The Hidden Truth: Uncovering the Downsides of Losing Weight – What No One Tells You!

Picture this… you’ve hit your weight loss goal and you’re living in your dream body without the health issues and insecurities from being overweight. But the unexpected truth is there are actually a few downsides to hitting your weight loss goal–ones we need to talk about.

That being said, losing 40, 50, 60 pounds isn’t ALL sunshine and roses. There are actually a few downsides and some unexpected consequences of losing this much weight.

And so, if you’re thinking of starting a weight loss journey of your own, I thought it might be helpful to fully understand what you’re in for by sharing some of the not-so-awesome things about losing weight.

I know, right? At this point, you’re probably rolling your eyes and thinking “Cry me a river.” So let me just qualify all of this by saying, I DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR MYSELF. I would still choose skinny.

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few downsides. So take this information in for yourself and decide whether it’s worth it.

Downside #1 – You have to buy all new clothes

Now, I understand that this may sound like a first-world problem, but it’s true! As your body shrinks, your clothes will start to feel increasingly baggy and shapeless and they won’t look good. If you lose a significant amount of weight, you’ll likely end up having to replace your entire wardrobe—which can be both costly and time-consuming.

In my case, I had spent a lot of time and money building up a beautiful wardrobe of stylish (and I’m not gonna lie–pretty expensive) size 12 and 14 clothes. 

I had carefully curated a closet full of “investment” pieces that would hide my body. I think in some ways I figured that if I couldn’t be skinny, then at least I would have the best clothes.

But as I lost weight and dropped down several dress sizes, it became increasingly obvious that there were many things in my closet I could no longer wear. At first, I tried just putting the “fat” clothes away, in case I’d need them again. 

But ultimately, that felt like self-sabotage, like I was setting myself up for failure.

Downside #2 – Your female friends may get jealous

This unexpected consequence I ran into honestly really caught me off guard.

Because I really do feel SO lucky to have such an awesome group of friends in my life, and we really do a lot of life together. All the women in our group are powerhouses–they’re strong and independent and confident and funny, and the kind of women who build each other up, not tear each other down.

But like I said, I’m really lucky in that regard because not all women are like that.

And sometimes you might have a friend who doesn’t handle your weight loss all that well, especially if they’ve been more of the “cute” one or the “skinny one” in your relationship, and you suddenly start transforming positively and they don’t.

And this may manifest itself in subtle ways, where you wonder if you’re being overly sensitive or just imagining it. Almost like just your female intuition kicks in and you can feel that something is a little off. It could be a snarky comment here or there or even just a sense of annoyance. In other cases, it may be more overt—like a friend who is suddenly less interested in hanging out, or who starts trying to undermine your efforts.

And honestly, what I’ve realized is that a lot of times when that happens–the problem isn’t actually with you, it’s with themselves and their own insecurities.

And so, if you’re losing weight and notice a change in how your female friends treat you, here’s my advice. Even though you’re probably feeling hurt and upset at their lack of support, try to be understanding and sensitive and not take it personally. Remember that they may be going through a tough time themselves, and try to be supportive rather than judgmental.

That said, if you find that jealousy is really affecting your friendship, it may be time to have an honest conversation about what’s going on. Sometimes just clearing the air can go a long way in maintaining the relationship.

Downside #3 – It may change your intimate relationship

Losing a large amount of weight can also have a big impact on your most intimate relationship with your partner or spouse.

If you’re in a relationship with someone who has always seen you as “the bigger one,” they may have trouble adjusting to your new body. In my case, thankfully, my husband was incredibly supportive of my weight loss efforts, especially since we were really in it together–but as a self-proclaimed “boob” man, he did get VERY sad as my boobs got MUCH smaller.

Thankfully it hasn’t changed our feelings for each other, and honestly, I feel like our sex life is better than ever because of how much more confident I feel with my own body.

But in some cases, a big change in your body can lead to feelings of insecurity or even resentment, especially if one partner is losing weight and the other isn’t.

But I think losing weight can also affect your relationship in other ways. Sometimes it’s a positive change, especially when both of you are making healthier changes and choices. In our program, we find that a lot of spouses end up losing weight by default, even without really trying, because you’re cooking Thinlicious-approved food for the whole family.

And that ends up spurring other changes, like cooking together or enjoying more activities together, and just having more energy. And I love seeing that.

But if you’re not on the same page, that can be hard.

And honestly, it’s something that you have to talk about. If it ends up being a really big issue you might even need to consider counseling.

Downside #4 – You may experience hair loss

This one may come as a shock, but losing a significant amount of weight can actually lead to big changes in your hair—and not always good ones. You may find that it’s thinner, drier, or even starting to fall out. While this is totally normal (and usually temporary), it can still be pretty distressing, especially if you’re not expecting it.

This definitely happened for me and I’m not gonna lie–it freaked me out BIG TIME when I started seeing what felt like a huge amount of hair coming out every time I’d take a shower or brush my hair.

