Matt Joseph Diaz

Matt Joseph Diaz

Bio

Matt Joseph Diaz is a public speaker and social media activist tackling the issues of body image and self love. Matt has been working in social media since the age of 15, and has a long history of creating online content for entertainment and educational purposes. Matts videos have accrued over 120 million views in countries all over the world as well as being featured in People, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, Upworthy and numerous other news websites. He now spend a lot of his time traveling and speaking on self love at conferences, colleges and public events. Matt Joseph Diaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.   

Matt Joseph Diaz Articles

I'm sorry that I've allowed you to become an example.

An Apology To Myself At 500 Pounds

Dear 16-Year-Old, 500 Pound Matt,

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For me, losing weight was about learning what I needed to do and gradually forming a positive relationship with my body. Image: Matt Joseph Diaz

I Lost 270 Pounds. Here Are 3 Reasons I Don't Share My Weight-Loss “Secrets.”

Being asked about my weight-loss “secrets” make me uncomfortable. It feels very different from people wanting to know about my story. It feels like being asked to provide a shortcut.

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Your child's body is not a "problem" (Image Credit: Thinkstock)

On The Subject Of Childhood Dieting

Though it's worth noting that my weight was beginning to become a health concern, I’d never considered my body a “problem” until I heard how doctors talked about it. In the same way a hurt child won’t start to cry until he sees the worry in his parent’s face, I never felt bad about my body until the first time I felt like I was being looked at with disgust. So whatever route you decide to take with the health of a child, make sure it’s treated as a growing opportunity and not a solution to a problem. Your children are not problems — they are the foundation upon which the adults of tomorrow will be built.

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Matt Joseph Diaz. Image: Wilfredo Ruiz/www.flandeguava.com

Where Are All The Body Positive Men?

Vulnerability is a sign of strength, not weakness, and those who see being open and sincere as symbols of fragility have a skewed idea of vulnerability. It takes NO strength to close yourself off from the world — to refuse to be who you are because you’re afraid of the reaction of those around you. Feeling deeply and openly, even in the face of resistance, is what takes true strength.

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#MondaysWithMatt: Supporting your partner through mental illness

#MondaysWithMatt: You Cannot "Cure" Your Partner's Mental Illness

Think of #MondaysWithMatt as the ultimate #MondayMotivation. Today's topic is how to handle mental health in a partner.

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Life is not a perfect linear story plot. (Image Credit: Think Stock)

If At First You Don't Succeed, That's OK. That's Life.

Success is an uphill climb, but it’s rarely a directly uphill climb. There are cliffsides and plateaus, there are points where you have to adapt and change in order to make things work. These are not steps backwards, nor are they indicative of your failure—they’re simply a byproduct of life. More often than not, this ability to work with the circumstances in order to get by will take you farther than certain “skills” ever could.

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"Nice guy" doesn't mean the guy's a saint. (Image Credit: Thinkstock)

I Will Not Be A "Nice Guy"

Being a "nice guy" has become an excuse for unacceptable behavior in romantic relationships. Matt says enough is enough. It's time for honesty to take the place of kindness with ulterior motives.

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HELP. MY PHONE BROKE.

Mondays With Matt: Anti-Social Media (MY PHONE BROKE, HELP)

What happens when a Millennial smashes his phone? Watch to find out. And also to laugh your ass off. 

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The Body Positive Movement is a movement that’s about autonomy.

We Need To Stop Policing Body Positivity

I feel equipped to talk about the intricacies of the body positivity movement; for with all its beauty and empowerment, there are aspects of body positivity that try to control how others view and treat their bodies. Though I understand the intention, behavior like this flies in the face of the ideals the movement is trying to create. Put simply: it's time we stop trying to police body positivity.

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Mondays With Matt: Masturbation

Mondays With Matt: We're Talking Masturbation

This Monday, Matt helps us celebrate Masturbation Month! (To say anything else would betray the beauty of this video.)

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