Unexpected downsides of losing weight
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Mine are the same as others. I hate shopping for clothes and have been putting it off since I want to lose more weight, but I can pull my Jean's down buttoned and zipped! I dislike spending money on temporary clothes, but with summer, it's time to shop.
It's painful to sit for long, my butt gets sore!
I spend more money on groceries than I used to. I rarely ate protein and meat is expensive! I didn't go out to eat often before, but used to heat up food. Now I enjoy my food a lot more making it myself.5 -
Mine are the same as others. I hate shopping for clothes and have been putting it off since I want to lose more weight, but I can pull my Jean's down buttoned and zipped! I dislike spending money on temporary clothes, but with summer, it's time to shop.
It's painful to sit for long, my butt gets sore!
I spend more money on groceries than I used to. I rarely ate protein and meat is expensive! I didn't go out to eat often before, but used to heat up food. Now I enjoy my food a lot more making it myself.
OOOOOO yeah that's a another big one! I'm losing weight while building muscle, but right now that means like half my diet is protein rich, low calorie foods. There are only so many protein shakes, cottage cheese, cans of tuna, egg white omelettes, or dry poultry breast you can have before it just gets old. Luckily I can have a little more freedom at maintenance.1 -
Sunshine_And_Sand wrote: »I thinks lots of people picture themselves walking around on the beach in a swimsuit and no longer feeling insecure about their bodies, but for most people those insecurities aren't going to just magically go away. The "fat mentality" probably takes longer to work through than the weight loss for most of us.
This was definitely true for me, I bought a bikini last summer and went to the beach and pool for the first time since I was in middle school, without wearing shorts or a skirt with my swimsuit. But it’s not because I lost weight, by that point I had gotten to my goal, then put 10lbs back on. Even at my lowest weight I still wasn’t magazine cover material, and I never will be.
I was able to do it because I had gotten into therapy and worked through some of my insecurities. Taking off the swimsuit cover and walking down the beach with my mid drift and all of my legs, stretch marks, cellulite and all, exposed was terrifying and so freeing. I still have that bikini, but I usually stick to one piece suits when I’m with my kids, I’ve permanently ditched shorts though, my weight be damned!!! I still have to psych myself up a bit when I take my kids to the pool, but it helps to look around and realize that bodies are just bodies, and cellulite, fat and stretch marks are just part of the human experience. No one is looking away in horror, and if they are, it says more about them than it says about me.21 -
1) Finding clothes that fit as you decline without spending too much
2) Skin irritations
3) You are suddenly the diet expert and everyone asks you for weight loss advice even at funerals
4) You may have "fat brain" and continue to think you are heavier than you are or make decisions based on the heavier version of yourself.
5) Food repetition - I can't be the only one that gets into easy to fix and easy to log routines.
6) Grieving for the the loss of carefree eating - this one I am mostly over but it took a long time
7) Low energy days
True on 30 -
@seltzermint555 I developed Reynauds too. They say it’s rare, but I know several others that have it. It even happens when I eat something really cold. Last winter I found some gloves on amazon that are heated with little rechargeable batteries. The brand is Savior. It’s was a big help.
I think it's weird they say it's rare but I knew 2 other women LONG before I'd lost weight, who had developed it after losing lots of weight, too.
Thanks for the heated gloves tip! So far it's not been too much of a problem for me but I am glad to know about potential solutions. Mostly I find myself wearing gloves a lot in the fall/winter months, I'm sure it would be worse if I lived in a colder climate (I'm in south-central US where it's fairly moderate). The worst to me is just when dining w/ others and I drink a lot of cold water and they ask why some of my fingers are yellow/white, ugh.0 -
I am surprised by the number that have developed Reynauds since losing weight. I have too but never put it down to losing weight. Last winter was so bad that my fingers were swollen and covered in chilblains to the point that I couldn't hold a pen without pain. It wasn't a case of many shades of grey, but many shades of red and purple. I am in Australia and about to approach another winter. I have stopped walking in the mornings when it is cold and don't go anywhere without gloves and hand warmers. Fingers crossed I can still cross my fingers throughout this winter.7
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The craziest negative thing that happened after losing 100+ lb. was what happened to my hiatal hernia. I have had one for 20 years with the occasional flare-up (genetic. dad had one as well as his mother). It was always the sliding kind where the full stomach would bulge through the hiatus, then slide back down when it emptied. The problem came after losing weight. There was so much extra space in my abdomen without all the fat pressing on my innards that almost the entire stomach slid up into my chest cavity. I had to have surgery to move it back down and make sure it didn't move upwards again.24
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Is there redness and a burning sensation at times or mainly really cold hands?
I would urge all of us who at some point of time developed cold hands to examine our size and length of deficit and consider adaptive thermogenesis which is sometimes partially expressed by lower core temperature and lower resting heart rate.... and cold limbs.
