"Losing weight over Losing mind"; The mental game of losing weight.

WRITTEN BY NETHUKI KULASINGHE CLASS OF 2026

This article talks about how often people lose their sanity while trying to stay healthy and maintain their goal weight. This blog highlights about how most of us struggle mentally when it comes to body shaming and unrealistic beauty standards. Losing weight and mental health are intertwined. Weight loss can improve mood and reduce anxiety

HOW WEIGHT LOSS AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH?

iI's crucial to approach it in a healthy way that prioritizes overall well-being. Unhealthy weight loss methods can negatively impact mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, or even depression. Focusing on sustainable lifestyle changes, stress management, and seeking support are key for both physical and mental health during weight loss.

POSITIVE IMPACTS COULD BE;

·         Improved Mood: Weight loss, especially when achieved through healthy habits, can trigger the release of endorphins, natural mood boosters.

·         Reduced Anxiety: Weight loss can help regulate hormones like cortisol, leading to a more stable mood and less anxiety.

·         Increased Confidence and Self-Esteem: Losing weight can improve body image and overall confidence.

·         Improved Sleep: Weight loss can lead to better sleep quality, which is crucial for mental health.

·         Reduced risk of depression: Studies show that maintaining a healthy weight can lower the risk of depression and other mental health problems

 POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS COULD BE:

·         Diet-related stress and anxiety: Extreme diets or calorie restriction can lead to stress, anxiety, and even disordered eating patterns, according to Healio.

·         Disappointment and depression: If weight loss goals are not met, or if the desired lifestyle changes don't lead to happiness, feelings of disappointment or depression can arise, according to Healthline.

·         Body dysmorphia: Some individuals may develop body dysmorphia, where they continue to perceive themselves as overweight even after losing weight.

MODERN WAYS OF LOOSING WEIGHT

When we look back at how people use to lose weight and maintain a healthy body over the past few decades; yoga, heavy physical workouts and balanced diets are massively replaced by fancy alternatives like pilates, calisthenics, calorie deficit, detox juices and intermittent fasting. Also, people often tend to pay more attention to the scale and the calories which will eventually make the weight loss journey a lot more stressful.

Where does our mind play the role in losing weight? It's probably from the moment we think that we should change our body structure, to continuous workouts, diets, detox juices to finally achieving our dream body and then to doing it all over again to maintain what we've achieved. In this mental game, the moment we become unnecessarily obsessed over how we look or the more we try to please others, we might actually start to lose our sanity.

MIND- BODY CONNECTION

Our mind and body go hand in hand. Research depicts that stress, anxiety and emotional eating can significantly affect the progress of the weight loss journey. Our bodies produce cortisol, the so called 'stress hormone' under intense conditions. This will eventually lead to fat storage around the midsection of the body. THE SCIENCE OF EXERCISE-INDUCED

IMMUNITY: SEROTONIN, THE SUPERMAN MOLECULE

Therefore, stressing over not losing weight isn't going to help us achieve our targets on the long run.

Therefore, transforming the body while keeping the mind relaxed is the key to a successful weight loss journey.

HOW TO PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!  

A. Out of sight, out of mind;

keeping all your unhealthy snacks away for some time could help us binge eating them from time to time. Also just looking at them and not eating could be torture!

B. Mindful eating and portion control.

Eating slowly and paying attention to the hunger and fullness could help to minimize overeating. Also portion control could be a better way to track your macros and micros.

C. Motivation and support system.

No one can change things overnight! So is our body. When it comes to losing weight, taking things slow and easy could be important in staying on track on the long run. But many of us give up on our goals when we don't see any results within a short period of time. Therefore, documenting the weight loss journey could be an interesting way to keep yourself on track without losing interest. Having a positive environment and support system could also be helpful to avoid unnecessary distractions.

SELF-CARE COMES FIRST

 Self-care directly affects the well-being of our mental health. Therefore, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and engaging in recreational activities could make us feel more relaxed and energized throughout our weight loss journey.

MAKE YOUR OWN RULES

 Your transformation is a unique experience. So, make your own plan to achieve it. Taking notes from other people's journeys could be beneficial but it shouldn't demotivate you at the same time. So, having a unique diet plan and a workout routine is essential. Also, these routines shouldn't be a torture on the long run. It should be fun to continue and stay on track without draining yourself.

 CONCLUSION

 Losing weight isn't an easy task. It needs a lot of courage to initiate and even more strength to be consistent and disciplined. So, loosing mind could often go hand in hand with losing weight. Therefore, make it a habit to prioritize your mental health before anything else!