It Is Better To Look Good Than To Feel Good?

There's an old Saturday Night Live skit in which Billy Crystal plays a character named "Fernando" based on the suave Argentine-born actor, Fernando Lamas. Fernando had two catch phrases which have stuck in my mind since I was a kid. For those of you who had seen this skit, you probably remember his line, "You look marvelous!" Which was often followed with,

"It is better to look good than to feel good."

We all know that is wrong. Obviously the phrase was being used tongue-in-cheek. Being healthy is more important, right?

Despite knowing that our overall health is ultimately more important, many of us push the limits to achieve aesthetic results. I should know. One of my primary motivators to lose over 200 pounds was to not be a spectacle anymore. I was ashamed of the way in which I looked and how I felt that society judge me. There were many health-related factors I was concerned about. However, as I look back at the end of my journey when I was pushing myself to exhaustion, I question what my motive was at the time.

Don't get me wrong, I am not putting myself down for wanting to have some pride in my appearance. Being morbidly obese for most of my adult life, I never really got to feel proud about the way my body looked. So when I finally decided to do something about it, and was seeing results, I became excited to push myself harder to achieve something that may not have been realistic. Losing 200 pounds in less than a year on my own was amazing in itself. And when people started telling me that I had lost enough weight, I didn't want to hear it.

We often hear about models who suffer from eating disorders, or how competitive body builders push themselves beyond the limits to achieve the maximum cut look. I went from having one eating disorder prior to my health transformation into developing a new one. Looking back I realize that it happened because I was afraid I would gain all my weight back. I now looked "marvelous", but I didn't feel good inside.

I started this journey at one of the lowest points in my life as my health was in jeopardy and I had given up the will to live. Almost a year later after losing all the weight, I was beginning to see the effects of using less than healthy means to lose even more. My body felt weak and tired. I was burnt out as I managed to eke out another 4 pounds loss in about 5 months.

So I took some time to refocus. In less than a year I had accomplished more than the average person has been able to do. I reversed my health conditions and was now "normal-sized". Although cognitively I knew I was no longer super morbidly obese, part of me still felt self-conscious about the way I looked. I was now able to go into the store and buy any clothes I wanted. My family no longer had to ask for a table at a restaurant if we were offered a booth because now I can fit. I looked good, but I needed to feel good too in order to move on with my life.

One thing I did was stop weighing myself because I realized it was becoming an obsession. Focusing on that number on the scale can become a distraction from health. At first I was uneasy about not knowing my weight, but over time I got use to the feeling. Every now and then I wonder about how much I weigh, but since my clothes are fitting well, I don't worry much. This freedom has been liberating.

I also began to focus more on the quality of my nutrition. Over time I have moved more towards plant-based foods which has been fantastic for my health. I have more energy, my skin looks great, and I feel good inside.

What I have discovered is that when I feel good on the inside, I also feel better about how I look. So, although it is better to feel good than to look good, there is nothing wrong with having a little pride in your appearance.

Stay Awesome!

~Mike