Low self esteem and body confidence

Charlixoxo

Hi guys
I'm 19. 5ft 3 and 140 pounds.
I'm a size 10-12 usually but because I'm short I feel like I look a lot bigger than I am.
Even when I lost 10 pounds 2 years ago and managed to get into a size 8 dress, I was still unhappy even though I had reached my goal weight!

Anyone got any advice or ways they manage to build self esteem and not feel so bad about body image?

ThickMcRunFast

Sorry to hear this, you look great in your pic.

It happens that we all struggle with body image. A few strategies I learned when I went through this a few years ago:

1. Make an effort - I have a job where i can get away with dressing sloppy (geologist...a shirt without holes in it is considered "nice"). So I started making an effort to look nice every day. Dressing better, putting on make up and jewelry, etc. It helped me feel good every day.
2. Fake it. I acted like I was a confident, outgoing, empowered woman, even though I didn't feel like it all the time. This may sound weird, but eventually I realized I wasn't acting anymore.
3. Set small goals, and do things that make you feel good about yourself. For me its increasing weight during a workout, or running a route faster than I had before. Those tiny things reminded me that I was improving myself, even if I couldn't see it
4. Drop those people who reinforce your negative self-image. Harsh, but in your best interest.

Sunny_fit4life

Personally I think anyone with low self-esteem and poor body image would benefit from counseling. If you have access to it and can afford it, I highly recommend it. I don't mean a psychiatrist or anything... just a counselor. I know many people think only people facing psychiatric disorders go to counseling but it's definitely not true. Do you think that might be a possibility?

I noticed your profile said you were going to nursing school. Sometimes colleges offer counseling services to students and it's "free"/covered in your tuition.