16 Comments

This hit me in the feels, so thank you. I am a runner, and for me, it was discovering running that really solidly changed my relationship with my body from one of antagonism to coexistence and finally to some version of acceptance. It's far more than exercise for me; it's critical to my well-being. I never think about my body shape or size while I'm doing it.

My mother-in-law is currently staying with us and has been here for over a week and my patience is burnt toast at this point with the comments about my running and why I run every day and why do I think I need to be thin or work out so much and I sometimes get in my car and primal scream. I move daily so I don't murder everyone, is that enough? I know it isn't like that for everyone; for me, going for a run is the same idea as taking my Zoloft daily. (I do both.)

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So frustrating -- and also sad, that she can't imagine any relationship with running that isn't restriction and body size-based.

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Jun 23, 2022Liked by Corinne Fay, Virginia Sole-Smith

This was so fun. Thank you! I’m interested in the Liftoff program. I’m 59 and keeping muscle is important to me, but I also don’t want it to hurt 😛 It was very eye-opening to see how “you’re so skinny, I hate you” is actually anti-fat. It embedded deep, man!

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Soo deep! (Report back if you try Liftoff! I think I'm going to after I finish the book.)

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Jun 23, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith

The podcast Decoder Ring has a great episode about the invention of hydration as we know it. Highly recommend it!

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ooh I think I have that episode downloaded but haven't listened yet!

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Jun 23, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith

This was great and I instantly subscribed to Ghost of a Podcast. Also am really into that green dress you're wearing. Where did you get that??

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It's Target but sold out, alas! There are some similar styles in their A New Day line though.

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Jun 30, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith

I’m so interested that you recommended Everything Is Fine. I had to stop listening bc of the negativity and a lot of ageist references—it made me sad (and honestly, irritated) to hear Kim France talk about what she “can” wear at her age. I loved the insider chitchat about her magazine days but too often found myself feeling lousy after listening.

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You know, I’m a newer listener and after we recorded this, I heard an episode that had a lot more of this and I was bummed out. But I really like their chemistry and I’m also really trying to understand ageism right now — which includes listening to how women talk about their own aging in ageist ways. So I’m trying to listen to those parts with more of a journalistic ear, and then appreciate the other great stuff they do (and awesome episode about the end of Roe, lots of pro-trans-rights, etc). But I’m glad you flagged this bc I was wishing I’d known to put a disclaimer in for our community!

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Jun 30, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith

I'll have to check out the post-Roe episode. I suspect dipping in occasionally is prob the right way for me to go with this podcast. ;)

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Yes! Smart.

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Jun 24, 2022·edited Jun 24, 2022Liked by Virginia Sole-Smith

I was also the same with exercise! I was bad at gym in high school, therefore I just assumed I would never enjoy exercise. Turns out there's a lot more to try than running laps around the oval and being awkward during team sports.

Like the listener who wrote in, I'm struggling a bit right now with where nutrition meets diet culture. It's hard to know how much of nutrition advice is diet culture (all of it?) and how much is evidence-based, and realistic for modern life.

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Gym class does so much to ruin exercise for so many of us!

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Somehow, I’ve totally missed out on Maintenance Phase podcast! I just listened to a random episode and was IMMEDIATELY charmed and also laughed so harm my family thought I’d lost my mind. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Oh goodness, I am VERY excited to read your houseplant Substack.

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