I can't stand to look in the mirror - naked or dressed. I hate looking down at myself when i am sitting, because my thighs look huge and my stomach rolls. Even though i am mostly fat, rather than muscle, I am still considered "healthy" on the BMI charts... and i have made progress on my weight loss journey... yet still, I have zero confidence. Does anyone else feel like this? Like you'll never be satisfied by your body? Constantly disgusted by your excess weight?
For those of you who don't feel like that, is there any trick to gaining some confidence, or is it something you just have or just don't have?
I also hate my body. I often find myself thinking negative thoughts. And just about the time I THINK that I might be looking good, I catch a glimpse of myself somewhere and realize that I am still fat.
With that being said, a lot of it is in our heads. We are so pre-programmed to hate our appearance that most of us would have to reach supermodel status before we even thought we looked good enough to go to the grocery store. You see, being overweight is not just a disease of the body. In my opinion, it is also as disease of the mind. I am guessing that I will spend the rest of my life dealing with body image issues.
I am trying to fix this by having weekly visits to my therapist. lol, really, I mean talking to a close friend. I have learned to celebrate every pound, inch, and milestone along my journey. It took me a very long time to realize that I wasn't going to wake up one day and suddenly be skinny & beautiful on the outside. But, I have always been beautiful on the inside. Now, I am peeling away the layers of my former self like an onion and learning to live with and love who I am and what I look like. With every weight milestone I make, I am also working on a bad habit. Most recent, no more negative thoughts for more than 5 seconds. I am who I am. I am Beautiful.
Try doing my routine. I am who I am. I am Beautiful. No more negatve thoughts for more than 5 seconds! Are you going to wake up and love yourself tomorrow? Probably not. You've spent a good part of your life telling yourself that you aren't. But at least it is a start!!! Good Luck!!!
I think we all hate our bodies at some time, some more often then others. I believe that we always kinda will.... I hate to admit it, and I hope to God that when I reach my "goal weight" I don't feel like that, but I think I will... You are only 110 lbs... That's small, even for 5'.. If you saw someone else your same size, you probably would think that they had a nice body. But because it's your own, you don't see that... Try to stay postive and maybe it would help people like us to talk to someone about our self image...
Please, please, please learn to love yourself as you are now. Your body is a wonderful, amazing and fantastic thing. You are beautiful as you are now.
Make a list of all the things your body is good at doing for you.
Add to that list everything you LIKE about your body.
Now - post that list someplace visible and read it every day. Stop in front of a mirror every chance you get and compliment your body - out loud - smile and give thanks for it!
And - as you continue this journey - it is OK to add to the list. As your body changes and you find even more things that make you smile - add them to the list.
Seriously - see the glass half full - instead of half empty. It makes such a difference
I'm so grateful for this community. and all of your comments.
I too, sometimes, feel encouraged and proud of myself, but then walking past that mirror, it all runs away. I will take all of your advice and try it. I will try to make a list of things I can do with my body and things I like about it. I will try to tell myself, I am who I am, and just try to focus more on the things I do love, then the things I hate. I've always considered myself a positive person, I just wish that I was more positive about my body image. Negativity won't get me any farther in this process/lifestyle change.
I honestly believe I will always hate my body. Even when I reach my goal weight. My body is ruined from being so fat, stretch marks and stuff.
But, really theres nothing I can do about it.
We have to learn to love ourselves. If we don't, no one else will.
I'm ok with most of it, except for the traffic-stopping masses of cellulite on my legs (from knees up), which at the tender age of 25, is far, FAR worse than anyone else's I've ever seen, ever. I mean stretch marks are nothing compared to this.
I guess I've come to terms with the fact (and what choice do I have, really) that no matter how much weight I lose, I'll never be running around in a miniskirt, and I honestly don't let the unattainability of perfection affect my weight loss efforts. Just looking around the "goal" and "minigoal" albums on this site, realizing how fantastic people who were once seriuosly, seriously obsese can look, is truly motivating.
Last edited by gtech2mit10; 10-30-2008 at 10:43 PM.
I used to hate it but I don't anymore. I can't tell you how or why that changed. I just seem to be able to look at the good things now and ignore the bad. Not that I don't notice. Sure, I do and sometimes I feel like a huge elephant and it drives me nuts but those days aren't every day anymore.
I went through a phase where I absolutely hated everything about my body...the jiggle and squish, the love handles and fullness...all of it. I ended up doing more damage to myself than anything without realizing it.
But something kinda snapped in me when I had my "lights shine down upon me from the heavens" moment, and I realized that I'm not supposed to look like the models in the magazines. I sort of mended my confidence by thinking about what a good person I am, how lucky I am to even be on this earth surrounded by the most amazing people. I truly started to work on loving myself, from the inside...which eventually spread to the outside. I started walking taller and smiling more...and dang it, it felt good! It was the beginning of a happier me!
I may not have the body of Gisele Bundchen, but I am ME, and I work with what God gave me. Sure, I have my blah days, and the days where I can barely stand to look in the mirror, but overall, I know that I'm beautiful on the inside, and when you truly feel that, it radiates on the outside.
Hun, cheer up and try to focus on the positives. You ARE beautiful, inside and out. Knowing you're doing your best is what matters the most!
I hate my body!!
