9 Things Nobody Tells You About Losing Weight

Is fat loss all great and sparkles? Not exactly. Here are 9 things nobody tells you about losing weight.

People tend to focus on the amazing parts of losing weight. Sure it mostly will make you healthier and more energetic, but there are some parts of losing weight that gets brushed aside. These can be uncomfortable or simply forgotten unless you go through a body transformation process yourself, as Max Posternak talks about.

Max Posternak is the founder of Gravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. His YouTube channel has over 5 million subscribers.

He decided to shine a light on some fat loss issues. Here is Posternak’s list of 9 things nobody tells you about losing weight.

9 Things Nobody Tells You About Losing Weight

1. Prevalence of Body Dysmorphia in Fitness

Although for many people losing weight will boost their confidence and increase their level of happiness, it can backfire on others that will see their body as never being good enough.

Things Nobody Tells You About Losing Weight

Posternak says that some of the most unconfident, socially awkward and self-critical people he’s ever met have been bodybuilders or physique competitors with great-looking bodies. They magnify any slight flaw in their physique creating a lot of stress in their lives.

And this can affect not only professional bodybuilders but also regular people who just go to the gym to improve their health.

2. Excess Skin

If you were very overweight before and then manage to lose a lot of that, your skin can lose its elasticity and just hang out from your body. This does not affect everyone, as genetics and age can play a vital role in it.

One of the best natural methods to help with saggy skin is weight training, Posternak says. Include resistance training as part of your fat loss plan rather than just dieting and cardio.

3. Too Restrictive Diet Can Cause Reproductive Issues

Erectile dysfunction can occur for many people if they get extremely lean. If you are around 10% of body fat, there isn’t much for you to worry about, but if you get and maintain a body fat percentage as low as 6% Posternak says that your reproductive system is likely not working properly.

The adverse effects are not permanent, which is a good thing. And if you are not a competitive bodybuilder or physique competitor, avoid aiming for a too-low body fat percentage.

For men – aim for 8-14 per cent of body fat
For women – aim for 14-20 per cent body fat

4. Overweight People Don’t Have Slower Metabolism

Skinny people are skinny because their metabolism is fast? Posternak says that is a myth and the opposite is, in fact, the truth. Research indicates the heavier you are, the higher your resting metabolic rate tends to be.

5. The More You Exercise, The Bigger Chances to Injure Yourself

“If you spend enough time consistently exercising, you are more than likely to run into an injury,” Posternak says. No amount of stretching, mobility or perfecting a form can fully prevent this risk of injury.

This isn’t to say for you to not exercise, as everyday life occurrences can also injure you. Climbing up the stairs can leave you prone to injury if you are not conditioned to it, which you only get by exercising.

6. Cardio Is Not The Most Effective Way to Lose Weight

Isolated aerobic exercises or cardio is not the best way to lose weight. Dieting has a bigger impact. Strength training does not cause an increase in constrained energy expenditure which is why is better for weight loss and body composition.

However, if you enjoy doing cardio, any exercise is better than none.

7. Micronutrients Are Crucial

Calorie deficit is the baseline for losing weight, but that does not mean that micronutrients don’t play a significant part in losing weight. Vitamins and minerals play a role in weight management.

In a study, a person with zinc deficiency managed to increase their metabolic rate by 527 calories per day simply by fixing that deficiency.

8. Not All Stress Make You Fat

In fact, acute stress may help you reduce weight as it tends to reduce hunger, Posternak says. It is chronic stress that you should be afraid of as it depletes your willpower making it harder to stay on track with your diet.

If you are struggling with chronic stress, consider adding a daily meditative routine.

9. Steroids Are More Prevalent in Gym Than You Might Think

Steroids are typically associated with muscle growth, but they can greatly increase fat loss and is very common inside the gym community.

But steroid use can have physical and psychological effects on someone. Close to a third of people who use steroids become dependent on the drug and people can have withdrawal symptoms leading to depression and sometimes suicide attempts.

And that was Posternak’s list of 9 things nobody tells you about losing weight. If you want a more detailed argumentation from him, click on the video below.