The psychological adjustment to rapid weight loss — need advice

From the other side of the consultation, briefly.

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.

Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.

Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.

Dr.PathRoch said:

denise_HTX said: ...mental health should only be used alongside therapy...

Mood changes on mental health: I want to be transparent — I went through a rough patch emotionally around month 4. Not depression exactly, but a weird flatness. Food was my main coping mechanism and without that, I had to develop new ones.

Therapy has been essential. I'd strongly recommend anyone starting GLP-1 therapy also invest in mental health support. The physical transformation is only half the journey.

Dr.PathRoch said:

denise_HTX said: ...mental health should only be used alongside therapy...

That reframing is the part I needed.

From the other side of the consultation, briefly. Start from the measurement rather than the conclusion. Almost every disagreement here turns out to be two people measuring different things and comparing the numbers anyway.

Correct me if the detail matters more than I have assumed.

Moderator note: reminder that nothing in this thread is medical advice, and that clinical claims need a source. Carry on.