Happy Fat Folk

[WishboneDawn]

I can't be the only one.

 

I'm fat. I don't diet. I eat well and generally stay active and focus more on feeling healthy at this size then on losing weight. My kids like how I look. My husband still loves tea time. I can dress up and love the way I look.

 

There are more of me here, right?

[DB in NJ]

I am glad for you that you are comfortable with yourself! But no, I am sorry to say that I do not feel that way.

 

I've been thin and I've been 70 pounds overweight. Right now I'm 30 pounds overweight. I know how good thin AND healthy feel. I can function just fine at 30 pounds overweight, and I can manage to look good. But I know that 30 pounds less would feel a whole lot better (and healthier).

 

Health, above all else, needs to be our priority. If you're healthy, then you're all set!

[WishboneDawn]

I don't think everyone who's overweight needs to be happy with that, just feels a little lonely here at times with all the dieting threads sometimes. :)

 

I'm also fine with losing weight, just content if it doesn't happen fast or at all as long as I'm relatively fit and healthy. In fact, I've got a radical weight loss procedure coming up in about 6 weeks. :D

[Tangerine]

There are many. My best friend is amazing. She's a fat bellydancer. I was totally planning on losing weight (:001_rolleyes:), but only because I wanted to try to avoid the back pain I had with my last pregnancy. But, alas, here I am pregnant and still fat. I think it shocks people that there are fat folks who don't go around hating their bodies. I absolutely abhor the "Have you lost weight? You look great!" too. Did I look fatter and grosser before? I don't mind a "you look nice", but I hate it when people presume to give their preference as to what your body should look like.

[Impish]

I'm there with you. I'm happy when my clothes fit nicely, I *loathe* clothes shopping b/c I'm weirdly proportioned, but I don't diet.

[WishboneDawn]

There are many. My best friend is amazing. She's a fat bellydancer. I was totally planning on losing weight (:001_rolleyes:), but only because I wanted to try to avoid the back pain I had with my last pregnancy. But, alas, here I am pregnant and still fat. I think it shocks people that there are fat folks who don't go around hating their bodies. I absolutely abhor the "Have you lost weight? You look great!" too. Did I look fatter and grosser before? I don't mind a "you look nice", but I hate it when people presume to give their preference as to what your body should look like.

 

YES!!!

 

I know people mean well when they say it but there's a point where you just get tired of it.

[Tangerine]

I'm there with you. I'm happy when my clothes fit nicely, I *loathe* clothes shopping b/c I'm weirdly proportioned, but I don't diet.

 

:iagree: Yes, please. Where are the clothes for the 5 feet tall girls with enormous books? Nope, not enormous shoulders. Not simian arms. Just small framed, big books.

[LaxMom]

I absolutely abhor the "Have you lost weight? You look great!" too. Did I look fatter and grosser before? I don't mind a "you look nice", but I hate it when people presume to give their preference as to what your body should look like.

Real conversation with my EX-husband while getting dressed one morning:

Wasband: hey. Have you lost weight?

me: uh... No? Why?

Wasband: Your a$$ doesn't look as cottage-cheesy as it normally does.

 

20 years later, he thinks that was a compliment. Moron.

 

:iagree: Yes, please. Where are the clothes for the 5 feet tall girls with enormous books? Nope, not enormous shoulders. Not simian arms. Just small framed, big books.

I don't think mine are even remarkably large and, yet... If you find that magical place, where women have booKs and arms, please share.

[Aelwydd]

I love the title of this thread.

[Liz CA]

 

I'm also fine with losing weight, just content if it doesn't happen fast or at all as long as I'm relatively fit and healthy. In fact, I've got a radical weight loss procedure coming up in about 6 weeks. :D

 

Silly! Being pregnant is not being fat. Best Wishes for your "Weight Loss Procedure." :lol:

[Tangerine]

Silly! Being pregnant is not being fat. Best Wishes for your "Weight Loss Procedure." :lol:

 

Ooooooh. Now I get it. I'm quick.

[twoforjoy]

Another happy fat person. I'm generally really consistent about exercise, because it's good for my mental health, and I make sure we get in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but I don't worry about weight. I didn't start exercising regularly until I was in my mid 20s, and even though I was heavier than I was when I was younger, I've felt a lot better since then. It's definitely activity level that makes the difference for me in terms of how I feel.

