calling all 100 to lose club members!

Hey you guys! It's a new day and it's a friday! I figured i'd start up a new thread every day so we don't have to get bogged down in the long threads and make it intimmidating for people to wade through.. :) except weekends.. i'm taking the weekends off.. not from CC but from the 100 club.. not a lot of people are around.. including me! :)

so.. it's friday.. let's not get bogged down in any type of challenges today.. let's leave that for monday. Today.. let's talk about our self esteem!! :)

What do you do on a daily basis to improve your self esteem? We all know that if you want to be healthy mind and body you HAVE to work on yourself, but sometimes it's very hard to figure out where to begin, especially when you've spent your entire life putting yourself down. I spent my whole life telling myself that i'm ugly and fat.. heck.. why shouldn't i.. that's what everyone else around me was telling me. I'm taking my life back! I'm no longer listening to those people who say that i'll never be thin because i don't have the body for it.. forget that! I have the body for it and i'll prove them wrong!

Here's what i do, again i might be repeating myself if you've been here for a while.. but the newbies here need to learn about this stuff too.. and this stuff has been working for me. What i do is every morning, either while brushing my teeth, or putting on my make up (i don't wear make up in the summer.. what's the point.. it'll just sweat off.. hehe and i have a good tan) or whatever.. i look in the mirror and take a few minutes (some days 1 or 2 minutes.. sometimes 5 or 6) and i look myself in the eye and tell myself everything i can think of that i like about myself. It took me almost 3 months to be able to do that without laughing.. it's been another 3 since then and i'm just now starting to believe myself. There have been very very few people in my life who have ever said that i was pretty.. my family has always said that my sister is the pretty one and i'm the smart one. I now think that i'm not quite as repulsive as i used to think i was.. in fact i will agree with OK looking. I might never get to the point where i think i'm pretty.. because frankly.. i'm really not.. but i'm not hiddeous.. and this is an improvement for me.

So what do you guys do to improve your self esteem and self confidence?

I find my self-confidence has increased with success. Not just the success of losing weight, but the success of being healthier, more fit and trimmer.
Having a good eating day where I ate good whole healthy foods, makes me feel good about myself. Going off to the gym and being capable of lifting 130 lbs. (who's da man? WHO IS DA MAN?!?! :D) or doing 90 crunches (My abs don't like me today :p ) or whatever.. is great, and makes me feel good and more confident!
And seeing the result, both in inches lost and pounds lost, makes me feel great and more confidence.

AND, better yet, the more confident I feel about my capacity to do this, the more willing I am to try new scary things like running or six different kind of ab exercises or actual PUSH-UPS!

I don't know if this club is for me because I have already lost 60 lbs, but I have another 43 to go. So that's 103 altogether. Anyways,

I stand up straight. I have always been taller than everyone and slouched my whole life. I saw a picture of myself all hunched over and it made me look huge. I try to stand up straight now, it makes me feel good about myself like not ashamed that I'm tall or heavy.

yer da man, YOU'RE DA MAN, HK!!

quite honestly, I'm sure I must have some self esteem issues, but I dunno what they are. I can look at myself and say, no, you're not pretty, but you're not butt ugly either. I *feel* cuter when I try with my appearance so I think that prolly makes me come across as more confident. And I *feel* super cute when the numbers on the scale are moving down and I try with my appearance. (I only try when I'm going out, around the house I'm Frumpy Mom!)

I don't think my self esteem took a big beating cause I wasn't picked on for being overweight as a kid. Yeah, there were a few comments but ..*shrug* I'm a NICE girl, I think I was lucky people saw that instead of the fat kid. Well, the people who actually saw me, a lot of people just looked right through me cause I was (am) shy and quiet.

My self-confidence has increased with losing the weight. I'm sure I'm beaming when I can make it up that hill in Point Pleasant Park with out falling on my face and gasping for breath. I feel really good about myself when I try to run (try cause I don't get far yet, but I try and I'll keep trying dammit!). I like to be in control, I dunno why it took me so long to realize that I could control my weight too. :/

yellowfrog- of course it is.. the club is for people who HAD around 100 or more to lose.. you had that when you started!  :)  welcome aboard!

