This post isn't about binge eating or weight loss. This post is all about increasing your self-esteem.
Too many people equate their issues and failures with their weight onto who they are. One of the issues that I have with most weight loss programs and books is that they don't focus enough on ways to increase one's self-esteem. I could lose all of my weight tomorrow and still feel the same about myself. Losing weight does not necessarily mean that I will suddenly start to love myself. The beliefs that we have about ourselves have developed slowly over the years. They just don't go away because we accomplished we lost the weight. Yes, we will feel good about ourselves and our confidence in ourselves will grow, but when there's an emotional crisis, stress, or something along those lines, we fall back into old patterns of self-hate. Those feelings lead us back to bingeing, which in turn leads us back to gaining weight.
So we have to focus on learning to love ourselves, while we are still overweight or obese. Because that's really how we're going to stop this cycle.
I came up with this after reading a few Tumblr blogs. There was so much self-hate and blame that I felt that even if these people beat binge eating and lost the weight, they would ultimately end back where they started because of those feelings that they have about themselves. I have those same feelings. I don't know about you, but I'm so sick of feeling down on myself.
So I've decided to add some self-esteem building steps to this weight loss program.
What Do You Like About Yourself?
Take a sheet of paper and write down all of the good things about yourself. Write down all of the things that you like about yourself.
Once you've written everything that you can think of down, save the list. Each day, try to find one more thing that you like about yourself.
What Do Others Like About You?
This part is a little scary, but it's good to see how other people see you. By now you should have told someone that you are on this weight loss journey and that you needed their support. If not, you should do this right away. It should be someone you know well and trust.
Ask that person to write down all of the things that they like and love about you. Chances are you, they will express something that you didn't think of.
Write Them Down on an Index Card
Write down your favorite items on the list onto an index card and carry it around with you. Include some items from the list that your person gave you and mark them with an asterisk. Ideally, this should be written on the back of your alternative activities index card. Whenever you feel down about yourself, read the card. Look at the items marked with an asterisk. It means that there is at least one person who doesn't think as badly of yourself as you do.
Why Do This?
This is just step one in building self-confidence. Just like we are taking binge eating and weight loss one step at a time, we are going to build our self-esteem up one step at a time.
Too many people equate their issues and failures with their weight onto who they are. One of the issues that I have with most weight loss programs and books is that they don't focus enough on ways to increase one's self-esteem. I could lose all of my weight tomorrow and still feel the same about myself. Losing weight does not necessarily mean that I will suddenly start to love myself. The beliefs that we have about ourselves have developed slowly over the years. They just don't go away because we accomplished we lost the weight. Yes, we will feel good about ourselves and our confidence in ourselves will grow, but when there's an emotional crisis, stress, or something along those lines, we fall back into old patterns of self-hate. Those feelings lead us back to bingeing, which in turn leads us back to gaining weight.
So we have to focus on learning to love ourselves, while we are still overweight or obese. Because that's really how we're going to stop this cycle.
I came up with this after reading a few Tumblr blogs. There was so much self-hate and blame that I felt that even if these people beat binge eating and lost the weight, they would ultimately end back where they started because of those feelings that they have about themselves. I have those same feelings. I don't know about you, but I'm so sick of feeling down on myself.
So I've decided to add some self-esteem building steps to this weight loss program.
What Do You Like About Yourself?
Take a sheet of paper and write down all of the good things about yourself. Write down all of the things that you like about yourself.
Once you've written everything that you can think of down, save the list. Each day, try to find one more thing that you like about yourself.
What Do Others Like About You?
This part is a little scary, but it's good to see how other people see you. By now you should have told someone that you are on this weight loss journey and that you needed their support. If not, you should do this right away. It should be someone you know well and trust.
Ask that person to write down all of the things that they like and love about you. Chances are you, they will express something that you didn't think of.
Write Them Down on an Index Card
Write down your favorite items on the list onto an index card and carry it around with you. Include some items from the list that your person gave you and mark them with an asterisk. Ideally, this should be written on the back of your alternative activities index card. Whenever you feel down about yourself, read the card. Look at the items marked with an asterisk. It means that there is at least one person who doesn't think as badly of yourself as you do.
Why Do This?
This is just step one in building self-confidence. Just like we are taking binge eating and weight loss one step at a time, we are going to build our self-esteem up one step at a time.
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