So you’ve started a ketogenic diet, and are seeing better results than you ever have before. You’re finally losing weight while eating foods you enjoy, and it feels like something you can actually stick to this time. The weight comes off pretty quickly too, which helps keep you motivated to keep going!
Pretty soon you can barely recognize the person in the mirror. You’ve achieved results beyond what you even thought was possible, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by all your family and friends. They’re praising you with compliments for your new smaller frame, and want to know the secret to how you’ve achieved such dramatic results. They assume you MUST be so much happier and healthier since losing the weight.
But there’s a catch. You don’t always see what they see when you look in the mirror. Logically you know that you’ve lost weight, but you still see your former, larger body in the reflection. You’ve put in all the work to lose the weight with keto, but your brain hasn’t quite caught up.
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Our body image refers to how we perceive ourselves and our bodies visually. It includes how we talk and think to ourselves (and to others) about our bodies, how we think others view our bodies, and our level of connectedness to our bodies.
No matter what the scale says, adjusting to a new body size can do a number on our self esteem. For some people, body image can become a big preoccupation especially if you view yourself as being outside the “norm” in terms of your body type, weight, or have newly developed stretch marks or loose skin from your weight loss.
There are many factors that can influence your body image including:
Comments about your appearance (good or bad)
How often you compare yourself to others
Exposure to the media (photoshopped or idealized images vs “normal” bodies)
Experiencing discrimination based on your appearance
Ideals you develop about your appearance from a young age
Any of these factors or more can have an effect on how you view your body before, during, and after keto weight loss.
Developing and fostering a negative body image can affect your mental and physical health and may increase the chances of:
Developing anxiety or depression
Having trouble concentrating
Avoiding social situations
Avoiding physical activities
Suffering from eating or exercise disorders
Making reckless health choices
Feeling uncomfortable in your skin
While you may not suffer from any of these specifically, having a poor body image after weight loss can directly influence your mood, confidence and self esteem. Some days it can feel like you’ve put in all this work to feel happier and healthier, but it STILL doesn't work causing you to feel frustrated and defeated.
YOUR REASONS FOR LOSING WEIGHT WILL IMPACT HOW YOU FEEL AFTER
Body image after weight loss can be really challenging. Some people consciously or subconsciously have used their excess body weight as a shield. Maybe it’s kept you from applying for that big job, or speaking up in your relationships, or stopped you from getting back into dating after a bad breakup. Maybe your extra body weight has helped you stay safe, and kept you from putting yourself out there in fear or criticism or rejection. If everything about being overweight was so bad, we wouldn’t stay there as long as we do. It is important to identify, acknowledge, and develop a new thought process for not holding yourself back in your life.
If you set out on your keto weight loss journey with the goal of creating a true lifestyle change - creating healthy habits, improving energy, increasing mobility, being more active, and being healthier you are more likely to achieve body acceptance after your keto weight loss.
However, if you are motivated to lose weight based on external pressures, idealized societal norms, or engrained ideas of beauty from a young age, self image even after weight loss tends to be more negative.
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WEIGHT LOSS CAN LEAD TO IMPROVED BODY IMAGE
First of all, you can ABSOLUTELY have a positive body image no matter what your size, and appreciate your curves and everything that your body does for you regardless of your weight. But it’s also totally possible that your body image will improve after you’ve lost weight.
You may gain more confidence in your new size, and be able to appreciate the hard work and your dedication to achieving your goals. Weight loss can encourage you to continue to take care of your body and your overall health, and create a true keto lifestyle change. When you look in the mirror you will be able to feel better about yourself, and identify parts of your body that you do like more regularly. It can reinforce the healthy changes to your lifestyle, and validate feelings of accomplishment towards your weight loss goals.
EVEN IF YOU FEEL BETTER PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY YOU MAY STILL STRUGGLE
Body image is perceptual, not physical. So even when you have lost weight, how you perceive yourself may not have changed - especially if the weight loss was rapid. Despite the pounds and inches lost, you still may view yourself as “heavier, stockier, shorter, larger” than you really are.
Many people who have lost weight know the struggle of looking good on the outside, but still suffering on the inside emotionally. It’s so common after a lifetime of our inner critic telling us negative stories for it to damage how we perceive ourselves, even if we’ve lost weight. Then hearing praise and compliments from loved ones about our incredible keto weight loss may not actually help as it reinforces that we were a) overweight before, and b) emphasizes our physical body versus who we are inside.
It’s important to realize and acknowledge that weight loss doesn’t automatically equal a positive body image. It can create loose skin, stretch marks, muscle loss and a reduction in your curves. It can also create fear around eating food like carbs, overeating or binge eating tendencies, and anxiety around gaining weight again.
It takes time to heal your relationship with food, with your body, and with yourself. Weight loss isn’t a guaranteed path to body acceptance. It doesn’t automatically mean you can try on any piece of clothing and feel great. It takes more than just weight loss to change our negative perceptions of ourselves.
You have to believe that you deserve to be happy and content no matter what your size or how your body looks. That’s how you can start to see the value in just being who you are. It takes a shift to a more positive mindset and transitioning away from the negative self-talk. It’s truly an individual process, but it’s best to surround yourself with positive empowering people. A keto health coach can hold that space for you without judgment as you figure it out, and fully support you through this journey.
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TIPS FOR BODY ACCEPTANCE AFTER KETO WEIGHT LOSS:
Write out affirmations that resonate with you and say them daily.
Appreciate your body and everything it does for you.
Believe that you have the right to be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Practice meditation to feel more in tune with yourself and grounded.
Shut down the negative inner voice immediately and ask “Is that REALLY true?”
Take photos of yourself to see your progress.
Surround yourself with positive people who accept you as you are.
View yourself as a whole person, not just a person who lost weight.
Keep a gratitude journal to focus on all the positives in your life.
Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is on their own unique journey.
Dress your new body in clothes that fit well and are comfortable.
Share your journey with others.
Give yourself grace and time to adjust to the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that come with weight loss.
Don’t avoid the mirror, face your reflection head on and say your positive affirmations to rewire your negative self-talk.
Hire a coach to help support you to achieve true body acceptance.
When it comes to your weight loss journey, you want to be sure that you are happy and healthy throughout the entire process. One step to achieving that is being able to accept your body at any size to truly learn to love the person you are, and appreciate the person you are becoming.
Sometimes when we’ve physically lost weight on keto quickly, our perceptions and emotions haven’t had a chance to process everything. For example, if you’ve spent your entire life being “the bigger girl” in your friend group, and suddenly you’re not - you may feel like you’ve lost part of your identity. It’s also possible to develop a fear around eating and gaining the weight back, especially after receiving so much praise from those around you for losing it.
This may be a sign that it’s time to put your trust in someone who can help you to truly heal your relationship with food, and your body. It takes strength to recognize we don’t know everything, and might benefit from another person’s perspective and expertise. You can learn more about how Keto Success Coaching will help you work towards your weight loss, positive mindset, and body acceptance goals to truly live your best life!
