Woman of Size

Jana interviews NYC-based comedian and fat activist Emily Duke. Emily talks about her history with dieting, disordered eating and weight stigma. The two discuss using comedy and personal experiences to criticize the diet industrial complex in their comedy and using comedy to expose the ills of diet culture. Follow Emily on the socials @emilydukehaha for information about her shows and writing. check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes and follow Woman of Size on Patreon for exclusive content!

Jana interviews Navajo journalist and host of Toasted Sister podcast Andi Murphy. Andi talks about her personal history with Native foods, the Native food revitalization movement and cooking Native foods. They discuss how food and knowledge of Native foods have been colonized and how a new generation of Native chefs, organizations and community gardners are reconnecting Native people with their traditional foods. Follow Andi on the socials @toastedsister and subscribe to the Toasted Sister podcast. If you're interested in other current Native issues and topics, check out nativeamericacalling.com! Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana interviews Sierra Teller Ornelas, a Mexican American and Navajo comedy writer and television producer, about being brave and taking big leaps to build a successful career making tv in Los Angeles. Sierra discusses her body in relation to Native invisibility and lack of representation, and the two delve into the incredible world of Indigenous art and media. Follow Sierra on IG and Twitter @sierraornelas and watch her show Rutherford Falls when it comes out on the Peacock Network. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana chats with Jicarilla Apache and Laguna Pueblo organizer and digital storyteller Eryn Wise. The two kick of Native American Heritage Month by diving into their own Indigenous identities, the concepts of home and sovereignty, and how they're working toward being softer when the work makes them hardened. Follow Eryn's work at @seedingsovereignty as well as her personal journey @_samakuu. Check out womanofisize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana talks with writer Ariel Henley about her experiences with facial difference as a woman with Crouzon Syndrome. Ariel discusses her journey into writing and how she has found community and advocacy through speaking her own truths. Follow Ariel on IG @arielhenley and on Twitter @ariel_henley9. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana talks to her friend Laura Delarato about her explorations into sex as a plus size woman and then Jana interviews fat, trans cyber sex worker and porn producer Courtney Trouble! They discuss Courtney's DIY aesthetic, the reasons we should be normalizing porn and pornography as creative expression. Follow Laura on IG @heylauraheyyy and follow Courtney's work on Twitter @courtneytrouble and on their website troublefilms.com. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana interviews her friend and Lakota cuzzin Jordan Marie Daniel about her disordered eating, her running career and her advocacy in Indian Country around Native justice, Tribal Sovereignty and murdered and missing Indigenous woman and girls. Follow Jordan @_NativeInLA and support her work by amplifying her, standing with her or running with her. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana talks with her friend Kendall Mayhew about her many roles in the Los Angeles grassroots organizing scene. Kendall educates us about Prop 10, Prop 13 and the many ways in which we can and should engage with local elections. Kendall also shares her experiences as an intersex person and her beliefs about gender non-conformity in our culture. Follow Kendall on the socials @kmay and follow her organization @GroundGameLA! Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and on Patreon. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Jana interviews Standing Rock Sioux humorist, poet and essayist Tiffany Midge about her comedy, her performances and her life as a writer thoughout the many phases of modern Native Literature. Tiffany's book of humorous essays Bury My Heart at Chuck E Cheese's is released this week! Buy her book, go see her do readings and support the work of Native creatives. Follow Tiffany Midge on Twitter @tiffanymidge and follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and on Patreon. Check out womanofsize.com for links and extended show notes.

