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

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Replies

  • SheridanLT
    SheridanLT Posts: 47 Member
    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!!
  • Sonj8D
    Sonj8D Posts: 3 Member
    I have managed to pile on a stone and a half just from giving up smoking and I want to lose that. I just don't feel right in myself and know that I will be happier and more confident when I am slim again :)
  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
    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.
  • BodyByBex
    BodyByBex Posts: 3,685 Member
    I'm getting stronger. And the health benefits alone make it worth it for me.
  • MissLeelooDallas
    MissLeelooDallas Posts: 145 Member
    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
  • dearannna
    dearannna Posts: 60 Member
    I am so far from a healthy weight I can't even picture it but the changes I have made recently have totally been worth it. I sleep better at night, I have more energy during the day, my skin glows. I can walk for miles without feeling uncomfortable, in the gym when I push my body it responds rather than gives up. I feel strong and successful, rather than weak and a failure.

    My overall 'why' is that I just want to be able to live my life without my weight affecting my day to day. To shop for clothes wherever I want. To go on holiday and not worry about fitting in aeroplanes or baring flesh in a swimming costume. To take part in family activities without worrying I might have to walk further than I am able. To just meet someone new and not worry that my weight is negatively affecting their view of me. I could continue this list for pages...

    I still have a long way to go and am not out of the woods yet. I am a yo-yoer and am still worried that one day (maybe tomorrow) I'll wake up and for no particular reason eat a box of donuts for breakfast and then gain all of the weight back again. But every day I make good choices I feel stronger.
  • kmr0293
    kmr0293 Posts: 50 Member
    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.
  • Thom_Kat
    Thom_Kat Posts: 17 Member
    Some aspects of being my most comfortable size are worth it but other aspects are harder to justify. For me, it is really hard work to maintain about 140 lbs, where I feel the best. Physically, I look better, mentally I feel better about my body. The problem is that I feel like I have to give up a lot of things just to get to that point. It's so hard to maintain, so I fluctuate a lot. I tend to let myself gain a little bit of weight so I can be fat and happy for awhile. I will spend months focused on the gym and my diet and then I will completely backtrack because I get tired of it. There is a fine balance there and I'm hoping that I will one day find it. I suppose the alternative is to just be comfortable with the 10-20 pounds I constantly gain and lose but that isn't quite what I want either. I think the real struggle for me is accepting the ebb and flow of my fitness lifestyle :)
  • in_the_stars
    in_the_stars Posts: 1,395 Member
    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.
  • Jollyin14
    Jollyin14 Posts: 18 Member
    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.

    Well said!!
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
    I have a goal to lose 68lb, then aspirations to lose another 28-odd. This will get me down to "overweight" in the BMI scales if I achieve it. When i was setting my goals a couple of months ago I did consider going the whole hog and aiming for for skinny/optimal weight/etc, but I don't think I want that.

    My brother did it 15 years ago and his life didn't exactly change dramatically. You have to ask yourself if the end justifies the means and what you want out of life.

    I am not overly unhappy with myself as I am now, but I am doing this to head off potential future health issues and to be more active now. I like who I am adn am comfortable with myself, but I know I can't sustain being 20st for too much longer into life.

    I think I would be happier being a little bit overwieght than I would being skinny. That may sound an odd way of looking at it but it's how I have felt for years, and this is my journey to get to "overweight". In my favour (and if I achieve my goal) I will have lost a hell of a lot of weight from my starting point so to the eyes of my family & friends I will have already done more than I guess thet expect of me.

    And to the poster who championed "larger sex" - well said, it beats the hell out of sex with a skinny person any day of the week!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    He has gained back the weight and now is a jolly, older man with no regrets regarding his lifestyle.

    Wait until the doc says to him in a few years, "Sorry, sir, but there's nothing more we can do for you." Then ask him if he regrets his lifestyle.

    Of course, he may live to a ripe old age of 95 but statistically, being very overweight is more likely to result in stuff like cancer, heart disease etc.

    If he's just slightly overweight then ignore what I've written. You don't need a six pack to be healthy.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
    I think being fit and healthy is more important then being skinny, skinny don't mean healthy.

    Now to answer your question, I stepped back a bit and kinda let myself go after my 133 lbs weight loss, I got comfortable and gained only 10 lbs back and felt gross and it wasn't worth it to me. I was happier at 120, I felt good, I ate good and it was just so much better for me.
  • in_the_stars
    in_the_stars Posts: 1,395 Member
    I think being fit and healthy is more important then being skinny, skinny don't mean healthy.

    Now to answer your question, I stepped back a bit and kinda let myself go after my 133 lbs weight loss, I got comfortable and gained only 10 lbs back and felt gross and it wasn't worth it to me. I was happier at 120, I felt good, I ate good and it was just so much better for me.

    You can be skinny, healthy and fit.
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
    I think being fit and healthy is more important then being skinny, skinny don't mean healthy.