 

I've never been thin. Even as a young teen, when I went through a phase where I ate very little and exercised a lot for a long period, I never got skinny. And, I take a medication that generally causes me to be about 20 pounds heavier than I am when off of it. So, it would generally be an exercise in frustration and futility to worry about losing weight. I figure that, as long as I'm active and eating well, I'm the size God intended me to be.

 

I recommend Linda Bacon's Health at Every Size to anybody who will listen. ;)

[stormy weather]

.

Edited February 23, 2015 by stormy weather

[WishboneDawn]

Ooooooh. Now I get it. I'm quick.

 

:lol::lol:

[missmoe]

I'm with you. I could lose 20-30 pounds but I'm fine with how I am right now. I figure at some time I will lose the weight or not!

[twoforjoy]

:iagree: Yes, please. Where are the clothes for the 5 feet tall girls with enormous books? Nope, not enormous shoulders. Not simian arms. Just small framed, big books.

 

And the bras. I do not understand why U.S. bra companies make bras in, if you're lucky, about 6 cup sizes, whereas European bra companies make bras in about a dozen cup sizes. Apparently U.S. bra makers think that women who need larger than a DD either don't exist or don't deserve bras (or should just keep upping their band size until the cups finally fit, which is a recipe for poor support and back pain).

[Tangerine]

And the bras. I do not understand why U.S. bra companies make bras in, if you're lucky, about 6 cup sizes, whereas European bra companies make bras in about a dozen cup sizes. Apparently U.S. bra makers think that women who need larger than a DD either don't exist or don't deserve bras (or should just keep upping their band size until the cups finally fit, which is a recipe for poor support and back pain).

 

And doesn't it just make you feel weird when a wardrobe staple for your pretty parts is a special order item?

[WishboneDawn]

I love the title of this thread.

 

:D I'm in love with the word "folk" lately and it sounds so good paired with "fat".

[Impish]

:iagree: Yes, please. Where are the clothes for the 5 feet tall girls with enormous books? Nope, not enormous shoulders. Not simian arms. Just small framed, big books.

Oh my goodness, YES!

And the bras. I do not understand why U.S. bra companies make bras in, if you're lucky, about 6 cup sizes, whereas European bra companies make bras in about a dozen cup sizes. Apparently U.S. bra makers think that women who need larger than a DD either don't exist or don't deserve bras (or should just keep upping their band size until the cups finally fit, which is a recipe for poor support and back pain).

:iagree:The US has a better selection than Canada. :glare:

And doesn't it just make you feel weird when a wardrobe staple for your pretty parts is a special order item?

And costs a small fortune! Wolf about died when he picked me up a bra that I'd ordered from a store just after we were married. He ranted a while about how it cost more than my wedding gown (and it did) and how I should wear it OVER my clothes for what it cost. :lol:

 

I swear, one of the ways I'll know we're affluent (if it ever happens) is when I can afford a different bra for each day of the week!

 

ps, Dawn...I'm going for the same 'procedure'...in 6 wks or so!

[Denisemomof4]

I'm not happy. I want to lose 30 pounds. 40 would be even better but dh doesn't want me to lose 40.

 

I don't have the energy I want, and I hate the way I look in clothing.

 

I'm tall and carry my weight well, so I'm told. I'm not fat, I'm tall. WHAT?! No, I need to lose weight. Period.

 

I'm also a diabetic risk (hypoglycemic since age 5) and I have high BP which will go way down if I lose the weight.

 

I'm SO SICK of eating differently than everyone else in the family. It's getting to be a bit much. I just decided today to eat WELL but not to diet until after the holidays.

[GingerPoppy]

Looooove food! Absolutely refuse to diet, and always have refused. I hate everything about them, not the least of which are the poor long-range outcomes. I prefer to embrace balance, exercise, and a reasonable curviness.

[Baseball mom]

I am way overweight and not happy about it but apparently not worried enough to diet.

 

What really bugs me is going out to eat with a group of women who are on diets. I don't get to go out much and when I do I want to enjoy the food NOT hear how many calories are in something. Or get the sideways look because I finish my food instead of picking at it.

