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Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life
Learn to love yourself and your body with this interactive guide from the "shame-free, fun, cheerful, and no-nonsense" (Bustle) body acceptance advocate and influencer who founded Megababe beauty.
"Brilliant, hilarious, adorably illustrated."--Goop
Can you imagine how much free time you'd have if you didn't spend so much of it body shaming yourself? Katie Sturino knows all too well what it's like to shit talk yourself. She spent thirty years of her life feeling ashamed of her body and its self-determined wrongness. Now she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her; she only cares that she's happy and comfortable with herself. Body positivity and size inclusivity is still a relatively new phenomenon, but Sturino has dedicated her life to unlearning all that beauty standard BS and uses her blog, Instagram, podcast, and non-toxic, solution-oriented beauty products to share the message that changed her life: YOUR BODY IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
With Body Talk, an illustrated guide-meets-workbook, Sturino is here to help you stop obsessing about your body issues, focus on self-love, and free up space in your brain for creative and productive energy. Complete with empowering affirmations, relatable anecdotes, and actionable takeaways, as well as space to answer prompts and jot down feelings and inspirations, Body Talk encourages you to spend less time thinking about how you look and what you eat and more time discovering your inner fierceness.
"Brilliant, hilarious, adorably illustrated."--Goop
Can you imagine how much free time you'd have if you didn't spend so much of it body shaming yourself? Katie Sturino knows all too well what it's like to shit talk yourself. She spent thirty years of her life feeling ashamed of her body and its self-determined wrongness. Now she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her; she only cares that she's happy and comfortable with herself. Body positivity and size inclusivity is still a relatively new phenomenon, but Sturino has dedicated her life to unlearning all that beauty standard BS and uses her blog, Instagram, podcast, and non-toxic, solution-oriented beauty products to share the message that changed her life: YOUR BODY IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
With Body Talk, an illustrated guide-meets-workbook, Sturino is here to help you stop obsessing about your body issues, focus on self-love, and free up space in your brain for creative and productive energy. Complete with empowering affirmations, relatable anecdotes, and actionable takeaways, as well as space to answer prompts and jot down feelings and inspirations, Body Talk encourages you to spend less time thinking about how you look and what you eat and more time discovering your inner fierceness.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 25, 2021
245 people are currently reading
2965 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
May 10, 2021
If I were to describe Katie Sturino's "Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life," I would likely describe it as the Lizzo of inspirational lit.
Sturino, the founder of MegaBabe, is a spirited and spot-on body acceptance advocate, influencer, and all-around outspoken voice for learning to love yourself and love your body.
Right now. As is.
You should be able to tell by the cover of "Body Talk" that this isn't going to be your usual "rah rah" inspirational book with unrealistic goals and impossible to adhere to recommendations made by someone who has never been there and probably never will be.
Sturino has been there. In some ways, she still is there. She gets the challenges that come with living in a body that's outside what the media and society often consider within the norm.
If you resonate with Lizzo's sass and body positivity, then you'll likely love Sturino. While the book is undeniably directed specifically toward women, I loved every page of it as an adult disabled male whose body has never fit within "normal" definitions of masculinity.
"Body Talk" is a quick read. It's filled with vibrant, colorful graphics and an easy to read font. While the book clocks in at just over 200 pages, this is a breezy, one-day read that you'll likely revisit again and again for Sturino's colorful, at times including graphic, language and sisterly sense of accountability and motivation.
"Body Talk" also functions at times as a workbook. Sturino serves up short exercises and gives you a page or two to write down your responses, obstacles, thoughts, and feelings. This was probably smart since this is a book you'll most definitely want to write in.
Sturino confesses she spent 30 years of her life ashamed of her body and believing the messages that surrounded her. Now, she's let go of the opinions of hers and learned to be happy and comfortable in her own skin. Sturino is a popular blogger who also does a podcast and Instagram and has worked to create solution-oriented beauty products that send a positive message about all bodies.
