthier because they feel that it's not okay to admit that it's for vanity reasons. I know that's not the case with everyone who says that, but I have a suspicion that it applies to more than want to admit it.

I think you are looking at it incorrectly. Of course people want to lose weight to feel great about themselves. But no one loses 100+ pounds for vanity. They do it for health. They do it because the doctor says if they don't then they will die early. A doctor doesn't say, Oh, lose 100 pounds so you look banging in those jeans. Most people aren't on MFP to lose vanity pounds. A majority of people are doing it for health or future health.

Like I said in my reply, I would be lying if I didn't say I didn't care about the way I will look 100 pounds lighter, but I'm not striving to fit into a pair of skinny jeans. I'm striving to not have a heart attack before 30 (and it's happened to 1 classmate already and we just celebrated our 10 year high school reunion) or have diabetes (I have friends 28-32 that have diabetes) or heart disease (a friends sister died of heart disease at 37) I don't want to become so out of control that I have to use a wheelchair at the stores or become immobile.

Tinytaru

I want to be skinny but not ana-skinny and still be able to eat a pizza here and there
unfortunately, the skinnies are treated better than overweight, like when you apply for a job, companies (almost always) pick the sikkny over the "average"

grrrlface

I get told quite a lot that I am skinny and it is totally worth it!

Im more happy, more confident, I can fit into cute clothes that I looked awful in before!

That and I get a lot more attention, even from strangers on the street. They come up and compliment my clothes and how great they look! Love it!

MissTattoo

I want to be skinny but not ana-skinny and still be able to eat a pizza here and there
unfortunately, the skinnies are treated better than overweight, like when you apply for a job, companies (almost always) pick the sikkny over the "average"

Do you have a source for this?

_lizzie_

I get told quite a lot that I am skinny and it is totally worth it!

Im more happy, more confident, I can fit into cute clothes that I looked awful in before!

That and I get a lot more attention, even from strangers on the street. They come up and compliment my clothes and how great they look! Love it!

This happens to me now and it never used to, I love it too..It still catches me by surprise sometimes and Im look around like "who, mua?" :laugh: It wasn't my goal, my goal is ripped which by definition means thin but I don't mind the comments. To me though, they usually say "You are so tiny!" because I'm also only 5ft tall :-) Then they compliment the way I dress, I think because I never used to have the guts to dress the way I wanted! I wear a blazer and riding boots to class because I wanna now :happy:

Yes, I'd say having confidence and health benefits that comes with the "skinny" is worth it, to echo some other posters...also, like I said, I'm going for strong and its pretty nice to be this small and still be able to lift heavy things ;-) Find something you love, and doing it wont feel like such a chore. I love to lift, and I love to eat lots of protein and calories in general; its the perfect combo, and I don't mind doing it every day.

Tinytaru

I want to be skinny but not ana-skinny and still be able to eat a pizza here and there
unfortunately, the skinnies are treated better than overweight, like when you apply for a job, companies (almost always) pick the skinny over the "average"

Do you have a source for this?

well, a friend of my dad works in the staff department and before they even read the applications, they look at the photo and decide then if they even wanna see the rest of the application, and he said they reject the "ugly" and "fat" ones

I also see it myself, I want a new job, keep applying (with great refenrences, skills etc) but I hardly get invited to interviews, ok here I don't know for sure its cos of my overweight, but its the only reason I could imagine so *shrug*


(maybe its just the grumpy-me that sses everything pessimistic tho xD )

MissTattoo

I want to be skinny but not ana-skinny and still be able to eat a pizza here and there
unfortunately, the skinnies are treated better than overweight, like when you apply for a job, companies (almost always) pick the skinny over the "average"

Do you have a source for this?

well, a friend of my dad works in the staff department and before they even read the applications, they look at the photo and decide then if they even wanna see the rest of the application, and he said they reject the "ugly" and "fat" ones

I also see it myself, I want a new job, keep applying (with great refenrences, skills etc) but I hardly get invited to interviews, ok here I don't know for sure its cos of my overweight, but its the only reason I could imagine so *shrug*


(maybe its just the grumpy-me that sses everything pessimistic tho xD )

When did you start having to have photos attached to your resumes?

Tinytaru

I want to be skinny but not ana-skinny and still be able to eat a pizza here and there
unfortunately, the skinnies are treated better than overweight, like when you apply for a job, companies (almost always) pick the skinny over the "average"

Do you have a source for this?

well, a friend of my dad works in the staff department and before they even read the applications, they look at the photo and decide then if they even wanna see the rest of the application, and he said they reject the "ugly" and "fat" ones

I also see it myself, I want a new job, keep applying (with great refenrences, skills etc) but I hardly get invited to interviews, ok here I don't know for sure its cos of my overweight, but its the only reason I could imagine so *shrug*


(maybe its just the grumpy-me that sses everything pessimistic tho xD )

When did you start having to have photos attached to your resumes?

always have to in Germany ;x

I even tried applying w/o photo and I didn't even get an answer at all

rachelbethany

Honestly, I started MFP mainly to lose some pounds/get in better shape, but I have come to find that my mental health is 90% better when I'm eating healthily and exercising regularly. If the only benefit of this lifestyle were being skinny, then, no, it probably wouldn't be worth it to me. Then again, I like all the foods I eat; I'm a veggie lover. I do love dairy, but I don't try to cut it out to be skinny; I'm super lactose intolerant and get very sick/bloated for days if I eat much dairy. Otherwise, I'd allow myself to eat small amounts of any food I want. It's all about balance. But I know that every time I "mess up" (like yesterday, when I ate Mexican food-- chicken chimichanga and the works, covered in queso-- and tons of homemade cookies), I feel worse mentally and physically. Gaining weight is not the main issue with "messing up" for me. So . . . yes. A healthier, balanced lifestyle is totally worth it, for so many reasons. But being skinny is not the number one reason at all.

WendyTerry420

really, is it worth all the time and effort that women put into eating foods they don't really love, exercising when they'd rather not, and just not being truly happy to be "skinny?" what do men/women really think about skinny women, and what do you women think about society and feeling like you must achieve a certain body image to be considered attractive? do you wish you could just eat and not exercise and let your body do what it wants and be happy like that, or do you feel content with eating diet foods or restricting calories, daily exercise, and feeling the pressure to be skinny?

this is not meant to offend anyone of any body type, i'm just curious as to what you all think! society frustrates me sometimes.

I have never been "skinny" and have never held that as a goal. I want to get fit and to have a normal amount of body fat instead of excessive fat.