5 Things to Expect When You Start Losing Weight

Start losing weight


When you decide to start losing weight, there are certain changes that you should be prepared for in your body and your day-to-day life. The worst of these weight loss side effects, such as headaches and irritability, can actually be pretty easy to manage once you know what to expect when you start losing weight. Here are 5 things that you should expect when you start losing weight and some tips on how to deal with them if they become troublesome.


3) Focus on losing weight at a steady pace

So, you’ve decided to lose weight. Congratulations! But now comes another decision: How quickly do you want to lose weight? It might seem easier said than done, but setting a slow-and-steady pace for weight loss—as opposed to rapid weight loss—can help keep you from losing motivation and risk losing ground on your fitness goals. One study from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research found that rapid weight loss can often lead to more fat regain than gradual weight loss.


4) Make sure you don’t lose too much weight too fast

If you’re thinking about dropping a few pounds quickly, remember that it can be dangerous. While you should certainly cut calories if your goal is weight loss, aim for no more than about 500 calories below your recommended daily calorie intake and make sure you don’t drop below 1,200 calories per day (if you are female) or 1,500 calories per day (if you are male). Eat mostly whole foods while on a weight-loss plan—think lean meats, vegetables and healthy fats—and cut out sugar and processed foods as much as possible. Also avoid fad diets that severely restrict carbs or fats and ask you to eat unlimited protein; these types of diets aren’t sustainable in the long run.


6) Eat more protein

If you’re trying to lose weight, there’s one simple way to do it that doesn’t involve crash diets or pills: eat more protein. Research shows that high-protein diets increase thermogenesis, boost fat loss and preserve muscle in your body. So, when you go low-carb, make sure a big part of your diet is lean protein. That said, if you have high cholesterol or heart disease, be careful with red meat and go easy on your portion sizes. Here are some examples of high-protein foods: fish like salmon and tuna; chicken; turkey; cottage cheese; eggs; tofu; whey protein powder.


7) Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

While these foods are certainly not a silver bullet for weight loss, they do offer an excellent way to ensure that you’re taking in more filling fiber and less empty calories. Consider adding these foods into your diet in place of processed snacks, as research has shown that people who eat at least one serving of whole grains each day tend to be leaner than those who don’t. Also make sure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables—for example, try snacking on some baby carrots with hummus. They provide a good source of vitamin A and C—both essential nutrients for maintaining optimal health.


8) Water retention is normal

If you’re someone who loses weight fairly quickly, you might find yourself with a little extra bloat in your first week or two. When people lose weight rapidly, their kidneys release a lot of sodium and other electrolytes into the bloodstream to balance out what gets lost in their urine, Forgone says. This flushes out a lot of water and causes people to feel bloated (and look it too). If that doesn’t sound like fun, he recommends taking an over-the-counter diuretic to combat it instead of just losing sleep. The bottom line: Don’t let fluid retention discourage you; most of it will subside within a few weeks.