The Inner Game of Healthy Weight Loss: Self-Image Makes the Difference

You hear stories all the time about people who lose weight and gain it right back...95% of people who lose weight actually end up this way. Everyone has a difference reasoning as to why this happens, but most of these reasons have to do with things like discipline, commitment, metabolism...all of which are important. However, the explanation is really a lot simpler than that and once you “get” this, you can do more than just transform your body, you can literally turn your entire life around. The reason has to do with your self-image...

The Role of the Self-Image in Your Behaviors

One of the most puzzling questions people have is what drives them to do some things and not to do other things. I suspect that if more of us knew the answer to this question, there would be a lot more people living the life that they really wanted and a LOT less people procrastinating. One thing is certain, your behavior is directly linked to your self-image. Think about it this way: people who are beautiful don’t behave like they are beautiful...not unless that beauty is a part of their accepted identity. In other words, if they value it as being a genuine part of who they are.

If they do not, it doesn’t matter what they look like, their actions will say otherwise. The same is true when it comes to talents and even to basic personality traits. People don’t act in accordance with what they are truly capable of, they act in accordance with what they believe that they are capable of. So what happens when a person commits themselves to lose weight by eating the right foods and by living a healthier and more active lifestyle but they don’t change their self-image to match?

You guessed it, the big yo-yo. This is the same reason people get into good relationships which they end up ruining or why people who are broke can get a big tax return or inheritance check, only to find themselves weeks later wondering where it all went. Your consistent actions will always adjust themselves to match what your personal sense of identity, your self-image.

The Power of Strengthening Your Self-Image

Considering that your self-image is in control of your consistent actions, imagine what the impact would be of strengthening your self-image. It begins with understanding the “inner compass” which controls your self-image, and that’s the standard by which you measure your value. Having high self-confidence is more than just valuing yourself because what you value isn’t nearly as important as the standard by which you value it. A low self-image is usually caused by valuing yourself based on one of the following four criteria: appearance, performance, approval/disapproval of others or your social status.

Strengthening your self-image begins with self-awareness, realizing what standard you’re using to measure your value and developing a new and empowering standard. Once you achieve this, everything in your life becomes easier, including getting your body in to shape.