Category Archives: Emotional issues after weight loss

How to deal with depression and anger arising after weight loss

How to deal with family saying I am too skinny after losing weight when I am actually just being fit

How to deal with family saying I am too skinny after losing weight when I am actually just being fit

Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , 
After losing weight and going from obese to fat to fit my family says I am too skinny. My family is using every opportunity to tell me that I am too skinny, I am not eating enough, being skinny is not healthy, skinny is ugly, I will get sick if I lose more weight and keep up exercising(!!??). So how do I deal with family like this?

How to deal with family saying I am too skinny after losing weight when I am actually just being fit Imagine this scenario: family gathering, family members sitting around the table stuffed with food, eating. Then suddenly grandma turns to you and says:

– Sweety, you are eating like a bird. Here, have some more potatoes!

Your plate and mouth are full of delicious roasted chicken, and while you are trying to swallow that bite of Brussels sprouts and start explaining that you are eating right, your father joins the “conversation” and says:

– Eat more! Skinny people are ugly!

You finally swallowed that bite and start defending yourself by telling them that as they can see, you are eating. In fact, you were chewing when grandma turned against you. Plus you are not skinny, but fit. There’s a difference. And you start flexing your muscles to prove your point. All this, while your husband quickly goes into supportive mode and starts explaining that your weight is in the normal range. You cut his sentence in the middle to inform everyone that if they remember, not long ago you were obese. You worked hard to lose weight in order to look like this. This ain’t no accident.

But they seem like they hear what you are saying but anything that you say does not convince them that this is healthy. For them, you are way too skinny. They loved the fat girl, not you, the fit girl.

Now imagine this scenario repeating itself every Sunday. For the past 8 months. Sunday family time equals living in hell.

Sounds familiar? Then keep reading to find out how to deal with family (or friends) saying you are too skinny when in fact you’ve lost weight and went from obese to fat to fit!

Some of my favorite things my family says to me after I’ve lost weight and went from fat to fit are:

1. “We are concerned about your health”

How to deal with family saying I am too skinny after losing weight when I am actually just being fit
“Here, have my pills, they will make you healthy fat again.”

That’s right, my overweight and obese family members are concerned about me not taking care of myself. My family and relatives with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, indigestion problems and obesity are giving me health advice. Yeah, I should definitely follow their advice – if I want to end up with those kind of health problems. The thing is: I don’t. It was my main motivation to start living a healthy lifestyle and start working out regularly to avoid all of the above mentioned health problems that I’ve seen my family members struggle with.

Polite reply while dealing with family:

– Thank you for your concern, but I am fine. I have never felt this good in my life before. I am energized, focused and I sleep good. In fact, I have my latest blood test results with me as a proof that everything is okay with me. Care to check?

They never check.

Angry reply while dealing with family:

– I just had my blood test results back. My doctor says I am in top shape! How are your results?

Trust me, they’ll never ask you about your health again.

 2. “You look too skinny”

It’s like you can do nothing about becoming fat, but being fit or how they call it, “skinny” is something you should be fixing – by eating more!

Polite reply while dealing with family:

– I am fit, not skinny. And I worked hard for looking like this, it didn’t happen by accident. I want to look like this.

Angry reply while dealing with family:

– I think you look a little heavy.

Just be prepared that they will get offended, because the social norm is people thinking it is  okay to call someone skinny, but telling them that they are fat is considered really rude. You won’t get more comments about being too skinny. Though very few people in your family will like you after that.

 3. “Are you still on that diet?”

How to deal with family saying I am too skinny after losing weight when I am actually just being fit
“See? Orange juice is better than apples and bananas.”

I regret the day I told my family that I don’t eat chocolate. Every time we meet, they have to double check if I am still not eating it. So I started eating it around them.

Not to mention my husband and his keto diet. Family just don’t understand what eating bad means. For them, bad food means that it is spoiled. There is no such food in their dictionary that will make you sick, unless it’s rotten.

A diet in my family’s head equals strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin and depriving yourself of the foods you love. For them, you are not on a healthy eating plan, you are dieting. And it can’t be kept up in the long run.

So what to answer when they ask you if you are still dieting?

Polite reply while dealing with family:

– It is not a diet, I am eating healthy. I developed healthy eating habits for long term. This is a complete lifestyle change, not a 12 week eating plan.

Angry reply while dealing with family:

– Do you believe it is healthy to eat even when you are not feeling hungry? Did you know that hunger is the body’s way to let you know that it needs nourishment?

My overweight family believes that I am way too skinny – for them being overweight is normal. Sometimes it seems to me that in our society, where most people are overweight, being overweight is the new norm. Being fit equals being too skinny.

If your family’s constant remarks bothers you, then you need to learn how to deal with family. Try explaining them the reasons of why you choose to live a healthy lifestyle, and be sure to tell them how you feel better now that you are working out regularly and eating healthy. If this doesn’t help, then do what I did: shut them up by threatening them! I told them that if they keep bullying me, I won’t visit them anymore. Never heard a bad remark again.

