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)

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)

Food is powerful. Trust two fatties that have been to food heaven, food hell and back. It's a fact, the food we eat does so much more than simply nourish us. It affects our physical bodies, our minds and our spirits. For their Full Fat season two return, Natalie and Sam open up about their weird and wonderful relationships with food. Here the ladies go deep, to discuss prescription eating, padlocked pantries and what happens when you go past the point of no return and have to rebuild your relationship with food! They also connect with a perplexed listener trudging their own food journey and share their takes on a couple of popular recovery options, including abstinence and mindful eating. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

What's the first and last suit a lady will ever own - there for her thick and thin, taking the heat, bearing the cold and showing her grace and wisdom as the years pass? Her birthday suit! In this episode, Natalie and Sam talk about the skin they're in - literally. From adorning it with various creams and cosmetics, to how their skin changed as they went up and down in size, and how they cared for it (and themselves) along the way. The Fatties also go past the surface layer to talk about taboo fleshy matters, such as skin procedures, various body lift surgeries and how these fit (or don't fit) into our understanding of what it means to feel beautiful. As always, the pair help out a listener in a pickle with their Dear Fatties segment, and sign off with some season one reflections. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

It's easy to be sunny when everything's coming up Natalie and Sam. But how about those periods when things are not looking so great? Like, say, when the world's experiencing a pandemic and you've been in lockdown for practically a year? For the fatties, looking on the bright side has been a learned art (and one they're still mastering). In this episode, the ladies talk about surviving a culture of fear, doubt and insecurity and developing skills for seeing the good, without losing integrity or getting into ‘toxic positivity'. Hear them share about how parenting books have helped them self-parent, why acknowledging one's shadow side is important and how the school of life has given them tools to survive just about anything. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Cheetah print. Bold, available in a variety of shades, a little bit wild, a little bit sexy. In other words, the absolute embodiment of a Full Fat take on fashion. In this episode, Natalie and Sam discuss their ‘baby cheetah' days and beyond, sharing their favourite stores, binge brands and style icons. The pair also talk about the creativity that comes with living in a marginalized body and the evolution of their own personal style. If you've ever had trouble fitting in or finding your size, you're going to relate. The Fatties pay respect to the true power of fashion and leave you with some tips and inspiration to become more bold, wild and ‘fully fat' in your fashion choices. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

The late songwriter Linda Creed (nee Epstein) once said The Greatest Love of All (learning to love yourself) is easy to achieve. Natalie and Sam respectfully beg to differ. For them, the road to self love has been bumpy, lumpy and never-ending. Because, if loving yourself was as easy as getting some rose quartz, maintaining a gratitude journal and/or absorbing all of instagram (or Indigo's) positive quotes and affirmations, we'd all be doing it! For these full fatties, self love has been (and continues to be) a process or ‘journey'. One they've had to negotiate alongside recovery, relationships, highs and humiliations. For episode seven, the ladies share about why one of their favourite songs in the world got it wrong (somewhat). (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Natalie and Sam grew up in the supermodel era. The days when plus size meant anything over a size 12, and fat-shaming shouts from car windows were not unusual. Needless to say, there was a desperate need for some inspiration to make it through...Fatspiration if you will (Fatspo for short). The two break down some of the fat women who gave them hope and courage back in the day, and get a bit salty about how few of these icons there actually were (shout out to you Queen Latifah). They also speak to the shift in today's culture, where all shapes and sizes can receive inspiration and revelation from bold and badass celebrities and influencers like Amber Wagner, Nyome Nicholas-Williams, Roxane Gay and more. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

2021 is finally upon us and your Full Fatties have been busy envisioning the year that they each want to manifest. Having stepped away from diet culture, the ladies are freed up to think beyond calories in and out when it comes to new year's resolutions these days. In this first episode for the year, they'll share takeaways from the apocalypse that was 2020, talk about what they've learned from years of wishing themselves ‘thin', discuss their own physical, emotional and spiritual goals for the next 12 months and offer up a little advice on how to keep your new year goals positive and kind. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

As the holidays fast approach, Natalie and Sam get a little Dickensian for their fourth and last episode of the year (an extra chonky special). The ladies receive a visit from a former holiday colleague (or two) and discuss spirits of Christmas past, present and future. All of the ladies' holly jolly stories are coming out for this festive episode, which includes their fave gifts received as fatties, their holiday gastronomic hits and misses, some real talk on how to handle those pesky body-shaming relatives, as well as teetotaling tips for the sober and sober curious. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

Your Full Fatties have experienced work life on both sides of the scale and they're here to tell the tale. Building a career can be tricky as-is, but add that extra layer of fatness and it can be downright difficult. How does being fat impact work - relegated to ‘backroom roles'? Exploitation? Insensitive or plain fatphobic coworkers and leaders? All of the above? In this episode, the ladies discuss their experiences of being fat at work, the change that needs to come, ways you can support your fat co-workers and why large needs to mean ‘in charge' more. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

In this episode we'll talk about what ‘romance' looked like as a fat teens and young adults in the 90s/noughts and then shift gears to discuss what it's been like to date more recently, in smaller bodies, while still identifying with our inner fatties. In the first half of the episode, we'll cover topics like suppression of sexuality, fantasy relationships and fatfishing (catfishing on the plus side). Then we'll then roll into discussion about breakthrough relationships, those heinous Von Dutch hats and developing and road-testing our own online dating techniques. Slap on your favourite anti-chafing shorts ‘cause it's date night and we're going all out. (www.thisisfullfat.com)

For our inaugural episode we'll share a bit about ourselves - our fat teen years, how we met, why we're here and what we are hoping you'll get from joining us on the first and third Thursday of every month. Our experience has been that once you've been fat in your formative years, you never stop identifying as a fat girl regardless of your size. To some, that might sound like a cross to bear, but to us it has been the biggest gift. Fat girl wisdom has done us all kinds of favours. It has kept the wrong kinds of partners away, pushed us to become more than our bodies, made us into strong women and brought us together to carry a message of hope, humour, solidarity and positivity. (www.thisisfullfat.com)