Confidence
When I get a new client that tells me they want to exercise to lose weight I ask them:
Why do you want to lose weight?
Why is that important to you?
What do you believe will be different if you lose weight?
What about your life do you believe will be “better”?
Why aren’t you happy with how you look right now?
Not WHAT about you aren’t you happy with, but WHY aren’t you happy with it?
What does it mean to you?
Example: My “love handles” isn’t an answer. WHY aren’t you happy with your love handles? What about them is upsetting you? What does it mean to you to have love handles?
(If you haven’t asked yourself these questions - could be a great practice for you to try).
A word I hear a lot during this time is confidence.
“I’ll be more confident if I get to a certain number.”
Let me tell you something.
Confidence, more often than not, DOES NOT magically come when you hit a certain weight.
Now, before I get bombarded by everyone…
Ask yourself this: If confidence came from being a certain weight, why are there so many people in “thin” (whatever that means to you) bodies that are unhappy? Feel like they lack confidence. Feel like they need to be “thinner.” Are self-conscious? Why are there so many people in “bigger” bodies (whatever that means to you) that are super happy? Look super confident? Wear whatever they want? Are in healthy relationships?
I want to reframe what confidence means to people.
Confidence (N) is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. A feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.
So, to me, Confidence is…
A result of experience.
A result of continuous practice.
A result of keeping promises to ones self.
A result of falling, and getting back up again.
A result of learning from your mistakes.
A result of recognizing your strengths.
Confidence is self-trust.
Somewhere along the way, you learned you could not trust yourself. That is NOT true.
So, can you be Confident without losing weight? 100%.
Show up for yourself, every day, in whatever form you need.
Keep promises you make to yourself (but please don’t set unrealistic expectations).
You have all the answers, you just need to re-learn how to listen.
Here are some practices to try:
Posture/Body Language (Not only is it how you communicate to the world around you but it’s also how you communicate to your subconscious. Positive body language effects the chemistry of your brain!)
Notice your Inner Dialogue. How are you talking to yourself? Would you say things like that to a loved one or friend?
Do things you enjoy and are good at. What do you enjoy doing? What do you feel good at? We naturally feel more confident when we’re doing things we’re good at. So, do things that challenge you, but also continue to do things that you feel really good at.
Cultivate friendships with positive people. Surround yourself with people that lift you up, rather than bring you down. This one is self explanatory :)
Check out my other post on how to build confidence by keeping promises here > Post
If you’re looking for a safe space where you can learn how to let go of dieting for good, enjoy food without guilt, and turn exercise into something you love to do rather than something you “have” to do, submit a client application to get in contact with me! I work with clients virtually all over the world helping those who are frustrated with dieting and want to change their relationship with food and themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
