Healthy vs Skinny
wyze
Posts: 248
Hello
ok so i am curious. my attitude to weight loss is to get healthy. However i have noticed that some say skinny and i am wondering if skinny means healthy? I am not trying to put anyone down in their goals. We all want to look good and slimmer, and i know in mainstream america skinny is considered healthy hence the overexposure to models who could use a little more food in their systems.
Should we buy into the mainstream notion of healthiness which is skinny by any means possible, or aim to be a healthy weight best suited for our body frame? Please feel free to be honest, i honestly want to know what you guys think
ok so i am curious. my attitude to weight loss is to get healthy. However i have noticed that some say skinny and i am wondering if skinny means healthy? I am not trying to put anyone down in their goals. We all want to look good and slimmer, and i know in mainstream america skinny is considered healthy hence the overexposure to models who could use a little more food in their systems.
Should we buy into the mainstream notion of healthiness which is skinny by any means possible, or aim to be a healthy weight best suited for our body frame? Please feel free to be honest, i honestly want to know what you guys think
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Replies
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I think of healthy as having good cardio endurance, and I think of skinny as a body type. So, one could be both skinny and healthy, fat and healthy, skinny and unhealthy, or fat and unhealthy. Out of just the two I want to be healthy, but more importantly for me, I want to be muscular and healthy. I want to not only look amazing, but be able to run 5 miles shirtless if I feel like it.0
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that made sense. thanks0
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My goal is to get healthy, any weight loss that results is just a happy side effect! I do have a weight goal that I am working toward but that's just to be at a healthy weight and healthy BMI. I'd like to be able to fit back into my "skinny" clothes and I'm actually fairly close, but if I never get back in them, it's not a big deal.
Having been overweight for several years I can see myself heading in a negative direction if my focus is on being skinny. I've seen it already. I've lost 7 pounds and I'm starting to see some positive changes in my body, but I still see all the flaws. I was looking at myself in the mirror and saw where fat is coming off and still thought, "But I'm still fat." I have gotten on the scale, seen the number go down from before and still thought, "There's a lot left to go." or "That's not enough." I quickly realized that it takes a lot longer for the mind's perception of how we look to catch up with how we actually look. So I reevaluated my goals and the reasons behind them. Since my main goal is to be a healthy example for my children getting skinny isn't my end result. It's simply being healthier and living a healthy life.0 -
I've known many skinny people who are very unfit and I've known larger people who are very fit. You're right that our society (here in Australia too) often confuses skinny with healthy, but it's not always the case. Personally, I want to be slimmer around my tummy as belly fat is quite dangerous long-term (linked closely to diabetes and heart disease) so for me it's linked - slimmer tummy means healthier.0
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Well, I am a former unhealthy skinny! I smoked, ate fast food everyday for lunch, never exercised and weighed 107 lbs. Now I am running almost 5 miles, I rarely eat fast food, I quit smoking. So, I am sure some people just want to be skinny, but it's not necessarily healthy to just be thin.0
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Thanks, When i think of getting healthy, i think that as the weight comes off, you lose fat and become slimmer. For some people it may mean them being really skinny, for others it means being way smaller, well toned and fitting into old clothes which may be a small size. I ultimately want to be healthy, look slim and toned and very good too.
I also think that if someone has a large frame, skinny may be out of reach. I dont know, these are just some of my thoughts. I have a large frame, and i think that when i eventually get down to the best weight for my height i will look way smaller than i am now, but i dont ever think i will be skinny. And i am good with that.0 -
I think "healthy" is more important than "skinny." Making healthier food choices, exercising every day, and drinking 8-10 glasses of water is what I aim for. Sure, I would like to look smaller but I also want to look and feel healthy. I personally think people who are too skinny are unattractive. I would like to look "athletic" by having toned muscles. So, to meet this goal I am trying to stay away from processed foods (especially carbs and sugars) and eat a high protein diet with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables (natural carbs and sugars). I try to fit in at least 30-60 min of cardio and/or strength training. I try to mix it up by doing running, exercise DVDs, kettlebell exercises, yoga, etc.
