10 Things Only Someone Who's Trying To Lose Weight Understands
Hunger is a serious factor to losing weight.
Maybe you’re trying to drop those last stubborn 10 pounds. Maybe your doctor gave you strict instructions to drop 20 or more. Whatever your reason, trying to lose weight is challenging—and something only other people who’ve been in the same boat can truly understand.
“The road to sustainable weight loss presents a lot of tests that can threaten success,” says Chris Czartosieski, a certified personal trainer and owner of The BodySmart Studio in Southold, NY. As a coach to clients trying to reach their goal weight, Czartosieski knows that “the negative emotions and thoughts you’re dealing with are probably pretty normal—and can be managed.” (With this new body transformation plan, you could lose up to 30 pounds in 30 days—and keep it off for life. Find out how with The Body Fat Breakthrough.)
Worried that you could be sidetracked by a judgey stare from a thin person or hunger pangs that just won’t subside? Here are the top 10 things only people who are trying to lose weight truly understand—and the tactics that can help you overcome the biggest challenges
1. The mirror is your enemy.
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You know that lasting weight loss takes time—you’re on a long journey and the path can be frustrating at times. “It can be challenging when the image in the mirror or the number on the scale doesn’t reflect how you feel and how much blood, sweat, and tears you’re putting in to reach your goal,” says Czartosieski.
How to deal: Keep in mind that many changes will occur on the inside before you or other people notice, says Czartosieski, “and that’s OK.”
2. You think about food. All. The. Time.
The irony of a diet is that it makes you think about food even more than you normally might. You spend a ton of time strategizing about what and when you’ll eat if you want to be successful. “Until healthy, clean eating becomes natural to you, having a careful eating strategy is crucial,” says Czartosieski.
How to deal: Give yourself a cheat meal or day just to take the pressure off, says Czartosieski. “It’ll keep you from feeling totally restricted and make your new, healthy diet feel like a true lifestyle change that you can stick to.”
Related: How To Turn Off Weight Gain Hormones
3. Weight gain can be emotional and physical.
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The emotional aspect of overeating is well-established: Chances are you’ve done some comfort-eating to get through a rough time, for example—and that means you’ll have to add some soul-searching to your meal-planning and workouts. “When people are successful at losing weight, it’s usually because they’ve found a way to dig deep and ask some really tough questions,” says Czartosieski.
How to deal: Go ahead and face the tough stuff rather than burying the emotions because they’re uncomfortable. Tackling your issues head-on will make them less likely to surface again later. (Find inspiration from these real women who finally conquered their weight loss struggles.)
4. Exercise classes filled with fit people are the last place you want to be.
There’s nothing like the dread of navigating rows of Spandex-clad, confident-looking people in your spin or aerobics class to keep you from going.
How to deal: Those exercise bunnies have no clue about the struggles you’ve faced thanks to your weight. They don’t realize how much chutzpah it took just to show up. Focus on the willpower you have for going, ignore what’s going on around you, and make a beeline for your bike or mat, says Czartosieski.
Related: 8 Things That Happen When You FInally Stop Drinking Diet Soda
5. Hunger is really, really difficult to deal with.
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Eating smaller portions than what you’re used to will likely leave you feeling hungrier than usual. That’s a hard sensation to face throughout the day, says Pat Salber, MD, a board certified internist and author of the blog The Doctor Weighs In. “Thin people don’t always understand that hunger is physiological,” says Salber.
How to deal: Tame ghrelin, the hunger hormone, by eating a good breakfast packed with a healthy carb (such as whole grains, like steel cut oats or veggies), good-for-you fat (like avocado) and protein (eggs or Greek yogurt). Healthy snacks should include these components as well, she says. (Give one of these 12 perfect breakfasts for all-day energy a try.)
6. The health effects of being overweight are terrifying.
Heart disease. Diabetes. Hypertension. Cancer. Everyone knows the risks of being overweight, and those dangers can create a lot of anxiety, says Salber.
How to deal: Rather than obsess about the multiple health concerns that could arise due to excess weight, use the threat of these conditions as motivation. “There’s nothing like a health scare, or even the threat of a health scare, to inspire people to make resolutions to change—and follow through,” says Salber.
7. You’re beginning to hate thin people.
Oh, to live a life where you could eat what you want, not exercise, and not gain a pound. Since that game of chance called genetics didn’t grant you that luxury, it’s easy to resent people who seem to effortlessly maintain their weight.
How to deal: Rather than spending time cursing the gods (or secretly hating on that front-row spin class girl who always wears skimpy shorts and a sports bra to show off), remind yourself how much stronger you’ll be emotionally and physically when your reach your hard-earned goal. “Weight loss can convince you that you can set and reach any goal,” says Salber, “and that can help you in all aspects of your life.”
Related: 5 Ways To Drink Green Tea For Weight Loss
8. You bail on friends because they don’t get it.
Planning is everything. You commit to regular workouts, you pack healthy snacks, and you check out restaurant menus online before you go to check for suitable food. But if you’ve got a group of friends who continue to hang out at the local Mexican restaurant for happy-hour cocktails and nachos, you may have to cancel. It’s not because you don’t want to hang out (you do!), but because you might not be able to resist the queso, guac, and sour cream.
How to deal: Rather than cancel on your plans, explain why you can’t make it—and suggest an alternate, healthier option, says Salber. “Maybe your friends would be game for a different restaurant where you know there are healthier options,” she says. Or you might even suggest an active meet up where you powerwalk while you chat. “Either way, explaining why you’re not as keen to hang out around unhealthy food as you used to be is a good first step,” she says.
9. You feel like you’re being judged even though you’re dropping pounds.
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It’s an awful feeling to catch someone staring at you. Airplanes or other public transportation tend to be the worst when it comes to this, says Salber. “There’s nothing like walking down that plane aisle and noticing all of the looks on people’s faces that say, ‘Oh, please don’t let her seat be next to mine,’ ” says Salber.
How to deal: As tough as it is to practice, your best bet is to just tune out the haters, says Salber. Remind yourself of how hard you’re working to lose weight and visualize how you’ll look once you’ve reached your goal. It can help take your mind off the hurtful stares.
10. Gaining back lost weight is soul crushing.
Anyone whose weight has yo-yoed knows how tough it is to lose ground. For some people, it’s enough to prompt them to give up the fight altogether.
How to deal: If you’ve regained weight after going on a fad diet, remind yourself that there are no shortcuts to lasting weight loss. “You can read about those green coffee beans—and maybe they’ll help you lose a bunch of weight at first,” says Salber. “But the quick dieting fix truly doesn’t exist.” If the reason for your weight gain is a loss of focus or diet fatigue, remind yourself that you’ve been successful, and you can lose the pounds again. “You’ve been there, you know what’s involved, and most importantly, you know you can do it,” says Salber.
Related: 8 Diet Tricks That Are Actually Making You Gain Weight
By Meghan Rabbitt
This article “10 Things Only Someone Who’s Trying To Lose Weight Understands” originally ran on Prevention.com.
