Fighting the negatives of weight gain
Self-love is wealth
Have you ever been in a room and felt like you were just too big to be in it. Like the sight of you was irritating to those around you. Standing in front of the mirror was an even harder task because you hated the lumps, hated the tommy, and the bulges of meat that just wouldn’t go away. So you turned into a bully, saying the most horrid things to yourself. Everyday became a drag, a torture of hating every single inch of what is your body. This ushered you into low self-esteem, depression anxiety and all these other things that make you feel as though you’re unworthy. You’ve tried to dig yourself out of this mental prison but it’s hard. I want you to take a deep breath and make a whole hearted decision to love yourself and then the true work begins. Ladies weather you were born a plus size queen or gained a couple of pounds at whatever age. You are worthy of love and it begins with you.
You need to get out of the “I need to look a certain way” mind-set.
Instead embrace yourself by changing your perception of self-value. What you believe about yourself should not correlate with how you view your body at a particular moment but rather constantly express the high value that you place on yourself and the happiness and fulfilment that comes with it. Trying to attain a certain look may give you temporary results which are fleeting in the long wrong run so let’s build up long lasting high self-esteem.
Boosting Self esteem
1. Avoid comparison- Not everyone is and can be Kylie Jenner that’s okay. Social media trends and diets most often than not set unrealistic and narrow standards of what beauty really is. Even with the recent development of inclusiveness it seems there is still a certain type of big that is acceptable compared to others. So you see taking a break here and there from social media especially the pages of those gym girlies that you stalk to compare yourself would do you more good than harm. Remind yourself that what you have is not what they have and they don’t set the standard of beauty.
2. Talk to someone- Try opening up to someone you trust, this can be your therapist, a friend or a family member. Having someone to talk to makes you aware that you have a community that is willing to listen and that can give the support and advise whenever you don’t have the will power to do so.
3. Dress for your body- Drowning yourself in your clothes only encourages you to stay hidden and feel sorry for yourself. Wear clothes that flatter your figure. They don’t have to be too tight or revealing they just have to make you feel good. Your dressing not only says a lot about your self-perception it also provokes your self-esteem in a positive manner.
4. Take care of your spirituality: Practice spirituality by meditating or praying. Connection with a higher power often brings relief to a busy and stressed out mind and a constant dedication to a spiritual life brings about balance and discipline to understand that you are an artwork that was well thought out.
5. Confidence-Challenge all the negative thoughts that make you feel insecure and be bold in your new mind-set.
Dealing with depression and anxiety
Hating your body and appearance can sometimes draw you into a depressive state. A deep sense of sadness that just can’t seem to go away no matter what you try. Depression can stop you from doing the things you love and take away your sense of purpose. There are a couple of things you can try to break it.
You can try eating healthy and exercising, leaning on a support system and doing activities that make you feel good.
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Healthy eating and exercise:
Exercising is not meant for weight loss only. It’s meant for healthy living. Establishing a healthy lifestyle by setting up fitness goals can help with depression.
· Physical activity addresses a huge part of mild to moderate mental health diseases especially depression and anxiety. It can sometimes be a struggle to get yourself to do anything when you are depressed so this where your support system comes in. They can help pick you up when you don’t have the will to do so.
· Increased aerobic exercise or strength training has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms significantly.
TIP- eating wholefoods the likes of fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and legumes not only nourishes the body but revitalises the skin and improves skin appearance. An improved skin appearance can increase self-esteem and contribute to the overall defeat of depression.
· Try out some new activities- You may not feel like doing anything but forcing yourself to try out something new or something you used to love doing could boost up your spirit.
· Daily affirm yourself- take time to look at yourself and mention all the things you love about yourself not just physically but intellectually, socially and every other way possible. You are an awesome person just give yourself a chance
A lot of ladies around the world go through a time where they don’t feel like their beautiful or valued enough just because they’ve gained weight or are living as plus size women. The most important thing is for you to be kind to yourself don’t be too hard on yourself. Live a healthy lifestyle that promotes relationships, joy and overall fulfilment and you can do it one day at a time.
BY VONGAI MATASWA
REFRENCES
Skin wrinkling: Can food make a difference?
J Am Coll Nutr, 20 (1) (2001), pp. 71–80
View at publisherCrossrefView in ScopusGoogle Scholar
The Psychosocial Burden of Obesity
Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America, Volume 45, Issue 3, 2016, pp. 677–688
David B. Sarwer, Heather M. Polonsk
