Journal Prompts for Positive Body Image and Relationship With Food

• 1. Describe the first time you noticed an unattractive part of your body. What did it feel like?
• 2. Write down what you thought when you saw yourself in a mirror. Was there any commentary on your physical appearance?
• 3. Has anyone ever told you that you need to lose weight? Write down how it made you feel and what were their true intentions?
• 4. Did you notice anything different about your body after you lost weight? Did you change the way you dressed, acted, or talked? Talk about those changes.
• 5. When was the last time you wore clothes you felt comfortable wearing? Describe what that clothing looked like.
• 6. Do you have any childhood memories involving your physical appearance? Have these changed over time?
• 7. What would be one thing you could do today if you wanted to make a positive change regarding your body image?
• 8. How do your parents compare to your peers when it comes to body image? What does this say about family dynamics?
• 9. Think of a time when you spent more than 10 minutes talking to someone who made you feel bad about your appearance. What happened next?
• 10. Does being physically active enhance your self-esteem? Why or why not? What other ways are there to boost your confidence?
• 11. Are there words you use to describe yourself? If so, list them here.
• 12. List all the things you dislike about your own body. Now list all the compliments that people give you every day. Compare and contrast.
• 13. Look at a picture of yourself from five years ago; where is your appearance compared to today’s version?
• 14. Is there any specific situation where you get upset because of your size, age, gender, race, or ethnicity? Write about everything you feel about it.
• 15. Describe what it means to be beautiful or handsome to you.
• 16. Name some aspects of your personality that you admire.
• 17. What are the most important things you will remember about your life?
• 18. Who are your role models?
• 19. Do you ever wish you could turn back time and change some aspect of your life? What choices would that mean for your future?
• 20. Do you believe that there is something wrong with you because you’re overweight/obese? Explain briefly your reasoning behind this belief.
• 21. Would you be happy if you had your old body again? Why or why not.
• 22. How many times have you wished you could erase certain parts of your memory? What happens when you actually try?
• 23. What kinds of activities make you feel good inside? What do they remind you of?
• 24. Pick three adjectives to describe yourself. Choose one out of each category (Personality, Social, Physical, Emotional)
• 25. Where can you see beauty in yourself?
• 26. Do you think your appearance has influenced your career choice(s)? Why or why not?
• 27. Have you ever been complimented by an unknown person for a particular characteristic? What did you look like before and after the comment?
• 28. Whose opinion matters most to you when it comes to your physical appearance?
• 29. What kind of relationship do you want to have with your body? In what ways can you work toward having such a relationship?
• 30. Does size still matter to you? Explain why or why not.
• 31. Do you find yourself judging others based on their weight? Why or why not?
• 32. Do you consider yourself attractive? Why or why not
• 33. Which part of your character makes you proudest?
• 34. What does it mean to love yourself?
• 35. What does it take for you to forgive yourself?
• 36. What are your deepest thoughts about aging?
• 37. Can you define “happiness”? Describe how you think you’ll know when you’ve found true happiness.
• 38. Journal about the 10 things you love about your body.
• 39. When was the last time you felt truly relaxed? Describe what you were doing during that experience.
• 40. What would happen if you didn’t worry about whether or not you looked attractive or good enough? Imagine yourself as being completely unconcerned about your outward appearance!
• 41. What changes in your attitude might improve your physical health, as well as mental health?
• 42. How much control do you have over your emotions?
• 43. Which statement is closest to your view – “I don’t care what other people say…” or “… I always strive to meet my personal standards.”, and why is that?
• 44. Who are you jealous of? Why?
• 45. What’s one thing you’d like to give up but haven’t tried yet?
• 46. If someone told you that all of your dreams are coming true right now, what would you wish for more than anything else?
• 47. Are you aware of your ability to influence others’ perceptions of you?
• 48. What traits could you develop if you decided to live with compassion for every living creature?
