Is how you see yourself holding you back?

If when you try working towards your fat-loss or improving your relationship with food and suddenly you end up giving up or self sabotaging, this one thing could be the reason why:

You fear losing your identity...

What does that mean? Here are a few scenarios:

• Maybe you have always been the protector of your friends, you’re the bigger friend who is comfortable in their body but is wanting a change for themselves. People looked to you as a sign of body confidence and you fear that others will no longer see that of you. You fear that you will lose the person that is attached to these ideals.
• Or have you always been the fit friend, you have always been praised for how small you are but you know for your health putting on extra body fat is important for your overall health. But you fear you will lose the "fit" one identity.
• Perhaps you have been bullied all your life for your size, which now you have accepted and make jokes about it before anyone else does to keep you safe. But when you lose the weight you will lose that part of you that was keeping you safe.

These are just a few things that do come up for people that subconsciously come up and result in resorting back into old behaviours.

The good thing is that with work this is changeable, but just jumping on another diet may not be the best solution. Addressing these beliefs and identities alongside working on healthier habits is key.

Here are some things that you can do to address these:

• Journaling can help build awareness
• Speak to a therapist
• Speak to someone who has gone through a similar experience
• Open up about your fears and concerns with loved ones

This gives you back the power and stops you having the belief that you can't do it, building confidence that people care for you outside of your appearance will make lifestyle changes more likely to stick.

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