How can I “love myself” when I am so overweight?

We have heard of the popular notion of “self-love” as being one of the necessary components for improving overall wellness and living a happy, abundant life. It can sound so simple, right? Just “love yourself” and everything will somehow start getting better.

For people who are desiring to lose unwanted pounds for improved health, this can seem like a confusing and daunting phenomenon. How can I “love myself” when I feel so horrible in my body? When we feel heavy, bloated, and uncomfortable in our bodies, it can seem frustrating to find love in physical discomfort.

Weight loss is a daunting task that requires commitment, dedication, focus and determination, no doubt. This becomes increasingly challenging considering that our society is over saturated not only with enhanced images of beautiful people with the so-called perfect bodies but also with inflated marketing of profit-driven, palate-pleasing uber processed foods that hijack our reward systems and keep us addicted to foods that do not serve our health.

The desire to shed unwanted pounds for improved health is noble, courageous, and responsible. Often times, however, we can develop beliefs that when we “get the weight off” we will then get happy, and life will miraculously improve. But until then, we will live in self-judgement, shame, self-criticism, and demoralization, trying to figure out what and how to eat to lose the weight. This inner critic produces a stream of underlying stress that can get in the way of improving our health and weight loss. The toxic negative energy is the bigger enemy than the unwanted pounds.

How do we shift out of toxic inner criticism and move toward a pathway for inner peace and self-love?

Decide to treat yourself kindly RIGHT NOW. Decide to find outlets for comfort in your body AS IS, while you move toward healthy actions with food and body. Purchase some comfortable clothes in your right now-size body, including undergarments that are fresh and comfortable. Treat yourself with the dignity and respect that you deserve RIGHT NOW as the amazing person you ARE. Believe that you are on the pathway of making small decisions one day at a time, that contribute toward weight loss and improved health, knowing that you are right where you need to be in your life and are making progress.

When we give ourselves space and “permission” to love ourselves RIGHT NOW, we quiet the critic and open ourselves up for the nurturing wisdom of life to show us the way toward sustainable self-care that leads to shedding unwanted pounds the right way for us, with nurturing guidance. Recognize what is AMAZING about you right now and remind yourself often. This is self-love in action that provides the healing space for sustainable improvements in weight loss and overall health and wellbeing.