What Would You Do To Be An “Ideal” Weight?

I would LOVE to have Kiera's body. She's very thin but I could work to get healthier from there than having to lose weight if I chose Queen Latifah.

The question is if it is all only about weight. The health problems associated with carrying around extra weight, especially if there is a family history of diet-related health problems, might exceed the problems associated with some of those things.

I, for one, would probably take an extra toe over an extra 50 pounds. The extra toe might make it difficult to find shoes, and I might decide not to wear sandals anymore, but that would be the extent of it - it would affect my footwear choices, and for that matter most people would probably never notice. An extra 50 pounds, though, would likely mean(especially given my family) diabetes, heart disease, maybe cancer, and a shorter life. (how many years would a toe take off my life?)

I do think the things people would give up are rather sad, especially considering MOST people would NOT be obese or overweight if they would give other things up - soda, chips, cookies, the TV habit. And people say they would give a year of their life to be thin, but how many years are they giving by NOT being thin?

I don't think most of the responses are so crazy. If I could have a body like Jillian Michaels, I'd happily wear a bikini on TV with a shaved head while spending a week in jail. LOL.

I don't know that I would do anything crazy like trade a body part to be at my ideal weight, but I must transform my body this year. I've become very concerned about health issues lately.

lordy this is ridiculous.

Why is shaving one's head a "sacrifice"? I don't get it.

I would love to be the skinny bitch too!! It is so hard to be thin and stay that way. I find it a constant battle and I think that I would give up quite a bit(forget having an extra toe--disgusting)to be thin and not have to work at it all the time; to only have it come naturally with pizza! Honestly, it's work to have a good marriage, be a good mother (and all that comes with that title), and be a dependable employee as it is to be able to stay on the path of finding your own "skinny self". I'm willing to bet that that skinny bitch makes sacrifices( food) everyday without a second thought, because it's what she does to be thin. She is only a bitch because she is hungry!!!!

i'm not gonna lie. i'd gladly die 10 years sooner at my current weight (or an equivalent adjusted for age) rather than carry around 50 extra lbs. those 50 lbs would make me 148 lbs at 5'2"! that's unacceptable for my height and build at any age.

I'd take a pill to be skinny...or maybe eat really poorly for a short time period based on a book I found in the discount bin. But, never would I make small, intelligent, permanent, lifestyle changes. No way!

I'd rather put in the hard work and dedication to get to my fat loss goal(11%) then any cheap tricks. Nothing feels better at the end knowing it was all that work that got the job done.

i thank goodness every day that i was born healthy- i am happy to wake up and see beautiful sights, and experience the day with two working legs and so on. i wouldn't give that up even to look like a victoria's secret model. i consider myself lucky to be alive and at a healthy weight, even if i dont look like Giselle!

Am I alone in not caring all that much about reaching an arbitrary weight? Perhaps it's the years I spent with an eating disorder, but I'd rather be healthy, fit, and happy than any specific size. As long as I can run marathons and bicycle centuries... have a loving husband who finds me irresistible.. hell, I figure I don't have much to complain about. :)

See, I think there's too much focus on weight--- What would you do in order to LOVE YOURSELF?

Heather said:
I'd rather be healthy, fit, and happy than any specific size[...]

I agree with you. It's not about the number on the scale for me, and it's not about the size I wear. I am 5'5" and 120 pounds, but I've gotten out of shape and I hate to say it, a little weak. I was in a completely different place when I was 15-20 pounds heavier, and I'd rather have those pounds on me and be and feel as strong as I was back then. I don't admire Giselle's body any more than I do Queen Latifah's (although I have to admire Queen's confidence).

I would develop strength of character in order to adjust my body composition as I see fit. This useful ability might even carry over into other aspects of my life!

I'm going to have to parrot everyone else when I say that I'd just apply the fortitude I'd use to stand prison to make practical adjustments in my lifestyle.

It's important to also remember that it doesn't have to just be about vanity... attaining an ideal weight (not too thin) will actually add years to your life and allow you to enjoy the many benefits that come along with living a healthy lifestyle.

I'm surprised more people didn't choose to shave their heads. It seems like that would be a pretty minimal sacrifice for most people to make. Oh well. I hate the stereotype that skinny women are bitches. That isn't true at all. I'm skinny and nice and lots of people realize that. Some people ask me "Do you ever eat junk food?" and my answer is "Of course I do, just not all the time."

