How dramatic weight loss affects your emotions

Rapid weight loss can be thought of as an adaptation period, but any adaptation a person goes through often comes with psychological and emotional components that take time to adjust to, Miskeviks said.

On the positive side, dramatic weight loss can boost self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment, improve quality of life and open up new opportunities, she said.

People who lose weight with GLP-1 drugs may also experience a sense of relief. Robin PashbyDr. , founder and director of Health Psychology Partners and national board member of the Coalition to Fight Obesity.

“The relief comes from less food noise, a realization that decades of preaching 'eat less and move more' is finally 'paying off,' and a sense of greater control over my body,” Pashby told Healthline.

She said people often feel stronger, more motivated and more confident while they're losing weight, but can also become frustrated when their weight plateaus or plateaus after reaching their goal weight.

“[All] “Weight loss comes with plateaus and eventually your weight stabilizes, and even if you're happy with your new weight at first, it can be hard to maintain your confidence and motivation,” she said.

Pashby works with his clients to focus on physical and mental health, rather than just weight loss.

“Helping people recognize victories beyond the scale, like lowered cholesterol levels or feeling energized while hiking on vacation, is a meaningful and important outcome,” she said.

People for whom anti-obesity drugs are ineffective, Stop taking the medicine Side effects and other reasons can intensify feelings of disappointment and frustration.

“Many people are already feeling like failures for not being able to control their weight, and with societal beliefs around self-control and discipline still wrongly influencing people's understanding of weight management, the lack of response to a medication that is often portrayed as a magic cure on social media is extremely disheartening,” Pashby said.

Miskevix said that in general, people who choose to take medication to lose weight still have a responsibility to manage their own body image.

“The idea that losing weight will automatically make you happier or more confident is a dangerous mindset because it reinforces the idea that people need to be thin to be accepted,” she said.

This is especially important in a “post-Ozempic” society, where Miskeviks said there seems to be a return to harmful standards that glamorize thinness and aim to be as small as possible.

“This calls into question the body positivity movement of the past few years as people worry that we are moving away from acceptance of 'all' body types,” she said.

But if people could more easily achieve their health goals and anti-obesity medications to become healthier, it could improve their quality of life and open more doors to possibility, joy and self-confidence, Miskeviks added.

Most people who lose significant weight with GLP-1 drugs experience a change in how they perceive their bodies, Pashby says.

You may have to adjust to physical changes that come with losing significant weight, such as changes to the texture and appearance of your skin, your hair, and the way your clothes fit, and you may also have to deal with reactions from those around you to your weight loss.

“Some people will welcome these changes, while others will struggle with the realization that the world is kinder to people who live in small bodies,” Pashby said.

The realization that being overweight or obese is not due to a lack of willpower, but is a complex biological condition that requires medical support, is a necessary change.

“This adjustment is often the hardest because weight stigma is so deeply ingrained in our culture that people cannot help but feel like they are 'cheating' by getting medical help,” Pashby says.

Another challenge Pashby sees his clients facing is worries about continuing to take the GLP-1 drugs that caused the weight loss, and what will happen if they stop taking them.

“There may also be concerns about how to talk to others about your drug use (e.g., should I tell everyone that I've lost weight on this drug or keep it to myself? How should I respond if people ask how I lost the weight? Is using this drug to lose weight cheating?),” she says.

To help with significant weight loss and its psychological impact, Miskevix encourages people to consider the following:

• While your perception of your body and body type may change, keep in mind that your weight never defines who you are: “At the end of the day, you are you, and your acceptance of yourself as a person goes far beyond your appearance or body type,” she said.

• Pay attention to your ongoing relationship with food and how it relates to your mood. “While GLP-1 may offer someone the opportunity to quickly reach their health goals, I encourage people taking GLP-1 to also use that time as an opportunity to understand how their emotions relate to their eating habits and see if they can develop a healthier relationship with food,” she said.

• Instead of focusing on the outward aspects of losing weight, challenge yourself to focus on the positive changes you will feel, like more energy, improved quality of life, and a healthier mindset about body image.

Pashby said that like most psychological constructs, there is a wide range of individual experiences.

Most people struggle with their body image at some point in their lives, but if “it's dominating your thoughts, it's preventing you from enjoying time with friends and family or doing the activities you want to do (like going to the pool or beach), or you're feeling very stressed, anxious or depressed about your body,” then it's time to reach out to a mental health professional, she says.

Pashby encourages people to talk to a mental health professional sooner rather than waiting for the following reasons:

1. It can be difficult to find a therapist who is knowledgeable and available in the specific areas you need.
2. Not all therapists are the same, and it may take a few tries to find one with whom you feel comfortable and at ease.
3. If insecurities about your body image are affecting you enough to make you consider seeking help, those same insecurities may be impacting your relationships, which in turn impacts your happiness, resilience, and joy in life.