Weight Loss Can Create Feelings of Elation and Isolation

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese (1). It’s no surprise then, that about 45 million Americans are on a diet every year, spending over $30 billion on products to help them shed pounds (2).

We’re a nation inundated with ways to manage our weight and perfect our bodies, from statistics on how excess heft can increase our risk for heart problems to, on a more disturbing level, articles that talk about how women can get in on the thigh gap trend (later followed by the bikini bridge trend).

As someone who lost 70 pounds in 2007 and has managed to keep it off since, I know all too well about the intricacies that weight loss entails, from its wonderful health benefits and “I can take on the world” feelings to not so wonderful moments where friendships, and even my own common sense, faded.

A closer look at the impact of weight and weight loss

In reflecting on those years, certain songs come to mind, music fan that I am. While they may not be spot-on with the original artist’s intended meaning, they have parallels that can be likened to the world of weight loss and can hopefully provide physical and mental health lessons along the way.

1) Big Girl’s Don’t Cry by the Four Seasons

Oh, yes they do.

In a study by conducted by Julie Lumeng, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, obese children were 65 percent more likely to be bullied than peers of a normal weight (3). “What we found is that it didn’t matter,” Dr. Lumeng says. “No matter how good your social skills, if you were overweight or obese you were more likely to be bullied.”

Interestingly, bullied kids have been shown to have higher CRP, or inflammation levels, as time went on, a finding that experts say could mean that such children have a three- to four-fold increased risk of getting diabetes or even heart disease (4).

Whew. I recently had my routine physical and am happy to report that my inflammation levels are fine, despite having been met with a series of rude comments and stares while my size 22 self walked around the mall back in the day. Or, more likely, to the candy store.

2) Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves

The feeling of being able to walk through turnstiles without having to turn sideways or to go up a flight of stairs without feeling winded is amazing, and this song captures the feel-good vibe of weight loss. It’s peppy and bursting with energy, just like folks who have lost weight.

People who lose weight, even just 10 pounds, are said to significantly improve their health and increase their energy. With 70 pounds less of me, I can attest to this; my energy has soared since the days of eating dinner from a vending machine at work.

3) That’s What Friends are For by Dionne Warwick

Ah, the importance of a network of friends is essential during, and even after, weight loss. They’ll keep you smiling and shining, as they did for me, praising my success (“wow, another five pounds, that’s great, Jen!”) to joking about times when my diet and exercise obsession got out of hand. In the latter case, they’d joke that it was all right to have some pasta and even (gasp) olive oil (yes, I used to be of the mind set that oil = bad and carbs = bad, until I learned about the good kinds and bad kinds. These days, I’m a huge fan of coconut oil and especially enjoy putting it in oatmeal, another food that I avoided back in the days of obsessing).

I learned a lot along the way from my friends, even “friends” that don’t know they’re my friends like those who have authored books about body image and healthy cooking, showing that weight maintence isn’t about complete avoidance and fear, but like life, of letting the right things in.

4) You’re so Vain by Carly Simon

When I lost weight, I also gained confidence. Why wouldn’t I? I could do things I hadn’t been able to in a long while like easily touch my toes or fit into clothes that came from stores that didn’t even have a plus-size section. Because of this, I was happier.

However, for many, my smiles and new styles were mistaken for extreme vanity. I noticed that friends who used hang out with me began to distance themselves and I even heard rumors that some thought I was acting as though I was “all that.” I often felt that these comments revealed their true character, for they were the ones who actually seemed to be the ones judging books by covers, labeling me as vain just because I looked different.

Their opinions were interesting though because happy as I was after losing my weight, I never once felt above anyone else, fat or thin. In fact, there’s something called “Phantom Fat,” in which people who lose weight still feel fat because they have been so used to their heavier body for a long time (5). Elayne Daniels, a psychologist in Canton, Mass., who specializes in body-image issues, says of these people that “They literally feel as if they’re in a large body still.” Experts believe this may be due to the fact that the brain hasn’t “caught up” with the new, fitter body.

Enjoying the journey, finding happiness is essential

Sure, my weight loss has been very exciting.  I’m healthier, have more energy and actually enjoy, rather than avoid the kitchen as I make healthy meals. But it has also been a journey filled with new friendships and lost ones, criticisms and compliments.

Somewhere in between the ebb and flow of elation and isolation is true happiness, and that’s something well worth gaining.

<strong>Sources for this article include:<strong>

(1) http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

(2) http://www.livestrong.com/article/308667-percentage-of-americans-who-diet-every-year/

(3) http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/03/obesity.bullying/index.html

(4) http://www.naturalnews.com/045160_bullying_chronic_inflammation_c-reactive_protein.html

(5) http://www.nbcnews.com/id/31489881/ns/health-womens_health/t/phantom-fat-can-linger-after-weight-loss/#.U4XtsyxOW00

Jennifer