I Want to Stay Fat

I recently concluded that I must WANT to stay fat. Otherwise, I would be thin, right?

Yeah, truly no one wants to be overweight. If we were offered a magic pill that would instantly take the fat away, we'd all swallow it, right?

But there must have been some motivation for me to transform myself in to a whale - beyond just liking ice cream too much.

Being fat has some benefits (warped though they are) for people. Hard to admit. It's almost taboo to admit.

If you have trouble losing weight, have you ever just asked yourself WHY you continue to keep the weight on? (For many of us, it's not laziness, etc.) What is the answer?
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Replies

  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    I didn't want to be fat all these years. There was no motivation behind it except I liked the food and was too lazy to work it off. No secret convoluted reason behind slowly gaining and gaining. And certainly no benefits...I couldn't wear clothes I liked, I couldn't play sports as well as the others, I couldn't fit well into theme park rides, no piggy backs, little/no amorous attention etc

    What are the benefits of being overweight?
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    There are no benefits to being fat. You are going to spend many years in the hospital if you choose this path.

    .
  • I mistakenly believed food was my friend and would comfort me when I was stressed, anxious or depressed. Also, I truly didn't realise how many calories I was consuming until I started counting them. Being slim and fit is an infinitely more satisfying friendship than food could ever offer. It's a friendship that requires constant input and commitment but I believe it's worthwhile enough to put the effort in.
  • If you're fat:
    1. Female friends won't be jealous of you.
    2. Men won't make unwanted advances toward you.
    3. Your boss won't see you as a threat, and therefore won't be mean to you or try to sabotage you.
    4. You won't disappoint people if you get fat, because you're already fat.
    5. You'll find out who your real friends are. if they stick with you despite your fatness, they truly like you for who you are.
    6. You'll find out if your husband really loves you for who you are or for what you look like.
    7. You can skip all the stares, catwhistles and flirtatious gestures you might receive if you were good looking.
    8. You can feel satisfied you are not conforming to an unfair and compassionate-less society.
    9. You will be less likely to be abducted, raped, etc. You will be too heavy to be forced into a car or physically moved.
  • sarahsedai
    sarahsedai Posts: 273 Member
    I wasn't overweight as a child. I wasn't overweight as a teenager. I played sports. I was on the dance team. I liked to dress up. Around seventeen, I began suffering from severe depression and social anxiety. I'm not sure what triggered it, or if it was always latent inside of me. That was when I started putting on weight, and have been heavy and -heavier- ever since. Over the last ten years I've struggled with body issues and self-esteem on top of these mental and emotional problems.

    Over that time, I have made some attempts to lose weight, which were successful until I just, stopped. These last few months I've been digging really deep, and I've realized that while most of my weight gain is credited to emotional eating... that in some twisted way, the thought of losing that weight scares me. I've hidden behind my low self-esteem and weight for a long time. What happens when I lose this weight? People might notice me. I might want more out of life, and I might get it. That scares the hell out of me. It's the same reason I don't dress up, I don't do my make-up. That monster inside of me helps me to sabotage myself. It seems crazy, but so do a lot of the things I think.

    I don't want to be this way. This isn't who I really am. I wouldn't call this extra weight a 'benefit', but a tool in my attempt to hide from the world. And those are the issues I'm dealing with this time around as I commit to healthy changes in my life, and losing this weight.
  • BigBrunette
    BigBrunette Posts: 1,543 Member
    For me, being fat has insulated me from the world. Now that I can better cope with the ups and downs of life, I don't need the insulation.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I've never been fat, however now that I'm at the lowest healthy weight I can be at, I have to accept anything that I still see as a flaw. I can't delude myself that if I lost some weight, I could be perfect.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,449 Member
    It's an interesting question. I do know that I was afraid of dieting. Apparently it doesn't work for 95% of people, loads of people put even more weight back on, etc. I wasn't smug enough to believe I had better self-control and willpower than 95% of people, so I believed it was safer to stay fat rather than risk being fatter.

    As for benefits - well, I did a bit of reading about the obesity paradox. Apart from that, I can't think of any particular benefits.
  • vickaged
    vickaged Posts: 13 Member
    What happens when I lose this weight? People might notice me. I might want more out of life, and I might get it. That scares the hell out of me. It's the same reason I don't dress up, I don't do my make-up. That monster inside of me helps me to sabotage myself.

    I thought I was the only one who ever felt that way! Two years ago I lost 85 lbs...so close to my goal of losing 100 lbs that it scared me and I gave up. I put all the weight back on so I could use my weight as an excuse for why I don't have the things I want--a husband, a family, a better job.

    I too, suffer from social anxiety and depression, but I'm on medication and trying to improve my mental health. I started eating clean and working out again, and this time I'm not scared to get what I want. I can envision myself as a fit, healthy person--with or without a husband, family, or better job!

