Is it possible to be overweight and content?

I was one of those people who were happy with themselves and accepted the way I was. The only reason I had the surgey was because within one year I developed diabeties, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. That scared me into this. I was on meds for all my new illnesses as well as on a cpap machine. The surgery is quite new to me still (I am only one month post op and 1/5 of my way to goal weight).

 I think you absolutely can be overweight and content.  I believe that for those of us that were 'always' fat from the time we were younger you have to have the ability to have some contentment.  

I was when I was younger and less jaded than I am now, content at different phases of my life at the weight I was.  I also found men that accepted me at the size I was at.  I also found that these men, for whatever my 'internal make up was"  were usually addicted to booze or drugs or cheaters.  Did I put up with the men longer than I should have.  Yeah.. Would being thinner make me not?  I don't know cause I haven't gotten there yet. 

I know at the weight I am at now, compared to the weight I was at 10 years ago, 10 years ago I had more fun, I was able to do a great deal more things and I had the drive to do those thing.  Honestly at my current weight I have about zero drive and I have to force myself everyday to do those things that are good for me (getting much better btw :))

I believe I'm going to realize when I am smaller, all the things I was missing and that will make being larger less content for me..

But this is just my opinion. 

GypsyWolf

I was never happy about my weight and as I aged I actually became suicidal and depressed about my weight, so for me no I wouldn't be happy or satisfied heavier.

 Very good question

I have always thought that I was the only person who thought like this 
I glad you posted this as no matter what my weight has been I always 
Loved my body,maybe it helped having a hubby who always made me feel
Beautiful,my reasons for having surgery was my body just hurt every day my 
Goal weight is 220/200, at my heaviest I was 398 pre op I was 356 today five 
 weeks out I am 312,I never assume that all big people are unhappy!!

Ok, I know I don't know you well but can I say...I think I love you!

REALISTIC GOALS! A good support system. And a good dose of motivation. You are blessed and I think you (unlike me) will be ok throughout this process. I was sorta ok going in but then I drank the Kool-Aid, so to speak and lost my mind a little bit. I THINK I'm back now and it feels good.

While I don't have the adoring hubby I do realize what a success this has all been for me. In so many ways it wasn't about the weight so much as it was about finding ME. I had no sense of myself. I didn't know what made me tick. By "breaking up with food" I learned why I had those walls up around myself and I have come a long way in tearing them down.

Your post encourages me. Thanks.

 You are so right Nik realistic goals are great,I have a friend who is about 98 pounds and has the worst self confidence I have ever seen.she thinks she is fat and ugly,she always says I wish I had your butt!! To me it is not about numbers it is about health and I was not healthy at my biggest even just for loosing the few pounds I have I feel better,I am not really putting any pressure on 
Myself right now my goals are healing and getting stronger x 

You can be overweight and unhappy... 
     You can be thin and unhappy...
          You can be a Greek Goddess and unhappy
               You can be a plain-Jane and unhappy

or we can chose to be who we are in the moment we are in and celebrate just who we are, fat, thin, beautiful or plain. 

Was I unhappy at 351 pounds?  I don't think my self-acceptance is all that different, but because I know the world looks at me different I am more comfortable in the world.  And isn't that sad that we let the world determine our happiness and not ourselves?

Just my thoughts...  :-) 

 Tessie

I completely agree with you. I have a girlfriend with the body of sports illustrated model who has the worse self esteem possible. If we walked in a room together you would think I was the model and she was the fat girl.

I struggle with this exact issue. I always thought I was okay with being overweight, and decided to get surgery because of my health. Now that it is done, and I am losing weight, I feel so much better about myself and now know I was not really okay being overweight.

I do know people who I believe are truly happy being overweight - from what I can see and know of them and their spirit. But, I don't think anyone really knows if someone is happy on the inside except that person themselves. Like you said - I take them at face value. 

With my weight loss, I find it natural to want to share my success with others. But it's a fine line. I would never want someone to think I was judging them and thought less of them or their happiness in life because they are overweight. I've noticed people who I thought were close, trusted friends of mine pull away because I am now nearly the size they are, and will be smaller than them soon. It hurts me - it makes me think I was just the "fat friend" and now for some reason I am not the same friend because I am smaller. It makes me sad. I've also seen other friends inspired by my weight loss and have began losing weight themselves. That makes me feel good!

I know I digressed a bit, but it's a major internal struggle for me. I'm glad we're talking about this , though. I know, deep down, there will always be a "fat girl" emotionally inside me somewhere - and I need to continue to heal and work on that. But, I want to get to a place that I don't look at the "fat girl" as a negative thing, because there is no reason it should be! I do think there is some bias in our community - just like any other community - I've seen it in posts on here. I think it's something we all need to think about and reconcile as part of our emotional healing. We made the choice we made - other may make a different choice, and both choices are okay as long as the person making the choice is right with it! :)

Thanks for the awesome topic, Nik! 

Sometimes I get sad when I see people post that being thin would be the ONE THING that will make them happy. I was sad fat & sad thin...meh...at least I don't stand out in the crowd anymore...