Happy Fat Folk

[Tigger]

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

 

Not the OP who mentioned the stats on overweight having lower mortality than normal weight by BMI, but here you go:

 

This paper - Flegal, K. M. et al. Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity. JAMA 293: 1861–7 - appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association as data included in a follow-up article last year and it described studies of the relative death rates of subjects who were underweight, "normal (BMI between 18.5 and 25), overweight and obese.

 

The authors provide estimates of the excess deaths associated with having a body-mass index not in the "normal" range, but the title (and the conclusions) are a bit misleading, since the excess deaths associated with being in the overweight group are a negative number.

 

That’s right, they found that there were 86,094 fewer deaths in the overweight group than in the same number of subjects in the "normal" group. If you define normal as the group with the lowest mortality, then you should award this title to the group they call overweight.

 

You would not be able to come to this conclusion reading the title and conclusions, and it is only grudgingly and indirectly admitted in the results paragraph by the statement "Overweight was not associated with excess mortality." That’s correct, of course. It’s associated with lower mortality.

[Tangerine]

I love how this thread was about being fat and happy, and now people have to wave their arms and shout "I'm not fixin' to die people!". I'm glad someone else dug up the stats, because I'm past trying to convince people that thin does not mean healthy and fat does not mean about to keel over.

[JulieH]

I love how this thread was about being fat and happy, and now people have to wave their arms and shout "I'm not fixin' to die people!". I'm glad someone else dug up the stats, because I'm past trying to convince people that thin does not mean healthy and fat does not mean about to keel over.

 

I'm sorry. I don't mean to wave my arms and shout. It's just that obesity is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. (no pun intended..)

 

Peace out..

[Georgiana Daniels]

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?

 

I LOVE this attitude, and this was also me...until I got a medical diagnosis that basically required I lose weight.

 

Sigh.

 

Have lost 20ish pounds, and need about 10 more to come off to be in the "healthy" range.

[jplain]

Not the OP who mentioned the stats on overweight having lower mortality than normal weight by BMI, but here you go:

 

This paper - Flegal, K. M. et al. Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity. JAMA 293: 1861–7

Thanks!

 

That one says something slightly different from what was posted earlier, which included the suggestion that obese BMIs are equivalent to "normal" BMIs with respect to mortality. I've not found that conclusion in any paper I've seen....

 

In this study, being obese is correlated with increased mortality, while "normal" and overweight seem to represent an optimal range. (I consider underweight to be something of a red herring from a public health perspective: underweight adults constitute a tiny fraction (<2%) of the US adult population.) They do say that the u-shaped curve probably peaks around 25, which is the higher end of "normal." In other studies, I've read that the curve's peak for women, especially white women, might be a little lower, around a BMI of 23.

 

What I'd really like to see is correlations of mortality with lean body mass and body fat percentage. That could be much more useful.

Edited September 21, 2011 by jplain

[MrsBasil]

I'm happy and comfortable in my own skin. I'm fat. :) I'm due to have the same weight loss procedure the OP in a little over a month.

 

However, I've only gained about a pound this pregnancy so far, have barely been able move for about 7 months of it, and haven't been able to eat right. At all.

 

I'm happiest when I eat the right foods and can be active. I have more energy. And on a totally superficial level if I was smaller it would be cheaper to find cute clothes and I'd like to be able to do that someday.

 

I will say I have family who are extremely obese(500 pounds+) who have chronic health issues due to their lifestyles and I don't wish to keep gaining. I want a healthy lifestyle, but I don't want to be a slave to the scale or my BMI if that makes sense.

[LG Gone Wild]

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?

 

 

Nigella Lawson - now that is a person who makes being fat look like a lot of fun.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I just saw this article when I logged into SparkPeople.

 

Can You Be Overweight and Healthy?

[*~Tina~*]

n/m

Edited September 21, 2011 by *~Tina~*

[zenjenn]

I am a happy person. I am NOT happy with my weight.

 

That said, I am happy when I am still technically fat. I'm clinically obese right now (barely), and I'm not happy. I could stand to feel better physically and mentally about my body. But, there is a range where I am overweight and I'm still really happy with myself physically. In the 150-160 range I can feel vibrant, healthy, comfortable, and can be active comfortably. Right now at 190 not so much.

[WishboneDawn]

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!

 

Honestly, I could care less about the health implications for now. :001_smile:

 

I'm interested in knowing who else is happy with their overweight bodies. Being happy at a plus size does not mean you'll always be that size or you're in denial about possible health implications.

