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What if the 'fat talk' voice in your head was the actual label on your clothes?
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In this Special K commercial, they created a scenario where the "fat talk" we have inside our heads became the labels and signs inside a clothing store. According to the video, 93 percent of women fat talk, especially while shopping for clothes. - photo by Wendy Jessen
I'm guilty.

Most of us probably are. At some time in our lives, perhaps currently, we are guilty of body-shaming ourselves. This negative self-talk is destructive.

In this Special K commercial, they created a scenario where the "fat talk" we have inside our heads became the labels and signs inside a clothing store. According to the video, 93 percent of women fat talk, especially while shopping for clothes. As the women filter in, they begin to see the familiar phrases they have spoken to themselves so many times before:

  • I look OK from the neck up.
  • Feeling so disgusted about my figure at the moment. #cow
  • I look fat in this.
  • I have a muffin top.
  • Cellulite is in my DNA.
  • I can't wear a skirt because my legs chafe together.
"This is like looking at the inside of my head," said one woman. "It's like you're bullying yourself," said another.

Though we wouldn't say these things to another woman, we certainly say them to ourselves. It has to stop. Rather than shaming ourselves, we need to talk positively to and about ourselves. We need to support each other. As the commercial says, "Shhhhut down fat talk."

It's not easy, but we could do things for ourselves--not because we're trying to be skinny. Wear clothes that flatter your figure and body type, eat healthy and exercise so you feel good, surround yourself with people who are positive and uplifting and take time to develop who you are--not just what you look like. Stop allowing the bathroom scale decide your worth.

Read these two articles about loving your body for some more insights:

My kind of beautiful: Learning to love your body.

How to love your body.
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