is being skinny worth it?

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  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    If by skinny you mean fit, healthy, and looking great naked and in clothes of course. It's totally worth it. You feel better, look better, don't get winded going up 20 flights of stairs because the elevator is out. Everything else is also more consistent like wake/sleep patterns. The food tastes great too. If you think eating healthy taste bad then you need to invest in some cook books and learn how to feed yourself properly.
  • tryingsohard187
    tryingsohard187 Posts: 21
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    oh my god, this just made me really sad :(
  • strongereverday
    strongereverday Posts: 2
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    The biggest misconception... "eating foods they don't enjoy."

    As a fit person and extremely healthy eater I can guarantee you if I did not enjoy the foods I eat, I would not eat them. Eating healthy foods tastes awesome... better than anything else. Eating is nothing more than habit. Give up all the sugar and other additives and before you know it you'll only crave healthy foods. All the "cheat" foods you crave now will probably lose all their appeal.

    Not to mention skinny is relative. But it also takes care of itself when you just work on being active and eating better. Those things lead to nature weight loss. Of course it's a bit more complex than that.

    Just don't think that was in shape people do is torture because of most of them it's not... it's the most liberating way to live.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    is being skinny worth it? No, cuz I'm not doing this to be skinny, I'm doing it to be healthy, to be fit and strong and not to have an extra 100lbs on my arthritic knees.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I'm not interested in being skinny, I want to be healthy, fit and toned. I enjoy exercise and I enjoy healthy food. I don't starve myself and I enjoy little bits of 'bad' food now and again. I've been doing this for 16 months now (not been on MFP the whole time) and love it and it doesn't feel like effort at all.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    When I was going about everything wrong... it wasn't worth it.

    When I thought I had to drastically cut calories, it wasn't worth it. When I considered exercise to be a form of punishment for a slothful life, it wasn't worth it. When I thought I had to eat nothing but salads, it wasn't worth it. When I thought I had to avoid yummy foods, it wasn't worth it.

    It actually got to a point where I thought my two options were "Be miserable, and be thinner," or "Eat what I want and be a little heavier," I chose to be heavier. And that was the right decision at that time, because I was an idiot on my way to an eating disorder.

    Thankfully, I've since learned that it doesn't have to be that way. And it's worth it. It's even worth the hell and heartache I went through before, because now i know better and it's not a mystery or torture.
  • been285
    been285 Posts: 99 Member
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    It's something I want to try. ( being skinny ).
    I have tried OBESE and it was becoming a hassle.
    hard to buy clothes.
    could not fit in the regular roller coaster seats.
    hard to tie shoes.
    hard to get down on floor to play with the dog.
    hard to get up (see above)
    hard to get out of some chairs.

    Is being skinny worth it..... yeah for me,,, I think it will be.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    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?"

    I believe you can lose weight eating foods you like and do the exercises you want to do.
  • lovechicagobears
    lovechicagobears Posts: 289 Member
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    I just wanted to ride rollercoasters. It's a really bad feeling waiting 2 hours in line and then find out, you can't fit in the car. That happened to me....

    That happened to me several years ago. I really miss roller coasters, so I have "be small enough to go to Cedar Point again" as one of my goals. :)
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
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    I don't want to be skinny, but I love being slim and fit again! Yes, it's definitely worth the effort! Now that I'm back where I want to be, I'm eating the things I love, but not over-eating those things. I enjoy working out and getting stronger and faster. I like being able to do fun things and things that need to be done, without getting tired or winded. I like getting off the floor without having to get on my knees first and having to grab something to pull myself up. I like having normal blood pressure. I like not suffering with acid reflux or having to take "purple pills" that decrease my bone density.

    I would much rather exercise and watch what I eat than sit around eating junk food and trying to avoid mirrors. Life is actually easier and much more fun now that I'm fit!

    Skinny, generally, is not a desirable goal and has it's own associated health problems. On the other hand, fit and healthy are worthy goals. Our creator didn't design us for a lazy, gluttonous lifestyle. That lifestyle is not better than being active/productive and enjoying food in moderation.

    I hope you prove to yourself that being healthy and fit is worth the effort. I sincerely believe you'll be happy with the results. :flowerforyou:
  • Simone_King
    Simone_King Posts: 467 Member
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    I am not on this life style change to be skinny. There is no way I can be skinny and I won't even try!