    Being fat gives you an excuse to which you blame all your failures. I have decided that I need to take ownership of my life, including my failures and SUCCESSES!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    find a different reason to do this. being thin doesn't really motivate you, so don't aim to be thin. how about healthy? Don't focus on being thin, focus on being healthy. Forget everything else.

    - Find a form of exercise you really enjoy and you'll find it easy to stick to, and do it regularly, so you can stay healthy.

    - Choose healthy meals that you enjoy, and enjoy eating them. Those foods that are not so healthy if you eat them a lot.... eat less of them, for the sake of staying healthy. Log your calories on here if it helps to stop you from overeating (because overeating is not healthy, but make your calorie goal not too difficult to hit, but enough food to keep you healthy)

    Stick to these things for life. That's it. Forget trying to be thin, just try to be healthy. Most people find that when trying to be healthy, getting thin is a side effect, but don't worry about that, just make the changes you need in order to be healthy, and stick to them.
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    It's much easier to stay warm (at least where I live) in the winter XD. My father in law lost a ton of weight and then this past winter, he was constantly shivering at work, ha ha!

    In all seriousness, I think I was just the master of denial. As long as I never saw my reflection, it was easy to kid myself into thinking I was lighter than I was. Then finally checked my weight... clocked in at 200lbs... (and while I am medium-tall in height, I'm not big boned or very muscular) and denial ended!

    But I'm kinda not looking forward to winter without my fat layer :)
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
    Your right I am missing her point and I'm sorry for that. But in 2010 I suffered a bad accident that took away a lot of life's choices for me. It makes me want to cry when I hear someone say these things. I would give anything to be able to exercise the way normal people can. When I hear someone just wanting to throw their life away, well it just breaks my heart. I want good things for everyone on this site and I know losing weight it a struggle. I am right there with you struggling to regain some of the mobility that being overweight has taken from me.

    My progress will be slower because my exercise is so limited but that doesn't mean I am going to stop trying because it easy. I am just eating as healthy as I can afford to. I think that kind of talk by people is destructive for those of us who are trying as hard as we can to lose weight.

    I am the first one to say you should be happy with who you are but there is always room for improvement.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    9. You will be less likely to be abducted, raped, etc. You will be too heavy to be forced into a car or physically moved.

    :huh: :noway:

    I hope this was meant to be funny (epic fail), because women are not raped for what they look like....and regardless of weight, any woman can be forced into a car or physically moved at gunpoint/knifepoint.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
    I think posts like this are evidence that there are deep psychological roots that influence behaviors that keep us fat. I will have to lose about 200 lbs to get to a normal weight. I realized one day that this is not normal, it's not because I am stupid or lazy, it's because I never dealt with some serious issues and this is how they manifested. Yes I have thyroid issues, but that doesn't justify 200 lbs of excess weight. I made a choice to get therapy to figure out why I did this to myself. Once I sorted out my issues, I was able to move forward and make progress with my weight loss. Maybe my views are unpopular, but I believe that anyone who is obese or morbidly obese needs to take a good long look at why because keeping yourself there is not physically or mentally healthy. OP, you need to do some work to fight that "monster inside of you". That monster is not your friend.

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  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    For me, being fat has insulated me from the world. Now that I can better cope with the ups and downs of life, I don't need the insulation.

    Exactly. You are right, there are psychological reasons why many people put on weight and keep it on. One of my closest friends was always really thin until she got to 20 and was raped. After that she piled on the pounds and she has no interest in losing them. I think she feels 'safer' now that she's big. She feels protected by the fact that she is fat.

    Now I'm not saying everyone who puts on weight has psychological problems but in a lot of chronic cases were people have been obese for years and just keep on getting bigger, there is usually an underlying reason... something that needs to be accepted and dealt with... whether it be emotional pain/trauma, bad habits formed in childhood, low self esteem....

    I think weight loss for a lot of people is more than just a physical thing.... there are mental demons/attitudes and beliefs that need to be shed along with the fat... and sometimes they are harder to overcome
  • robinschwalb
    robinschwalb Posts: 58 Member
    that's pretty harsh
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I never wanted to be so overweight my entire adult life, truth is I never realised how big I'd got until I lost some of the weight. I don't even recognise the person I was before I double take when I see before pictures because in my head I always looked as I do now.
    It wasn't emotional, laziness or psychological. It was denial plain and simple :flowerforyou:
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,894 Member
    that's pretty harsh

    Reality can be harsh. I am not trying to diminish anyone's feelings or what their struggles are, but it's hard to compare someone who has 20 lbs to lose to someone who has 200 lbs to lose. Being morbidly obese is being abusive to yourself, putting yourself in danger. No disrespect to the OP but her rationalization for staying fat is not a result of normal, healthy thinking.

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  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    You are lying to yourself and its not healthy. Being fat is not healthly. You are fat because you over eat and do not work off the calories. You are trying to make an excuse for being lazy and fat and it doesn't wash. Your gonna kill yourself. Is that what you planned, just like you planned to be fat?

    Please read more than just the topic title
  • no benefits