Losing weight, why is it never enough?

United States
May 21, 2007 4:13pm CST
I have been thinking a lot lately about weight loss and all the issues in America with weight. Although I dont think obesity is good, I do however feel that we dont all have to be a size 0-3 to be beautiful. Fullness is beauty as well. I mean, why is a size 11-13 no acceptable? It seems that even when we try to lose weight and we are successful, we can never lose enough because we still look big in our eyes..how do you feel about this?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@mmiller26 (1930)
• Canada
21 May 07
I don't think "thin" is healthy, and the reason why North Americans have that kind of obsession is largely due to Hollywood and the media telling us that if we want to be happy, successful and look like a movie star, that's the size we have to be. I think it's wrong. The other problem is that women think they have to be a certain size, not realizing that it's unrealistic if they're too short or too tall. Size 11-13 is healthy, depending on your height. Someone who is 5'9" could easily get away with being in a size 11-13, but someone who was 5'2" would be terribly overweight. Most women don't think about that, and fixate solely on the number instead. I lost over 100 lbs a few years back, and I did it in a healthy manner. I'm not supermodel thin, and I'm not even really where I'd like to be yet. But I feel great and I think I look great, and that gleam in my husband's eyes when he looks at me is my gauge for how I look because you're right-- I don't always trust my own eyes. I'll keep eating healthy and exercising because I know it's good for me, and weight loss is the biproduct of that, but I'm not going to fixate on an unrealistic size or weight simply because commercials are telling me that's how I should look.
• United States
21 May 07
Wow, hats off to you for losing 100lbs. How did you do it?:)
@mmiller26 (1930)
• Canada
21 May 07
I limited my calories to 1200 per day, ate LOADS of leafy green vegetables, didn't eat sugar, pasta, rice, potatoes or bread, and ate a lot of lean meats like chicken and turkey and fish. I also drank only water, Crystal-light and diet soda. I also went for brisk walks for an hour or so every day and did some weight training at home with 15 lb dumbells. It really wasn't that difficult once I had a plan, and I usually lost between 2-5 lbs per week. The hardest part for most people is coming up with a plan and sticking to it. I'm the type of person that once I commit to something I don't do it halfway, so keeping on track wasn't much of an issue.
• United States
10 Jun 07
Certainly excess weight is not desirable, but at some point you have to draw the line when it comes to dieting. Most times these preoccupations relate to an obsessive/compulsive disorder, which is a medically treatable disease. It's sad that women and teen girls allow others to judge them and belittle them into self destructive behavior. You just have to love yourself and not worry about what others are thinking.