I LOST WEIGHT, BUT GAINED BAGGAGE

ANUSHUA Arif during and after her weight-loss journey. | Supplied

VIWE NDONGENI-NTLEBI

Losing weight is a challenge, it requires discipline and consistency. As fulfilling as it may be to reach your goal weight, for many people it leaves mental scars.

Speaking on her weight-loss journey on Quora, Anushua Arif says her lifestyle has changed and she has become healthier – but success came with a price.

This is her story.

‘OVER the course of two-and half years, I have lost about 50lbs (over 22kg), which may not seem a lot to many but for a person who is just 5 feet 2 inches tall (157cm), it’s quite prominent. I do feel on top of the world on most days knowing how much healthier I have become and couldn’t be prouder regarding my achievement.

But despite the smiling postworkout photos, there’s a dark side to losing weight.

The price I paid for a better body:

1 Weighing myself as frequently as possible to be able to record the lowest weight.

2 Getting upset over weight gain due to natural things such as water retention and bloating.

3 Always keeping track of how much I walk, because the numbers always matter.

4 Calorie counting.

5 Constantly measuring body parts and checking myself in every mirror.

6 Feeling guilty after eating anything slightly unhealthy. Sometimes I exercise three times a day just because I let myself have a ‘bad’ snack.

7 Exercising frequently because that’s the only activity producing enough endorphins to keep me sane.

8 Not producing enough serotonin due to rigid diets.

9 Unable to control cravings and ordering food at 3am and eating for three people at once. And then crying myself to sleep.

10 Wanting to look my skinniest all the time, because looking skinny has become synonymous with looking good.

11 Enjoying the feeling of hunger because the more I fight that, the stronger I am.

12 Water fasts that last days.

13 Glorifying naturally skinny women and wishing I had the same body type.

14 Unable to stop talking about fitness.

15 Constantly comparing before and after pictures of myself.

16 Constantly tracking my progress and pushing my goal weight lower and lower because I can always be smaller.

17 Looking up menus of restaurants so I know exactly how many calories I’ll be eating when I’m dining out.

18 Being so terrified of food that I can’t bring anything ‘unhealthy’ into my house because of my lack of control.

19 Unable to stop speaking or thinking about food.

20 Watching videos of other people eating instead of eating myself.

21 Throwing out food after eating a bit because I can’t be eating too much junk.

22 Obsessing over my body to the point where self-love has become disgustingly narcissistic.