do you ever wonder what is the point of being thin?

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Replies

  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
    everyone where I live is overweight (except for teens) and they seem pretty content. sometimes I think to myself, what is the point of being thin if everyone around me is heavyset and happy? am I being vain or shallow for watching my weight? I know I've been made to feel that way by close friends & family sometimes.

    i think that depends on how you define "overweight"

    a lot of technically overweight people take very good care of themselves, eat well, exercise and are by no means unhealthy.

    if if it's for your own vanity, you have to decide what you like and how much you are willing to work for it.
  • Lbf321
    Lbf321 Posts: 81 Member
    I like being able to chase my kids without being tired after 2 minutes.
    I like being able to get off the couch without rolling off
    I like that I don't catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thing "dear god, what happened to you"
    I espcially like like that I'm breaking the cycle of obesity and tons of health problem for the next generation.
    I'm not thin yet but I very strong and the rest will hopefully follow.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    What about being just healthy? The thought of being fat with diabetes and debility is not appealing to me.
  • SteviePaige
    SteviePaige Posts: 64
    I hear you!! There are times when I feel like "why bother?". Everyone that has posted here has really good points and all the comments have been a great encouragement! You're not alone! We all have our low moments where we feel like giving in. But you're also surrounded by the ones here who will support your efforts! You will have bad days where you don't exercise and you eat too much. Put it behind you, move forward, tomorrow is a new day, never give up!! And from experience..once you reach your goals, don't stop!! (I did a backwards slide once I reached my goals last year...and now I am back to trying to lose it all again! Don't be like me!!)
  • watermillion
    watermillion Posts: 87 Member
    You are lucky. Where I live, everyone is thin. My city has the lowest obesity rate of North America. Our stats for the overweight are mostly derived from the older (40 and up) women.
    So where I live...the point of being thin is to be accepted in society. The bigger people are usually rejected or shunned out of social events.

    Interesting. It's the complete opposite here. Even the strippers are fat
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    When I was overweight, I never acted like a miserable mess. But I was very miserable. I just didn't feel like projecting it onto others was the answer.

    ^ This. (Although I was extremely obese and now I'm about 15lbs away from the overweight section of the BMI)

    For me it's about getting healthy and becoming fit. I have been healthy before and I miss it terribly. I don't care if no one else around me wants to be healthy.

    I want to look good in a bikini.
    I want to look good naked.
    I want to be able to take long walks/ hikes without feeling like I'm going to die half way through. (By long I mean 6+ miles)
    I want to go backpacking again.
    I don't want to have to buy bras at specialty stores anymore.
    I want to be able to run a mile in 8-9 mins again.
  • kimmiedunne
    kimmiedunne Posts: 82 Member
    I feel so much more self-confident and healthier! It's work but in my opinion it's worth it. I am much happier now then I was before! Nothing looks as good as thin feels!
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    A) I want to look hot

    B) I want to do a **** ton of fun stuff during the day (fishing, biking, swimming) and still have enough energy to have sex after.
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    I never regret weight loss.
    I regret wasting so much of my life overweight.
    I regret letting myself go (more than once) instead of keeping trim and fit in the first place.
    But I never regret any time I live at a healthy weight.
    Ever.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    It's about being healthy! Not thin

    ^^^^^ This

    I can do more now as a 57 year old man with 2 artificial hips and an artificial knee now that I've gotten in shape and my weight is under control than when I was 17 or 27 and not in shape. And it feels damned good.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    My goal is not to be thin but healthy and comfortable in my body.
  • LuHox
    LuHox Posts: 136
    It's about being healthy! Not thin

    I agree. Our society (in many places) is much more accepting of heavier bodies in modern times, which is great socially, but... having too much body fat doesn't affect you any less negatively than it did 50 years ago.

    But I have thought this, "What is the point of being thin," several times when obsessive over calories and workouts seemed to do more harm than good... and then I have joint pain or get tired too easily and remember what it's all for.
  • carriespence1
    carriespence1 Posts: 70 Member
    I don't care to be thin I wanna be ripped and healthy :-)
  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
    Are we really at a stage where we have started wondering why not just stay overweight?
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Oh the question should be what ISN'T fun about thin! Honestly, there's not much. Here's what is fun:

    Riding a bike and not getting winded.

    Being able to do multiple pull ups because there's not as much weight to lift.

