Monthly Archives: July 2014

Downside to losing fat no one is telling you about (Part 1)

Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , ,

If you are anything like me, you assume that when you finally lose weight everything will change for the better, life will become magical! You will look like a fit model, your life will be rainbows and butterflies, and you’ll find happiness in all areas of your life at the end of your journey.

Never would you think that there are drawbacks of going from fat to fit – but there are. Check out the first 4 drawbacks from the 2 part series of going from fat to fit that no one is telling you:

1. Psychological issues will arise

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Image copyright

Experiencing significant fat loss is psychologically complex. Emotional problems you had in your life won’t just disappear when you become thin. If you haven’t dealt with them before, now you will certainly have to face most of your emotional issues.

Any discomfort you may have felt with your body before weight loss is now accompanied by feeling a bit shamed for not being proud that you finally reached your goal – lost weight and became fit. [Tweet this]

This is because you promised yourself a new life, full of instant happiness. Weight loss is a journey, it changes you from the outside, as well as from the inside. Deal with the arising issues by talking to your friends and family, or seek professional help to get the support you need.

2. Purging all your wardrobe

This might seem obvious: losing significant weight means that all of your old plus size clothes will be huge and you won’t be able to wear any of them. You get to keep only your oversize sweater, which is quite fashionable with stretchy jeans at the moment! Everything else will have to be thrown out or donated away.

Also it may come as a surprise for you that you will need several new sizes before settling for a final wardrobe. If you don’t like shopping, this period will be a nightmare. A big problem with getting a fully new wardrobe, besides it being time consuming, is that it’s quite an expensive activity. Not every one of us can afford shopping for new clothes on a weekly basis, especially if it wasn’t planned in the monthly budget in advance.

However, you could shop at thrift stores and browse sales – it will be way cheaper than buying brand new clothes. On the bright side, with the fit body you will be able to shop in new places which you were too fat to try before! You should also see it as an opportunity to reinvent your wardrobe, find your new style and build the perfect wardrobe you always wanted that reflects your personality!

3. New bra

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Image copyright

Bad news for women with small breasts: breast tissue is made up of fatty tissue so as you lose fat your breast size decreases. It means that your breast size decreases with weight loss. The bigger issue is the frustrating search for a new bra that will fit your new size. You invest in clothes, hair and makeup, but underwear is always last on your list. However, a properly fitting bra is essential for every woman! When your bra fits, you will instantly look more attractive in all your clothes! Even if you are not at your ideal weight yet, the fastest way to weight loss is to find a bra that fits, because wearing the wrong size or style bra makes you look fatter.

For determining your new bra size you could go to a department store or a lingerie shop to get fitted by a professional bra-fit specialist. Or you can measure yourself at home and calculate your bra size using an online sizing guide.

4. Shoes won’t fit

Shoe problems Image copyright
Shoe problemsImage copyright

When you lose weight, the pounds come off not just from your hips, thighs, tummy, but from your feet as well! It means that your old shoes won’t fit you anymore. So you will need to invest in new, smaller size footwear for yourself. It was a surprise to me when I realized that I need to get smaller shoes for myself after my body hit the normal weight on the body mass index (BMI) chart. This meant getting new sneakers, sandals, flats, pumps, and boots. Yet, again, you should look on the bright side – this is a chance to rethink your shoe choices and get a new pair of comfy shoes that will fit your lifestyle and boost your confidence!

Continue reading tips 5-10 >>>

Interested in facts about your body after weight loss? Click here to get more tips>>>

4 things my personal trainer wishes I didn’t do

Motivation to stay fit, ,
Hang in there girls! You can do it! *They will never be fit*
Hang in there girls! You can do it! *They will never be fit*
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Have you ever caught yourself between your sit-ups looking up to your personal trainer and thinking to yourself what it is that they secretly wish you didn’t do but they are not telling you? Well, I treated my personal trainer to a healthy fruit snack after one of our sessions and started an honest conversation about the things she wishes her clients didn’t do.

