Are fit people happy people?

L

Liz66

Cathlete
I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on this. Do fit people have really good self-esteem? I see Cathe in her videos, and she seems to be a genuinely happy person - she feels good in her own skin. I can't imagine her being catty or hurtful, can you? I guess I'm looking for that for myself, too. I'd love to feel really, REALLY good about ME. How does one do that? I have been trying to figure that out for years...

I think I might be searching in vain!

Liz
 
I personally think that there are things you can do so that you feel good about yourself. Three that come to mind are:

1. Set goals and work toward them. Fitness goals qualify!
2. Help other people that are in need.
3. Do things so that your loved ones have no doubt that they ARE your loved ones.
 
This is my humble opinion:
I think that just looking pretty doesn't automatically make you confident and happy with yourself. Confidence and happiness come from within. However, fitness benefits are not limited to just looking pretty. The discipline one develops; the motivation that the goal setting and achieving creates; the body awareness and sensory acuity that it develops; the awesome, human, childish feeling of accomplishment (Mom! Look what I can do!); the physical power and energy it gives you, and much more...is what makes you happy by enriching other areas of your life! Also, if you are pursuing a goal like losing fat or gaining muscle, you are forced to organize your life better and become better at time managing. Fitness is not the only way to achieve happiness, but it is an awesome tool for that purpose.
...That has been my personal experience, and yes, I am very happy!

Wishing you the best,
Mariela

Edited to add that I totally agree with Elaine.
 
Well, exercise definitely gives me more confidence, which is an internal thing but I think is projected on the outside, which in turn attracts people to be friendly toward me, which in turn helps me make friends..........

So yeah I think to some extent it can bring some happiness, but only in certain areas of your life. Other stuff is either up to you or you're stuck with it (you know what they say--you can pick your nose, you can pick your a$$, but you can't pick your family :eek: ).
 
I really loved Elain's response, especially #1. When you work towards a goal and achieve it, then you really do feel good about yourself. As far as being fit to feel good....

I think that you really do feel better about yourself when you excercise, but I have known some incredibly beautiful and fit people who have extremely low self-esteem. I have also known some fit people who are obnoxious and mean. I think it is all about your own personal attitude. I have felt incredibly sexy when I was pregnant and overweight, and I have felt disgusting when I've had a 6-pack and ran 4 miles in 32 minutes. It is all about what you see inside of yourself.

Just love who you are. God made you special...you are unique and different from anyone else that has ever walked this Earth!

Another thing...look for the good in others. When you spend your time focusing on the negative and complaining about others and how it SHOULD be, you CANNOT be happy. If you spend your time building those up around you and looking for the good, the world becomes a much brighter place! You start to see the good in yourself, and then you start to realize that you are a peson of self-worth. You can excercise to be fit, but being fit does not fix what is inside!

Missy
 
Both ladies above could not have worded it any better. I agree with them both 100%. I have seen some very beautiful people very unhappy...no neccessarily fit...but beautiful with very low self esteem.

I also think that having self esteem is something that needs to be taught at a very young age and nurtured until our little ones leave the nest. That puts a lot of pressure on us women who have daughters because they look to us as their #1 role model and they are always watching even when we don't know it! We have to radiate a high self esteem and confidence so that they will grow up to do the same. Not a lot of room for error! I think this will in turn help prevent our young ladies from being catty. My mom wasn't catty, I'm not catty, I hope my daughter never is because that is a 100% sure sign of insecurity and low self esteem.

And to finally answer your question...I consider myself to be fit and I am very happy! I am comfortable with my body...granted, there are things I'd like to improve but I have goals for that and I wake up every day ready and excited to do what I can to reach those goals. Once I reach them or come close, I'll simply set new goals!
 
You mentally feel better too after you workout...endorphines, ya know. Working out just frees your mind and makes you feel good as well as eating right too.

Charlotte~~
 
I am very happy but I don't think it's necessarily just because I'm fit.

I believe I became a happier person when I allowed myself to be who I am and not who others expect me to be. Also, when I realized that I didn't want to go through my life being fearful of the unknown and started taking little risks. Those little risks resulted in major improvements in my life and a higher self esteem.
 
>Wow, Charlotte! I love your new avatar! You look
>fantabulously (teehee-made up word I know) beautiful!

Charlotte, I totally agree with Dani - that is a GREAT picture of you! You have such a beautiful smile - you should show it more! :D
 
I think being fit contributes to feeling good about one's self, but it's not the be-all and end-all of self-esteem. If I didn't count my blessings every day, despite the sometimes overwhelming frustration I feel, I don't think I'd be happy -- or learn to be happy anyhow.

I think it also depends on one's idea of fitness. I'm one who makes sure I don't deprive myself of too many kinds of food, and who makes sure to rest when my body's screaming for it (like now;-) ). If I pushed myself too hard, or deprived myself too much or worked my body too hard just to get to a certain NUMBER, I'd certainly be miserable.

How I really feel good about me? I try to enjoy the moment. I try to find the good in people. I try to find beauty everywhere. I try to hold on when I have to, and let go when I must. I try to be grateful for every little blessing that comes my way, even though it might not look like one. "Try" is the operative word here. I never hurt myself trying to do one thing or another. I hurt myself more when I didn't.;-)

Pinky
 
I became a happier person when I divorced, it took a huge weight out of my back even thou I was back then 230lbs, but when I started to excercise, my self-esteem when up, I did an inner journey, it took me sometime, books where my tickets, I read all I could, about relationships, phylosophy, abuse, and one book lead to another, I ended up reading the seat of the soul, the power of now, the ways of the warrior and I can go on and on, finally I could see who I was, what I wanted and went for it, happiness is a state of mind I am chasing all the time, even in the downs I can be happy, and finally I love me, love me with all my heart, I am my own mother, I have fun alone, before I hated me, now I give me hugs, I talk to myself like if I was a little girl, but all this took time, and excercising and being active is something I enjoy the most, the endorphins are the best drug, every morning I wake up so happy that it is a new day!!! But I do believe people who "love" to excercise are happy people. I am one of them. And by the way, the pictures of the road trip are amazing, I am going next time!!!! I am going to start saving specially for that weekend!
Norma

The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
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