How Weight Loss Affects Your Self-Image

It’s a complex issue, and the turnaround can take time

Before-and-after fashions

Robin Ganchoso’s old favorite pants would hold two of her now. With strong family support, she’s lost 100 pounds.

If you’re steadily overweight or have lost weight in the past only to gain it all back again, your self-esteem has probably seen more ups and downs than a roller coaster. “Recurring weight gain increases the sense of failure,” says obesity specialist Theresa Piotrowski, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “You overeat because you feel bad about yourself, and you feel bad about yourself because you overeat. It becomes a vicious cycle.”

The truth, Piotrowski says, is that your weight has nothing to do with your commitment, creativity or ability to achieve something meaningful. “That’s why I teach patients to think more optimistically—a completely new concept for many of them,” she says. “Our goal is to turn negative thoughts into positive ones and help our patients focus on their good qualities.” Such a shift of focus can change your whole outlook for the better.

That’s not to say the road is free of potholes. “People who’ve lost weight often need time to adapt to the emotional and physical changes weight loss can bring,” says Piotrowski’s colleague, licensed social worker Jerry Rodriguez. “Many overweight people have endured a lifelong struggle with weight, self-esteem and interpersonal challenges. They may have a hard time looking others in the eye, holding their heads up high or being seen in public. They’re uncomfortable with themselves and embarrassed about their looks, and those feelings don’t disappear overnight. That’s why we take pictures of people pre- and post-weight loss so they can see how their body has changed.”

Even then, it can take time for your mind and body to see the same image. Just ask Robin Ganchoso, 35, of Hellertown. She lost 100 pounds after gastric bypass surgery in August 2005, but even though she looks great, she still feels overweight sometimes. “When I’m in front of the mirror, I know I look better and I can see how far I’ve come,” she says.

Ganchoso was lucky to enjoy her family’s support every step of the way. Not everyone is so fortunate. “Weight loss can threaten the harmony of relationships and bring out insecurities that didn’t exist before—for example, jealousy that arises as a partner begins to look more sexually attractive,” Rodriguez says. “We provide support before and after weight loss to prepare our patients and their families for these feelings and the impact weight loss will have on their emotional and social lives. Over time, and with help, they’re able to deal with the changes and enjoy a stronger sense of self-worth.”

It’s easier to feel good about yourself when you’re feeling good physically. Weight loss boosts your energy and often reduces aches and pains. You’ll feel more confident about your ability to exercise, and as you become more active your confidence will grow even more—a happy cycle in place of the vicious cycle of overeating and low self-esteem.

“Once you lose weight, you may even be able to take less medication for weight-related conditions like high blood pressure,” says internist Michael Zager, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

In seven months, John Teufel, 59, of Schnecksville did just that. Teufel has lost weight, lowered his cholesterol, reduced his diabetes medications and no longer suffers the leg pains common in overweight people. “I feel so much better,” he says. “I have a lot more energy, my clothes fit better and people tell me how good I look.”

Want to Know More about the benefits of losing weight and about Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Weight Management Center? Call 610-402-CARE or visit www.lvh.org/healthyyou.

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