Here’s Why Losing Weight Is Not a Magic Pill To ALL Of Your Problems

When you’re overwhelmed by extra pounds you have to carry around, it’s obvious that losing weight can be a very positive experience.

Not only can it help you improve your overall health, make you feel more confident, but also – potentially prevent various conditions.

However, weight loss can also make you develop a tricky mindset.

For people who have been overweight for a long time, weight loss might seem like a magic pill that will fix all of their problems… But while weight loss really has many benefits, you need to ensure that you are losing weight for the correct reasons.

Otherwise, you might get unpleasantly disappointed once you reach that goal weight.

The following tips will give you a closer look at the importance of being realistic about your weight loss and how it will impact your life overall.

1. Weight Loss Will Improve Your Confidence, But There’s One BUT

There’s no secret that weight loss is a huge factor in improving your diminished confidence.

Many people are treated poorly at some point in their lives for being overweight.

A lot of times it happens at school because children are especially hard on each other for not looking “the way they’re supposed to”.

But it also happens in workplaces too.

This is because being overweight is often viewed in a negative light within our society, even with those trending “love your body” movements.

Basically, if you are overweight, you are automatically labeled as lazy and over-indulgent.

However, weight is often gained when we are using food as a coping mechanism.

Mental health issues, past traumas, loneliness, and inner discomfort are usually the real reasons why people gain weight.

Trying repeatedly and failing to finally lose the weight (aka yo-yo dieting) can also create a vicious cycle, which can be difficult to break free from and further deepens those mental problems.

It is important to understand that losing weight will likely have a positive impact on your confidence, but it will not be a cure for all of the underlying issues that likely lead you to overeat in the first place. 

You will still have to decipher those emotional eating patterns and deal with your mental issues separately.

2. Weight Loss Will Definitely Improve Your Health But It’s Not A Cure-Everything Solution

There’s no denying – weight loss can be extremely beneficial for your overall health.

It can help to prevent certain conditions and even reverse some conditions, such as high blood pressure.

However, it is important to be realistic about this as well.

If you think that losing weight or, as it’s now become popular – certain nutrition types or diets will cure all of your underlying conditions – you should rethink it.

Just because Susan from your work cured her PCOS with a gluten-free diet, it doesn’t mean that it applies to everyone.

Just because your cousin Jenna doesn’t get any more migraines after losing a few pounds with keto… you get the idea. There’s no harm in trying it yourself, but make sure to coordinate all of your experiments with a doctor, whether it’s a new diet, a food supplement, or something else. 

Try not to make weight loss a panacea, because you really, honestly can’t know if it will cure or improve a certain condition unless there is scientifical proof that it will.

So try to just enjoy the benefits of weight loss, whatever they are.

Many people see positive results in their mood and overall health after losing weight, and these subtle improvements really do apply to everyone.  As long as you keep a positive mindset and know what you are working towards, you should be able to achieve your goals and possibly improve your well-being in a realistic and achievable way.

A great way to spark positive body image and healthy weight loss is to read a few books that help you shape self-loving, positive mindset.

Here are a few I recommend to start with:

Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free

Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out–and Never Say Diet Again

3. You Will Still Have Work to Do

One of the most important things to remember about weight loss is that it is not going to miraculously solve all of your weight problems. Sure, you will fit into the clothes you want once you reach your goal weight, but taking care of yourself doesn’t stop there.

You will still have to eat sensibly and exercise regularly to keep that goal weight.

And while this may sound daunting, it is actually a good thing because otherwise, you would lose a stimulus to eat healthily and get back to your old eating habits which would possibly lead back to your initial weight.

4. Ultimately, Weight Loss Is Still Great

Nothing beats the feeling of your effort paying off and seeing those desired results in the mirror.

Just make sure to understand that it isn’t going to cure your depression and anxiety, find you a good relationship, or fix your mindset.

While many of your problems do actually arise from you being overweight, a big part of them is probably not related to your size at all.

By understanding this, you can start a journey to health that not only includes reaching a healthy weight but also working on your mental wellness, anxiety, and social skills at the same time.

Isn’t that great?

You can actually improve in a few different areas of your life just by taking a deeper approach to this healthy weight loss idea… Sounds like a really good plan to get healthy both inside and out.

Amber & The Team

Co-authors at ShineSheets.com

"We love to research problems, examine studies, analyze solutions, and share with you ideas that make life healthier. You can learn about us and our editorial standards here. Have suggestions or feedback to share? Send us a message!."