Why do you want to be thinner?

Lia_lia · 14-04-2012 12:54am

^ I have had low blood sugar issues since I was younger. And low blood pressure. I had a seizure and almost went into a coma when I was 9 because I had food poisoning and didn't eat for a day and half. When I went to hospital they found out it was because my blood sugar was so low! Was terrifying!

I'm usually alright now. Can't function without breakfast in the morning though. Last time I fainted was at a music festival during the summer and I was queuing for a shower and didn't have time for anything for breakfast

Almost always faint when getting blood tests, not because I'm scared of needles just low blood pressure combined with fasting...fun.

Orla K · 14-04-2012 1:39am

Lia_lia wrote: »

^ I have had low blood sugar issues since I was younger. And low blood pressure. I had a seizure and almost went into a coma when I was 9 because I had food poisoning and didn't eat for a day and half. When I went to hospital they found out it was because my blood sugar was so low! Was terrifying!

I'm usually alright now. Can't function without breakfast in the morning though. Last time I fainted was at a music festival during the summer and I was queuing for a shower and didn't have time for anything for breakfast Almost always faint when getting blood tests, not because I'm scared of needles just low blood pressure combined with fasting...fun.

Crap!

Did they give you a reason as to why your blood sugar is low? Do you test it yourself after meals and such?

What your eating could be the cause of this, I'm guessing you've already looked into different ways of eating but if you need a helping hand there's the nutrition forum, can't give out medical advice but if you post up an normal daily diet people can point you in the direction of where your going wrong(and there's people that know crap loads about nutrition there)

You don't have to answer those questions if you don't want, I'm really just suprised that it's been going on for so long, I would have gotten sick of it now and tried figure everything out (but I think I might be different to most:o)

Kinda related to something I said in the first post, one of the people I know is diabetic over uses insulin to keep her weight down which effects her blood sugars she's been in more than one coma and is going blind! When I found out I felt like grabbing her and and telling her that nobody else cares what size she is, it's her health and happyness people want for her! It's just so sad that people ruin their health for something so insignificant.

Lia_lia · 14-04-2012 2:02am

^ Oh no it doesn't bother me at all. I just need to eat something every few hours. Only like every 3 hours (apart from when I'm sleeping, obviously) so it's just how often anyone eats really I thought.

It's not a big deal. Other than that one time when I was 9 nothing serious has ever happened. Only fainted four times since I was about 16 (23 now) so it's grand.

Orla K · 14-04-2012 2:19am

Lia_lia wrote: »

^ Oh no it doesn't bother me at all. I just need to eat something every few hours. Only like every 3 hours (apart from when I'm sleeping, obviously) so it's just how often anyone eats really I thought.

It's not a big deal. Other than that one time when I was 9 nothing serious has ever happened. Only fainted four times since I was about 16 (23 now) so it's grand.

Jesus I can eat one meal a day and go until midday the next day and be fine! Don't normally do that, only when I'm somewhere and have nothing to eat. Normally I have 3 meals maybe a snack too, couldn't imagine having to eat every three hours!

Ye see I'd be thinking what's it doing/what could it do to my inside bits that I wouldn't notice straight away and what's the process that's causing it to happen, is there a way of intervening in that process, what would the result be. I would really have to everything about it and wouldn't stop until I felt like I knew enough, but not everyone is like me, thank god!

CathyMoran · 14-04-2012 8:40am

Orla K wrote: »

Kinda related to something I said in the first post, one of the people I know is diabetic over uses insulin to keep her weight down which effects her blood sugars she's been in more than one coma and is going blind! When I found out I felt like grabbing her and and telling her that nobody else cares what size she is, it's her health and happyness people want for her! It's just so sad that people ruin their health for something so insignificant.

I am ain insulin dependent type 1 diabetic with fragile diabetes, have an underactive thyroid but also had my oesophagus removed due to cancer surgery. I am at a healthy weight now but have been severly underweight in the past as my stomach capacity is reduced due to the above surgery. I am supposed to eat several small meals a day but end up going for 1-2 small high calorie meals.

In terms of diabetes I have been told that I people did not know that I was a diabetic as I was not fat, there are a lot of misconceptions about it. In your friend's case she is not taking enough insulin and is making herself very ill.