 

It just means that's you are comfortable with your current body, end of story.

 

There are lots of things in life that we do or don't do that affect or health but we manage to discuss them without that subject hanging over our every word. Maybe we could do that here? Maybe just talk about how we're happy with our bodies or how we want to be happy without getting into a debate on the healthiness/unhealthiness of it?

[jplain]

Honestly, I could care less about the health implications for now. :001_smile:

 

(snip)

 

Maybe just talk about how we're happy with our bodies or how we want to be happy without getting into a debate on the healthiness/unhealthiness of it?

In that case, perhaps it could be phrased as a more general body image discussion, rather than a discussion focusing on bodies of a certain size. After all, body image issues aren't limited to women with BMIs above 25 or 30. :)

[Tangerine]

How dare you be happy and fat?! Let me tell you why you shouldn't!

[Tigger]

Thanks!

 

That one says something slightly different from what was posted earlier, which included the suggestion that obese BMIs are equivalent to "normal" BMIs with respect to mortality. I've not found that conclusion in any paper I've seen....

 

In this study, being obese is correlated with increased mortality, while "normal" and overweight seem to represent an optimal range. (I consider underweight to be something of a red herring from a public health perspective: underweight adults constitute a tiny fraction (<2%) of the US adult population.) They do say that the u-shaped curve probably peaks around 25, which is the higher end of "normal." In other studies, I've read that the curve's peak for women, especially white women, might be a little lower, around a BMI of 23.

 

What I'd really like to see is correlations of mortality with lean body mass and body fat percentage. That could be much more useful.

 

True. I think one of the reasons there isn't an issue (and actually a benefit) in the overweight category is because it is likely really within normal. Years ago the goalposts were moved from a BMI of 27 the high end of normal weight to a BMI of 25 now the normal high end.

 

It's also noteworthy, IMO, that overweight BMI weights aren't terribly different than normal BMI weights - regardless of height, it's about a 30-pound difference between the high of normal BMI and the high of overweight. Most folks are not "fat" with up to 30 extra pounds, it really is when you're packing 35-50-75-100 extra pounds that a real difference in health measures becomes more overt.

[twoforjoy]

Thanks!

 

That one says something slightly different from what was posted earlier, which included the suggestion that obese BMIs are equivalent to "normal" BMIs with respect to mortality. I've not found that conclusion in any paper I've seen....

 

Actually the same study that found that overweight is associated with the lowest mortality found that, when you take into account only obese people who have a BMI of 30-35. That includes most obese people.

 

The problem is that "obese" includes everybody with a BMI from 30 to infinity. There are indeed big increase in health risks at the very high end of the weight spectrum. But, most obese people aren't there. Research tends to lump together people with a BMI of 31 and people with a BMI of 70; that's a problem. When research breaks the "obese" category down into subcategories, you tend to see very few if any elevated risks for those with a BMI of 30-34.9; some increase in risk for people with a BMI of 35-39.9 (although for some groups, like black women, you don't even see that); and then a significant increase in risk for those with a BMI of 40+.

 

My concern with dieting is that, for most people, it wouldn't lead to weight loss, but weight gain. So, you take a person with a BMI of 32, who at their current weight actually does not have significant increased health risks, scare them into thinking that they will die in five years if they don't lose weight, and get them dieting, and it's far more likely that, rather than ending up with a BMI in the "normal" range, after a couple of decades they'll diet their way up to a BMI of 36 or 37, at which point they may indeed see increased risks. Take the person with a BMI of 36 or 37, and it's far more likely that dieting will result in them becoming morbidly obese (BMI over 39.9) than becoming a "healthy" weight.

 

Dieting not only doesn't work in most cases, it actually results in weight gain. So even if it were unquestionable true that having a BMI over 25 caused health problems (which it isn't), weight loss still couldn't be recommended responsibly, because in the vast majority of cases weight loss efforts will result, in the long term, in somebody either returning to the same weight but in poorer health (as Bacon's study found) or being heavier than they were to start with (as is the case with most dieters).

 

I do find it troubling that there can't be a thread about accepting yourself at the size you are without people immediately jumping to "But what about diabetes?! What about the fact that you are going to die?!" Nobody has recommended eating junk all day or never exercising. This is why I generally try to keep my mouth shut around these issues, because it's nearly impossible to say anything about the possibility of being fat and healthy, or of health at every size, without people assuming that you're advocating an unhealthy lifestyle or consigning people to an early death. The whole point of HAES is instilling healthy habits in people.