    I just want a healthy weight.
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
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    I would say that being healthy is worth it. I love the exercises I do and the food I eat. MFP has helped me to think about living healthy in a healthy way. I am enjoying being fit and eating healthy food. I don't give a monkeys about what society says women should look like nor do I feel pressure to look a certain way. I want to live a long and healthy life and think most people who use MFP feel the same.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    really, is it worth all the time and effort that women put into eating foods they don't really love
    You're doing it wrong. I eat all the things I love.
    exercising when they'd rather not,
    You're doing that wrong too, exercise makes me feel great. If I don't "Feel" like it then I don't do it.
    and just not being truly happy to be "skinny?"
    If healthy eating and exercise is making you unhappy then you're REALLY doing it wrong.


    Change your perspective. Instead of trying to "DIET" to be skinny try eating to be healthy with moderate intake of the foods you love but aren't very good for you. Exercise for your health and if you really don't feel like it somedays .... don't do it.....
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
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    being healthy sure does and liking what i see in the mirror is an added bonus
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
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    I don't eat foods I don't like. I eat healthy foods that I like, and I eat some of my favorite "junk" food in small quantities. I never feel deprived. I think a lot of people are intimidated to lose weight because they think they have to eat nothing but celery and egg whites and can never touch a piece of pizza again.

    Honestly, I missed some of my favorite binge foods at first, but the longer I've kept at it, the more I don't want them. Eating junk like that makes me feel sick and bloated now. I feel so awesome on the days I get lots of protein and healthy foods that I can't imagine ever eating like that again.

    7 weeks in and this describes my feelings about my eating habits now.
  • sophie_wr
    sophie_wr Posts: 194 Member
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    Ofcourse I'd love to go in the store and get something in size 2.... Ofcourse I dream to be 120 pounds...
    but most importantly, and as already mentionned, I want to stay away as much as possible as overweight-obesity health conditions related.... Also loosing weight is the first treatment for PCOS....

    so for exercise just find something you enjoy - I love to be in the water so I do stuff related to that, and I swear when I scuba-dive I dont think 'i'm burning 600 calories/hour", I just enjoy myself.
    and for cardio, well I do zumba - fun and high calories burning.
    so just find something you like and it's gonna make things easier.

    For food, well I'm having a right time now, but the first 8 months, just counting calories with MFP... and I was still eating chocolate cake & cookies I swear !! Preferably home made cause at least I know what's in there !
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 819 Member
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    I think being more slender, or thinner if you will, is simply a by-product of being healthier. I did want my body to be smaller, but that's because I could SEE the fat, the rolls. My fat started to become more firm as my weight increased, causing my belly to look distended. From what I understand, this type of fat, known as visceral fat, is the type that surrounds your organs and raises your risk for all sorts of lovely little diseases and disorders.

    I didn't want to die just because I was too lazy to do something about it. So eating less of the junk and moving more is definitely worth it. I enjoy life so much more now. And do I like my reflection better? Sure I do. But it's the lack of wheezing when walking up stairs, being able to jog a mile without falling out, and running with my big ol' dogs that makes me happiest.
  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
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    There are already three pages of replies saying almost the same thing, so I won't repeat. ... But ...
    into eating foods they don't really love

    This is part of the problem. As a society, we have been completely duped by food manufacturers. Mass produced food filled with preservatives and chemicals to extend shelf life and over enhance flavor. Now days they even manage to create "low fat" and "low" everything else, making us think it is all great. Yet, when you really break down the label, they are deceitful and still full of crap.

    Think about the fact that most of these foods we "love" and would rather eat is essentially poison that has put most of us in the shape we are in.

    I won't even go down the whole "excess" road
  • purple_tux1
    purple_tux1 Posts: 250 Member
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    I don't feel any pressure to be skinny.I need to lose weight for health reasons.

    If you get heavy enough that your back and knees hurt and you are huffing and puffing going up a flight of stairs and your doctor warns you about diabetes, then you'll get it. For me, it's not about vanity at all.

    BTW, I eat foods I love and I enjoy exercising also. If you don't like walking, trying biking. If you don't like biking, try hiking. If you don't like hiking, try dancing. I believe everyone can find a form of exercise they like. Ditto for foods. There are so many foods to choose from, I'm sure there are some fruits and vegetables you can really enjoy.
  • C12254
    C12254 Posts: 198
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    Well....being fat isnt worth it. I know that. Its taken a toll on my happiness. my self esteem and essentially my relationship. Not because "society" says I should be skinny. But because *I* want to be happier. healthier. and feel good about my body. Id rather everything NOT jiggle when I walk...
    That being said im not eating diet foods or really working out. Im just not over eating (when im full i stop eating) and im more active with my kids (playing. running. going for a walk, etc). So basically me choosing to "get skinny" is helping my kids. my relationship with my kids. their happiness. and then it all goes back to my happiness. and my self esteem. so yes. id say its worth it.

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