“FAT”

It could be a dirtier word than the expletive “F” word, more toxic, more damaging, more needing to be eliminated from dancers’ everyday talk.

It’s Fat-Talk-Free Feb!

And no, that’s not just a tongue-twister, it’s a total tongue-transformer.

Will you give it a go with me?

Hold your tongue on fat-talk for the whole of February (well, what’s left of it at least!)

• No putting yourself down when you look at yourself in the mirror (gulp!)
• No self-depreciating comments when you try on clothes
• No comparing how you look with someone else
• No guilt-tripping on the weighing scales
• No laughing at that person on the bus because of the shape of their body (or ridiculing contestants on The Biggest Loser, c’mon)
• No gossip magazine blubber-blabber
• No silent, in-the-privacy-of-your-own-head fat talk

… Are you with me?

Because I already started, 12 days ago, and it certainly is FREE.ing!

It’s also hard and I’ve caught myself a few times being tempted to berate my body shape. But it’s making me more aware of the subconscious muck buried beneath the fat-talk.

“Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”

What you say reveals what you deep down believe.

Whenever you fat-talk, you’re saying you believe your appearance is a really big part of how you judge your own value (and others).

Whenever you fat-talk, you’re really saying you believe you’re not good enough, you’re inadequate, maybe even a failure.

And that’s a depressing place to be.

Often, your own self-appraisal of your appearance has nothing to do with reality (especially among dancers, ahem). Because when you fat-talk, you filter out every other good thing you’ve got going for you and get stuck on negative feelings that drag you down.

You FEEL like you’re fat, and as distorted as that perception might be, what you feel is what you believe, and what you believe is what you act on.

When you FEEL fat, you BELIEVE you’re not good enough, you ACT like you don’t like yourself, and that is never a good look.

As a dancer, all that negativity is going to affect your performance as well.

Fat-talk saps your strength to dance at your best

Fat-talk (or any negative self-talk for that matter) leaves you feeling frustrated with yourself, helpless and depressed and these things get in the way of you dancing at your best.

Is it not true?

• If you feel fat, you’re more self-conscious and don’t dance as confidently
• You doubt your ability as a dancer more if you’re feeling fat
• You get more nervous when you think you’ll be judged by your appearance
• It’s harder to concentrate on the choreography, your technique or artistry when you’re focused on how you look
• You don’t enjoy your dancing as much if you’re preoccupied with your figure

Fat-talk gets in the way of your progress. There is so much to achieve and enjoy; you need to be your greatest motivator and cheer-leader!

Time for a Reality Check

So, this February, instead of reinforcing all that’s not right about you, focus instead on the reality – on the bigger picture of who you are as a whole person and what you want for your life.

In reality, you are a unique, beautiful, wonderful creature with personality and strengths and potential and stacks of reasons to be confident. You have hopes and dreams and goals you want to achieve.

Focus on that stuff. Speak that stuff – to yourself, to your mirror, to your scales, to your clothes and to anyone else you love and care for.

February is the month to get interested in all the good parts about you. It’s time to transform your tongue and turn it into something that adds value. And, if you’re consistent, you’ll transform your feelings and beliefs about yourself too.

Then you can start to enjoy some of the FREEDOM of being content in your own skin.

You’ll have the headspace to focus on the goals you want to achieve and use your growth in these goals to nurture your self-confidence…

You’ll be able to let go more when you dance and enjoy what you do…

You’ll feel more motivated and involved and positive, which increases the output of all your dancing effort…

Give it a go. Detox your tongue and have a fab fat-talk-free Feb!

I’m curious to know how you go!

If you’re finding that your thoughts and feelings about the “F” word are getting toxic, please reach out for some support… remember, I’m here to help!

photo credit: Helga Weber