Found this guide useful? Get more useful quick tips on how to motivate yourself towards a lifestyle full of healthy habits! Click here>>>

How to accept fit body after weight loss

Having fit body but being unable to see it: how to accept new fit body

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to accept fit body after weight lossRemember how I’ve had problems dealing with phantom fat in the past? I struggled with accepting my smaller fit body after being obese and fat most of my life.

After losing weight and becoming fit the issue that I am struggling with is similar to seeing a fat self image instead of a new fit body. The problem I am having is that I can’t see the muscles and my body for what it is. After losing significant weight and becoming fit I started weightlifting because I was losing more muscle than fat. So I figured that weightlifting is a way to go to improve my new fit body. Plus, I’ve read awesome things about the benefits of weightlifting for a woman, so I had to give it a try.

How to address the emotional side of not being able to see your new fit body for what it is

How to accept fit body after losing weightAs it feels awesome to be able to carry my own groceries, it feels strange to look in the mirror at the gym to see muscles on my body where there used to be fat. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have manly muscles, because a woman can’t just get muscular like that with no additional work. I have nice, visible muscles, that give my whole fit body a more feminine look. I look like a girl-beast only when I flex my muscles (joking). My tummy is flat and my abs are visible for the first time in my life! So it’s pretty fun to look at my new fit body in the mirror, but yet again I feel like my mind has not caught up to the fit body I have in reality. I see myself in the mirror, I know it’s me, but that fit body that is looking back at me from the mirror surely isn’t my body, because I am not so fit and muscular.

I remembered the last time when I felt like this was when I lost weight and I was looking at my fit body in the mirror and feeling unable relating to it. It is happening again with my fit body. However, I lived through this before, so this time it doesn’t make me think that I am insane for not being able to see my fit body for what it is in reality.

I know that not being able to see my fit body is just a temporary phase and that my mind just needs a little more time to accept the new fit body. [Tweet this!]

I find revelation in the fact that I’ve been through this before, and successfully accepted my fit body. Now I once again need to accept my more muscular new fit body.

What can I do to speed up the progress of my mind accepting my new fit body?

Having the fit body of your dreams is new: your mind will need time to accept it. It will happen with time, but hey, let’s just speed up this process of your brain accepting your new body:

  1. Look at yourself more often: take a photo of your fit body where your muscles are showing and put the photo on the fridge or another visible place
  2. Get workout clothes that accentuate fit body features in the most flattering manner: look for a pair of workout pants and/or dry fit top that will make you look into the gym mirror more often!
  3. Take progress pictures: even if you don’t see your fit body gains in the mirror, looking back at older pictures (even if it was taken a month ago) will make you see how far you’ve come.
  4. Ask for reassurance: ask a friend or a significant other you trust if they see your muscles on your new fit body. My significant other wants to touch my abs all the time! Just don’t make it a habit to ask for reassurance a lot. Always think about your intent before asking for reassurance. Is your goal to remind yourself of what you already know?
  5. Compare: Look yourself in the mirror at the gym while working out and compare the fit body you see there with other bodies in the gym. You’ll see how far you’ve come.
  6. Go window shopping: Pick something out that you would never have dared to wear before and try it on just for the fun of it! I was trying on some dresses that I would have never even thought of wearing before. I didn’t buy it, because I have nowhere to wear it, but damn, I looked good!
  7. Ask for comparing: ask your friend or significant other to point out someone from a crowd of people or a celebrity who has a similar fit body composition as you. You’ll be surprised! Also, seeing other people who are similar to you will not trigger the same emotional response as seeing a picture of yourself would, therefore it’s helping you rationalize.

Could this be your story too? Are you are struggling with accepting your new fit body? Join my group of struggling girls on Google+! Don’t like other people? Sign up for an update about new posts! Click here>>>

Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl

Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl

Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fit, , , , , ,
Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl
If you are lucky, your gym will be this empty on your first visit.

I was afraid of going alone to the gym as a girl. I was afraid of going alone to the “manly” section of the gym to start lifting weights. I remember planning to go to the gym alone for days. What occupied my mind was the moment when I’d step into the manly section of the gym to start my routine of lifting weights. I imagined that every person in the gym would look at me walking towards the weight rack, judging me. It was awful. It took me days to gather courage to actually go to the gym. But I wanted to go alone. I knew about the benefits of lifting weights for girls. I wanted to be that girl. The girl at the gym who is lifting weights.

Going to the gym alone to workout and start lifting weights can be intimidating for a girl. Here is a guide to get you on the road of going alone to the gym for the first time:

1. Pretend like you belong there

Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl
Use this machine until your anxiety settles.

