We all know that getting fit and eating right result in positive body changes; becoming leaner, stronger and generally in better overall health. However, there are some changes that aren’t exactly positive and no one ever really talks about them. Today, I’m going to.
Saggy Skin
It’s best not to lose weight rapidly. Standard advice is to set a goal of losing 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. This gives your body time to adjust, especially your skin. But sometimes, losing weight slowly isn’t in the cards, as was in my case. I needed to lose weight as rapidly as possible due to the impending heart attack/stroke if I didn’t. As a result, I have a lot of sagging skin, especially in my upper arms where my weight loss was particularly rapid. My goal is to fill out my skin as much as possible with muscle, but I feel that surgery will be inevitable, not just for aesthetics but for comfort. Chafing and sore skin is a very real thing when you have excess skin. The best way to avoid this is slow, controlled weight loss, but if you have to lose it quickly, do understand that saggy skin will likely become a problem.
Body Temperature
I live in a relatively cold climate but because of all my extra padding, I typically went through the winters with a t-shirt and on really cold days, a light hoodie. I was always warm, and often sweating. As a result of the quick weight loss, my body never had time to gradually adjust to less fat and a different core temperature. Consequently, now I’m always cold; and nights are the worst! I will frequently have to take warm showers and drink hot tea before bed, and most nights I wear several shirts, a sweatshirt and multiple blankets to bed! I’ve had to add large puffy coats to my hoodie collection in order not to freeze and even with all that, shivering is a regular phenomenon. On the plus side, 100 degree summers will probably feel fantastic!
Waste
This topic is in the TMI category but I feel it is an important thing to know. When you start changing your diet, eating less and exercising more, your bowels are going to change. When it first happened it scared the living daylights out of me and I thought something was terribly wrong! Basically, you’re going to poo less both in frequency and quantity. Think about it. You’re eating half of what you did before, and what you are eating isn’t junk, so it’s being utilized efficiently for nutrition, leaving very little waste. It can be uncomfortable and disconcerting, just know that it’s not uncommon.
Medications
If you’re taking medications for various ailments and you start working on your health, make sure to monitor your medications. I have diabetes and was on metformin, but when I lowered my carb intake, lost weight and started exercising frequently, I didn’t think to monitor my blood sugars resulting in some scary scary low blood sugars. The same thing happened with my high blood pressure, and I almost fainted several times before checking with my doctor who told me to discontinue my medication.
Metabolism
A common tactic for people who want to lose weight is to cut calories. If you’re eating 3000 calories per day and not exercising, this is a good strategy, but you can take it too far. When I started cutting my food I didn’t know what I was doing and cut myself to around 700 calories per day. After the first couple of weeks, I didn’t feel hungry anymore because on that severe of a caloric restriction my body went into starvation mode and my metabolism shut down. It was only after working with my personal trainer did I discover that this was neither healthy nor sustainable, but in order to prevent rapid weight gain, we started tracking my food and slowly increased my caloric intake by about 100 calories per day each week. And holy cow, did that speed up my metabolism! I started burning food like crazy and was so hungry all the time! It was great to eat again! My caloric intake is currently around 1600/day, and I’m still losing weight. My goal is to be around 2000 taking into account how active I am. Everyone’s requirements will differ, but don’t starve yourself. It doesn’t do you any good!
Injury
If you exercise, you’re going to get hurt. It’s inevitable. You’re going to lose concentration, or step in a pothole in the dark, or pull a muscle. The best thing you can do for yourself is to realize that injury is part of being an active person, and if you injure yourself, take care of yourself. “No pain, no gain” is absolutely false! There shouldn’t be pain when you exercise and if there is, you’re doing something wrong. Please note that pain is not the same thing as muscle burn, which is something that absolutely should be happening! If you hurt yourself, rest until you get better. You’re not going to do yourself any favors by pushing through it. If you do, you’re just more likely to create a bigger problem, like needing knee replacement surgery which will take a lot more work to recover from than a strained ligament!
My Journey to Health 