The term ‘I feel fat’ is something that is found in many languages and exists across the globe. It’s something that many people experience, however fat itself is not actually a feeling.
Fat is not a feeling
Have you ever experienced feeling fat one day and not feeling comfortable in any of your clothes, then another day not having any of those feelings and fairly easily getting dressed? Maybe how you feel about your body influences your eating behaviours, and you find yourself constantly yoyo-ing.
Feeling fat is very much linked to body image issues. We know that our bodies don’t change drastically from day to day, yet for many people, it feels like they do.
This doesn’t mean that what you’re feeling is wrong or invalid. It just opens up the opportunity to explore what you’re experiencing in new ways.
Societal pressures and body image issues
Society has led to many of us placing our worth in how we look. There is an emphasis on our bodies fitting current beauty trends, which are ever-changing. The idea that thinness is fashionable, has caused a strong level of fatphobia in society and means that many people live in fear of the body that’s healthy for them. There has been a drastic rise in body image issues and eating disorders in recent years.
Studies suggest that in the UK 1 in 3 adults feel stressed and even depressed about their body image. There is no doubt that we are currently facing a body image pandemic, so if you’re going through body image struggles you are certainly not alone.
Mislabeling feelings
Something to understand is that it’s very common to mislabel feelings and emotions as ‘feeling fat’. It can become a coping mechanism when there are difficult feelings and emotions surfacing that we don’t know how to deal with.
The truth is that your body doesn’t change quickly, but your mood can.
Next time you find yourself saying ‘I feel fat’, see if you can ask yourself the question:
What else could I be feeling?
- Could you be feeling emotional discomfort?
Stress, loneliness, guilt, worry, upset…
- Could you be feeling physical discomfort?
Restrictive clothing, fullness, bloating, tiredness…
If you’re not sure, perhaps using a tool such as this feelings wheel can help you to start identifying what you’re feeling in the moment. Journaling can be another powerful tool here.
Although you are not wrong for feeling whatever you’re feeling, exploring things further can be the start of your understanding of what’s going on for you at a deeper level. This opens up space for healing and change.
Getting the right support
If body image issues and feeling fat are affecting your life, there is help available. Life doesn’t have to stay this way, and with the right support, you can heal your relationship with your body.
At Natural Food Therapy we work with every client to get to the root of their body image issues, to help them feel safe in their healthy bodies and to find power in their authentic selves. Click here for more about how we can support you with your body image recovery.
Read some of our powerful body image recovery stories here.
