Self Love as Diet Motivation
© 2006 by: Sandra Ahten

If you are uncomfortable with your weight, should you try to take off some pounds or endeavor instead to accept yourself as you are?

I faced this dilemma in my middle 30s. My life, although moving in a wonderful direction, was a hotbed of stressors. I had quit smoking, moved from my hometown, and sacrificed my income to become an artist and a full-time student. In addition, I was a single parent dealing with an adolescent child who was, to say the least, rebelling. I gained more than 30 pounds.

Someone made a negative comment about my weight, and I was outraged. I argued, “I don’t have to look like a model. Your concern with my weight is your problem, not mine. I am perfect just the way I am.” However, as I was defending myself, one question loomed in my own mind: If I love myself so much, why aren’t I taking better care of myself? My diet did not reflect self-love.

In addition, while I was arguing for the right to self-determine my own weight, I had to admit my weight was not consciously determined but simply the result of some unhealthy eating habits. Eventually, I internalized that I loved myself enough to stop the weight gain.

Thankfully, I had done a significant amount of spiritual and emotional healing in my life before my weight started climbing; in addition, I didn’t have a history of dieting fueled by the motivation of hating my body size. So after I worked through the turmoil caused by the comment about my weight, I approached dieting, not as so many do -- motivated by self-loathing -- but instead motivated by self-loving. I really wanted to be taking care of myself. I have determined this to be the biggest factor in my long-term dieting success.

Many people have a long history of self loathing with regard to their bodies, some since childhood. Some people hate their weight; others go even so far as to hate themselves because of their weight.

But most of us have a measure of both self-loathing and self-loving in us. What dieters need to do is reinforce the self-loving as they put to rest the self-loathing. This needs to happen immediately. It is not enough to say you will stop the disparaging remarks about yourself when you reach such-and-such weight. Don’t wait to start until you’ve been following a diet successfully for a week, or month, or year. No. The time is now.

Most anyone can follow a diet and lose weight. Many folks have done it time and time again. But a secret to keeping it off is to approach it not just from a physical or nutritional point of view, but from a holistic mind-body point of view. You have to change your thinking as well as your eating habits.

Try this as a first step if you are contemplating changing your diet or are already in the process: Read the affirmation below several times a day. Say it when you brush your teeth in the morning, each time you eat or make a food decision during the day, and again before bedtime. Say it as you step on the scale.

“I love and respect myself.
I choose a diet that nourishes me and reflects this love.”

Try saying it out loud right now.

Note: Do remember the “affirmation dorkiness factor,” that is: The dorkier you sound when you say affirmations, the more likely they are to work!