There’s nothing wrong with wanting to adopt a healthier lifestyle to lose weight for health reasons. But if weight loss and looking a certain way is your only goal you will probably find it hard to stay motivated because physical changes take longer to see, and sometimes no matter what you do, your body might just stay the same and this is completely fine.
If you still want to lose weight, it’s so important to embrace your body at every step on your journey, especially at the beginning. Self-love is not the result of weight loss – it’s the path. When you learn how to love yourself, your self-compassion grows. As self-compassion grows, you’re less likely to criticise yourself when you make a (very normal) mistake and eat past fullness. And as you stop criticising yourself around food, your thoughts and behaviours slowly start to normalise. Then as your thoughts and behaviours start to normalise *surprise* your body will settle at its natural weight.
Here are some of my top tips for working on positive self-love:
Focus on benefits to eating healthier and exercising that aren’t based on your appearance
When you shift your focus to other benefits of a healthier lifestyle, you will find yourself getting more motivated to stay consistent with your goals. These benefits can be noticing you’re having better sleep, having more energy, feeling stronger, and improved mood. This also helps you become grateful for what your body does for you, making you appreciate it more.
Think about ditching the scales
It can be easy to fall in the trap of focusing on the number on the scales. It’s important to remember that your weight doesn’t give you the big picture, and there are so many factors that can make it fluctuate. If you feel like the scales aren’t helping you accept yourself, consider ditching them.
Focus on who you surround yourself with
Try to surround yourself with people who talk positively about body image and follow body positive social media accounts. This support will help you with your mindset.
Wear clothes that make you feel good now
Don’t wait until you look a certain way to wear the clothes you want. Remember the clothes have to fit you, not the other way around. So wear whatever you enjoy and make you feel good.
Remember, you are worthy of love, respect, and self-care! Embrace your unique beauty, nourish your body with love, and treat yourself with kindness and compassion every step of the way, and the results will extend far beyond mere weight loss.
The most common cause of low-self love is the act of dieting. Dieting is often the root cause of feeling insecure about your body and having low self-esteem.
