Fat-Shaming Book Says Listen to Loving Inner Voice

Nicole Black, the cofounder and former CEO of Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, has written a new book, Fat Shame: Ditch the Shame, Get Confident, and Claim the Life You Deserve, about her experiences coping with people’s — and her own — views of her physical appearance. Her book gives actionable advice relevant to anyone who wants to reshape their mind, spirit, and body.

What exactly is fat-shaming? It’s making someone feel badly for whatever their body looks like. I also don’t see why anyone needs to judge anyone else based on what they look like. I think it’s kind of interesting that most humans have a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and the word they seem to use to describe someone who is overweight is “fat.” I think we need a new word.

Your book maps out a mind-set to support successful dieting. Yes, there’s an emotional component. I didn’t write a diet book, because I’ve done every diet and they all work. But the key to sustaining weight loss is to get in touch with the emotional part: knowing what your triggers are, having enough strength to walk away from it. For me, a sense of injustice is usually my biggest trigger. Once a person knows what their triggers are, it’s easier to not put yourself in a situation where you’re likely to get triggered.