Weight Loss: Expectations vs. Reality

Expectation: You won’t have cravings.

You may be excited to see that you’ll have no cravings on your new diet. After all, it’s not like you’re going to be eating chocolate cake and ice cream every day!

However, this isn’t necessarily true. Cravings are often confused with hunger pangs. Hunger pangs are immediate and can be satisfied by eating a small snack or drinking a glass of water. A craving is more emotional and is often tied to past experiences or emotions that trigger hunger for something specific like chocolate cake (or whatever your favourite junk food may be).

To prevent cravings from derailing your weight loss plan, focus on drinking plenty of water during the day so that you stay hydrated in addition to having healthy snacks on hand when hunger strikes. Try these healthy snack ideas below:

Reality: You’ll still want to eat your favourite foods.

You might not feel as hungry during your weight loss journey, but you’ll still want to eat. And that’s okay! Cravings are normal, and they’re just part of the process.

Here are some tips for dealing with cravings:

Drink water or unsweetened tea instead of sugary beverages.
Eat healthy snacks like fresh fruit or veggies dipped in hummus when you’re craving something salty or crunchy.
Chew sugar-free gum (or mints) to satisfy your oral fixation on sweets without adding calories.
If you’re really craving something sweet, try making a small batch of healthy baked goods so that you won’t be tempted by store-bought pastries or sweets later on down the line (and don’t have an excuse not to exercise).

Expectation: You won’t be hungry.

Reality: Hunger is a natural response to food deprivation, and it’s not something you can just will away. If you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to get used to eating low-carb meals and snacks throughout the day. Drinking plenty of water will help curb hunger pangs as well.

Reality: You will be hungry — and tired!

You’ll be hungry — and tired!

As you lose weight, you’re going to feel hungry. This is because your body burns more calories than it used to, and so it needs more energy to function. You may also feel fatigued as your body uses up the glucose in your bloodstream for energy instead of storing it as fat. When glucose is not available during this period of “starvation,” other sources of fuel are used such as fatty acids from stored triglycerides (a type of fat).

If you find yourself feeling weak or tired after eating a meal that was supposed to help keep you energized throughout the day, try adding some carbohydrates such as fruit or whole grains back into your diet until these symptoms subside. The good news? Once those last few pounds drop off, those late afternoon crashes will eventually disappear for good!

Expectation: It’ll be easy.

Expectation: You’ll feel hungry but you have the tools to control your appetite.

Reality: Your body is going to tell you that it’s starving, and it will be tempting to give in to those demands. But if you don’t eat enough, especially if you’re exercising too much, then you could end up losing muscle mass instead of fat. This can happen because your body needs protein for muscle growth, so if it doesn’t get enough protein through food sources like meat and eggs (or supplements), then the body will break down its own muscles until there is enough protein available for them to grow again.

Reality: It takes hard work.

When you think of weight loss, what comes to mind? Do you picture yourself wandering around the grocery store in your sweatpants on a Saturday morning because it’s just easier than getting dressed and leaving the house? Or do you imagine yourself pushing through a tough workout at the gym even though all you want to do is go home and nap?

The truth is that for most people, losing weight isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright challenging—and sometimes downright discouraging. But here’s some good news: it gets easier over time! The more often you work out or practise healthy behaviours like cooking at home instead of ordering takeout (or whatever else your specific goal might be), the more likely it is that those things will become habits—and habits require less effort than starting from scratch each time.

Expectation: You’ll get a ton of support.

The support of your friends and family is an essential part of any weight-loss journey. It’s important to have people around you who will cheer you on, and it helps if they know what they’re talking about. For example, a friend who has successfully lost weight herself can use her experience to help guide you in your efforts.

Your support system should also include people who’ll be there for you when things get hard—and things will get hard! If your friends are not supportive or even undermining, consider spending more time with others who are well-suited for the task ahead of you.

Reality: People may not understand why you’re doing it — and some may even try to sabotage your efforts.

There are people in your life who will be dismissive of your weight-loss goals and efforts, especially if they’re not making similar changes themselves. Some may try to sabotage your efforts because they’re jealous of the changes you’re making and want to see you fail. Others might be envious of the success you’ve had, or simply don’t have the same drive as someone trying to lose weight — which can make it difficult for them to understand why you’re doing this at all.

You’ll also encounter people who feel threatened by your accomplishments, especially if there’s a chance that their own progress could be affected by yours. These individuals may try to undermine your success by encouraging unhealthy eating habits or discouraging exercise, even going so far as giving advice that could cause harm but is disguised as support (“You don’t need those veggies — just throw them away!”). If someone says something like this while trying to sabotage your weight loss efforts, take it with a grain of salt and continue on anyway!

Expectation: You’ll find a new, happy you when the weight comes off.

In theory, losing weight is supposed to make you feel better about yourself and your body. You’ll be more confident and empowered, right?

That might happen—but it probably won’t happen right away.

It took me several months after I started working out before I felt any significant positive changes in my energy levels or confidence levels. And even then, it was more of a gradual process than anything else. It wasn’t until my clothes started fitting much better (and not just because I lost weight) that I really began to notice any difference in how I felt about myself or my body image.

Reality: You’ll be the same person, but with less weight on your body and more determination in your heart.

The first thing to keep in mind is that, yes, you’re still you. You’ll still have the same personality and quirks. You’ll still be the person who likes mice and hates spiders (or vice versa). Your friends will still like you for who you are!

The second thing to keep in mind is that losing weight won’t change who you are or what kind of person you are—it will just make it easier for other people to see all of your good qualities instead of being distracted by an extra 50 pounds of body fat covering them up. Once your weight loss journey is over, people may even recognize these qualities more than ever before because they were always there but were overshadowed by higher levels of body fat.

Lastly, having less weight on your body means that everything else works better: it’s much easier to move around confidently at work; it’s easier to run around with kids; it’s easier to get through a day without being exhausted from lugging around extra pounds everywhere!

The biggest difference is that after low-carb weight loss, you’ll have a new set of healthy habits that will help you keep the weight off for good.

The biggest difference is that after low-carb weight loss, you’ll have a new set of healthy habits that will help you keep the weight off for good. You will have learned how to eat more healthily and how to make better food choices, which can be applied to your life long after this diet.

You’ll also have learned the importance of exercise and staying active as part of your lifestyle. That knowledge alone will help prevent future weight gain and ensure that your progress doesn’t stop once your body returns to its normal state.

The truth is that most people who lose a significant amount of weight eventually gain it back over time because they don’t develop sustainable habits or find ways to keep themselves accountable. Low-carb diets are often more successful than other types of diets because they teach people how they can maintain their new lifestyle long after the diet is over