1. You Can Weigh Less And Look Bigger
Believe it or not, you can weigh less than someone your same height and build and still look bigger than he or she does. If you don’t exercise and your friend does, he will look smaller and fitter than you even though you have the same build. It’s not the end of the world, just a surprising truth about losing weight. One way to combat this is to include both strength and cardio training in your weight loss plan.
2. Weight Loss Can Be Fun
Some people say weight loss is drudgery. I can totally relate to that. But once you get in the swing of it, losing weight can be fun. It’s fun to see old clothes fit once again, feel in control of your food choices, and be happy with yourself when you look in the mirror.
3. How Easy It Is For Weight To Come Back On
A truth that few people talk about is how easy it is for the weight you lost to reappear. It takes considerable effort and dedication to keep those pounds off. While one slip-up at the breakfast buffet won’t pack on 10 pounds, a few slip-ups a week for a month will get you started down the road to weight regain.
4. Bones May Reappear
When you lose weight, you may notice that your collarbones, wrist bones, and even knee bones become more prominent. This was one of those non-scale victories I most enjoyed. Here’s a funny story. A friend of mine went to the doctor after he lost weight, convinced he had a mass on his chest wall. The doctor felt it and said, “Congratulations Jim. You’ve found your sternum!”
5. The Closer You Get To Your Goal, The Less Food You Need
If you start out losing weight by eating 1,800 calories, as you lose weight, you will need to reduce the number of calories you eat or increase the number of calories you burn. To combat this phenomenon, try eating the number of calories you will need to maintain your goal weight. Then you don’t really have to reduce the number of calories you need as you go along.
6. Working Out Is Rewarding
I was an avid hater of exercise until I began to exercise regularly. After about six weeks of regular exercise, I discovered I liked the way it made me feel, enjoyed the improvement in my fitness level, and loved feeling stronger. If you think you hate exercise, give it a six-week trial. You may find, as I did, you like it more than you thought you would.
7. New Habits Are Hard To Keep
Part of the weight loss process is developing new habits. Although easy to keep in the beginning, some habits are hard to keep up. For me, the habit of occasionally writing down what I ate was fun in the beginning but got tiresome after a while. I kept at it, though, because I knew that it would help me in the long run. If a habit is one you want to keep up, commit to it no matter how hard it is. Eventually, it will become a permanent rather than temporary habit.
8. The Types Of Foods You Eat Matter
Some people successfully lose weight by just eating at a certain calorie level and ignoring the healthfulness of the foods they eat. I suppose you could lose weight eating at McDonald’s every day, but what does that teach you for the long haul? Not much. Instead, focus on calories and nutritional content of your food. Not only is it better for you, it helps you develop the habit of making good food choices.