Trust me, this ain't Goop.
Sturino shares stories, affirmations, action items, journaling assignments, little bits of inspiration, and lot sof graphics on the way to encouraging all of us to spend less time thinking about how we look and what we eat and more time celebrating our inner fierceness.
As someone who recently took up yoga after years of telling myself my body was not appropriate for it and I'd feel out of place, I really clicked with a lot of this material and love the way that Sturino presents it.
If you're easily offended by expletives, be aware that Sturino uses them - I wouldn't say frequently, but it's certainly freely. While at times "Body Talk" seems to overly simplify the issues at hand, it's a minor concern for a book that deserves to be in the wellness toolbox for all of us who've been wrapped up for far too long in body shame. "Body Talk" is definitely a winner.
Sturino, the founder of MegaBabe, is a spirited and spot-on body acceptance advocate, influencer, and all-around outspoken voice for learning to love yourself and love your body.
Right now. As is.
You should be able to tell by the cover of "Body Talk" that this isn't going to be your usual "rah rah" inspirational book with unrealistic goals and impossible to adhere to recommendations made by someone who has never been there and probably never will be.
Sturino has been there. In some ways, she still is there. She gets the challenges that come with living in a body that's outside what the media and society often consider within the norm.
If you resonate with Lizzo's sass and body positivity, then you'll likely love Sturino. While the book is undeniably directed specifically toward women, I loved every page of it as an adult disabled male whose body has never fit within "normal" definitions of masculinity.
"Body Talk" is a quick read. It's filled with vibrant, colorful graphics and an easy to read font. While the book clocks in at just over 200 pages, this is a breezy, one-day read that you'll likely revisit again and again for Sturino's colorful, at times including graphic, language and sisterly sense of accountability and motivation.
"Body Talk" also functions at times as a workbook. Sturino serves up short exercises and gives you a page or two to write down your responses, obstacles, thoughts, and feelings. This was probably smart since this is a book you'll most definitely want to write in.
Sturino confesses she spent 30 years of her life ashamed of her body and believing the messages that surrounded her. Now, she's let go of the opinions of hers and learned to be happy and comfortable in her own skin. Sturino is a popular blogger who also does a podcast and Instagram and has worked to create solution-oriented beauty products that send a positive message about all bodies.
Trust me, this ain't Goop.
Sturino shares stories, affirmations, action items, journaling assignments, little bits of inspiration, and lot sof graphics on the way to encouraging all of us to spend less time thinking about how we look and what we eat and more time celebrating our inner fierceness.
As someone who recently took up yoga after years of telling myself my body was not appropriate for it and I'd feel out of place, I really clicked with a lot of this material and love the way that Sturino presents it.
If you're easily offended by expletives, be aware that Sturino uses them - I wouldn't say frequently, but it's certainly freely. While at times "Body Talk" seems to overly simplify the issues at hand, it's a minor concern for a book that deserves to be in the wellness toolbox for all of us who've been wrapped up for far too long in body shame. "Body Talk" is definitely a winner.
July 27, 2021
being kind to my body has been a THEME of counseling/life lately and it’s v hard for me! enter: this book 💋 it was fresh, funny, helpful, wise, kind, and also fun to read which i appreciated. i’ve got a lot of thoughts about body positivity/body neutrality/loving the skin i’m in… let’s just say the journey continues 🙃 but the more i can fill my brain with things like this book, the better!
June 1, 2021
This is such a simple and easy book...not revolutionary by any means but it hits straight to the core and is exactly what I needed to hear. It’s genuine, realistic, and heartfelt. I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying! :)
June 19, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up. This was fun, relatable and I loved the illustrations. I enjoyed how she didn’t blast moms to hard, but at the same time noted she isn’t a parent and this is definitely not a guide for parents.