[8circles]

And the bras. I do not understand why U.S. bra companies make bras in, if you're lucky, about 6 cup sizes, whereas European bra companies make bras in about a dozen cup sizes. Apparently U.S. bra makers think that women who need larger than a DD either don't exist or don't deserve bras (or should just keep upping their band size until the cups finally fit, which is a recipe for poor support and back pain).

 

Sing it sistah!

[kiana]

I am way overweight and not happy about it but apparently not worried enough to diet.

 

What really bugs me is going out to eat with a group of women who are on diets. I don't get to go out much and when I do I want to enjoy the food NOT hear how many calories are in something. Or get the sideways look because I finish my food instead of picking at it.

 

Yeah, or get "Wow, you eat a lot! My stomach just can't hold all that! Half a salad and I'm full! How do you hold all that food?"

 

Yeah, bite me.

[veggiegal]

No, you're not the only one. I'm right there with you. I don't diet, and I focus on living healthy (good food, good friends, exercise, etc.) and let the weight fall where it may. I have read enough (Obesity Myth, Health at Every Size, Big Fat Lies, Fat Politics, etc.) to know that thin does not necessarily equal healthy, and fat does not necessarily equal unhealthy. I've also lived it. At my thinnest, which I achieved by decidedly unhealthy means, I got all kinds of compliments from well-meaning friends and relatives about "how healthy I looked", but I knew the truth. It was in looks only. After that headspin I decided no more. I'll live healthy, and whether or not my body type matches what is currently fashionable for "looking healthy" is a different issue.

[Barb_]

I love the title of this thread.

 

:iagree: I think it wins the prize for best thread title ever.

[Cindyg]

One problem with being fat and happy is that you can't get life insurance. Ask me how I know. And I'm not all that fat or all that happy. :glare:

[KungFuPanda]

There are many. My best friend is amazing. She's a fat bellydancer. I was totally planning on losing weight (:001_rolleyes:), but only because I wanted to try to avoid the back pain I had with my last pregnancy. But, alas, here I am pregnant and still fat. I think it shocks people that there are fat folks who don't go around hating their bodies. I absolutely abhor the "Have you lost weight? You look great!" too. Did I look fatter and grosser before? I don't mind a "you look nice", but I hate it when people presume to give their preference as to what your body should look like.

 

I know LOTS of voluptuous bellydancers. They are comfortable in their skin and happier than plenty of thin girls. Nothing is more engaging than a joyful, skilled woman dancing with confidence and grace. I say shake what your mama gave ya and drink up life. It's tOo short to reserve happiness for AFTER you XYZ.

[Abigail4476]

I don't know. I'm about 80 pounds overweight and it's the fattest I've ever been. I don't hate myself when I look in the mirror, I like how I look all dressed up and I still enjoy shopping, but I don't FEEL as good as I did when I was thin and fit. We still enjoy teA, but my husband does worry about my health and I do, too. I would be happier with the weight off. I had a couple of setbacks almost 2 years ago: I took a bad fall while ice skating, injuring both my knees and just a few months later I sprained an ankle pretty badly. My podiatrist said that the ligaments in my ankle are loose now (because I didn't stay off it like I was supposed to) and as a result, I've had 3-4 more falls and re-sprained it. It has made exercising difficult and my last 20 lbs. have been gained in the months since then. Not a great excuse, but it has made me a little more sympathetic with people who don't exercise because of physical issues.

 

Diabetes and heart problems run in our family (even for the skinny ones), so it really isn't very smart for me to stay as I am. :001_huh: My husband and kids are skinny and we eat healthy foods. Unfortunately, "healthy" or "nutritious" doesn't = "low calorie." :D

 

(motivational thread?) :tongue_smilie:

 

This makes me feel that I should make a list of bad foods. It would have to start with Nutella. Probably end with real cream in my coffee. Bread at every meal. An affinity for real butter and pasta. And basil pesto. *sigh*

[SKL]

No, I'm not a happy fat folk, but I think it's great that some people are. I think it's a shame that some people spend so much of their lives dieting and hating their bodies, despite the fact that they still can't get to their "ideal weight." If only people could get a realistic idea of what weight they can attain and maintain, we'd probably have more happy fat folks.

