I started my weight-loss journey on my 18th birthday. In the 12 years since, I've lost 45lbs and gained a helluva lot of perspective. Though I wouldn't change much about my weight-loss experience, there are a few things I wish I knew before that would have allowed me to be kinder and more patient with my body, and help me make better decisions regarding my overall health.
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It's with this in mind that I share the five most important lessons I've learned during my weight-loss journey—so far.
Images via Corbis
You can’t spot-treat fat
I learned the hard way that you can’t pick and choose where you lose fat. Six months into my fitness journey, I went from a 36C to a…well, something significantly smaller than a 36C. Turns out, the human body is an equal opportunity fat burner. It utilizes fat, regardless of its origins, to fuel whatever it is that you’re doing. On the flip side, you can build muscle to replace the fat you’ve loss in particular areas, such as your booty and even your chest. Try adding pushups and weighted squats to your workout regiment to create or maintain an hourglass shape.
Cellulite is pretty much forever
Better get used to those dimples on your nalgas, because they’re there for the long haul. That’s because cellulite has less to do with your body’s fat deposits than it does with the connective tissues located just under your skin. Basically, cellulite occurs when the fat in your body pushes against the connective tissue, causing the skin above it to pucker and dimple. That being said, cellulite is totally natural. In fact, up to 90 percent of women and 10 percent of men have cellulite, regardless of how much they weigh. Just embrace it!
Weight-loss isn’t permanent
If you want to maintain your fitness level (and new bod), you need to maintain the lifestyle and healthy habits that got you there. Think about it, if cutting carbs and going H.A.M on the track helped you lose weight, cutting back on cardio and eating ham will surely get you back to square one—right? Right. That being said, the only surefire way to keep the weight off is to continue doing what you’ve been doing. Fitness is a lifestyle, not a fad.
Weight-loss is not the key to happiness.
Your bills, your crazy neighbor, your impossible boss, and everything else that drives you crazy will still be there even after you lose weight. That’s because these things have nothing to do with the number on a scale. That being said, working out may help you cope with many stressors present in your life and provide you with the clarity you need to tackle them head-on.
Haters gonna hate
Everyone is going to have an opinion about your weight loss. Some will be encouraging and congratulatory; some will be hurtful. All of them will reveal who’s really there for you. Real friends will support you throughout your journey. They won’t bash your new lifestyle or criticize your changing body. They won’t deliver backhanded compliments about how much prettier you are now that you’ve loss all the weight. If they do, they’re not your real friends.
