Someone I know recently opened up to me about coping with weight gain fear. She lost significant weight and was very worried about gaining it back to the point that it was taking over her life. Her email was one of desperation and anxiety. A cry for help.
This is a feeling I know all too well after losing 80 pounds. For years post my weight loss, I had constant fears of gaining the weight back. Honestly, I wish there were a magic pill to remove that fear but unfortunately there isn't.
What most people don't realize, is how easy losing weight once you commit to it. The hard part is learning to have a positive body image and healthy relationship with food, which means coping with weight gain fear.
[Tweet "After Weight Loss: Coping With Weight Gain Fear #weightloss"]
Coping With Weight Gain Fear, 4 Tips To Manage Fear
Realize Weight Fluctuation Is Normal
As your body settles into its new weight, you may fluctuate especially if you're a woman. Hormones get can disrupted during weight loss especially if you have been a chronic dieter or under chronic stress. The body is VERY sensitive to stress.
Weight loss is a stress on the body and the body doesn't know the difference between good and bad stress either. That means too much working out can contribute to that stress. Stress disrupts the body systems that produce hormones.
Everyone's hormones have a different way of reacting to stress, but women can be particularly vulnerable to it. Understand it's normal to fluctuate especially after a major weight loss. You're body is settling into its new normal.
Put Your Big Bra On
It's easy not to recognize your body after losing a lot of weight. This allows irrational fears to creep in that you'll gain weight back overnight. What I've done to combat my irrational fears of gaining weight is putting on an old bra I kept from before my weight loss. It's a reminder of where I started and how far I've come.
Whether it's a pair of jeans or a bra, keep one thing around that you can do this physical comparison with. It's a good reality check.
Trust Yourself
Trusting yourself is the most challenging thing to do post weight loss. The good news is if you're still following healthy eating and exercise habits as you did during your weight loss then you have nothing to worry about. Reminding yourself of the unhealthy habits you had before your weight loss keeps things in perspective like a virtual measurement of how much you've changed. Part of trusting yourself is accepting the new version of you. That's a hard thing to do.
[AdSense-A]
People who've lost significant weight struggle to see their new self. They still see the fat person in the mirror who made poor, unhealthy choices. That vision of your old self will not go away over night, but as you work on seeing your new self you will eventually come to a place of trust.
Know When To Seek Help
Weight loss is a good thing, but even a good thing can be taken too far. When your mind becomes overly preoccupied with weight, food and exercise that you can no longer live your life day to day life and it's controlling everything you do, it's time to seek professional help.
Signs of needing help are counting every bit of food that goes into your mouth, exercising excessively, feeling anxious going out to eat or to social events, restricting foods or food groups, drastically reducing caloric intake, taking laxatives, binging, or not eating altogether. These are negative signs that things have gone too far, and you should work with a professional.
[AdSense-A]
If this is you, I urge you to get help. This is not a healthy place. As someone who struggled with this two years post weight loss, I know too well how this feels. How it suffocates you making you feel isolated and ashamed.
Working with someone is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength.
People often think reaching out for help is a sign of failure. It's not. If you're physically sick, you go to a professional like a doctor, right? If you're relationship with food is unhealthy, then why wouldn't you do the same?
You need someone like me who knows what it's like being in your shoes. Someone who can support you in a nonjudgemental way. I wish I had someone like me to turn to when I was going through this.
Sign up now and let's work on this together!
This is totally the most terrible fear of my life. I've never been successful with any kind of diet.
A very inspiring post, thank you, I'll give it a try one more time
Feel free to email me to share what's going on!
your post makes me thing a lot today. I have so much fear in my life about everything around me and about me. Most thing is my weight. Your topic and tips help me a lot. Thank you.
I like you topic. I know how it feels to have a fear that everyone else thinks is silly. It's so difficult to deal with.
Thanks for sharing this post. it's so inspiring.
Love this post!
I too fear gaining weight back. I lost over 100lbs (at my heaviest) and have been able to maintain within 10-15 lbs of that loss. I haven't touched a scale for a long time and now that I am in my "off season" of running for a little while, I want to make my proper fueling more a priority. I hopped on the scale the other day and was happy with the number it said, I hadn't ruined my maintenance weight all that bad. Yes, I ALWAYS have a little bee in my ear with how I perceive myself in the mirror, but it has gotten easier... Reflecting on how far I have come is more than just the reflection in the mirror...
Appreciate reading this post! Thank you for sharing!
Great post Megan!
I'm at the "gained weight, trying to lose it again" stage and it can be frustrating. The good news is that *I* didn't do anything wrong as it's medication related, but that's also the bad news because it makes it more difficult to make changes, too.
Megan this such a great post. I think everyone suffers a little bit of anxiety when it comes to weight gain. I myself have been so stressed out about that I ended up gaining more weight because I am stress eater. Go figure. I am learning to balance my life a bit better and gain control once again. I know I've been MIA for a bit but happy to come back and read great posts from you like always!
Thank you Daisy, I've missed you! Glad you're back. I think learning to balance life is a forever process.
I have feared gaining weight, but I actually found that the BEST thing was dumping the scale. It really bound me/restricted me, and it made my fears worse, though unfounded. It also helps me follow my hunger cues better.
Getting rid of the scale was best for me as well. It can play mental games with you.
such a good post, for mental health too! i think this can be true for any previous weight management, gain or loss. It's the focus on a number a size that needs to go. Yes?
Thanks Linds! I think weight loss is more mental health than most people realize. I agree the focus should be on getting healthy not obtaining a certain size or figure.
I have written a lot about this too since I was heavy in my younger years. I always say that you have yo go into it knowing it is for life. It is not lose the weight & go back to eating the way you did. It is a life learning process for sure! Sometimes I still see that fat kid in the mirror!
Jody! I could not agree more. You must go into with a long term comitment & change how you eat and move for life. I still see myself as fat too. How long has it been since your weight loss? I often wonder if I will always see myself as the fat girl. Being injured last year made it very difficult. I had to allow my body to do what it needed to in order to heal & that meant gaining a few pounds. I must admit. I don't like the way I look right now and have a lot of frustration with my body. I keep reminding myself of how far I've come & that I'm not that fat girl even with some "fluff."
Such a great post, Megan! Congrats on your weight loss and keeping it off. You're an inspiration, and these tips should help others too!
Thanks Ashley! I try to remind myself how far I've come when I feel frustrated with my body.