Weight Gain Shame
You are half way to your weight loss goal, and have been feeling good about that. You still want to lose the remaining weight, but have reached a plateau. Then, over the next few months, one pound at a time, your weight has crept back up. The first one, two, even three pounds didn’t concern you much. You thought, “weight fluctuates.” But, now you have regained many more pounds, and suddenly a searing feeling of shame surfaces. The shame of weight gain means…. What DOES it mean?
You may let it mean you are a failure — that you just can’t do this. Other thoughts may be: “I can’t believe I’m getting fat, again.” “I’ll never get to my goal weight.” “I can’t let people see that I’ve gained back weight.”
Shame is difficult to feel and acknowledge. Typical reactions to shame include self-judgement and avoidance. You may have wanted to hide your body from everyone, and from every social situation. You may have wondered if you’ll ever really be accepted, or belong, or be worthy of someone’s love.
Don’t worry — there is way to move past shame, and get back to losing weight. Developing empathy for yourself is the key. To go from shame to empathy, start by:
*Acknowledging and accepting that shame is a normal human emotion. You are not bad or broken. Everyone feels shame from time to time.
*Realize that like all feelings, shame is actually caused by the thoughts you have about gaining weight. Thoughts can also release the shame. Work on creating new thoughts about the weight gain. New thoughts might look like, “Weight gain is a normal part of the weight loss journey.” “I choose to be more compassionate toward myself, even if the number on the scale goes up.”
*Remember: your size does not define your self-worth. Through awareness and self-acceptance, you will soon realize you are enough just as you are.
Shame can not endure in the presence of empathy. Empathy for yourself is the first step toward moving past shame. The good news is that you have the ability to recognize the shame-producing thoughts, and then decide to create new thoughts based on showing yourself empathy. No waiting required. You can start right now.
A weight loss coach can be a great resource to help you with all aspects of your weight loss journey, including teaching you how altering your thoughts is the quickest way to feel empowered through all stages of weight loss.