What Happens After Weight Loss?

When you’ve started losing weight and you’re finally approaching your goals, you might be thrilled for the prospect of what comes next. However, you might not anticipate some of the other things that might also occur. Weight loss has not only a number of exciting benefits, but there are also some unexpected consequences you should prepare for. Believe it or not, these consequences can actually cause some people to regret their decision to radically alter their lifestyle and body by losing the weight they were unhappy about, as strange as that might seem. Here are just a few of these benefits and consequences that happen after losing a large amount of weight.

You Might Feel Cold

Weight loss radically alters your entire body chemistry, including your hormones. Dr. Judith Korner of the Weight Loss Control Center at Columbia University Medical Center says that a 10 percent drop in body weight can trigger hormonal changes, particularly with your thyroid. A decrease in your thyroid hormones can lead to a decreased feeling of warmth, meaning you’ll feel cold a lot more often. While you may think that this is the result of you no longer having the layers of heat-containing fat on your muscles, the cause is actually much deeper than that.

You may actually notice this happening as the pounds start coming off, so by the time you’ve reached your goals, you may be well-accustomed to carrying a sweatshirt, sweater, jacket, or other extra layers to places you may not have thought you needed them before.

Your Beauty Regimen May Change

Believe it or not, fat under the skin can actually make you look younger. When that fat disappears, the skin collapses and wrinkles can form. This means it’s not uncommon for people who have lost a lot of weight to suddenly look a lot older. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing an increased presence of wrinkles in your face as you continue to drop pounds. Don’t let this dissuade you, however: cosmetics can help you restore your skin’s youthful look with plumping creams or hydrogenating ingredients. Taking good care of your skin should help reduce these symptoms as well.

You May Need New Clothes & Shoes

People can see this in two ways: the first group sees weight loss as another big expense since they have to go out and buy new clothes that fit properly. The second group sees this as a huge point of pride: all your hard work and dedication has given you the ability to buy clothes in a size you may never have thought you’d fit into again. This shopping spree is not only fun, but can be an even bigger boost to your self-confidence, knowing that you have a fresh and all-new wardrobe to support your new, thinner look.

You Need to Keep Working Out & Eating Right

You’ve hit your goals so it’s back to normal life, right? Wrong. Those who have already struggled with their weight are actually at a much greater risk for re-gaining the weight if they don’t maintain their weight loss. Losing weight isn’t a short-term process that you complete and then don’t have to worry about again: it’s a lifelong journey that doesn’t end when you reach the finish line. In order to keep the weight off, you have to continue to exercise and diet properly.

Going back to eating and living like you did before you lost your weight will quickly result in the pounds returning to your body. Keep up with a support group, keep going to the gym, and keep eating healthy while watching your fat and calorie intake. With some added discipline, you can help keep the weight off and continue to enjoy the new, healthier you.

Your Self-Esteem May Not Improve at the Same Rate Your Body Does

While it’s great to watch the pounds melt away as time passes by, improving your mental outlook about yourself isn’t quite so simple. In fact, many people report that they still have “chubby days” or days where they feel fatter and less attractive. In many cases this is simply because their mind hasn’t fully adopted the fact that they really can fit into that pair of pants they’re looking at on the store shelf. Your body might look better and be healthier than ever before, but don’t be surprised if it takes your mind a while longer to become truly comfortable and confident in that fact.