• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Living Well Kitchen logo

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Meme
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizer & Snacks
      • Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Vegetarian
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pork
    • Specific Recipes
      • Vegetarian
        • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Nut Free
      • Egg Free
      • Soy Free
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Beans
      • Grains
      • Potatoes
      • Bread
      • Sauce
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Season
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • Videos
    • Recipes
    • Bloopers
  • Easy Meals
  • Quiz
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Easy Meals
  • Breakfast
  • Main Dish
  • Dessert
  • Slow Cooker
  • Videos
  • Intuitive Eating
  • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Intuitive Eating

    Feeling Fat is Contagious

    Published: Jun 23, 2016 · Updated: May 4, 2018 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    You don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in "fat talk" with these tips

    Feeling fat is contagious, but you don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in fat talk with these 5 tips from @memeinge

    Have you ever been with friends and someone starts complaining about "feeling fat"? Or maybe you are in a store trying on clothes and you hear another customer talk about "how fat she looks in that dress."

    It likely triggered a moment of insecurity.

    Working in an exercise studio was very eye-opening to see firsthand how critical people can be about their bodies. The second that one person says "I hate my arms" or "my thunder thighs are crashing together" or "I wish I didn't have these love handles" is the second almost anyone within earshot starts to critique themselves even if it's not spoken out loud.

    So what if you started out the day feeling pretty good about yourself? Now you're wondering if you look fat, too. No matter how you felt before, it's likely that you'll start to question the state of your own body.

    Fat talk is a way for people to bond. Almost everyone has some body part they aren't 100% happy with, so it's easy to relate. This always reminds me of that scene in Mean Girls (I know this makes me sound so basic) where they are all talking about what they hate about their body.

    But fat talk is not a way to have meaningful connections in your life.

    It's not worth the guilt, shame, and negativity it brings.

    [clickToTweet tweet="You don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in fat talk with these tips. #HAES" quote="You don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in fat talk with these tips. #HAES"]

    Feeling fat is contagious, but you don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in fat talk with these 5 tips from @memeinge

    Instead of staying on my soapbox about how detrimental it can be to be hypercritical of your body, here are some suggestions for stopping the fat talk:

    Consider why you're so awesome

    Basing your worth on your body is a surefire way to feel unhappy & feel unhappy often. Think about the other things that are so great about you that are unrelated to your body.

    Don't forget that it can be anything; think outside the box. Are you a coupon wizard? Can you create a gourmet dinner with whatever ingredients are in your kitchen? Are you notorious for making people laugh? Do you have mad dancing skillz? Can you write efficient yet witty emails in minutes?

    If you are having a hard time with this, ask a friend or family member. I'm sure they'll come up with more reasons than you can count in seconds.

    The next time you start to have a challenging day with your body image, remember the great things about you that are completely unrelated to your body.

    Appreciate your body

    On the same note as remembering why you're awesome, could you come up with 3-5 things that you appreciate about your body?

    Maybe your strong arms help you carry all the groceries inside in one trip (yay for one trip!). Or those powerful glutes push your body forward all day long. Or your strong core supports your spine and protects your lower back.

    I promise that accepting your body won't make you gain weight.

    Feeling fat is contagious, but you don't have to let other people's critical body comments cause you to critique your own body. Resist the temptation to engage in fat talk with these 5 tips from @memeinge

    What makes you say "I feel fat"

    Don't minimize the sensation of "feeling fat." You are entitled to feel uncomfortable about your body or a certain body part. However, how you feel about your body doesn't need to determine your emotions.

    Maybe you're the one that started the "I feel fat" convo. Why are you feeling this way? Are you feeling anxious in the situation? Are you looking to find a commonality with others around you? What about your body is making you feel uncomfortable?

    Get curious on why you are having negative thoughts about your body, and avoid using your body as a scapegoat.

    Change the subject

    You don't have to continue the fat talk.

    I usually just ask a question (completely unrelated to anything body or diet related), and it quickly changes the subject.

