When we think about body image, shame, and appearance, we often think about women. And for good reason — there's a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way, and it's easy to feel less-than if you're not in your 20s with a flat stomach, a perfect ass, and a great rack.
But men have all kinds of emotions and self-judgment in this area, too. Ever felt like you're not enough? That you're somehow lacking in terms of your appearance? You're not alone!
Whether it's feeling fat, not having six-pack abs, having body hair, or not feeling like your skin color is welcome, there are all sorts of feelings men have around appearance — and we wanted to talk about that. Especially since self-love, self-image, and self-esteem are all directly related to a man's experience of sex, dating, and relationships with women (and whoever they're sexual with).
In this special episode, some of our brave clients also share their own answers to the following:
- Were you ever teased or bullied about your weight or appearance, and how did that impact you?
- In what ways has your weight or appearance prevented you from going for what you want?
- If you’ve gone through a body transformation (i.e. losing a bunch of weight or somehow altering your appearance), what was your relationship to your body image like before, and what is it now?
The neglect episode referenced in this episode:
196: The “invisible” relationship pattern that can affect everything (ft. Jason Lange)
One of your best episodes, and I’ve listened to about 90% of them.