Life After Weight Loss

I'd like to welcome you to my hub and thank you in advance for reading my stuff. Please, please, please post comments. I love feedback. The purpose of this blog is to write about the life of after-what happens after losing weight.  Since I'm a woman most of the articles posted will be from the female perspective.  So, sit back, grab a cappucino and read!

  Okay, so you're probably thinking this article is about eating disorders. Well, it's really about how to reclaim your body after losing weight. Over the summer I went from a size 14 to a size 12. Which is fantastic but came with its own set of issues. Unfortunately, being overweight can cause us to have a distorted view of ourselves. So losing weight is only half the battle. The rest of the transformation is on the inside and it takes work. So, here are some suggestions from my own experience.

1. Do a Fashion Shot

Many people who lose weight assume they're bigger than they are. I was doing some mall shopping once with my girlfriends. We were in a designer store and I was looking at clearance clothes. I started at size 14. One of my friends was surprised. She said I didn't look anywhere near a size 14. I was actually a size 10. But the point is my mind was still painting myself as a big girl. I was carrying around a mental “fat suit.” So what was the solution? Play model! Another advantage is you'll learn to love clothes again, instead of inwardly cringing. If you're still losing weight save the receipt. Make sure the clothes are from a store that will do returns or from a thrift store. Now, do a “fashion shot.” Lay two sets of clothes out on your bed or floor, one set for the old you and one for the new you. This will accomplish two goals; help you feel a sense of pride and give you a sense of what style you'd look to go for.

1. Find Your Style

Another great thing about losing weight is the cute clothes. But you may be used to having a very limited selection of clothing. Geez, do I get the paisley tent-posing-as-shirt or the stretchy pants? It's very easy to fall into the habit of wearing a lot of lifeless, baggy clothes. I speak from experience. The overweight me went for baggy shirts, plain jeans, and sweat pants. My mindset was, “cover up this fat!” Ironically, hiding my body only fueled feelings of low self-esteem. So, now that the pounds are coming off, I've gone on a search to find my style. I started by browsing clothes online. Remember, price isn't a factor because you aren't buying anything at this point. All you want to do is find a style which fits you. For instance, I wanted to get away from baggy shirts so I looked for shirts which hugged my body more. Now, here's the beauty. If you know what you're looking for it's more likely to appear. Instead of feeling overwhelmed when you go clothes shopping your eyes will hone in on the exact cut you want.

1. Install a Mirror in Your Home

I know, I know, you're thinking, “but I can't be so vain!” But the fact is you need to be reminded of your new found slimness every day. I find this is actually healthier than using a scale. You're not obsessing over numbers. You're simply reminding yourself of how fantastic you look. In fact, what's really helpful is looking yourself in the mirror and giving out praise. Pat yourself on the back and compliment yourself on all the hard work. Go ahead! I promise I won't tell.

Losing weight is a wonderful accomplishment. But seeing the real you can be tricky. Luckily, the human spirit is nothing if not resilient. So go ahead and celebrate your new found slimness. Just remember to clean house on the inside as well.