So with a little research, I discovered that when your body loses a large amount of weight relatively quickly, it can go into a little bit of shock and respond by shedding hair.

In other words, it’s normal. But that’s not all that reassuring when you’re experiencing it.

Thankfully, in my case, as my weight stabilized and I went into maintenance mode, where I’ve been for the past two years, my hair stopped falling out and it turns out that it really was just a temporary thing.

That said, every body is different, so if you start to notice hair loss after losing weight, the first thing you may want to do is talk to a specialist. They can determine if the hair loss is due to weight loss or another underlying condition, and they can also provide you with tips on how to deal with it.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help reduce hair loss. First, make sure you’re eating a balanced diet with lots of collagen and protein, and taking a multivitamin that includes biotin. You may also want to try using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, washing your hair less often, and avoiding heat styling tools.

The potential for hair loss is a downside. Even if it’s temporary, it’s not fun.

Downside #5 – Peer pressure to rebound 

You may find yourself experiencing the peer pressure to just “get back to normal.”

People might start telling you things like, “You’ve gotten too skinny,” or “When are you going start eating regular food again?” Sometimes it can almost feel like the people who were most supportive and your biggest cheerleaders are now trying to sabotage your success.

Of course, this can be really confusing and frustrating. On the one hand, you may feel like you’ve finally accomplished something and people are now encouraging you to gain back the weight so you can be “normal”. On the other hand, you may feel like they’re just trying to help you avoid “getting too skinny.”

If you face peer pressure after losing weight, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You can politely decline when people offer you food, and you can explain that you’re happy with your new body. If necessary, you can also distance yourself from people who are pressuring you to rebound.

Ultimately, losing weight is a personal decision, and it’s important to do what’s best for you. If you’re happy with your new body, then don’t let anyone else tell you what to do.

Downside #6 – You may have loose skin or stretch marks 

Depending on how much weight you lose, and where you started, even if you hit your goal weight, you may be left with loose skin or stretch marks.

This is especially true if you’ve lost weight quickly or if you have a lot of excess weight to lose. In fact, with the new weight loss drugs that are out there, I’ve seen a lot of articles recently on the uptick in plastic surgery from what doctors are calling “the ozempic effect.”

Losing weight super fast is not always better because it doesn’t always give your skin time to catch up.

Some people find that their skin tightens up after they lose weight, others are left with sagging skin or stretch marks. There are a few things you can do to help improve the appearance of your skin.

First, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet. This will help to hydrate your skin and promote collagen production. You may also want to try using topical treatments like retinol or vitamin C serum. And finally, don’t forget to exfoliate regularly!

If you’re not happy with the appearance of your skin after losing weight, talk to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. They may be able to recommend treatments that can help improve the appearance of your skin.

Downside #7 – Feeling embarrassed by how you used to look 

You may find that old photos or videos are difficult to look at, or you may feel self-conscious when you see yourself in them. Or even feeling awkward when you run into people who haven’t seen you in a while, and they comment on how much weight you’ve lost.

Being angry or upset that people treat you totally differently. Like somehow you’re more valuable as a skinny person than you were as a fat person.

And that can bring up a lot of emotion.

If you find yourself struggling with this, it can be helpful to reflect on how far you’ve come and to celebrate your success.

Remind yourself that no matter what other people may think or say, YOU are the one in charge of your own destiny.

At the end of the day, losing a significant amount of weight isn’t easy and it can take a toll on you emotionally. However, with the right attitude and self-care, you can find ways to cope with the downsides and celebrate your successes.

So, there they are—seven (potential) downsides to losing weight that we don’t always think about.

All the POSITIVE benefits of losing weight and transforming your health FAR outweigh the bad. It is still think it’s important to be emotionally prepared for all the potential outcomes–good and bad. Because in the end, the more you can mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come, the better chance you’ll have of being successful and avoiding self-sabotage.

Next steps

WHEW, you guys! I know that was a LOT of information in a short amount of time! 

There’s SO much more I could say about this topic! 

But I wanted to invite you to watch our new FREE on demand video training all about how to lose weight and transform your health (without dieting, drugs, or making yourself miserable)!

Find more support and coaching in the TAS Program

But as I said, that IS something we go MUCH more inside our TAS program, so that’s an amazing resource for you there if you are part of that program.

If you aren’t familiar, TAS is short for Thin Adapted System and is our main program here at Thinlicious.

If you are READY to get serious about transforming your health in a really significant way, then please know that we will be opening enrollment again at the end of October. 

Because it is such a hands-on program, we only open the doors a few times a year and only have a limited number of seats available each time, so be sure to get on our waitlist for that.

Listen to the podcast

If you liked this post, you’ll absolutely LOVE the podcast on the same topic!

Listen to the Ditch the Carbs podcast right here!

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In the meantime, if this post was helpful to you, please be sure to pass it along to anyone you think could benefit. 

I truly believe that we can change the world by helping people transform their health, so if you have any friends or family who are struggling with health issues, just send them a link to this post so they can start reading too. 

Remember, knowledge is power!