The Impact of Weight Loss on Your Confidence

The impact of weight loss on your confidence is generally a positive one. Being overweight can undermine your self-confidence, because you generally don't like what you see in the mirror and can find it difficult to find stylish clothes that flatter your figure. You may also be at the receiving end of criticism about your weight, which leaves you deeply unhappy and can influence your body image and the attitude you have towards food, exercise and weight. Losing weight can therefore give your confidence a boost, as you can no longer be defined primarily by your size.

You no longer have to worry about being bullied about your weight or being advised to shed a few pounds and, indeed, you are likely to receive compliments for your weight loss. This can really increase your confidence, because you start to realise what a huge accomplishment it is to lose weight and that all your efforts are being recognised by other people. When you feel this good, it seems much easier to find the motivation to continue with your weight loss, but, unfortunately, this can sometimes encourage you to take things too far.

When this happens, it won't be compliments that you receive, but rather concerned inquiries into the state of your health and questions about whether you have lost too much weight. In response, you may continue down the path of weight loss to the extent that you end up developing an eating disorder or you may snap out of it and go back to a more normal relationship with food. You may find it difficult to keep the weight off when you feel that there is so much pressure to stay slim, but not too slim, and that everyone is looking at you all the time.

Consequently, the confidence you initially got from losing weight starts to dissipate. After losing weight, you can enjoy shopping for clothes and making the most of your appearance, as well as being complimented on your weight loss, but the buzz soon wears off. Eventually, you are faced with having to keep the weight off by yourself, without anyone there to motivate you. You may feel more confident than you did when you were overweight, but there is always a worry that you could end up regaining the weight.

Losing weight might help you to feel more confident within yourself, but it is not a total solution to your confidence issues. If you've been overweight for a long time, it takes awhile to adjust to your new body and to relate to people differently, as you are no longer judged solely for your size. You may feel more confident in social situations than before, but losing weight doesn't automatically mean you're going to turn into a super-confident person overnight.