Losing weight and keeping it off can be challenging on a purely physical level, but the process gets even more complicated when you take into account all the mental and emotional baggage that comes along with weight issues. For one thing, self-image. Your self-image is your mental representation of yourself – in other words, how you see yourself overall.

It’s probably no surprise that most overweight people have terrible self-images. They see themselves in a very negative light, believing themselves to be weak, slovenly, unattractive, and untrustworthy. This creates a problem when they start trying to envision themselves thinner, more attractive and happier. As much as they would like to bridge the gap between unattractive and attractive, they can’t quite “see” themselves getting there.

Does this describe you too?

If you suspect that you have a negative self-image, it’s important to take steps to turn it around as quickly as you can. You may think that just losing weight will automatically improve your self-image, and that can happen in certain cases, but unfortunately it’s more common for a person’s negative self-image to prevent them from losing weight easily.

It’s much easier to start changing the way you see yourself because a positive self-image makes it easier to make better choices for yourself, including healthy lifestyle changes.

How to Improve Your Self-Image

One of the easiest ways to start is by complimenting yourself frequently. People with negative self-images constantly put themselves down and berate themselves. If that is your habit too, you can turn it around by speaking kindly to yourself. “I did a great job on that proposal, I’m proud of myself! My body has put up with a lot of mistreatment from me, but I’m going to start treating it better now. I love my body, no matter what size it is. I’m a good person and I deserve to be treated with love and respect.” As you begin to speak more kindly to yourself, you start to feel better about yourself and treat yourself better, which absolutely improves your self-image.

Another easy technique is to create a mental picture of yourself as you would like to be – picture yourself having ideal physical characteristics like a slender and healthy body, beautiful hair and skin, wearing the type of clothing you prefer – but also be sure to insert some other positive characteristics like a glow of happiness and confidence, obvious signs of career success, and anything else you want to foster within yourself now. The more you focus on this beautiful version of yourself, the more you will feel a desire to gravitate toward the changes that will make it a reality.

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