[twoforjoy]

How dare you be happy and fat?! Let me tell you why you shouldn't!

 

I always feel like, if people are really so concerned about the health of random people on the internet, maybe they should be advocating for UHC. We know that that results in much better health outcomes.

 

Poverty has a far stronger association with health than body size. We could work on eliminating poverty if we wanted to see health improved, before we wage war on obese people.

 

Being male has more of a correlation with poor health than being fat does. We could wage war on maleness, to create a healthier society, but I don't see that going over very well.

[WishboneDawn]

don't like it here...for numerous reasons:glare:

 

tired of wearing whatever barely fits instead of what looks or feels great...being uncomfortable in clothes...well anything other than stretch pants or sweats

 

walking past 30 clothing racks in the store to get to the three or four plus size ones

 

I shop mainly at a plus size store. That cut out 85% of the problems of shopping for me.

 

I also keep in mind that there are many, many women who are skinny or "normal" weights that have the exact same issues with finding clothes that fit. The women that can wear most of what a store has to offer off-the-rack are not the majority.

 

does a number on one's self-esteem, which in turn affects many other areas, activities, and motivation

 

It can but I wonder...I did feel my weight was the problem a few years back. Now I don't. I lost 20 pounds between those times but other factors that changed include a bigger, more rural house, better income, better diet, more sleep, more outside education and activities.

 

I suspect a lot of my discomfort with my weight had a lot to do with more stress and a less healthy lifestyle in general rather then the numbers of pounds I weighed.

 

overabundance of food needed to maintain being overweight makes you feel bloated and yucky...a feeling too easy to get used to

 

I hate that feeling. It's why I don't overeat.

 

the embarrassment of going to the doctor and having to step on the scale

 

I don't feel that. I used to but I think it changed with the rest of my health picture. Sleep and proper diet do a lot for things like embarrassment and anxiety I find.

 

running into people you used to know when you...ummm...looked better

 

I look sooooo much better then when I was younger! I was much lighter but I didn't have a clue as to how to dress, do my hair or apply makeup. And I had no confidence in myself.

 

I don't mean to imply your feelings are wrong, just that they aren't a given for everyone.

[Impish]

How dare you be happy and fat?! Let me tell you why you shouldn't!

:iagree::lol:

[twoforjoy]

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'm 5'8" and my weight fluctuations between about 185 and 205 pounds. Has since I was about 18. So I tend to be right on the border between overweight and obese.

 

My weight settles around 170 if I'm off of Zoloft, but then I start having multiple severe panic attacks every day, and the toll that takes on my emotional and physical health (as well as the fact that I get really phobic about exercise at that point so stop doing it) is much, much greater than any impact my weight might have on it.

 

I actually only have people tell me I'm fat on the internet, when I say that I'm fat. In real life, I don't have people coming up to me with concern for my health. I look pretty normal, I think, and I'm healthy and active and happy. But even though I'm not taking up two seats on the bus and dragging around an oxygen tank, I'm one of those "overweight/obese" Americans the news warns us about, and I have no problem identifying as such.

[WishboneDawn]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to wave my arms and shout. It's just that obesity is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. (no pun intended..)

 

Peace out..

 

Sure but we're just talking about being happy at our current size. We're adults who are responsible for our own informed choices in life and don't need to be told, when we dare to say we're quite happy with our fat bodies, about the possible ramifications of being fat.

 

Lg Gone Wild does not get lectures and links about the dangers of knife fights. Every thread on nutello is not littered with dire warnings and nutritional information. Nakia can mention her celebrity obsession without folks referring her to mental health professionals (;) to Nakia). Why? Because we assume those people are all responsible adults making choices about their own lives.

 

Fat people can be responsible adults too and sometimes we just like to talk about being happy and fat.

[JulieH]

I do find it troubling that there can't be a thread about accepting yourself at the size you are without people immediately jumping to "But what about diabetes?! What about the fact that you are going to die?!" .

 

Oh good grief.

[WishboneDawn]

In that case, perhaps it could be phrased as a more general body image discussion, rather than a discussion focusing on bodies of a certain size. After all, body image issues aren't limited to women with BMIs above 25 or 30. :)

 

True but I was interested in fat, happy folks specifically, not body image as a topic in general.

[twoforjoy]

Fat people can be responsible adults too and sometimes we just like to talk about being happy and fat.

 

:lol:

[Tangerine]

Oh good grief.

