Q & A: How often do you think about your weight?

I asked and readers responded how often they think about their weight. How often do you think about your weight? Using percentages tell us how much positive and negative.

“I’m thinking about my weight at least 60% of the day!” — Larry ( USA )

“I spend way too much time thinking about my weight in general. I’d say 80 percent of it is negative and if I’m having a good day 20 percent is positive.” — Mia (ON, Canada)

“I think about my weight (or rather, my weight problem) whenever I’m not actively thinking about something else. Right now, I’m working on it. I’m an emotional eater, and some bad family news has had me upset this summer. The weight I’d exercised off last year returned. So I think about avoiding snacks, about eating well, about exercise. I also think about my daughters’ weight, since she inherited my love for food and my stocky build. I think, for me, the issue is just a part of who I am.” — Kathy (Kansas, USA)

“I would say I think about my weight (negatively) close to 40% of the time. Okay, more like 50%. All my life I was tiny (about 100 lbs at 4’11), but since being pregnant with my daughter 8 years ago, I’ve been about 50 lbs overweight and can’t seem to lose it. To go from a size 1 to about a size 16 is quite disheartening and frustrating. But I’m planning on starting an exercise plan by joining a health club — today in fact.” — Shelly (North Idaho, USA)

“I think about my weight perhaps 2% of the time. Am a bit round (163 cm tall, 81 kg), but it bothers other people more than me ” — Christine (Finland)

“Less than 5% of the time, if that. Weight is a problem for me, but I’m working on it. Lifestyle changes take time and effort. I’ll get to my goal weight and when I do, I’ll stay there.” — Bonnie (Belleville, IL)

“I think about it every time I sit down and have to rearrange my clothes to make my overhanging belly comfortable. I spent too many years of my life with my body parts =not= making this kind of contact (still had dancer’s figure into my 40s), but medically induced lack of exercise is just like any other form of giving up hard exercise — instant bloat. I think about it every time I go through a (now) narrow way and run into something (my mother called this “suffering from TB — tremendous bottom.”). I think about it every time I go clothes shopping in catalogs or on-line and the sizes don’t run high enough or they cost extra or I can’t wear the styles I would have. I think about it when I pick up a sword or spear and using it two-handed is difficult because of these bigger breasts and fatter upper arms in the way. There is nothing positive about my body being overweight. It’s always negative.” — Holly (Hawaii)

“I think about my weight negatively at least once a day.” — Carol (Antioch, TN)

“I think of my weight in a negative context all of the time; without hesitating I can say, every time I go to the mirror, every time I eat, every time I walk through a mall, every time I stand in front of a classroom, or meet someone new. My weight is a dominant thought; it was when I was 115 lbs, it was at 125 lbs, it was when I walked down the aisle at 140lbs and now after two children at 180lbs. I can’t help but wonder where I would be if I spent as much time and energy loving and accepting my body?” — Pam (Fredericton, NB)

Thank you to everyone who shared their personal comments. If you want to share yours please feel free.
Originally published 7/30/2004 at Large & Lovely, BellaOnline.