My second pregnancy was twins. I have read that when you are obese, you have more of a tendency to hyperovulate (drop more than one egg). If I wasn't heavy, I might not have one of my perfect babies! There are no other fraternal twins (identicals don't run in families) in my family. Doesn't seem like there is another reason I would have hyperovulated.
So, thank you, fat, for helping me get my twins. Now get the **** off me!!
Ummm, let's see, how about - well no.
Then there's well - no to that too.
All righty then there's - no not that either.
The answer would be no, no and more no!!!
Anything I can think of there is a good come back for and it's no reason whatsoever to stay overweight for.
For instance - insulation. When I was overweight I wasn't always cold. Oh well. Now I just have to take sweaters with me everywhere and wear multiple pairs of socks in the winter. It was waaay worse to be overheated, red faced and sweaty most of the year.
Another instance - padding. Some chairs were comfier, when I had more padding on my behind. But to counteract that - I was TERRIFIED of chairs - breaking them, embarrassing myself by spilling over the sides of them, not fitting into them...
I can think of a few more like that, but really my answer remains a firm NO.
There has not been one area of my life that has not been GREATLY CHANGED FOR THE BETTER since I lost the weight.
Rockinrobin makes a good point, I really miss being warm but by golly do I look good in these cashmere trousers; trousers I could never have worn, even on the coldest day when I was overweight.
Can't really think of a thing that's been good for me because of being overweight OR obese.
I don't lose my butt padding even when I'm the correct weight, LOL! So I couldn't even point to that as something better.
Being able to walk without losing my breath, being able to wear nice clothes and shoes and look presentable, not having health problems that are self-induced/weight-induced....these are all good things I'm looking forward to when I lose the weight. Nothing good will come of me keeping it on.
You know, I have thought about this. I wanted to say that the years I spent overweight taught me things I didn't really KNOW before. For instance, when men look at me now I am not in the least bit tempted. Well, of course, I have an awesome hubster but even if I was single, I will never forget how easily they dismissed me (most of them anyway) before. Also, I have a family member that "skated by" on her good looks personally and professionally for decades. Now, she cannot do that anymore. She is having an amazingly difficult time now--her personality and skills never truly developed IMO because she was supermodel status. Hehe, yeah. I never had the benefit of that.
That being said, I wish I never would have become overweight, let alone obese. I wish I had cared myself enough way back when I started developing the problem. It is what it is though. I absolutely 100% agree with Robin in that EVERY SINGLE THING in my life has improved since I became fit. Everything.
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 02-13-2010 at 02:55 PM.
Maybe I'm not answering the question directly, but I have had some good things come from having been overweight. I learned how important healthy food is. I learned that I love to run. I learned that weightlifting totally rocks. I discovered my inner athlete and health nut. If I would have been able to live my life eating junk and being a sloth without the consequence of becoming fat, I would not have had the impetus to change.
I have read that there are health benefits to being slightly overweight. I can only find this article at the moment http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009...4961245860812/ but the one i originally read was more convincing.
Every struggle and unpleasant situation or event in my life has brought good things into my life as well as bad. I've been obese and struggling with my weight since early childhood, and I wouldn't be the person I am without those struggles. Wishing that away would be like wishing myself away. That doesn't mean I don't have regrets, or wouldn't have done things differently if I could, but it does make it easier not to dwell on it.
I enjoy life. Even with a lot of struggles and barriers. I'm a joyful person and it's in my nature to be an optimist. I will enjoy life thinner and (hopefully) with fewer health problems, but I'm not sure I'll enjoy life any more than I do now. I'll be grateful for all the things I'll be able to do, that I'm not able to do now, just as I'm grateful for all the things I can do now, that I couldn't do before.
But largely, I think life is what you make of it. It's always been important for me to make the best of any situation. At my fattest, I enjoyed my jobs, my friends, and doing whatever I was capable of, and tried very hard to not let my weight prevent me from doing anything it didn't physically prevent me from doing. I excelled in school and always had a lot of friends because of my friendly, outgoing personality. I realize that I'm lucky in that regard, because most girls my size struggled more with confidence and social skills.
I wouldn't wish fat on anyone, or poverty or health problems, or death of loved ones, but I also wouldn't wish a struggle-free life for myself or anyone. As cliche as it is, struggles really can build depth of character. We're not just a product of all the good and easy things in our lives: The unpleasant and difficult things shape us as well.
I don't like the shape of my body, but I do like the shape of my soul.
My body is waaaaay better now, smaller breasts and all. My breasts were bigger, I'll grant you that much, but for me, big deal - it was fat, it wasn't the way I was *intended* to be. It came about by me abusing my body - no joy in that. It wasn't what Mother Nature had in mind for me. Now my breasts are smaller, but so are my waist and hips. So proportionately, I'm *perfect*, well at least perfect for me - or again, as I was intended to be.
midwife, I get what you're saying. I mean I sometimes think, well actually I pretty much know, had I not been so overweight and so miserable from being so overweight, I would never enjoy certain things the way that I do now.
For example, I get the biggest pleasure from doing my laundry now - are those my tiny panties? is that tiny t-shirt fit on my body? It's like - whoa, I can't believe these are mine!!! I get the biggest kick out of squeezing through small spaces, out of sliding into every and any restaurant booth, out of walking up a flight of stairs without being winded. My collar bones, hip bones, muscles, veins - I ADORE them. These ARE things (& there are plenty of others) I would have taken for granted had I never been super morbidly obese.
But my answer still stays firm - there is not one good thing I can find from being overweight.
If you're hearing a chip on my shoulders - you're right. For me, it was an awful, awful experience. Made more awful by the fact that it was something I could have avoided - but I did not. And it angers me that I allowed myself to get and remain that way. And therefore I will never see any good in it.
Reduced risk of osteoporosis. Especially since I always exercised -- a large woman walking is building bone mass.
Of course, it doesn't balance out the higher risks that being overweight has caused me -- my dad died of a heart attack at age 63 and my mother of complications of Type 2 diabetes at 67. I should live so long as to worry about osteoporosis!
I was talking to a co-worker who had lost a good bit of weight back when I was just starting. He said he missed being able to set his drink on his belly (this image only further encourages me to lose weight ) and he missed being able to float (we're both lifeguards, floating effortlessly is a bit of an asset). That said, I'm fully prepared to sacrifice my ability to float for all the things I'll gain by losing weight (and as a female I'll probably retain some buoyancy anyhow)
Any thing "good" about being overweight?
) and he missed being able to float (we're both lifeguards, floating effortlessly is a bit of an asset). That said, I'm fully prepared to sacrifice my ability to float for all the things I'll gain by losing weight (and as a female I'll probably retain some buoyancy anyhow)
