PODCAST · health
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 conversations with curiosity.
Episodes
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Our Own Version of Hot Girl Summer--17 Minute Voice Notes, Decoding Response Styles, Black Cats & Golden Retrievers with Christina Montalvo
Christina Montalvo is back with the most random and fun crossover we've done in awhile! Grab a coffee, pull up a seat, and let's talk about the silly and deep things that have been the subject of our 17 minute voice notes all summer long! On this episode we talk about: A recap of our summer! I…
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Multiple Things Can Be True At Once--the Most Unique Takes On Ozempic I've Ever Heard with Paige F.
Today's episode is taking the whole Ozempic conversation to another level! I am back today, talking to Paige F., who I was lucky enough to meet in person a few months ago at a local organizing event. We started talking about what we do for a living and what we're passionate about, and I quickly...
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Celebrating 20 Years of Living In Chicago with Life Lessons & Lore
Today I'm celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the day I moved to Chicago solo, as a newly single, 22 year old aspiring dancer with a lot of audacity. I was casually talking about this on Instagram the other day and many of you said you were interested in hearing the lore. So here we go! On…
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What We Get Wrong About Body Positivity: Debating Jillian Michaels with Paula D. Atkinson
Remember that time when a bunch of body positivity activists debated Jillian Michaels on Surrounded? Today we are talking to one who lived to tell the tale. Paula D. Atkinson is a queer, woo-woo desert witch and a liberation-focused psychotherapist. She has been working for almost two decades…
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The Grass Isn't Always Greener & Also I Need To Touch It--Life Updates, Career Pivots, Lazy Rivers, & Fire Horses
Today I am sharing some much needed life & career updates! On this episode we talk about: The journey I've been on as an online business owner for the past (10!) years. What I thought I wanted vs. what I got--and how it actually felt to accomplish many of my goals. How the online fitness business...
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Everything Hurts & I'm Dying: Why Your Body Feels So High Maintenance with Dr. Jen Hosler
Dr. Jen Hosler is back today, because after regularly recording me mini podcast episodes in Voxer when we were working together, I knew there was even more good stuff she needed to share with you all. She has graciously listened to me whine for months about why my body needs special exercises,...
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What To Do When You're Bored With Your Workouts
Today I'm back with short solo episode about how incredibly bored I am with my workouts lately. You too? Let's talk about it. On this episode we talk about: How strength training is sometimes just boring and repetitive. Asking why you "don't wanna" and working around the arbitrary rules keeping…
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Matching Manicures, Mutual Aid, and Moving Your Body Through the Madness with Ashantis Jones
Fan favorite guest Ashantis Jones is back today with the most random episode ever! Give it a listen if you wanna feel like you're out for coffee with your besties laughing your ass off so you don't cry. Ashantis Jones (she/they) is a weight-inclusive Licensed Therapist, Mental Health Coach, NASM...
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An Unhinged Pep Talk About Skinny Influencers, "Toned" Arms, and Why I'm Not Buying Into Any It
Today I'm back with an unhinged pep talk/rant about the onslaught of skinny everywhere. Listen up if you're feeling this too. On this episode we talk about: How we are being gaslit into believing that Demi Moore's arms are "toned" and Hillary Duff is the new face of "body positivity". How "strong...
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Loving Your Kids Through the Patriarchal Bullsh!t of Motherhood with Christina Montalvo
My good friend Christina Montalvo is back and today we're talking all about the absolute fuckery of motherhood. On this episode we talk about: My floral wallpaper (again) and our obsession with color. How we love our children but often hate the role of "mom". How you can be with a "good man" and...
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Did She "Let Herself Go?" Or Did She Let Herself HEAL?? Coming Back To Dance As A Grown Woman Who Eats Carbs and Lifts Weights
Today I'm back and I'm talking about something that doesn't usually get a lot of air time on my podcast: dance! I hope you'll stick around even if you think it doesn't apply to you (it's all just different flavors of the same shit sandwich, really). On this episode we talk about: Why I'm excited…
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Our Rights Are Shrinking and So Are Our Bodies--The Rhyming Scripts of Diet Culture and Purity Culture with Anna Rollins
My favorite podcast episodes are the ones where I read a really great book and then get to pick the brain of the person who wrote it. Today I am talking to Anna Rollins--the author of Famished: On Food, Sex, and Growing Up as a Good Girl (out December 9, 2025 from Eerdmans). Her groundbreaking...