December 18, 2024
I read this for book club. It’s a really quick listen! I’m not really a fan of self-help books to start with, but this one was more of a rant and didn’t actually dive into anything. I also found the language to be quite negative and don’t feel that I benefited at all from reading it…but perhaps others would!
July 8, 2021
Don't be fooled by the fun pop art and colorful pages, this book is AMAZING. Thought provoking, extremely helpful, and astonishingly healing. Maybe the first "self-help" type book I've completed all of the writing prompts for? It's so worth it! I immediately re-read twice more and purchased additional copies for friends. Thank you, Katie Sturino!
December 19, 2024
Book club read. I feel like it was just a bunch of body positive instagram post captions strung together and called a book. I’m glad things like this are helping people though! It just didn’t get that deep for me
November 13, 2021
An excellent workbook that offers exercises in removing negative self talk about our bodies and replacing it with space to do what we want and love ourselves. I learned too late that my body shape is not connected to my self worth or a reflection of what I'm worth. Buy this book for yourself and those in your life who could use a boost and a reminder that all our selves and bodies are here to be loved.
June 5, 2021
1000 stars!! Highly recommend. This book made me feel amazing about myself!
May 25, 2021
Pros: I wanted to read this book because Katie Sturino is one of my favorite Instagram follows. I’m generally not one to read a self-help-type book, but I think the topic of this book is important for taking care of yourself, being a good friend, and helping shift societal norms. Just like on her Instagram account, in this book, it feels like the author is speaking to her friends.
This book feels like a very inclusive book—it’s not just for one category of person. It is about bodies and not just about weight. It acknowledges that everyone has insecurities of some sort attached to their body/appearance. I appreciate that in the first chapter of the book, the author notes that this book is not a magical cure-all but instead is one tool to use in an ongoing process of self acceptance. Throughout, the author helps to change the narrative and offers action items and pep talks.
I generally read books on audio, but I’m so glad I read this one on the NetGalley app because it’s a very visual book and has interactive pages that are like a workbook for the reader.
Cons: Not a con, but more of an obvious trigger warning that this book is about body image, which can be a very sensitive and complicated topic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read this book!
This book feels like a very inclusive book—it’s not just for one category of person. It is about bodies and not just about weight. It acknowledges that everyone has insecurities of some sort attached to their body/appearance. I appreciate that in the first chapter of the book, the author notes that this book is not a magical cure-all but instead is one tool to use in an ongoing process of self acceptance. Throughout, the author helps to change the narrative and offers action items and pep talks.
I generally read books on audio, but I’m so glad I read this one on the NetGalley app because it’s a very visual book and has interactive pages that are like a workbook for the reader.
Cons: Not a con, but more of an obvious trigger warning that this book is about body image, which can be a very sensitive and complicated topic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read this book!
March 7, 2023
Adored this!! Go to the library or buy this book to be able to enjoy all the wonderful illustrations that capture the writing’s personality. This is the kind of thing that should be read in grade school - so much wisdom and truth that any demographic would benefit from.
November 18, 2022
Great reminder to embrace and focus on body positivity. Lots of swearing.
June 27, 2021
I think i liked the idea of this book and Katie more tha the actual content of the book, but I digress. The message is great, and there are tidbits of body positivity and self acceptance that are so important. Extremely quick read- probably would have been a lot more fun to read in physical book form because the graphics look great from what I’ve seen on instagram. Didnt really translate to Kindle
October 7, 2021
FLATTERING: “Flattering” is a euphemism for clothes that make you look thinner than you really are. “Unflattering” is a euphemism for clothes that showcase “the bad kind of fat.” So when someone tells me a dress is “flattering” on my figure, or comments that the shorts I’m wearing are “unflattering” on my legs, what I hear is “That dress makes you look smaller than you really are, which is a good thing,” and “Those shorts make you look fat—and there’s something wrong with that.”
