5 Ways to Increase Self Esteem for Overweight Women – Queen Latifah

Whether you weigh 225 or 105 pounds, increasing low self-esteem can be an uphill battle! But, overweight women can encounter a whole different set of issues — obstacles their lighter counterparts aren’t even aware of.

One of my favorite women here on See Jane Soar is Queen Latifah, who repeatedly said she wasn’t on the Jenny Craig diet to lose weight for appearance-based reasons. Her weight loss goals were based on having a healthier body and lifestyle. I love that!

And here’s what else Queen Latifah says:

“All my life I’ve been in a battle to overcome my fears. I’ve had to take that chance with everything I’ve done, from riding my bike down that driveway, to skateboarding, to soccer, to every sport I every tried out for.”

That’s what increasing low self-esteem is all about: trying things that scare you and dealing with the fallout. To learn more about taking risks and growing as a woman, click Know Yourself: A Woman’s Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence. And, read on for five ways to increase low self-esteem…

5 Ways to Increase Self Esteem for Overweight Women – Queen Latifah

1. Don’t feast your eyes on models. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that an overweight woman’s self-esteem plummets when she looks at photographs of model in magazines – no matter how thin or overweight the model is. The more models overweight women saw, the worse they felt about themselves. These researchers recommend avoiding women’s magazines, but that’s well-nigh impossible! Not to mention Hollywood movies and TV shows, which revolve around think beautiful women. For tips on increasing your self-esteem while surrounded by skinny people, read Increase Your Body Confidence While Reading Women’s Magazines.

2. Move your body. The more you put your body through the paces – dance, yoga, Pilates, hiking, swimming, or whatever you love to do – the better you’ll feel about yourself. This isn’t about weight loss; it’s about increasing the mind-body connection and taking risks. Don’t fall into the “I’m too fat, I’ll look stupid in Zumba class, everyone will laugh at me” trap. Instead, find an activity you enjoy (for instance, I’m a huge fan of the 10 Minute Solutions DVDs), and commit to moving your body and getting your blood boiling at least three times a week.

3. Know your self-esteem pitfalls. To increase your self-esteem as an overweight woman, figure out when you feel the worst about yourself. Is it after a visit or phone call with your mom or sister? Is it at work, when a certain coworker is around? Is it at night, when you’re tired and stressed? You don’t necessarily need to change those triggers; simply being aware that you will feel bad about yourself after X will help you avoid the consequences (binge eating, if you’re like me!).

4. Differentiate between external and internal triggers. An example of an external trigger for feeling bad about yourself is when someone criticizes or insults you. An internal trigger is you telling yourself you’re overweight because you’re bad, worthless, dumb, or lazy. What type of trigger decreases your self-esteem most often? And, is there anything you can do about that trigger? Taking control of the situations and people that decrease your self-confidence is empowering. And, anything empowering you will increase your self-esteem.

5. Keep doing what you’re good at. Identifying what you’re good at – or your best qualities – is difficult for many women. For instance, I’m trying to think of what I’m good at right now…and I can’t! Not all of us are taught to be our own cheerleaders or share our strengths. We tend to focus on our weaknesses, mistakes, and regrets…not on the things we do well. So, to increase your self-esteem, don’t just remember what you’re good at…do that thing regularly. And, savor your ability or talent! It sets you apart and makes you special – and it has nothing to do with your weight.

“It might sound cliché, but beauty for me really does start on the inside,” says Queen Latifah. “It’s like a state of mind, a state of love if you will. Then, whatever you can do on the outside is all like a bonus.”

If you want to lose a few pounds — though that doesn’t guarantee high self-esteem! – read 10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds – Julia Cameron.

And if you have any questions or thoughts on these ways to increase low self-esteem, I welcome you below…

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways to Build Self-Confidence – Queen Latifah
2. 6 Ways to Increase Weight Loss Motivation – Martha Beck
3. 5 Ways to Cope With Mild Depression for Women – JK Rowling