I thought Dr. Atkins developed his plan to loose weight himself, but he did stay on it for life, right, so isn't it technically designed for health reasons? I was always curious about that-- what he ate after he "reached his goal weight", what his level of carbs was, etc

I thought I had learned my lesson before...I commented on someone thinking they were "fat" at a low weight, somewhere around 115 on a 5'7" or so frame. I got told I just didn't understand, to mind my own business, and basically that I was jealous... not necessarily in that order! I still can't HELP but comment when someone asks if it would be "okay" to forgo solid foods in favor of the fat fast or a liquid version of the plan... I can't just ignore what I feel to be a danger. (I know the fat fast has it's uses, but I'm talking about someone who's already very thin, or somone looking for a crash diet.)

I realize it isn't the scope of the forum to diagnose or treat an eating disorder, but I also feel it isn't "our" place to condone dangerous or unhealthy eating patterns either.

i guess all of this is a matter of opinion and self image. i definitely agree that being 90 pounds at a certain height is rather unhealthy--and the desire alone to reach that, is ridiculous, but, it IS a choice that one makes.

if there are those that choose to be really really skinny, then hey--whatever floats your boat, but at the same time, i really have to stress that a lot of "already skinny" people do not feel the same way that...say, a person like me feels (overweight). they may be fighting the same battles, but in a whole different realm.

when i first joined this forum, i introduced myself as being from LA and that EVERYONE--skinny or not--is on the low carb atkins diet. it's insane when i go out to restaurants and hear some super skinny anorexic girl order something and ask if it is indeed low carb. there are so many factors that go into this. self image being number one, and IMAGE in general is another one. as hard as it is for me to come to terms with, when i was thinner (normal size for a long time was 140 at 5'8") people definitely treated me differently...but i'm currently 55 pounds overweight (due to an illness) and i am not perceived the same way. ever since i gained the weight, you know how many people have said to me "oh, you have such a beautiful face..."--this was the common problem in high school until i went on a dramatic diet.

anyway, sorry about the rambling...my point is...that regardless of how beautiful and skinny people tell us everyday (my boyfriend does this), you still feel a certain way about yourself. why do we think anorexia and bulemia is such an evident disease? the thought of throwing up all the time makes me want to throw up...but it happens, and like the girl that wants to be skinnier than she should be...she's going to do it regardless...even if the inevitable is major health issues.

that's what we do to feel accepted. maybe she's trying to become an actress or something...who knows? what i do know is that our role models are not those that are scholars or intellectuals, but those that make millions of dollars being an image on television or film. it's ridiculous, but it's so true....think about it.

just my thoughts...sorry for it being soo damn long!


blue skies,

Kimmy :p :p :p :p :p

Just adding my 2 cents here--I started this WOE for health reasons--a dangerously high cholesterol and triglyceride level--and when I lost a few pounds in the bargain, of course I was delighted. I'm one of those extremely small boned women who looks and feels heavy at a "normal" weight. So I agree with the people who are saying that it varies with the individual. I'm only 5'1", and weighed under 100 pounds when I was in my twenties, without having an ED and while being quite physically active. So I can understand that for some individuals, that might be appropriate.

Ive been on both sides of the fence (sorta, I have never been *really* thin, I am now at a weight that would define my body as heavier, but normal). Here is my perception of this issue.

I both agree and disagree with this thread.

On one hand, someone who is already "thin" should not try to lose more weight (thin being defined as truly having low body fat, NOT some arbitrary "weight" level as listed on a chart, in a box that is supposed to be good for "your" height). This I agree with.

On the other hand, 120 pounds might not be all that thin on one person, whereas on another it could be very thin. This is true, regardless of height or age. I weigh 147 pounds, and I am still quite overweight compared to many others on this board who weight that much AND are my height. Ive seen girls who were only an inch taller than me weigh 147 pounds wear a size 6/8. I, on the other hand wear a size 12. I might be able to squeeze into some 8's but a 6? Forget it! For me, 115 pounds would probably make me very thin, but not abnormally concentration camp skinny. For those other girls, it would be very underweight as they are already thin at 147 pounds. Weight doesn't even begin to tell the whole story.

That said, a teenaged girl who is short and small boned can certainly be 100 pounds without being dangerously underweight. While I doubt there are many girls who are 5'6 who can be 100 pounds while still being a "normal" healthy weight, I wouldn't doubt the possibility of some existing. Some people have smaller bones and less defined muscles, therefore less of their weight is non-fat mass. These people can get away with lower scale weights while still looking normal. On the other hand, "normal" scale weights make them look fatter than other people, unfortunately. So don't judge someone by their goal weight without knowing them first.

There is also another underlying issue I see here, and that is the fact that some very overweight people on this site try to discourage those who are normal or moderately overweight from trying to "improve" themselves by losing more weight (but still staying in a healthy weight range). If a woman weighs 125 pounds, and wants to weigh 115, whats wrong with that? I mean assuming she isn't anorexic, and she has an appropriate perception of her body, what is the harm in her trying to improve her appearance so she looks more like how she wants to? Some people like looking very thin, and this is no less appropriate than your choice to look bigger. There is nothing wrong with self improvement.

Personally I think some concern over the goal weights of others comes less from genuine concern for the well being of the thin person, and more from the low self esteem of the bigger person. Those of us who are or were larger feel the very low goal weights of thinner people is like a personal insult... they take it as if those thin people are saying "gee if I think *I* look bad, you can only IMAGINE how bad I think YOU look!". IMO, this is a silly way to think. We don't view our selves the same way we view other people. Just because a thin girl wants to be thinner (yet still healthy) doesn't necessarily mean she thinks poorly of you. Even if she did, it is kind of selfish for heavier people to try to force thinner people to conform to big people's ideals just so they don't hurt bigger people's feelings.