I did find loosing the baby weight hard but being 2 lb heavier that I was in my teens is no bad thing.

lubie76 · 14-04-2012 4:20pm

Because I work my ass off with resistance weights and high body fat hides the results of my hard work :-))

Being strong and toned is far more important than being skinny to me but unfortunately if I go over a size 10 (I'm only 5 ft 3) there is too much padding around my limbs to see my lovely big muscles. I love my bad foods though so I need to compensate by doing plenty of cardio on my off weights day.

Alot of people in work ask me how I can eat so much and stay a size 8, I'm not afraid to admit its just hard bloody workouts and that I don't go home and starve myself every evening or anything. The funny thing is in a bikini I don't look that thin at all and some people would say I look too muscley, but once I feel good about myself..who cares.

Orla K · 14-04-2012 5:38pm

CathyMoran wrote: »

In terms of diabetes I have been told that I people did not know that I was a diabetic as I was not fat, there are a lot of misconceptions about it. In your friend's case she is not taking enough insulin and is making herself very ill.

I just think it's really sad that she's damaging her health in such a drastic way just to look thin. She's really nice and intelligent but I just wish I had the ability to make her see that weight doesn't matter that much. Her and another friend(actually the other one I mentioned) kinda bounce this idea off each other that what matters most is being thin!

Similar could be said for an overweight person too damaging their health for what? an eclair? another easy microwavable dinner? takeway?
It's just not worth it, right now I matter more than anything else including how people view me.

saa · 14-04-2012 6:00pm

I am thinner now and I am finally getting my head around one day if I continue to workout I will be considered thin its funny how being in the overweight category is considered normal now and being in the healthy one roughly is consider thin or skinny in a bad way yet there's so much pressure not be overweight, ah well society is like that and sometimes I think the BMI is ridiculously simplistic.

Anyway yes I do want to be thinner but I have this thing in my head from when I was younger that being thinner is bad, all those times I was brainwashed about healthy foods being punishment and fattening foods being good has really messed with my head to the point where I think I'm going to miserable even though logically I know that's not true. Its like the flipside of someone who thinks they'll be finally happy when they loose x amount of weight

Mrs Garth Brooks · 14-04-2012 8:27pm

I lost five stone in weight about three years ago. I had the motivation to lose weight as i was in a dead end job and the only thing that made me happy was exercise. My goal was to look great for when i get out of that job.

I got myself down to 9 and half stone, at 5 ft 5, i was a size 10.

I went back to college last year, i should have enjoyed my new self. I did for the first few months.

But then i lost the motivation. It seems as if i didn't have to work at looking good after reaching my goal of getting out of work. The first few months of college was ok. I kept the weight off as i still ate healthy.

But i was messed around from a guy for a few months. I should have told him where to go but i hung on for hope. I was mad about him. It got to me, i started to comfort eat on cream buns, chocolate eclairs, sweat pastries, muffins, daily. I wouldn't have them all but one thing a day, sometimes two. I guess it all adds up. I can just about squeeze myself into a size 12. Very tight fit. I was always bigger on top, so im probably size 14-16 on top now. I was 11 stone the last time i weighed myself. Thats probably made up of fat.

Im ashamed of myself, for putting it back on again. Though i stopped eating the cream buns and crap over a month ago. Now i have to get moving, but no time really with college and exams coming up. As soon as im finished college and have the time, im going to the gym again. No man will ever make me feel this crap again.

jaffacakesyum · 14-04-2012 10:04pm

I'm a healthy weight at the moment at about 65kg but to be honest I'd love to go from a size 12 to size 10 but I'm not even sure if that's possible with the actual size of my pelvis. Even if I lost all the fat on me I would still probably be a size 12. Hey, at least they're good child bearing hips :pac:

I would, however, love to be healthier. This is the thing - just because I or anyone else is at a decent weight doesn't necessarily mean we're that healthy. I don't smoke, but I do drink more than I should. I eat a good balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg, but my portions would be too big and I do go through phases of eating a lot of junk food.