Re-feeds and diet breaks while on a deficit and extended maintenance at calories high enough to almost be at the point of causing weight gain (as opposed to almost low enough to cause weight loss) MAY help mitigate.
Generally speaking my hands are no longer as cold as they were when losing and when I first started maintaining, and no longer a problem or concern.
But if I remain inactive for unusually long, or hit a large enough deficit, I start feeling cold and this includes freezing hands!4 -
Is there redness and a burning sensation at times or mainly really cold hands?
I would urge all of us who at some point of time developed cold hands to examine our size and length of deficit and consider adaptive thermogenesis which is sometimes partially expressed by lower core temperature and lower resting heart rate.... and cold limbs.
Re-feeds and diet breaks while on a deficit and extended maintenance at calories high enough to almost be at the point of causing weight gain (as opposed to almost low enough to cause weight loss) MAY help mitigate.
Generally speaking my hands are no longer as cold as they were when losing and when I first started maintaining, and no longer a problem or concern.
But if I remain inactive for unusually long, or hit a large enough deficit, I start feeling cold and this includes freezing hands!
@PAV8888 I've been in maintenance for almost 2 years and last winter was worse than when I was losing. Even in summer, they can be cold as they can be when I am active. Then again I have the worst case of Raynaud's that my doctor has seen because I'm special like that.9 -
Ahh, concern trolling is such a real thing. My dad thinking I'm starving myself when I opt for a soup, my friends trying to force me to eat the pizza or the chocolate (even when I'm full) and it annoys me so much.9
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Hey, I have Raynaud’s too! In my case I probably inherited the predisposition from my father. But I don’t love the way the break room at work gets cold enough to trigger it in winter...
Also, so cold. All the time. When will summer come?3 -
I was just plain freezing tonight. So cold I wondered if I was getting sick. We have an electronic thermometer that will check both body and room temperature. Well, my own body temperature was normal, so I flipped the switch on it to check the room temperature. Hubby predicted it would be around 70. (Fahrenheit. Would be about 21 Celcius.) Sure enough, it came out to 72. I felt like it was at least 20 degrees colder than that.
Poured myself some hot herbal tea, turned on the heat lamp in the bathroom, and ran hot water for a soak. Put on my winter gown and robe afterward. It did help some.4 -
The "concern trolling" thing is a big one for me. I've lost a fair amount of weight, close to 50lbs people started asking me left right and centre what I was doing to lose weight I (now stupidly I feel) told people the truth I'd started doing IF and was seeing really good results. Ever since then I was bombarded with folks telling me "oh that's not healthy" "you can't keep that up" "you want to be careful, don't take things to far...."
Like I've lost weight I've still probably got another 15-20lbs to go before I'm even actually at a "healthy" weight, but because all these people took away from me explaining IF to them was that I "wasn't eating" they think I'm starving myself.
I also find it interesting how differently I'm being treated now I've lost weight too. People pay a lot more attention to me now, which actually kind of p*sses me off because my personality, beliefs, morals,values etc are all exactly the same but somehow because I'm thinner, I'm more worthwhile or something now...😒17 -
I already have have Raynaud's and its cousin, Cold urticaria (hives from being cold--usually on my butt). The symptoms are getting more prevalent with a modest 25lb weight loss. Couple those two annoying conditions with menopausal hot flashes and I'm hot and sweaty one minute and have cold white fingers and hives the next. Annoying!!
At night is the worst, I go from trying to sleep nude with no covers and a water bottle to mist myself; to just the sheet; to the sheet and one blanket; two more blankets; two blankets and the quilt; two blankets, the quilt and sweat pants, socks and a shirt--back to naked with no sheet X 5 every night. Sometimes I get so cold I have to get up and take a hot shower. Sigh.23 -
MrsBradyBunch wrote: »I was just plain freezing tonight. So cold I wondered if I was getting sick. We have an electronic thermometer that will check both body and room temperature. Well, my own body temperature was normal, so I flipped the switch on it to check the room temperature. Hubby predicted it would be around 70. (Fahrenheit. Would be about 21 Celcius.) Sure enough, it came out to 72. I felt like it was at least 20 degrees colder than that.
Poured myself some hot herbal tea, turned on the heat lamp in the bathroom, and ran hot water for a soak. Put on my winter gown and robe afterward. It did help some.
I am still well insulated. My OH and I were having coffee (him) and tea (me) on the patio and I had to go in because I was hot. It was 72 (and humid.) Hot tea really warms me up. I'm going to switch to room temperature tea shortly, but we are still in that in between time when the AM temperatures fluctuate wildly.3 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »Is there redness and a burning sensation at times or mainly really cold hands?