Fake it till you make it! Pretend like you know what you are doing. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare yourself for your first time going alone to the gym. Pick out a workout plan that fits your level of fitness, know exactly what exercises you will be doing at the gym, in what order. Study the exercises you are about to do. Watch YouTube videos of proper forms of the exercises. Use the mirrors in the gym, they are there so you can check yourself and your form (and later to see your sexy body and flex your muscles!). Do everything that you feel like you need to do in order for you to feel ready for your first time going alone to the gym. Then just walk in and pretend like you belong there. Let me tell you a secret: chances are, the others are faking it as well. Also, don’t be afraid to stand around and stare at the equipment or look around to see if it is the machine you’re looking for.

2. Use warm up and cardio for making yourself comfortable

You need to warm up before engaging in any exercise activity. Use this time to calm your mind. If you are used to running, then use the treadmill to get your pulse up and watch other people around you. This will make you feel like you fit in with the gym locals. If your goal is to start lifting weights, then do what I did: use the weight room for warm up exercises so you can assess the situation before starting your lifting routine.

3. Have a workout plan

Afraid of going alone to the gym? 4 tips to help you go to the gym for the first time as a girl
What are these things called? I had no idea when I first went alone to the gym and it didn’t stop me from going.

Know what you are there for. You surely have a goal set ahead of you (for choosing a goal, visit XXFitness FAQ). Whether it is losing weight and fat, gaining muscle and strength, improving your cardio and heart health or toning up your body, you will need a workout plan for it. Pick a workout plan in advance that works towards your goals. I started lifting weights with the Stronglifts 5×5 app, because having my phone with me at the gym and using the built-in timer for counting rest time between sets seemed like a good idea. Knowing that I can see the exercises on my phone gave me the courage to act like I knew what I was doing. Or you could just have pictures of exercises on your phone to remind yourself of the exercises you will be doing. Nowadays I just use 3 different post it notes with the exercises scribbled down with cute stick figures performing the exercise that I rotate on my 3-day workout days.

4. You are awesome for even thinking about going alone to the gym

If you’d have ever spent time in a gym, you’d seen that most people there are noobs. Not many people know what they are doing. So don’t be afraid to be one of the noobs. Everyone has to start somewhere. By having a workout goal and a workout plan, you are already in the scarce minority. Just look around among your friends: the reason of why you even thought of going alone in the gym in the first place is because there is no one around you to keep you company. So committing to going alone to the gym, you already placed yourself in the scarce minority of people that actually care about their lifestyle. Congratulations, by researching the proper form of exercises and attempting them you further narrowed yourself to make the awesome gym people cut!

Just remember: it takes one step at a time, and the first step is the hardest! Everyone at the gym had to start somewhere, so nobody in their right mind is going to judge you for being a beginner. Don’t worry, no one is there to watch you working out. At least not yet!

Found this guide useful? Get more useful quick tips on how to motivate yourself towards a lifestyle filled with healthy habits! Click here>>>

anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image

15 things I wish I knew before I started losing weight while I was obese

Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fit, , , , , ,
anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image
[Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

I have a confession to  make: I enjoy being the fit girl! Not just because of my looks and health benefits of regular exercise, but also because of the things that I’ve learned during my journey from fat to fit girl.

Some of them are little, important things that I’ve discovered during my journey from fat to fit while other things came as a big revelation! Looking back I wish I knew all these things before I started losing weight while I was obese, because it would have made my journey from fat to fit more easy. And faster. Knowing all this, I would have jumped on the “get fit now” bandwagon a decade ago!

Becoming fit is not a destination – it’s the road that You’re on

The new year has started! Whoohoo! Back to my usual workout routine! The holidays gave me time to look back at my last year’s accomplishments. Going from fat to fit was the biggest achievement of my previous year! Becoming fit takes a lot of commitment and focus. You learn a lot along the way from fat to fit. Thinking back to my old fat self made me think of things I wish I knew before I started losing weight.

Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you about your destination. [Tweet this!]

The things you learn during your journey from fat to fit are a valuable lesson. So what are these secrets?

15 things You need to know before You start losing weight

I figured that I’ll compile a list of 15 things I wish I knew when I was obese! Let it be a help on your weight loss journey from fat to fit. It doesn’t matter if you are getting started now or if you already made the first steps towards becoming fit and living a healthy life!