 

What? She asked to hear from people who are fat and happy. You showed up and told us all the things that were or could be wrong with us. I'm an atheist. I don't show up in cc posts asking "Who loves the Lord?" and yell "NOT MEEEEEEE!!!!!" :willy_nilly:

[Impish]

Not good grief. It is this holier than thou attitude that just downright stinks. Nobody needs stats quoted to them. I don't think anyone is denial of anything.

 

Nobody is perfect. Why do you feel the need to remind them of that in a thread that is trying to offer moral support?

:iagree:

[JulieH]

Not good grief. It is this holier than thou attitude that just downright stinks. Nobody needs stats quoted to them. I don't think anyone is denial of anything.

 

Nobody is perfect. Why do you feel the need to remind them of that in a thread that is trying to offer moral support?

 

I just gave my opinion. Did you even read my first post in this thread? I didn't throw around stats at anyone. I'm not the only one here who said I wasn't a happy fat person. I gave my reasons why.

 

I am the farthest person from perfect I've ever met and I kind of am surprised you are accusing me of having a "holier than thou" attitude as I am NOT.

 

Someone else jumped at me with studies and stats etc etc.

 

Perhaps the OP should have stated that she didn't want to hear from anyone that was not a happy fat folk.

 

I am SO *not* the pillar of health and the reason is because I spent way too many years being a happy fat person.

 

Be happy. I'm all for happiness.

[JulieH]

I'm sorry. I was unfairly directing this at you.

 

I'm sorry to everyone if I came across as holier than thou. I think I shouldn't have responded as being not a happy fat folk. It's just very difficult for me (personally) not to mention diabetes and such when I HAVE it as a result of me being happy and fat so long. (at first, I still didn't take it seriously..until it got bad)

 

I'll share a story of a very happy, healthy ..beautiful fat person (who is no longer fat because she had gastric bypass...but that didn't change her happiness or anything..)

 

I have a friend who was about 300 lbs. She freaking GLOWED. She was the most confident woman I knew. Carried her weight well. Dressed awesome. She has an awesome marriage, her kids love her at any size and her husband rocks. Supposedly, they had great teA then as well as now. She had great body image. She had no health problems at her weight. She even had tons of energy.

 

She had the procedure and lost 125 lbs. Gained some back..on purpose.

 

She still glows.

 

Why I think that the procedure was a great *success* for her, is because she was happy beforehand. She didn't have fantasies that she or her life would change. She just wanted to have it done. She was mentally ready. She was ...and is awesome.

 

She is the most positive example of a REALLY happy fat folk I have met and I'm really glad to know her.

 

So, OP..to answer the question that you intended the thread to be about, no..you are NOT the only one.

Edited September 21, 2011 by JulieH
to add something.

[WishboneDawn]

Sooooooo...How about those Red Sox, eh?:D

 

Back to the fatness...

 

One thing being fine with my weight has taught me is that food and exercise can be talked about without any reference to weight loss. Food isn't just about calories, it's about nutrition and ethics and exercise isn't just a way to burn calories but a way to build strength and endurance.

[KristinaBreece]

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.

 

Agreed! 100%. I watch what I eat (not dieting/counting calories-- just being sensible about every bite I take) every meal of every day. I live with a man (who has inexplicably lost 80 pounds in the last year) who will eat a box of Swiss Rolls in a day, and I make myself stay away from the snacks and eat healthily and it doesn't lose me a pound. When I get the rare treat of a meal out.... I'm eating. What I want.

 

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.

 

Thank you!

 

I'm having a couple of health issues that have nothing to do with being obese. Yes, obese. It took me 6 doctors to find one who would look for a cause of my health problem that wasn't weight-related. Guess what? He's been the only one who has been able to help me, and I'm almost done with this stuff. With the exception of complications from an insufficient vein (which was itself a complication from a genetic blood disorder), I am healthy. I'm not diabetic or at risk to become diabetic. I don't have cholesterol or blood pressure problems. My weight is not a factor in any of my health problems. I have been trying to lose weight, and if I do, that's great. If I don't, that's fine. I'm okay with me.

[twoforjoy]

I'm having a couple of health issues that have nothing to do with being obese. Yes, obese. It took me 6 doctors to find one who would look for a cause of my health problem that wasn't weight-related. Guess what? He's been the only one who has been able to help me, and I'm almost done with this stuff.