I would urge all of us who at some point of time developed cold hands to examine our size and length of deficit and consider adaptive thermogenesis which is sometimes partially expressed by lower core temperature and lower resting heart rate.... and cold limbs.
Re-feeds and diet breaks while on a deficit and extended maintenance at calories high enough to almost be at the point of causing weight gain (as opposed to almost low enough to cause weight loss) MAY help mitigate.
Generally speaking my hands are no longer as cold as they were when losing and when I first started maintaining, and no longer a problem or concern.
But if I remain inactive for unusually long, or hit a large enough deficit, I start feeling cold and this includes freezing hands!
@PAV8888 I've been in maintenance for almost 2 years and last winter was worse than when I was losing. Even in summer, they can be cold as they can be when I am active. Then again I have the worst case of Raynaud's that my doctor has seen because I'm special like that.
I guess it varies. I generally do not have cold hands (or body), I'm pretty well-regulated I guess. But if you google Raynaud's and see the whitish/yellow partial fingers, that's what happens to me. They feel slightly numb and cold to the touch but not painful. It lasts from 5-20 minutes. Honestly for me it is more of a cosmetic concern as others show alarm and ask questions. This began the fall/winter season following the bulk of my 130 lb loss, and hasn't diminished even as I've maintained for years. I'm grateful it also hasn't worsened. Mine's never red or painful, just the whitish yellow weird appearance. It's mostly during cold weather but does happen occasionally in other months when I drink a lot of cold beverages quickly.4 -
I can relate to the thing about people trying to shove food and desserts at me. Same since I quit alcohol. Also quit smoking a couple weeks ago and have people pushing nicotine replacements on me even though im already completely nicotine free. Some people are just really dumb and that will never change because it's a whole 50% of the population.
But about the food thing, I used to get seconds and thirds at family meals, and now they tend to take offense if I stick to just one portion and say no to dessert, as if their cooking isn't good enough for me anymore just because I'm not an absolute pig about it these days.12 -
erekstrusinski1989 wrote: »But about the food thing, I used to get seconds and thirds at family meals, and now they tend to take offense if I stick to just one portion and say no to dessert, as if their cooking isn't good enough for me anymore just because I'm not an absolute pig about it these days.
My husband gets this too. I know it happens to women as well, but I think men get it even worse. Older women in my family really guilt-trip him for eating normal sized portions and not going back for seconds & thirds of whatever they have made. It's like they take offense at his healthier habits.5 -
MrsBradyBunch wrote: »So, the unexpected downsides:
1.) You may feel cold a lot, even when nobody else is. I never did like wearing heavy fabrics and layers. But I have to. It's late May, I'm in long sleeves and jeans with socks on, and I'm chilly. I feel more like it's late November.
2.) That infamous Shar Pei sag. Your body shrinks, but your skin doesn't. Your stomach hangs down in front of you like an apron, and you develop "bat wings." If I wave hello or goodbye to somebody, my upper arm flaps will keep waving five minutes after I stop. I even have mini bat wings on my *lower* arms.
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I have lost 126 lbs at one point. This time I've lost 71 so far. I don't feel any colder at a lower weight than I did at a higher weight. I didn't develop an "apron of hanging skin" from losing 126 lbs or from losing 71 lbs. I didn't get any hanging skin anywhere. And I'm 65, so it's not like I have youthful skin.
Honestly, there were/are no downsides to me to losing weight. I can move easier in general--walking, getting out of a restaurant booth, rolling over in bed, getting out of a car, etc. My feet aren't in pain. I look better. I don't feel like people are staring at me and thinking about how obese I am. I can wear prettier clothes. I can wear regular size clothes. I can wear a smaller bra size. I can wear underwear that don't look like they are for a 90 year old granny. My cholesterol and triglycerides dropped and I stopped meds. I think it's all pretty darn wonderful.
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Along with clothes after significant weight loss, there are also some friendships that no longer fit.
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I've really noticed the cold thing, and it's a particularly issue with my hands and feet. It has gotten to the point of pain/numbness/blanching in what I wouldn't have thought of as particularly cold weather.
On the other hand, cold feet are my revenge on my wife, who has been using me for her personal foot warmer for the past nearly three decades.
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Last time I was a few kg off goal (gained since then) I found it hard to find clothes small enough. Being short my size was around xs. Shop assistants weren't as friendly about helping me find something in my size when things were too big compared to when I'm fatter and the problem is the opposite, shop assistants like you bigger.5
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njitaliana wrote: »MrsBradyBunch wrote: »
2.) That infamous Shar Pei sag. Your body shrinks, but your skin doesn't. Your stomach hangs down in front of you like an apron, and you develop "bat wings." If I wave hello or goodbye to somebody, my upper arm flaps will keep waving five minutes after I stop. I even have mini bat wings on my *lower* arms.
