6 Things Not So Great About Losing Weight

Lose weight, feel great! How often have you heard or read that?

There’s no escaping the message that “losing weight will make you happy,” but that’s not always the case.

Losing weight isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. There are downsides to weight loss such as:

1. Lose weight; eat crap!

No more cookies! From now on the only acceptable snack is a thick, green, detoxing vegetable broth. Nothing great about that!

No more cookies! From now on the only acceptable snack is a thick, green, detoxing vegetable broth. Nothing great about that!

There’s no getting around it. Nobody can lose weight without changing what he eats. A lot of popular weight loss food plans are built on “foods to never eat to lose weight.” Then there’s another list of things you “must eat to burn belly fat.” That’s a problem is the “eats” are stuff you don’t like and the “nevers” are everything you do like. Losing weight by eating unappetizing food isn’t so great.

2. Lose weight; never feel full again!

My hungry face and I don't think this little hard candy is going to fill me up!

My hungry face and I don’t think this little hard candy is going to fill me up!

Losing weight means reducing calories. There are lots of ways to cut back from cutting out foods, to replacing high calorie ingredients for lower calorie ingredients in a recipe, or just eating less. A common weight loss mantra is, “put down the fork and step away from the table.” This is good advice when you have eaten enough to feel satisfied – or full – but it’s usually applied before satisfaction occurs. Feeling hungry all the time and never eating enough in one meal to be satisfied isn’t great.

3. Lose weight; live with guilt!

My guilty face! I've been caught eating a peppermint candy! Oh the shame of it all!

My guilty face! I’ve been caught eating a peppermint candy! Oh the shame of it all!

We hear a lot about how weight loss takes self-discipline and willpower. Self-discipline and willpower are okay, but guilt isn’t. Some losers are absolutely overcome with guilt anytime they make the smallest stray from their very rigid food and exercise plan. Even though no damage may be done by a little stray from time to time, some losers absolutely beat themselves up with guilt. Being consumed by guilt isn’t so great.

4. Lose weight; live in pain!

Running 8 miles a day is smart if you're in training for a marathon. If you are trying to burn a lot of calories to lose weight, it's a bad idea because it's probably not going to be a sustainable behavior and it puts you at high risk of an exercise-related injury.

Running 8 miles a day is smart if you’re in training for a marathon. If you are trying to burn a lot of calories to lose weight, it’s a bad idea because it puts you at high risk of an exercise-related injury.

The standard weight loss formula is “eat less/move more.” The move more part of the formula is especially useful when it comes to maintaining a loss. Moving more for some losers means many painful hours at the gym. The pain can be from pushing too hard or lack of guidance. The gym can be a dangerous place for somebody who is unaccustomed to using the equipment and who doesn’t seek the help of a qualified expert. Hurting yourself to lose weight isn’t so great.

5. Lose weight; live in fear!

"I'm afraid if I'm not perfect I'll be back to my starting weight. Is the only way to make fat go away forever is to cut it off?"

She’s afraid if she’s not perfect she’ll be back to her starting weight. Is the only way to make fat go away forever is to cut it off?”

Losing weight means there’s always the risk of gaining it back. There are many people who not only gain back all that was lost, but end up heavier than when they started. The bogus statistic that “99% of all people who lose weight will gain it back,” only feeds the fear. Losing weight is great, but constantly worrying that it will be regained isn’t so great.

6. Lose weight; lose your life the way you like to live it!

"I stay away from my friends, I don't eat dinner with my family, and I stopped going to the movies because the movies aren't the movies without a large, buttered popcorn. I'm alone and miserable, but at least I'm not fat!"

She stays away from her friends because they tell her she’s no fun any more. She won’t eat dinner with her family because they push fattening food on her. She stopped going to the movies because the movies aren’t the movies without a large, buttered popcorn. She’s alone and miserable, but at least she’s not fat!

Many people who lose weight do it by making drastic changes to their lifestyle. It’s expected that losing will take some changes. When a loser loses her family dinners, her friends, her favorite forms of entertainment, and all her favorite foods, weight loss isn’t so great.

 Weight loss can be great.

Losing weight and maintaining a loss can also be great. All 6 of these not-so-great things can be avoided without sacrificing weight management success.

Family + friends + good food + fun physical activiity = GREAT WEIGHT LOSS THAT LASTS

Family + friends + good food + fun physical activiity = GREAT WEIGHT LOSS THAT LASTS

In fact, weight loss success can only be sustained when all 6 of those un-great things are avoided!

 

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.