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Touching Grass, Borrowing Lemons, Theatre Jazz, Floral Wallpaper, & Witchy Things (Because I Have Nothing To Say About Fitness or the News)
It's been a few weeks and now I'm back. I've truly felt like I have nothing to say about fitness or the other usual topics due to the continued ridiculous news. I've also felt like I have nothing to add to the conversation about said ridiculous news because every time I form a coherent thought...
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What Is No Kings? Building Strength in Community & Peaceful Resistance with Ishaan Srivastava *Bonus Replay!*
This episode is a replay--in light of upcoming No Kings Rallies on Saturday 3/28, I wanted to bring back a conversation I had with my friend and fellow Indivisible member Ishaan Srivastava. While the dates and details I mention in the intro and outro are correct and current, the ones within the...
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We Have To Save Ourselves (But We Don't Have To Do It Alone!) with Chelsea Laliberté Barnes
Today's episode is brought to you by antifa wine moms. LOL. But seriously, today's guest and I met this year thanks to Instragram, but quickly realized that we were both doing a lot of similar work in our local community. When I heard about the work she's done to advocate for better policy around...
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"No Excuses" is Lazy Coaching (Here's Why I Want To Hear Yours!)
Today's episode almost didn't happen. Then I remembered that much like a workout, a 15 minute podcast episode still counts and is better than nothing. And also sometimes I have good ideas that don't get shared often enough. So here we are! On this episode we talk about: How I almost didn't record...
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Laughing So We Don't Cry: Beauty Standards, Millennial Youth, and the Aftermath of the Epstein Files with Dr. Melissa Cioffi
Dr. Mel is back and this time we're not talking about our usual fitness and physical therapy stuff. We're talking shit about the Epstein files. Or more specifically, how we're coming to terms with the fact that the beauty standards pushed on us as teenagers were created by literal pedophiles. Dr....
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Does Wanting to Lose Weight Make You Fatphobic?
Today's episode is inspired by a post I saw on Instagram last weekend where someone was asking if having a weight loss goal made them fatphobic. The comments section was interesting because a lot of people seemed very confused about what that word even means. I was tempted to write a…
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Why Your New Years Goals Didn't Stick (+ What We Need For Actual Progress)
It's the second week in February and I know why your New Year's goals (or resolutions or intentions or whatever) didn't stick. It's the same reason they usually don't, and if you're more of a "New Year Same Me" kind of person, maybe you've known this all along. On this episode we talk about: The...
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She Quit Social Media For a Year! Real Life Off the Internet with Liz Brinkmoeller
Today my good friend and former podcast guest Liz Brinkmoeller is back from her year off the internet! Or rather her year off Instagram and most other forms of social media. This is something that I and many other people I know have contemplated in the past few years, so I'm excited for her to...
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Running My Mouth While I Still Can (We're Back For Season 4!)
We are officially BACK for season 4 and I am feeling ever emboldened to keep running my mouth while I still can. On this episode we talk about: My origin story and how we got here. How some people still don't know what diet culture is but need to. Bringing things full circle for the new people…
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Fundamentalism in Fitness and Escaping the Christian Patriarchy with Tia Levings (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
I am so thrilled to be able to share this conversation with Tia Levings with you today because if you don't know her and her work, you need to! Tia Levings is the New York Times Bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the…
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Are We Ever Fully Recovered? Embracing the In-Between In Eating Disorder Recovery with Mallary Tenore Tarpley (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
This week we are diving deep into the world of eating disorders and recovery, and much like all of the work I do here, Mallary Tenore Tarpley is here to help us embrace the gray area between being sick and fully recovered. She's here to normalize living in the in between place when you're trying…
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How To Reject Diet Culture, Fight Fascists, and NOT Repeat the Worst Parts of History with Jen Borruso (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
I can't seem to let go of the need to talk about the current social and political climate, the rise of fascism and authoritarianism, and how it relates to fitness, wellness, diet culture, and everything I do here. I wanted to approach this topic from a historical lens, so I knew that Jen Borruso...