 

I'm afraid of letting myself go. Nowadays I've been fluctuating kind of a lot, and it bugs me that I can't eat comfort food for a few days without getting a pot belly. I don't exactly diet, but I cut back periodically so I can still fit into my pants. I made a deal with myself years ago that I would never buy a larger pant size, so I'd better know how to reverse the weight-gain trend.

 

Glad I don't have the problem with bras. I never could find one that fit or felt good, so I just quit wearing them. (I can get away with it in most shirts.)

[veggiegal]

One problem with being fat and happy is that you can't get life insurance. Ask me how I know. And I'm not all that fat or all that happy. :glare:

 

This varies depending on where you live. I have life insurance, as does everyone in my family, which is full of 'fat happy people'.

[JulieH]

I'm fat and desperately need to do something about it. Now. I am not at all happy with being overweight.

 

This isn't a size or body issue matter. It's a matter of health..and life and death. I don't know why, knowing this, I continue to sabotage myself.

 

I eat my veggies too..and have great teA and all that.

 

But I think it's pretty well established in the medical/health/wellness field that too much excess weight is detrimental to our health and longevity and therefore I am not at all ok with being a happy fat person.

 

I don't believe in "health at any size".

 

I have full blown diabetes now, thanks to my being happy and content for far too long with being overweight. Heart disease runs in my family.

 

For me, it has nothing to do with clothing, sexiness, appearance etc. I do not believe that the words fat and healthy go together at all.

 

Just my opinion (lots of opinion, and some just pure fact). Spoken from someone who is clearly NOT a happy fat folk at the moment..:001_smile:

[Audrey]

I don't think everyone who's overweight needs to be happy with that, just feels a little lonely here at times with all the dieting threads sometimes. :)

 

I'm also fine with losing weight, just content if it doesn't happen fast or at all as long as I'm relatively fit and healthy. In fact, I've got a radical weight loss procedure coming up in about 6 weeks. :D

 

 

I don't diet anymore. I did change the way I eat, which has led to some weight loss, which has led to feeling better enough to be more active, which has led to overall improved health.

 

I am happy with that, even if I am not thin.

[Heather in Neverland]

I don't diet anymore. I did change the way I eat, which has led to some weight loss, which has led to feeling better enough to be more active, which has led to overall improved health.

 

I am happy with that, even if I am not thin.

 

So that's not you in your avatar? :tongue_smilie: Don't laugh...I am a visual person so I associate the members of this board with their avatars moreso than their board names (it is also why I hate it when people change their avatars...totally bumfuzzles me!).

 

After a while you become your avatar in my brain. So in my brain, Audrey is this wild, green-haired, amazon-princess-type chick. :D

 

OK back to the topic at hand...

 

I'm not fat (although maybe we should define "FAT"?) but I could stand to lose about 10 pounds. The problem is I have lost that weight before and while my body is thinner my face also has more wrinkles!!!!

 

No thank you. I'll be a little plump rather than wrinkled any day. I think you can be overweight and still know how to work it!

[Audrey]

So that's not you in your avatar? :tongue_smilie: Don't laugh...I am a visual person so I associate the members of this board with their avatars moreso than their board names (it is also why I hate it when people change their avatars...totally bumfuzzles me!).

 

After a while you become your avatar in my brain. So in my brain, Audrey is this wild, green-haired, amazon-princess-type chick. :D

 

OK back to the topic at hand...

 

I'm not fat (although maybe we should define "FAT"?) but I could stand to lose about 10 pounds. The problem is I have lost that weight before and while my body is thinner my face also has more wrinkles!!!!

 

No thank you. I'll be a little plump rather than wrinkled any day. I think you can be overweight and still know how to work it!

 

 

Amazon would be a good descriptor. I am 6' tall. I have the heft to be an Amazon, but alas, not the green hair. Sorry. :lol:

 

FWIW, I've recently got down to a size 16. It looks really good on me. I think I could lose another 20 pounds, maybe 30. I don't know. I'll know when and if I ever get there, I guess. As it is, I'm all about feeling good about myself right now. I used to be all about beating myself up, so this is a really good place to be.

 

And, you are very right about being overweight and knowing how to work it. There is a person in my life who I look up to fashion-wise and she is probably 50 pounds or more overweight, but my gosh! She rocks it! She's got style and class coming out her ears and the kind of confidence that no diet could ever give you.

