Is it OK to want to look great?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

I love this question! There is definitely nothing wrong with wanting to feel more attractive and self-confident. You go girl!

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.

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!

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!

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!:)

Yup. Definitely okay. Consider it motivation.