 

My best friend is very large, about 350 lbs. She had some issue with the blood vessels in her eyes that was discovered when she got an eye exam. She was referred to a neurologist, and of course he assumed it was because she was fat. He told her that until she got down to 150 pounds, he would not even consider looking for another explanation. She saw him for a few months and the problem didn't get better, and began to progress. She finally decided to get a second opinion, the new doctor asked if she was on birth control pills (which she was), told her to get off of them, and as soon as she did, the problem resolved itself. She was fine. It absolutely infuriates me that the first doctor put her health and life at risk because he was so tied to the idea that, if a fat person has a health problem, it must be caused by being fat. (I assume the first doctor didn't ask her about the bcps because he assumed that a fat person wouldn't need them.)

 

I do have to wonder how much of the "poor health" of fat people is due to either their not seeking treatment as early as they should because they are afraid of the way the doctor will treat them (my friend gets lectured, sometimes cruelly, about her weight every single time she sees a doctor, even if she's in for something totally unrelated, like strep throat) or because their doctors won't look for causes/treatments beyond their weight.

 

And, I know people will say that of course a doctor should mention somebody's weight every time they go in, the same way they'd tell somebody to stop smoking. But, smoking is a behavior; being fat is not. Telling somebody to eat more vegetables or less junk or to exercise more is one thing: those are behaviors, and you can tell somebody to stop/start a behavior. But, telling somebody to stop being fat is a different thing, and not particularly productive or helpful.

[WishboneDawn]

Why I think that the procedure was a great *success* for her, is because she was happy beforehand. She didn't have fantasies that she or her life would change. She just wanted to have it done. She was mentally ready. She was ...and is awesome.

 

Okay...That's a key and really important point.

 

People tend to think happiness and health come after the weight loss. Not so IME. For me it's been the fact that once I accepted my body and once I started to look after my health, weight loss happened. Not great amounts of it for sure, I don't think I'll ever be what I weighed in my early adulthood again (though that was still overweight) but some weight has slowly come off.

 

I may lose more, I may not. I'd absurdly healthy with no big history of diseases to worry about and my husband always looks sadly at my b00ks when the subject of weight loss comes up because cup size always seems to be the first casualty. But I want to get back to long walks with philosophy lectures on my mp3 player after the baby comes so I'm probably going to drop some pounds there.

 

Who knows? I just know I don't want to walk on the treadmill of diets and weight gain that so many of my perfectly attractive female relatives seem to be obsessed with.

[Tangerine]

I'm having a couple of health issues that have nothing to do with being obese. Yes, obese. It took me 6 doctors to find one who would look for a cause of my health problem that wasn't weight-related. Guess what? He's been the only one who has been able to help me, and I'm almost done with this stuff. With the exception of complications from an insufficient vein (which was itself a complication from a genetic blood disorder), I am healthy. I'm not diabetic or at risk to become diabetic. I don't have cholesterol or blood pressure problems. My weight is not a factor in any of my health problems. I have been trying to lose weight, and if I do, that's great. If I don't, that's fine. I'm okay with me.

 

My best friend got gestational diabetes. Her midwives sent her to a nutritionist. So off she goes to the nutritionist, who sits down and solemnly tells her she really needs to exercise more. Okay, says friend, like how much more? Suggestions? She says a light walk would be a good place to start. Friend says, um...I do exercise, you know...I just want you to tell me how much exercise you think I should be doing here. Nutritionist says, well why don't you tell me what you do now. Um, YOU THINK? So friend says all the stuffs. Bellydance. Prenatal yoga. Water aerobics. Works out to 6 hours a week of activity. The nutritionist, clearly shocked, says...Well you could lift weights. She says, are you telling me to take up weight lifting during pregnancy? :001_huh: The nutritionist finally says that she thinks the amount she's doing is fine.

 

The same friend tried to join Curves. She went in, discussed the whole shebang, and was ready to sign up. The lady asked her to weigh and have measurements taken. Friend says, I'm not interested in that. I just want to exercise. The Curves lady told her she had to set a goal, and how was she going to know how much weight she lost? Friend says, I don't care about losing weight, or knowing how much. I just want to exercise. The Curves lady would absolutely not budge. Friend told her this was obviously not going to be a good fit for her, and left. I mean, who would join a gym to EXERCISE?