[Diana B]

I don't 'hate' my body, but I'm not happy in it either.

 

I also know that the way I eat and my weight are causing me significant health issues.

 

But I'll never be 'thin'. I'd settle for overweight instead of obese! I could lose 100 lbs and still be considered overweight. My husband wouldn't like it if I lost too much - he likes the curves.

 

My biggest factor for changing my eating is for my health. The fact that I'm loosing some weight along with it is great.

 

I also want to be FIT. I want to be able to run for more than 10 seconds. I want more energy to do the things I love.

 

If it means that I can buy things out of the regular ladies' department instead of the plus sizes - even better! I haven't been able to wear normal ladies' sizes since... since... since I should have still been wearing girls clothes! (I graduated high school @ over 200 lbs and wearing a size 20/22.)

 

I think that if you are only slightly overweight (maybe up to 50 above the recommendation), you can and should be comfortable in your own skin. But if you are more than that, and/or you are experiencing health problems - you should really re-think your 'any size is healthy' idea. Be honest with yourself!

 

Maybe it's a matter of getting FIT instead of 'losing weight'. People can range in size - but unless there is some serious health issues going on, everyone can benefit from some type of exercise. Sitting on our a$$ all day doesn't help anyone.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Mostly happy. Fat? Most definitely! Dieting? Why? I KNOW I should eat more fruits and veggies. I KNOW a lot of things. And I don't do them. Why? Good question! FWIW, I am a mostly happy fat chick ... let me interrupt myself to define MY fatness as about 60lbs overweight. 5'4", 210lbs. Now, don't jump all over me and tell me how unhealthy that is. I already admitted I was fat! ;) Just sayin' I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm fat.

 

That being said, I make myself get out and take ballet class. I look ridiculous most days in my leotard and tights next to all these younger, willowy folk. I have never been and may never be willowy, this side of Heaven. So be it. I like ballet, so I'm going to dance as long as my body will let me! Being one of the few older adults seemingly brave enough to do so, I also do it to encourage other folk who might otherwise be too timid. Life is too SHORT!

 

All that to say, that I am happy in my skin. I like who I am personally (spiritually,etc). The body can always use some work, though! :D

[IsabelC]

I'm sort of Happy Fat. I am in the process of losing weight, however this is truly health motivated and nothing else. I have several niggling health problems that, while not serious, add up to not being able to live life to the fullest. I know that with some weight loss, I will feel healthier and be less at risk of serious illness. But I honestly have no desire to be thin in order to live up to society's expectations of women. (Heck, I don't shave my legs, so I will never be "beautiful" regardless of weight loss :tongue_smilie:)

[twoforjoy]

=

But I think it's pretty well established in the medical/health/wellness field that too much excess weight is detrimental to our health and longevity and therefore I am not at all ok with being a happy fat person.

 

Actually, studies have found that people who are in the "overweight" category have the lowest mortality rate of all groups. People who have a BMI of 30-34.9 have mortality rates equivalent to those who are "normal" weight. The highest mortality rate is in the underweight category. And, when you control for activity levels, weight has very little impact on health.

 

I don't believe in "health at any size".

 

I have full blown diabetes now, thanks to my being happy and content for far too long with being overweight.

 

 

A good deal of research seems to indicate that being fat doesn't cause diabetes; instead, the insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes causes people to be fat.

 

The point of HAES isn't for people to eat poorly and not be active; it's to adopt healthy habits for the sake of health, not weight. And, you can see dramatic changes in health indicators--blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.--by changing your habits even if you lose little or even no weight.

 

High blood pressure runs in my family on both sides. My blood pressure used to run on the high side pretty much all the time. Since I started exercising regularly, it now runs on the low side of average. I haven't lost any weight. My mother had her blood pressure drop into the normal range after years of being high when she began to exercise daily, even though she didn't lose any weight.

 

HAES is based on research that has indicated that when people focus on making healthy changes for health's sake, and don't focus on weight loss, they have more positive changes in behavior and health than people who diet for weight loss, and end up being no larger than the dieters, since most dieters gain back all or most of what they lose within 2-5 years (and often more).