I have lost 126 lbs at one point. This time I've lost 71 so far. I don't feel any colder at a lower weight than I did at a higher weight. I didn't develop an "apron of hanging skin" from losing 126 lbs or from losing 71 lbs. I didn't get any hanging skin anywhere. And I'm 65, so it's not like I have youthful skin.
The development of an abdominal panniculus doesn't happen to everyone who gains/loses weight. Rather, it is largely determined by where/how one carries their truncal adiposity.
I'm not yet 45 and can tell you I know for sure already that while I won't have a panniculus, either, I'll have the dreaded "batwings" and inner/outer upper thigh excess skin. Probably over my sacrum, too. Because those are the areas I carried a lot of extra adipose vs. my external abdomen.
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I’ve always found it much harder to shop for small sizes, like 2 or 4 (back in my much younger days, LOL). Stores stock more of the “average” sizes (8-12) because that’s what sells best. I was lucky if I found something cute in my size and I could never wait for it to go on sale because the store would have only ONE in my size. Some clothing catalogs don’t even carry size 6. It’s a problem with being smaller than the “average” (overweight) American woman these days.14
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I’ve always found it much harder to shop for small sizes, like 2 or 4 (back in my much younger days, LOL). Stores stock more of the “average” sizes (8-12) because that’s what sells best. I was lucky if I found something cute in my size and I could never wait for it to go on sale because the store would have only ONE in my size. Some clothing catalogs don’t even carry size 6. It’s a problem with being smaller than the “average” (overweight) American woman these days.
I would have thought this was untrue in the past but honestly I believe it. Especially when vanity sizing puts me (definitely a size 10/12) in an 8...I wonder what all the genuinely small, thin and/or petite ladies do if today's 00 is yesterday's 2.3 -
@seltzermint555, except for a 30lbs blip, I’ve always been around 105lbs at 5’1.
Over the decades I have gone from a small to a vanity sizing extra small.
Nowadays my clothing size can be anything from a 00 to a 7/8.
I don’t find it difficult to shop in Canada (where I live) or in the USA (when I visit). However, the UK (where I’m from, and spend time each year) is quite difficult. I am 6-8 there and clothing in those sizes can be hard to find. This can sometimes depend on where I am shopping though.
Shoes on the other hand make me want to cry no matter the country. I take a small 2UK, or a small 4 USA & Canada, euro 33/34.
These sizes used to be available (3 decades ago) but nowadays most stores USA/Can start at a 6 and sometimes have a 5 available on line. I live in children’s flip flops and boots, sob.
Cheers, h.10 -
MrsBradyBunch wrote: »Not that I'm trying to put a negative spin on it or anything, but I'm thinking "forewarned is forearmed." Better to expect these things and be mentally prepared when they happen. I'm seeing a few. Be it known, however, that the benefits are far greater and make it worthwhile.
So, the unexpected downsides:
1.) You may feel cold a lot, even when nobody else is. I never did like wearing heavy fabrics and layers. But I have to. It's late May, I'm in long sleeves and jeans with socks on, and I'm chilly. I feel more like it's late November.
2.) That infamous Shar Pei sag. Your body shrinks, but your skin doesn't. Your stomach hangs down in front of you like an apron, and you develop "bat wings." If I wave hello or goodbye to somebody, my upper arm flaps will keep waving five minutes after I stop. I even have mini bat wings on my *lower* arms.
3.) People will, not may but will, "concern troll" you. Some with good intentions, and some with malice because they're threatened by your success, will try to coax you to "live a little" or "not be such a fanatic." You're not even out of the "obese" category yet, and they warn you not to "get too skinny." They act like they're afraid you're going to develop anorexia if you keep losing weight. You will have people shoving desserts at you, having difficulty taking "no" for an answer. I, for one, find I'm not experiencing nearly as much of this as I used to. I don't know why, for sure, but I'm thinking it's because I finally got mad enough that I made it clear I won't be putting up with that anymore. So, for the most part, it stopped.
And probably the one that bugs me the most:
4.) When you've made a lot of progress, but you've still got a way to go, this will start happening. Someone who didn't know you when you were heavier will see you making healthy choices, eating vegetables, passing up that dessert, and exercising. They don't know about the weight you've lost already. They only see the weight you still need to lose. So they assume you're just beginning, and here comes the unsolicited and completely unnecessary advice. They'll inform you that you need to "start" doing things you've been doing for a good year now. Or they'll tell you you're doing it wrong, and you should be doing something else instead. Try to tell them how long you've been at it, and how many pounds you've lost, and it doesn't register. They don't even care what your doctor or your dietician says. They'll straight up argue with your results.
Does anyone have any others? What should I prepare myself for?
Personally, I think the good will outway the bad. I can deal with wings if I can fit into a booth and walk about with being out of breath. I'm also working on toning so hoping that will help.7
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