I really love the way I feel as I run. When I was obese, it wasn't a feeling I could have. I like the shape my body is taking but honestly, still tons of things I find wrong with my physical appearance. Also, I still "feel" fat. I was shopping today and once again, started pulling out my old sizes because I haven't wrapped my brain around the fact that I wear a size 6.
For me, those two concepts go hand in hand. I know that I will feel much better when I look better. Honestly, I want to look HOT for once in my life, so looking good is my prime motivator right now.
I think you really need both. If you feel good physically, that's wonderful, but if you're highly unattractive, then the psychological pain will manifest itself in physical pain/discomfort.
Like everyone has said, they go hand in hand. The shallow part of me wants to have a smokin hot body to match the beautiful face that everyone says I have, but ultimately I want to feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally. I really believe what Jillian Michaels says about being fit and healthy gives you a platform to grow your life on and if I'm physcially strong and healthy I will be in all the other facets of my life. So if I had to choose one I'd go with feeling good!
As I read the question, neither. Feeling good about myself - I already do. Even at my highest weight, I was (and still am) pretty darned fabulous. I'm intelligent, caring (sometimes to a fault, I still have to fight the urge to put everyone's needs before my own), creative, quirky, and funny. As for looking good - Sure it would be fun, but it's not on the list of my top 10 or even top 100 priorities. Hubby already thinks I'm gorgeous, and his is the only opinion on the subject that matters to me.
Nope, feeling good (not about myself, just feeling good physically) is my only priority. I think I look fairly nice now, and I would trade it in for health. If I had to choose between hideously ugly and healthy, and beautiful but with the same limitations I have now, I guess I'd take hideously ugly. Luckily, that's not a trade I have to consider.
Hmm, that's tough for me because I feel bad because I look bad.
I don't know if you mean feeling good physically, or feeling good emotionally, mentally.
I think that once I look good (by being a healthy weight) that I'll feel good (in I'll move easier, I won't be at risk of recurrent DVT, heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc.) and I'm looking forward to hillwalking without getting breathless (I HATE that!)
But will I feel good mentally once I look good? I suffer...have suffered with depression and bulimia for longer than I can properly recall.
I'm officially 'cured' of bulimia in that the fingers no longer go down the throat. But can I really be cured when I'm obese? Just because the fingers and the throat don't meet anymore doesn't mean I'm not a bulimic person inside of me.
And the depression - I know it's 75% caused by being overweight and not feeling that I'm worthy of love - anyone's love, including my own. I have good days, I have bad days - it's hard being at uni, away from home - but once I'm thin and beautiful I'm pretty sure my life will be improved in almost every way.
To be honest, I think I'd choose looking good, because I'm pretty sure that feeling good will occur after I've achieved that.
I want to feel good. If I feel good about myself on the inside, then it will also show on the outside. When I was younger (as a teen), I was thin and I looked good but I didn't feel good about myself and that wasn't a good place for me.
I'm voting for feeling good. My decision to do this was primarily for health reasons. I have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and adult onset diabetes. I want to do everything I can to avoid the health problems my parents had and to live a long life and see my children become adults. If I look good in the process that's just a perk!
