What would you do to lose weight?

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Jan 9th 2008 3:26PM

What would you do to lose a few pounds? Would you deliberatly catch an illness like the stomach flu? Would you go to jail? Would you shave your head? Would you spend $600,000? Would you quit your job? Fitness Magazine did a survey of women and men, asking them what they would sacrifice to lose a few pounds. Some of the results:

Half of them would rather lose their jobs than be overweight
63% of women would rather be poor and skinny than rich and overweight
When a man says he likes their body, 36% of women believe he's just being nice
5% of women said they would give up 20 IQ points in an instant for the perfect body.

There's more -- as Bev told us a few days ago, 85% would live with an extra toe if it meant they could keep the pounds off for good. And feel awkward about wearing sandals? No thanks.

Which begs the question--we're willing to sacrifice so much to be skinny, but why not ice cream, or cheese, or pizza or whatever our vice foods are? We'll give up our jobs but not junk food? We'll take on an extra toe but we can't find the motivation to go to the gym a couple of times a week? Yes, I'm oversimplifying the problem here ... or am I? What do you think?

13 Healthy Habits(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Include fish and Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet regularly

(via Cranky Fitness)

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Comments (44)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Cappuccino 1-09-2008 @ 6:49PM

What about those of us that will and have given up junk food and just can't seem to get it right? And have done their best to "get moving", still with no noticable results? That becomes so furstrating that taking extreme measures don't seem so extreme at all.

Martha Edwards 1-09-2008 @ 6:53PM

I hear ya! It's easy to assume that someone overweight is pigging out on junk food all the time, but some are living healthy lives and still can't lose weight. Thanks for the reminder.

Rug 1-10-2008 @ 7:06AM

I have struggled for years, but finally found a way to lose. I eat everything I always have just cut in half. I also drink more water. Since December of of 2006 I have lost 37 lbs and kept off. My goal is another 20. I will begin again to east a little less but am adding the Eliptical machine.

joncdodge 1-10-2008 @ 7:10AM

People need to change their lifestyle, not go on some crash diet. I read someplace else that 40% of girls polled would go to jail for a month if in return they were skinny..

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JonBoy

scottyzpt 1-10-2008 @ 10:04AM

Nutrasystems, cabbage soup, salads while others eat what they want, walking, going to Curves and such.....occasionally, (as in maybe every other month) allowing one "pig out" meal with the girls.......and can't lose a thing? No lie.....this is my life. Where can I get that extra toe? I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I suspect the writer of the article has never dealt with fat.
Your psych books are telling you wrong, honey.

lei 1-10-2008 @ 6:21AM

im overweight but ive also been a healthy thin size, im fully aware of how hard it is to lose weight, keep it off, exercise daily,and eat healthy ...but im my expierence if you are eating right and exercising and not losing weight you basically arent doing enough or you are eating the wrong food. Stop cheating your diets. exercise and work harder and the weight will come off.

lei 1-10-2008 @ 6:22AM

also, i would so take a 6th toe over the constant battle with weight ...i hate sandals anyways!

CJ 1-10-2008 @ 6:46AM

Yes, that's exactly right! People, especially women will make sacrifices like that because of the way our culture views us and we buy into it. Girls, the man your with needs to love you for you, because the "perfect body" only exists if in minds and to those who have plastic surgery....ouch! Now that's not an excuse to go out and eat whatever you want and be lazy. But in general as a whole we need to stop thinking like that, eat right (you can have the ice cream, chocolate cake, whatever it is...but only in moderation), and we need to turn off the tv-get up-and go get some exercise. Being a working Mom of 3 and I did it mostly on my own, I know how hard it is and I know it takes a lot of effort, but I also know that if we are willing to make sacrifices, like an extra toe, we can exercise....besides your sandals would look better! So, let's stop buying into the hype that we have all got to have the perfect body and start making the one we have been given work for us...what do you say?

Dani 1-10-2008 @ 7:17AM

It seems to me, those women surveyed who would rather drop 20 points of IQ if it meant they could lose weight can't spare those points! Our obsession (and yes, I've felt it too) with being thin at any cost is costing us when it comes to our quality of life. How many articles do we see every week that scream out headlines dissing some celebrity for having cellulite or gaining a few pounds, then scream out at another calling them Anorexic? How sad that we judge FIRST on appearances and second on what's inside? We spend billions of dollars trying to look better and stress over clothing size and numbers on a scale but do virtually nothing to increase our quality of life or emotional well being. We worry and fret over diet and exercise but won't spend half an hour talking to our children or spouses unless it concerns a desire for change in their behavior. Something wrong here, people. I've been heavy and I've been thin. It didn't make me happy or my life more fulfilling either way. I'm very happy now and I'm somewhere in the middle. My kids TALK to me and I have a wonderful relationship with the man of my dreams--my husband. Life is good now that I've stopped obsessing!

