Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

I just read this article on Slate about a woman who went from 320 pounds, down to a size 12.

• From obese to chubby: How I lost the weight, and why you shouldn’t admire me for it. – Slate Magazine

Let’s say you had to starve yourself daily for bare maintenance of your health and physical appearance. Could you do it? Forever? And would you be happy? I doubt very much that you would. But still, it’s what I have to do.

THAT is the question. When I was at my lowest weight, I was STARVING. I thought about food all the time and I wasn’t particularly happy with how I looked.

I think I had blamed so much of my unhappiness on my weight that I was shocked that I was still unhappy with my appearance when I was so close to goal. The truth of the matter is, being thin doesn’t make me happy.

Neither does being fat.

Happiness and weight loss are two different things. If losing weight won’t make you happy, what are the benefits?

• You live longer: Whether those extra years will be spent in joy or misery is your choice.
• People respect you more: As much as we’d like to deny it, we do respect people who are thin. That girl from high school who is still physically fit is the belle of the 20 year high school reunion.

That’s about it, folks. If you think losing weight is going to change your life, you’re wrong. Losing weight will change your BODY. YOU have to change your life.

If you expect to be instantly happy because you’ve lost weight, then you’ll be disappointed. If you set concrete goals about living longer and basking in the glow of your accomplishment, then you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goal and stay there.

Via: Weight Loss and Happiness are Two Different Things « Low Carb Confidential