Ashley Rowen
While we may feel as though our lives are pretty mundane, the truth is that humans are ever-evolving; we’re always experiencing different things that change who we are and alter our day-to-day lives. And while there’s no denying that things like losing a loved one, getting married, and starting a family are big friggin deals, few things are as transformative as losing weight—especially when it’s a substantial amount. And that’s because, for many, their weight defines how they feel about themselves and how others view them.
Our body image dictates how we interact with others, how confident we feel, and impacts how healthy we feel going about our day-to-day lives. So, while you’ve likely mentally prepared yourself for some of the changes synonymous with slimming down (i.e. buying new pants), there are a number of things—some good and some sort of strange—you may have never realized come along with a trimmer figure.
Read on to discover 28 who-knew consequences of shedding the pounds.
6. The Couch Will Seem Less Appealing
Before you lost weight, those extra LBs were straining your joints and weighing you down—literally. So it’s really no wonder you were tired and craving couch time on the reg. Now that you’ve shed the weight, however, your joints will probably be less achy and your energy levels will rise, making your oh-so-squishy couch seem less appealing.
7. Your Priorities May Change
Dannii Martin, the blogger behind Hungry Healthy Happy, lost a whopping 98 pounds in 18 months after her doc informed her she had developed issues with her heart. In a blog entitled “Losing Weight Did Change Me—I Am Not The Same Person”* she writes: “My priorities have changed. Going out and drinking used to be what my life revolved around and now my life is much more balanced. [My priorities now] include work, good food (sometimes junk, mostly healthy), spending time with the people I love, workouts, and generally being happy. Of course, there are still some parts of my personality that have not changed..but I am different. I completely changed my life.” Don’t be shocked if you experience a similar shift, too.
8. You’ll Sleep Better
They may seem totally unrelated, but snoring, sleep, and weight loss shares an interesting relationship. Sleep apnea and snoring—which are often caused by excess weight around the neck—can vanish with a weight loss of as little as five percent. So, once you’ve shed some weight you’ll probably sleep better, which can help accelerate your weight loss wins even further!
Eat This! Tip
Try healthy foods you never enjoyed before. In your trimmer frame, they may become new favorites that can help you maintain your weight loss in the long run.
9. You May Be More Chillaxed
Fred Lechuga, who pens the blog Fat 2 Fit Fred, used to have horrible road rage prior to shedding an impressive 150-pounds. But, since shedding the weight, he said he’s cool as a cucumber. In his post,
“10 Ways How My Life Changed After Losing Over 150 Pounds,”
he writes:
“When I was overweight and behind the wheel, my middle finger was out the window quite a bit when I was going to and from work. (I know, I know, stupid.) Nowadays, my attitude is more like, ‘Whatever dude, cut me off, I don’t care.’ Now some of that may be a result of maturity, but I truly believe I am just a more relaxed person due to my lifestyle changes.”
While everyone reacts to weight loss different, a more laid back you may just be one of the many perks of your leaner physique!
10. Your Memory May Improve
If remembering people’s names has been a struggle for you most of your life, the extra weight you were carrying around may have been to blame.
In one study, women performed better on memory tests after losing weight than they did prior to dropping the pounds.
Why?
Brain scans revealed that once the women lost weight, there was more activity while they were forming memories and less activity during memory recall, suggesting that carrying around excess pounds may make it more difficult for the brain to work efficiently.
