You know that feeling when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a shop window and immediately start negotiating with your reflection? Maybe you suck in your stomach. Or perhaps you spend the next three blocks wondering if those jeans were a mistake. It’s exhausting. Honestly, it’s a full-time job that nobody is paying us to do. That is exactly why Body Talk by Katie Sturino hit the shelves like a giant, neon-pink permission slip to stop hating ourselves.
Sturino isn't just another influencer trying to sell you a "body positive" tea or a workout plan that promises to change your life in thirty days. She’s the founder of Megababy, the creator of the #MakeitSizePlus movement, and a woman who spent decades trying to shrink herself to fit into a world that wasn't designed for her. When her book, Body Talk: How to Stop Feeling Like Sht About Your Body*, dropped, it wasn't just a memoir. It was a workbook. It was a confrontation.
It was a reality check for anyone who has ever delayed a vacation because they didn't have a "bikini body."
The Myth of the "Before" Photo
We have been conditioned to live our lives in a perpetual "before" state. We’re always waiting for the "after." We’ll be happy when we lose ten pounds. We’ll be confident when we fit into those high-school shorts. Katie Sturino's book argues that this "after" is a moving goalpost designed to keep us spending money.
The book dives deep into the "Body Taxonomy." This isn't some academic dry-read. It’s a breakdown of the mental gymnastics we perform daily. Sturino talks about the "Mean Girl" in your head—that internal monologue that sounds suspiciously like a 90s fashion magazine editor. You know the one. She tells you that your upper arms are a crime against humanity.
What’s refreshing here is the lack of toxic positivity. Sturino doesn't tell you to look in the mirror and lie to yourself. She doesn't expect you to wake up tomorrow and suddenly think you’re a supermodel. Instead, she pushes for body neutrality. It’s the radical idea that your body is just... a body. It’s the vessel that carries you to brunch. It’s the thing that lets you hug your dog. It doesn't have to be "perfect" to be worthy of respect.
Why We Buy Into the "Fix-It" Culture
The beauty industry is worth billions. If we all woke up tomorrow and liked ourselves, several major corporations would go bankrupt by Friday. This isn't a conspiracy theory; it’s just business. Body Talk by Katie Sturino exposes how we’ve been sold a problem so that we can be sold a solution.
Think about "hip dips." Nobody cared about hip dips until about five years ago. Suddenly, they were a "flaw" that needed "fixing" with specific exercises or fillers. It’s manufactured insecurity.
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Sturino uses her own history to illustrate this. She spent years as a publicist in New York City, a world where thinness is the ultimate currency. She shares stories about the sheer mental energy she wasted trying to hide her size. It’s relatable. It’s painful. It’s also kinda funny in hindsight, because she realizes now how much life she missed out on while she was worrying about whether her thighs touched.
Breaking the Comparison Trap
Social media is basically a 24/7 comparison engine. We see a curated, filtered, and often photoshopped version of someone else’s life and compare it to our messy reality. Sturino’s "Super-Size It" series on Instagram—where she recreates celebrity outfits—is a core part of the book’s philosophy. It’s not about mocking celebrities; it’s about showing that style doesn't have a size limit.
When you see a outfit on a size 0 model and then see it on Katie, your brain starts to unlearn the "thin equals stylish" equation. It’s a visual rewiring.
Practical Steps from Body Talk by Katie Sturino
This isn't just a book you read and put on a shelf. It’s meant to be lived. Sturino includes exercises that feel less like homework and more like an exorcism of bad vibes.
The Social Media Audit
If you follow people who make you feel like garbage, unfollow them. It sounds simple. It’s actually life-changing. If your feed is full of "fitspo" that makes you want to cry into your kale, hit the button. Replace them with people who actually look like you.
The Mirror Challenge
Stop the "scan." You know the scan. You look in the mirror and immediately look for what’s "wrong." Sturino suggests looking at yourself as a whole person, not a collection of parts. You aren't just a "stomach" or "thighs." You’re a human being.
Rewriting the Script
When the internal Mean Girl starts talking, talk back. If she says, "You can't wear that," ask "Why?" Usually, the answer is some outdated "rule" from a magazine published in 2004.
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The Impact of Size Diversity in Fashion
One of the most powerful sections of the book deals with the physical world's refusal to accommodate larger bodies. It’s not just in your head—the chairs are sometimes too small, the seatbelts are too short, and the "XL" at most stores is actually a medium.
Sturino’s work with the #MakeitSizePlus movement shines here. She holds brands accountable. She shows that the "shame" we feel in fitting rooms isn't our fault; it’s a failure of the industry. This shift in perspective is massive. It moves the burden of "changing" from the individual to the system.
Honestly, it’s a relief.
We’ve been told for so long that if we don't fit into the clothes, we are the problem. Sturino flips the script: if the clothes don't fit the people, the clothes are the problem.
Understanding Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity
There’s a lot of confusion between these two terms. Body positivity often feels like another thing to fail at. If you don't love every inch of yourself, are you failing at body positivity?
Body neutrality, which is a major theme in Body Talk by Katie Sturino, is different. It’s about lowering the stakes. It’s the realization that your appearance is the least interesting thing about you. It allows for "bad body days." You can have a day where you don't love how you look, and that’s fine. It doesn't mean you’re broken. It just means you’re a person.
This nuance is what makes the book actually useful. It’s realistic. It acknowledges that we live in a society that is obsessed with looks, so "just loving yourself" is actually a pretty tall order.
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Beyond the Pages: The Movement
The book has sparked a wider conversation about "BoPo" (Body Positivity) and who gets to lead it. Sturino acknowledges her privilege as a white, cis-gendered woman with a "socially acceptable" plus-size shape (the hourglass). She encourages readers to look further and support activists who are even more marginalized.
It’s about building a bigger table.
We see this reflected in how brands are slowly—very slowly—changing their marketing. We’re seeing more unretouched skin, more diverse shapes, and less "diet talk" in mainstream advertising. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
Changing the Way You Talk to Yourself
The most actionable takeaway from the book is the shift in internal dialogue. We would never speak to our friends the way we speak to ourselves.
Imagine a friend told you she was excited about a new dress, and you responded, "Your arms look huge in that, you should cover up." You’d be a monster. Yet, we say that to ourselves in the mirror every morning.
Sturino’s book gives you the tools to become your own advocate. It’s about self-defense against a culture that wants you to be small.
Actionable Steps to Reclaim Your Body Image
- Purge your closet. Get rid of the "goal clothes." If it doesn't fit the body you have right now, it doesn't belong in your drawer. Keeping small clothes is just a daily reminder to feel bad.
- Diversify your feed. Search for hashtags like #BodyNeutrality or #SizeInclusive and follow creators who have different body types than yours.
- Stop the "Fat Talk." When you’re with friends, make a pact to stop bonding over body complaints. It’s a cheap form of intimacy that hurts everyone involved.
- Invest in comfort. Buy the "chafing stick" (Megababe makes a great one, obviously). Wear the bike shorts under the dress. Stop suffering for the sake of an aesthetic.
- Practice "The Look." Next time you see a part of yourself you usually hate, try to look at it objectively. "That is my stomach. It holds my organs. It’s soft." End of sentence. No judgments.
Taking back your mental real estate from body shame isn't a one-time event. It’s a daily practice. Body Talk by Katie Sturino provides the roadmap, but you have to be the one to drive. Stop waiting for your life to start after you lose the weight. Your life is happening right now, regardless of the number on the tag of your jeans.