Is it OK to want to look great?

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I know all the right reasons to lose weight. To be healthy and have more energy. But is it Ok just to want to look great again? I've had some health issues over the past few years and my weight has increased. Now my doctors, family and friends are supporting me in my journey to lose the weight and get healthier. I've got a great team beside me. Deep down all I really want is to look great again. Is that being vain or selfish? I need to know that this is normal. Thanks.
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Replies

  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Totally! Isn't that deep down the reason any of us are here?
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    I don't think it is vain or selfish. When we feel like we look good we feel better about ourselves. You may find that your definition of looking good has changed a bit and that is ok. It is all about liking the skin you're in.

    Best wishes and I hope your health continues to improve.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    NO, what is wrong with you? You shoud want to look like *kitten*. :smile:
  • slimrb2011
    slimrb2011 Posts: 122
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    That sounds completely normal to me!! That is the first reason I wanted to lose weight....vain/selfish or not! The getting healthy and having more energy are great bonuses but nothing beats putting on those smaller sizes or seeing that muscle definition coming out! As long as you are doing this for you...I don't think it is vain at all!
  • dawnw30
    dawnw30 Posts: 270
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    Who doesn't want that??? We all want to look good and feel good about ourselves. Good luck on your journey! :flowerforyou:
  • mike20603
    mike20603 Posts: 32 Member
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    IMO, many things contribute to feeling better, including looking better.

    Some things that make me feel good:

    working hard
    listening well
    being trusted
    accomplishing a goal
    learning something
    helping someone
    looking good

    All these (and many more) contribute to how I feel. So, if looking good is on your list...no need feel selfish or vain.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    Um, it is okay that, if I'm honest, this is maybe the primary reason I want to lose weight?

    Maybe not number 1...I wouldn't put the hours in at the gym or try to eat well if I didn't also feel better mentally and physically and it meant great things for my health. BUT, if I was doing all this without the "side effect" of a better body and looking better you can bet I probably would not be doing it all! Or at least trying very hard!

    Keep it up, it's normal! We all want to feel comfortable in the skin we're in.
  • fcrisswell
    fcrisswell Posts: 234 Member
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    Of course it it's ok.

    BUT, remember, we are not teenagers anymore! And, we will never look like we did then. It's great to strive for perfection but always remember none of us is perfect. Even the "always been thin" people have something about themselves they do not like. After losing a lot of weight things may not shrink back to their originaly positions ( I know this from experience LOL :-O ). But in the end you will feel so great it won't matter.
  • perrytyra
    perrytyra Posts: 357 Member
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    Of course. The only thing to look out for is vanity. We want to look good, but we shouldn't obsess about it.
  • mseab71
    mseab71 Posts: 69 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good! I think that we all want to loose weight for some of the same reasons...Ex: Health, Family, and to look good! I do not really know of anyone who likes the little extra additive of looking good after you get healthy...Looking good is an awesome bonus to getting healthy!! Good Luck on your journey! It sounds like you have great support and that is important! You will do great!!

    Michelle
  • katijjane
    katijjane Posts: 57 Member
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    that's why i'm doing this!
  • bwalters82
    bwalters82 Posts: 95
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    I love this question! There is definitely nothing wrong with wanting to feel more attractive and self-confident. You go girl!
  • burnsrt
    burnsrt Posts: 4 Member
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    Yes it is. We all should want to take care of our health, feel great and look great. I am with you on this. With myfitnesspal we can all do this. I have been logging for 15 days and have already lost 2 pounds and some inches. It is helping me to think before I put food in my mouth because I will have to log it. I am cheering for you!!!:smile:
  • ladybug1009
    ladybug1009 Posts: 68 Member
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    Absolutely!

    Some would say I am selfish to want to be thinner before I get pregnant because I want to actually look like I have a baby bump and not a fat belly with a baby growing inside. But it is what I want other than the normal being healthy and stronger me. :)
  • Scentlessapprentice
    Scentlessapprentice Posts: 170 Member
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    Absolutely! I'm doing this for that very reason, yes I want to be healthy for all the right reasons too but I want to be a yummy mummy instead of a frumpy mummy!
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    Girl! Everyone says that they want to lose weight to be "healthier" but what they really mean is that they want to lose weight to look sexy. There is nothing better than having your ego stroked by someone who says that you look great. Its the best motivator in the world. I have had heart health problems my whole life and getting healthy for that reason has always been a priority, but never really the foremost thing on my mind. Being able to buy a bikini, little booty shorts or put on a pair of skiiny jeans and look great in them has been more of a motivator than anything. Vain, yes....but hey, if it makes me healthy at the same time, ill take it!
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
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    Of course!

    Looking great => feeling great => self-confidence => happier, healthier (mentally AND physically) you
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
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    I do not think it is bad at all, I do not think there is a single person out there that deep down does not want to look great, the only difference is some are willing to do something about it while others just wish for it. If that is vain then slap a vain sticker on my butt and send me on my way, I want to look great and am not embarrased to admit it!
  • thecanface
    thecanface Posts: 1,180 Member
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    NO, what is wrong with you? You shoud want to look like *kitten*. :smile:

    exactly! ARE YOU INSANE!!! hehehe
  • milanks
    milanks Posts: 122
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    Absolutely, it's okay! It shouldn't be the most important thing in your life, but it's just as valid a pursuit as most! :)

    I was just thinking yesterday, "Am I too vain? Do I worry too much about silly superficial things like the size of my thighs?" and then I played this scenario out in my head where I get hit by a truck or something and I'm terribly injured and need years of rehabilitation and end up gaining weight because of my immobility. I wondered how I would feel about myself if that happened, "Would my sense of self worth go away if I gained 50 pounds?" and the answer is definitely no. So long as we keep in mind that there's so much more to us than our bodies, there's nothing wrong with wanting the body to rock!:)