I actually had to improve my self-esteem to the point where I could be happy and confident in my overweight body.  It was a step I had to take before weightloss was possible (emotional eater). 

But there are still lots of little things.  I smile.  I smile at myself in the mirror.  I smile at myself in the mirror when I'm naked.  I dance in the shower.  I took up bellydancing (and now teach beginner bellydancing), which is a FANTASTIC self-esteem boost as bellydancing is for all shapes and sizes, and it makes me feel so femenine.  :)  I tell my body that I love my body.  I laugh.  I act like a fool.  I do silly childlike things to make me happy and don't care what anyone thinks of me for dancing around the grocery store.  I smile and laugh more.  When I'm happy, my self eteem goes up. 

I get more confident when I step on the scale and it goes down, or watch the green trend line and it goes down (when the scale stays the same).  I wear the pants that have enough stretch in them to now pull them down over my hips without unbuttoning or unzippign them.  :-D  I practice yoga. 

I tell myself that I'm pretty and that I'm sexy.  I pose in the mirror, finding my best angles.  I flirt with my friends.  I smile at strangers, sometimes they smile back.  I run to the window to watch the shirless college guys jog past. 

I take up crafts like making my own beaded jewelry, making medieval garments for fun, writing and performing my own songs, and feeling accomplished when I finish something or get accolades.  I paint for fun and give paintings away when someone says they like it. 

I practice at being a smart-alec in a long and distingued line of smart-alecs. 

I participate in threads like this where I can think about what I'm good at and what I've accomplished. 

I celebrate tiny victories, each pound or half pound, and each good food decision. 

I work at keeping an optimistic outlook on life. 

We don't have a limited about of self-esteem that someone can take away from us.  Our self-esteem can grow and flourish, even in adversity, in fact, sometimes BEST in adversity.  Okay, so if you don't try to jump a hurdle, you know you won't fail, but you're also denying yourself the boost of success and self-confidence that comes if you jump the hurdle and if you work your butt off after failing once, only to succeed in the future. 

We are all capable of jumping over the hurdle.  We're doing it all right now, one day at a time, one pound at a time, one mile at a time, one inch at a time, one vegetable at a time, and that, my friends, is truly a glorious thing.  We are all good enough, we are all smart enough, and gosh-darn-it, people like us!   

If you can believe it or not, this improves my self esteem.  i am a part of your club, I have about 150 pounds to lose.  Though I think it is going to be tough and i don't know if i can do it.  I'm doing well so far.  I love coming on here to record what i ate and exercised.  I have been telling everyone about this site because I think it is awesome.  I do belly dancing classes and my teacher asked me if i had lost wieght and i have friends that have done the same.  it feels great.  i'm not tired i'm eating plenty of food and i feel aesome.  that is a great self esteem booster.  putting on pants you haven't worn in three years and wearing them is a booster.  i love this new me!

Wow Beanie, that was a truly inspirational post! :-)

And Obs, I have over 100lbs to lose, but have only dropped 27 of them, do I still count? ;-) If not oh well!

I've always had a problem with self esteem my whole life. I've always been the tall fat kid, and it's always been humiliating! All of the kids in school were short, skinny, and beautiful and would make fun of me because I was different. I didn't wear popular clothes I didnt listen to popular music, I was the outcast. Looking back I know there was really nothing I could have done about the clothes and music (Mine was a single parent household) but I could have been a better person and not let the teasing get to me.

It was easier to start believing the bad stuff about me, instead of the good stuff. It's like the quote from Pretty Woman "The bad stuff is easier to beleive". I started being an emotional eater. My mom is that way, and I picked up her bad habits. I'd eat whenever I had a bad day, which would make me feel worse about myself and the next day at school when the teasing started, it was easier to just let them tease me than stick up for myself.

Fast forward 15 years. I realized one day that I was tired of being overweight. I was tired of not finding clothes that fit, and I was sick and tired of having someone who cared about me telling me I was beautiful and not being able to believe it.

I started this journey for physical reasons, and I'm getting other unexpected results.

I get downright giddy when the scale goes down in the morning. I get happy when I have a good eating day. I flirt with the guys at work (Even the married 60+ guys! They need some excitement!) and laugh with the girls. I pass along funny emails, and I laugh at my stupid mistakes instead of obsessing over them.