Here is the top 4 list of things my personal trainer wishes I didn’t do:

1. Make excuses

Making excuses is actually just simple complaining.

An excuse is an invented reason you create in order to defend your behavior, to neglect taking action. You are placing blame on an external condition instead of addressing the internal problem.

When I say: “I didn’t stick to my diet meal plan on the weekend because my sister had a party” or “I’m too tired to do crunches because I stayed up late,” I am just complaining about the workout exercise. What you are actually saying by coming up with an excuse is that the issue at hand is not important enough for you to make an effort. The truth is, your trainer doesn’t care about the “because” part. The thing is, You failed to do it.

Why didn't she tell me that I am an a**hole?
Why didn’t she tell me that I am an a**hole?
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Making excuses is a defense mechanism in which controversial behaviors or feelings are justified and explained in a seemingly rational way to avoid the true explanation. Making excuses is damaging for yourself. It also demotivates you and people around you.

Don’t forget that you hired a personal trainer because you want to change and now you’re saying that you can’t. You are not paying the personal trainer to listen to your excuses, they are there to make you work out. Listening to you making excuses puts your trainer in a hard situation, because you are expecting results, yet it is frustrating that you’re making a minimal effort while getting lunch in a drive-thru!

You have to start taking responsibility for your actions.  If you find yourself making excuses – just stop. Quit making excuses now! [Tweet this!]

2. Wear baggy exercise clothes

Stretchy clothes, stretchy people!
Stretchy clothes, stretchy people!
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Wearing baggy clothes can be dangerous: long, baggy pants can catch on stationary bikes or elliptical machines. However, this is not the only reason why you need to start wearing slim-fitting pants and stretchy T-shirts. Your personal trainer needs to see your body to be able to ensure that you are doing every movement in the proper way. If you’re hiding your body under an oversize T-shirt, your trainer can’t adjust your pose: you can’t see anything under a baggy shirt. It may feel comforting to know that you are hiding your oversize body under it, but for your trainer it is crucial to get you to perform an exercise correctly. Fixing the posture is important because you are risking an injury.

Try it, close-fitting exercise clothing is actually more comfortable than the baggy ones! If you are uncomfortable wearing shorts, try slim-fitting long pants or capris. Plus, wearing tight clothes helps you notice the changes on your body more quickly. You can follow closely how those inches melt away from your hips from week to week, and it will help you accept the new fit body more easily!

3. Withhold personal health information

This should be a no-brainer, but your personal trainer needs to know about your medical history in order to prevent injuries. It’s critical that you inform your trainer and ask if they have experience working with them. Share every important medical information about yourself:

  • previous surgeries – don’t forget to mention if you had surgeries involving your joints or muscles,
  • medications that you are currently taking or stopped taking  – because some medications affect heart rate or respiration rate so that is why they need to know what kind of medication you are taking
  • mention any recent muscle aches, strains or pulls too

Exercise can help with symptoms of medical conditions, however, if your trainer is unaware of your problems, working out can make an existing issue worse. Don’t worry, a good trainer will be able to adjust the training technique to match your physical state.

4. Talk too much during exercise

Incessantly talking about your personal issues during training sessions sends your trainer a message that you are confused about what they can do about you. If you notice that your workout is paused by your chat or rant about your significant other, crazy friend or frustrating coworker, then it is an issue that both of you need to address. It may be hard for your trainer to interrupt these stories, especially if they are emotional ones. You may be unaware of this, but this may be frustrating for your personal trainer, because you are risking reaching your fitness goals and their reputation may be on the line. Most people want to see results overnight and if it doesn’t happen, they blame the trainer. You paid for results, however you are yet again finding excuses to slack. Limit your chit-chats to the warm-up and cool-down stretching period.

