Are You Happier After Weight Loss?

Straight forward question: Are you happier now, those of you who had success in losing weight?

I don't think I am. I am not too naive to think that losing weight/being healthier would solve all my problems, but if I'm comparing the two states of mind, I find myself being happy/unhappy about the same portions of time.

No :)

I have lost 33+ pounds, and I have another 39 to go. So, I am in the middle of being successful, I suppose.

I don't find myself happier, I probably agree with you. Things are about the same now as thirty pounds ago. However, I do get a little more crabby when food is involved in a situation. Not outwardly, but inside....you know, 'damn you (insert really good tasting/high cal food here), if only I were cool with being fat.'

I am a little more self-confident, at times, but this still only comes in small little bursts. I know when I was skinnier, I was pretty confident about my body...but there were other things that I wasn't so sure about.

 

I've lost 25 lbs and i feel much better.  I feel better about myself, have more energy, and love challenging myself not only in keeping a deficit but in trying new activities. 

i have lost 60 of about 120 and yes, i am happier. i am not a super happy person, but  i am definitely more happy now. 

Original Post by firalup:

Straight forward question: Are you happier now, those of you who had success in losing weight?

I don't think I am. I am not too naive to think that losing weight/being healthier would solve all my problems, but if I'm comparing the two states of mind, I find myself being happy/unhappy about the same portions of time.

I'm much happier....I am healthier, I feel and look great and I am living the best of my life right at this moment...tomorrow will be better. 

I've got more self-confidence and self-esteem then I've ever had in my life.  My entire mindset is changed from a negative one to always being positive.  It had a lot more to do with changing my life totally, then it did just losing weight.  I turned everything in my life completely around, my weight loss was a big part of it.

Every day is a great day for me.  To say I am happy is an understatement.

Robbyn

For me, I am an entirely new person with a new lease on life since my 25-30 lbs weight loss. I was severely depressed and definitely zero-self esteem before. Now I think I look good, I socialize much more, I love to buy new clothes, I am a much happier and more pleasant person to be around. No comparison.

I'm 57389573925 times happier. You couldn't pay me enough to go back haha.
It's just nice to finally feel okay with yourself & people have no idea how much happier it can make you

I was 65 pounds overweight; now 12 above normal, 17 to goal weight. I eat much more varied and interesting foods now that I'm eating healthfully.   I'm MUCH happier and healthier.  I DO things now that I have energy and (growing) stamina.  I run.  I bike.  I hike.  I kayak.  I'm living REAL life, not spending it all in front of a TV or computer screen.  And I can buy normal clothing sizes in any store.  That made me so happy I cried.

I am WAY happier... So far I have lost 48 pounds and have another 30-40 to go (I keep changing my goal!).  I was so depressed about the way I looked before. I'd always assume people were looking at me because I was so fat/ugly.  I have a new found confidence. 

I absolutely love exercising (never thought I would say such a thing).  Today, for example, I was fantasizing what it will be like to run in the winter.  I'm looking forward to it!

I love knowing I have control over my body, my appearance and my health (for the most part anyway!). 

Yes, yes a thousand times yes, much happier.  Not that all of my problems or insecurities have gone away of course.  However, the whole process of having faced down the emotional issues that helped me get to my obese state and working positively toward a goal has been so revealing and (dare I say it) empowering.  Knowing that I have done something so positive for my health and well being is a huge boost to my self esteem, and not just because I look better.  It's not just the weight loss either, it's the fact that all of the exercise makes me feel great and I can now do so many things that I couldn't do before like take long hikes with my husband and so on. 

I guess I am the odd one out :) But, I should add that I wasn't ever unhappy due to being overweight, either...so I guess it all evens out?

I'm happy so many of you do feel happier~ Very envious at the same time! I've always exercised so I do feel that "high" and enjoyed that...my problem is with eating. I do enjoy feeling healthier but I also worry about calories/social gatherings, which adds on to my stress level. Maybe I just haven't found that balance yet...

I have not been very successful in my weight loss but have been asked this question by family and friends all the time. They always ask me "Do you think losing weight will make you happier?" ..My honest answer is that I doubt it. I am quite happy already and the things that do upset me probably won't get better just because I'm 10 lbs. lighter. In fact, my bf thinks that I'm beautiful and that I am being too hard on myself, especially since my weight doesn't necessarily correlate with my happiness. So you have to ask yourself if it's actually weight or image issues that upset you. If so, then weight loss will help. If not, and it's simply a vanity issue (like me), then there are other things to pay attention to or, better yet, to appreciate.

Best of Luck

For me, my weight was a symptom of my poor life choices and mental health issues.  So, losing the weight and regaining cardio fitness is a "symptom" of me regaining control of that part of myself. 

When I was thin, I didn't like being thin.  When I was fat, I didn't really care until I realized I had lost control of my health and gave into the image issues. 

I didn't think that losing weight would make me a happier person, but now, little unexpected things happen as a result of losing weight that give me great joy.  Like yesterday, I went to an open air swimming pool, and wore a bikini.  I noticed I was walking funny, and eventually figured out that for the first time I can remember, it was because I had no "chub rub".  I was walking "normally" - it was so unexpected, and made me so proud and happy and confident in myself.  I have more self esteem, and more confidence, and this is contributing to making me happier.  I also experience great joy when physical tasks are easy, as a result of me working so hard on my physical fitness.  It gives me a great sense of well being knowing I'm looking after my health.

I am 25lb ligther and I do feell happier in myself its the little things. I make milestones all along to weigh this much fit into those jeans but every so often I experiance a moment were if I was still as over weigth it would be diffrent.

I dont think shifting the weigth will solve all my problems, if only that was the case. There are things in my life which make me quite unhappy at the moment. I do feel that getting down to my ideal weigth will help my self confidence and if I feel more confident then I belive good things will come.

I feel happier in my physical self there was a time when walked to my local medical center but I felt so big like I was beginning to waddle. My BMI was about 34 at the time and I was in the middle of the obesity range enoght to be regarded as big but only bordering on that point. I knew I didnt want to get to the super obease range which my dr warned me I was heading towards. So while I dont think the weigth loss has maade me happy it hasnt got in the way and made me unhappy.

Personally, I find myself happier now that I've lost weight but I realise that that is because it has boosted my self-confidence and my whole mind-set is different now.

That said, I don't believe that losing weight in and of itself has the potential to make anyone happier.  It's not some magical cure-all for all of your problems and if you think of it as such, you're going to be one unhappy camper.

I was when I got down to 152 the I gained back 3 lbs and I feel junky now

I am so much happier now. I have lost 55 pounds and can actually be happy sometimes when I see pics of myself now. I can wear cute clothes and not feel gross. I still need to lose more and I still call myself fat, but I know I've come a long way. I hope I never let myself get back to where I was!

I am way happier!  I am now 40 and act younger than I did in my 20s or 30s.  I look younger, too.

I am able to do things with my two children (like roller skating, hanging out in the pool or at the waterpark, biking, hopefully skiing this winter, etc.  I went from a watcher to a doer.

I am also excited now to get dress up and mingle at social events... instead of dreading it because nothing would ever fit and I was subconscious in a room full of people (especially people I didn't know.)

Let's see.  I've lost 118 pounds.   My back and knees don't ache constantly anymore.  I have more energy so that I can enjoy things like ocean kayaking on my recent vacation.  I actually look good in a suit and can wear fitted shirts without feeling embarrassed.  Yes, I would definitely have to say happier.  Being a fat, tired, achy slob just doesn't appeal to me anymore.