How do you start believing in yourself?

IsaCaliBel

Practice more gratitude and appreciation.
Stop hating yourself.

Once I started to be grateful for the body I have and appreciate that I can still move and get around freely, that's when I was able to respect it more. Honestly this is what has helped me stick to my goals. Of course I'm not perfect, negative thoughts and self hate are a struggle to get rid of after years of doing it daily. But it take practice.

I'm very grateful that I have working legs that got me out to walk, workout, and eventually running! I'm very grateful I can make my own food choices. I stopped with the self pity and excuses and just made it happen, every meal, every day. You will fall not all days are great, but you just get up and move on!

You can do it... if you really want it :flowerforyou:

RHachicho

Perhaps try a change of track. Rather than actually trying to force weight loss try and be healthier instead. Try to eat healthier nutrient dense more nourishing food. And try to up your levels of personal fitness. Not only will that help burn calories. But the sense of accomplishment when your personal fitness starts to rise is truly gratifying. And can start a habit that will make weight loss relatively easy. i've been where you are. I don't think I could have succeeded by just eating less. I had to eat moderately and burn rubber XD.

ashlando

I've been there. I've literally said all of those hurtful things to myself when I looked in the mirror for years. And for years, I made half-a**ed attempts at losing weight. And for years, I kept failing, which led to even more self-hate. I realized that I wasn't really living my life. I would avoid social situations because I was embarrassed at how much weight I had gained or because I didn't have anything cute to wear. I wonder how much fun I missed out on because I was too ashamed of myself to actually enjoy my life. How crazy does that sound??

About 14 months ago, something clicked inside my head. I was in a yoga class and I was looking at the instructor and thinking to myself what an amazing body she had. And then this voice inside my head said to me, "you can have that body, too." Suddenly, it all became possible. That was when I found MFP, started logging my food and realized how much I was actually eating! And I also loved the fact that I could eat back my exercise calories, so I started exercising almost every day. The weight began to come off slowly and then I became more and more motivated. I wore my first bikini this past summer (and I am 31 years old!)

Try not to let the negativity rule your life. Get out there and LIVE. Find something you enjoy that also makes you active. I discovered CrossFit last September and I've been hooked ever since. I'm now that person that I used to hate. I love working out and hardly every miss a day (even on vacation). There are so many options now - yoga, pilates, spinning, zumba, orange theory, running, biking. If you can find a club or community of people do it with, even better!

The most important thing is to take it one day at a time. Don't give yourself a deadline.

fatgottago

Well, for 1 thing, you look pretty in your picture.

But now on to your question. I just started working out myself, and this is what helps me:

Code of the Bushido.

Think of your life having already been lived. You are dead. You are at the last day of your life, or the first day of your death. Now think of this day, and every other day until moment. You have all that time to live life on your terms. You can change anything you want, and accomplish anything you desire. Be strong, live and play hard.

I LOVED THIS! THANK YOU! This is brilliant and so fun to live life this way!!

findingmarina

My advise is to give your body TIME to get to where you want to go. I use to focus on the bigger picture and didn't pay attention to the smaller "goals" and accomplishments.

I was on my journey for three months, I lost 30 lbs but I still did not see the changes, so I gave up and gained everything and more. I just started a month ago - this time is different for me. I have finally realized that the desired "change" is not going to happen in a month...two months...or heck even a year.

But one thing is for sure, something is changing!! Slowly I am teaching myself and my body to let go of the bad habits I was use to for 29 yrs and I am slowly taking in new healthy habits.

Set small goals (this week I will drink more water, this week I will incorporate more fruits, no chocolate this month...etc)

Remember that anything you do towards your goal counts, and what's important is to never stop. YOU WILL have BAD days, but you NEED them to better APPRECIATE your good days!!!

PERFECTION TAKES TIME, AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL DON'T FORGET THAT EVER!!! NO SCALE CAN MEASURE YOUR WORTH!!

fatgottago

I wish they had a like button! )))))))))))))))))))))))

rjmudlax13

First of all you have to be doing it for YOU! If you are doing it to get back at someone or impress someone or whatever, you are basically setting yourself up for failure or if you reach your goal, you won't really be happy with it. You have to be doing it because you truly want to be doing it for you.

Also, it is really about taking it one day at a time. You will mess up. You will have great days and you will have days where you feel like you are getting know where. You will get frustrated. People will try to sabotage you. Realizing that this is what the path to success is will help you be persistent. A lot of us think that successful people just got lucky or were just always "naturally" successful. I guarantee you that even the most successful people felt the same way you do. They probably felt like giving up. They probably said to themselves "what's the point?" The difference is that they found something in themselves to just keep going because they had hope that eventually they where going to have a breakthrough no matter how long it took.

Affirmations and positive self talk are great, but if you aren't ready for the hard times that inevitably come, all the affirmations in the world won't help you. You need to develop resiliency. You do this by moving forward even during the darkest times and by not making excuses even when it seems like you have the right to.

fatgottago

You are right about doing it for others. But ..... I have to take motivation where I can get it! LOL. I do understand what you are talking about though. I can't let others determine how I feel.