Three Tips For Improving Self-Esteem No Weight Loss Needed

Women have held the misconception for years that when they, “lost the weight” something magical will happen and all their insecurities will go away and their self-esteem will magically soar. I’m sure for a select few women that is true, but for the majority, even when we lose weight our insecurities don’t lesson, and our self-esteem stays exactly the same.

That’s why I believe it’s important to do things every day to help improve your self-esteem no matter what your size or shape may be, which is the reason I’m writing this post. The three ideas in this post might make you feel uncomfortable if you are really critical of yourself, but it’s necessary to push yourself out of your comfort zone if you want to overcome those insecurities and feel better about yourself. I promise.

1. Learn how to take a good photo.

Few things can upset your self-confidence more quickly than seeing a bad picture of yourself. There are people who seem to always look perfect in photos, and that’s not by accident. They’ve learned how to pose their body and smile in a way that is most complimentary. I don’t think I take perfect photos, but if you look through pictures of me you will see that I almost always position my body in the same way (unless of course it’s a yoga photo or something), and smile in the same way. That’s not an accident. Over the years I’ve learned what way I look best in photos so I instinctively pose naturally that way when photos are taken.

If you really hate looking at yourself in the mirror it might be hard at first, but taking 10 minutes out of your life to see how you look best in a photo of just your face, and full-body shots will make the photos you see of yourself from here on out so much nicer! I need braces. I know this. When I stopped worrying so much about my teeth appearing in photos, you know what happened? I stopped thinking so much about them. That’s not to say I still wouldn’t like to get them fixed, but for now I’m cool with showing everyone what I really look like. It was hard at first. Super hard. But it gets easier and easier.

2. Stop waiting to buy clothes that fit.

We all do it. At least everyone I know does it. When we gain weight we avoid buying any new clothes because we think it will motivate us to lose the weight. But you know what really happens? Instead of feeling motivated to lose weight, we feel rotten about ourselves because we are having to squeeze into uncomfortable clothes that don’t fit. They pinch and make us feel fat and lumpy and that generally drives us towards a bag of chocolate to console ourselves, not to the gym. While I don’t think you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, buying two or three essential pieces to wear while you work on losing those few pounds you gained will make a WORLD of difference in how you feel. I’ve been pretty upfront about the fact that since my bout with over-training syndrome which then led to a hormone imbalance, I’ve gained weight. Some of it was muscle, but I’m a full pant size larger than I use to be. Which means my jeans don’t fit. I spent the first few months of 2015 cramming myself in my old jeans and begin miserable. Then one day I went to the store and bought a $20 pair of jeans that fit and MY LIFE WAS CHANGED. I felt instantly better about myself. I was comfortable, I didn’t feel like I was pouring over the sides of my pants, and I could stop focusing on how awful I felt in my jeans and start thinking about things that really mattered. Since then I purchased a second pair of jeans, and a new bathing suit. Those three purchases are in the top 10 best purchases of 2015 no question.

I sat and thought long and hard before posting either of these photos on Instagram back in the summer. I’m pasty white, you can see I have cellulite, and it’s hard as a fitness professional to adit you’ve gained weight – even if it is from a health condition. But you know what happened when I took a deep breath and hit post? I received a flood of lovely comments from lovely people, and not a single negative comment. And I felt so much better about myself for it. It was scary, but I survived.

If you are wearing uncomfortable clothes that don’t fit in the hopes that you will lose weight, skip a few trips to the coffee shop and go buy something that fits. Like tomorrow. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better!

3. Invest in good underwear

Yes it’s under your clothes where (almost) nobody will see them. But the difference in how you feel when you are wearing nice underwear (that fits!) and how you feel when you are wearing old worn out underwear is amazing. And if your bra and underwear match – forget about it! I swear on those days we can rule the world. 😀 And when you wear properly fitting underwear, the clothes you have on top lay so much more nicely, once again making you look and feel more confident.

But getting well-fitting, pretty underwear can get expensive and can be daunting, that’s why companies like Leonisa are so wonderful. They allow you to shop from the comfort of your own home allowing you to easily find your size and the perfect underwear for every occasion. And if you are still feeling self-conscious about how you look, they offer a full line of shapewear to help you look your best no matter the occasion. Online shopping is especially a dream for those with larger bra sizes, as they can easily find out what is in stock in their size and go from there. No more searching through racks and racks to in hopes that one will turn up.

Disclosure: This post was generously sponsored by Leonisa, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.