Bit of a click bait title, but, seriously, I think if women realised that being mean to themselves was perhaps the one thing stopping them from losing weight, they might finally start practicing self compassion. We might finally have an epidemic of self compassion and we bloody well need it! Whilst this may seem like a paradox - how can I want to change my body and still be compassionate towards it? - It actually isn’t. You can change your body from a compassionate place and the research indicates it works.

Self compassion consists of three interrelated components: self-kindness (vs. self-judgment), common humanity (vs. isolation), and mindfulness (vs. over-identification).
Self compassion is defined as being kind and understanding to one’s self in times of suffering, failure or feeling inadequate.

It’s not spiritual woo woo. This is a really well researched area using scientific methods.
Self compassion contributes to increased resiliency, in fact, the research shows that people who practice self compassion are able to hold responsibility for negative experiences without getting overwhelmed by bad feelings.

Findings across various study designs consistently linked self compassion to lower levels of eating pathology, and self compassion was implicated as a protective factor against poor body image and eating pathology, with a few exceptions.

(https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Braun_2016.pdf)

Another study found that participants lost more weight when they participated in a mindful self-compassionate program, compared to a control group (Mantzios and Wilson, 2015).

Higher self-compassion predicted lower body mass index and eating disorder symptomatology. In addition, higher self compassion predicted higher mindful eating habits.

(https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-40893-004)

I use self compassion exercises with all of my clients, as and when needed. This is an evidence based approach to shifting body composition. Self compassion is often the key to a healthy relationship with food, with your own body, to results that last beyond the diet.

How do you show yourself self compassion? Share with us.

Written by Alexandra.
Edited by Deepa.