Want more? Click here to find out more about what Your journey will be after weight loss>>>

Are you suffering from phantom fat? Easy steps for accepting the new fit body after weight loss

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , , 
I've lost significant weight and my body changed. Every morning I look in the mirror I get surprised at the mirror image: it can't be me. I'm fat, not as thin as that reflection! I still feel like I take up a lot of space! What can I do to make myself see my new fit body after weight loss for the body it is now and not the body it was in the past?
From Fat To Fit Girl
Fat Girl in mirror, Fit Girl in reality. My mind is messed up.

Shopping for clothes comes with a revelation that I pick an item and think to myself there is no way I am going to fit in it… I try it, and it fits! I have so many insecurities now that I am finally thin. Thinking you are still fat when in reality you are not is a real insecurity issue, and know that you are not alone in this!

The phenomenon is known as ‘phantom fat’. Most people who used to be fat still have that body image in their minds even after their bodies have changed. Their perception of themselves did not change. This is especially the case if the weightloss happened fast. When I realized that I am not the only one facing this issue, it comforted me to some extent. I’d felt lost at times because no one around me seemed to understand the impact of this.

Get help dealing with distorted body image in order to truly accept it

The bad news is that it is harder to change the internal body image than the physical body. The good news is that this acceptance depends only on you!

The body image you have of yourself is based on your feelings and your subconscious. You are the only one who can change it – so you don’t need anything but self motivation to work on it! [Tweet this!]

Women who had to pay attention to their weight make more effort to look their best and they believe that how they look is an important part of their personality. We can be characterized by body dissatisfaction and excessive concerns about physical appearance.

The 2 main reasons of phantom fat and why you feel out of touch with your new body are:

  1. The internal image perception still did not change from overweight to fit the new body. You are still fat in your head. You need to change your image perception in order to accept the new you.
  2. There is a disorder in the energy field around your body. The size and shape of your body changed and this change is effecting the energy field around your body. It needs to adjust on a subconscious level in order for you to be balanced again.

Am I suffering from phantom fat?

If you agree with any of these statements, then it is highly likely that you suffer from distorted body image perception.

  • “I am afraid that I will get fat again.” After weight loss the fear of gaining weight or becoming fat again might be your best motivation to stay slim. However, if you know that your fear is irrational – because you exercise regularly like a beast and eat healthy – but still fear of weight gain, then it is a sign that your internal body image did not adjust to your real life body.
  • “I always have to look my best!” Formerly overweight woman value their appearance highly because it is an important part of who they are. If you spend a lot of time worrying about: your everyday looks – but you’re not a celebrity, putting together an outfit – but you’re not a stylist, then you are preoccupied with your appearance because you are insecure about yourself.
  • “Do I look fat in this dress? Do I look fit enough?” If you search for approval and reassurance that you are not fat and can’t believe when people say that you’re not fat or that you’re fit, then you surely have a problem.
  • “My ass is so big!”/”My tummy is really big!” You are not satisfied with your body image so you keep complaining about your looks to your best friend or workout buddy. You don’t realize that when you turn to your best friend and say “My tummy is so big” you are also saying “Your tummy is really big.” You are not just insulting yourself personally, you are also insulting others around you.

