What Are Some Tips On Improving My Body Image?

February 1, 2009 -- Question: What are some tips for improving my body image?

Answer: People who struggle with their weight often also struggle with their sense of self and their sense of their body image and have a lot of negative thoughts and feelings about the way they look. It's important to recognize that weight loss alone may not help this entirely. So we like to recommend that people do several things. One might be to identify when you are having a negative thought about your body and push that thought away and replace it with a more positive and accepting thought. Another option might be to stand in front of a mirror, for example, and look at yourself and point out the things that you like about your appearance. That can be a very effective tool in helping people to move towards self-acceptance.

Of course, taking charge of your health and feeling empowered to start shaping you body in the way that you would like is also very important. We recognize that along with weight loss, people who exercise start to feel better about themselves, a little more in control, and start to feel like their clothes are fitting better and so forth. Which, if you pay attention, can really add up to the whole picture of your health and body image, and not just about the scale.