There are innumerable reasons why losing weight can be good for you. Being overweight can cause a variety of health issues that can easily be mitigated by shedding a few pounds. You can gain more energy, get better sleep, increase your confidence and improve your quality of life. For extreme cases, overweight people who lose weight literally look and feel like a new, happier, healthier version of themselves.

This being said, people often tend to ignore the occasional negative social and psychological sides of losing weight. These issues mainly apply to extreme weight loss cases rather than your run-of-the-mill 5-10 pound weight loss. Though these side effects should in no way deter you from losing weight if you need to, they are things that you may want to prepare for emotionally.

Your relationships may be tested…

Losing weight often helps people to feel more confident. This being said, occasionally losing weight can actually cause your partner to feel jealous or threatened of the new you. Even when your partner loves and supports you, sometimes your extreme weight loss can cause them to question their own health choices and body image, which may be uncomfortable for them. In other cases, they may be intimidated by the idea that your newfound confidence could lead you to search for a partner with more to offer than they do.

These fears are unfounded in most cases, but you should still take the time to remind your partner that even though your body has changed, your love for them has not. Chances are you love them for who they are and wouldn’t want to change them anyway.  

You might experience skin sagging…

When you lose an extreme amount of weight, as the fat melts away the skin is not always able to shrink back to its original size. For some people the excess sagging skin may shrink after a few months, and for others the skin is there to stay. Some people with extreme weight loss may opt for a facelift or tummy-tuck to regain a firm appearance, while others find comfort in simply knowing that they are healthy!

If you suffered from Depression before, losing weight may not change the way you feel…

You should always take the time to ask yourself “Am I depressed because I am overweight, or am I overweight because I am depressed?”. The answer to this isn’t always clear, but if depression is the cause of your weight gain, losing weight won’t change your mindset. Furthermore if you don’t tackle your depression head-on, you may spiral back down the same road to obesity all over again. Take care of your body, but also make efforts to take care of your mind.

It is easy to become obsessive…

After months or even years of your weight-loss journey, you have probably developed certain eating and exercise habits. Some people track their calories eaten and burned to hit their targets. Others deny themselves the fatty foods they used to indulge in. After you lose all of that weight, you need to be careful not to become too obsessive about your consumption and exercise habits. Life is about balance, and if you obsess over the risk of gaining back a single pound you may be setting yourself up for eating disorders or even depression.

You’re probably going to feel hungry…

The most effective way to lose weight is to reduce your calorie intake- plain and simple. It should come as no surprise that you’re going to have to suppress feelings of “hunger”, which actually may just be your body craving the fat and sugar that you had been feeding it previously. Besides these cravings, some studies have actually shown that as we lose weight our bodies release more of a hormone called Ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone.

Ghrelin is your body’s natural and primal reaction to weight loss. It is your body screaming “no, we must store fat for the winter!”. You can help combat this un-necessary feeling by: eating healthy foods that make you feel full like fiber-rich avocado or whole grains, getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night, and eating on a regular schedule without denying your body food for long periods of time.

On the plus side- the list of benefits from losing weight is endless. You increase your stamina, improve your odds of conceiving a baby, sleep better, reduce your need for blood pressure and cholesterol meds, you may get a raise at work, and countless other benefits. The pros of weight loss certainly outweigh the cons, so keep your target in mind and prepare your self to overcome your challenges!

By Destiny Kanu