Losing weight is hard. The process can wear you out, both physically and mentally. No doubt, it can be easy to think about giving up and starting over later. Sometimes you just need a reminder of what you’re really after, and how valuable you are. You just need a pick-me-up. So, first off…
You’re amazing, you know that?
For real. It’s true.
You are incredible, beautiful, and capable of leaving the world around you better than before you entered it. You are confident. You are encouraging to others. You are an example of what it means to really live.
The problem is you don’t believe it — at least not all the time. You look in the mirror and don’t always love who you see. Some days are better than others, but it can feel like a struggle to be happy with the person you see.
Sometimes you just need a pick-me-up — a reminder of why it’s worth it to keep pushing forward to lose all of the weight.
So, here are three things to remember on your journey to lose the weight that will help you keep going.
1. Believe that voice deep inside you that says, “Actually, I’m awesome.”
If you’re trying to lose weight, that struggle to love yourself gets amplified. You see someone in the mirror and let out a sigh. It’s like exhaust from the strain of wishful thinking. But something deep down tells you that a better version of you is in there somewhere. Deep below the surface is a glimmer of hope that you actually are an amazing person — beautiful…happy. I’m sure you feel it.
And you know what? You’re right. That person is there…somewhere.
You may not have realized it yet, but this is your real motivation to lose weight. It’s not really to see a number on a scale. It’s to become the person you know you really are. (Who just also happens to be healthier, thinner, fitter.) That’s what you’re hoping the weight loss will reveal.
You’re after the real you. And the real you is awesome. That’s what that voice deep down is telling you. Believe it — because it’s absolutely true.
2. It’s OK to want to look good. Here’s why:
Why do you want to lose weight? I mean what’s the real reason? Why does anybody want to lose weight for that matter? Sometimes a doctor might tell you to lose weight so you don’t cause harm to your health. Being healthy is a good cause, but it’s not always enough to resonate with us and bring about real, lasting weight loss. More often than not, the reason that motivates the most has to do with the way we look.
We want to look “good.”
And you know what? That’s awesome. You don’t have to feel bad about it, but you may need a slight shift in perspective.
Here’s a thought: what does “good” mean here? If you want to look good, what does that mean to you? At what point do you look “good enough”? It can be a hard question, but a good place to find an answer is to realize where you are starting: you don’t like the way you look right now — there’s a better version of you and you are sure of it.
Looking good is not just about being attractive. You do need to look good, but for a deeper reason. The reason is this: it’s a reflection of who you really are. Who we are on the outside is often reflective of who we are on the inside. If you’re overweight, it’s because something is off internally. The outward weight is just a symptom of that. If you fix what’s broken on the inside, the outward weight will disappear, too. It will also change how you view what’s on the outside. You’ll shift your focus from comparison to self-love (remember — you are awesome).
So, you should look good because the real you looks good. It’s just an outward reflection of who you are on the inside. You want to the world to know it and you want to prove it to yourself.
3. You have so much to look forward to — way more than you realize now.
You know what happens when you lose all of the weight? Aside from looking better and feeling better, you will think better — and dream better.
Here’s what I mean. When you are overweight, you know you are limited in what your physical body can do. Those limitations become “normal” and your thoughts and beliefs will reflect it. You won’t go mountain climbing, or run a marathon if you are overweight and out of shape. Your brain just doesn’t place those things into the realm of possibility for you. So you limit your beliefs to fit your current capabilities.
When you lose weight and get in great shape, suddenly a lot more things become “possible”. Your brain starts to allow thoughts in that weren’t there before. You’ll start believing you can do things that you never would have considered before. You’ll start to dream more. You may even start doing things that have nothing to do with your physical weight — like writing, speaking, or starting a business. Losing weight builds confidence, and establishes the idea that you can accomplish a big goal, because you just did.
So, just remember — you are amazing. That voice deep inside telling you that you’re actually awesome is speaking the truth. Listen to it. Keep going. Don’t give up. The world is waiting on you to believe who you really are, and to become that incredible person. You can lose the weight, and when you do you’ll gain far more than could have imagined.
Originally published at medium.com