• Raising Boys

  • In The Kitchen

  • Family Travels

You Wouldn’t Talk This Way To Anyone Else #FightFatTalk

Have you started making your New Year’s resolutions yet? Mine are usually the same, and it always includes “Lose five pounds”. It’s great to be healthy and want to be in shape, and most of us have this as our goal. Most of us (usually women) also beat ourselves up about the shape we are in now. We say things about ourselves, often out loud to others, that we would never in a million years say to someone else, because it’s so rude. So why do we talk to ourselves this way?

“I look so fat in this”
“I only look ok from here up”
“I have a muffin top”
“I hate my legs”

Twitter feeds show comments from women bashing themselves with hashtags like #cow and #fatty. If it helped to focus on the negative, if it changed anything, maybe there be a point to it. But it doesn’t. Fat Talk doesn’t do anything but bring us down, hurt us, and it may even prevent us from wholeheartedly embracing a lifestyle that would lead to better weight management, because we feel hopeless and despair after being torn down by our own Fat Talk and poor self image.

fight fat talk

People tend to respond well to positive reinforcement and goal setting. It’s only when doubt and negativity set in that we falter, so because it’s important to be healthy and in the best shape for our individual selves, we need to focus on the positive. Compliments do work in motivation and encouraging us to be our best selves, and there is no reason we need to wait for anyone else to point out what is great about us. We can do it too.

So maybe a better goal for New Year’s 2014 would be: “Always focus on the positive, and point out one good thing about ourselves each day. And no more Fat Talk!”

To help women with their weight management journey this New Year, Special K offers a variety of delicious food options and is inviting them to participate in the Special K Challenge, an easy, effective way for women to kick-start their weight-management plan in 2014. For more information about the Special K Challenge, visit www.SpecialK.com.






  • Having dealt with weight problems since middle school, this is always hard for me to do. Something I really need to work on, focusing on the positive.

  • I love that they are doing this. It’s so true, our daughters and nieces hear everything we say about our bodies and they absorb it like little sponges.

  • This year instead of trying to lose weight, I’m going to work on exercising more. I don’t want my focus to be on my appearance, but on leading an active, healthy lifestyle.

  • I honestly feel like the title of this post says SO much. Because you’re right- we all respect other people far too much to say these things about them- why do we say them about ourselves? Thank you for sharing this.

  • This is such a great campaign. It’s time to do away with the negativity and support each other in being healthy.

  • Penelope

    Agree! My focus this year is to be more active, and at least go for a walk everyday, something to get some fresh air and a bit of movement, even during those “super busy mom” days.

  • Thanks for the reminder. I’m so bad about negativity. Little ears are listening!

  • It is because of my daughter that I think this is so important. It is something I’m extremely guilty of and vow to stop!

  • This is all over the blogosphere! What a wonderful positive message. Have a Happy and safe New Year!

  • Amen to this and I’m actively working on the positive. I’m having success with it too. It’s a re-training of the brain!

  • I have really tried hard this past year to stop the Fat Talk, especially around my daughter.

  • It’s a great idea! Too many of us worry about what we look like. I hope to stop that this year!

  • One thing that helps to remind me to not do this is to remember that I’m made in God’s image and nothing He made is subpar. But there are times those thoughts definitely make their way to my brain and out my lips 🙁

  • I try to keep any negative comments I have about my appearance or my weight to myself. I know little ears are listening to everything I say. My husband, on the other hand, is usually the one complaining about weight, etc. Definitely something for him to keep in mind too.

  • I am working on losing some weight and getting healthy… but I’m also working hard on stopping the self negative talk, too.

  • When I get frustrated with myself for extra weight, I am cautious to speak about it only in relation to health… especially when my daughter is around.

  • I have been so guilty of this in the past.

  • I love this initiative. It should be about health. I will definitely fight the fat talk, especially now that I have a daughter.

  • I have been trying to be better about this — I know my daughter is always listening. 🙁

  • I couldn’t agree more and it’s on my list too to exercise more even on those busy days when I am too tired, etc. No more excuses!

  • I’m guilty of fat talk 🙁

  • Kids pick up so much of what we say I definitely have realized how important it is to be more positive.

  • Thanks for the reminder that I don’t need to talk negatively about myself.