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar06/health0306.htm

[Rhonda in TX]

I wish I could be fat and happy. I'm short, short-waisted, and have large books. I don't do fat well. I know women who carry a large amount of weight on their frame and still look fabulous. I don't. I also have a very high risk of diabetes, so I've got to get the weight off.

 

While I'm very skeptical of the idea of being healthy when you're fat, I am very happy for those who are content with their body size.

[littlebug42]

I'm good where I am at for the most part. For my entire adult life, my weight has been in the same 15 pound range. I try to eat well and I am working on getting more active but the weight is really not a concern to me. I have tried dieting etc before and I begin to obsess over every bite I put in my body and it doesn't do good things for my mind. Weight Watchers and that count pointing was a nightmare.

[WishboneDawn]

This makes me feel that I should make a list of bad foods. It would have to start with Nutella. Probably end with real cream in my coffee. Bread at every meal. An affinity for real butter and pasta. And basil pesto. *sigh*

 

There are no bad foods. Food is just food. It doesn't have any moral character or special power. Once we give it either of those things then we're in trouble.

[WishboneDawn]

I don't diet anymore. I did change the way I eat, which has led to some weight loss, which has led to feeling better enough to be more active, which has led to overall improved health.

 

I am happy with that, even if I am not thin.

 

I'm on that same road. I've actually moved to stuff like butter over margarine, eating big breakfast with those "bad" things like bacon and sausages, big homemade desserts. And I lost some weight but more importantly had more energy and felt better.

 

I rejected the idea of some food being "bad" or off limits and just figured that I'd concentrate on mostly making good, satisfying food from scratch.

[WishboneDawn]

Mostly happy. Fat? Most definitely! Dieting? Why? I KNOW I should eat more fruits and veggies. I KNOW a lot of things. And I don't do them. Why? Good question! FWIW, I am a mostly happy fat chick ... let me interrupt myself to define MY fatness as about 60lbs overweight. 5'4", 210lbs. Now, don't jump all over me and tell me how unhealthy that is. I already admitted I was fat! ;) Just sayin' I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm fat.

 

I'll follow your lead. I'm about 5'8" and when not preggers, 260 lbs. I haven't gained that much this time so I expect I'll be back at that fairly quickly after the baby comes.

[Impish]

Well, here's how it shakes out for me (and its taken me a looooooooong time to get here)

 

1) I'm hypothyroid.

2) I have RSD.

 

Put those 2 together, and overweight is a forgone conclusion. I can't move and excercise without pain levels going up. Even walking for more than 15 mins at a time leaves my arm feeling like its tearing out of the shoulder socket. Not good.

 

Then add in 3) Have to be gluten free.

 

My diet is more than restrictive enough. I can't hack any more 'diet' in my life, or I'll lose my ever. loving. mind.

 

So, I have choices. I can bemoan the fact that I'll never have the body I did when I was a 15 yo anorexic...or I can work to accept my body as it is, and make the healthiest choices I can.

 

Believe me on something...when you live with severe chronic pain, suddenly how you *look* isn't a priority any more. I don't even own a scale.

 

For the sake of ease, I'd love to get down to a D cup, be able to buy a dress rather than separates, but short of surgery, its just not gonna happen.

 

I'd rather be happy where I am, than miserable about an unattainable goal.

[jplain]

Actually, studies have found that people who are in the "overweight" category have the lowest mortality rate of all groups. People who have a BMI of 30-34.9 have mortality rates equivalent to those who are "normal" weight.

Could you provide a reference that supports this? I've not been able to find one.

The highest mortality rate is in the underweight category.