    Now to answer your question, I stepped back a bit and kinda let myself go after my 133 lbs weight loss, I got comfortable and gained only 10 lbs back and felt gross and it wasn't worth it to me. I was happier at 120, I felt good, I ate good and it was just so much better for me.

    You can be skinny, healthy and fit.

    Of course, but my preference to the word skinny makes me cringe. So in my opinion I prefer the word fit and healthy, being told I was too thin and looked ill when I was no such thing just left a bad taste in my mouth.

    As I said to the OP Though, I personally feel gross with extra weight on me.
  • MissLeelooDallas
    MissLeelooDallas Posts: 145 Member
    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.

    Ahh... so much thin shaming on here... No one at all should be shamed for their bodies whether they're fat, thin, fit, or somewhere in the middle. This is ridiculous and it is bullying. Let's all stop making each other feel about about our bodies! If you have to feel better about yourself by insulting others physiques, you are on the wrong path to happiness my friend.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I am so far from a healthy weight I can't even picture it but the changes I have made recently have totally been worth it. I sleep better at night, I have more energy during the day, my skin glows. I can walk for miles without feeling uncomfortable, in the gym when I push my body it responds rather than gives up. I feel strong and successful, rather than weak and a failure.

    My overall 'why' is that I just want to be able to live my life without my weight affecting my day to day. To shop for clothes wherever I want. To go on holiday and not worry about fitting in aeroplanes or baring flesh in a swimming costume. To take part in family activities without worrying I might have to walk further than I am able. To just meet someone new and not worry that my weight is negatively affecting their view of me. I could continue this list for pages...

    I still have a long way to go and am not out of the woods yet. I am a yo-yoer and am still worried that one day (maybe tomorrow) I'll wake up and for no particular reason eat a box of donuts for breakfast and then gain all of the weight back again. But every day I make good choices I feel stronger.

    You won't gain all the weight back again from a box of donuts. It takes some persistence and consistency to pack on the pounds. It's over eating more habitual for most of us.

    It's like flossing. It can be hard to stay motivated. One day of not flossing doesn't mean that you've ruined everything, but its easy to drop the habit. If you do it for long enough, you don't feel right unless it's done.
  • Pasukaru2
    Pasukaru2 Posts: 39 Member
    Like some other said, I too want to enjoy life as much as I can. But I think that since I work in the medical field, I realised that if I really wanted to live a long life and to be as healthier as I could, I had to lose some weight to achieve that Goal. Would I say that everything is better now that I'm in a healthy BMI? No. I sometimes miss the carefree eating for example, But I keep telling myself that staying at that weight could'Ve eventually caused me health issues and I definetly don't want that. I don't say that you can't have heath issues if you're in a healthy BMI here! But various studies do show that the greater the BMI, the more risks you have in developping various illness. So all in all, I don't regret losing all that weight, considering that I really want to lower the risks as much as possible for my health. Moreover, I freaking love the way my body looks like now too, so no reason to go back :)
  • HowieShank
    HowieShank Posts: 2 Member
    I've never been skinny and never will be skinny.

    That said, I used to be physically fit and then I let that go and became not so fit. I developed health issues that cost me time, money and would have gotten worse with time. So the solution was to get fit again.

    Weight and physical fitness while related are not the same thing. You can be 200 or 300 pounds and still be physically fit. You can be 100 pounds and be physically UNfit. You can have any combination and end up fit or unfit.

    Fitness is what ultimately counts, being skinny, chunky, fat, tall, short, bulky, pudgy or whatever you may describe yourself as is just visual.

    Becoming fit and being able to perform activities you enjoy is what makes it all worthwhile!
  • in_the_stars
    in_the_stars Posts: 1,395 Member
    I think being fit and healthy is more important then being skinny, skinny don't mean healthy.

    Now to answer your question, I stepped back a bit and kinda let myself go after my 133 lbs weight loss, I got comfortable and gained only 10 lbs back and felt gross and it wasn't worth it to me. I was happier at 120, I felt good, I ate good and it was just so much better for me.

    You can be skinny, healthy and fit.


    Of course, but my preference to the word skinny makes me cringe. So in my opinion I prefer the word fit and healthy, being told I was too thin and looked ill when I was no such thing just left a bad taste in my mouth.

    As I said to the OP Though, I personally feel gross with extra weight on me.

    ^ This. The word skinny shouldn't really be used to explain fit or healthy, as it doesn't mean fit or healthy at all (refer to dictionary meaning) I don't really think it should be a word used when it comes to weight as it messes with young girls minds because most people think of skinny as model thin and not healthy which you see if you just google image the word skinny. 90% of the people sadly look like they're starving... which is why most mags now don't say "Get skinny this summer" Instead it's "Get fit." But of course you can be fit and "skinny" just as you can be unfit and skinny same with heavier people. You can be fit at many different weights and BF%. It's just better to encourage health more than using words like fat and skinny which are both extremely vague and wrong to use when talking about weight.

    So true.
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