How to Boost Body Confidence: Proven Strategies for Lasting Results

Many women struggle with body confidence, but there are effective approaches to help you feel more confident in your body. In this guide, I'll share what hasn't worked for me in the past, followed by the strategies that have yielded positive results.

❌ What Didn't Work:

1. Excessive gym training (6-7 times per week): While regular exercise is important for overall well-being, excessively pushing yourself at the gym did not lead to improved body confidence (mainly because I was doing it for the wrong reasons).

2. Simply focusing on losing weight: Losing weight may provide temporary confidence, but it often fails to address the underlying issues.

3. Attempting to cover up disliked body parts: Trying to hide parts of your body won't address the root causes of low self-confidence.

4. Contemplating liposuction: Surgical interventions may alter your physical appearance, but they don't necessarily address the emotional aspects of body confidence.

5. Comparing myself to edited images of influencers online: Looking at heavily edited images can create unrealistic standards and negatively impact body image.

6. Striving for a "stage ready" athlete body year-round: Chasing a specific body type can be exhausting and may not align with your unique physiology.

7. Engaging in self-pity: Feeling sorry for oneself doesn't contribute to long-term confidence in your body.

8. Blaming genetics: While genetics can play a role in body shape and size, it's unproductive to blame them for low confidence.

9. Fasting: Extreme dieting methods, like fasting, may provide short-term results but can harm your overall well-being, mental health and body image.

10. Feeling drained from pursuing unrealistic standards: Striving for unrealistic ideals can lead to exhaustion and dissatisfaction.

✅ What Has Worked:

1. Addressing emotional trauma: Working through emotional trauma can significantly improve body confidence by addressing underlying psychological factors.

2. Healing from binge eating and adopting a non-dieting approach: Shifting your focus from restrictive diets to intuitive eating and embracing a healthy relationship with food can positively impact body confidence.

3. Healing body image issues: Engaging in practices that promote self-acceptance and body positivity can help improve body image over time.

4. Practicing body appreciation: Instead of avoiding mirrors, actively looking at your body and appreciating its unique features can foster self-acceptance.

5. Wearing clothes that make you feel confident: Choosing outfits that make you feel good about yourself can boost body confidence.

6. Embracing your body with clothing you always wanted to wear instead of hiding it with oversized garments: Celebrating your body by wearing clothes that fit well can enhance self-assurance (that is if you desire to wear fitted clothing, you can embrace your body while dressing like Eminem too).

7. Engaging in strength training: Building physical strength can contribute to feeling empowered and confident in your body.

8. Recording exercise sessions: Recording yourself during workouts can help track progress and increase self-awareness, leading to enhanced body confidence.

9. Separating self-worth from size and weight: Recognising that your worth is not determined by your physical appearance is crucial for long-lasting body confidence.

10. Avoiding excessive weighing: Focusing solely on weight can lead to an unhealthy fixation and hinder body confidence.

11. Utilising affirmations: Positive self-talk and affirmations can help reframe negative thoughts and improve body confidence.

12. Unfollowing individuals promoting unhealthy diets or having poor body image: Surrounding yourself with positive influences can support a healthier mindset.

13. Educating yourself on nutrition and being skeptical of food scaremongering: Developing a balanced understanding of nutrition can alleviate anxiety and enhance self confidence.

14. Challenging outdated beliefs that no longer serve you: Reevaluating and updating beliefs about body image and self-worth can positively impact confidence.

15. Changing perspectives on food and exercise: Adopting a more balanced and mindful approach to eating and exercise can improve body confidence.

Remember, these changes won't happen overnight, and it's important to take things one step at a time. Building body confidence requires patience and consistency. If you have any questions about this blog post, feel free to contact me.