This shouldn't surprise anyone. To get to a BMI that qualifies as underweight, one has to be extremely skinny, ie. one of the more skeletal fashion models. Often there are underlying medical causes behind failure to maintain a normal weight, so an increase in mortality is not shocking.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, as the French would say, I am bien dans ma peau, literally meaning I am well in my skin. I've never been "skinny", but I have looked normal to slightly heavy most of my life. I come from a family of enormous people. Not just overweight, but very tall and large. So, I hold no illusions that I will ever look thin. Just ain't gonna happen. I am currently much more overweight than I'd like to be. I'd like to lose about 60 lbs. and I'm actively working on that through healthy eating and increasing my exercise. I was originally 80 lbs. overweight, and over the past year, I've slowly lost 20 lbs. I really don't like how I look in photos, but it doesn't stop me from living my life. I wear bathing suits and shorts in public, which a couple of my sisters won't do. I really don't care what anyone else thinks of me, except my husband, and even then not enough to diet for him. I want to be healthy more than I want to be thin. I want to have energy to play with my grandchildren someday and travel the world with my little old lady girlfriends. For the past five years, I've had the best diet I've ever eaten in my life- lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats and whole grains. I feel great, even though I'm still plump. I know lots of skinny people who eat nothing but fast food and they feel and look like garbage. I'd rather be overweight and feel healthy than skinny and feel sick.

[jplain]

I wasn't unhappy when I was overweight. Being tall, I carried it well. But I'm much happier at a normal BMI, weighing 50 pounds less. My knees are much happier at this BMI. Happy knees have significantly improved my quality of life. Overall I feel better, though I suspect that has a lot to do with changes in eating habits.

[Wheres Toto]

I am trying very hard to just be happy and accepting of my weight where it is. I'm about 60 pounds overweight but I know if I lost 30 or 40 (puts me in about a size 12/14) I feel much better, I have more energy and I can still enjoy food. It's pregnancy that puts on the pounds for me and then I have a really hard time getting any of it off. I don't think I'd mind the weight so much if I was proportional. I'm extremely bottom heavy - I wear a barely B cup bra. It sucks being fat in the belly, hips and thighs but have absolutely no booKs. Clothes that look nice and fit well are very hard to find.

 

I am healthy at my current weight - no high blood pressure, good cholesterol levels but do have some foot and knee pain that may be helped by some loss and I know I need to be more active. I get very winded and slight chest pain from heavy exercise (I walked up about 100 very steep steps in cool air on Sunday taking DD to a college fair. I thought I was going to die.)

[JulieH]

Actually, studies have found that people who are in the "overweight" category have the lowest mortality rate of all groups. People who have a BMI of 30-34.9 have mortality rates equivalent to those who are "normal" weight. The highest mortality rate is in the underweight category. And, when you control for activity levels, weight has very little impact on health.

 

 

 

A good deal of research seems to indicate that being fat doesn't cause diabetes; instead, the insulin resistance that can lead to diabetes causes people to be fat.

 

 

The point of HAES isn't for people to eat poorly and not be active; it's to adopt healthy habits for the sake of health, not weight. And, you can see dramatic changes in health indicators--blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.--by changing your habits even if you lose little or even no weight.

 

High blood pressure runs in my family on both sides. My blood pressure used to run on the high side pretty much all the time. Since I started exercising regularly, it now runs on the low side of average. I haven't lost any weight. My mother had her blood pressure drop into the normal range after years of being high when she began to exercise daily, even though she didn't lose any weight.

 

HAES is based on research that has indicated that when people focus on making healthy changes for health's sake, and don't focus on weight loss, they have more positive changes in behavior and health than people who diet for weight loss, and end up being no larger than the dieters, since most dieters gain back all or most of what they lose within 2-5 years (and often more).

 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar06/health0306.htm

 

I think that HAES is just one school of thought among many, and I do not buy into it.

 

The statement about being fat not leading to diabetes is not true at all. Being obese and lack of exercise are two of the most common causes of diabetes. They (obesity and lack of exercise) lead to insulin resistance, that leads to diabetes, that holds on to the fat, making weight loss very difficult. So therefore, yes, obesity does lead to diabetes.

 

That was an interesting study. I get the intuitive eating thing. Making it a lifestyle change. I am not at all a believer in crash dieting, yo yo dieting, fad diets. Deprivation. A lifestyle change needs to be reasonable and sustainable.

 

But if someone tries to tell me they're 50, 70, 100 lbs or more overweight and that it's ok and not a health risk, I'm going to tell them they are just fooling themself. It's just simply not true. I'm not saying that you can't be "happy" being obese, but long term its going to take a toll on your body. I saw it too many times in my nursing career and with people I love, and there's too much medical research to back it up.

 

It sure has taken a toll on mine, and I deeply regret it. I wish I had listened to the warnings 15 years ago. Change is hard!