So my view of it is this. Unless a person exhibits behavior or a relationship with their body that clearly shows they have a disordered relationship with body image, we shouldn't say anything. The label of "eating disorder" shouldn't be so lightly doled out based exclusively on whether or not you think someones goal weight is appropriate, since we don't all have the same body type or aesthetical tastes. Also, there are MANY obese people on this site who are more obsessive with food/dieting/weight than those "anorexic" 110 pound girls, so weight isn't even always a good indication of having an eating disorder.

My 2 cents :)

I wouldn't get too worked up over thin people eating low carb. Someday, I'll hopefully be a thin person, still eating low carb. Not for weightloss, but to maintain my loss and good health.

I have to agree that you can't really say what is a good weight for someone else alot of it has to do with how much lean muscle a person has

Like for my height(6') I should be 140-180lbs but I have a Lean Mass of nearly 160 I don't even think 190 is really reasonable but it is deffinatly by everyone elses standards still very fat if you are going by weight alone

that being said it is kinda iritating when someone that is 100lbs contantly talks about how fat they are :rolleyes: I feel that is being insensative to those around them that are not even in a healthy range

I'd love to bold and underline this entire passage, but I will just quote it. ITA - 100%.

One of my best friends is a functioning anorexic - she weighs in the 180s at 5'5". She has struggled to find help but no one takes her all that seriously because she does not look "anorexic;" the fact that she eats nothing but carrots dipped in mustard and carbonated water does not turn heads in the ED field.

OTOH, my sister is 5'9" and weighs between 110-107. Perfect strangers have approached her about her weight and have inquired if she has an ED. She's never dieted a day in her life and the disorder eating that she does display is that of a binge/hoarder.

Real life appearences are deceiving; cyberspace blurs the picture even further.

It really does blur things, like implying that a big person's concern for someone is less valid because of their size.

"So don't judge someone by their goal weight without knowing them first"

Wise words.

Out in the "real world," that's generally true & I avoid talking about my weight for that reason. I have a good friend who is also low carbing, but she's 7 inches taller than me and has a larger frame. So I never, ever discuss scale numbers with her. I'm afraid she might take it as a criticism of her larger size. I'm probably being overly paranoid but there you are.

That's why I come here. Most of the people here are trying to lose weight (or keep it off) & are here to support each other. I feel like can discuss my own goals without other people taking it the wrong way, which isn't true in the "real world."

I guess I should have said that was more real life then online, talking numbers doesn't bother me I know if we are both trying to reach a healthy goal it isn't the same for me as for them. my best friend is 5'2" and she just started the same diet I have been on since June I am totally suportive even though right now she weighs the same as I do I know its not as healthy for her as for me.
the case I was talking about kinda was my mom today was telling me about somthing my step dad had said. now mind she is close to 300lbs and him about 130(if that) and they are both about 5'8".. he made a comment about him needing to loose weight / start exercising cause he was getting a belly ... even though she was kinda laughing about it she said she wondered if he didn't like her the way she was as much as he said (her own insecurity yes but still kinda irritating)

Contrary to the common opinion - Atkins is not designed for weight loss only. Maintanance, remember?

And one more thing - there has been many threads about this already and the sad bottom line is always the same - it is never PC to point out someone and say 'Oh, you're FAT!' but strangely enough it's OK to call people 'anorectic' among other names.

Why? I really wonder but am unable to find an answer....

Alina

Really is this what you've been told or are you just ASSUMING this!
Yes I'm overweight, but I don't discourage anyone from wanting to be what ever # they chose to be. I do however question why they want to be 90 pounds when they already weight 107 pounds. Things like this don't make sense to me. Perhaps they feel heavy at their current weight and therefore chose to lose more. It's a sickness I know, and it's sad. But for you to say that us heavier people discourage others that are less heavy than us is unacceptable.



My choice to look bigger. I didn't chose to be big, life's circumstances have taken their toll on me. Some people have thyroid problems you know. We don't chose to be big. Oh let me eat so I can get real FAT, yeah you hit it on the nail there.



You think! Think again cause this really insults me. I'm gonna leave this untouched cause I'm flaming right now....... :nono:




You can't tell online if someone has an eating disorder, right, but that doesn't keep me from asking why they want to weigh so drastically low when they already seem to be at a healty weight. I'm not one to stay shut, in case you haven't noticed. I'm curious as to why a specific person wishes to weigh 90 pounds, by God I'm gonna ask. I'm not offending anyone by asking. I'm curious and there is nothing wrong with that.

I want to know how the hell we went from finding out if "thinner" people need to be on Atkins to all this talk about who is and who may not have an eating disorder. No one is judging anyone. Atkins is good for losing wieght, maintaing, etc.....we all have different shapes and heights that determine how much we should probably weigh, but the real final # is up to each individual. I don't go around saying, Oh no that is too skinny for you change your goal, I for one am no one to tell anyone how much they should weigh and I'm certainly not a doctor. But again, I will ask as to why they chose such a low number which to me seems drastic.

I hope I haven't offended anyone on this forum with my opinions or questions. I truly hope everyone reaches their goal weight regardless of the #. To each their own. Many of you know me, and I have not once gone around discouraging anyone from reaching their goal, I have always been supportive and I expect nothing less from you all. If I've been otherwise, please let me know.

Thank you!

Thank you, AFWife! Sometimes threads start to take on a life of their own.

I've seen where there are people on here that are skinny by their stats and are trying to get skinnier. They even talk like they are obese. I can't take their advice as serious because they cannot relate nor have truly experienced being obese. I went to the success story forum and started reading a story then saw the person only lost a few pounds and just thought how can I get inspiration from someone who only lost five or ten pounds and reached their goal. Please don't get mad at me if your one of these people I'm just telling how I see things.