I'll be away this Summer and won't have much money to survive where I'm going so my goal is to cut down on the junk food and alcohol while I'm there

Jenneke87 · 14-04-2012 11:13pm

I don't want to be thinner, I'd like to be a bit heavier in fact as right now I"m underweight. Have been so all my life. When I was 12 I had the weight of a 7 year old and have been bullied alot over being slim and tall. It didn't help that I was a late bloomer and gained whatever poor excuse for curves I have at 19.

I have a very fast metabolism and I eat constantly throughout the day but it never seems enough to sustain my body and feel full for longer than 1,5h. At my previous place of employment, my eating habits were the reason people suggested behind my back I was bulimic. In addition because I'm so skinny I'm prone to fractures(as there's nothing between me and whatever I collide with) resulting in two fractured ankles. Also because my hands are too heavy for my wrists to support(because my wrists are so tiny) some bones have started to deform in my hand and had to be operated on.

Just to say that being slim/skinny isn't all that either.

Sashiee · 15-04-2012 4:00pm

I used to be constantly obsessing over my weight, so much so that I was looking up these sites that would "help" you if you like to be slimmer. (bulimia and anorexic chat rooms) I would make a pact with some girls online that we would starve ourselves or only eat an apple a day and do crazy amounts of exercise. I was 5'9 and 8 stone and thought i looked fantastic. But i could never sit and have a meal with my family as they had all started to notice that I would take 3 bites of food and say i was full. then I hit college and start having fun with friends and living and learning about life and that using all that time to concentrate on my "goal weight" or to resist eating a bloody slice of bread was time wasted in my teens. I'm now 23 and a size 10/12. Eat healthyish and walk 2 hours a day, enjoy my Friday night take away and don't have a scales in my house. I know my body and if I'm starting to feel like i've gained a few, i just cut out all the crap for a while and I'm back to me again. It's never the answer to starve yourself and life is too short to not have Cake!

Handsome Bob · 15-04-2012 6:45pm

I have heard people bashing WW on boards before but people in my workplace swear by it. They say it's not unhealthy, and the food points thing that you can buy has a wide range of foods on it.

I asked them if it's sustainable because I heard people pile on the weight once they stop following food points board. One of them responded with the following:

"And why's that? Probably because people go back to their original diets and overeat. No-one says you can't treat yourself, but if you do a 180, what else would you expect other than to pile the pounds back on?"

It was a fair point, it's all about finding what works for you at the end of the day.

Orla K · 15-04-2012 7:03pm

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I have heard people bashing WW on boards before but people in my workplace swear by it. They say it's not unhealthy, and the food points thing that you can buy has a wide range of foods on it.

Problem is processed food is unhealthy and you can buy as much of that as you want(as long as you eat within your points) and natural fat is healthy(including saturated fats) which is pointed heavily on ww. It doesn't actually teach anything about food nutrition since the leaders wouldn't know alot about it and what info they do have could very well be the wrong kind.

Handsome Bob wrote: »

I asked them if it's sustainable because I heard people pile on the weight once they stop following food points board. One of them responded with the following:

"And why's that? Probably because people go back to their original diets and overeat. No-one says you can't treat yourself, but if you do a 180, what else would you expect other than to pile the pounds back on?"

It was a fair point, it's all about finding what works for you at the end of the day.

So they regained the weight because ww didn't actually teach them how to eat a healthy diet, and it obviously didn't teach them how to maintain a healthy diet either.

Handsome Bob · 15-04-2012 7:11pm

Orla K wrote: »

Problem is processed food is unhealthy and you can buy as much of that as you want(as long as you eat within your points) and natural fat is healthy(including saturated fats) which is pointed heavily on ww. It doesn't actually teach anything about food nutrition since the leaders wouldn't know alot about it and what info they do have could very well be the wrong kind.

But it's not just processed foods that are a part of this board you can purchase and to the best of my knowledge, of the people I am aware of using the points system, WW products are not a part of their diets.

So they regained the weight because ww didn't actually teach them how to eat a healthy diet, and it obviously didn't teach them how to maintain a healthy diet either.

Personal responsibility has play a role here though, people are choosing to revert back to eating habits that they know to be damaging.

Orla K · 15-04-2012 7:41pm

Handsome Bob wrote: »

But it's not just processed foods that are a part of this board you can purchase and to the best of my knowledge, of the people I am aware of using the points system, WW products are not a part of their diets.

