if health is #1, what is your #2 reason to lose weight?

Definitely to look good. At 64, obviously health is #1. After looking at pictures taken this weekend at the Rangers Fanfest, I want to look a whole lot skinnier at next year's event!

To anyone who frowns on people for being shallow because they want to look good: you must not know how exilerating it is to love how you look. People also treat you better, you get paid and promoted more, and you have a broader range of relationship prospects. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look good. Everyone wants it, and regardless of what anyone says, it does improve the quality of your life tremendously.

Every single bit of that is probably true... and yet, how can one possibly put that above good health? I can't fathom it.

Then again, I have a VERY rich friend who swears he would rather be dead than poor.

You're missing the bigger pictures.

Every one of us is on here because we want something that, from our own (sometimes warped) perspective, we don't have. For people who have health concerns, a big part of this is probably healthy. For people who feel fat or weak or slow, it's to get leaner or stronger or faster. For people with self image issues, it's to feel better about ourselves.

SEE! So mental heath counts when it comes to self image! Finally a place to meet in the middle with vanity and health.

#2 to reduce the chance that my kids would be bullied in school for having the fat mom.

Health first, then energy level, then appearance!!!

To anyone who frowns on people for being shallow because they want to look good: you must not know how exilerating it is to love how you look. People also treat you better and think more highly of you, you get paid and promoted more, and you have a broader range of relationship prospects. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look good. Everyone wants it, and regardless of what anyone says, it does improve the quality of your life tremendously.

I don't think it's shallow to want to look good, nor is it wrong to want to do so, and I'm fully in support of everyone who wants to look better!

However, not everyone wants that -- I think it's one of the things that kept me from losing weight. When I was thin, I got too much of the wrong sort of attention (if you know what I mean). I found that frightening at times (partly because I'm somewhat introverted, and partly some lingering childhood trauma crap). Now I think I'm old enough that the creepy people will leave me alone, and even if they don't, I'm a much scarier person myself when I want to be. BWA HA HA!

Because I have a whole wardrobe I don't fit into anymore.

To anyone who frowns on people for being shallow because they want to look good: you must not know how exilerating it is to love how you look. People also treat you better and think more highly of you, you get paid and promoted more, and you have a broader range of relationship prospects. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look good. Everyone wants it, and regardless of what anyone says, it does improve the quality of your life tremendously.

Completely agree. We did a case study in my HR class about this. Two women who had the exact same background and credentials applied to the same job and wore a hidden camera in their jackets. They made sure to have the same answers to the basic interview questions (why do you want to work here, strengths/weaknesses, etc.) One woman was thin, the other was overweight. All things being the same, the thin girl got the job. What's awesome is that the person doing the case study went back to the interviewer, showed him the footage, and asked why he picked the thin woman as opposed to the overweight one and he was like "uh...um...ah...". This may not be true in every single case of course, but it just goes to show that there's nothing wrong with trying to look your best.

Every single bit of that is probably true... and yet, how can one possibly put that above good health? I can't fathom it.

When I was younger, looking good was number one. But now that I'm in middle age, health is number one. Being old and alone and having to depend on others terrifies me now. When I was in my 20's and 30's I just wanted to look hot, have a boyfriend and get promoted. Priorities change with age. I still want people to think I'm attractive, but that's more like #3 or 4 now.

I have a few reasons and I am not sure what order they are in. Health, vanity, I don't want my son who is about to start middle school to be embarrassed by his fat mom, I want to stop hiding from having my picture taken, I want energy. We were at Disney this weekend b/c my son participated in the Kids race. Walking around the parks I had to keep asking my husband and son to slow down. I don't want to do that anymore.

Appearance...I want to look good and wear all the things I've never been comfortable wearing. I love clothes and shopping. Also, for once I don't want to feel like the "biggest thing" in the room...I realize I feel that way even when I'm not the biggest.