After months of dieting and exercising, you've finally reached your weight loss goal! You look and feel great, but you may have realized that having a tighter tummy means your life is changing in unexpected ways – some awesome and some inconvenient.
1. You'll need a cardigan
Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can lower your thyroid hormone levels and make you feel colder more often, according to Judith Korner, MD, PhD, the director of the Weight Control Center at Columbia University Medical Center.
2. You'll have fewer allergies
Being overweight puts a strain on the adrenal glands and respiratory system which makes asthma and allergy symptoms worse. Now that you're trimmer, you may not need an inhaler or as many pills for allergies. Talk to your doctor before changing your medication routine.
The foods you eat can affect your allergies. Here are 35 unexpected foods that may make your allergies worse.
3. You'll need a new morning routine
When you lose weight, especially around your thighs and stomach, your face will slim down too. This might sound good at first, but too much weight loss can actually make you look older. Fat under your skin can help to hide the appearance of wrinkles and sagging, making you look more youthful and vibrant. Just be sure to get plenty of vitamin C! A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that for every extra milligram of vitamin C you consume, your wrinkles will be reduced by 11 percent. Foods like papaya, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and red bell peppers are all rich in the nutrient. Plumping creams and high-quality moisturizers can also help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Speak to your dermatologist to get a recommendation that's right for you.
4. Food will taste better
The researchers at Stanford University found that men who were overweight had less taste sensitivity than those who were thinner. They believe that this is because the taste buds become dull from overuse. Another theory is that when people lose weight, there are changes in hormone levels which affects how the taste receptors communicate with the brain.
5. You'll be in the mood
This isn't just your imagination, BMI really does affect how aroused you are. Rising testosterone levels are responsible for this, as seen in a Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study. The study showed that heavier men had T-levels similar to men who were nearly a decade older. Additionally, you may feel less self-conscious when you are naked, which can lead to an increase in desire.
Here are 20 tips to help you lose weight and keep it off permanently.
Weird Side Effects of Weight Loss
There are many benefits to losing weight if you are overweight or obese.
If you engage in regular physical activity, you will experience a multitude of benefits including more energy, a lower risk of developing certain diseases, and improved body image.
The benefits that come with weight loss are all good things, and to be expected given that people who have lost weight like to talk about them.
Possible side effects of the medication can include changes in mood, appetite, how the body functions, and even relationships.
However, as these weight-loss side effects are more common than you think, it's worth discussing them with your doctor The pros of slimming down outweigh the cons, but there are some potential consequences that might make it harder to achieve your goal, or even discourage you from trying. You might think you're the only one experiencing these side effects, but they're actually quite common. It's worth discussing them with your doctor.
If you allow setbacks to stop you from reaching your weight loss goals, you may never succeed and may even start eating poorly again.
People who are successful at weight loss continue despite negative side effects. They educate themselves on the causes of these side effects and find ways to work around them.
To achieve weight-loss, it is helpful to see the “side effects” as positive outcomes, or as evidence that the plan is working.
Instead of thinking of difficult tasks as obstacles, try thinking of them as challenges. You're no stranger to difficult tasks, right?
The Blues
The study found that people who were obese and lost 5% or more of their body weight were more likely to experience depression. The study found that people who were obese and lost 5% or more of their body weight were more likely to experience depression, which contradicts the popular belief that people should feel elated with each lost pound.
The researchers observed nearly 2,000 overweight adults for four years. The subjects who lost at least five percent of their body weight were 78 percent more likely to report depression than those who didn’t move the needle on the scale.
We Conason states that individuals often have high hopes for weight loss. Losing weight may not solve all of an individual's problems, leading to frustration or discouragement.
Conason says that getting plenty of sleep and eating healthy foods when you're hungry can reduce your risk of depression. Having a good amount of energy and being rested will help you be able to handle challenges better.
If you're only interested in losing weight to the point where it impacts your social life or your ability to eat without constantly worrying about calorie intake, you may want to seek professional help.
If you experience any of the signs of depression mentioned above, Conason says you should take action.
Loose Skin
While it is true that losing weight won't automatically give you perfect abs, it is possible to end up with sagging skin if you lose a lot of weight. So why doesn't your skin just snap back into place?
According to Adonis Maiquez, M.D., director of wellness and regenerative medicine at the Miami Institute for Age Management and Intervention, skin stretches to accommodate extra body mass over time.
