Do you think losing a lot of weight should be celebrated?

Question

Yes, I get that some people will say "they should've never gotten fat to begin with" or that "normal weight people don't get praise for not getting fat" and all that jazz. The thing is, it's EXTREMELY F*CKIN HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT.

Despite what some armchair nutritionists may think, it's not just simple math of starving yourself at a caloric defecit and eating next to nothing for a month or more until the pounds shed off. Actual experts will tell you starving yourself doesn't work, and that weight gain isn't as simple as gluttony. There's a ton of factors that contribute to weight gain, with one of the biggest ones being mental and stress. This may be an assumption on my end, but most overweight people don't seem very happy. (I sure wasn't, my entire life.) Stress is a heavy contributor to weight gain, even if you avoid fast food and have a pretty vanilla plain diet.

So while I'm not saying it's "heroic" to lose weight, I don't see what the point is on sh*tting on people trying to turn their life around. Same with people coming off drug addiction, or other problems in life. If people are going to be assholes to them regardless, why even bother to improve themselves along the way?

So I ask, do people who lose a lot of weight or otherwise improve their bodies deserve kudos and respect for turning their life around?

This one is going to be controversial, I'm sure.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I was handed a career job when I was 26. Before that, I was super active, thin and fit. I didn't know much about food and didn't eat much.

I had to cut my hair and start wearing a suit. I no longer recognized myself and didn't fit in with the type of people I used to fit in with. I kinda didn't like myself for a few years, although I loved the money and benefits that my job provided.

The nature of the job forced me to become much more sedentary. I also got treated to lunch almost every day at really nice restaurants. I discovered good food. What a revelation!

Over the course of several years, I put on about 50 lbs.

At some point, the company offered to pay for Weight Watchers for its employees. I took them up on it.

It took me less than six months to loose the weight and get back in shape. It wasn't easy. But one thing about Weight Watchers was, you got a ribbon and then little pins to stick on it for each 10 lbs that you lost. Then you got a larger pin when you got down to your goal weight. Those stupid incentives and encouragement actually helped.

I was also gratifying to have my new look acknowledged by people I knew.

So I think losing weight IS something to celebrate.

FriendlyDrugDealer · Accepted Answer

Absolutely! It’s an achievement of hardwork.
Yeah we can acknowledge that body positivity should be more welcomed (to a certain degree but I won’t touch that topic for now). However, I know what’s that like when I grew up being overweight most of my life until I was around 20 and decided to put the effort of being healthier which keeps people alive for longer, ability to do things, etc etc.

It’s always an amazing thing and we should always be encouraging each other to making steps to a longer and healthier life. Every step counts

kidvid80 · Accepted Answer

i actually was fat previously due to thyroid disease, was always active and a vegetarian, they finally ran a blood test and now im on levothyroxine for it and the weight came off very very fast, too fast for my liking. i personally do not celebrate it or find it an accomplishment or a celebration but thats me i guess to each their own. the only thing that bothers me is the people who act holier then thou after losing weight like oh there is no reason to be fat, blah blah blah then a year later put all their weight back and more.

Woman1 · Accepted Answer

It depends. Obviously, if this person compromised their health to lose weight than I think that celebration isn’t the first thing on my mind. Same thing goes for if someone lost weight because they felt like they wouldn’t be enough if they didn’t loose weight. I would love to celebrate it with someone who invites me to celebrate and did it without harming themselves for themselves.

BCA6010 · Answer

I have more respect for someone who changed their ways for self-improvement than someone who has always done something the same way and frankly doesn't know differently.

In regards to "losing a lot of weight," it's situational: a healthy weight loss is good, while an unhealthy weight loss is bad. I've known more than a few who lost lots of weight because they got into drugs and/or other vices. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly a "healthy" transformation...

Christsdisciple15 · Answer

I think weight loss should only be congratulated when the person has made it clear that was their goal. The fatphobia in society has conditioned us to see it as something to be proud of when an individual becomes skinny. There are people out there who lose lots and lots of weight in unhealthy ways and often have eating disorders, but the people around them will congratulate them just because they’ve “achieved” becoming skinnier/less fat. i think it’s weird.

FakeName123 · Answer

Absolutely. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But the biggest sin (not in a religious context, but can be if you want) is to not improve anymore.

In german we say: Stagnation equals moving backwards.

So yes, people who improved themselves through hard work deserve all the respect.

MrJMM · Answer

Well for me no. If someone ever did that I would be offended because all of the people sound like they were disgusted to look at me if I gain a few pounds. I would just be like “Thank you so much for the truth of how much you hated to see my body”. Sorry but that would be like getting hit with a hammer multiple times across my entire body.

TommyMountainFigure · Answer

Losing weight is like doing a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Do it piece by piece slowly but steadily and it's easy after a while, but try and do it in one go? No chance.

Yes, weight loss is to be celebrated, just not by going out to eat :P

cjmtherfcker · Answer

Was reading an article on obesity a few months ago. They actually identified a strain of cold or flu, that increases obesity in test rats by up to %50. A god Damn Fat virus. This poses other questions. But if its true i know that shit has to be rampant in the US

Jemini_Crocket · Answer

I think every kind of achievement is worth of praise. No need to be negative all the time, life's short, I think we should help each other out and this praise, support and such, it helps.

pleasestopthis · Answer

Yes, people should celebrate their achievements, even if other people don't see how valuable they are for you.

JosyJosy · Answer

Yes. It takes a lot of hard work and self discipline to pull that off.

Miah02 · Answer

Yes, you corrected the lifestyle mistakes that got you into an unhealthy situation.  That is a cause for celebration

Wise4myage · Answer

I don't see why not because anybody who loses weight is doing something positive for themselves. But the real battle for lots of people who lose weight, is not gaining all that weight back.

G5TWA1 · Answer

any amount of self-improvement should be celebrated

shortster · Answer

A congratulatory word or two; maybe a hug. But nothing like a party.

Bloom11 · Answer

I think yes they should  They deserve it because they put in a lot of work to get in shape and it's not easy

more_than_a_guy · Answer

Yeah, good credit and a good motivation for others.

JesseJayNeak · Answer

Yes, it's self improvement

ODC2112 · Answer

I losed 30 lbs since January.

Do you think losing a lot of weight should be celebrated?

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