Motivation for dieting beauty or health?

[goodnhose]

I know it's both and i know it can be a touchy subject but i have never dieted in my life and have just recently lost 10lbs for the explicit reason of having a more slender body. Please, don't get me wrong weight doesn't determine if you feel fem. or not, just want to know if you do it for pure vanity? My dieting has a by-product of better health it's not my motivation.:battingeyelashes:

[Mrs Roads]

I know it's both and i know it can be a touchy subject but i have never dieted in my life and have just recently lost 10lbs for the explicit reason of having a more slender body. Please, don't get me wrong weight doesn't determine if you feel fem. or not just want to know if you do it for pure vanity? My dieting has a by product of better health it's not my motivation.:battingeyelashes:


I do it for health, plus I also love the way my body look being lean. Its always been a part of my lifestyle, staying in shape and being healthy. About 2 yrs ago I weighed a solid 200pds (pretty much all muscle), then when I finally accepted my feminine side, I leaned down to a fit 169. I agree that weight has nothing to do (nor should it) with feeling feminine, but it was also kinda hard to feel like a woman when I felt more like Arnold Schwarzenegger with all that heavy muscle bulk.

[Jacqueline Winona]

For both, we all want to be a size smaller, but the health benefits to being slim really motivate me as well.

[Chari]

Have always been smaller in statue and weight, but tried many times to add "bulk" to my body in younger years to look more manly. Some reason I never could and now that I am older and have accepted my feminine side, I enjoy my toned body as I can wear size 8 - 10 Misses attire off the rack!

[Deanna77]

I started WW for my health. I'd always been overweight, pushing 300lbs at my heaviest (on a 6'2" frame). WW gave me the resources I needed to get my weight and overall health under control. Through solely food tracking (for the most part) I got down to 210 and maintained that for about a year and a half. Lately I've started exercising and wanting to tone-up and slim down a little more and am down to 200 - hoping to get to 190-195. So I'd say "I came for the health improvements, I stayed for the improved body image" ;)

[Shananigans]

Looking better is always a great motivation.

However, increasing my flexibility and my positional strength in yoga was also a huge factor. I still blame my awkwardness in Scorpion Pose on my huge ass. It's a love/hate relationship with that thing.

[DanaR]

I'm doing it for health and to look better.

[Loveday]

Three reasons why I diet.
1.) I diet to be slender, like when I was young that is why I diet.
2.) I also I do it for my health, I am a diabetic with other heart associated problems with it.
3.) I also diet for my wealth, my prescription bills are over 1000.00 US for 3 months, if I did not have health insurance it would over 5000.00 for 3 months.

[S. Lisa Smith]

Both!! I feel better when I'm in drab and I like looking better in my femme clothes.

[TxKimberly]

For me, it is pure vanity. If it weren't for that, I would weight about 50 pounds more than I do now

[Stephanie-L]

For me it is three things.

First it is for looks, I have a male "beer belly" type gut, and really don't like the look of it, definately unfeminine.
Second it is for health, I have a few medical problems that are helped by weight loss, and have been slowly working on them for years.
Third was becase the government told me too lose weight, LOL. I was in the military reserves and had to meet weight requirements to stay in, which I wanted to do at the time. I am no longer in but still try to meet the same weight and fitness requirements.

Interestingly, my weight problems have gotten much better since I accepted who I am and stopped stressing about it, I eat less and exercise more just as a natural byproduct of that.........Stephanie

[Babette]

I do it purely for health reasons. My lifestyle demands that I maintain a high level of physical fitness. Workouts are a daily routine. Otherwise, I suffer from a lack of it. Clean eating (i.e. essentially no processed foods while opting for fish and poultry, fruits and veggies, and lots of water) for the most part keeps me at a healthy weight. Although my primary food weakness is pizza, I still partake but sparingly.

Babette

[jennacda2]

I recently lost 100 pounds, purely for health reasons. I wanted to be a slender, active person instead of the couch potato that I was. Dressing up didn't really have anything to do with it but the fact I can fit into smaller clothes is an added bonus.

[KylieQ]

I set a goal to make it out completely enfemme for the first time this year, and that's been my motivation for losing weight. I busted up both of my knees really badly about 15 years ago, and as a result I gained almost 85 pounds. At my heaviest I was knocking on the door of 300 pounds. I managed to lose about 30 pounds a few years ago and the amount of relief in my knees was incredible! I managed to keep that weight off and am hoping to reach my goal weight by the end of the summer. If I can do that I'll be south of 200 pounds for the first time in over a decade.

[Tanya C]

For me it's both because the two go hand in hand. It's hard to look good if you're not healthy, but if you're healthy and feeling good then you usually look your best.

[denese013]

Several years ago it got to the point that the only place I could find a dress to fit was from Omar the tent maker.

[suzy1]

I think you have got your priorities right.
First priority is your health and being slim is nice for fitting into that slinky dress.

What I find interesting is if you do some research into the correct weight for your height you come up with a body weight that is much lower than most people would think.
I get told that I am too skinny by some but I am exactly the right weight for me.

SUZY

[Gianna]

First for health - I stopped drinking my usual three beers or two glasses of wine a day, and second, for appearance. The benefit of dropping 12 pounds since Jan 1 is my blood pressure has dropped 20-25 points and I have twice the amount of energy.

[Alisa]

For health primarily... started watching what I eat and exercising to get blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Loosing 80 to 90 pounds has changed my life. Lots more energy, no meds, renewed confidence, yata, yata, yata... The best part is the significantly increased chooses in woman's fashions.

[Karren H]

First.. I don't "diet".. Diets end and then you fall back into your old habits and the weight comes back.. Plus some. I changed my lifestyle... the way I eat.. And it works...

And I did it for health.... Any other benefit is just a bonus!

[Shananigans]

First.. I don't "diet".. Diets end and then you fall back into your old habits and the weight comes back.. Plus some. I changed my lifestyle... the way I eat.. And it works...

And I did it for health.... Any other benefit is just a bonus!

WOOO, Karren!! *Family Feud Voice* Good answer, Good answer!!

[kimdl93]

I entirely concur with Karren. I don't diet. I have over the past decade become far more discriminating about what I eat, how much I eat and the amount of exercise I get. As a result, I've lost nearly 50 pounds from my peak, dropped my cholesterol by about 50 points and as a bonus my aching joints don't ache so much. Plus I can fit into a size 14 skirt, which for me is an accomplishment!

[Jenniferathome]

I work out and eat for my health and for training for my competitions. The byproduct is a better body shape for my skirts and dresses.

[LeaP]

I entirely concur with Karren.

Add me to that list. I'm done with dieting. 5 months ago I decided a lifestyle change was in order. I've dropped 35 pounds with another 35 or so to go. Light, healthy eating and moderate exercise. Nothing between meals, ever, at all. Very light breakfast and lunch, and normal dinner. No desserts, no prepared foods. I have modestly more on weekends. That's it.

Lea