Feeling Body Insecure? You’re Not Alone And There Is a Path Forward

Do you feel body insecure, even after all the work you’ve done to heal? You’re not alone.

If you’ve invested time in therapy, learned the language of body positivity, or even recovered from an eating disorder, but still struggle with negative body image, it can feel frustrating and disheartening. That lingering discomfort in your body, the reflex to compare yourself to others, or the feeling that your self-esteem and body image still aren’t quite aligned. These are common experiences, not personal failures.

But please know this: healing your relationship with your body is not linear. And there’s nothing wrong with you if you still feel stuck.

 

Body Insecurity Isn’t Just About Weight or Fitness

Body image struggles aren’t limited to pant size or fitness goals. In fact, some of the most persistent forms of body insecurity have nothing to do with weight. You might not feel “fat” anymore, but you still don’t feel good. You might still hesitate to wear a fitted top unless you’ve eaten “clean” that day, or you may avoid social events when you feel bloated. You might catch yourself pulling at your clothes, hiding behind towels at the beach, or cropping your body out of photos.

These subtle expressions of negative body image show us just how deeply ingrained beauty standards can be. Whether it’s the big booty era, the heroin-chic look of the ‘90s, or the AI headshots of today, body trends are ever-changing, and always unattainable. What’s “in” right now is often dictated by edited photos, plastic surgery, and unrealistic ideals that leave most people feeling like they’ll never measure up.

 

Why Do I Still Struggle If I’ve Done the Work?

This is the question so many people ask: Why do I still feel body insecure, even after therapy or recovery?

First of all, there’s no finish line when it comes to healing, especially when it comes to your relationship with your body. A 2017 study in Scientific Reports found that individuals who had completed eating disorder treatment still experienced residual body dissatisfaction and vulnerability to comparison, especially in image-saturated social environments like Instagram and TikTok (1).

Even if you’ve let go of rigid diets or obsessive exercise, the underlying shame, anxiety, or self-criticism can persist in more subtle ways. And let’s not forget that our culture constantly reinforces narrow beauty ideals—so unless you live in a bubble, you’re still absorbing these messages.

It’s also important to remember that your body image can shift with your mood—without anything about your actual body changing. One day you might feel confident or even neutral about your appearance, and the next day feel hyper-critical or uncomfortable in your skin. This isn’t vanity or inconsistency—it’s biology. Studies show that depressive symptoms are strongly linked to more negative self-perception, including increased body dissatisfaction and self-criticism (2). In fact, research published in BMC Psychiatry found a positive association between body weight dissatisfaction and depression, independent of the participants’ weight (3). Low mood not only impacts how you feel, but how you see yourself, literally. Mood can affect posture (slumped shoulders, downcast gaze), facial expression, and the energy you project, all of which can reinforce a negative body image loop. On days when you feel lighter, happier, or more connected, you may notice a more compassionate or accepting view of yourself—without any actual change in size, shape, or weight. It’s not your body that changed, it’s the way your brain is firing that day. Complicated, right??

And what if trauma is part of your story? Trauma can significantly distort how we view and relate to our bodies. According to 2022 research published in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, early trauma–particularly interpersonal trauma–is strongly associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns, even years after recovery (4). That’s why at Karuna, we approach body image struggles through a trauma-informed lens. We know that the roots run deep, and that compassion must come first.

 

From Body Hatred to Body Neutrality: A Gentle Shift

Trying to leap from self-loathing to full-on body love can feel impossible, and in our opinion, unnecessary. That’s where the concept of body neutrality comes in. Instead of striving for yet another level of perfection–such as the idea of body positivity or loving your body–body neutrality invites a more achievable acceptance of your body. You don’t have to love it, but you also don’t have to hate it. Body neutrality is the middle of the road, where we try to shift away from appearance at all, refocusing on function, value and peace. 

Rather than forcing affirmations that feel untrue (“I love my body!”), body neutral statement may be similar to the following:

• Function over form: “My long arms allow me to hug my loved ones.”

• Self-worth beyond appearance: “I deserve to feel comfortable and safe, no matter what I weigh.”

• Realignment of value: “I love this shirt because it represents my personality.”

Body neutrality can offer relief from the pressure to always feel positive—and create space to simply be in your body (5). 

 

How to Start Viewing Your Body with Compassion

Improving body image doesn’t mean waking up one day and loving every inch of yourself. It’s about building small, sustainable practices that help you feel more at home in your body over time. Here are a few starting points:

1. Curate Your Media Diet

Just like with food, what we consume with our eyes affects our mental health. Seek out accounts, brands, and creators who showcase body diversity, people of all sizes, shapes, skin tones, ages, and abilities. Seeing differences helps normalize differences.

2. Get Curious, Not Critical

Notice when a body-shaming thought pops up. Where did that come from? Is it rooted in fact, or in fear? Can you challenge it with compassion?

3. Rebuild Trust With Your Body

Practice gentle movement, intuitive eating, and self-care that honors your body’s cues rather than punishing them.

4. Surround Yourself With Support

Healing your relationship with your body is not something you have to do alone. Whether it’s with a dietitian, therapist, or supportive friend, it helps to be seen and validated.

Our dietitians provide trauma-informed care that acknowledges the complexity of body image struggles. We offer more time, more empathy, and more personalized support than traditional healthcare often allows, because we know that feeling better in your body starts with being fully heard in your experience.

 

You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Tired

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve done so much work on this…why do I still feel this way?”, we want you to know: that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means the systems and messages around you are still loud, still harmful, and still pervasive. And you’ve done an amazing job navigating them.

You deserve support that doesn’t pathologize you, but meets you with compassion. You deserve to feel safe in your body. And you deserve to know that improving body confidence is possible, even if body love still feels out of reach.

 

Ready to take the next step?

Explore our nutrition counseling services or schedule an intake with a trauma-informed dietitian who understands the intersection of trauma, food, and body image. 

 

Reference:

1. Engel MM, Keizer A. Body representation disturbances in visual perception and affordance perception persist in eating disorder patients after completing treatment. Sci Rep. 2017 Nov 23;7(1):16184. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16362-w. PMID: 29170439; PMCID: PMC5701063.
2. Haedt-Matt AA, Zalta AK, Forbush KT, Keel PK. Experimental evidence that changes in mood cause changes in body dissatisfaction among undergraduate women. Body Image. 2012 Mar;9(2):216-20. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2011.11.004. Epub 2011 Dec 30. PMID: 22210105; PMCID: PMC3312938.
3. Richard, A., Rohrmann, S., Lohse, T. et al. Is body weight dissatisfaction a predictor of depression independent of body mass index, sex and age? Results of a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 16, 863 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3497-8
4. Holmes SC, Johnson NL, Johnson DM. Understanding the relationship between interpersonal trauma and disordered eating: An extension of the model of psychological adaptation. Psychol Trauma. 2022 Oct;14(7):1175-1183. doi: 10.1037/tra0000533. Epub 2019 Dec 2. PMID: 31789533; PMCID: PMC7263979.
5. “What’s the Difference Between Body Positivity and Body Neutrality?” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. Published April 22, 2023. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-positivity-vs-body-neutrality