More importantly I try to have more good days than bad. I try to tell myself that I'm okay looking when I look in the mirror. I may never get to the point that I see myself as "beautiful" but each step towards that is a step in the right direction.

Self esteem is a huge part of weight loss. If you don't have any, it's harder to loose weight. But I'm here to tell you that if you take the first step, even if it's a baby step, that baby step will lead to bigger steps and before you know it, you've lost 27lbs, and feel sexy even though you're overweight.

That's right! I feel sexy today! I'm wearing clothes that are flattering to my boody and my I did my hair and put on earrings. It's little things like that which can help build our self esteem!

My friends, it's a long difficult journey, but with each other as our support, we might just make it! :-)

You also flirt with the guys on this board too ;)

I try not to base my boosts on how I look, because a lot of times I don't like that part of me.  Sometimes I do, but not usually.

I do, though, love my smile and smile at myself in the mirror all the time - people catch me and ask me what I'm doing, and I say feeling good, how 'bout you?

I make my husband & son laugh - laughter does amazing things for self-confidence! Even if I'm poking fun at myself about something physical, it's good. Whenever I make a "fat" comment, my hubby ALWAYS tell me "shut up", but then I take it just a step further, and he laughs.  I like being funny.

I also take pride in being a good friend.  When someone says thank you, that makes me feel good.

By the way - Lady O - you have a beautiful smile that lights up your whole face.  When you smile (as in your pictures) you look very confident & self-assured.  Smile all the time!  (P.S. I'm the smart sister, too, except I have 3 sisters!!)

Beanie - that was beautiful.  I've never thought of dancing in the shower.... Hmmmm...

Amber: aren't earrings amazing??  I "styled" my hair & put earrings on today, and everyone at work has commented on what a good mood I'm in - not whether or not I LOOK good, but that I'm in a good mood, upbeat, and fun to be around.  THAT means more to me than "pretty eyeshadow".....

welcome Beanie (thats my neices nick name :)) and well..I'm going to call you Girl or Toni, whochever you prefer cause I can't bring myself to call you by your sn  :) And Utah, too! *waves*

Beanie -  I wear the pants that have enough stretch in them to now pull them down over my hips without unbuttoning or unzipping them.
I SO have those!! Well, actually, I did til about a week ago when I got my mom to take em in a couple inches!

Utah - isn't it great to wear clothes that fit instead of hiding behind the baggy ones? I love that part, cuter clothes are a great side effect of losing weight :)

Yes. Yes it is! And you look hot in them too! *points out his pictures in his new work clothes!* :D

everybody is beautiful (yes men included) in their own ways. whether
you're fat or skinny tall or short you might not be perfect but to
someone somewhere you might be the most beautiful thing they have ever
seen....and if that someone is yourself it's even better. personally i
haven't gotten that close to loving myself hah. but i do know that me
being beautiful has nothing to do with my weight but who i am.
sometimes when im in a mood and im workin the camera i can look like a
supermodel...and sometimes i look like a frump. the many sides of
meghan. my grandmother thinks that when i lose the weight i should
actually be a model...hey that's something to work towards. who knows
exactly, but i do know that im a great person. i am selfless and a good
friend. i can sing and write songs and tell stupid jokes. i make funny
faces and im very over dramatic. i have no style for myself but i can
dress you like a movie star...i always get my hair cut perfectly and
the put it in a pony tail hah. i went from a 1.6GPA to a 3.464 and got
myself into a really hard school around here. im fat...im extremely
tall...and i cant dress for my life. but the clothes i do wear don't
tell my weight. im great...sometimes...and good most of the time. my
friends are my heart and my girlfriend is my life. my family is my
backbone and i will stand straight for them anyday. im a good
person...and so are all of you.

Wow!  I love this . . .

What do I do for self-esteem?  Hmmm. . .

I am allowing myself to be proud of myself and I enjoy this process, rather than being ashamed, embarrased, self-deprecating, and resentful of things like exercise and healthier food.  I am my own cheerleader--Yay, me!  :D

I smile and laugh, like Beanie, and like Hk, find that my self-confidence has soared as I've gotten healthier, dropped some weight, and upped my exercise.  I am enjoying my life more.