  1. You don’t have to be fat. I wish someone had told me this when I was a kid. Seriously. I’ve spent my childhood, teen years and adolescence thinking I have to be fat, because I don’t have a choice.
  2. You weren’t born fat. Have you seen a newborn? Babies aren’t born fat. They are fed into being fat. Trust me, it’s not your genes, it’s the amount of food that you eat.
  3. Being fit is not just a temporary state. If you keep up with your lifestyle changes by developing healthy eating habits and make exercise part of your life, then you won’t get back to being your old fat self.
  4. You can be a fit mom. This realization comes from the fact that my family was fat/obese. So I figured that I can get fit while single, but once I have kids, I’ll go back to my old fat self. Well, that’s not true! Check out my inspiration mom, Maria Kang!
  5. The time you spend figuring out how to dress to cover up your fat body to look slim could be spent at the gym making your body sexy/fit. Think about this for a second. All that time and brainpower wasted into hacking your looks to make you seem thinner. Let’s get real: you’re not fooling anyone, but yourself.
  6. Being fat is exhausting you. You may not be aware of it, but looking back I see now how little energy I had because of my bad lifestyle choices. One more reason to change from fat to fit!
  7. Working out and exercising will make you feel in control of your body. By engaging yourself into any type of exercise or sport activity will make you more in control with your body. Yoga will help you with your clumsiness, running will tune your gross motor skills, Zumba will improve your coordination skills, weight lifting will make you carry your heavy groceries in one trip.
  8. That voice in your head that feels ashamed of your fat body that you are trying to silence is actually trying to help you. The voice is trying to tell you that you are hurting yourself by getting any fatter. You lifestyle is bad for your health, and you know it. Deep down you know that being fat is unhealthy for you, even if you don’t admit it openly to others or even to yourself.
  9. Being fat is your choice. Your choice only. So is becoming fit. So choose wisely.
  10. Going from fat to fit isn’t emotionally harder than living as a fat person. I realized this now looking back at my mostly fat and obese life and the journey from obese to fat and then fit. Becoming fit made me struggle with body image issues, I couldn’t see my new fit body, I thought I was going insane. But being fat also had it’s emotional downs, and struggling with emotional issues while reaping the benefits of being healthy was way easier than it was struggling with being fat.
  11. Being fit doesn’t mean spending endless hours on the treadmill or in the gym. I wish I knew this at the start of my weight loss journey. It’s the type of the exercise adjusted to your goal that is important, not the time spent with workout. I fell into the trap of exercising for hours exhausting myself, with no benefits whatsoever. Now my exercise is 3 days at the gym for 1 hours lifting weights, and on the 2 between rest days doing Zumba for faster, active recovery (it helps relieve soreness by stimulating blood flow and improving circulation to the muscles).
  12. Being fit is more about your eating habits than working out. Weight loss is 80% nutrition or what you eat, and 20% exercise, also known as the 80/20 Rule. Yet again, wish I knew this at the start of my weight loss journey.
  13. Being fit doesn’t mean that you can never eat sweets or junk food. Weight loss is more about eating less food than you used to. Just make sure that the healthy foods way overbalance the junk food that you eat.
  14. You can start exercising or get into a sport at any age. There is no such thing as not being born as an athletic type – you make yourself an athletic type by engaging in a sport activity.
  15. You feel awesome and accomplished after a good workout. An intensive workout is exhausting, but after it you feel like you accomplished something. You don’t feel depressed like after you finish stuffing unnecessary sweets in your face in unlimited amounts.

Follow me on my journey from fat to fit girl! Click here>>>

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from You: 5 alarming things about Your new fit body

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , ,

It seems like that while being fat, somehow you forgot about things like a belly button, hip bones, collar bones, ribcage being a part of your body. They just disappear altogether in the sea of fat. While I was fat, I had no visible ribcage, belly button, hip bones or collar bones.

As you know, weight loss affects your whole body: there is no such thing as losing fat only from your hip bones or around your belly button. You just can’t spot reduce. So when losing fat, it will also mean that your ribcage, collar bones and hip bones will start to show. You’ll notice them in the mirror and your hip bones and belly button will alarm you. You’ll be able to touch and feel your collar bones and see your belly button, and when you do so, you will be freaked out about this fact.

The 5 most alarming things about your body after weight loss will be the following:

1. Belly button changes from sad face to weird hole

My whole fat life, my belly button looked kinda sad. When I started to lose weight, I was looking forward to the day when I will have a flat tummy and a happy belly button. Well, that’s not how this whole scenario played out.

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
That weird hole in the middle of your body.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

After your weight loss, your belly button changes as well. It becomes this weird hole, with a little leftover fat (or without fat) with saggy skin over the belly button.

Having a fat belly my whole life and not being able to see the end of my belly button, being able to see further down that hole freaks the hell out of me. I catch myself staring at my belly button wondering if it should look like that. What if I lose all the excess fat, how will my belly button look then? Will I be left with lots of loose skin around my belly button that I will even be able to pinch? The belly button is not gross or anything like that, it’s just weird having a different one than I am used to having for so long.

I went to the extreme and asked one of the fit girls at the gym if I could see her belly button so that I could compare mine to hers. She was totally cool with it, so we compared belly buttons. I got to examine her belly button, and after that I examined lots of other girl’s belly buttons. Weirdo, I know. And I can say that my belly button looks similar to their belly buttons – it’s not completely the same, as it can’t be – but it looks acceptable.

However, looking at belly buttons of strangers wasn’t enough to quiet my mind. I have accepted that the shape of my belly button is considered normal, yet it still feels weird having this kind of a belly button instead of a sad fat belly button I always had.

