Each January, scores of people make New Year’s resolutions that have something to do with weight loss. On social media, people make largely empty promises to start a new fad diet, start a consistent gym routine to drop 10 pounds, or to fit into those jeans that have been sitting in the back of their drawer for years. At best, this is just boring: it’s the same story every year of people en masse promising to shrink their bodies, aiming toward mostly arbitrary weight loss goals for aesthetic purposes. At worst, it’s a triggering reminder of our societal obsession with thinness, one that fuels eating disorders, crash diets, and other unhealthy behaviors.
That’s why content creator RV Mendoza’s resolution is both refreshing and welcome. This year, Mendoza will be achieving their dreams in their body no matter its size. Instead of waiting until you lose weight to take a trip or buy a swimsuit you love, Mendoza urges you to “Just Do It Fat.”
Mendoza posted a now-viral TikTok on New Year’s day, encouraging viewers not to wait for a smaller body to achieve their dreams.
“GWORL, just do it fat! Don’t wait until you’ve lost enough weight, you’re worthy of taking up the space that you fill,” Mendoza says in their post. “Live your life now. Don’t wait for some future version of yourself that you think will be more deserving. You have every right to pursue your passions and dreams just as you are today.”
Since posting on January 1, Mendoza’s post has wracked up nearly 200,000 views and almost 1,000 comments, including a supportive one from Lizzo. Teen Vogue talked with Mendoza about their body-positive slogan, how they overcome self-doubt, and what they’ll be doing fat in 2025.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Teen Vogue: How did you come up with “Just Do It Fat,” and what inspired you to make this post?
RV Mendoza: As the new year comes up, people start asking, ‘what your New Year’s resolutions, what are you going to do this year?’ I wanted to contribute a sense of gentleness and encouragement online. As I look back on New Year’s day — I made this on New Year’s day — I was reflecting and for me, confidence comes from being able to look back at my personal history of triumphs. Having those stories to look back at reminds me that I’ve done it before, I can do it again. I’ve always found a way to try. Look at all these beautiful memories I have of me swimming, climbing, lifting weights. I had to find the clarity to do it anyway, even if I felt like I didn’t belong there, even if I was scared I wouldn’t fit into the harness. The pleasure I got from doing those activities wasn’t even close to the anxiousness I felt [about my body]. I wanted to give people an anchor to hold onto as the new year comes: just do it fat.
