Weight loss and emotional healing are difficult subjects to discuss with anyone, especially with a significant other. Maybe you’ve recently lost some weight, or you’re hoping to lose some weight soon. Regardless, weight can be hard to talk about with a partner, whether you’re at the beginning of a new relationship or many years into a committed one.
The first thing you need to do is talk to yourself. Check in with your body. How do you feel? Are you trying to lose weight or have you been working hard at it for a while? Are you comfortable in your own skin or do you still have trouble looking in the mirror or going shopping? You need to understand how you feel and why you feel that way in order to be able to communicate these feelings to your partner.
Emotional healing is part of the journey
Acknowledge your feelings as normal and try not to beat yourself up about your body. Whether you’re in the beginning stages of weight loss and emotional healing or in the maintenance phase, you need to believe that you are doing the best you can and that you are capable of achieving your goals. Weight loss and emotional healing are an extremely difficult journey at any phase of your life, and in order to achieve the results you want, you have to first be forgiving to yourself, and then seek the emotional support you need.
Next, you want to decide how to approach the subject with your partner. Do you have a steady relationship with this person, and are they emotionally supportive? Is this the first serious issue you’ll be discussing with them? Are they aware of how you feel about your body? You’ll want to pick a neutral setting to have this discussion; this subject is far from pillow-talk. Pick a place where you feel comfortable and safe. This might be somewhere quiet, where you don’t have to worry about other people overhearing you, or a place where you feel like you can have a serious discussion. Remember, this is about you, and you should be as comfortable as possible.
Your Partner’s Role
You’ll also need to decide what you need from your partner. Do you just need someone to listen to you as you talk out your feelings? How about someone who will motivate you to work hard towards your weight loss goals? Do you need emotional support and the feeling that you’re still desirable? Decide ahead of time so you can steer the conversation in that direction.
For those of you who have completed the weight loss journey and are now concerned about maintaining your new weight, you face a different challenge from those who are still seeking to lose weight. You may feel as though, even with your new body, you haven’t achieved perfection, and that’s okay. Emotional healing is an important key to your weight loss journey, and your partner can help you with this. Make sure you tell this person how you’re feeling and what you think about your body. Make it clear that you need them to help you through these feelings. Again, be sure to be forgiving to your body and acknowledge that it’s a difficult process.
Express Yourself and Your Feelings
If you’re just beginning your weight loss and emotional healing journey, you may feel negatively towards your body. This is also normal, and it presents you with a unique challenge in your relationship. Express those feelings to your partner. It may be the case that your partner doesn’t share those feelings. That can be helpful in healing any emotional wounds. It may also be the case that your partner will be supportive of you choosing to lose weight. This shouldn’t be interpreted your partner doesn’t find you desirable.
Be sure to remind yourself that your partner cares about you, or he or she wouldn’t be in a relationship with you. Be open and honest about your feelings, and accept the help your partner gives you. Weight loss and emotional healing are difficult and take a lot of will-power and personal reflection, but it is certainly attainable with the right support system.
In any case, make sure that you are honest with yourself about what goals you want to achieve by having this discussion with your partner. Make sure you know what you want and take plenty of time to talk positively to yourself. Be confident in yourself and your partner, and let their care for you to help you achieve your goals.