2. Your whole ribcage starts to freak you out

Fat loss is systematic in your body – if you are female, first you loose fat in the top half of your body. It means that your ribcage will at some point become exposed. Your ribcage becomes smaller when you lose weight because you lose subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat directly below the skin.

Let me tell you: you are not used to being able to feel your bones like this, so like all the other psychological issues, you will need to face this one too, and it will take some time for you to accept that it is ok to be able to feel your ribs when you touch your ribcage.

 3. Hip bones become more visible

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
She has visible hip bones.
Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t get me wrong: there’s a difference between the shape of hip bones being visible beneath that outer layer of skin, hip bones being really defined, and hip bones jutting out. My hip bones became visible beneath the layer of the skin with all that fat gone, yet in my head it feels like my hip bones are standing out too much. I know it is the way I was made, so I can really do nothing about my hip bones being visible.

Visible bones on my body seemed so far fetched awhile ago. And now I am surprised every time by my hip bones when I roll over in my bed, and I feel like a skeleton.

While being fat, I was never focused specifically on my hip bone area. The problem I started having when the fat disappeared from my tummy area and my hip bones became visible was that I was very frequently bumping into things. Doors and chairs were enemies of mine, and it was always me leaving the battle with bruises, especially around my hip bones.

Luckily, with accepting my new fit body, the blue bruises disappeared, and my defined hip bones stopped bothering me.

4. Collar bones

Collar bones are the least of my worries. I often find myself running my fingers over my collar bones. I thought that finally having girly collar bones when I become fit is going to be a huge issue, but turns out it is not that much entertainment. Weird thing that while you are fat, you want collar bones. You will do anything to get collar bones. Even apply makeup to achieve the affect of having real collar bones:

What people who successfully lost weight are hiding from you: 5 alarming things about your new fit body
3 steps to get collar bones without losing weight

When you are fit, you just have collar bones, and they are not a big deal anymore. So wishing for collar bones means that you need to start losing weight!

5. That lump on Your chest isn’t a sign of You dying

I was worried about a lump I’ve felt on my chest, so I went to see my doctor. She asked me to show where the lump is, and when my doctor felt it, turned to me, smiled and said that I am now feeling my sternum! I was relieved and embarrassed at the same time: I have never felt my sternum as a grownup, and completely forgot about it.

Here is a detailed picture of a sternum in case you also forgot that it even exists in your body:

"Sternum animation3" by Anatomography - en:Anatomography (setting page of this image). Licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.1-jp via Wikimedia Commons.
“Sternum animation3” by Anatomography – en:Anatomography (setting page of this image). Licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.1-jp via Wikimedia Commons.

 One thing you need to remember is that it is completely acceptable for you to feel freaked out about seeing your collar bones, hip bones, ribs and rib cage as well as weird parts of your belly button. It will take but you will soon accept these body parts as being a part of you.

You won’t bump your hip bones into chairs, you won’t be asking strangers to show their belly buttons so that you can compare yours to theirs, and you won’t lie in your bed at night stressed out about that lump in your chest that will turn out to be your sternum that you never touched before in your life.

Here are some useful quick tips on how to speed up the process of accepting your new fit body after your weight loss! Click here>>>

Need help getting over your fears and frustrations after losing weight? Try the awesome tips given in this book>>>

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sick

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sick

Emotional issues after weight loss, Motivation to stay fit, , ,

It happens if you workout regularly: sometimes you get injured or sick and you can’t do your workout routine like you planned. Your control freak mind gets stressed instantly by screaming at you one of the following two sentences when you are injured or sick:

Freak out #1: Oh my god, I’m gonna get fat if I don’t workout!

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sick
For calculating your TDEE you will need a pen, a notebook, a measuring tape and a tomato. The tomato is crucial, trust me.

Don’t worry, I have good news for you: you can avoid weight gain even if you can’t work out because you got injured or sick. It’s all just math: if you eat enough calories to maintain your weight, you won’t get fat nor lose weight if you are injured or sick. When you work out, the formula is different: you can eat more calories and burn the excess with working out. Now, if you haven’t already figured out how much calories you need to eat in order to maintain your weight, you can do it by heading to a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator here. It will help you figure out how much calories you will need to eat while injured or sick.

There, we addressed your biggest fear of not working out when injured or sick.

So what’s the second fear of not working out when injured or sick?

Freak out #2: But I will lose my fit form, if I don’t work out!

The most important thing you need to know is: you injured yourself or got sick because your body is sending you a message!

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sickGetting injured while working out means that you haven’t payed enough attention to your workout and you were pushing yourself harder than you should have. So the last thing you need to do is making the injury worse by further pushing yourself. Take a few days off of your workout routine, so that you can access the damage.

If it’s an injury that takes longer to heal, then after a few days you can start coming up with a plan to work around your injury or sickness. This means that if you’ve hurt your ankle, you can try to come up with exercises that will not require your ankle: build your upper body, use hand weights! Modify your workout routine to fit your current state. You can always find an activity that will get your heart rate up and keep your blood flowing.

