Overcoming Health Imposter Syndrome
Aug 20, 2025
You run organizations, own your own business, raise your kids, lead people—so why don’t you have the same confidence when it comes to your own health?
We’re constantly shown ads of what the “perfect” body or “perfect” diet looks like, and 9 times out of 10, we don’t look or eat like the images in those ads. Chances are, neither do the people in them. But still, it plants a seed of doubt: I don’t belong here.
I’ve worked with and known several successful women who are confident in their roles at work, in their communities, and with their families, but when it comes to their health, they feel like imposters. They don’t feel like they know what’s “right” or “wrong,” and even more than that, they don’t feel like they belong in the health space.
I avoided gyms for years because I didn’t feel like I belonged. Even when I wasn’t overweight, I didn’t feel like I was a “real” fitness person. I didn’t want to spend hours working out or follow an extremely restrictive diet.
A few years ago, I started going to the gym again. Those old feelings came rushing back. It took time to overcome my imposter syndrome, but as I developed my own wellness vision and set my goals, not the goals someone else told me I should set, I was able to let go of my limiting beliefs (like the ones I wrote about here) and my perfectionism (which I shared about here) that were holding me back from feeling like a healthy person.
What Health Imposter Syndrome Looks Like
Health imposter syndrome is that nagging belief that you’re not “really” a healthy person, no matter what you do. It can look like:
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Feeling like everyone else “belongs” in the gym except you
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Avoiding health conversations because you’re afraid you’ll say the wrong thing
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Downplaying your progress because it doesn’t feel like it “counts"
This isn’t about a lack of ability, it’s about a disconnect between how you see yourself and the identity you want to grow into.
Why It Happens (Especially to High-Achieving Women)
When your identity is tied to success in your career, family, or community roles, health may feel like foreign territory. Add in years of comparison to unrealistic media images, and it’s easy to believe you’re behind before you even start.
And when you combine imposter syndrome with perfectionism, it’s the perfect recipe for staying stuck - you wait to start until you can do it “right,” which means you don’t start at all.
Reframing Your Health Identity
The truth is, you don’t need to fit a certain mold to belong in the health and wellness space. Your journey will look different from anyone else’s - and that’s not just okay, it’s necessary.
The same skills that made you successful in other areas: discipline, problem-solving, resilience, can be applied to your health journey. The key is shifting your focus from proving you’re healthy to living in ways that support your well-being.
Small Shifts to Build Confidence and Belonging
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Start where you are. Choose one habit to focus on, something realistic and meaningful to you.
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Anchor it to your strengths. Use the skills you’ve already mastered in other areas of your life.
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Focus on learning, not proving. Treat new habits as experiments, not tests you can fail (more on that in my Perfectionism post).
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Challenge the comparison trap. Your wellness doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
The HER Connection
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Habits: Build small, consistent actions that reinforce your health identity.
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Energy: Notice how health choices fuel the rest of your life.
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Resilience: Keep showing up, even when imposter thoughts creep in.
Ready to Let Go of Health Imposter Syndrome?
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong in the health space, you’re not alone. I help women bridge the gap between success in other areas of life and confidence in their health journey. Let’s talk about where you are now and the small steps that can make you feel like you truly belong in your own wellness story.