• 49. Think about a time when you made a decision, and then later regretted it. Discuss what went through your mind at the time of the decision and the ramifications of making the choice.
• 50. Who do you think you are? What do you like about yourself?
• 51. What is important to you about your physical appearance?
• 52. Write down everything about your body that you like. Then write down everything you dislike about your body. Now go through your list of likes and dislikes and ask yourself: Is this really true?
• 53. Look around you. Notice the faces, bodies, clothes, cars and homes of those who surround you. Consider why they choose to dress, act, sit, lie, move or speak the way they do. Remember that there is no single standard for beauty; everyone is beautiful in his/her own way.
• 54. What do you think will happen to you as you age? Would you prefer to be young and healthy forever, or older and infirm?
• 55. What is the best advice anyone ever gave you about your physical appearance, and how has it changed you?
• 56. When was the last major life change you made? Did the process feel difficult? Difficult in what ways?
• 57. Take some time to reflect upon the most significant event(s) that shaped your life.
• 58. Have you ever been so caught up in your own problems or concerns that you forgot to notice something happening around you? Explain this and show examples from your daily activities, such as working, sleeping, eating, etc.
• 59. Describe three characteristics which make you unique within the world.
• 60. Choose two words to describe your personality. One word should relate to your positive qualities, the other word should represent your negative aspects.
• 61. Do you eat less food because you’re unhappy with your weight? If yes, then how does that affect your self-image?
• 62. To whom do you express gratitude?
• 63. What makes you happy? What makes you sad?
• 64. Describe a situation where you felt extremely proud of yourself. List five reasons why you thought things would turn out well.
• 65. Does size still matter to you? Explain why or why not.
• 66. Do you believe that society puts too much emphasis on looks?
• 67. How often have you been criticized by another person because of your appearance?
• 68. Which part of your physical body is least attractive to you? Why do you find certain parts unattractive?
• 69. As an adult, is the only goal in life to please other people?
• 70. In what way can you improve your life and make it easier to cope with the changes you experience throughout life.
• 71. Are your thoughts influenced by the opinions of others? Why or why not?
• 72. How did your parents treat your body? Were they encouraging, accepting, rejecting, critical, supportive?
• 73. Are you embarrassed about your body at any point in your life? Explain why or why not.
• 74. When did you stop loving your body? Was it gradual or sudden?
• 75. Tell someone else about the times when you’ve been hurt by people’s comments about your appearance. Explain how these incidents affected you emotionally.
• 76. Has your sense of value changed over the years? Why or why not.
• 77. Write down all of the adjectives you associate with your body. Can you tell why you chose them? Compare your list with the one made by the girls in school. What do you see as being different? Explain why or why.
• 78. Think back through the years of your life and try to identify three people who loved you unconditionally. Show me in detail the reasons that each person loves you.
• 79. Imagine living 100 more years. What will you look like physically? Mentally? Spiritually? Would you want to live? Could you live without regrets? Explain.
• 80. What are some things you could be doing now to give yourself the best possible chance of enjoying a long, healthy, productive life?
• 81. How has your view of beauty changed since childhood? Why?
• 82. Is there anything in particular that you dislike about your face? Explain why or why no.
• 83. Do you have body image problems? Identify them and explain why they occur. Please note which ones bother you most.
• 84. Do you think dieting helps or hurts both the person dieting and her/his family? Why?
• 85. Have you ever had an eating disorder? Explain what happened.
• 86. Have you ever suffered from postpartum depression? Explain how that affects your day to day activities now.
• 87. At what age (if ever) were you first teased about your weight? Describe how it feels to be called names today. Did you retaliate? Explain if so. Who did you strike out against?
• 88. Did you grow up feeling good about yourself? Define positive self-esteem. Explain how you got it.

 Conclusion

I hope that these journal prompts have helped you to cultivate more body acceptance and remove all of those feelings of unworthiness that you may have. 

Best of luck!