However, I highly recommend that you just use this time of being injured or sick to rest and recover. Sometimes we all need a little break. Remember:

Working out is not a destination. It is a way of life. [Tweet this!]

Get back to your workout routine slowly, with time.

How not to freak out about losing workout routine while injured or sickDon’t worry, you can take time off your workout routine while injured or sick, and still be able to maintain your form.  No matter how much muscle or strength you lose while laying in your bed injured or sick, you will gain it back much faster than it took you to gain it at the first place. This is just one of the reasons why lifting weights is awesome. It has long-lasting effects on your muscles. Thumbs up for muscle memory! It is an awesome thing!

In fact, just relax, don’t worry too much about missing a few workouts, because it’s not a big deal. Just think about how awesome you are for making a lifestyle change and sticking with it! The fact that your brain wants to workout even when you are injured or sick shows your dedication and commitment! Just think about all the awesome things you’ve accomplished so far!  You are truly awesome! Everything is awesome! Even the Lego figures agree on that one:

 Need even more support in your healthy life journey? Click here to get free access to more useful tips>>>

anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image

Distorted body image: anorexia vs. phantom fat

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , ,

Not being able to see your fit body image after weight loss and still seeing the fat body or as we are starting to refer it as “phantom fat” is not anorexia.

anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image
[Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

Anorexia is basically an eating disorder while being obsessed with having a thin body, and an irrational fear of gaining weight. The person who has anorexia has a distorted body image of themselves.

After significant weight loss there is this condition referred to as phantom fat. Phantom fat is when a person after a significant weight loss is unable to see their new fit body. All they see is their old fat body image, and not the new fit body staring back at them from the mirror. Although phantom fat is not an acknowledged mental condition, it is clearly a temporary mental disorder that needs to get more attention.

Phantom fat or not being able to see your fit body after weight loss is a temporary mental disorder that needs to be addressed. [Tweet this!]

Anorexia is usually coupled with a distorted body image that changes how the person perceives and thinks about their own body. A person with anorexia sees themselves as overweight when in reality they are being underweight.

Being unable to see your fit body after significant weight loss is also due to a distorted body image that a person has of their body after weight loss. However, a person with phantom fat see himself or herself as overweight when in reality they are being in the normal weight range. Or in case we are talking about weight loss while being obese, phantom fat will result still seeing oneself as obese when in reality one will be overweight. 4 steps to healthy life mindset even if you are lazy

It comes as no surprise that phantom fat is not considered yet a mental disorder, while anorexia is accepted as a serious illness. Think about this: we haven’t really accepted the fact that carrying around excess weight to the point of being obese and overweight are not just usual conditions but serious health issues that need to be addressed.

How can you tell if you have anorexia or you are experiencing phantom fat after weight loss?

Here is a quick comparison on how to tell anorexia and phantom fat apart:

Characteristics of anorexia vs phantom fat
Anorexia Phantom phat
Eating disorder Temporary mental disorder
Distorted body image Distorted body image
Obsessed with having a thin body Obsessed with having a fit body
See own body as overweight when in reality body is underweight See own body as overweight when in reality body is normal weight

If you think that you or someone you know has anorexia, don’t be afraid to talk to someone about it. Get help, because anorexia is a serious condition that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Don’t confuse seeing yourself fat while being fit for having anorexia. Please, educate people around you that looking fit now while being overweight for a long period of time before that does not mean that you have anorexia. Struggling with accepting your new fit body image after significant weight loss is not what having anorexia is like.

Do you think that you are experiencing phantom fat after significant weight loss? Click here to find out in a few easy steps if you are suffering from phantom fat >>>

Body acceptance by family after losing weight 2

Body acceptance by family after losing weight

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , 
It is ironic that my family are the people who see me the most often, yet they fight the biggest struggle accepting my fit body after losing weight.
Body acceptance by family after losing weight
“Jimmy is all skin and bones! Let’s bury him like a skeleton!”

I believe I’ve made progress in accepting my new fit body after significantly losing weight. It was a big realization moment when a friend of mine spoke to me about her struggling to accept my new fit body. It was that moment that I’ve realized that I am not the only one struggling to accept my fit body: people around me, friends, family, also fight their own struggles with accepting my new found fit body!

Never have I had an encounter with my overweight father and mother where they wouldn’t bring up in a casual conversation their worries about me losing weight and having a fit body – or as they refer to it now SKIN AND BONES.

