1. Weight-Loss Confidential
You only think you know what happens once you slim down. Here, FITNESS reveals some of
the unexpected, annoying and awesome things that occur when you shrink a size (or more).
By Bethany Gumper
makes it appear plump and
youthful,” says dermatologist
Joshua Zeichner, M.D., the director
of cosmetic and clinical research
in dermatology at Mount Sinai
Hospital in New York City. When
you lose weight—even as little
as 10 pounds—the skin sags,
creating wrinkles. One study found
a correlation between sedentary
behavior and accelerated thinning of
the dermis. This middle layer of
the skin, where the youth-preserving
proteins collagen and elastin live,
gradually decreases as we get older.
Preliminary research presented at
the American Medical Society for
Sports Medicine’s annual meeting
suggests that exercise may slow
this process, causing changes in
the cells that make the skin look
younger. Certain over-the-counter
ingredients can also bring back
that youthful glow. Apply one of
the new plumping creams, with
intensive hydrating ingredients like
hyaluronic acid and glycerin, to help
fill in wrinkles (turn to page 34 for
recommendations), or a moisturizer
with light-reflecting pigments
like dimethicone to minimize lines
(try L’Oréal RevitaLift Moisture
Blur Instant Skin Smoother, $25,
lorealparisusa.com).
Psst . . . You’re a sex
machine.
Slimming down spiced things up
for Olivia Ward. “I didn’t even
realize how self-conscious I was
during sex,” says the 38-year-old
who lost 129 pounds on The Biggest
Loser. “Now I’m fully present
instead of worrying that my butt
is huge or my belly looks gross.”
The shift that Ward experienced
is common; overweight women
may hold back during intimacy.
“They’re stuck in their heads instead
of losing themselves in pleasure,”
says Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D.,
a psychologist and the author of
Change Your Mind, Change Your
Body. Liking how you look can
bring out your inner sex kitten, but
biology does, too. “When you’re
overweight, levels of the stress
hormone cortisol are very high,
which can lead to decreased sexual
interest,” says Pamela Wartian
Smith, M.D., the author of Why
You Can’t Lose Weight. And
don’t forget that sex is a workout:
It takes strength to twist yourself
into positions that can feel
OMG good. “My husband and I are
both in better shape, so there are
more things we can do,” Ward adds.
Shedding just a few pounds can
bring sexy back. Take Aimee Wells,
who dropped a jeans size. “I feel
more confident, and that comes
across in the bedroom,” she says.
Psst . . . Your skin
doesn’t fit.
Heather Martinez had a lot of
excess skin after losing 175 pounds.
“It just sat there, no matter how
much I worked out or how well
I ate,” says the 42-year-old in
Arlington, Texas. After two years
at her goal weight, Martinez got
a tummy tuck. “As the skin stretches,
it isn’t always able to snap back
to what it was before,” Dr. Zeichner
says. “Sometimes surgery is the only
solution.” Extra skin is a fact of
life for many people who shed 50 or
more pounds, although losing it
gradually, eating more protein and
exercising can help, Dr. Wartian
Smith says.
Age also plays a role. Your skin
produces more collagen and elastin
when you’re younger, giving it
What I Gained
“I became a
morning person.”
—Elisha Villanueva, 32,
San Diego
At 218 pounds, Villanueva was constantly
exhausted and often slept until noon
while her two kids watched TV. After losing
82 pounds, she has much more energy.
“I jump out of bed at 6:00 a.m. so I can
enjoy some ‘me’ time before my sons wake
up,” she says.“There’s nothing better than
a crisp morning hike or run.”
When she weighed 403 pounds, Morgan
rarely saw loved ones who lived far away
because she couldn’t fit into an airline
seat or squeeze comfortably into a car.
“I missed out on seeing my nieces grow
up,” says Morgan, now 107 pounds.“Not
anymore! In May I drove to Rapid City,
South Dakota, to see one of them graduate
from college.”
“I’m closer
to family.”
—Christie Morgan, 50,
Manhattan, Montana
 BEFORE & AFTER 
 AFTER & BEFORE 
When you lose weight, there
are certain things that you are so
excited about. Wearing shorts.
Finally rocking a bikini. Stocking
up on antiaging creams because
your fine lines are suddenly more
prominent. Wait—wha? Whether
you drop 10 pounds or 100, you’ll
encounter some surprising side
effects—some of them fun, some
challenging. Here, seven who-
knew consequences of shedding
pounds and how to deal.
Psst . . . You’re freezing.
