Confidence and self-esteem when you're losing weight

Hello, Sandra here. My main reason for creating the SlimPod Programme was that I wanted to empower people to be confident and live happier lives. I had learned so much about personal development and personal empowerment, and I just had to share some of the magic with the world. You see, being an overweight child and being bullied at school meant my confidence and self-esteem had taken a real battering, and I was well into my 20s before things started improving. My size and the way I looked was intertwined with my identity, and like so many overweight people, I thought that if I lost weight, I would be this amazingly confident person. But it didn't quite happen like that. When I lost weight, it helped a bit, but my self-esteem still wasn't brilliant. So I had to work on it. You see, I began to understand that if I was happier with who I was and actually liked me, then that was the most important thing, and the weight loss would follow. And I see this same thing every day with the people I work with. Their confidence has been on a, say, on the same yo-yo dieting journey as their weight. When they've lost some weight, they feel great because they can get into smaller clothes and they like what they see in the mirror. But the way they feel is dictated by their weight, and this shouldn't be the case because if they put the weight back on again, they feel rubbish and their self-esteem goes through the floor again. So self-esteem should be worked on as a totally separate thing, and it shouldn't be the result of what you see in the mirror. Confidence is an ongoing thing, something that can be developed every day. If you have confidence and self-esteem, you have choices because you're being empowered from within, and it means that you're in control and you're not reacting to what you see in the mirror. I worked very hard on improving my own confidence, and funny enough, my weight has stayed off for years. And this is part of the magic of SlimPod. It helps empower you during your weight loss journey, so your confidence is growing all the time, and it's not just dependent on what the scales say. Now, it really makes my heart sing when I can help others feel the same way, and through the SlimPod Programme, I'm so proud to be doing this worldwide. Only yesterday I spoke to a lady whose story is so empowering, and I really have to share the love and tell you all about her. Angela Schofield is one of the lovely staff I've been working with at Tameside Hospital in Manchester. She works in A&E as a receptionist, and she joined our program in June 2018 as part of a group who will be appearing in the Channel 4 program How to Lose Weight Well in January. Angela was very overweight and her confidence was rock bottom. Today is her birthday and she's feeling better than she has in years. Yes, she's been losing lots of weight, but just as importantly, she's feeling confident and happy in the skin she's in. Angela used to be like a little mouse that didn't like poking its head out into the daylight. She would avoid social events and in the 12 years of working at the hospital had never been to her Christmas party. But guess what's happened? This mouse is a mouse no longer. Next week Angela, or Cinders as I'm now calling her, is going to the ball. She's going to her work do for the first time. Angela, I'm so excited and happy for you, so a very, very happy birthday, my lovely. Angela's story truly makes me so emotional. She's such a wonderful example of what can happen when you feel confident and empowered and happy with yourself, not just because you've lost weight, but because you actually like who you are. That really is what it's all about. So have a think about whether your self-esteem is wrapped up in your size and how you can do yourself a huge favor this Christmas by unwrapping it and liking yourself love a whole lot more? Drop me a comment below. I love hearing from you.