Edited September 21, 2011 by Tangerine

[The Girls' Mom]

I've been overweight (by the books anyway) my entire adult life. There are certain points on the overweight side that I have been perfectly happy with how I looked and felt. Right now isn't really one of them. I'm ok with the looks part, but it IS beggining to affect how I feel. (tired, unable to do what I would like physically) So, I'm going to try to get HEALTHIER, not thinner :)

 

What I did hate...when the doc had my record pulled up on the computer and flashing RED letters were screaming OBESE. :glare: Yeah. That's helpful.

[MrsBasil]

Sooooooo...How about those Red Sox, eh?:D

 

 

They are crashing and burning, but they are still better than my Cubs. :glare:

 

Back to fatness....I once had a CNM look at me mid way through the pap she was performing for me to tell me that I was overweight, no obese and that I needed to something before I got grosser or died. That she couldn't, in good conscious, treat me if I didn't take myself seriously. She also laughed(at me) when performing my breast exam and realized I have two different sizes. Apparently her medical training never prepared her for that oddity.

 

That happened close to 10 years ago. I'm still fat, but much happier....but it took me years to want to see another Dr for anything.

[kiana]

They are crashing and burning, but they are still better than my Cubs. :glare:

 

Back to fatness....I once had a CNM look at me mid way through the pap she was performing for me to tell me that I was overweight, no obese and that I needed to something before I got grosser or died. That she couldn't, in good conscious, treat me if I didn't take myself seriously. She also laughed(at me) when performing my breast exam and realized I have two different sizes. Apparently her medical training never prepared her for that oddity.

 

That happened close to 10 years ago. I'm still fat, but much happier....but it took me years to want to see another Dr for anything.

 

Doc did something similar to my mother. She was in seeing him for something completely unrelated and he told her that she obviously didn't care if she lived or died since she hadn't quit smoking yet so why was she wasting his time?

 

It's been 20 years since then and she's still smoking. And it took her 5 more years to actually get her broken back diagnosed because she said 'to heck with doctors, I'll just hurt'

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Sooooooo...How about those Red Sox, eh?:D

 

Back to the fatness...

 

One thing being fine with my weight has taught me is that food and exercise can be talked about without any reference to weight loss. Food isn't just about calories, it's about nutrition and ethics and exercise isn't just a way to burn calories but a way to build strength and endurance.

 

:iagree:

[WishboneDawn]

Part of the problem too is that doctors don't know much about nutrition. My husband is overweight. The doctor told him to stop eating fat. Um..I thought that was pretty old fashioned and useless advice. So what does this mean? That so long as my husband eats no fat he can eat 10 boxes of fat free cookies because it has no fat? Just stupid stupid stupid advice.

 

My husband hardly eats any junk food. He doesn't binge out on food. He doesn't eat out much. He is a big eater though. It's all healthy foods, but he likes to eat. I've offered to help any way I can. Thing is, he is constantly hungry. I don't know what to do about that. It's pretty hard to eat less when you are hungry all the time.

 

I've started making sure my family and I get more good fat. My husband has been losing weight. My son has been putting on weight (a good thing for his super skinny little self). I've been feeling more satisfied and not snacking as much and the same for my daughter. The further I go the more old fashioned our food is getting to look.

[WishboneDawn]

They are crashing and burning, but they are still better than my Cubs. :glare:

 

Back to fatness....I once had a CNM look at me mid way through the pap she was performing for me to tell me that I was overweight, no obese and that I needed to something before I got grosser or died. That she couldn't, in good conscious, treat me if I didn't take myself seriously. She also laughed(at me) when performing my breast exam and realized I have two different sizes. Apparently her medical training never prepared her for that oddity.

 

That happened close to 10 years ago. I'm still fat, but much happier....but it took me years to want to see another Dr for anything.

 

I have two different cup sizes too. Idiot doctor. They're great, one side for cuddly nursing and one side for hands free nursing. :D

[twoforjoy]

One thing being fine with my weight has taught me is that food and exercise can be talked about without any reference to weight loss. Food isn't just about calories, it's about nutrition and ethics and exercise isn't just a way to burn calories but a way to build strength and endurance.

 

I know that a big thing for me has been not thinking about food in moral terms. Foods aren't good or bad. I'm not good or bad for eating or not eating certain foods. If I eat a cookie, it's not a sin, it's not a moral failing, it's not a screw up; it's a cookie. I can eat one cookie, enjoy it, and move on.

