Living for social validation is the road to nowhere in my opinion: Oww YES, I so much agree with you. Forget about social validation. Do the things you - we - do for ourselves. Loosing weight is something that is truly awesome to do for ourselves. Loosing weight is not only loosing fat, gaining energy and such, but gives us a much better feeling. We'll experience we can move our body more freely and easily and all that. We feel much less barriers when we bend and do something with our body. The way to loose weight is a thing though: My method became intermittent fasting with low-carb dinners. Something that doesnt starve us out, andf can be very effective. I cheat from time to time, since I like not only pasta but also sandwidches, but when goign strong on the 'program' it is much ok to go carbs for 1 or 2 days in the week. But only after a month or two being strict and the first kilograms are flying out the window, since then one sees the benefit of the 16 hours a day not eating, and the focus on proteine (meat/fish) and lots of vegitables without going potatoes, rice, pasta and bread/cake and whatnot.