I am starting to like my figure.  No lie.  I had on a little black dress yesterday, size 18--not my former 26, and I realize that, yes, I'm still big, but damn I had a good shape, all hourglassy!  I felt attractive. . . . and in my mind's eye, I saw myself in another little black dress, the size 10 little black dress that is only as far away now as that 18 was a few months ago . . .

I look in the mirror instead of avoiding it, and I'm seeing the little changes . . . they pump me up!

And, OK here's the embarrasing one I realized the other day . . . I talk more to men than I used to . . . I wouldn't call it flirting (although I do tend to feel flirtier than I used to), but I used to be afraid to talk to them for fear of rejection based on looks (probably left over weirdness from my mom telling me if I was fat, no man would ever look at me . . . ) but anyhow, I think I'm over that now . . .

Last but not least, I get motivated talking with and reading posts from all of YOU!

:D

Garnet: Which is odd about the Toni thing as my name is Liz.  Beanie's always been a nickname my mother called me.  :) 

o1darcie1o: and it's random bad white-girl 80's dancing too.  :)  Also... even if you don't like how you look now, you can keep telling yourself that you're beautiful, and you will start to believe it and you'll feel it from the inside out. 

Which reminds me Utahangel: wearing jewelry is another random thing that just somehow 'helps.' 

HK do you have a problem with my flirting with the guys on this board? *winks at HK*

I also think that if you pretend you're in a good mood, eventually you will be. That's something that I've had to do in my line of work, and it's amazing that it's true. I also think that if you apply that concept to weight loss, if you can see yourself skinny, then one day you will be!

This is really cool.  I love this but also hate this as I have the hardest time when the focus is on me (does anyone else have this problem?)

I find that if I set goals and complete those goals, my self confidence goes up (although the weight loss/smoking goals have not been completed at this point).

I try to get up every morning, take a shower, dress for the day and wear makeup every day.  I'm a semi-retired RN currently traveling with my husband and I tried to make a promise to myself that I would not just slob around during the day while he's working.

I am creative-I love to take things from scratch and build them into something beautiful-anything from quilts, afgans, concrete birdbaths, wedding invitations, homemade creations (kahlua, pepper sauce, jellies, jams, vanilla), desigining homes, etc. 

I am a good daughter, wife, sister, mother, nana, and friend.  I am great at supporting my friends and families and have started trying to imagine that I am one of them and what would I say to them to boost their self esteem?  I think I am going to journal some of this today so I will have a list of things I need to say to me each morning.  I will also be trying that mirror thing!

I am goofy at times (ask my family)-love to laugh and smile and make them laugh even in public (You'll never see those people ever again!)

There's an old saying "act as if, and then it will become" that I am going to make my mantra

Today, I will act as if I am beautiful, act as if I am healthy and fit and know that one day it will become.

First.
I'm new! HI!!! I'll leave all that intro stuff to my profile that I just put together. :) This is the first day I've actually looked at the forums on this site. I never knew there was so much support here!
Second.
I have had, in all, a zillion pounds to lose. I say that because ntil recently I would not allow a scale in my home and I avoided even going to the doctor so I wouldn't know. LIke a ostrich with its head in the sand...
C)
Self Esteem. Who knew I had any!? In the past few years (and just getting better/worst) I have found myself being more extraverted with the world, between showing off the better sides of my body and flirting with men I have come along quite nicely. I joke that I was a very late bloomer.
D)
The world will see in us what we want them to see. I do my best to be upbeat and happy with myself. If I am having a bad day and have a cruddy attitude I will take a time out and talk myself through it. I have been called a cheerleader, sunny, and even too darn happy. But its OK I'd rather see the small joys in life then to look back in 50 years having missed out.

So glad to meet you all!
-M

Welcome Jamandy. You will love it here!!!

you guys are all awesome!  i love reading about successes like this!  it makes it feel like i am not the only one working on this and i'm not the only one struggling with it!  :)  w00t!

i LOVE jewelry.. any kind.. rings, earrings (i currenlty have 7 piercings on my ears.. so i like earrings), i have 2 toe rings.. all of my finger rings, except for my temporary wedding band don't fit.. i guess i'll have to get more when i'm at my goal.. hehe.. :)

welcome to the newbies.. and i'm so glad you're here!  :)