So tell us...is being skinny worth it?

I'm not there yet either, BUT I have been able to enjoy so much more of life than food. I hike, bike, and walk more, travel more now and I'm more comfortable in my skin. I would trade that for eating the way I used to eat. I still enjoy my food. I drink less but other than that I just eat smarter.

i don't know about skinny, but being fit is. it's a really great feeling for your friends to invite you hiking, camping, rock climbing, or whatever, and you can say yes. and not only say yes, but not be the last one in the group huffing and puffing.

I feel it's worth it! I have seen other post this, but I have learned to handle stress much better because of exercise and not chosing to feel sorry for myself and stuff my face. I'm out trying new things in life and really starting to live my life finally.

I suppose it all depends on the individual. I just think there is more to life than food. And I know what I did was shut myself away from anyone and just eat. Bascially was depressed and scared to go out and live life. I was just letting my life pass me by.

Is skinny worth it? No, because it's not usually enough motivation to get to goal and stay there.
I said and did the same as the OP's friend many times - but it was because I didn't lose the weight in a way that worked for me. I would restrict my foods too much, try to work out too much and generally deprive myself. Not fun. And in that case, it totally wasn't worth it, especially since my goal was to get "skinny".

Is healthy worth it? Abso-freakin-lutely!
This time, my goal was more about getting healthy. And instead of depriving myself, I've learned to eat the foods I enjoy in smaller portions and/or with healthy substitutes. And I've found exercises that I actually enjoy. I've been at this for over 4 years and while I'm not quite to goal and may not be for another couple years, my health and general lifestyle has vastly improved. My blood pressure is at normal again, I'm able to do basic day to day tasks without getting winded, etc.

Yes, I've always thought it was worth it. Fat and jolly is not something I could be.

Now at age 52, my goals are more about health and fitness. Things like maintaining bone density and muscle and reducing risk of disease are my primary goals. And while "skinny" is not something I think about like I did as a teenager in the 70's, carrying too much fat is a risk factor for disease, so I think it's important to control that.

I don't restrict my food to the point that it makes my unhappy, but I certainly don't want food to my greatest source of happiness. I want to continue to be well enough to enjoy life outside the kitchen.

Not that this was easy, per se, but if I had known it was less of a challenge than I thought it would be, I'd have done this years ago. I'm not happier as a thinner person, I'm happier as a HAPPIER person. That came about when I developed a better relationship with food, allowed myself to take care of myself and considered myself worthy of the journey. The fact that I can fit into non-plus clothes (ie- I can shop in the section with the most clothes in the main part of the store, instead of a dark, unorganized corner), car seats and plane seats without an extender is just a really f***ing nice side effect.

I didn't go into this to be thin, I went into this to be healthier. The lifestyle I changed over to wasn't able to support me staying at a larger size. When I realized it was possible to lose weight without giving up foods I liked, actual weight loss goals came into the mix. Fun fact: my original weight loss goal was 20 pounds. And I just put in that goal because I needed to put something in.

So, yes. Worth it. Worth it times infinity.

There is a lot more to enjoy in life than food.

Aside from sex, not really.

^^ this. and man, fitsex is sooooooo much better than fat lazy sex.

+2 Completely agree.

Hells Yeah!

Honestly, it's all about how you take it. I think a lot of people deprive themselves of eating enough, getting a treat, over work themselves, etc which makes the lifestyle less enjoyable, but if you do allow yourself to not obsess over numbers, eat the right amount, and treat yourself well then the lifestyle is worth it. I personally wouldn't trade it for anything, And I mean this in the healthy fit way not so much skinny : )

I don't know what I will do personally when i get down to my goal weight. Will I try to lose more to fit better into my target BMI for my height or will I maintain? One thing I do know is that I will surely have a good cry if i reach my goals and find that it is more work than i find enjoyable. Right now I enjoy working out and eating healthy, it is a habit now. I think that id I found I wasn't happy at that point I would need to reevaluate my life