Is Low Self-Esteem Stopping You From Losing Weight?

If your self-esteem is low, you’re more likely to be overweight or obese – and new research has shown that a low self-esteem at the age of ten can adversely affect weight in adulthood.

For many dieters, it’s a vicious cycle. Feelings of low self-esteem, worthlessness or inability to control our lives lead us to comfort-eat … and then we put on weight, and start feeling even worse.

So how can you break out of this?

Valuing Yourself and Your Uniqueness

The first step is to recognise that you’re a valuable person. You have unique qualities, skills and abilities and you can contribute a lot to the world. One eye-opening exercise is to ask a close friend or a family member to write down a list of the particular skills or attributes that they think you have. It’s very easy to ignore our own great qualities and to obsess over the things we want to change.

You could also try making your own list – of your particular talents (being able to cook, write, sing, dance, paint, do accounts…) and of the achievements that you’ve had in the past.

If this is particularly hard for you, consider seeing a counsellor, doctor or life coach. Low self-esteem is hard to tackle alone.

Taking Control

As well as low self-esteem, people with a low sense of control often end up overweight or obese. If you find yourself agreeing with statements like:

Things always seem to go wrong for me
It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I’ll never succeed
I’m trapped in my job
I could lose weight if I had a different career / if my husband was more supportive / etc

Sometimes, there are legitimate obstacles to your success. Often, though, those problems are more in your mind than in the world. No-one is ever genuinely trapped in a job or relationship: you can always hand in your notice, or pack your bags.

When it comes to what you eat, remember that you have the final say over what does and what doesn’t go into your mouth!

It can be tough to admit to yourself that you really are in control of your life. I know there are times when I’d quite like someone else to be in charge – someone I could blame when I don’t meet my goals! But in the long-term, it’s far more empowering to step up to the plate and take responsibility – even for the bits of your life that you’d like to change.

Don’t Let the Scales Bully You

When dieting, it’s all too easy to let the scales bully you: don’t! By that, I mean don’t give in to feelings of misery, guilt or anger because of the number on your scales.

There are people out there who hate their body for what it is. A lot of overweight people judge themselves in a way they would never judge anyone else. When we get like this, every ounce of our self-esteem is wrapped up in what the scale says. (Self-Esteem & The Great Weight Debate: Acceptance v Diet, World of Psychology)

If you find that your mood and your motivation goes up and down with that figure on the scales, then it’s worth remembering that sometimes your dieting and exercising efforts don’t show up immediately:

Your weight fluctuates naturally from day to day
Women typically put on a few pounds just before their period (due to water retention): this weight will quickly vanish again
Taking measurements of your waist, hips and chest may reveal progress – even if the scales are refusing to budge
You might need to change the batteries in your scales!

Don’t align being “thin” with being “good” and being “fat” with being “bad”. Whatever your weight, you’re still a great person with a lot to offer the world!

Written by Ali Hale