Thursday, November 29, 2012

What Would You Trade to Be Skinny?

Sometimes...oh I would guesstimate at least twice a day...I see people's bodies I envy...and for a moment I think "I wish I could have a body like her".  But then I start to think about the lives that come along with these skinny people (in this instance, I am thinking of skinny/thin people I actually KNOW). 

To make this easier to understand, let's name tall thin girl Ju-Ju...for no other reason than it's kinda fun to say Ju-Ju.

When Ju-Ju gets sad, she doesn't have an appetite (what...I've never been this sad)...and she ends up losing weight and being thin.  Not sickly skinny, but I would reckon around 150ish.  Looks healthy on her.  And the other day I was looking at her and found myself thinking "man, I wish I had her body".

But then I realized...I don't wish I had her life.  She is unhappy, angry, lonely, and doesn't know who she really is.

And it hit me.  I wouldn't trade my body for a better body if it meant sacrificing the life I have.  And I know a lot of girls with nice bodies who are NOT really as happy or as carefree as they would like people to think.

Clearly, this is no breaking news story...that having a rocking body doesnt always bring you happiness.  But I remember one night, probably 10 years ago...I was sitting in my living room back in Kansas...and I was thinking about how I wished I could be anorexic or bulimic.  And with this thought process came the idea how that long term eating disorders like those can result in death.  And my thought at that time was "I would rather die skinny than live fat".

Can you believe that?  It was a fleeting thought, and I didn't put any effort into starving myself or puking...but in that frame of mind...that's where I was at.

So I guess the question really isn't about what would you trade...but it really should be a statement about being thankful for what you DO have right now (if you feel like your body aint rockin).  Because yes...maybe being skinny makes it easier to buy clothes, to wear a bikini, to have sex without worrying about saggy bits and bulbous bits...but being skinny doesn't make loving any easier.  It doesn't always translate into more money, more friends, more dates, more happiness.

With that said...I need a Gingerbread Cookie Shake from Burger King. 

STAT

8 comments:

  1. This is so true. My SIL makes her life and her poor 6 year old daughters life miserable obsessing about staying thin. So sad!!! Guess what my brother (your husband) and my dad might want me to be thinner but they still love me! regardless of my size and it would be the same for you psycho!! now let my niece eat a doughnut or cookie without telling her she is going to be fat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the post. Your last paragraph is exactly what I needed to hear! It's been a rough couple of months.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post! Skinny does not always = happy. I have a few friends who have amazing bodies and they spend every second trashing themselves and feeling fat. I feel bad for them. I'm thankful for my plus size body for carrying me wherever I want to go!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Regardless of how HUGE and desperate I was, I never thought I would rather be anorexic or bulimic.

    And this kind of goes hand in hand for me. I want a tummy tuck and boobie lift big time. But I find that I ask myself, is it worth risking your life over.(surgery always has a risk)

    Something to think about.

    Sandra

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful post! I think it's also something we need to remember when we do lose a bunch of weight or finally get that rockin' body...any problems that existed before losing weight will still exist AFTER losing weight.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i've had those thoughts many times before in my past fat girl life... it is truly sad. and makes me sad to think that i was to that point. Thank God for my sleeve.... it's freed me of a lot of evil I thought I could never escape!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. i always ask myself - which would i rather be? skinny or have clear skin? seems I can't be both. just like i can't seem to save money and lose weight at the same time. its one or the other. losing weight makes me spend money. sadly, it doesn't clear up my skin, but neither does gaining weight. gah!!

    ReplyDelete