Ingredient #10: Accept and Love Yourself

I grew up with the false belief that my value was linked to my body size.  For years I thought myself fat and worried about gaining weight.  It took years to realize how hurtful this way of thinking was to me.  Making peace with how I looked was an important step in my own journey of health…

The final ingredient for 
healthy weight loss is how 
you look at yourself and your
 weight problem. In many 
ways this is the most 
important ingredient. If you 
don’t like yourself, and, in
particular, dislike your own 
body, you are likely to keep 
sabotaging your own weight 
loss efforts. Please
 understand that this is not
 necessarily intentional. Your subconscious mind believes what it is fed. If you constantly berate your own body and put yourself down, your subconscious mind will work to keep you in this place. You may lose weight but you won’t be able to keep it off!

To change your attitude, you need to first let go of the past. Recognize your wounds, forgive others as well as yourself and begin with a clean slate. The next step is to begin the process of believing in yourself and loving your own body. When you accept and appreciate your own body, just as it is, your outlook changes and you will be more motivated to care for yourself and strive for optimal health. Dealing with deeper issues is not always easy but for permanent weight loss, it is essential.