When is it ok to be fat?

[Lou153Lou]

I’ve always been uncomfortably overweight but then embraced it a little when I was pregnant and a mum of babies.

My children were all finally at school and I was busy with my own studying and the weight fell off through restrictive eating - no baked goods, processed goods or dairy (inc dairy free).

I was slim for 2 years and then we relocated and I stopped studying and I started gorging on anything and everything until here I am 6 month later and 2 stone heavier.

I am not happy as I am but I’m also questioning how being thin would improve my life. I enjoyed being thin and preferred the food but… what is the point?

I suppose I’m curious how other people justify staying fatter than they should be?

I don't know if most people justify it so much as admit they find it too hard to lose weight right at the moment for whatever reason.

I recently lost over 3 stone to get back to a healthy weight. I do feel. Duh more confident and enjoy wearing nice clothes etc but it was never really about that for me. For me my primary drive was my health. Perimenopause was a bit of a wake up call as I just felt so rough and old before my time. I want to have a good quality of life in future years and not be prevented from doing the things I want to due to ill health/ lack of energy. I also want to protect against things like heart issues, cancer and osteoporosis (so focusing on getting strong to protect my bones)
I used to justify my weight as I just wasn’t in the right head space to put in the effort to lose the weight.

For me the point is nurturing my body, valuing it…and keeping it healthy. When I saw the COVID risk factors for hospitalisation, my weight was the risk factor that I could address.

So I did. Felt so positive to be doing good for my body, gave me the energy to get fitter, enjoy walks, and last summer, swimming.

For me it isn’t about what I look like or a negative perspective about ‘being fat’, it is about investing in my health.

And that seems plenty of point.

(I lost 3 stone)

TBH, for me it is about how I look. I'm not pretty (although I make a bit effort to be stylish and love clothes and make up) and I've also got the sort of body frame that doesn't carry weight well. A few pounds and my clothes feel too tight, that sort of thing. Saying that though, I'll never be the same size I was in my 30s again (I'm nearly 47), cause I do really love my food and I have a hearty appetite. I know it should be about health and what I'm saying sounds vain and I probably should be past caring at my age, but that's not how it works. I can see how easy it is to think being thin is the be all and end all though. When I was in my late 30s I lost some weight and got down to what I thought my ideal weight was. Yes, I looked better in my clothes, but it wasn't all it cracked up to be, there was all the other same shit to deal with.

I felt full of self loathing when I was overweight. I'm very short 5 foot) so weight really showed. I feel so much happier since I lost the final stone a few years ago and sit just over 7 stone. I work out with weights too which has helped my shape a lot too.

The point?

For your heart, your knees, your back...