I started following Katie on Instagram a while ago in an attempt to diversify my IG feed and see women of all different shapes and sizes. She's always struck me as a little more in-your-face and more over-the-top but in a good way? And I think this book shows you behind the scenes at her becoming (because I stepped into viewing her body acceptance journey once she had already made some significant strides). This content is revolutionary but it is revelatory. Really recommend it.
One more quote too: "The next time someone tells you, a full-grown adult who’s responsible for her own life, that she has to “earn” a piece of cake before she can actually enjoy it, hold up your middle finger like a birthday candle, blow, and make a wish.
I started following Katie on Instagram a while ago in an attempt to diversify my IG feed and see women of all different shapes and sizes. She's always struck me as a little more in-your-face and more over-the-top but in a good way? And I think this book shows you behind the scenes at her becoming (because I stepped into viewing her body acceptance journey once she had already made some significant strides). This content is revolutionary but it is revelatory. Really recommend it.
One more quote too: "The next time someone tells you, a full-grown adult who’s responsible for her own life, that she has to “earn” a piece of cake before she can actually enjoy it, hold up your middle finger like a birthday candle, blow, and make a wish.
June 19, 2022
Dit zou verplichte lectuur moeten worden vanaf de middelbare school, liever zelfs de basisschool. Sturino presenteert op een hele herkenbare wijze de struggle met body acceptance en komt met innovatieve, komische opdrachtjes om te realiseren waarom body acceptance zo belangrijk is.
Niet het 1000 in een dozijn boek hoe meer van jezelf te houden, maar een realistisch zelfhulpboek met handvatten en bevestiging op een komische en visueel aantrekkelijke manier ingepakt. Jammer dat dit nu alleen beschikbaar is voor mensen die de engelse taal machtig zijn. (Terwijl je dit waarschijnlijk ook het liefst aan je moeder, tante, oom, of iedere andere boomer zou willen geven)
Niet het 1000 in een dozijn boek hoe meer van jezelf te houden, maar een realistisch zelfhulpboek met handvatten en bevestiging op een komische en visueel aantrekkelijke manier ingepakt. Jammer dat dit nu alleen beschikbaar is voor mensen die de engelse taal machtig zijn. (Terwijl je dit waarschijnlijk ook het liefst aan je moeder, tante, oom, of iedere andere boomer zou willen geven)
January 12, 2023
4.5 stars, rounded up
Combat your own internalized stigmas and fatphobia and learn to love yourself inside and out with Katie Sturino's empowering and invigorating—not to mention hilarious—Body Talk.
I listened to Body Talk on audio, so while I missed out on the fun illustrations in the physical book, I benefited greatly from listening to Sturino's sassy, oft-sarcastic voice.
I should make this book self-imposed required reading/listening for myself, every year until I die.
***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***
Combat your own internalized stigmas and fatphobia and learn to love yourself inside and out with Katie Sturino's empowering and invigorating—not to mention hilarious—Body Talk.
I listened to Body Talk on audio, so while I missed out on the fun illustrations in the physical book, I benefited greatly from listening to Sturino's sassy, oft-sarcastic voice.
I should make this book self-imposed required reading/listening for myself, every year until I die.
***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***
June 12, 2021
I love everything about Katie Sturino. I have followed her for years on Instagram. Body positivity? Rescue dog mom? Taboo subjects? Yes to all. Just like she says in the book, I wish I could give this book to my younger self. The format was not what I expected but I loved it. Think of it as a kind of self help coffee table book. The illustrations are great. I might have to order another copy so I can cut pages out and hang them on my fridge.
June 21, 2021
I wish I had this book to refer to in my 20’s.
The content is basic and there really isn’t a lot of it, but what there is is incredibly important messaging (and reminders) for individuals with body image issues (albeit geared more towards larger folk).
It’s a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) approach with a very very fine dusting of various other therapeutic modalities - she has you compassionately look at another ‘part’ of you that you then refer to as your mascot, and she very very briefly (a few paragraphs) discusses the influence family has on our perception of ourselves and our judgment of others.