When you lose fat, your skin may not have enough elasticity to return to your original body shape.
How much extra skin you have depends on your age, how fast you lost the weight, and if you have gained and lost weight multiple times, he says.
In cases of extreme weight loss, you may have to resort to plastic surgery to get rid of your extra skin, says Holly Wyatt, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Colorado.
Builder more muscle will make your skin look tauter, suggests Dr. Wyatt. This might mean adding more protein to your diet each day, and/or incorporating more lifting into your current workout plan.
Lost Love
If you want to lose weight and your partner is not on board, it may affect your relationship, according to a study from North Carolina State University.
The study found that when one partner loses weight, it often leads to arguments and hard feelings between the couple. Lynsey Kluever Romo, Ph.D., the study's author, says that it's important to be aware that weight loss may make your partner feel neglected, guilty, or jealous.
If you want your partner to be supportive of your weight loss journey, explain to them why it is important to you. Losing weight can be a sensitive subject, so approaching it in a way that shows you value your partner's opinion can be key. Just be careful not to be too pushy about it. Asking them to adhere to your gym plan, for example, might come across as nagging.
Stomach Pain
People who lose weight quickly are more likely to develop gallstones, which are hard lumps that form in your gallbladder, according to Dr. Wyatt.
If you want to avoid gallstones, you should reduce the amount of fat in your diet. This will cause the gallbladder to contract less often, allowing bile to become more concentrated. This concentration leads to the formation of stones.
Dr. Wyatt says that including fat in your daily diet is a good way to keep your gallbladder functioning properly. Although fat is often seen as something negative when it comes to diets, studies have shown that it's not fat that makes you gain belly fat, but too many calories in general.
If you're looking to make your meals more enjoyable, adding fat in moderation may be the way to go. However, if you start experiencing symptoms like intense stomach pain, nausea, and fever, be sure to consult with your doctor, as you may be dealing with gallstones.
Phantom Cravings
Your craving is most likely not going to be for kale.
It's okay to succumb to temptation occasionally. Most dietitians believe that this is actually a healthy way to maintain a good diet in the long run.
The best way to avoid cravings is to eat foods that will keep you full for longer periods of time. This means that you should focus on foods that are high in fiber, moderate in protein, and contain healthy fats.
You should try to eat at least 30 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber at each meal to help you feel fuller between meals. Here are some ideas of foods that you can eat to get these nutrients.
Muscle Loss
Approximately two-thirds of weight lost from dietary changes is in the form of fat, with the remaining one-third as muscle, according to William Samuel Yancy, M.D., director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and associate professor of medicine at Duke University.
If you don't consume enough calories, you can start to lose not only fat, but also muscle. Losing muscle mass can make it harder to lose weight in the future.
If you want to lose weight without losing muscle, make sure to eat enough protein and do strength exercises. According to Dr. Yancy, you can shift the muscle-to-fat ratio by doing this. If you’ve only been doing cardio, try to do more strength training. You can gain muscle without weights by doing body-weight exercises, or use weights in the gym to do a total-body workout.
How much protein should you eat? You don't need to eat a lot, just aim for 30 grams at each meal. Most people only eat protein at dinner and don't have any for breakfast. Try to even it out by having protein for breakfast, like eggs (21 grams of protein for three), or leftovers from dinner.
The text is informing the reader that although yogurt does contain some protein, it is not a major source of protein. The text also states that protein can help with weight loss and muscle development.
Powerful Hunger
It is possible that your increased appetite is due to the fact that you are eating fewer calories, but it is also possible that your metabolism has not yet adjusted to your new diet.
The Dreaded “Plateau”
If you've lost 10 pounds easily, and then another 10 pounds where it was also easy, you may stall trying to lose the next 10 pounds as they may be more stubborn than cauliflower rice.
The point at which someone stops losing weight is often called the “plateau,” but it is not difficult to overcome. In fact, it may be your body's way of telling you that it is time to change your routine.
Change up your gym routine every now and then to keep your body guessing. Don't abandon your old exercises, but mix in a few new ones to challenge yourself.
Crankiness
Is it worth it to lose a few pants sizes if it means you're snapping at your partner, children, and beloved family pet? No, your soul isn't growing meaner as you get thinner.