    Buying anything off the clearance rack in the small sizes and KNOWING it will fit before you even try it on.

    Getting smug satisfaction from the strength that it takes to eat healthy, especially while those around you eat garbage. This is especially fun while dining out with friends. Honestly I used to hate this part (as most healthy eaters do), but a small part of me kind of enjoys it now...

    Seeing ripped muscles in the mirror instead of flab, and knowing the effort that it has taken to get them.

    Bikini shopping!!!!

    Pajama shopping!!!!

    The boundless energy - it's no longer such a chore to clean the house or walk the dog.

    My house is now cleaner (see above).

    This is not a complete list, by any means...

    shopping in the girls section instead for clothing and saving money, being able to squeeze more clothes in the washer and dryer and saving money too!
    lol yes and agree on the house cleaning and the dog walking, my dog doesn't get into all the **** i leave out anymore bc i have the energy to clean it and hike with her, so now she is less destructive bc she is passed out all day :laugh:
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    I told myself for a long time that I was happy as I was when I was very overweight. It took time to realize that I was lying to myself. I was tired all the time, my lordosis was bad, my allergies were bad and I never wanted to go out in public. Now that the weight is gone, I feel a thousand percent better. I have a lot more energy, my back isn't hurting from the extra weight, my allergies are less severe and I love to go out since I have the energy and I'm not embarassed of myself. You need to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin, but you also need to respect yourself enough to take care of that skin.
  • Schlackity
    Schlackity Posts: 268 Member
    I think, in my case, the older you get, the less you want to be an old, fat person who does nothing except sit around and get older and fatter. Age does enough to rob you of the energy and mobility you take for granted in youth. Not to mention the older you are, the more susceptible you are to problems with joints, bones, heart problems, etc. I want to enter the last years of my life with a better chance to avoid some of the pitfalls of old age.

    VAIN? Your friends are morons. Misery loves company....they WANT you to stay fat like them. DONT fall for that. You get yourself thin and healthy and find some new friends that will support your efforts. You will be a LOT happier!

    THIS! Thin isn't always healthy, no more than fat is always unhealthy. Why not think about being healthy instead of being thin or fat? Thin and fat are different by everyone's definition anyway. If you lost weight or gained weight to make someone else happy, you would resent that you didn't do it for yourself.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    being healthy is the point. I wasn't healthy. Now I'm well on my way to being healthy.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Health. Health is the biggest reason. Cute clothes are nice. A nice bum is nice. Health is everything. Health is life.
  • Agi0817
    Agi0817 Posts: 19
    Me too! I just want clothes to fit me nicely.. Everything looks better on a fit body. I'm not the biggest person but when I have extra weight on me and I go out I change at least 5 times and get a bit sad/ depressed while at it. I'm happy once out so ppl prob think im happy with a few extra lbs and really its not the end of the world but it would be better if I didn't have that to worry about.

    Same with going shopping when I try things on and they're too small or when I see nice things in smaller sizes but not in my size it makes me sad :-/

    Can't be truly happy with extra weight..
  • murdledoe
    murdledoe Posts: 98 Member
    I'm not thinking thin like I used to. Now I am doing it to feel good and to be healthy. I know I won't ever be 'thin', but I will get my weight down where I feel good
  • ahskds
    ahskds Posts: 9
    I am 254 lbs, I am not happy - I am winded going upstairs to get to my bedroom, I am lucky to be able to jog for 3-5 min without needing a breather, I cannot do a push up, my breathing has changed and I know I have high blood pressure, I am also 29 years old. I have zero self confidence and I would give anything to be able to look into the mirror and love the woman looking back at me.
    - - - - - - -
    I have zero interest in being "thin" - my dream is to have a 15% - 22% body fat percentage. I don't know if I will ever reach that goal but it is my dream.
  • lachesissss
    lachesissss Posts: 1,298 Member
    I think that you're seeing the trees and not the forest. I think that there is a lack of education, food choices, lifestyle, physical fitness, etc that are shaping the trees. While they may seem happy to you, the reality may not be the case. For me, I don't aspire to be thin, but fit. I want to be able to run and lift, and not have my body hold me back. To me I don't wonder if there is a point to being thin, just as I don't wonder if there is a point to being fat. I just want to make sure my body has the ability to do what I want it to do when I want it to do it. The smaller size is sort of just a fringe benefit.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I would like to be thin but first and foremost I would like to be healthy. I want to watch my kids' kids have kids ;)
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    It isn't "being thin"...it is having a body which can function the way a body functions when it healthy.

