Why the Finish Line Isn’t the Whole Story
We all love good weight loss goals. For me, it was losing the first 200 pounds. That number became my North Star. I pictured myself stepping on the scale, seeing it flash my magic number, and instantly feeling lighter in every way—physically, emotionally, mentally. That one moment was going to fix everything.
Spoiler alert: It didn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, weight loss has changed my life in ways I’ll forever be grateful for. But along the way, I discovered the darker side of weight loss goals—the parts nobody warns you about. The expectations, the perfectionism, the surprising identity crisis. Let me walk you through what I wish someone had told me before I set out on this journey.
1.The weight loss goals fixation trap
When I started, the number on the scale was everything. I weighed myself constantly, as if seeing progress every day would somehow keep me motivated. One week, I didn’t lose anything—anything!—despite sticking to my plan religiously. I panicked. Was it all for nothing? Would I always be stuck here?
It’s easy to tie your worth to that number, but here’s what I realized: the scale is like that unreliable friend who shows up late and exaggerates their stories. It’s not the full truth.
The Problem
When you focus solely on the goal, you miss the magic happening right in front of you. Like when I started walking an hour everyday—at first, I hated every second. But eventually, those walks became my therapy. They gave me time to think, decompress, and feel proud of what my body could do.
The Fix
Detach from the outcome. Fall in love with the actions: the sweaty workouts, the meals, the way you feel after moving your body. The goal is just a byproduct of living differently.
2. The all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to weight loss goals
I remember the first time I “messed up.” A friend brought donuts, and I swore I wouldn’t touch them. But there I was, 10 minutes later, licking glaze off my fingers. I told myself, “Well, the day’s ruined. Might as well have another…”
Sound familiar?
That kind of thinking kept me in a vicious cycle for years. One slip-up turned into an avalanche, and I felt like I had to start over every Monday.
The Problem
Perfectionism convinces us that anything less than 100% is failure. But life doesn’t work that way. Progress isn’t linear, and messing up doesn’t mean giving up.
The Fix
Progress beats perfection every time. When I stopped expecting myself to be perfect, I realized that one donut didn’t undo all my hard work. Now, when life happens, I make the next best choice. It’s messy, but it works.
3. The identity shift nobody warns you about
For most of my life, I was “the big girl.” It was who I was in every room I walked into. Losing the weight meant shedding that identity, too—and let me tell you, that was scary as hell. It still is.
When people started treating me differently—complimenting me more, inviting me into conversations—I didn’t know how to handle it. Did they like me more now because I was smaller? Was I only worthy because of my weight loss? And who was I, if not the girl who hid behind jokes and self-deprecating humor?
The Problem
Weight loss isn’t just physical. It forces you to confront the stories you’ve told yourself for years. Without those excuses—“I can’t do that because of my size”—you’re left with a blank slate, and it’s terrifying.
The Fix
Work on the inner transformation alongside the outer one. Therapy helped me untangle a lot of those emotions, and journaling became a daily habit. Changing how you see yourself is just as important as changing your body.
4. The danger of reaching the finish line
The day I hit my my first big weight milestone I expected fireworks. Confetti. Maybe even a standing ovation. Instead, I felt…empty.
After the initial celebration, I had this sinking realization: Now what? The number was meaningless without something to anchor it. I wasn’t magically confident or happier. I was just me, in a smaller body.
The Problem
Big goals are great, but they can’t be your whole identity. When the goal ends, you need something bigger to keep you moving forward.
The Fix
I started setting new kinds of goals—ones that weren’t tied to the scale. Learning to do a sprints, running longer distances, feeling stronger. Goals that made me feel capable, not just smaller. They gave me purpose long after the weight loss milestones come and go.
Closing Thoughts
Weight loss can be life-changing, but it isn’t a cure-all. If I could go back and tell myself one thing at the start, it’d be this: The person you become in the process matters more than the number on the scale.
Set your goals, but don’t let them own you. Celebrate the little wins, forgive yourself when you slip, and remember—you’re already worthy, exactly as you are. The rest is just icing on the cake (yes, even if it’s gluten-free).
