By: Dean Anderson, SparkPeople Blogger
9/1/2009 6:24 AM   :  176 comments   :  15,213 Views

See More: body image, weight loss, , emotional health,

We all know it’s very easy to develop a negative body image when we feel like our own bodies don’t match up very well with media images of the “perfect” body. Sometimes, even very minor imperfections can be the source of much dissatisfaction.

And I imagine that most of us who set out to lose weight and/or improve our fitness are hoping that our body image will improve as our body changes.

But is that what always happens? Does body image improve along with your BMI score?


Apparently not for a lot of people, according to this article from MSNBC. Especially those who lose a lot of weight or those who have a history of losing and regaining weight several times. Most people who lose weight report more satisfaction with their bodies and what they can do, but this doesn't always translate into improved body image.

For some, their "new" body never feels quite real, as if they're not sure the weight loss and increased fitness will last very long. Others literally can't "see" their bodies as they are now--they still see the "phantom fat" that used to be there.

The linked article offers some information about why these problems may happen, but maybe the most important question here is what people can do when they find themselves still feeling uncomfortable in their own skin even after weight loss.


When I think about my own body image issues, it seems like I have more than one body image floating around in my head. How I’m seeing my body at the moment depends a lot on what I’ve been doing recently. If I’m eating well and exercising regularly, I see myself in my mind’s eye as being relatively healthy and fit, and I see my body as “normal.” I’m not very self-conscious about my appearance, even though I know I’m a long ways from being thin or buff. I can put on my compression biking shorts, muffintop and all, and head out into the world without giving a second thought to what someone else might think about this fashion choice.

But when I’m not eating well or exercising, this all changes pretty dramatically. I start seeing myself the way I used to when I was well over 125 pounds heavier. I get very self-conscious, don’t want anyone to look at me, and wouldn’t even think about wearing my bike shorts in public. I feel like my body is about as un-normal as you can get. If my weight goes up a couple pounds on the scale, these feelings and thoughts just get worse.

So, it seems that losing all that weight didn’t entirely change my body image. It doesn’t take a lot to make those old feelings and thoughts about my body come roaring back to the surface again. But, fortunately, it also doesn’t take much to get myself back into a more realistic and positive frame of mind—I just need to do something healthy for myself, whether it’s eating better, doing some exercise, or finding another way to de-stress about all this.

For me, the best antidote to negative feelings about my body is to treat myself as if I respect and care about my physical self, even when I may not feel that way at the moment.

Maybe someday I’ll get to the psychological roots of all those old feelings, and get rid of those demons once and for all. But if not, at least I know how to handle them when they do come up.

What’s your story? Does how you feel about your body change according to your weight or clothing size? Has losing weight made a major difference in how you see yourself, or is it hard for you to see your body as it is now? What do you do to maintain a positive attitude toward yourself when those negative thoughts start coming up?