    Make meaningful connections

    What are some other topics you can discuss that have meaning?

    Being skinny or looking like someone in a magazine isn't the goal in life (nor is it possible). You could talk about your hobbies, your family, your job, your favorite restaurant, and so much more.

     

    Skip the body shaming; life is a much more enjoyable (for your body & mind) than talking about how unsatisfied you are with your body.

    What is your favorite way to change the subject when fat talk starts happening? How do you make meaningful connections with people (as opposed to connecting with people through dissing your body)?

    Meme

    « Creamy Cajun Cucumber Salad
    Grilled Cheese Dippers »
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren Harris-Pincus says

      June 24, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      Love this. No one is perfect, though we think we have to be. Great conversation starter!

      Reply
      • Meme says

        June 25, 2016 at 12:13 pm

        Thanks, Lauren! It can be so hard to remember that, right?!

        Reply
    2. katie says

      June 26, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      Yes, yes, and yes. As the mom of three teenage girls, I want to protect them from all the negative self talk about bodies, but it needs to start with the grown ups, since we are the role models. Thanks for this post.

      Reply
    3. Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says

      June 27, 2016 at 12:12 pm

      Great post Meme! Fat talk is everywhere - I hear women doing it all the time even when eating lunch. Like Katie, I want to protect my girls from body shaming also, but it seems harder than ever these days. Your tips are great.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme -- a thirty-something girl from Alabama living in San Diego! Join me as I prove that living a guilt-free, healthy lifestyle can be budget friendly, delicious & fun!
    Read More

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular

    pork tenderloin with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans on white plate with yellow and white striped napkin

    Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    jar of chocolate sauce with a spoon in it. empty small glass ice cream cups with a bowl of cherries on a wicker table

    Easy Chocolate Sauce

    Protein Pancakes from Living Well Kitchen

    protein pancakes

    white plate with a slice of zucchini lasagna

    Zucchini Lasagna

    spatula holding a microwave cookie

    Microwave Oatmeal Cookie

    stack of almond butter banana cookies with one cookie facing the front on wooden cutting board with a glass of milk, banana, oats, vanilla extract, and almond butter container

    almond butter banana cookies

    Gluten free Crab Cakes from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge

    Gluten free Crab Cakes

    chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin

    No Mayo Chicken Salad

    Intuitive Eating

    hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

    Should I Eat Conventional or Organic Produce?

    havanese dog standing on arm of cream chair with a quilt in chair

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss

    brunette female sitting in a blanket in Versaille garden smiling and holding a container of container of food she is about to be eating

    What is Intuitive Eating

    dog laying on top of yoga pants on a bed

    What to Do When Your Body Changes

    Easy Meals

    bowl of Buffalo Chicken Salad, blue cheese, wing sauce, celery, cilantro

    Buffalo Chicken Salad

    close up of a cut avocado BLT

    Avocado BLT

    zucchini pizza bites

    Tuna Cucumber Avocado Salad from Living Well Kitchen

    Tuna Cucumber Avocado Salad

    Salads

    white countertop with clear bowl of miso dressing with a silver spoon next to a container of miso paste and a microplane with fresh ginger

    Miso Dressing

    white and black napkin with plate of pita chips, celery, and red bell peppers, and a bowl of chicken salad with pita chip in bowl

    Hummus Chicken Salad

    fresh strawberries on white counter with glass container of strawberry dressing, jar of balsamic vinegar

    Strawberry Salad Dressing

    bowl of roasted vegetable lentil salad with fresh rosemary and lentils

    Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad

    As Seen On:

    As Seen On

    In Season

    bowl of ginger beef soup on a gold and white napkin with garlic, limes, and ginger

    Ginger Beef Soup

    Avocado Deviled Eggs

    rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip on a square plate with sliced orange bell peppers and pita chips with a green napkin

    Crawfish Dip

    salmon fillets covered in pesto in a white baking dish on wooden table

    Pesto Salmon

    Footer

    Living Well Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Home
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Recipes

    Copyright © 2022

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    172 shares