One obvious change that many people don’t consider when they start losing weight is that they’re going to need a new wardrobe. If you lose a particularly large amount of weight, you might also have to buy clothes in an interim size until you hit your goal weight. Plus, while considering all the new clothing you’ll need, there are other smaller items you might forget, such as having to get new holes punched in your belts or taking links out of your watch.
Increased Risk for Depression
Although it seems counterintuitive, dropping weight may actually put you at an increased risk for depression. For four years, researchers watched approximately 2,000 overweight adults to track their changes. Those who lost a minimum of 5 percent of their body weight had a 78 percent higher chance of reporting depression than those who didn’t lose any weight. Some psychologists believe this is because it’s easy to blame other problems on weight, but when you lose the weight and those problems still don’t change, that realization leads to depression.
Relationship Shifts
As you continue to lose weight, you might notice a strain on your relationships with your friends and significant other. One study even showed that weight loss surgery patients have a higher divorce rate. Trips to the gym after work replace hitting the bar for happy hour with your friends, and healthier meal options at home might not always please your spouse. Try to create new activities with your friends that won’t derail your weight loss, and be sure to explain to your spouse why losing weight is important to you.
Excess Skin
Skin is elastic and can usually stretch to accommodate extra weight. If you lose a lot of weight very quickly, or if you’re older and your skin has lost some of its elasticity, you might end up with sagging folds of excess skin. Although time can sometimes allow that excess skin to tighten, you can also opt to see a plastic surgeon such as Dr. Honrado for a minimally invasive procedure that aims to repair loose skin.
Change in Taste
Although it’s not discussed very often, a Stanford University study showed that 87 percent of patients who underwent bariatric surgery reported a change in their sense of taste. Half of those people said that food tasted duller — though the other half said that food actually tasted stronger. Another study from the Leicester Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom reported that 75 percent of weight loss surgery patients developed a distaste for certain foods after the operation — mainly dairy and meat products.
As you continue on your weight loss journey, make sure you take the time to consider how you’ll deal with these common challenges.