Cerrar

Going on a diet requires willpower and persistence.  But above all, it demands confidence in oneself.  For that, self-esteem plays a crucial role.  To be able to say:  I can do it!

Going beyond all the tricks we've learned for avoiding the temptation to eat forbidden foods, there's a powerful force that makes all the difference for successful dieting: self-esteem.

If we don't have confidence in the fact that we can become better, if we believe that we're not capable of following an eating plan--why do it?

This is where self-esteem, the opinion we have of ourselves keeping in mind our strengths, and the fact that we love and accept ourselves--all come into play. 

Raise Your Self-Esteem and Eat Right

Improving the image that we have of ourselves is not something that can be accomplished in a couple of days. In fact, self-esteem begins being formed from the time we are young. Children who grow up feeling capable of overcoming challenges on their own develop with more confidence than those who hear constant criticism from their parents.

Dr. Denise Lamothe, clinical psychologist, wholistic doctor, and author of the book, The Taming of the Chew(Penguin, 2002), has written a guide for people who are prone to compulsive eating. "Caring for our own body, mind, spirit and emotions is essential in order to feel balanced," explains the psychologist. Following are some of her recommendations:

• Move your body.  Choose activities that you enjoy.  You don't have to spend hours exercising. It's better for you to do less and feel better while you become stronger, increasingly relaxed, and more balanced.
• Express your feelings.  No one knows what's going on with you unless you tell them. Hiding your feelings can create emotional, spiritual and physical problems. Hiding what you feel can easily carry you away ... to the cookie jar.
• Try to make all your decisions based on "self-respect"every day and in every aspect of your life.  You'll be happier and more content, and less likely to eat compulsively.
• Find time for yourself.  We all need some peaceful alone time to rest and recharge. Breathe deeply, meditate or enjoy a period of reflective thought--every day. We're always so busy that many of us forget what it means to just "be." If we don't, we forget ourselves, and become out of touch with what we really need--and wind up resentful, using food to calm these feelings of anger.
• Spend some time outdoors.  We are all part of the world that surrounds us. Relax somewhere surrounded by nature. Feel the sun and the rain, the cold and the heat. Watch the stars and breathe deeply.
• Cultivate your spirit.  Be creative. Laugh. Play. Hug someone. Stop taking life so seriously. We're all just children in grown-up bodies. Become like a child. Get some art supplies like clay, or simply walk barefoot through the grass ...
• Apreciate yourself.  This is your own job.  Others are too busy to worry about making you happy. If you're waiting for others to figure out your needs, you'll end up feeling more disappointed than if you hadn't.
• Remember that there are no mistakes, only lessons. And whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, punish yourself. This will only make things worse. If you get angry with yourself, you'll feel bad--and sugar and carbohydrates will simply distract your attention for awhile.