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Tough Cookie Talks

Tough Cookie Talks

By: Jenna Jozefowski
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About this listen

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.Jenna Jozefowski Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • "No Excuses" is Lazy Coaching (Here's Why I Want To Hear Yours!)
    Mar 6 2026

    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 it, but then I remembered my own advice.
    • Why "no excuses" is lazy coaching, IMO.
    • Why I actually want to hear my client's excuses.
    • Turning phrases like "excuses only satisfy those who give them" into something that can be helpful for YOU.
    • The fact that some excuses are actually bullshit and how to tell if that's what yours are.
    • How shame thrives in the dark and how putting things out there in the open take a lot of pressure off.
    • The difference between a legit excuse and a barrier (that can be moved).
    • What your excuses can tell you about what you about what you actually value and what's not working for you right now.
    • So many other good things!

    ⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠

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    16 mins
  • Laughing So We Don't Cry: Beauty Standards, Millennial Youth, and the Aftermath of the Epstein Files with Dr. Melissa Cioffi
    Feb 26 2026

    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. Melissa Cioffi is a physical therapist, women’s fitness coach, and owner of New Quest Physical Therapy. As a pelvic floor PT, Melissa is passionate about helping vagina owners discover the power they hold within their bodies that they never realized existed. Using a mix of movement and no-nonsense education, she helps folks learn how to finally use their body in ways they’ve never dreamed they could, instead of being afraid of it.

    On this episode we talk about:

    • How we're feeling in the aftermath of the Epstein files.
    • Les Wexner--the man behind the brands that shaped our millennial youth.
    • The messages we received from the clothes, body splashes, and images we were sold and how that shaped our body image and self worth in our teens.
    • The ways we normalized the horrible behavior in men and tried to impress them. Even the ones with dumpster mattresses and dirty sheets.
    • Whether all of our youth obsessed beauty standards are actually rooted in pedophilia.
    • The cringe things we did and said for the male gaze when we were younger.
    • How these revelations are shaping the way we think about beauty standards now.
    • How we distinguish whether or not we're doing things like shaving our legs or painting our nails for ourselves or for the male gaze.
    • How we're reclaiming our style for our younger selves by dressing like unhinged My Little Pony and Demented Tinkerbell.
    • The ways that all of this is related to many of our pelvic floor issues.
    • The things that are bringing us joy and keeping us sane in these times.
    • So many other important and hilarious things!

    Follow Dr. Mel on TikTok

    Get Dr. Mel's Core & Pelvic Floor Jumpstart Freebie

    ⁠Work with me⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Download Resistance Training⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Does Wanting to Lose Weight Make You Fatphobic?
    Feb 19 2026

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 novel in response, but them I remembered that I have a podcast. So I decided to turn my comment into content.

    In a world where every other person you know is taking a GLP-1 and being super skinny is cool again, we need to talk about the very real pull you might be feeling to lose weight.

    On this episode we talk about:

    • What fatphobia even is (and why we shouldn't take the word literally).
    • The difference between systemic fatphobia and internalized fatphobia.
    • Why you might feel shame around having a weight loss goal even if nobody is actually shaming you.
    • Why we need to stop considering being called "fatphobic" an insult and instead look at it for what it actually is.
    • How our individual lived experiences about our weight and its correlation with our health and happiness affects our perception of weight loss.
    • Why it's so important to not conflate health, fitness, and weight/body size.
    • Better questions to ask yourself besides when part of you does want to lose weight.
    • 3 books I recommend to help you unpack all of this for yourself.
    • So many other important things!

    Work with me⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠Download Resistance Training⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow & tag me on Instagram⁠

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
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