Ever since Aimee Wells started eating
right and exercising more, she and
her husband bicker over the
temperature in their San Francisco
home. “I recently lost 16 pounds,
and now I’m cold all the time,” says
the 45-year-old marketing com­
munications consultant. “I’m always
turning up the thermostat and
closing the windows. It drives him
crazy!” Shifts in body weight can
cause fluctuations in your hormones.
“Levels of one of the thyroid
hormones can decrease, making
you feel colder,” explains
endocrinologist Judith Korner,
M.D., Ph.D., the director of the
Weight Control Center at Columbia
University Medical Center. “If you
lose just 10 percent of your body
weight, you’ll probably experience
hormonal changes.” Keep a cute
cardi handy and bask in the warm,
fuzzy feeling you get from taking
care of your bod.
Psst . . . You need a
new beauty regimen.
There’s a reason it’s called baby fat.
“Fat under the skin on your face
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fitnessmagazine.com September 2014 123

2. health update
MATTHAWTHORNE(MARTINEZ)
elasticity. Youth may have worked
in Elisha Villanueva’s favor. The
32-year-old San Diego mother
of two was 28 when she dropped
82 pounds. “I was lucky—my skin
really tightened up with weight
training,” she says.
If you’ve lost weight, use a body
lotion that contains ammonium
lactate, which, research has shown,
thickens the dermis (the layer of
skin that contains collagen and
elastin). “This ingredient, in over-
the-counter brands like AmLactin
and CeraVe Renewing SA cream,
may help skin return to its former
state,” Dr. Zeichner explains.
Psst . . . You still have
fat days.
“Some days I still feel chubby,” Ward
says. “I see a size 6 dress hanging
in a store and think, There is just
no way, even though I have a closet
full of clothes in that size that fit
me perfectly.” When someone has
been overweight for a long time,
that self-image is burned into her
psyche. “It takes a while for your
mind to catch up with the changes
in your body,” Kearney-Cooke says.
Until that happens, it can prevent
you from moving forward; you might
feel less confident on a date or
unwilling to pursue a promotion at
the office. Speed up the process with a
little body-image boot camp. Once
a week, stand in front of the mirror
in your undies, Kearney-Cooke
suggests. Admire yourself and find
things you like, whether it’s your
strong arms or your powerful legs.
Psst . . . You need to go
shoe shopping.
After Villanueva lost 82 pounds,
she delighted in updating her
wardrobe to show off her new
svelte figure—and footsies. “I went
down a whole shoe size, which
I totally didn’t expect,” she recalls.
“I had so much fun buying heels,
which I never used to wear because
they didn’t offer enough support
when I was heavy.” This happens to
many women. “You can lose weight
in your feet, just like anywhere else
in your body,” Dr. Wartian Smith
says. Take this news and run with it:
Hit the mall for an adorable new
pair of strappy sandals, riding boots
or sexy heels. What the heck, buy
all three! You’ve earned them.
Psst . . . You find out who
your real friends are.
When your body changes,
relationships do, too. “For the
most part, friends were supportive.
But a few people became jealous
and resentful,” says Christie Morgan,
a 50-year-old in Manhattan,
Montana, who shed a whopping
296 pounds. Kearney-Cooke
recalls one of her patients, who
described her pals as “the fat
club.” Their bond was built on a
blatant disregard for calories and
fat grams; they ordered nachos
and piña coladas while other women
picked at grilled chicken and sipped
wine. “That was their identity as
a group,” Kearney-Cooke explains.
“When my patient started eating
differently, the rest of the ‘club’ felt
threatened and turned on her.” If
this happens to you, ask your buddy
what’s up: “I value your friendship,
and you’ve been acting differently
since I lost weight. Can we talk?” If
she admits that she’s resentful, your
relationship is on the right track.
If she’s nasty, you may be better off
without her. That negative attitude
will only weigh you down. l
“I discovered my
spontaneous side.”
—Olivia Ward, 38,
New York City
When friends invited 290-pound Ward to
do fun activities, like yoga classes in the
park or bike rides, she never felt strong
or brave enough to say yes. “Now I’ll try
anything—CrossFit, boot camp, hiking,
you name it. I’m no longer the girl on the
sidelines,”Ward, who now wears a size 6,
says.“I was scared to try SoulCycle, then
loved it so much I became an instructor.”
After losing 175 pounds, Martinez
wanted to show other women how
amazing it feels to get healthy. So she
left her job as a sales rep for a beer
company to launch a boot camp for
women called Camp Miss Fit. “It’s
so rewarding to help others change
their identity from ‘I am obese’ to
‘I am a strong woman,’” Martinez says.
“I found my
dream job.”
—Heather Martinez, 42,
Arlington, Texas
 BEFORE & AFTER 
 AFTER & BEFORE 
What I Gained
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