Trying to transform a body to lose weight? The weight loss struggle requires staying upbeat and motivated for an extended period. At times it’s challenging to feel good about life decisions while being unhappy about one’s appearance. That’s why it’s essential to have self-esteem while losing weight. Boost self-esteem while losing weight and a dieter is more likely to stay motivated, and we discuss this more in the Body Reboot book. Going on a high fat, low carb diet like the ketogenic diet can increase weight loss and in the process, boost self-esteem. Stick to a life-changing weight loss program, and learn why the two are tied so closely together by reading what sources and studies say below.

Doctor Oz says if you’re struggling with your self-esteem, you should work on boosting your self-esteem by taking small actional steps daily. Being on a more esteem-able path, as Dr. Oz suggests, will help you feel better and in the process, achieve your weight loss goals.

The best way to get out of the low self-esteem trap is to engage in “esteem-able” acts. Instead of trying to think yourself better, the following concrete steps can move you along a healthier, more esteem-able, path:

Take one small action each day that positively impacts the world around you. The key here is to think small. Pick up a piece of garbage that you see littering the sidewalk. Hold the door open for someone else.

Fake it until you make it. Push yourself through your resistance. Hold your head high when you feel like slouching. Smile at a stranger when you want to turn away your glance.

Start an affirmation journal. Each morning, take 5 minutes to fill up a page of a medium-sized journal with 2 positive affirmations about yourself. Be guided by the person you want to be. If you feel heavy and unattractive, write in your journal, “I am fit and lovely.” If you have a hard time speaking up for yourself, write, “I have a strong and clear voice.”

Not only does it pay to work on your self-esteem, but it can increase your chances of losing weight and making healthier decisions. Born to be Worthless elaborates more on how confidence and weight loss are tied together:

You Feel Better

If you’re losing weight in a healthy manner, it means you’re eating right and exercising regularly. Both of these make you feel better. You fall asleep easier. You’re more energized. And with regular exercise, your body naturally increases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and the neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which are targeted by anti-depressant medications. When your body feels good, and you’re getting a solid night’s sleep, your self-esteem naturally increases because you know you’re taking care of yourself.

You Accomplish Goals

Anyone who’s set out to lose weight knows that’s it’s a battle, and one that’s not easily won. But when you meet your weight loss goals, you gain an enormous boost to your self-esteem, and it makes you feel good about yourself. To set yourself up for success, set small, measurable goals for your weight loss journey. Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds in a year, set a goal for five pounds in monthly. A short-term goal feels less overwhelming, is easier to reach, keeps you motivated, and increases your self-esteem when achieved.

A Can Family Physician study from 2008 revealed that people who are overweight experience significant health problems. However, those who decide to implement positive life-changing habits and get the support they need to get healthy are more likely to lose weight and have higher self-esteem.

Self-efficacy correlates positively with success in all realms of personal endeavour, and we can help our overweight patients become more self-reliant.

North Americans are increasingly overweight and the risks of excess weight for numerous health problems have been identified, as has the financial burden on our health system.5 Weight-loss treatment models ranging from the familiar cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) model (which consists of recommendations for a healthy diet and regular exercise) to commercial programs, books, and products all share frequently disappointing outcomes, and have remained fundamentally the same for the past 30 years. Research also shows that genetic, metabolic, and hormonal contributions to this relatively recent and culturally specific weight phenomenon are comparatively minimal, but overweight people continue to search for external solutions to a problem in which their own decision making often plays a primary role.

In an American Dietetics Association poll in 2000, 40% of the overweight people polled said that they did not want to give up their unhealthy lifestyles in order to be healthy. Most overweight people, however, do want to lose weight. Unfortunately, their search for an external solution makes the dream marketed by commercial weight-loss programs very appealing. We can help our willing patients by giving them the tools and support to make the shift from an external to an internal locus of control. As far back as 1960, Feinstein found that personal initiative and a positive relationship with the physician are more important than the treatment model. Though it is not an easy undertaking, family physicians can help receptive overweight patients take appropriate steps to develop the attitudes and commitment to self-care that are evident among people who consistently take care of their physical and emotional well-being.

Weight reduction is a daunting endeavour for our overweight patients but it is achievable for those who will accept support, guidance, and tools for self-worth enhancement from their family physicians. A patient with an internal locus of control is more likely to be pro-active about his or her health than a patient who seeks an external solution.

Even if you decide to go on the keto diet, your confidence may drag every once in a while. Instead of giving up, VeryWell Fit recommends staying on top of your weight loss goals by staying on track, exercising, and applying other techniques to build your self-esteem.

Everyone's motivation drags during a diet. It can be hard to keep your chin up when you don't see the results that you want on the scale. But there are tricks that you can use to keep yourself on top of your game so that you complete your workouts, and keep your diet on track. Find out how coaches do it and then incorporate those strategies into your own life.

Don't wait until the diet kicks in to make yourself look fabulous. Do it now! Your confidence will grow and your weight loss program will boost into hyperdrive when you revamp your look. Learn the style tricks that the pros use to make celebrities and regular folks (like you and me) look thinner, taller and more elegant.

Natural Health News sums it up well by discussing how body image plays a significant role in weight loss and that without self-esteem, people tend to eat more and not make wise decisions.

Lead researcher, Dr Pedro Teixeira from Technical University of Lisbon:  “Body image problems are very common amongst overweight and obese people, often leading to comfort eating and more rigid eating patterns, and are obstacles to losing weight. Our results showed a strong correlation between improvements in body image, especially in reducing anxiety about other peoples’ opinions, and positive changes in eating behaviour.

He added “We believe that learning to relate to your body in healthier ways is an important aspect of maintaining weight loss and should be addressed in every weight control program.”

Even after you lose weight, Greatest recommends not getting discouraged. Perhaps your goals have been unrealistic. If that’s the case, don’t give up — change your goals to more realistic ones and figure out how to pave your way to success, such as changing your diet and mindset!

There is something kind of wonderfully hopeful about believing that if you work hard enough, someday you will look “perfect.” Sure, you don’t look perfect now, but if you find the right workout, diet plan, or supplement, you'll finally look exactly the way you want to.

This already-unrealistic goal is usually compounded by another unfair expectation. Once you achieve that physical goal, you'll feel how you've always wanted to feel: whole, connected, happy, alive.

I once had a client who was convinced that when she finally got into shape, she would also become an extrovert. It’s pretty humbling to realize that even though you worked hard to succeed, you’re still just… you. Expecting that you’ll suddenly become a different person upon reaching your physical goals sets you up for disappointment and self-criticism.

If you’ve been struggling with losing weight working on your self-esteem is essential, as is finding a diet that works well for you. For many people, the keto diet is helping them lose weight and help feel more confident. Learn more about the keto diet in the Body Reboot book! Get a free copy of our book by helping us cover shipping and visit this page to get a free copy today.

Sources: Dr. Oz, Born to be Worthless, NCBI: Cochrane G. Role for a sense of self-worth in weight-loss treatments: helping patients develop self-efficacy. Can Fam Physician. 2008, VeryWell Fit, Natural Health News, Greatest