Tough Cookie Talks

By Jenna Jozefowski

Tough Cookie Talks is a podcast we'll explore the intersection of fitness & anti-diet culture and all the gray areas in between. We'll let go of "shoulds" and judgment and dig into tough conversat... more

· Health & Fitness

4.9

4646 ratings

FAQs about Tough Cookie Talks:

How many episodes does Tough Cookie Talks have?

The podcast currently has 172 episodes available.

Tough Cookie Talks episodes:

February 22, 2022The Problem With Aesthetic Fitness Goals & What To Do Instead
I'm pretty vocal about the fact that I don't coach intentional fat loss. And yet, not a day goes by in my work work that I don’t hear someone make mention of:
1. Their “goal weight”.
2. Trying to get “toned”.
3. Wanting to get rid of “this” (insert “problem” body part).
4. The fact that they feel like they can’t wear a bikini, sports bra, tank top, or some other article of clothing.
5. How “bad” they are for eating XXX food.
My thoughts on this? OF COURSE YOU FEEL THIS WAY!
This might come as a surprise to some. The truth is, if I had more time (and was more witty) in the moments I heard these things, I’d go on a rant about how weight loss is not inherently good, and how "fit" and "strong" don't have one specific look. The other truth is, I empathize with my clients, students, family and friends who wish they could change their bodies. I hear you. I see you. We live in a society that respects and rewards you when you look a certain way. So no, I don’t exactly blame you for having an aesthetic goal or wanting to change your body. AND before you go all-in with pursuing it, there are a few questions you might want to ask yourself.
On this podcast episode we talk through each of these questions to discover:
What they might reveal to you about your desires and goals.

How uncovering the answers might reveal some more true and lasting solutions.

How in many cases when we're seeking aesthetic changes, those are just physical symbol of the feelings we want to achieve.

How asking (and encouraging our clients to ask) these questions might actual get them closer to the root of their goals and in turn change the idea of what "results" actually look like.
Connect with me:
Work with me
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Follow & tag me on Instagram
Read the blog post that inspired this podcast episode:
Have An Aesthetic Fitness Goal? 10 Important Questions To Ask Yourself
...more
29min
February 14, 2022 How To Know If You're In a Bad Relationship (With Exercise)
Some of us are in a baaaaddddd relationship with exercise, except it can be hard to see it that way in the moment. Working out is often seen as a virtue and many of us can take something that's supposed to be good for us and take it to a really unhealthy place. That’s just what fitness is right? It’s #noexcuses, before/after photos, and meal plans that always find a way to blame you if you don’t lose weight. It’s personal trainers who can’t possibly imagine that anyone would have a goal other than fat loss or make assumptions about your goals and ability based on how you look. “Coaches” who aren’t actually qualified or certified in anything other than selling you shakes and workout videos and trying to get you to join their “team”. Right? Wrong.
I could go on and on, and on this episode I’ll tell you allllll the things you need to look out for. First we'll talk about how this might show up in your own behaviors and attitudes towards exercise. Then I'll point out some unexpected red flags to look out for in the people, services, and products that we rely on to deliver fitness related products and services.
Connect with me:
Work with me
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Follow & tag me on Instagram
Read the blog posts that inspired this podcast episode:
How To Know If You're In a Bad Relationship With Exercise
How To Know If Your Healthy Addiction To Exercise Is Actually Doing You More Harm Than Good
...more
47min
February 08, 202213 Surprising Ways Strength Training Changed My Life
Strength training can be a HUGE game changer for comes to changing your relationship with exercise. This might come as a surprise, but for me, it was less about the movement itself, all about the change in mindset it brought about. Strength training changed the way I looked at working out and helped me see that it was ok to be more rather than less. Plus a whole lot of other things I didn't expect!
In this episode we talk about 13 of the most surprising ways strength training changed my life, including but not limited to:
How gave me the courage to stand up for what I believe in and stand up to bullies.

How it make me give fewer F!%#$ about how I looked.

How it connected me with the most amazing people.

Plus a whole lot more!
Connect with me:
Work with me
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Follow & tag me on Instagram
Read the blog post that inspired this podcast episode
...more
28min
February 01, 202210 Mistakes To Avoid When You're Trying To Do Fitness Without Diet Culture
Navigating fitness when you’ve just started to realize why diet culture is harmful is HARD.
Many of us spent so much of our past lives drinking the wellness kool-aid (green juice? bulletproof coffee??) without question that when we finally came around to something different, we went all in with it. Failing to realize that we were falling into the same trap that got us into trouble the first time.
And because I spent FAR too many years accepting what was told to me without question (from both sides), I’d like to share with you some mistakes I made when I was first trying to do fitness without diet culture. Maybe I can save you from making them too?
In this episode we talk about:
The importance of knowing what fitness advice is meant for you.

My complicated thoughts on labels like "body positive" and "anti-diet".

The dangers of creating an echo chamber in your social media feed.

Why it's important to be open and curious about new ideas.

The reason I'm NOT trying to convince my bestie since 8th grade not to diet.

How to find "your people" to support you on your journey.

My unpopular opinions on "joyful movement".

Why the idea of all movement being "morally equivalent" can be misleading.

How to avoid trading one measure of your worth for another.
How to connect with me:
How to work with me
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Follow & tag me on Instagram
Read the blog post that inspired this podcast episode
...more
35min
January 25, 2022Redefining "Consistency": Why Strength Is Like A Savings Account
Introducing the concept of the "strength savings account" as a way to approach the idea of consistency when it comes to working out.
In this episode we talk about:
How to not "lose all your fitness" when you take time off.

How lowering your expectations of yourself in some circumstances may actually lead to exceeding your expectations at other times.