 

I know that, for me, when I've dieted, I get into a really destructive mindset around food. Suddenly, there are foods I cannot eat ever again, or at least not ever again until I've lost x amount of weight. So, there's the pre-diet period where, for a day (or a few days or a few weeks), I eat as much of that "bad" stuff as I can, since I'm never going to be eating it again. I mean, if you're facing the prospect of starting a life without cheesecake, then you're obviously going to eat as much cheesecake as you can, while you still can. And then there's the times when, while on the diet, I'd give in and eat a brownie, feel like I screwed up, and then take the "well, since I already blew it, I may as well REALLY blow it" attitude and have several more brownies. And then there's the post-diet disappointment when, after I either fail to lose weight or lose it then gain it back, I decide that since trying to eat well didn't "work" (in terms of long-term weight loss), I may as well not bother, and just eat as much junk as I want.

 

I've found that giving up on dieting really took nearly all of the unhealthy patterns I had with food away. When a brownie is something that I can eat any time I want a brownie, I don't want brownies all that much. And, when I do, I can just eat one of them, and be happy, because I know that the next time I want a brownie, I can have one. It also means that, if I'm offered a brownie, and aren't hungry or just don't feel like one, I can turn it down; when I really do want one, I know I can eat it. I make better food choices when I'm not dieting (or, maybe more accurately, either planning to diet or "recovering" from a diet) because there just isn't all of that emotional baggage attached to food and I'm not craving things because they are off-limits.

 

I'm sure some people can diet well. I can't. I get completely obsessed, I think about food all the time, I get moody and tired and headachey, and my mood ends up being based on what I did or didn't eat or how much I weigh. For me, that's not a good place to be. And, it doesn't lead to making good choices about food or exercise. I'm much happier and healthier when I decide that nothing is off-limits and that I'm going to treat my body well.

[jplain]

They're great, one side for cuddly nursing and one side for hands free nursing. :D

Oh my gosh, I LOVE THIS! :lol:

 

My daughter called it the big side and the little side. My nephew calls his moms' the good side and the bad side.

 

Happily, from the other side of weaning, I can attest that they *did* even out again. But it took almost two whole years.... :D

[UnsinkableKristen]

I know that a big thing for me has been not thinking about food in moral terms. Foods aren't good or bad. I'm not good or bad for eating or not eating certain foods. If I eat a cookie, it's not a sin, it's not a moral failing, it's not a screw up; it's a cookie. I can eat one cookie, enjoy it, and move on.

 

I know that, for me, when I've dieted, I get into a really destructive mindset around food. Suddenly, there are foods I cannot eat ever again, or at least not ever again until I've lost x amount of weight. So, there's the pre-diet period where, for a day (or a few days or a few weeks), I eat as much of that "bad" stuff as I can, since I'm never going to be eating it again. I mean, if you're facing the prospect of starting a life without cheesecake, then you're obviously going to eat as much cheesecake as you can, while you still can. And then there's the times when, while on the diet, I'd give in and eat a brownie, feel like I screwed up, and then take the "well, since I already blew it, I may as well REALLY blow it" attitude and have several more brownies. And then there's the post-diet disappointment when, after I either fail to lose weight or lose it then gain it back, I decide that since trying to eat well didn't "work" (in terms of long-term weight loss), I may as well not bother, and just eat as much junk as I want.

 

I've found that giving up on dieting really took nearly all of the unhealthy patterns I had with food away. When a brownie is something that I can eat any time I want a brownie, I don't want brownies all that much. And, when I do, I can just eat one of them, and be happy, because I know that the next time I want a brownie, I can have one. It also means that, if I'm offered a brownie, and aren't hungry or just don't feel like one, I can turn it down; when I really do want one, I know I can eat it. I make better food choices when I'm not dieting (or, maybe more accurately, either planning to diet or "recovering" from a diet) because there just isn't all of that emotional baggage attached to food and I'm not craving things because they are off-limits.

 

I'm sure some people can diet well. I can't. I get completely obsessed, I think about food all the time, I get moody and tired and headachey, and my mood ends up being based on what I did or didn't eat or how much I weigh. For me, that's not a good place to be. And, it doesn't lead to making good choices about food or exercise. I'm much happier and healthier when I decide that nothing is off-limits and that I'm going to treat my body well.

 

 

:iagree: Well said.

[YLVD]

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!

 

:iagree:

 

I think that people can be healthy and still overweight. It just depends on a lot of stuff.

 

Me, however..I'm not currently happy with my body. I'm 5'11 with a large frame, and busty, and can usually get away with a higher weight and still stay in relatively small sizes. I'm about a 14 right now and not happy with it.