I also get a lot of people asking me "Wow, what did you do to lose all that weight?" after I'd lost 90 lbs. I told them "I stopped eating so much pizza and chips and stuff and started running. Now I keep it off by eating healthy and running 60 miles a week". Then they say "Oh, never mind...I could never be that disciplined. Guess I'm destined to stay fat!" Grrr. It's only a small amount of sacrifice to move your ass an hour a day and not putting ice cream in the grocery cart and VOILA!...you don't have to grow a toe to be at your ideal weight.

I have seen women that look great with shaved heads. (besides Britney Spears) Go get a f***ing a wig if you feel shitty about it.

Rather dying instead of cherishing your life is pretty stupid to me, because you can always loose the weight, but you could never get your life back. People are more obsessed with their flesh, than spiritual and mental state.

I think having another would be ridiculous, because like I said, you can always loose the weight, but loosing the toe will cost you; a bunch of money in the hole just to get rid of that toe, and by shoes that you don't want, yadda, yadda, yadda

ITA with STEPHAN CABRAL, but it's seems depressing that most people have not attain that ideal, look where we are now with obesity.

And I read it wrong! I thought is only females that were 18! I don't really want to expect a 26 year old to think this way, because THE WEIGHT CAN BE LOST IF BY SCENERIO YOU GAIN BABY WEIGHT! WHAT!? ARE YOU GOING TO KILL YOURSELF FOR GAINING ABOUT 40 LBS OF BABY WEIGHT????!!

ITA with Heather, Kaliash, and others.

It's weird when I hear that "Skinny Bitch" thing, I also here how fatties can be bitches too.

Um, right...any female no matter her size, religion, sex orientation, can be a f***ing bitch that you can't stand...which is okay, somebody's got take on that role right...?

So I am tired of that clique from both sides of the spectrum.

Uh, spending one week in jail is almost the equivalent of losing ten years of your life? Really?

I'm willing to eat right for me and exercise, and nothing more to reach my "ideal" weight.

Hard work? No we need a quick fix!

Spectra said:
I'm surprised more people didn't choose to shave their heads. It seems like that would be a pretty minimal sacrifice for most people to make. Oh well. I hate the stereotype that skinny women are bitches. That isn't true at all. I'm skinny and nice and lots of people realize that. Some people ask me "Do you ever eat junk food?" and my answer is "Of [...]

Great post, Spectra! Congratulations on your continued success. The reaction you get when you tell people your story is an interesting commentary. I'm sure you'll be an inspiration to many - that is for those that are willing to take a look inside themselves and realize that with a little work, better health is achievable.

As someone who has about 60 pounds to lose, I don't think I'd do anything such as those drastic measures listed but it sure would be nice to have a fast, effortless fix to lose all this weight.

"5% would rather lose a limb."

If you lost a leg, that would take probably 30-50 pounds off you right there; somewhat less for an arm. That is probably the quickest way to lose weight.

Angela

There is no ideal weight, I'm 10kg up and everyone loves me :)

I would spend a week in jail, shave my head, have an extra toe wear a bikini on TV to stay thin. I would lose 10 years of my life. I wouldn't lose a limb or go blind. But I think being fat is really disgusting. I would do almost anything to avoid it.

its so sad that so many people would rather die 10 years sooner then be overweight

rosie said:
its so sad that so many people would rather die 10 years sooner then be overweight[...]

Absolutely!

I'd rather live as long and healthfully as possible and not look perfect :)

It is sad what people would do to lose weight. However, I am underweight and have a fast metabolism, so I suppose that I don't have anything to complain about.

im 5'5 and 102 ibs am i overweight?

If you read my fat loss blog, you can see what I have done.

Last year, about this time, I dedicated myself to eating right, abstaining from alcohol, lifting weights, and changing my life.

You can see from the progress pictures that I did achieve an "ideal weight", and in fact probably got a little too lean at one point.

So what would I do? Work hard each and every day. Sacrifice my immediate desires on the altar of self discipline. Suffer hunger pangs and miss out on holiday feasting. Essentially I would do, and did do, whatever it took and today I am still clawing my way to the top of this mountain, each day doggedly and tenaciously chasing my vision of a muscular, lean and healthy body.

I am relatively small at a size 6/8. But I have flabby thighs! Wow, how'd that happen? So, I wouldn't do anything except hire a personal trainer so I can firm up.

That said, I would gladly be a baldy for the rest of my life to remain a more toned up version of my current self. The worse thing I would do is smother a kitten. I know, that is awful, and I love cats. But I would do it to stay small. You may flame me now...

OnceFatNowThin, do you REALLY have flabby thighs?
Or do your thighs just jiggle like everyone else's does & you think they're flabby?