Black, fat, queer comedian, Nikki Bailey sits with Jana and discusses her experiences making people laugh in Hollywood as a fat woman. Nikki promotes the sketch comedy group she founded called Fatch written by and starring all fat women. Follow Nikki on the socials @nikkibailey_ and look her up at nikkibaileycomedy.com. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana chats with Native academic, advocate, consultant and superfat warrior, Shilo George about the Indigenous history of their home state of Oregon, about her healing and re-membering process after trauma and about her body sovereignty project. Follow Shilo George on IG @shilogeorge and reach out to professionally at shilomgeorge@gmail.com. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana talks with comedian and theater artist Casey Navarro about showing her body some love, about using performance to heal and provide community and about her comedy process. TW - violence against women: this episode details a violent event that Casey experienced and discussion around the criminal justice system in handling violent offenses against women. Follow Casey on IG @caseysbits and check out her website caseynavarro.com to see her perform in LA! Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana interviews improviser and comedy writer, Kay Kaanapu about body size, living with multiple racial identities and about Kay's young adulthood being pushed heavily into athletics. Kay discusses what it was like living with the pressure of being an all-star athlete while not really enjoying athletics and instead wanting to pursue more creative avenues. Find Kay performing regularly around Los Angeles and follow her on IG @kaykaanapu. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana and comedian Kristal Adams discuss race and comedy, how improv spaces are sold as "safe" but can be really harmful, and the effects of keeping our marginalized bodies private or making them public. Kristal talks about her comedic process, what she's overcome to be able to perform as frequently as she does and her delightful podcast, Too Sensitive for Comedy. Follow Kristal on IG @thedarkkristal and subscribe to her podcast @toosensitiveforcomedy. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana talks with fat, non-binary trans writer, activist and advocate J Aprileo about their analysis of gender dysphoria and their writing on the topic. J discusses fatness, how weight stigma intersects with their non-binary identity and what it means to correct others' language as well as to be corrected. Jana and J are both involved in youth work and professional development and advocate for stronger adult learning opportunties around weight stigma and trans awareness in schools. Follow J's work at comfyfat.com, on IG @comfyfattravels and on Twitter @comfyfat. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana meets and has a fascinating conversation with writer and all-around wonderful woman, Ramou Sarr. The two discuss "grind culture" in writing and comedy, they chat about racism within the family and Ramou shares her experience with and writing about depression. Follow Ramou Sarr on Twitter @Ramou and on IG @ramousarr. Follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana catches up with her friend Janie Stolar, a comedian, comedy writer and pop culture extraordinaire about the bullshit we've bought, the bullshit we've been sold and the stuff that isn't actually bullshit at all that we need to pay attention to so that we're living whole, healthy lives. Follow Janie @janiefierce on IG and follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana talks with hilarious Latina comedian, Vanessa Gonzalez about growing up "chubby," finding success and happiness despite her body size and why the hell it's so hard to find a good bra with a wide band but small cup! Follow Vanessa on IG @buhnessamarie and on Twitter @buhnessa. Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Kaguya is a Korean American plus size model who shows us her rad fashion aesthetic and beautiful body on Instagram every day. Jana and Kaguya dive into Kaguya's girlhood as an Asian American person who struggled with body image issues and disordered eating well into her adult years. Kaguya describes her self-love journey and what the professional modeling world is really like for plus size people. Follow Kaguya on IG @p.s.kaguya and follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana catches up with Chelsea Bridges who has a pretty huge following on IG as @fatgirl_laughing. They discuss addiction recovery, the challenges within fat positive online spaces and how she's helping her children develop the language of body neutrality and fat acceptance. Follow @fatgirl_laughing on IG and on YouTube and follow @womanofsizepod on the socials. Read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Kat Brown Akoochuk is a Haudenosaunee member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames and if you're confused by that tribal affiliation, you should listen to this episode. Jana and Kat talk about fat positivity in Indian Country, Indigenous issues in a modern era and their beadwork! Follow Kat on IG @sweetgrass_and_sage and on Twitter @rasberet. Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Comedian, educator and meditation teacher Laura House talks with Jana about the generational differences in body image and fat acceptance. Laura discusses the ways that her Hollywood hustle landed her into a meditation practice and Laura shows Jana what it's like to take a meditation class under her tutelage. Follow Laura House on Twitter and IG @imlaurahouse and check out her work at laurahouse.com! Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Black leftist researcher, historian and PhD candidate Wendi Muse gives Jana a really accessible introduction to anti-racist, anti-colonial politics by taking Jana into her research around leftist movements in Brazil. She and Jana talk about Indigenous issues and colonialism, African slavery in Brazil, and how to combat economic injustice with alternative government spaces in our local communities. Follow Wendi on Twitter @MuseWendi and subscribe to Left Pocket Podcast Project. Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Fat, Brown, academic femme, Caleb Luna helps Jana make the connection between fatphobia, the transatlantic slave trade and settler colonialism in this sweet and scholarly interview. The two touch upon lit resources for your fat studies, to friends with shitty furniture, to the need for more fat representation in The Great British Bake Off. Subscribe to Caleb's Patreon at patreon.com/calebluna and follow them on IG @chairbreaker. Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Queer, fat Black sex positive advocate Ashleigh Tribble takes Jana on a deep dive into the new wave of sex positivity and how this movement intentionally leaves out fat voices, making it harder and harder for fat women and femmes to access good, fulfilling sex and romance. Follow @ashleighchubbybunny on the socials and get tickets to her fat lingerie party in NYC! Also follow @womanofsizepod and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana chats with her superfat internet buddy and photographer Kelly Lenza about being traumatized by the medical system and how she's working to change her childrens' perspectives on weight stigma while they're toddlers. Follow Kelly on Instagram at @lividlipids and check out her photography website, bloomphotographychicago.com. If you contact her and mention Woman of Size, you’ll get 50% off on your shoot! Also follow @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana talks to fat, queer, Choctaw artist Tricia Jameson Rainwater about growing with one foot in Native communities and one in White communities. They discuss many of the complications brought about by not seeing Native experiences reflected in larger cultural narratives and the hardships of navigating the fatphobia imposed upon us by settler colonialism.