I am NOT perfect by any means but I strive everyday to make better choices for my health, and the added bonus of looking good. I hope this helps! :flowerforyou:0 -
My stated goals are to be healthy, to increase my cardio endurance to prepare for the zombie apocalypse (ha!), and to be a good example for my children. Honestly, though, I was fairly tickled when I went clothes shopping with my husband and found J.Jill's small sweater dress was the right size. (My husband was pushing for the extra small skirt, but I'm not a fan of clothing that hugs the downward curve of my @ss....even if the DH liked that feature of the skirt.) It was pretty wonderful to be able to try on skinny girl clothes in a nice shop.....and to get the dress on sale just made it all the much better.0
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I'll be very honest. My goals are all about being skinny. (And by skinny, I don't mean TOO skinny. Haha. Just whatever looks right on me) I've got this mentality that being healthy is a side effect of being skinny. Like I'll be able to run an easy mile when I'm thin and eat whatever the heck I want. Lol. Not true at all, but right now it is all about losing the weight. I've never wanted to be one of those people who've lost tons of weight and all they ever talk about or do is running marathons and stuff. Thanks for you're question; you've really got me thinking now. Maybe since I'm getting pretty damn close to my goal, it is time to start thinking about the healthy aspect of it all.0
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Love this topic, & think that women should be more concerned with becoming a healthy size for their structure rather than idealizing a fantasy & unattainable body that only 5% of the population possesses. Truth.
At the beginning of my journey, I felt like I wanted to attain "skinnydom", but it's just not me. I cannot identify with the concept, no matter how much I lose, b/c I've realized I actually like my curvature, always have
It was time for a life change when curvy became rolly, though 
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i use the term skinny for anything smaller than me lol0
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Skinny does not equivelate to being healthy... healthy is the whole picture. I believe in most cases those of us that refer to the word "skinny" it is used as a figure of speach. When I say I want to be skinny again, or fit my skinny jeans I'm referring to pants I wore when I was fit and healthy, both on the inside and the outside, I was far from being ACTUALLY skinny. I was still clinically 20 lbs overweight, but I felt fantastic. I was confident and strong. I knew what to eat and when, it didn't matter that I was a size 8 instead of a 6, or that I wasn't the perfect weight... I could run a set of stairs without panting, and climb a straight vertical hill to reach a river to paddle (whitewater kayak) Being a skinny stick is not healthy. Being a vibrant, confident, lean and strong woman meeting challenges and achieving goals is healthy.0
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I hope this makes sense.... IMHO the term "skinny" means different things to different people. Similar to "spicy". What's spicy to one person, isn't necessarily spicy to another person. "Healthy" can be measured. I am working on being healthy and fit.
Nancy0 -
I have learned that everyone's idea of skinny isn't healthy at all. I lost weight and am now told I look great but now I am under the healthy bmi range. But it's skinny right? I'm working on gaining some of the weight back because too many risks come with being what most of the country defines as skinny. I never had as many problems with such intolerance to cold. I've gained ten pounds back from the 110 I was a couple months ago. I think it's just important to focus on what is healthy for your body and how you feel at the weight. It's no good if your miserable when you get 'skinny'. My focus is just working on my fitness and letting the weight work itself out. :P0
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I agree I have been both very thin and overweight, but have never been really fit and healthy. I started this to get thin, but since joining this forum I changed my goals to also become more active, to gain more endurance and try new things out of my comfort zone...like kyaking, or taking a dance class. I truly feel so much more motivated by using MFP!!0
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When I really think about it, my goals are to be skinny AND healthy, but not one without the other. I really want to focus on eating nutritious food, lowering the amount of sodium and processed food I eat and help stabilize both my blood pressure and blood sugar levels. But in doing so, I also really want a bomb body.
However, I definitely see people who destroy their bodies in pursuing the goal of being skinny and I'm gonna work really hard to make sure I don't do that because it can be so easy to do and excessive dieting can be SO bad for your health.0 -
Thank you all for your honest responses. Like i stated earlier, my aim for putting up the topic is not to put anyone down, i just wanted to know how people felt about the issue. I think it is safe to say that we have all learned one or two things from all the responses here, i know i have. Keep it coming and thanks for taking the time to respond
Here's to a healthy BMI and slimmer selves, hot bods and most importantly happy and peaceful lives...Cheers:flowerforyou: 0 -
Not many will agree with this but I've been healthy the last 50 pounds (withn my norm body weight) but I want to be skinny0
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I have been wondering this same thing.