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Exercise Swaps for when you Hate Lunges (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Lunges. Probably one of the most hated exercises, second only to burpees. I have solutions for you! On this episode we talk about: Common reasons people hate lunges. Solutions, workarounds, and swaps based on each. Why there is no one right way to lunge. The importance of understanding why you…
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23 Habits and Qualities of My Most Successful Clients (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
This episode is a bit of a crossover episode--a sneak peek at something I shared with my clients on my private podcast (yes I have one of those for my clients!) the other day. Today I'm letting you in on the habits and qualities of my most successful clients. On this episode we talk about…
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The Ozempic/Wegovy Conversation Continued: Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Chasing a Weight Loss Goal (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Today's podcast is brought to you by listeners like you! Or at least the conversations I've had with you in response to last weeks episode with Vinny Welsby. Apparently weight loss drugs are a popular topic and you all have a lot of your own thoughts and opinions about them. After dedicating a...
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ozempic/Wegovy but Were Afraid to Ask with Vinny Welsby (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Vinny Welsby is here today, and I could not think of anyone better to talk to about weight loss drugs with. They have done a really deep dive into research and know these GLP-1 meds inside and out. We all deserve to go into big medical decisions armed with all the information and we're so glad to...
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When You Can't Avoid the Stress: How To Stress Better with Erin Lingle (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Erin Lingle is here this week to teach us how to manage our stress better. I don't know about you, but I always laugh at the suggestion of lowering my stress levels. Ummm hello! I am the mom of a 4 year old. I live in America! What I appreciate most about Erin is her incredible sense of humor and...
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What Would Actually Make America Healthy Again: the Connections Between Healthism and Fascism with Ashantis Jones (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Ashantis Jones is back this week and we're talking all about the relationship between healthism and the rise of fascism. I know, fun right? But as we often discover, it's all different flavors of the same shit sandwich. And if we really wanna be healthy, we need to talk about the hard stuff too!...
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The Truth About Toned Arms (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
I finally decided to stop rolling my eyes and record an episode about what it takes to get toned arms. Because while I had hoped we were all past this, the amount of questions I've gotten about this over the years, plus the amount of garbage information still being fed to you on the internet made...
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The Real Reasons Intuitive Eating Isn't Working For You with Toni Rudd (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
This episode with Toni Rudd blew my mind and filled in all sorts gaps in my understanding of intuitive eating, and I can't wait to share it with you! Turns out that lack of willpower and food restriction might not be the only reasons you can't seem to stop overeating, and Toni is here to shine a...
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Fitness Tracking: How To Enhance Your Workouts Without Obsessing with my clients Miranda & Steph (Best of Season 3 Replays!)
This week I have not one but TWO of my clients on the podcast! Miranda and Steph are here to talk about all things fitness trackers. Specifically how we've been using our Apple watches to enhance our experience of our workouts, daily movement, working towards performance goals, recovery, and…
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What Is No Kings? Building Strength in Community & Peaceful Resistance with Ishaan Srivastava
I am back from my podcasting hiatus because things in Chicago and across the country are getting pretty bad pretty fast and I wanna run my mouth while I'm still allowed. We are here because when I found myself feeling hopeless a few weeks ago, I got involved with my local Indivisible chapter and…
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How To Keep Moving Even When Life Kicks You In the Ass (Fitness As a Hierarchy Of Needs) (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Another shorty episode coming at you today. I'm sharing a topic that comes up a lot for my clients and a concept that I came up with called the "fitness hierarchy of needs". Many of us obsess over small details that don't really matter when it comes to our fitness. On this episode we talk about...
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Training To Be the Strongest Old Lady On the Block with Ali Kreider (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Forget training for your bikini body. Ali Kreider is here today to talk about training for our old lady bodies and I couldn't be more excited to share this episode! Ali Kreider is a certified personal trainer & group fitness coach, empowering women to develop a self-compassionate approach to...
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Diet Trauma, Food Noise, Curious Nutrition, and Finding Your Food Voice with Julie Duffy Dillon (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Julie Duffy Dillon is here today for an episode that feels very full circle to me. I originally heard her on several other anti-diet podcasts when I was very new to this work, and I am so excited to be able to share her on mine. Her new book, "Find Your Food Voice" just came out, and it's filling...
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How To Protect Your Mental Health AND Resist a Hostile Government Takeover with Emily Decker (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Emily Decker is here to talk about something that I know has been on a LOT of our minds lately: How do we stay informed and get involved in activism in a way that makes a difference without burning ourselves out? Today we are talking about that and so much more! Emily Decker is a somatic-based,...
