10 Things You Should Do After a Dramatic Weight Loss

If you have been on a long weight loss journey then you know what it’s like to look in the mirror one day and not recognize the person looking back at you. This realization could have been the deciding factor in taking that extra step and beginning your weight loss journey but it can also be a regular occurrance after you have had a dramatic weight loss. If you are in this boat then I’m right there with you.

Back in January 2005 I gave birth to my third daughter. That day I weighed in at 323 pounds. I was shocked that I had allowed myself to get that big. I had only gained 14 pounds with that pregnancy so I could not blame it on the pregnancy. When my daughter’s first birthday arrived I had only managed to lose 35 pounds on my own. So on January 16, 2006 I decided that was it! I started doing Weight Watchers. I don’t go to meetings or anything like that because I just don’t have the funds for that. I do it on my own with information from friends, the internet and other people who have done Weight Watchers. In the last eleven months I have managed, with hard work and dedication, to lose another 61 pounds, for a grand total of 96 pounds lost since the birth of my youngest daughter.

To tell you that I look different would be a huge understatement. I look like a completely different person. In the last year I’ve gone down five clothes sizes. So I had to finally break down and shop for clothes about a month or so ago. Since then I’ve realized that there are actually a lot of things that a person should do after they have had a dramatic weight loss. So I’ve created this list in hopes that other people could benefit from it.

1. Shop for clothes! Everyone should shop for new clothes when they have lost a lot of weight. There is really no sense in hanging out in clothes that are way too big for you. New, smaller clothes will help boost your self esteem and they will show you what all of your hard work has accomplished.

2. Throw out old clothes! You don’t have to actually throw them out, unless you really want to. But definitely get rid of them. This goes for pajamas also. You could sell them on Ebay, have a yardsale or just give them away to someone. If none of that works then give them to charity and finally as a last resort throw them out! You don’t want to be tempted to wear clothes that are too big for your new body. They will only make you look frumpy and may possibly just fall right off at the most inappropriate moment. I would definitely suggest shopping for the new clothes first or you will not have anything to wear once you start throwing clothes out.

3. Go out and get your hair done! It’s time for a new ‘do to go with your new body. Your body is lighter so why not go for a lighter hairdo. I did and I’m loving it!

4. Do accept any and all praise! When you have a dramatic weight loss, people who don’t see you often will have a downright halarious reaction to your new body size the next time that they see you. Even some people that you see regularly will have a funny reaction. It goes something like this, “OH MY GOSH! You look FANATASTIC!!! How much have you lost????”. The volume of these comments will be very loud so expect everyone in hearing distance to turn and look at you with a lot of interest. Try your hardest not to blush, I always do, and accept the praise graciously. I hear this about once a month from a friend I went to high school with. She makes me laugh every month because of her reaction to seeing me.

5. Don’t try to hide how much you have lost! People, like the example in #4, will not let you off the hook until you tell them EXACTLY how much you have lost. So you might as well just go ahead and tell them.

6. Do keep working on yourself! Just because you have lost a lot of weight does not mean that you can just stop doing all of the new habits that you have created. Do continue to eat healthy and exercise in order to maintain your wonderful new body. If you are like me and still have more weight to lose then shake up your routine a bit in order to keep your body from getting bored.

7. Do allow yourself a simple pleasure every now and then! Everyone says that you shouldn’t have sweets when you are losing weight. But if you never allow yourself a simple little treat now and again you will eventually OVERindulge and that will mess up all of your hardwork. So if you have a special occassion where there will be a sweet treat available then go ahead and have one small piece. Especially during the holidays. Just make sure not to go overboard with it. One little treat is enough.

8. Do let people take your picture! I know that most overweight people downright hate to have their pictures taken on any occassion. Pictures are too much of a reminder of what has happened to your body. I always hated having my picture taken. I would look at them and not even recognize that person. NOW I don’t mind one bit. Actually I’ve had my picture taken more in the last few months than I have in YEARS. Now, you should let pictures become a reminder of how far you have come in your weight loss journey!

9. Do love yourself! You should look in the mirror everyday and realize that you look great! You have worked hard and you need to appreciate your own body. Other people (like spouses *wink*) are probably appreciating your body, so why shouldn’t you?

10. Enjoy!! Enjoy your new body, your new confidence, your new self esteem…..enjoy everything about the new you! But it is always important to sustain your weight so you wont go back to your old size ever again. As such, while maintaining your figure and diet, make sure to tak lose weight supplements like leptoconnect to help you keep your healthy body.

In the end, a dramatic weight loss can mean big changes in your life. I still have some weight to lose in order to get to my goal weight but it amazes me every day at how far I have come in this crazy journey and it really IS a journey. Just like any trial in your life, weight loss will have it’s ups and downs. Just stick with it and you will be rewarded in the end and what a fanastic reward it is.