How family sees Your new fit body after losing weight

At the beginning of my journey to losing weight right when the results of the healthy diet and regular exercises started to show, every time I visited my mother, she would ask me if I eat at all. This continued even after I’ve explained to her that I am overweight and I am working out to lose weight to reach the normal weight range on the BMI (Body Mass Index) scale for my height. Every time we’ve met, I had to explain again and again that I am eating, but choosing to eat healthy foods, exercising 3-5 times per week, so she is seeing the results of my healthy lifestyle changing my body. But she could not and still cannot accept that being fit and not overweight is healthy. I believe that this is partly due to the fact that I have been either obese or overweight the most part of my life, and seeing me in a healthy weight range is new, unconventional for my mother. The other explanation that is more deeper seeded reason for my family being unable to accept my new fit body image stems from their outdated views of a healthy body: they were raised in a world where poor people were skinny because they couldn’t afford enough food for themselves and their families. Being overweight meant being well-fed, and wealthier than the average. So my parents don’t see that with consumerism and the wide acceptance and availability of processed foods the standards have shifted. And being obese comes from consuming  unhealthy and available processed foods whereas being fit (or as they know it “skinny”) means that you pay attention to what you are eating and can afford the more expensive but healthier foods.

I have tried to explain this to my family many times – but their views of the world are so deep seated that they can’t accept the fact that:

Being fit/skinny does not equal being unhealthy/poor.[Tweet this!]

How to deal with family members who can’t accept Your body after losing weight

One of my cousins have also had a hard time accepting my new fit body. After I opened up to her about my body image issues after losing weight she admitted that she also had issues accepting the new me(!) and my new found fit body! She truly believed that me with a fit body wasn’t being myself and that there were times when she secretly wished I’d become fat again! But when I accepted myself and my new found fit body, she accepted it too! She was thinking that finally her old friend is back!

Body acceptance by family after losing weight 2
“We are here because Your mother asked us to convince you to stop making healthy lifestyle choices.”

Not being in tune with your body and mind is noticeable by other around you. Maybe they can’t put their finger on it, just like you couldn’t, but they sense the disruption in your “force”.

Your best bet when dealing with family members who can’t accept your new fit body after losing weight is to talk openly to them about the body acceptance issues you are facing. This will make them realize that they are also struggling with accepting your new fit body. Who knows, you could even find out interesting new things about your family members that you weren’t aware before, if you start talking openly and listening to what they are saying.

You feel like you are still struggling with accepting your new found fit body? Find help clicking here >>>

Fat body image issues

Fat body image issues

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , , ,

I am one of those woman who never talks with her friends about the struggles she is facing when they are happening, but shares the success story of the struggle after she overcame the difficulties. So it is only recently that I have started talking about my struggles regarding my fat body image I have in my head while not being able to see a fit body image reflection staring back at me from the mirror. I have discussed the problem of not being able to see the fit body in the mirror after significant weight loss in the past. Fat body image issues

Fat body image issues are almost part of the past, and I can now finally see my actual fit body image reflection in the mirror. The fat body image I had hold on to for so long finally seems to be disappearing. I am able to see my actual fit body image in the mirror instead of a fat body mirror image. Furthermore, I am finally starting to believe that the fit body image in the mirror is the real me! The fat body mind set and fat body image has started to float away. I am just starting to fully enjoy the fit body I worked so hard for.

It is still difficult to talk about the emotional experience of thinking and believing that I am going crazy because everyone around me says and sees me as fit, but I don’t see my body the way they see it, because only in my head I am still a woman in a fat body.

The truth is that seeing the real fit body image vs. seeing the perceived fat body image is a constant everyday battle. My body is getting fitter and fitter, but my mind does not see this. It is like my head is behind my body in time, it will take me a few months to accept the body image in my head that I currently have. In my mind I am fit, but not as fit as in reality. But it is a progress, and eventually the fat body image will be replaced by a fit body image. Fat body image issues

It is still puzzling for me how serious conditions with body image problems such as anorexia and other negative body image issues are taken seriously, and you can get counseling. However, body image issues that come with significant weight loss do not get the proper attention they should have.  In order to help myself with having a fat body image while actually being in a fit body, I had to browse through self help books written for low self esteem and serious negative body image issues, and select some tips that I thought would fit in my case as well. I tried a lot of the advices that I have came across about body image issues, and what worked for me was a quick 10 minute exercise that I did daily for a few weeks. Click here to find out about Exercise A and Exercise B >>>

Are you struggling with fat body image issues? Click here to find out!

If you want to read more about how to deal with issues related to fat body image click here >>

Please feel free to share your story of successful weight loss and not being able to see the results in the comments section below!

How people treat You differently after Your weight loss

Body image problems, Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , ,

Getting fit and losing weight affects not just your looks and attitude but also the perception of how others around you see you. There will be a change in people’s attitudes towards the new, fit you.

Part of the changed view of you comes from the fact that your looks have changed, and that change in your body becomes noticeable at a first glance to others. This is why you are drawing the wanted or unwanted attention of your friends and acquaintances. You may find this to be pleasing, and it can even give you a temporary boost in motivation to workout harder. On the other hand, if you are like me, you will find all this sudden rush of attention unwelcome and have mixed feelings about people who unexpectedly shower you with compliments, and struggle with finding the best way to deal with all that sincere or false openness. Whatever your reaction is, one thing is sure: people will treat you differently after your weight loss.