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When Western Medicine Fails You but Wholistic Wellness Feels Like a Scam with Chelsea Clarke (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Chelsea Clarke is here today! Our conversation was inspired by something she posted in her Instagram stories a few weeks ago that hit a little too close to home for me. The very real struggle that happens when Western medicine isn't helping you but wholistic wellness feels like a scam. Chelsea is...
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Navigating Body Changes & Unrealistic Standards & Building Strength In Spite of It with Damali Fraiser (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
If you haven't already heard of today's guest, it's about time you did! I've been singing Damali Fraiser's praises as one of the wisest and most thorough kettlebell coaches I've had the privilege of learning from. Today she's sharing all that goodness with us! Meet Coach Damali, pronouns she/her....
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Surprising Reasons You Feel Pain & How To Fix It with Dr. Jen Hosler (Best ofSeason 3 Replay!)
Today I am thrilled to be talking to Dr. Jen Hosler--a genius of a physical therapist and strength coach whose work I am constantly referring my clients to. What she has to share about pain science is absolutely mind blowing. Dr. Jen is a physical therapist and strength coach dedicated to…
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Breaking Age & Body Barriers & Living Beyond the Binary with Maria Tate (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Today's conversation is with one of the most interesting humans I've ever met: my longtime friend Maria Tate! Our personal history goes way back to when we met working with the same Chicago dance company in 2009. I'll let their professional bio speak for itself! Maria recently returned to the US...
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The Power of Nature to Calm Your Nervous System with Kate Zanoni (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
If you're anything like me, your nervous system needs some serious help right now, because it's January 2025. (Need I say more?!) Kate Zanoni is here to help us get outside to calm the fuck down. Kate Zanoni is a movement coach for outdoor athletes, specializing in injury reduction…
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After the After: What Really Happens After Years of Anti-Dieting with Christina Montalvo (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
Christina is back with another crossover/collab episode after a long hiatus! I wanted to share a convo that I've been having a lot behind the scenes: what happens when you get bored with consuming all the anti-diet content out there? You just BE. On this episode we talk about: How hard it can be…
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Tradwives, Influencer Grifters & the Wellness to Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory Pipeline with Jo Piazza (Best of Season 3 Replay!)
This week Jo Piazza is here, and if you don't know her, you need to!! I discovered her podcast, Under the Influence last year, and was drawn in by the way she exposes social media bullshit in the same way I call out the fitness industry. She introduced me to mind blowing stories about tradwives,...
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BRB I'm Hurkle Durkling (Season 3 Finale!)
The season 3 finale is here! On this episode we talk about: A recap of season 3 of this podcast + life lessons I've learned along the way. Where my head's been at and why there's been such an uptick in political content this season. The surrealness and joy of being able to talk to cool people and...
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Fundamentalism in Fitness and Escaping the Christian Patriarchy with Tia Levings
I am so thrilled to be able to share this conversation with Tia Levings with you today because if you don't know her and her work, you need to! Tia Levings is the New York Times Bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the…
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Are We Ever Fully Recovered? Embracing the In-Between In Eating Disorder Recovery with Mallary Tenore Tarpley
This week we are diving deep into the world of eating disorders and recovery, and much like all of the work I do here, Mallary Tenore Tarpley is here to help us embrace the gray area between being sick and fully recovered. She's here to normalize living in the in between place when you're trying…
more -
How To Reject Diet Culture, Fight Fascists, and NOT Repeat the Worst Parts of History with Jen Borruso
I can't seem to let go of the need to talk about the current social and political climate, the rise of fascism and authoritarianism, and how it relates to fitness, wellness, diet culture, and everything I do here. I wanted to approach this topic from a historical lens, so I knew that Jen Borruso...
-
The Ozempic/Wegovy Conversation Continued: Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before Chasing a Weight Loss Goal
Today's podcast is brought to you by listeners like you! Or at least the conversations I've had with you in response to last weeks episode with Vinny Welsby. Apparently weight loss drugs are a popular topic and you all have a lot of your own thoughts and opinions about them. After dedicating a...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Tough Cookie Talks have?
Tough Cookie Talks currently has 196 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tough Cookie Talks about?
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 conversations with curiosity.
How often does Tough Cookie Talks release new episodes?
Tough Cookie Talks publishes regularly with 196 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Tough Cookie Talks?
You can listen to Tough Cookie Talks on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Tough Cookie Talks?
Tough Cookie Talks is created and hosted by Jenna Jozefowski.
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