Thread: Learning to Love Yourself - the biggest NSV of all?

So, I've got a loooong way to go on my weight loss journey, and was doing some thinking earlier.

I've had a rough past, nowhere near as bad as some, but 5 years of constant bullying through secondary school left me with 0 self confidence, and at times I was suicidal. Not a good place to be. But with the help of friends and family, I got through it, went to college, and then university. I'm 23 now and recently completed the 12 week Prince's Trust Team Programme. During the first 2 weeks my team leader asked what I wanted from the programme, and I said, "To start liking the person I see in the mirror."

I cannot take a compliment, I really struggle with being the centre of attention - I prefer to be in the background. During our final presentation, a couple of my teammates commended me in their speeches for not letting my visual impairment stop me, and for trying my hardest at everything we did over the 12 weeks. I went to give my speech after them, and completely broke down in tears (though a couple of other people before me did too, so that's my excuse!). Then my team leader said even more nice things about me and nearly set me off again!

I'm slowly, very slowly, starting to like myself a bit more. I've got a long way to go with that too.

But, is learning to love yourself, something that happens as the scales slip lower and the dress sizes drop? Or is the weight loss and the new found confidence it brings part of something bigger?

How do you learn to love who you are???

People keep telling me I have this wonderful, bubbly personality, and that I'm fun to be around, but I just see the girl who was mercilessly bullied, beaten and put down through school. I cannot wait until I start to see what everyone else says they do.

I think we are all different and its hard to compare.
Losing weight doesn't guarantee confidence and happiness but it's a great goal to have and achievement as you succeed. It's not easy and there's lots of things to work through on the way.
It's really hard to answer your questions as its so individual to us all. I wonder how many people actually love who they are whatever their size.
Good Luck and hope you get to see what your friends see in you in yourself x

I know it's a hard question haha, it was more musings I had earlier, and decided to get them written down, and to see if anyone else felt the same way.

I know I'll get there, it's just a long, slow road, so I'm enjoying the journey.