A lot of fillers, limited content - but I think this is because she’s targeting a certain age group. If you can overcome the fillers she does share a few valuable messages.
This line from the book really resonated with me:
“… stop equating your value with your flaws.”
The content is basic and there really isn’t a lot of it, but what there is is incredibly important messaging (and reminders) for individuals with body image issues (albeit geared more towards larger folk).
It’s a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) approach with a very very fine dusting of various other therapeutic modalities - she has you compassionately look at another ‘part’ of you that you then refer to as your mascot, and she very very briefly (a few paragraphs) discusses the influence family has on our perception of ourselves and our judgment of others.
A lot of fillers, limited content - but I think this is because she’s targeting a certain age group. If you can overcome the fillers she does share a few valuable messages.
This line from the book really resonated with me:
“… stop equating your value with your flaws.”
Read
March 20, 2023I really love Megababe* and it was a lovely to get a window into the world of its founder, Katie Sturino. Short, sweet, helpful.
*Specifically the Thigh Rescue anti-chafing stick. It’s PERFECT for those of us who don’t have a ~thigh gap~ and who deserve to feel equally as comfortable in our bodies as those who do. After years of feeling uncomfortable every single summer, Megababe changed my experience of the season. (Okay, getting off of my soapbox now.)
*Specifically the Thigh Rescue anti-chafing stick. It’s PERFECT for those of us who don’t have a ~thigh gap~ and who deserve to feel equally as comfortable in our bodies as those who do. After years of feeling uncomfortable every single summer, Megababe changed my experience of the season. (Okay, getting off of my soapbox now.)
January 1, 2022
This was the perfect pep-talk I needed to start the new year shedding shame and over-focus on my body. Through Kate's direct and compassionate words I faced and embraced anew my own beautiful reality of not fitting into society's box of desirability in appearance, size, or even ability. (I'm disabled.) My body and I have at times had a complicated relationship, but after 45 years of experiencing and surviving what life's thrown at us, I seek to be as kind to my body as possible now. I can say today that I accept myself and the size my body wants to be. Life is to be lived and I want to live fully alive and deserve to enjoy it today!
October 13, 2021
This was SO GOOD. So important to hear, and the kind of book I'll be thinking about for a while. I have been following Katie Sturino on instagram for a while, and I'm really glad I read the full version. I might need to own a copy, so I can remind myself of the things she said often.
May 30, 2021
I really enjoyed this and not just because Katie is one of my favorite people ever on Instagram. This was witty and lighthearted while still being compassionate and warm. It was a super fun and short and I loved the audiobook version where she narrates.
July 1, 2021
Excellent.
September 18, 2021
i love her! (and audio is the way to go)
September 22, 2021
"It's for anyone who'd much rather move on with her damn day and have a good life."
I fought my body every day for years. Years. Currently in a long process of reclaiming myself. I loved every word of this book. On top of the actual words, the layout, design, and illustrations are phenomenal.
I fought my body every day for years. Years. Currently in a long process of reclaiming myself. I loved every word of this book. On top of the actual words, the layout, design, and illustrations are phenomenal.
October 9, 2021
Nice messages about body positivity, could have been a blog
December 31, 2021
Important message delivered in a funny — & beautifully illustrated — way. Katie Sturino is the coolest! This book is going on my coffee table for all of my friends & family to comb through.
January 9, 2022
I found this book delightful to read with great graphics and illustrations as well as deeply helpful to try and stop negative self-talk around my body. I can see myself dipping back into it from time to time to remind myself of the techniques and small homework assignments to continue this work.
February 19, 2022
“You deserve love and affection just because you exist”
Do I tho?
Do I tho?
March 19, 2022
First of all- I love Katie's instagram and I found this book to be really relatable.....which was part of the problem. It was almost like reliving my own body trauma and I didn't feel like it really pointed me towards embracing my body.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews