For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be skinny, to be thin. I’ve always wanted to have the “perfect” beach bod. I’ve always wanted to look like the models and celebrities in magazines.
But not any more.
I don’t want to be thin. I don’t want to be skinny.
I want to be HEALTHY. I want to be FIT.
I’ve come to realize that striving for fitness motivates me more than wanting to be thin. Human beings were never meant to be “thin”. We were meant to run away from predators. We were meant to hunt, to scavenge, to farm. None of that requires being thin, but they do require us to be fit and healthy. In order to survive, we had to be able to sprint quickly, to run up trees, to jump high, to be athletes.
Instead of aiming to look thin, I want to be able to do what my body was meant to do. I want to be athletic. I want to be able to run, to lift my body weight, to climb mountains, to swim oceans. My body is a beast, a machine, so I’m going to treat it as such. Its capabilities are not confined to “being thin.” I would be shortchanging my body, and myself, if I limited it to being skinny and slim.
I’m no longer losing weight to look a certain way. I’m losing weight to BE a certain way: healthy and fit.
I’m not losing weight to fit into cuter, smaller clothes. That’s just an additional perk. I’m not losing weight to get a nice bikini body. That’s also another bonus.
I’m losing weight because I want to live longer. Every pound I lose decreases my chance of developing a weight-related disease, like Type II diabetes, so that I can hike Mt. Everest eventually. Every pound I shed hypothetically increases my life expectancy so that I can qualify for the Boston Marathon one day.
Every pound I drop means one less pound for my body to carry, meaning I have a better chance of running faster, longer. Every pound I leave behind makes it easier for me to do a pull-up and complete more push-ups. Every pound brings me closer to overall health and fitness.
Being skinny does not help me achieve anything. It does not make me happier. It does not make me proud. But being fit enables me to accomplish my life goals. Being healthy mentally and physically means I can continuously better myself, making a difference in both my life and someone else’s. Striving for fitness allows me to believe in myself, to have confidence. My energy does not radiate from my appearance any more. It comes from my newfound mental and physical strength.
Trying to be thin made me a negative person because I was never “thin enough.” Striving for health and fitness makes me recognize and appreciate all the small improvements my body makes on a daily basis. I might not be losing a pound every day, but I can certainly lift a pound heavier, run a minute longer, every day. These small improvements make me happy because they give me hope. They affirm that I’m improving my life. They make me proud.
When I wanted to be thin, I only had one goal, and that was to improve my outward appearance.
Now that I want to be healthy and fit, I have many, many goals. Countless numbers of them. And I’m bettering myself, both mentally and physically, every single day.
I want to run. An ultra? Perhaps.
I want to hike. Mt. Everest, here’s looking at you.
I want to bike. Gran Fondo? Yes.
I want to swim. A mile.
I want to triathlon. Half Iron? Maybe.
I want to travel. To all seven continents.
I WANT TO LIVE.
It has nothing to do with being thin any more. It has everything to do with being healthy and giving myself a chance to live long enough to accomplish everything I want to achieve.
So aim for health. Scratch out the idea of being thin.
Aim to be the best that you can be, physically and mentally.
Your best isn’t to be thin.
You’re much, MUCH more than that.
Why do you want to be healthy and fit?
Consumption: 1940 calories, 62.1g of fat.
click for full view
Workout: Bench press. Chest. Bench push-ups. Timed Mile.
click for full view
RELATED POSTS:
Female. 25 years old. Chinese. Cook. Foodie. UCLA grad. Traveler. Musician. Scuba diver. GWU Law. Runner.
We are so the same. I had this realization a while ago. Working toward it every day.
That should be tattooed on my ass really, it should. Oh right, except now it won’t fit because my ass is fit! Not the least bit skinny but heck I beat ya I can crack a walnut with them cheeks now.
Great Post!! Love it, love it.
Awesome post! You said it!!! I am discovering there is so much more to this journey than just weight loss!
Couldn’t have said it better!
I had a similar revelation and for me it has made my weightloss so much easier, I want it for the right reasons this time.
.-= Alison´s last blog Feeling a bit like a slug… =-.
I want to be healthy and fit cause some day when I’m running the Boston Marathon I’m going to look to my right and see you running too and then I’m going to pounce on you and give you a big old fat kiss on the face for this post!
P.S. A mile swim is 70.4 lengths of a 25 meter pool. So doable for you right now. Just find a pool and get at it!
.-= Tara´s last blog All Systems Go! =-.
Losing weight for the RIGHT reason is how it stays off. In the beginning for me it was a vague reason: “I don’t want to be fat anymore.” Then I lost a lot of weight and I started being more active. The reason became “I want to train for my first 5k.” Having goals helps!
I don’t aim for skinny minny. I aim for HEALTHY and FIT. That’s how we add to our quality of life. That’s how we LIVE. Amen to this post!!!
200% agree…being thin may look a bit better in clothes, but being fit not only looks better, but you have the freedom to do so much more. I’d like to put on some more muscle so I can feel better about adding in some rock climbing to my current hiking, running, and cycling!
You have hit the nail on the head. It is not all about size or the number on the scale. It really comes down to being healthy, strong, and fit. Initially I was all about the number on the scale, but over time that changed in the right direction!
You’re frickin’ awesome.
I have NO doubt that while many people say they want to meet these goals, you WILL.
WOW. Yes. My sentiments exactly.
That’s such an important distinction Jess, one that I’ve just been starting to realize myself. Yes, I’d like to look decent with my shirt off, but most of all, I want to be fit and healthy.
I want to be able to play with my kids without getting exhausted after only a few minutes. I want to be able to go on long hikes with my family. I want to be able to run – first a 5k, then 10k, 1/2 marathon, and then a full – and then who knows?
I want to be healthy, and want to set a good example for my kids so that they grow up to be healthy too.
.-= Brandon´s last blog The Tipping Point =-.
I think the goal of being fit is the right way to go. When I started out I just wanted to lose weight, and of course I still do but along the way I decided I wanted other things too. I wanted to try doing things that I had never tried before (ie. kayaking, whitewater rafting, running a marathon etc.). I wanted to eat more natural, healthy, organic foods. I wanted to be able to keep up with my twelve year old son (not sure I will ever achieve that one), and not have to set down after a few minutes of playing baseball with him. I wanted to feel better not just look better.
Great Attitude!
I’m right there with you! It’s like we have the same brain wavelengths sometimes!
.-= seth @ fitwithapurpose´s last blog 10k Run. Wellness Wednesday. Rainy Run. =-.
Agreed! I think sometimes weight and healthy/fit overlap (as in you can be fit at 400 pounds maybe, but not healthy), but I’m frequently amazed by the people sometimes called “skinny fat.” I’ll see them at a fitness boot camp that I do and just assume they can run smoking fast because they’re thin and look like people I see winning marathons and other races. But then I’m amazed to see that I can run so much faster than many of them! Being healthy and fit I think means not being obese, but just because you’re not obese doesn’t mean your healthy and fit. Such a good point!
I love it.
.-= Joe´s last blog Tips For Your First Race =-.
Another great post Jess! I want to be healthy simply because I was tired of how I felt when unhealthy.