Your Changing Body There is an important issue that must be dealt with by all those who plan to and are in the process of losing a lot of weight.
It is one that seems to be neglected,
Perhaps because it isn't always thought of as a factor in successful weight loss.
This is the concept of adjusting to your changing body.
Because having a smaller body is perceived in our society as positive,
We fail to think about the fact that weight loss is in fact a loss and that as we lose weight we are losing the body we have come to know well.
Because of this,
It is necessary to consciously work toward adjusting to your changing body.
It takes time to remember something that seems as simple as that you wear a smaller size.
Unless you look into a mirror,
You may even forget at times that you are smaller.
The brain is quite slow to adjust to bodily changes.
This can be related to the phantom limb syndrome that occurs when an adult loses an arm or a leg and continues to feel sensations in a limb that no longer exists.
When you become habituated regarding anything,
Including body parts and the size of your body,
It can take a long time to change your reality regarding these aspects of your life.
Because of this,
You need to be sensitive to the fact that you are losing the person physically that you have been and are moving toward being someone new.
Also,
It takes time to become accustomed to the reactions of others to the new you.
While these reactions are intellectually what you have been striving for,
When they actually start happening it can be quite unnerving.
All of a sudden we start comparing what we are now hearing to what others must have thought when we were overweight.
This can result in feeling resentment toward those who are complimenting you.
If they are talking about how much better you look,
What did they think before?
You need to give yourself time.
You must be patient with your changing identity.
After all,
You are in fact experiencing a transformation.