To me, skinny has very much the same ring to it as "anorexic", i.e. skinny --> skin and bones.. lol :laugh:
My mini-goal was being healthy and the ultimate goal is being fit.
Reached the healthy weight zone already and some indexes say that I'm in my ideal weight right now but I'm not fit yet. Weight loss has been secondary to me for a while now.0 -
I think ultimately whatever we all decide that our goals are, whether its to be healthy or skinny, we get to live in those choices. The most important thing is to be as honest as possible with ourselves...;0
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LOVE this topic. i chose health. to me, health means eating a well balanced, colorful eating plan. colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, no processed foods (foods out of bags and boxes...except brown pasta and rice). i've given up the sodas, sugar free and fat free foods. again, colorful and well balanced. i have been doing this pretty consistently since the end of April. i have dropped 25 pounds since then.
i also consider my purposeful movement (exercise) as part of my healthy lifestyle plan. purposeful movements from my Turbo Jam DVD's that i started on July 12th (and have lost 20 pounds and over 20 inches!) and soon my ChaLEAN Extreme DVD's. as well as my new walk to run program. in addition to my exercising, i have purposefully added other things to my daily life. i park away from everything i am doing. this gives me more steps in my daily life. if i can walk through the mall, i can walk through the parking lot too. more steps equals better health. i also started using the bathroom on the second floor of our home. working from home, this gives me many times up and down the steps each day.
i chose a healthy lifestyle. the scales have been hanging out around 145 +/- since October 5th. i'm okay with that. my goal back in July was 135. here's the scoop. i continue to eat well balanced meals. i continue to exercise 4-6 times a week for 45-75 minutes. the scales aren't moving. BUT as of today, my size 10 jeans that i got 2 weeks ago, are almost on the loose side. definitely fitting better than when i got them TWO weeks ago! TWO weeks. its a mind game...the scales aren't moving, but i go to put on my pants/skirts, and they are loose!
i'm okay with my weight where it is. i feel GREAT, have energy, shinny hair, strong nails, clear skin.... all signs of good health from the inside out.
a healthy lifestyle is body mind and soul. life feels better now that it has in most of my adult life. and i'm 43! i pray that all will choose health and not skinny.
cheering everyone on to a healthy lifestyle!
Jane0 -
I think it's all about mindsets. We have been conditioned to think that "Skinny" = Healthy/Desirable/Attractive. But I think there's are better words to use. Slender, slim, toned, athletic. All those words carry much more positive connotations to me in comparison to "skinny".
If you asked me this question 5 or 10 years ago, I would have said - I WANT TO BE SKINNY! But I didn't have a clear understanding then of what my body was, and what healthy was. I still have my moments where I imagine myself wanting to be incredibly thin, and often times (especially when trying on clothes, lol) I still have very unhealthy thoughts about my body image. But it's better than it used to be, which is all I can ask for.
Two years ago, I had moved to the UK to teach. I returned home for Christmas four months later and was nearly 20-25 pounds lighter. Everyone said that I looked so skinny, so healthy, so good. I was the opposite of healthy. My immune system had taken a huge hit, and had been fighting chest infections for several months and hadn't been eating properly. What a message to get: I was skinnier, but completely in ill-health. But people still equated my slimness with "looking good".
I will never be stereotypically "skinny". But I know I can be healthier. I can't make excuses for my body anymore. I don't know where my healthy lifestyle will take me, weight-wise. But I learned a valuable lesson two years ago: Two weeks of being told I was "skinny and pretty" was not worth the three months of illness to get to that point.
I choose healthy. If healthy-me turns out to be quite slender, awesome. But if I feel healthy and toned at size 10/12, that may be just what my body is meant to be! We'll see!
Great post topic, btw!0 -
Like everyone else said, things vary a lot.
Back in my serious weight lifting days, I was pretty healthy "looking" very muscular and fairly low body fat %. BUT I didnt have that great a cardio base at all. I could still go out and run a few miles, but I woud feel it. I ate everything and anything in sight.