Let’s see how the different types of people around you will treat you after your weight loss:

  1. Family and relatives

Family could be supportive of your attempts to build yourself a healthy life. However, if obesity runs in your family, then family and relatives will be opposed of your lifestyle changes. It will seem that your family wants you to keep your past identity of being overweight and out of shape. Relatives will not see your hard work behind you looking fit and healthy. Don’t expect to get support from family, as they will only see that you’ve gone too far, and as you are now unhealthily thin. You can try to persuade them otherwise, and can spend hours of talking about being happy and healthy, and present them with facts of how this is a normal weight range for your age and height on the body mass index (BMI) chart, they will stay skeptic. Family members could even criticize or try to disrupt your fitness undertakings in order to maintain stability in the family. An overweight child has a specific role in the family – he or she deflects attention from other issues there are in the family, so by losing weight and becoming fit disturbs the whole usual flow in the family and its members.

As we know, change is hard. But inevitable.

You can frustrate yourself over this (like I did), or choose to accept that you recognized how you’ve led an unhealthy lifestyle and now you’ve taken charge of it to change it for the better.

  1. Coworkers or classmates

Coworkers and classmates are the ones who see you every day of the workweek, and since you spend so much time with them, they will be the first to notice changes in your body. However, because you were identified as someone who is overweight and out of shape for years, when you get fit, the balance changes – they may start to feel threatened.

They will start to be jealous of your new fit body, and start commenting your success. The other option is that they will start to feel guilty because they’ve let themselves get out of shape and now the tables have turned and you are the sexy one in the office/classroom.

I work with women who were considered really hot back when I was obese. Fast forward a few years: I started lifting weights, they gained weight. Now the tables have turned – I am the one with the fit body. I try not to bring it up, but boy, they are jealous. You can see their faces lightning up with envy whenever someone walks into the office and comments on my new found good looks. But then again, they could use the stairs instead of the elevator too. Plus they shouldn’t have pizza for breakfast every morning.

  1. Boyfriend or husband or a significant other

    "I love you more now that we are thin!"
    “I love you more now that we are thin!”

People tend to get involved with a partner who’s attractiveness is alike. So if you are overweight, chances are that your significant other is also on the bigger side. If you are lucky, you are on your journey to slim town together, so you have each others’ support and are going through the lifestyle change together. If this is not the case, and only you decided to lose weight, it slowly generates tension in your relationship. The other party will start to feel threatened when their partner becomes more attractive to the opposite sex. It will also produce a sense of inadequacy. This is exactly what breeds small fights, and can lead to serious problems in the relationship that are very hard to overcome. Yet again, both parties need to change: if you’ve changed on the outside, your partner will need to change on the outside too or on the inside in order to deal with the changes that your healthy lifestyle brings. Your best bet is to face the changes together, and develop a life with a healthy diet and exercise together that will benefit the both of you.

  1. Exes

The satisfaction you feel when meeting your ex about yourself and your weight loss is equally proportional to the amount of the drama you two had breaking up.

If weight was an issue in your past relationship, the guilty, dirty pleasure gets multiplied. That said, this is not a healthy attitude to have and you should not strive to motivate yourself to lose weight for your ex (either to get back to them or to get them back).

Do your workout because you want it and need it for yourself, and not for anyone else!

[Tweet this!]

 

  1. Jealous friends

    "She looks hotter than me now that she's not fat"
    “Damn, she looks hotter than me now that she’s not fat anymore”

Loosing weight by changing your lifestyle comes with gaining a bunch of self confidence. So be prepared that you might loose a best friend when you get high self esteem if it was based on low self esteem issues. Just remember that you are the one that changed, not your friends – so if they are judging your new appearance, it means that they were always so judgmental. It’s just that when you were heavy, they never said anything to your face because they were ashamed to show their judgement in front of you.  They are jealous of your achievements because now they feel insecure when they are around you. Their jealousy and resentment towards you is a reflection of their own insecurities and lack of self esteem they are projecting on you.

  1. Supportive friends

If a friend shows no difference in how they treat you now that you are fit and before you were heavier, it means that you chose wisely about friends that you keep around you. A supportive friend reinforces the positive changes that his or her friend makes. You should look for friends like this. Just keep in mind: successful and fulfilling friendships are a two-way street.

So however people might treat you differently after your weight loss, you need to remember that you got fit for yourself. You are doing it all for yourself, and not your ex, boyfriend or to make girlfriends jealous! Many things in your life changed after your drastic weight loss, and almost all of them were positive. Find a motivation to stay fit for yourself, and start caring less about what others think of your new fit body. Especially since what other people think of you is none of your business!

Found this useful? Get more tips on how to motivate yourself towards a lifestyle full of healthy habits! Click here>>>