    I've weighed 50 lbs more than I do now and I wasn't able to be as active as I am because I was carrying around an additional 50 lbs.

    I'm sure that there are overweight people who are very happy...but as a formerly overweight person I can tell you that I feel much better being able to be active and energetic all day...than counting the hours till I can collapse in front of the TV.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    The simple existence of being overweight I didn't have a problem with. In fact, I am no happier now than I was a year ago at my highest. I am a happy person, so I don't say this in a negative way at all. I am more satisfied with things I'm able to do, but not happier. It was the resulting world I lived in that I didn't like.

    I didn't like the fact my health had started to decline, I didn't like not having a decent selection of clothing to buy, I didn't like barely fitting in airline and car seats, I didn't like the occasional snide remark, I didn't like having a hard time fitting in places, I didn't like how I looked in pictures, I didn't like how people would avoid the topic of food, I didn't like being afraid of food, I didn't like not being able to touch my toes and I didn't like feeling like being anything other than fat wasn't possible.

    So, the goal wasn't to be thin, per se. The goal was to have a better life by having a healthier body and a healthier relationship with food. And I do. Being thin is just a really snazzy side effect! :)
  • ppdes
    ppdes Posts: 83 Member
    I am not even overweight, but have to watch my weight due to a health risk..
    Many of those overweight people where you live are technically supposed to be at a higher risk of body fat related health issues, though we don't know for sure, we can extrapolate into a general theory....

    What can be more compelling reason than a need to live healthy disease-free life?
  • oldernotwiser
    oldernotwiser Posts: 175 Member
    Mty Grandfather lived to 103. From my earliest memories he was always trim and fit primarily due to lifestyle rather than any formal fitness regime. While his physical condition probably wasn't the only factor in his longevity, I'm sure it played a significant role. Let's also address quality of life.

    He passed all tests to renew his driver's license when he was 95. He bowled in a league 3 nights a week until he was 98. When he was 90 he had a double bypass and then 3 weeks later was operated on for an aortal anuerysm. The hospital staff called him the iron man. As a funny side note after his bypass he asked the doctor what he should be eating. The doctor told him, "Whatever you want."

    I am 63 now and decided last year that I wanted my quality of life for the next, hopefully, 40 years to be at least as active and fulfilling as my Grandfather's was so I made some changes. I quit smoking, began to watch what I ate and began an exercise regime. Since joining MFP I have lost 16 pounds and look better than I have in a long time. More importantly, I feel better, stronger and more confident.

    I have not yet reached my fitness goals but continue to make slow and steady progress. And that's fine. After all it's not a race....it's the rest of my life.
  • dreamweavers4
    dreamweavers4 Posts: 42
    I have to admit, 75% of the time I am content being overwieght, but then that other 25% of the time I feel like absolute crap, and even when I am content I am not happy about it, but I am starting to get older and I really want to be healthy more than anything. I don't want to see weight related health issues happening, plus I want to be healthy and active when I have grandkids down the road. I know the longer I wait to get in shape and the worse I get in terms of being heavy/out of shape the harder it will be to slim down and get on the right track. Thinking now is the time to get on board, you are doing this for you, not the people in your small town. When someone comments tell them it makes you feel good to be healthy, they aren't required to do it just because you are, if they want to join you that is great, but otherwise they can but out, not of their business.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I was content when I was obese (BMI 36). I didn't even really think it was an issue as I felt fine. Then by BP started going up (160/115) and was put on HCTZ to control it, my fasting insulin was starting to get a little high, my cholesterol was over 200, and my Dr. said I was starting to show signs of the early stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. That made me decidedly unhappy, so I got serious about my health and weight.

    Now I am off the BP meds with normal readings (117/75), fasting insulin is normal, cholesterol is below 200, with an increase in "good" cholesterol and a larger decrease in the "bad" kind, and my liver values are normal. Although my BMI puts me at barely in the "overweight" range, my BF percentage estimate (using several calculators but not the more accurate tests) is between 19 and 22. Needless to say, I am very happy/content now and am continuing to work on my health and fitness.

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