Now I haven't touched a weight seriously in 5 years, but I run a ton so my cardio base is great, and probably still have the same body fat %(maybe a hair lower). I eat much more healthy and still do some bodyweight exercises to keep some strength, but I would certainly say I am more healthy now than before.0 -
bump to read later0
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My ultimate goal is to be healthy and feel healthy. Along the same lines, being healthier does mean that I will be slimmer (considering I am overweight now and that is not healthy for me), but it is not my main focus in the least. Ultimately, most of my focus is on purposeful exercise, feeding my body high quality nutritious food, getting plenty of rest, and taking care of myself.0
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I've been SUPER skinny my whole like up until about 2 years ago i was 5'9 and 105lbs.. i couldn't gain weight and ate anything and everthing.. well turning 23 changed that i guess i gained almost 40lbs in those two years.. which wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't all fat .. on my belly!!! so i'm about 133 now trying to get the fat off then put the muscle on.. so i'm not really worried about how much i weigh i just can't stand this fat on my stomach.. it was never there before and i knew i had to do something about it or it'd keep going bigger.. so yeah i know i'm already thin.. but i need to lose this fat.. and yeah i'm a thin person even now but i don't think its unhealthy to try and lose the fat.. because thats just what it is.. losing fat.. not weight.. i'm going to be skinny and healthy.. cause there IS a such thing.. when i was about 17 i was about 5'7 and 95lbs.. my mom took me to the doctor to see why.. he said it was all in my genes that i was perfectly healthy0
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Nothing wrong with getting rid of body fat, Kudos to you for wanting to be healthy and fitter! Perhaps strength training might help you gain definition if that's what you're looking for.I've been SUPER skinny my whole like up until about 2 years ago i was 5'9 and 105lbs.. i couldn't gain weight and ate anything and everthing.. well turning 23 changed that i guess i gained almost 40lbs in those two years.. which wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't all fat .. on my belly!!! so i'm about 133 now trying to get the fat off then put the muscle on.. so i'm not really worried about how much i weigh i just can't stand this fat on my stomach.. it was never there before and i knew i had to do something about it or it'd keep going bigger.. so yeah i know i'm already thin.. but i need to lose this fat.. and yeah i'm a thin person even now but i don't think its unhealthy to try and lose the fat.. because thats just what it is.. losing fat.. not weight.. i'm going to be skinny and healthy.. cause there IS a such thing.. when i was about 17 i was about 5'7 and 95lbs.. my mom took me to the doctor to see why.. he said it was all in my genes that i was perfectly healthy
Some ppl are simply 'particularly skinny' naturally, they can't gain weight no matter what they eat or how hard they try. I think for some of those ppl it's as tough a battle as it is for us that have dealt with being overweight.0 -
My ultimate goal is to be healthy and feel healthy. Along the same lines, being healthier does mean that I will be slimmer (considering I am overweight now and that is not healthy for me), but it is not my main focus in the least. Ultimately, most of my focus is on purposeful exercise, feeding my body high quality nutritious food, getting plenty of rest, and taking care of myself.
I was going to make a post but I like yours and it fits me nearly to a T:drinker: :flowerforyou:
Though I've lost the weight I was looking to lose to be back at a more normal/healthy weight it's always been my goal to get healthy again, not 'skinny' but to get to that place I feel my body is healthy at. To not be so tired and worn out & sad but feel strong and have tons of energy.
Now this is simply my own head that has these terms in it but in my mind the word 'skinny' has always equated with weakness, I imagine that got in my head from school or something growing up? (I'm not sure where we gather our beliefs from, could be any source I suppose). Just as for some they might equate overweight with lazy. I've never thought of overweight ppl as lazy perhaps because I never saw myself as lazy when overweight merely using the weight to cover pain and create that invisibility factor. (yea right! But strangely one does become invisible to others in stores and such when reaching a certain point)0 -
I just associate skinny with the negative connotation of being underweight or looking unhealthy.
I would rather be told i look healthy rather than skinny.
My Goal has always been to get within a healthy weight range for my hormones to regulate especially with pcos.0 -
I prefer to be healthy and fit. I'm never going to be Taylor Swift skinny and I really don't want to be. I just want to be the best me that I can be.0
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