Finding Fitness: What Men Should Know About Extreme Weight Loss

At first, it was slow. Then, you noticed the scale moving more quickly. Now, you’re at a point where you’re losing weight at a record pace.

Then, it happens. The loose skin. It wasn’t a big deal when the weight loss started, but now you’re looking a little weird and it’s not doing anything for your love life. And, that’s not all. You feel different. Somehow, you don’t feel like yourself.

Here’s what’s happening and what you can do about it.

The Loose Skin

Loose skin is a natural side effect of extreme weight loss. It happens because the collagen that skin is made of can’t adjust as rapidly as fat is being lost. Your body will eventually adjust, but it may take a long time.

In some cases, your skin is permanently altered and there’s not enough elasticity to get it back into shape. According to KR Plastic Surgery, you can always have the loose skin cut out or “tucked” if you’re worried about it.

You’re Sad

According to the University College London, subjects who lose 5 percent of their body weight are 78 percent more likely to become depressed. Sounds weird, right? Well, it’s a normal occurrence because losing weight doesn’t always change our perceptions about life and the way we think.

We often envision our lives being dramatically different after losing 50 or 100 pounds. The reality is that we’re not any different (aside from the fat). We still have the same fears and frustrations, the same psychological hangups, the same relationship issues, and the same problems at work.

The trick is to stick with it – get a good night’s sleep, focus on healthy foods, but don’t become preoccupied with food and dieting to the point where your relationships with others suffer or you can’t be happy.

Your Love Life Suffers

You’re losing weight. Your spouse or significant other should be happy for you, right? Well, not always. A study from the North Carolina State University showed that, when one spouse embarks on a mission to lose weight, the other spouse may feel abandoned or alienated. Instead of feeling happy for the other person, they become jealous or angry. Some non-dieting spouses feel guilty because they’re not doing it and they lash out.

A Pain In The Stomach

A popular method for losing weight involves adopting a low-fat diet. But, these diets carry the risk of gallstones developing. How? The gallbladder is responsible for releasing bile and bile salts. Bile breaks down fats for digestion.

When you cut your fat intake, you reduce the amount of bile that’s released from your gallbladder. This, in turn, helps kidney stones to form.

A simple remedy for this is to always make sure you’re eating some fat. Of course, too much fat is bad, but not because there’s anything inherently bad about it.

It’s because fat is so calorie dense. By including fat, but still monitoring your calories, you can lose weight without developing health problems.

Dr Kevin Rughe is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and specializes in aesthetic surgery. He always welcomes the opportunity to share his observations and research with a wider audience online. He has already written a number of informative articles that have appeared on relevant websites.