No it's not just processed food people eat but you can have an alright diet on ww or a crap diet and still be on ww. Also with fat being pointed high it means that low fat products are pointed low, low fat yogurt would have far too much sugar(bad for you and something that isn't pointed) lower fat butter has all sorts of crap in there and so on. So while they don't consume ww products, crap processed foods are still going to be eaten, just to save on points.

Handsome Bob wrote: »

Personal responsibility has play a role here though, people are choosing to revert back to eating habits that they know to be damaging.

If someone hasn't been given the tools(knowledge) to help themselves how are they supposed to help themselves. It's pointless(:pac:) yoyo dieting where ww end up making alot of money because the people keep coming back since it worked before... they just can't see the cycle they're in because of the attitude 'well it worked for me the last time!'

Monife · 15-04-2012 10:32pm

Orla K wrote: »

Problem is processed food is unhealthy and you can buy as much of that as you want(as long as you eat within your points) and natural fat is healthy(including saturated fats) which is pointed heavily on ww. It doesn't actually teach anything about food nutrition since the leaders wouldn't know alot about it and what info they do have could very well be the wrong kind.

Yeah you can eat loads of crap within your points but only idiots would do that if they wanted to lose weight. Weightwatchers teaches you portion control, which is a big problem for most people. With the new propoints system, it takes into account the fat, carbs, protein and fibre content of the food. Yes things like avocado's and unsalted nuts would be high in points, but most people have the common sense to opt for the healthier food even if it is high in points and those are the people that will keep the weight off.

coffee_cake · 15-04-2012 10:40pm

Monife wrote: »

most people have the common sense to opt for the healthier food .

if most people had that common sense WW wouldn't be doing business in the first place

Orla K · 15-04-2012 10:50pm

Monife wrote: »

Yeah you can eat loads of crap within your points but only idiots would do that if they wanted to lose weight. Weightwatchers teaches you portion control, which is a big problem for most people. With the new propoints system, it takes into account the fat, carbs, protein and fibre content of the food. Yes things like avocado's and unsalted nuts would be high in points, but most people have the common sense to opt for the healthier food even if it is high in points and those are the people that will keep the weight off.

I will say it's does seem to be good on portion control but even with the new points system it doesn't teach much about nutrition, or how to maintain your weight. There are some that will have the cop on to eat real food but there are some that will think x brand of cereal bar is healthy because it's only 2pp
There's just lots of healthy stuff that should be in peoples diets that they don't eat because they don't want to use up the points on that but would rather use it on something low points with little nutritional value.

If your going to spend money on trying to lose weight, it'd probably be a better idea to hire a personal trainer that will give you good info that works well.

Ilyana · 15-04-2012 10:59pm

I know people here are very anti-WW, Unislim or whatever. But surely if people are attempting to lose weight in some way, it's better than eating themselves into an early grave?

At least they've recognised that they have a problem and are tackling it head on. How they choose to lose the weight is their choice; hopefully they might learn more about nutrition and exercise along the way. Some probably won't, but the information is there for people to avail of if they so choose.

I'm not advocating WW as I'm aware it's not the healthiest option out there in terms of weight loss. But I'd rather be doing that than descending into obesity.

coffee_cake · 15-04-2012 11:02pm

I'm not really anti-WW at all, I just think there are better alternatives that really change your way of eating the whole time. It's frustrating when you hear women saying they're "being good" because they've had special k or a cereal bar, and you know that firstly it's full of crap and secondly they're probably going to be starving soon enough anyway. WW from my (not recent) recollection pushes sugary, very processed food
So yes it is good they are doing something, but if it's likely to lead them just falling off and having to start all over again without ever learning anything more in-depth than basic calorie counting, it seems like it would be better to educate themselves in a different way

Still, if it genuinely works for them then it works for them...

The Cool · 15-04-2012 11:20pm

Because I am overweight. A little more than overweight, actually. But mostly, so I could wear whatever I want!!!

Orla K · 15-04-2012 11:21pm

EmilyO wrote: »

I know people here are very anti-WW, Unislim or whatever. But surely if people are attempting to lose weight in some way, it's better than eating themselves into an early grave?