Why approaching strength training with an all-or-nothing mindset is sort of like winning the lottery and then blowing it all on shit you don't need then wondering where your money went.
How to connect with me:
Visit my website and blog
How to work with me
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Follow & tag me on Instagram #strengthsavingsaccount
...more
36min
January 18, 2022How To Fit Fitness Into Your Life When Life Is A Shitshow
So life is a shitshow right now. Can we all just agree on that? It’s easy to lose motivation to work out when everything feels hard. If you’re feeling like this thing that “used to be easy” or you “should be able to do” is now a struggle, you’re not alone. I have some ideas as to why this might be the case, and what you can do about it.
In this episode we talk about:
Some of the common roadblocks that might be showing up for you and what to do about it.

Why you don't need to "push through" OR "just rest" but rather work around and with the things that are getting in your way.

A different way to think about consistency.

Why motivation is overrated and what you need instead.
Links mentioned in this episode:
"How To Fit Fitness Into Your Life When Life Is A Shitshow" (blog post that inspired this episode)
How to connect with me:
Get on the waitlist for Tough Love Strength Club
Apply to work with me 1:1
Get my DIY program
Follow & tag me on Instagram
...more
35min
January 11, 2022Why You Work Out All The Time But Aren't Getting Any Stronger
“Why do I work out all the time, feel like I’m running in circles and running myself into the ground but seemingly getting nowhere?”
I get this question often. Maybe you can relate? I have a few ideas as to why this may be the case for you. So let’s break it down.
In this episode we talk about:
Why the answer to getting stronger might actually be to work out less.

Why group fitness classes can only take you so far.

The truth about lifting heavy weights and building muscle.

How to make sure you're not conflating getting stronger and looking "toned".

Why tracking your progress isn't inherently a "diet culture" behavior.

Some encouragement that you're not broken if this is you. <3
Links mentioned in this episode:
"Why You Work Out All the Time But Aren't Getting Stronger" (blog post that inspired this episode)
How to connect with me:
Join my email list
Visit my website and blog
How to work with me
Follow & tag me on Instagram
...more
23min
January 11, 2022The WHOLE Truth: My Experience With Elimination Diets
Elimination diets are not for everyone and definitely NOT for me. It took me awhile to even share my “elimination diet failure” story with anyone. I was embarrassed. I thought it was my fault that it didn’t work. I think that’s probably the reason that most people don’t share their diet failure stories more often. Today, I’m sharing the WHOLE TRUTH. My very ugly experience with a popular elimination diet. (Hint: It rhymes with Shmole Shmirty.)
In this episode we talk about:
Why programs that call themselves "not a diet" actually are.

How I gave up dairy, gluten, grains, sugar, legumes, corn, peanuts, alcohol, soy, and joy for a few months and wound up GAINING weight at the end of it all.

The surprising reason I had an itchy rash the majority of the time.

How this experience led me to say "F this I'm done" with diet culture for good and led me to the work I do today.

A sprinkle of humor as I regale you with stories of how I used to spend hours making "nacho cheese" out of sweet potatoes, crying over candied pecans, and picking beans out of chili at super bowl parties--and how I came out on the other side.

Links mentioned in this episode:
"The WHOLE Truth: My Experience With Elimination Diets" (blog post that inspired this episode)

How to connect with me:
Join my email list
Visit my website and blog
How to work with me
Follow & tag me on Instagram
...more
32min
January 11, 2022The Fitness Industry Has It A$$ Backwards (+ Other Unconventional Ideas)
Most people don't know what to make of my philosophy on fitness. One minute I’m posting a video of me swinging kettlebells. The next minute I’m telling you to take a rest day. First I’m calling BS on all the ways the fitness industry is making you feel like crap. Then I’m talking about the mental health benefits of working out. But just like everything I do, there’s a method to my madness. My fitness philosophy is unlike that of most others. And I’m not sorry about it.
In this episode we talk about:
Why being thin, being healthy, and being fit are not necessarily synonymous.

Why fitness is a social justice issue.

How the way we operate as an industry pushes away the very people we are trying to help.

Why I'll never tell you to "love your body".

And lots of other hot takes!
Links mentioned in this episode:
"My Philosophy On Fitness Is Unconventional & I'm Not Sorry About It" (blog post that inspired this episode)
Health At Every Size (book)
Body Respect (book)
Intuitive Eating (book)
How to connect with me:
Join my email list
Visit my website and blog
How to work with me
Follow & tag me on Instagram
...more
31min
January 11, 2022What Exactly Is "Diet Culture" & How Is It Harmful?
What is diet culture and how is it harmful? I often talk about “diet culture” and how much I hate it. At the same time I don’t think a lot of people truly understand what I mean when I use this term. "Diet culture" is about more than just being on a diet. . .

In this episode we talk about:
All the sneaky ways diet culture shows up in the world and in our lives.

Why does this even matter?? How much is diet culture actually hurting you and those you care about?

Steps we can take to start to take down diet culture together.

Links mentioned in this episode:
"What Is Diet Culture & How Is It Harmful?" (the blog post that inspired this episode)
Health At Every Size (book)
Body Respect (book)
Intuitive Eating (book)

How to connect with me:
Join my email list
Visit my website and blog
How to work with me
Follow & tag me on Instagram
...more
31min

FAQs about Tough Cookie Talks:

How many episodes does Tough Cookie Talks have?

The podcast currently has 172 episodes available.

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Tough Cookie Talks

FAQs about Tough Cookie Talks:

How many episodes does Tough Cookie Talks have?

Tough Cookie Talks episodes:

FAQs about Tough Cookie Talks:

How many episodes does Tough Cookie Talks have?

More shows like Tough Cookie Talks

Maintenance Phase

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

Find Food Freedom