Jana gabs with comedian Bri Pruett about her journey into comedy. From the chill streets of Oregon to the big stages of Los Angeles, Bri drops truth about her experiences with fatness, standup and all things earthbound and Taurus-y. Follow @bripruett and @womanofsizepod on the socials and read extended show notes at womanofsize.com.

Jana interviews Jude Valentin, a young fat positive and mental health advocate about her eating disorder, developing a fat positive perspective and moving her advocacy onto accessible online platforms. Follow @mermaidqueenjude on the socials and check out her website mermaidqueenjude.com! Follow @Womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana interviews comic artist, Maggie Spear about her experience suffering silently with an eating disorder as a fat young woman and what we need to change about our language and behavior to support the next generation of body positive feminists. Also on this episode is fat Sacramento comedian and middle school teacher, Amy Estes @amysgotjokes! Follow @sparespear on the socials and check out her contributions @thelilynews! Follow @Womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks with comedian Lisa Chanoux about being Arab American, about relationships with men and about how the world of comedy lacks respect and equal stage time for hilarious women. Follow @asilnoux on the socials and check out her work at lisachanoux.com. Follow @Womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks with Indigenous playwright, director and all-around theater artist Tara Moses about promoting the Native experience in live theater where audiences are mostly white and have little context or understanding of contemporary Indigenous lives and cultures. Follow @TaraTomahawk on the socials and check out her work at taramoses.com. Follow @Womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks with Ellise Smith, creator and curator of Fatness Fiction and Plus Size Magic Radio, about living in the intersection of Black womanhood and fatness. The two discuss their experiences with health bias, their problems with “body positivity” and what it’s like to open up conversations in their communities around big bodies and discrimination. Follow @FatnessFiction on the socials and check out Ellise’s platform at fatnessfiction.com. Follow @womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