 

I'm on medication that causes weight gain and it has caused me to gain about 30 lbs. I'm also 35 and losing the weight is killing me. I'd like to just get that 30lbs off. It has made the difference for me feeling good and feeling less attractive, if that makes sense. I love being curvy and muscular at the same time. I used to look like that and miss it. It's frustrating that due to my meds, I eat within my calorie range (I track it usually) workout and still can't really lose without hardcore restricting the cals. I'm also hypoglycemic and have to eat enough to keep okay.

 

In general, I have a pretty healthy body image and always have. Mostly, I don't care for the bodies seen in the media. I tend to like athlete bodies or those found on women in hip-hop videos, lol

 

But, I tend to gain in my face and I think that's why. I'm also an hourglass that gains all over, arms, thighs, etc.

Edited September 21, 2011 by YLVD

[YLVD]

I always feel like, if people are really so concerned about the health of random people on the internet, maybe they should be advocating for UHC. We know that that results in much better health outcomes.

 

Poverty has a far stronger association with health than body size. We could work on eliminating poverty if we wanted to see health improved, before we wage war on obese people.

 

Being male has more of a correlation with poor health than being fat does. We could wage war on maleness, to create a healthier society, but I don't see that going over very well.

 

:iagree:

[WishboneDawn]

:iagree:

 

I think that people can be healthy and still overweight. It just depends on a lot of stuff.

 

Me, however..I'm not currently happy with my body. I'm 5'11 with a large frame, and busty, and can usually get away with a higher weight and still stay in relatively small sizes. I'm about a 14 right now and not happy with it.

 

I'm on medication that causes weight gain and it has caused me to gain about 30 lbs. I'm also 35 and losing the weight is killing me. I'd like to just get that 30lbs off. It has made the difference for me feeling good and feeling less attractive, if that makes sense. I love being curvy and muscular at the same time. I used to look like that and miss it. It's frustrating that due to my meds, I eat within my calorie range (I track it usually) workout and still can't really lose without hardcore restricting the cals. I'm also hypoglycemic and have to eat enough to keep okay.

 

In general, I have a pretty healthy body image and always have. Mostly, I don't care for the bodies seen in the media. I tend to like athlete bodies or those found on women in hip-hop videos, lol

 

But, I tend to gain in my face and I think that's why. I'm also an hourglass that gains all over, arms, thighs, etc.

 

If I had my pick of dream bodies I'd be taller and muscular too. :D Too many action movies when I was younger maybe.

[Abigail4476]

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.

 

It is possible that I've given Nutella special power AND moral character. :tongue_smilie:

[WishboneDawn]

It is possible that I've given Nutella special power AND moral character. :tongue_smilie:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Nakia]

Sure but we're just talking about being happy at our current size. We're adults who are responsible for our own informed choices in life and don't need to be told, when we dare to say we're quite happy with our fat bodies, about the possible ramifications of being fat.

 

Lg Gone Wild does not get lectures and links about the dangers of knife fights. Every thread on nutello is not littered with dire warnings and nutritional information. Nakia can mention her celebrity obsession without folks referring her to mental health professionals (;) to Nakia). Why? Because we assume those people are all responsible adults making choices about their own lives.

 

Fat people can be responsible adults too and sometimes we just like to talk about being happy and fat.

 

Fine, Dawn, I'll invite you to the wedding. Happy now? :D

[IsabelC]

Without going into the morals and politics around size, only read on if you are interested in losing some weight and/or enjoying food more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to sneak in a plug for the Don't Go Hungry Diet. I have been using it to lose weight for a few months now and I can't recommend it enough. It's kind of a Clayton's diet, the diet you do when you don't do diets: no forbidden foods, no calorie counting, no fixed portion sizes, and best of all virtually no willpower required.

 

I could go on for ages but not wanting to thread hijack...

[Negin]

I've read about 90% of all the great replies. Very interesting thread. I will always struggle with my weight. Right now, I'd be happy losing anywhere from 5-20 pounds. I've been 80 pounds overweight (post-partum). Dieting stinks. I love to exercise, but dieting truly stinks. I realize that I am happier when I'm slim and healthy - not skinny - just healthy, energetic and slim. When overweight or obese, my health insurance rates are higher. Plus, more worries about bre@st cancer, heart disease, diabetes, joint pain, you name it. Being overweight is hard and not good for overall health. At the age of 43, it's no longer just a looks issue, health comes into play.



This is from my pinterest page. :)

Edited September 12, 2014 by Susan Wise Bauer
Photo removed