By Nancy Adler
It seems as though obesity and low self-esteem go hand and hand. Failed weight loss attempts contribute to the struggle. Losing weight allows us to experience improved self-esteem. Energy levels rise when we permit ourselves to feel good about ourselves.
Weight loss is more than your appearance. Shedding those pounds can do wonders for your health. Reducing your body weight by just 10 percent can lessen the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The biggest perk though is the added energy and self-esteem that comes with losing weight.
Affirmations promote positive thinking. Affirm your choice to be the healthiest and best you can be. Turn off the negative thoughts by putting positive affirmations in place each day. Tell yourself “I can and will achieve my weight loss goals.“ It all starts in the mind.
Support from friends and family is everything. Surround yourself with people who will have a positive impact on your weight loss journey. Choose to spend time with people who encourage you and help to build your self-esteem.
Keep in mind, self-esteem is different from self-confidence. Confidence is related to a person’s ability in a particular area in their life. A person can be confident in their ability and still have low self-esteem. Achieving confidence doesn’t necessarily improve one’s self-esteem.
When you start to feel low, write down positive things about yourself. Maybe write down all the great things you did to help someone in their struggles. You don’t have to be perfect every hour of every day. You don’t even have to feel good about yourself all the time. When you feel good, celebrate it. Eventually, this will become a habit and you will find your self-esteem has quietly gotten better.
It’s so much easier to feel good about ourselves when we are healthy and fit. People with low self-esteem often neglect themselves because they do not feel they “deserve” to be looked after.
Our diet and the food we eat affects our confidence. Balancing and structuring the nutrients of the foods you eat helps our mood. Focusing on getting 5-6 servings of vegetables and fruits, 4 servings of whole-grain foods such as bread, pasta, cereals, and rice. (yes, I said carbs!) Carbohydrates release serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel positive, relaxed, and confident. 2-3 servings of proteins are essential. Beef, chicken, cottage cheese, fish, and yogurt. A healthy well-balanced diet helps us to think clearly and feel alert. An inadequate diet leads to fatigue, making poor decisions, and slows down reaction time. When you stick to a healthy diet you’ll have fewer mood fluctuations, less anxiety, and depression, and have a happier outlook on everything.
Lose weight because you want to lose it. Take more time eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of good sleep. Simple changes are steps to finally achieving the weight loss you have been struggling to find for your entire life. By succeeding, you show yourself you can achieve.