ED Content Warning: This podcast discusses personal experiences with dieting and disordered eating. Jana talks with tv writer Andra Whipple about her climb to the writers room, how privilege plays a role in Hollywood and in diet culture, and what she’s learned along her recovery journey from an eating disorder. Follow Andra on IG and Twitter @whipsical and go see her live if you live here in LA! Follow @Womanofsizepod on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks with her Xicano comedy friend, Derrick Lemos about the cis male world of body image issues, masculinity and untapped emotions. Derrick unveils his creative projects that work to open up space for men to have these types of discussions with each other. Follow Derrick Lemos on his socials @DerrickLemos! Follow @Womanofsizepod on facebook/instagram and twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Chubby Native Jana Schmieding, Famously Fat Bri Pruett and Woman of Size Lorraine DeGraffenreidt sit down to goss about all things Shrill on Hulu! They touch on fuckbois, fat sex scenes, trolls and fatphobia in our lives and on tv. Follow Bri Pruett on IG @bripruett. Follow Lorraine DeGraffenreidt on Twitter at @lorrrraine. Follow @womanofsizepod on facebook/instagram and twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks with Gloria Lucas, Xicana founder of Nalgona Positivity Pride about her experience navigating body image awareness and disordered eating for herself and other women of color in our colonized health and wellness systems. Follow Nalgona Positivity Pride on FB/IG @NalgonaPositivityPride, support Gloria’s Patreon and find the Nalgona Positive Etsy store on the website nalgonapositivitypride.com. Follow @Womanofsizepod on facebook/instagram and twitter, and please rate, review and subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Jana talks to plus size fashion designer Tamara Malas about her body, her creative process in the plus size clothing realm and what ethical manufacturing really looks like when you make a fashion for people to purchase.

Jana talks with Black disabled writer, activist and scholar, Imani Barbarin about the intersection of race and disability and the systemic oppression that disabled folks experience in healthcare and beyond.

Jana hangs out with Lydia Popovich and the two discuss having pride in their big bodies, the comedy hustle and how incredibly lucky we all are to be sharing time and space with Dolly Parton.

Jana discusses her Lakota identity, the importance of contemporary Indigenous voices and the meaning behind the term Two Spirit with Mniconjou Lakota storyteller, activist and writer, Taté Walker.

Tune into season two of Woman of Size - coming February 25th, 2019!

Author, scholar, activist and founder of Babecamp, Virgie Tovar chats with Jana about experiencing fatphobia as a child, discovering the origins of fatphobia and combatting body discrimination with research and community building. Follow Virgie Tovar at virgietovar.com and on her socials @virgietovar. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to woman

Black feminist scholar, editor and culture writer, Evette Dionne talks with Jana about the process of unlearning fatphobic indoctrination, finding body positivity through intellectual work and some of her favorite scholars and writers. Follow Evette on Instagram and Twitter @freeblackgirl and read her work!! Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to

Jana sits down with her queer Latinx friend, Carlos Ibarra to discuss fatness in the gay space, the radical nature of drag and the importance of maintaining a healthy mind and heart over a thin and acceptable body. Carlos is embarking on his first year of graduate school at USC so send him some love and encouragement via instagram @carbarra and follow on twitter @_caibarra. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter an

Jana chats with Diné/Navajo cuties, Shaina Yazzie and Hannah Manuelito about expressing thicc joy in Indian Country, promoting Indigenous fashion and finding self confidence in the strength and beauty of our ancestors. Follow @Shaihannahgans on Instagram and Twitter, and follow @shaibai7 and @itshannahduhhhhh on Instagram! Check out the ladies' youtube channel and talk about them with your friends! Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Follow @womanofs

Jana sits down with comedian, writer and performer Madison Shepard to discuss the comic's hustle, mixed-race representation and believing your big body is fly as hell. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to womanofsizepod@gmail.com.

Actor, comic and standup teacher, Judith Shelton chats with Jana about her 25 years in standup, maintaining joy in her life and what she's learning about self-acceptance from a younger generation.

Comedic performer, writer and educator Jen Curran chats with Jana about her explorations into body shame and the weight loss industry, and co-creating a comedy theater called The Ruby that aims to go provide a community for underrepresented voices. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in iTunes or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to womanofsizepod@gmail.com.

Comedic performer and writer Babbs Lopez talks with Jana about keeping her personal life close, finding self-acceptance amongst peers and stepping away from the role of comforting shoulder for thin white tears. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in iTunes or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to womanofsizepod@gmail.com.

Plus size activist, sex educator and nude model, Laura Delarato chats with Jana about the importance of representation of big bodies, embracing sensuality as a plus size woman and centering the voices of marginalized bodies in the fat positive space. Follow Laura on her socials @heylauraheyyy. Please rate, review and subscribe to this pod in iTunes or your podcast app. Follow @womanofsizepod on Fb/Insta/Twitter and send your thoughts and experiences using voice memos or email to womanofsizepod@gmail.com.