About 4 years ago I weighed around 170 pounds and thought I was fat. Though I was overweight, it ran in my family, which only meant that I was never going to weigh 100 pounds - like a lot of the girls I went to school with (although I would probably be ill if I were that thin due to the shape of my body).

Anyway, recently I've been looking over some old photographs of myself from when I was a freshman in High School (4 years ago) and I think I looked good! I know that may seem selfish, but at the time I thought I was just this big fat.....loser. I had really low self-esteem then, very few friends who were into the whole going out, dancing, running around town thing. I desperately wanted to go with them...but I was so depressed because I thought I was fat, my freshman year of High School was horrible.

The point I am trying to make is - is anyone dieting to get thin because of image or because of health? I really think I started this diet so I would look better, I was so soaked into this whole "image is what matters to me" kind of thing. But now that I've been reading more about it, been thinking about having a baby in the future, I think I am staying on this diet so I can be healthy.

Since a part of me wants to look good - is that selfishness or just something everyone wants in life?

I think anyone that says they wouldn't like to look good is lying - if only to themselves. It's perfectly fine and natural to want to "look good" - we just have to keep it in perspective with our other goals, not place too high a priority on it, and have a healthy appreciation for what "look good" means.

I have a host of reasons why I want to get my weight down to a reasonable level and looking better - and hopefully at least slightly less repulsive to the opposite sex - is a significant part of it. It would be disengenuous to claim otherwise.

On most days, I really can't claim that the health benefits are the primary driving force, either. They should be, but they aren't. If I were actually suffering from some ill effects of being mobidly obese that would probably be different, but I have been lucky thus far.

My primary driving force most of the time is that I want to be able to do things and enjoy life doing things that I simply can't do at my present weight.

I agree that to look good is part of the motivation of this eating plan. I hate to go shopping for clothes because the only clothes that fit seem to be poorly made, and thats if I can even find anything suitable. Since being part of this WOL, I feel so much better, so looking better is more of a benefit than a priority.

I can totally relate to your past feelings of feeling too fat to go out on the town. When I feel I look too fat I get withdrawn & reclusive, actually down right anti-social. The longer I'm on this eating plan, the better I feel, so health is more of a focus than I thought it would be.

:::: health isn't my main motivating factor either...I confess...vanity is the reason I work so hard.


L

I also hate to go clothes shopping. Not so much anymore. I was wearing a size 26 and I've made it to a size 22. Doesn't seem that much considering I've lost almost 60 pounds! But I am proud that I don't have to search for the largest size available.

It also makes me happy that my boyfriend is very encouraging. Tells me he'll buy me one outfit per size I go down. That's so sweet.

I feel you pain girl.

I want to be thin again for 2 reasons, one for my health, I need to be around to see my boys grow up, and two, I loved looking good when I was a size 6 and I want that feeling back.

I like the looks I get now from men other than my DH. It's nice to think others think your hot.

Hang in there, you'll make it and we'll be right here with you holding your hand.

I'm glad that there are so many people here willing to help me out. None of my close friends or relatives are dieting (just me and my boyfriend). And they bring in that food I used to munch all the time! BAD BAD BAD.

They need a locked cupboard so I won't be tempted.

I know exactly how you feel. I'm in my thirties now and was looking back at some high school pictures - I always felt huge. I think the fact that I'm tall didn't help - all my friends were small and petite and then there was me. However, now when I look at those pictures I see that I wasn't overweight at all - I was a large girl, but not fat. If only I could have seen it then. It's crazy, but no matter what my weight I still feel fat - I have been up and down the scales and I always feel pretty much the same about myself. I have started taking pictures of myself each week so I can see the difference even if I don't feel it.

As for your question on vanity - everyone wants to look their best - it's not selfish at all. I think alot of times people that are overweight worry about being selfish because they are people pleasers. It's time to take some time for ourselves!

My (slender) DH and I started low carbing because his cholesterol (triglycerides) was too high, and I would do anything for his health. Then I started losing weight. He wanted to quit, he said it was too hard, and not worth it. And I said no, I wanted to be thin again. I wanted to be my old, thin self. So THAT he could understand.
Nearly six months later, we're still doing it. So although we started low carbing for health, we're keeping to it for vanity.

I used to think that it would be hard, too. But unlike other diets... I can eat eat eat (certain things) and it won't be counted against me for the day. (i.e - POINTS for WW)

the primary reason for my dieting is to look good. I am not embarrassed at all to say that. My improved health and well-being and nice perks that came with the program.

Living with my mum, who always reminds me that one hardly ever sees a fat president, or a fat CEO, it starts getting to me that maybe successful people are slim and maybe I'll be more successful if I am slimmer.

So, my primary motivating factor is looks, although health has become a bigger factor as I progress into the WOL

Appearance is important in your professional life. In some professions it is one of the more important aspects and in others it is pretty low on the totem pole. All other things being equal, it is almost always more important for women then for men - but it affects men as well. None of this should be the case, either the gender difference or the fact that it matters at all. But it is the way it is and while it might improve, it will never go away.

I'm fortunate in that I am in a highly specialized technical field and that is one of the few realms where appearance matters the least. It can still have an influence and, in particular, still shapes first impressions. But those impressions usually get overridden very quickly by what you demonstrate that you can or cannot do.

Definitely vanity, for me.

And by the way, when you get to 170 lbs. at 5'10" tall you will be gorgeous!

Liz