Darryl 1-10-2008 @ 7:24AM

More sex would help you to be skinner, and if it did not, it want cost a dime, and you enjoyed the efforts.

DaniMae 1-10-2008 @ 7:26AM

For those who say "I've tried everything!" You haven't. I used to be in the same boat. But, I got motivated and lost 50 pounds. 20 more to go! The only people who "Can't" lose weight like normal people are those with specific disorders and diseases. For a great explanation of how to create a "calorie defecit" for weight loss....go check out CALORIESPERHOUR.COM

Tom 1-10-2008 @ 7:49AM

Ya know a gal doesn't have to have a perfect body, but she does have to have a figure that initiates desire. It doesn't have to be the entire package to turn a guy on. It could be her legs, mid-riff, bosom, or back. I personally like an overall thinness. How the package looks as a whole. Ofcourse I've always preferred Plain-Janes. Ladies you don't have to be a hottie, but you can't vary from the female form too much. Ya got to have a waist. When I hug a gal I need to be able to wrap my arms around her. I like to feel like I'm a big strong guy, not a little weakling guy. My self esteem is overly reliant on the attractiveness of the gal I'm with, odd how I still like the Plain Janes.

Ann 1-10-2008 @ 7:34AM

It's easy to say that "if you're doing the right things the weight will come off", but that's not necessarily that simple. For one thing there are medical conditions that make "doing the right things" much harder - such as Fibromyalgia, and for another there are medical conditions - such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome that make losing weight difficult if not impossible. And then there are those of us who have both (and more).

crys 1-10-2008 @ 7:34AM

This article isn't indicative of people being lazy. It is a far bigger issue plaguing socciety. People are taught not to accept themselves as they are or to feel good about themselves. We are taught that we should only love and accept ourselves under certain conditions, and being overweight is not one of those conditions. This shows that many women have very deep issues about themselves, something that might not be cured by simply going to the gym alone or cutting calories alone. If a person does those things with a deep sense of self-loathing thinking they'll never accept themselves because they're fat, then chances are they'll fall away. People need to truly accept who they are now and love themselves enough to become healthier rather than simply trying to fit into society's demands for the perfect female form. This is something I'm working on right now.

sadeyes 1-14-2008 @ 8:46AM

What kind of things are you trying to do to improve your image about yourself? It seems like I"m real good at giving advice to other people but I never seem to listen to myself I am always putting myself down I had pretty much gotten down to my goal weight I had about 15 pounds to go but I have gained back about 40 pounds so now am really depressed. Any suggestions? Thank You and good luck we shouldn't be so critical on ourselves.

Darryl 1-10-2008 @ 7:44AM

Why would you want someone to accept theirselfs being in a medical condition of making themselfs a diabetic, high blood pressure, and a host of other problems and be happy about that. Making their life shorter more expensive unable to buy cloths off the rack and the center of ridicule to there family as well as unable to fit in seats on a airplane or public buildings. One should never give up on life and just accept that which takes away from life itself.

Lizzie 1-10-2008 @ 8:24PM

Amen Annie....I was put on a combination of medications for my bi-polar, fibromyalgia, panic anxiety disorder, OCD, degenerative disc and migrains among many other physical ailments, and it caused me to gain 90 pounds.Which did not make my arthritis and neuromas or neuropathy any better. I stopped taking the majority of the medication...switched to others and made adjustments and since 5/30/07 I have lost 56 pounds. I have much more to lose, but I am doing it the right way..slowly and by watching what I eat. It is very difficult..but I shall perservere....Have a great day everyone ! ! ! !

Darryl 1-10-2008 @ 8:26AM

Keep up the great work

W Lorell 1-14-2008 @ 5:56PM

The obsession with beiing skiny is one of the sicknesses and evils of this country, and those who push being skinny are criminals who should be imprisonned

Stop broadcasting these these "get skinny" blogs!

Walter Lorell

Amber 1-10-2008 @ 8:10AM

A person who has an addiction to food is no diffrent or better then one with an addiction to drugs.
They miss work.Are slow to get it done.Are more worried about their snack drawer then doing work.They look at the clock every two min waiting for lunch how can you get any work done when you are al consumed by the thoughts of food?

The most annoying thing in the world is a food addict who lies about eating healthy.Name one fat person who admits they over eat.And I will show you someone who will be fit in a year.