Nimisha Sajayan recalls having ‘mood swings, poor sleep’: Psychiatrist explains mental toll of dramatic weight loss
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Nimisha Sajayan recalls having ‘mood swings, poor sleep’: Psychiatrist explains mental toll of dramatic weight loss
Nimisha Sajayan recently detailed her difficult weight-loss journey. A psychiatrist explains the mental-health risks of rapid body transformations
A dramatic physical transformation can look almost effortless in a before-and-after photograph. The reality can be considerably more complicated
Actor Nimisha Sajayan has also opened up about the difficult weight-loss journey that followed a 14-kg gain for Babita Singh Reporting. She said she went from 58 kg to 72 kg for the role and later described the first 10 days of losing the weight as particularly difficult, with poor sleep, mood swings, exhaustion and moments when she cried in front of her trainer
When weight changes quickly, the psychological impact can be very different from what the final photograph suggests. Losing weight may bring a sense of achievement and greater confidence, especially for someone who has struggled with body image. But Dr Abhinit Kumar, Senior Consultant, Centre of Psychiatry, ShardaCare-HealthCity, says the mental-health side of weight loss can be overlooked
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Weight loss can change more than the number on the scale
“Weight loss can bring a sense of achievement, confidence and improved well-being, but it can also trigger unexpected changes in mood, self-esteem, body image and the individual’s relationship with food,” Dr Abhinit says
That becomes particularly important when compliments and attention start reinforcing the idea that looking thinner means looking better or being more valuable
A person may begin worrying excessively about regaining even a small amount of weight, constantly checking their body or feeling that their confidence depends on maintaining a particular appearance
When healthy discipline becomes psychological pressure
There is also a difference between following a structured diet and becoming consumed by weight control. Dr Abhinit says an excessively restrictive diet can lead to persistent hunger, fatigue, irritability, food preoccupation and guilt around eating. Over time, food can begin to feel like something to fear or compensate for rather than a basic part of living
Some warning signs include avoiding social occasions because of food, repeatedly comparing your body with other people’s, weighing yourself excessively or exercising primarily to compensate for eating
“The person may gradually become preoccupied with maintaining a particular weight and experience disproportionate anxiety even with a relatively small increase,” he says
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This is particularly relevant when people try to replicate celebrity transformations without the medical, nutritional and training supervision that may have been involved
Losing weight does not automatically fix how you feel about yourself
There is another trap, the assumption that reaching a particular weight will solve everything else. Looking different may make someone feel better temporarily, but it cannot automatically resolve loneliness, relationship problems, anxiety, depression or long-standing insecurities
“Although weight loss can substantially improve many obesity-related health problems and may contribute to better quality of life, it cannot by itself resolve loneliness, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, unresolved emotional conflicts or low self-esteem,” Dr Abhinit says
That can leave a person confused when the achievement they had been waiting for does not produce the emotional transformation they expected
Why the ‘before and after’ can be misleading
Social media tends to compress a long, difficult process into two photographs: before and after. What disappears is everything in between, with disrupted sleep, hunger, frustration, mood changes, social compromises and the emotional effort involved in constantly monitoring what you eat and how your body looks
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Sajayan’s account is revealing precisely because she spoke about that part of the process rather than only showing the result. Her experience included “no proper sleep, crazy mood swings, exhaustion, frustration” and days when she felt she could not continue
So what does a healthy transformation look like?
Dr Abhinit says the goal should be broader than simply achieving a smaller body. A sustainable approach should ideally include stable mood, adequate sleep, flexible eating habits, sustainable exercise and the ability to participate in everyday social life without excessive fear or guilt
Psychological support becomes important when weight concerns begin to interfere with normal functioning, whether through severe food restriction, binge eating, compensatory exercise, excessive body checking, persistent low mood or intense dissatisfaction with appearance
“Weight loss should be viewed as one component of improved health, not as the measure of a person’s value,” he concludes
By Zinia Bandyopadhyay
Chief Sub Editor with a decade of experience in digital media, known for digging into behind-the-scenes trierd, she spends her time ferociously hitting the keyboard, daydreaming between deadlines, travelling, chasing street food, and cracking unapologetically bad jokes
First Published:Sep 01, 2026, 10:18:40 IST
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