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

It's more than worth the work for me. I'm now healthy and fit and have a very active lifestyle. I changed my lifestyle, though, didn't "diet". I have the same hobbies I used to, but I'm also way more active with sports. Life is more enjoyable for me, and my high energy and fitness contributes. As others said, you have to have your own issues in check, too. I had worked on self-esteem and such before deciding to get healthy and lose my excess weight.

No, being "skinny" is not worth it.

If you want to focus on strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility, and general physical and emotional health, then yes.

If you want to focus on being "skinny," you will have the same problems you had when you were fat. I say this from experience.

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If you really mean SKINNY, then NO. It's unhealthy and horrible. I have a friend who is about 5 feet 5 and weighs at most 100 lbs. She has no strength, no resistance, gets sick all the time, has no stamina, and looks like a bundle of sticks. She hates it, but can't gain weight no matter what she eats. Doesn't help that she smokes like a chimney, too. We were co-workers, and I could work rings around this girl. She couldn't wrestle a thirty pound package into her mail car.

If you do it right, you can be fit ("skinny" is a dirty word in my house) and still enjoy all the food you want.

Well let's see...I've probably lost the same 50 pounds and gained it back about 6 times, most recently I lost over 100 but have gained about 20 back! If it was the most amazing thing ever and all my problems went away and life was perfect being thin, then I probably wouldn't keep gaining it back! Lol
I feel better, healthier, have more confidence, enjoy wearing smaller clothes and fitting into a booth without fear of it bring too small, but maintaining is hard!!! I gain weight super quick...all I gave to do is skip a few days of exercising and eat out a few times and the weight comes back on like wild fire. It's very depressing and I always feel deprived. I would say trying maintain a "maintainable weight" instead of being super thin and super hungry is the better way to go.

Bump for later!!

Thin is better than anything can taste.

You may feel this way but I'm going with no way. If I had the choice between giving up the food I love or being thin, I'd stay overweight. No questions. Thankfully, I don't have to do that ever.

I feel like this is an issue with moderation.

Once you have achieved a healthy weight and actviity level, it is not AS MUCH work to maintain it. Weight LOSS is a lot of work, weight MAINTENANCE is less work.

For me the whole point of a lifestyle change is to be comfortable enough in the new lifestyle that it doesn't feel like "work" anymore. For example I won't be counting calories then because that's what the lifestyle change phase is for, to learn all the new tricks and tools, after which I will count on my brain to recall when needed. I also believe there is a limited number of times one can look at a new portion size, before one should be able to know things by heart; information that inevitably sticks whether you try actively or not to remember (compare to knowledge of road signs; might be tricky the first few times but then you know them and only in the case of a rare sign you'll have to consult a manual later).

Changing my lifestyle is ranging from Yeah! to Hate this! right now, with mostly okay days in between, so I'd call it "work", but that's because I'm not used to all of it yet. In other words, changing habits can be painful depending on the circumstances of each given day.

Once I've adapted to the new, healthy way of living, I hope for it to be like second nature - thanks to all the new habits put in place. And I can't say I'm done changing habits until they truly are changed, so currently I can't tell how long it will take me to reach the "end point". And once I'm "done", I'm convinced there will be some days when I might go backwards a step or two (because innate behaviours can go much deeper than expected at this point), but I really can't see how most of the new habits can still feel like work if they are genuinely a part of me then.

Yes. You should still have times to enjoy good food, but those days skills just be limited to special occasions so it doesn't deprive you if the other enjoyment of life.

I get more chronic enjoyment from being able to walk comfortably in heels, or up stairs, or chasing my kiddos or not getting funny sad looks from strangers than I do for overeating for the equivalent of an hour a day.

And bonus, I enjoy my new food as much if not more than the bad stuff when I do have a food focused day.

I don't think being "skinny" was really my goal, I wanted to be healthier and improve my fitness.

Being able to go for a six mile run when I'm stressed out has improved my coping skills.

Being able to regulate my food intake and being conscious of what I eat has allowed me to feel control over my eating and body that I lacked at 240+lbs.

Being able to be naked and not feel uncomfortable with my body has made me more relaxed and happy in my relationship.

Being able to fit in clothes where I live (Asia) instead of having to import them from the UK or US has saved my bank-book.

Being able to quit smoking and drinking in order to help me meet my fitness goals has lengthened my life.

Being able to eat and drink what I like but exercising MODERATION has meant none of this has felt like a chore.

So, although I am happier with what I see in the mirror, my life has changed in many more ways than just being "skinny". So IMHO, yes. Totally and utterly worth it. You couldn't PAY me to go back.

This sums it up perfectly!!

I was just thinking about this very topic this morning - is it worth it, overall Yes! I am healthier, happier, and all around a better person...

Sometimes I think to myself "Are all the hours in the gym and counting calories worth it?" I'd love nothing more than to skip the workouts - but alas that's a no go either...

I've always said do what works for you so long as your healthy, that's what's important.

If you really mean SKINNY, then NO. It's unhealthy and horrible. I have a friend who is about 5 feet 5 and weighs at most 100 lbs. She has no strength, no resistance, gets sick all the time, has no stamina, and looks like a bundle of sticks. She hates it, but can't gain weight no matter what she eats. Doesn't help that she smokes like a chimney, too. We were co-workers, and I could work rings around this girl. She couldn't wrestle a thirty pound package into her mail car.

Ok... I get that some people aren't into the term of "skinny" or what that means. Completely understandable, especially if you do a lot of strength training and are very into fitness.

What I don't get is "thin-shaming". Your friend may not be healthy (which is unfortunate), but that doesn't excuse you saying that she "looks like a bundle of sticks". You even said she can't gain wait and does try to do so. Why insult her body? Would you want her insulting yours?

*edited for typos

I feel like this is an issue with moderation.

Once you have achieved a healthy weight and actviity level, it is not AS MUCH work to maintain it. Weight LOSS is a lot of work, weight MAINTENANCE is less work.

My suspicion is that this person got skinny through some crash diet, or fad diet, or some marketed system. And didn't know how to transition into maintenance (OR was trying to maintain an unhealthy weight, or maintain without activity).

It's not like the two options are Skinny or FAT. There's a world of grey and plenty of spots that work for each of us.

The fact that he thought his options were skinny or fat means there is something in his thinking that isn't quite right. But more power to him if that works for him. I just don't think its indicative of anyone else.

This right here....it's like all or nothing...my way or no way at all.

I'm not the one that said "fat lazy sex" but your post is pretty harsh. I'm naturally skinny, it's hard for me to gain.

To whoever said that "fat lazy sex" isnt any good....... have you tried it? If not then please do not talk about what you do not know. I have a friend who told me the only thing a "skinny" girl is good for is to toss around a bedroom but when he wanted good lovin' he got it from a bigger girl. Even my husband tells me he loved the sex more when I had more meat on my bones because he doent want a skeleton to make love too. Fit sex is good but so is BIG SEX and BIGGER SEX. Please stop being so shallow and realize that everyone looks better with some meat on them cause only dogs like bones.