[rachofsunshine]

You don't think there's a medium to be found here?

Sure, denying yourself all pleasures isn't a lot of fun. But living entirely in response to those urges is a great way to feel sick and unhealthy all the time. I feel physically way healthier and better at 196 pounds than I did at 328. That's not just because it's likely added many years to my lifespan. It's because I don't have to check the sturdiness of a chair before sitting down, because I don't want to collapse after climbing a staircase, because I can share my body with a sexual partner and not feel ashamed.

Self-control does not have to mean self-denial. It means making the trade-offs between different things you want (which often conflict with one another) deliberately and consciously instead of accidentally.