http://www.ravishly.com/2015/02/10/being-thin-didnt-make-me-happy-being-fat-does
Let me acknowledge some things first...
1. I know that anything you do in excess, be it drinking, tv watching, or even good things like exercising and eating a low calorie diet, can push you over the edge.
2. I know that circumstances and stress can really take their toll on the waistline and belly.
3. I know some medications can induce significant weight gain.
4. I am not under the illusion that I can begin to fathom some of the struggles of the obese...
Me? I don't want to be fat and happy. I want to be healthy and joyful.
When the woman was thin, she was eating 200 fewer calories than many weight loss experts suggest, not giving her body a recovery time from exercise, sleeping a few hours a night, and that oh so dangerous behavior...denying herself. I am not perfect with my calories, but I try to stay in a good range. Anyone who knows me knows that I need more rest and sleep, but I do take advantage of them. And yes, I am practicing self control with my nutrition, but I'm living a lifestyle of discipline and enjoyment, not deprivation.
"Happiness does not require thinness. Fatness does not guarantee sadness."
Sure, there are "happy" people that aren't thin. There are thin people who are very sad. But there are sure a whole lot of overweight people who aren't happy. My problem with this statement is not so much what is said, but with what is not said.
It's not really for me to judge what can make someone happy. Everyone's journey is his own, and each has his "why" for being overweight or losing weight. I can tell you about me though. I can tell you that being overweight plagued me from middle school onward. I can tell you that it was always one more thing wrong with me, one more thing hammering at my self esteem. I can tell you that I'm amazed by my energy levels and endurance.
I'm not trying to be thin. I'm trying to be healthy. Do I have a finite goal in mind? Yes. But more than that, it's about being able to do full pushups, hold my own in a hard fitness class, do a plank on the de-stabilizing Bosu Ball. It's about cooking healthy and feeling good when I eat well. It's about having the endurance to be an active Special Education teacher. I want to be healthy.
Now, for a Vocabulary lesson...
happiness: the state of feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
joy: the state of GREAT pleasure or happiness
I have also heard that happiness is circumstantial and joy is unconditional.
I choose health. I choose joy.
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