How To Not Hate Your Body: What Works in The Age of Ozempic

The Ozempic craze has created a huge dilemma for those of us with eating disorders (ED), or eating disordered thinking.

As Victoria Browne said on her podcast, Real Pod (and I’m not quoting her exactly), if you’ve struggled with anorexia or other eating disorders, the wish for a magic pill to make you lose weight is something you’ve dreamed of constantly.

And now there is one, although it’s expensive. That’s very, very seductive.

The longer time has gone on, with more and more people using Ozempic and other medicines for weight loss, the more I’ve realized that my own shaming voice, the voice of my ED, has started screaming at me again. And I haven’t been actively anorexic for decades.

We’re constantly exposed to photo-shopped adolescent models selling everything from the right purse to the newest aging cream, older physiques are mocked as being “dad bods” having “bat wing arms,” and there’s always the newest six-pack (or eight or ten) abs craze right around the corner.

Throw Ozempic into the mix, and if you’re like me at all or have an ED in your past, an urgent need for that quick fix can loom large.

 

Being thinner doesn’t lead directly to increased self-esteem…

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of weight – you can despise the way you look. And that self-loathing may likely feed depression and demoralization. When it turns really sour, it can develop into “body dysmorphia,” which is critically obsessing about a certain part of your body, and doing all kinds of “things” to change it.

Weight loss doesn’t necessarily solve this problem.

Our culture may be changing slowly. Brands increasingly are using more diverse body types. There are Facebook pages, YouTube channels, and workout groups encouraging healthy lifestyles rather than how thin your waist is.

But how many of you still click that link on social media that promises the loss of ten pounds? Even if you tell yourself, “This is stupid. They’re just trying to sell me something…” But you still click.

Whatever shame you carry about your body is controlling your fingers. And your mind.

So what can you do, every day, as you try to love the body you’re in?

Four ways to work on a more positive body image…

1. Stop shaming yourself.

Shame will not help you and it will not lead you to make positive change; all shame will do is keep you stuck.

“I’ve got such fat ankles.”

“Look at the way my nose juts out.”

“I need to lose at least 100 pounds before anyone would be interested in me.“

You can tune into what your shame is repeating over and over, and confront it.

Say to yourself, “Is this helpful right now? Is this what I’d tell my best friend?” If not, stop, even if you have to yell at yourself. “Stop!” Then replace that thinking with positive comments.

Sit in front of mirror, naked, if you like. Whatever it will take to replace the shame with positive affirmations. Your body has carried you throughout your life so far; perhaps you’ve created a child with it, or sung in a theater production, or passed the bar exam. Thank your body and look for what you appreciate about it.

2. Use non-scale successes to encourage you to become who you want to be. 

I loved what a gastric bypass patient once told me. She was focusing on “non-scale success,” meaning good things that were happening that weren’t about some number on the scale. Walking in the park with fewer stops, and fitting more easily behind the steering wheel of her car were two that come to mind.

What’s a non-scale success?

“I’m laughing more than I used to when I’d weigh myself four times a day.”

“I got through an office lunch meeting without worrying about how I looked eating.”

“Someone told me I looked nice today, and I simply said, ‘Thank you.'”

Notice the things that are changing, mentally, physically and emotionally, and enjoy them. Give yourself credit for positive change.

3. Stop projecting what you see onto others and risk being seen.

Think about it. The first thing someone sees about you is what you look like.

If you hate parts of your body, you may isolate, not wanting anyone to see what you see. Never mind that what you see is highly likely to be completely irrational, and that you’re projecting your own image of yourself onto others. You may go to work, and come home, or do things for your kids, but never do anything where the attention might focus on you.

So begin to reach out; you can start slowly, but start. In the grocery store check-out line, make small talk with the cashier. Call an old high school friend and catch up. Go to an early church service or to brunch with a neighbor. Volunteer for a small role in your child’s school or to walk dogs at a local shelter.

Do anything you can possibly think of to begin building relationships and most importantly, to feel engaged with others — to be visible to others.

4. Watch out for excuses that keep you from risking… 

“I haven’t talked to her in over a year. I can’t call her now, out of the blue.” Yes, you can.

“I didn’t keep things up the last time, I got scared and dropped out of the Zumba class. How will this be any different?” You’re sabotaging your thinking before you ever get started.

How many times did you have to try to ride a bike before you succeeded? And you had training wheels. Getting and staying engaged is a lot harder — it’s a skill like anything else.

This isn’t an easy journey. It takes time and practice. You’ll feel extremely vulnerable.

And yet, that very vulnerability can make you stronger.

 

 

You can hear more about this and many other topics by listening to my podcast, SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. Subscribe to my website and receive my weekly newsletter including a blog post and podcast! If you’d like to join my FaceBook closed group, then click here and answer the membership questions! Welcome!

My book entitled Perfectly Hidden Depression is available and you can order here! Its message is specifically for those with a struggle with strong perfectionism which acts to mask underlying emotional pain. But the many self-help techniques described can be used by everyone who chooses to begin to address emotions long hidden away that are clouding and sabotaging your current life. And it’s available in paperback, eBook or as an audiobook!

And there’s a new way to send me a message! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!

Originally on April 30, 2017; updated and republished on March 17, 2024.

Photo by Pixabay.