At least they've recognised that they have a problem and are tackling it head on. How they choose to lose the weight is their choice; hopefully they might learn more about nutrition and exercise along the way. Some probably won't, but the information is there for people to avail of if they so choose.

I'm not advocating WW as I'm aware it's not the healthiest option out there in terms of weight loss. But I'd rather be doing that than descending into obesity.

Yeah it's better than that but at the same time people should be made aware that it really isn't the healthiest option, it won't teach them much and to hopefully be pointed into the right direction that will let them live a long and healthy life. If people don't say anything about ww or other ones(really don't know anything about how unislim or the other ones work so can't say I can comment on them) how are people to know the negatives, personally, in this instance, I think it's better to say something rather than keep my mouth shut.

ww seems to teach fats are bad, walking is the best exercise, don't lift anything too heavy girls or you'll turn into a sheman!

This is something slightly related but alot of women when trying to lose weight seem to search out diet programs something with structure, rules, clearly defined guidelines. It's just something I've noticed over the past while, I don't know how true it is but from talking to people and here on boards it kinda looks like there's something to a program with structured eating habits.

noddyone2 · 18-04-2012 9:26am

Size 16 is good!

edellc · 20-04-2012 2:21pm

I was a healthy size 12top and 14/16 bottom a few years ago weighting about 11ish stone, then I got bullied in work went off sick, got pregnant my mother wasnt happy and barely spoke to me for the nine months, I decided to breast feed to help loose weight after baby was born hahaha I pilled it on was starving all the time and chocolate was my friend lol(as mam totally disapproved me breast feeding, why I have no idea) , oh forgot I moved house while pregnant also, then got diagnosed with under active thyroid, also friends disappeared and had to move house again once baby was born, solicitor screwed me and hit me with a bill I can never pay and I am now unemployed and then my mother passed away last June,(was sad but dont have her telling me everything I do is wrong now) and now I weigh 16 1/2 stone

and a size 20/22 :eek: boobs also gone mentally big which kills my back, I try exercising but so tired all the blooming time and no one to mind the baby so I walk not as much as I should but I try....I think I would now be happy being a size 16 but thats a long way to go but I try

Sunshineboo · 20-04-2012 4:46pm

I want to be thinner so I can feel that I can wear anything without being worried I look chubby or fat. I'm only 10/12 and fairly tall but secretly I would like to be a size 8 even though I'm told I look gaunt and thin if I lose a good deal of weight.
In the past I've wrongly equated being thin with sudden happiness and confidence, really I was the same person and still unhappy.

Handsome Bob · 28-04-2012 12:32pm

The Cool wrote: »

But mostly, so I could wear whatever I want!!!

Nicely put.

At my heaviest I was 17 stone, 11 now. I always get compliments but they mean very little as I know that I need to lose more. I'm not at that stage where I can wear what I want as you put it and until then I won't be content.

Yes, blokes can have these insecurities too. :pac:

newbee22 · 28-04-2012 2:49pm

For the first time i my life I think I am happy with my size:) I'm ever going to 'skinny' which I'm fine with, I've gone from a size 20 to a size 12 since jan 2011. I ignore the scales to be honest, I go by what I see in the mirror, I don't let the numbers get me down, I can see I'm toned now so that's why the scales are making me a heavier weight than I hope to be

It's hard work but totally worth it

Lionel Messy · 29-04-2012 3:26am

I like a girl with a non thin figure, the kind of figure that's slightly above "normal" and a nice sizeable bum. Alot of guys like a big arse, i'm one of them.

Galwayguy35 · 29-04-2012 6:00am

I was very heavy as a kid and looking back now it was eating all the wrong kind of food. And school in the 1980s wasn't easy when you are an overweight kid. In my teens then I lost some of it as puberty kicked in and I started to grow but I got obsessed about food and would barely eat anything at all and went down to 6 stone but still thought I was fat. Of course it was all in my mind but I couldn't see it at the time. I was sent into hospital but the answer 20 years ago was to stuff me with food and send me on my way.When I went back to school all I got was "why were you starving yourself?" It's only in the last few years that I have been reading articles about young guys like I was at the time who got an obsession with being thin.

Why do you want to be thinner?

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