Steps to build a more positive body image perception to accept the new you

  • The first and most important thing to know is that fat loss does not change who you are as a person! Remember this: it is still you on the inside. Now that you are fit, try focusing more on your inside and not so much on your outside appearance. After all, it is still the same you!
  • Walk in the dark with closed eyes: you will need to rely on your other senses in order to navigate yourself. It connects the mental image that you have of your body with the real life body of yours. During this exercise you will need to work with the body you currently have, and not the image of the body that is imprinted in your subconscious. Do this for 10 minutes a day, and you will see improvements in sensing your whole body.
  • Backward walking: it works similar to the previous exercise, without closing your eyes. It is challenging to walk backwards because backward walking eliminates the typical heel-strike to the ground – the toe contacts the ground first. It is not just a simple physical activity, it requires brain activity as well. Plus it keeps you stay mentally sharp, puts your senses into overdrive, and it enhances vision as well. You’ll see all these benefits with a 10 minute walk a day for five weeks.
  • Shift your focus on the things you like about your body: it can be your newly toned arms or any other body part.  The important thing is that you start seeing your body for what it is from body part to body part. You’ll be able to see the whole new you in time. When we are in the process of losing weight, we tend to see only the fat parts of our body that need to change. So we get used to focus on the not-so-good-looking body parts.
    Bikinis everywhere!
    Bikinis everywhere!
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  • The summer is here! Stop wearing a swimsuit! Get out your bikini! Unless you are wearing it for an office event, you’ll see that no one else finds anything odd about it. Pool parties, here I come!

Get help dealing with body image issues after weight loss! Click here to get emotional help>>>

How to stay motivated & stick to Your fitness routine

Motivation to stay fit, , , ,

We’ve all had those days when we are more likely to tell ourselves that we are way too tired to go the gym or attend that one hour pilates class. You had a rough day at work, the dog needs a walk, those dishes won’t do themselves… I immediately start to feel depressed and my minimal motivation is gone.

F**k it, I'm just gonna sleep
F**k it, I’m just gonna sleep Image copyright

Slacking would be really easy in these situations. However, consider the fact that skipping can ruin your achievements. Know this: skipping one routine does not ruin your overall progress. But if you do it at the start of your weightloss journey, before you’ve seen results of your dedicated work, then it will set you back in your progress.

Tips to make You stick to a fitness program

You’ve lost all that weight. You made a commitment to change your life around. Came up with a plan, acted according to it and the results are in! Your body is thin and fit! You achieved what everyone – including you – thought was impossible to achieve!

What really mattered and made a difference was not that initial decision – what made you successful is consistency. Coming up with a plan and sticking to it – it is the key to achieving your goal. This consistency in workout routine is where most people fail. They stick to their new fitness routine for awhile and when it becomes harder because it interferes with other parts of their lives or they just get bored, they stop. Then it is all downhill from there. If you miss a pilates class just once because you didn’t feel like/couldn’t make time for exercising, next time you’ll be more likely to skip because there are more important things to do. Your workout routine gets ruined slowly.

Until workout becomes a routine and a habit you must go to that pilates, yoga, aerobic, etc. class according to your plan! [Tweet this!]

Going to the fitness gym when you don’t feel like it or when it feels hard is part of your journey – overcoming those feelings and still going builds character – it builds the new you from the inside. This does not just strengthen your new body, it strengthens the new you: your mind and soul as well.

3 hacks to stay motivated going to the gym when you don’t feel like going

  1. Get dressed first and then decide if You want to go or not

    get dressed first
    Barbie has themost stylish workout outfits everImage copyright

Put on your favorite fitness T-shirt and your greatest workout pants! Aim for an outfit that both looks good and feels comfortable. It is more likely that you attend your workout if you are already dressed for it. Works every time!

  1. The 3 second rule: the more time You think about it the more likely it is that You will not do it

The secret is not to over think it. So when the thought of skipping the daily exercise comes into mind, stop thinking and start acting! Make the first steps towards going: fill up your water bottle, pack your towel, get your running shoes out. Make the first steps – ACT!

  1. Talk to Your supporter/workout partner about skipping Your daily routine

If you have friend who is supporting you or an exercise partner, let them know that you are planning to skip an exercise so they can scold you, so you’ll change your mind about not going. Sounds childish, but stating out loud why you don’t wanna go and hearing it might make you change your mind about it. Plus having someone who supports you, a friend, a significant other, family member, coach is important in keeping your routine.

You had to make sacrifices to get the dream body – so just go and exercise! Next time you’re demotivated to workout just give these hacks a try! Or you can keep yourself motivated by getting more tips:

Interested in facts about your body after weight loss? Click here to find out more>>>