Full Fat

Hitting twenty chapters is no easy feat, and Natalie and Sam are marking milestones in this episode - their last recording together as Natalie gets ready to hang up her podmic to focus on other life stuff. In this final episode of season two, the fatties look back and look to give a little advice to their 16 year old fat selves. Along the way, they discuss life, love, the universe, their bodies and themselves. The fatties remember life at 16 and all the awkwardness, discomfort and comb headbands that go with that. They also borrow from one of the classic graduation songs of their time... and as they go on, they remember all the times they had together. Here’s to big fat ladyfriendships! (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Natalie and Sam acknowledge that cancellation has put significant power back in the people’s hands which is important and necessary, but they aren’t entirely sold on it. Why? Because cancel culture relies on some pretty gross things to flourish, like shame and the maintenance of pack mentality. For their second last episode of season two, the ladies discuss cancellation in detail, from it being an effective tool to bring about justice, to it becoming the stuff of tabloid pile on. As always the ladies don’t hold back, sharing stories of cancellation from their own lives and discussing the archetypes they learned to ‘cancel’ as fat kids growing up. Fellow friends of the forest will enjoy this candid conversation. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

The idea that a person can be addicted to food is becoming more mainstream. And through the ongoing research of people like David Wiss, we are learning more about its causes and conditions. David is a California-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist making the link between food and mental health. He is also the founder of Nutrition In Recovery and is currently completing his PhD at UCLA. In this fat chat Sam and David discuss many things, including the difference between food addiction and eating disorders, the role weight plays in food addiction recovery and the concept of approaching food science from a public health level. Whether you’re familiar with food addiction or completely new to it, you’ll find David’s approach refreshing and fascinating. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Natalie and Sam were no strangers to furtively consuming their recess snacks on the sidelines of the playground. This was critical to enjoying their decadent at-home creations and dodging the minefield that were schoolyard taunts and teases. In this episode, the fatties wonder - did all this secrecy and sidelining in childhood affect their ability to let loose, join in and play? Their vote is absolutely not. Join the pair as they discuss play - what it means to them, how it’s been shaped by their experience as fatties and most importantly, how they do it! From dance classes, feline photoshoots and other guilty pleasures - the ladies skip into the playground and don’t leave until sunset. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Like it or loathe it, writing is a powerful recovery tool. It offers an opportunity for readers, writers, and speakers to feel both heard and understood, and it creates space for empathy, seeing another person and bearing witness to our common humanity. Jacky Power is a UK-based addictions psychologist who is harnessing the power of words to help those around her. In her work, she practices and guides others through Poetry Therapy, a form of expressive arts therapy that involves the therapeutic use of poems to promote well-being and healing. For this Full Fat chat, Sam and Jacky talk about things like social media addiction, the obstacle of perfection, and of course, dip into Jacky’s vast archive of poems. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

An old white guy once said "youth is wasted on the young". But what happens when the age bracket assigned to 'youth’ seems to be getting narrower and narrower? Ageism is exploding like never before, accelerated by the speed of technology, the power of patriarchy and the noise of social media. In this episode, the fatties touch on their love of older souls, the intersection between feminism and ageism, the unique and special struggles of the elder millennial, the bravery that comes with age and some thoughts on how we might be able to address ageism and develop new narratives for ageing womxn. Sit back, find your side-part and enjoy this ripened, relevant chat between two former fat kids who aren’t having it. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

As a special treat, Melissa Lesic founder of Exhale Yoga + Thai Massage (@exhaletogether) provides unique custom content for this episode, by way of a guided meditation that we’re calling The Baby Turtle Body Scan. If there’s a swimsuit you’re eyeing for the summer, now’s the time to visualise yourself in it and to find your peaceful place by the water’s edge. We invite you to take some time for yourself and to get 'beach ready' in a whole new way, by relaxing to Melissa’s gentle voice. In less than 20 mins she'll take your nervous system from a more heightened state, possibly from feeling a little anxious, a little vulnerable on the beach... to feeling at ease and less threatened. We highly recommend it! (thisisfullfat.com)

Sun, sand (or pool deck cement) and swimsuits - essential ingredients for the summer season.  These words conjure happy memories and future excitement for the hottest time of the year. They can also, however, bring up a wider range of reactions, feelings and associations for those who currently (or have previously occupied) a marginalized body. In this episode, the ladies discuss some of the ‘hot realities’ of summer, from the proliferation of perspiration to pool deck terror and navigating the extended festival of summer eating - think BBQs, iced treats and ‘patio season’. The Fatties also chat about learning to claim summertime delights and a few of their favourite iconic pool/beach scenes from Hollywood. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Sun, sand (or pool deck cement) and swimsuits - essential ingredients for the summer season.  These words conjure happy memories and future excitement for the hottest time of the year. They can also, however, bring up a wider range of reactions, feelings and associations for those who currently (or have previously occupied) a marginalized body. In this episode, the ladies discuss some of the ‘hot realities’ of summer, from that proliferation of perspiration to pool deck terror and navigating the extended festival of summer eating - think BBQs, iced treats and ‘patio season’. The Fatties also chat about learning to claim summertime delights and a few of their favourite iconic pool/beach scenes from Hollywood. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

For our second season, we’re going to be bringing a fresh new format and some fresh perspectives to the fat fold every second episode! Veering away from our usual banter, Nat will be taking a bit of a breather (to attend to work, love, life etc.) while Sam is going to be hosting a series of fascinating ‘fat chats’. Our very first guest is the extraordinary Cindy Gallop, founder of makelovenotporn.tv, “the world’s first and only user generated, human curated social sex video sharing platform.” In this episode, the ladies discuss why mentoring doesn’t cut it, the enduring experience of growing up fat, Love Island (obviously) and how Cindy’s social sex revolution is having a profound impact on the way people feel about their sex lives, their relationships and their bodies. (www.thisisfullfat.com)