“Feeling fat” has become one of the most common struggles that many of us feel upon our bodies. We often feel when we see ourselves in the mirror with the clothes we feel uncomfortable or when we compare ourselves to the perfect bodies we can see on social media. Under such feelings some people are even driven to spend too much effort to lose weight that even resulted in unhealthy dieting habits.
But basically most of the time, our “feeling fat” is not related to actually being fat in objective standards.
So what does it really mean when we feel fat? The Worlds Best Rehab may have an answer for you. It is said to be an over-evaluation of your body shape and weight. It is a kind of body shaming that leads people to a very harsh diet regimen and further to a damage to your mental health.
The fat feeling is not just about your body shape or weight, it is about something deeper inside you. To get rid of the fat feeling, getting help from a professional specialist or therapist is the best way. Before that here are 6 ways to relieve your “feeling fat” funk:
How to relieve the negative body experience of feeling fat
Fat isn’t a feeling.
Fat is a natural part of our bodies but not a feeling. Emotions have nothing to do with our body or weight. There are people with larger bodies who are happy, and there are also thin people who are miserable.
“Feeling fat” is actually just a thought pattern that’s a smokescreen for other feelings. You should take time to find out the underlying feeling of yourself when you feel fat. How do you actually feel? And why? Accurately identifying your emotions is an important first step in tackling fat feelings.
Stop the fat-talk
Whenever you find yourself talking to your family or friends about your fat feeling, stop it. Or if there is someone who does it to you, stop them too. You can acknowledge the feelings, but don’t indulge the wacko conclusions that follow it. Such fat-talk is like scratching a mosquito bite. It will just haunt you again and again whenever you say the word solid.
Next time when you really “feel fat” and want to talk to your close ones again, try to replace the word “fat” with your actual feelings such as “guilty”, “anxious”, “angry”, or “lonely”.
Accentuate the positive
Instead of moaning about things you don’t like about your body, switch your focus to things that your body can do (actions) that make you feel kick-ass and strong. As Kristin Mayer of Betty Designs says, “Remember, your body can do Epic Sh*t.” Yeah, focus on that.
Shift your habits
To stop ‘feeling fat’, there are some proactive things you can do right now about it. Small habits performed every day add up to make a big difference. Progress makes you feel healthy, stronger and boosts your confidence.
Without a strict diet plan, a few healthy habits or a healthy routine may help you to get a positive lifestyle. For example you may cook your own dinner and make twice as much so you can take a healthy lunch the next day as well. Also you may carry a water bottle with you to make sure you drink more water. If you are not fond of working out, at least 10 minutes of yoga and sketching everyday. Add one of these habits at a time. Once it feels easy then add in another. Keep adding in the habits until you’re naturally doing these things habitually.
Self-acceptance
Every. Single. Day. Self-acceptance isn’t about pretending you’re a flawless hunk of awesomeness, it’s about recognizing that it’s normal to like certain aspects of ourselves more than other aspects. Importantly, this awareness shouldn’t get in the way of accepting yourself. Here I am, flawed. Just like you. And, you know what? That’s ok!
Get help from professionals for serious cases
Don’t know what “serious” means? If you’re having distressing thoughts about your body or your eating habits daily (or even more frequently), a trained professional can help you develop healthy ways to work through those issues, resulting in fewer negative thoughts and feelings. There are so now many fantastic therapists trained in body and eating disorders and who understand an athlete’s mindset, that you will be spoiled for choice. Get your Google on to find a local professional in your area.
