Love Your Bodd

The next couple of episodes are incredibly special! I have Caitie, James, Erin, & Katie of the inclusive fitness non-profit F.I.T.4All. I had to break this interview into TWO PARTS because that's how much AWESOME-NESS these four incredible individuals brought to the table! IN F.I.T.4All PART I you will learn all about the F.I.T.4All mission and how it has evolved. This non-profit organization is dedicated to making fitness more inclusive, sustainable, and FUN for everyone! The goal is to give you the tools you need to live your "fit-est" life by your own definition. They focus on a holistic wellness approach with a 3 step process - Fuel, Integrate, & Thrive! That's what the F.I.T. in F.I.T.4All stands for! Tune in next week for Part 2 where we dive a little deeper into everything discussed in Part 1 plus some deep discussion on the term "body image."   FIND F.I.T4ALL :  fit4all.org Instagram: @f.i.t.4all FB: FIT 4 ALL    THE PANEL ON INSTAGRAM: Caitie: @caitie.did James: @jamesissmiling Erin: @eristaf

"I've gotta get old, I don't have to get old AND fat!"   "It's okay if your body image isn't what the world thinks it should look like."  - Nana  God, I love my Nana. She's sharp, beautiful, and has such a quick tongue you won't BELIEVE some of the things she has to say in this interview. There's a point where I have to pause because I am laughing so hard. Actually, that happens a few times.  I went into this interview with the goal on gaining the perspective on how things have changed in the last 80 years. My Nana's truth is that they really haven't - especially when it comes to body image. She recalls being younger and feeling short and fat. She recalls feeling neglected by her mother. She recalls not fully feeling beautiful until she met my grandfather, getting her self-worth from a man who didn't exactly give her what she was looking for. But she got through it all. The trials, the tribulations, and she came out the other side feeling blessed and grateful for the life she has today.  It ended up being a m

Do you struggle with finding things to be thankful for? This time of year can be hard for many and with the pressure of Thanksgiving and announcing things you are "thankful for" in front of friends and family can be overwhelming.  It is so important to practice gratitude more than once a year. Why do we save all of our "thanks" for a Holiday that - if we are going to get political - probably shouldn't even exist? It's nice that it brings family together. It's nice that it forces us to think of the things we are thankful for. But in all seriousness, we should be doing this every single day.  In this episode, Heather guides you through how to find gratitude in every day of your life. You'll hear from previous Love Your Bodd guests on: 1) how they practice gratitude daily 2) how practicing gratitude has changed their life 3) experiences they've had that seemed negative at first but that they are now thankful for and 4) ways they are grateful for their bodies and what they are capable of!  Guided Meditation Apps:

Cosplay shouldn't have to be about your gender, your race, or your size. It's important to be respectful when it comes to the culture of the characters you are cosplaying. In this interview, Cosplayer Patrick Diamond speaks on how he chooses his cosplays, and how his physicality (race, size, ability) either does or does not play a role in those decisions.    "I haven't done Daredevil yet. I haven't done anything related to Spider Man ... It's just the characters themselves. They are so acrabatic in their poses and whatnot, I wanna be able to do that while I'm [cosplaying them]. When I pose, I like to evoke the character for a picture."  As a writer, he talks bridging the gap between "representation" of underrepresented characters while also maintaining a sense of realism. Not making characters a certain ethnicity, gender, or size for the sake of it but having a character-driven-rooted reason as to WHY. Which is so important.  It's lighthearted and profound and you'll enjoy it! Listen today!!    FIND PATRICK D

IT'S THE SPECIAL NEW YORK COMIC CON EPISODE OF LOVE YOUR BODD!    Heather walked around Comic Con and found people of all sizes, genders, sexualities, and walks of life to interview for this episode. She also recorded some questions at NYCC Panels that she thought listeners may enjoy or need to hear.  You'll hear from people about their comfort in cosplay, what it means to them, and how it shapes them as a person. Check out Love Your Bodd's Instagram account (@love_your_bodd) to put faces with some of the interviews.  Sexy Cosplay Panel. 30 min mark. Answers to Heather’s question: “I was wondering if you have any comment on putting the costume on and how that makes you feel but also, specifically, about body positivity - is there more room for body positivity in this realm than anywhere else right now?”   “I don’t mean to say that I hate myself but when I look at myself in the mirror when I’m not in costume, I don’t want to look at myself. But when I’m in a costume I’m like DAMN GIRL YOU FINE!” - Microkitty  

IT IS HEATHER'S FAVORITE HOLIDAY! HAPPY HALLOWEEN, LOVERS!    Muahahaha! Today's episode explores the reasons why Heather loves Halloween so much - her Halloween origin story so to speak - and then dives a little deeper into why she enjoys dressing up so much.  Segway into her fitness journey and how she discovered She Hulk and PiYo at the same time and how dressing up ---- or her discovery of "cosplay" ---  has become more about empowerment than about putting walls up and hiding who you are.  Here's the thing, you are enough as you are. It shouldn't take a costume or a mask to make you feel like you are worth something. But if putting that costume on gives you confidence you never had before, by all means, DO IT! Because little by little that confidence will stay with you. You are a rockstar.    Love Your Bodd Stuffz   Website: www.heather-boddy.com/loveyourbodd   Email LYB: loveyourboddcast@gmail.com   Tweet: @LoveYourBodd   Instagram: @love_your_bodd   Facebook: Love Your Bodd   Find Heather @HeatherBoddy

“You should always say, ‘I’m worth more.’” - Ethan P.   This is a piece of advice from Ethan that I think we should all take to heart.  He's a coach. He's an actor. He's a director. When Ethan says "Know Your Value," he isn't kidding. He preaches this to his clients, his friends, and most importantly: himself. Learning this at a young age sparked a confidence in Ethan that he carries out every day. Because of this confidence, combined with his natural curiosity, Ethan developed a business mindset that helped him launch his acting career and keep it fueled for over 14 years. This also lead to a successful coaching and directing career.  However, because Ethan is a human, he's not *always* confident. There have been times in his life and career where he hasn't felt 'in control' of his body.  “It really is that little difference - a pound or two here and there can make my pants feel different and that makes me not want to go into an audition room. At all. Or it makes me not want to stand up in front of a room fu

“If you’re aware of your body and you’re aware of how it functions - which I have illustrated I at least try and attempt to do that every day - if you are focusing on how you feel and not how you look, I think that one of those will be your ‘head’ and the rest will follow.” - Frank Hartley    This week's guest Frank was also a panelist on the Out of the Box Theatrics discussion! He is a jack of all trades and has a lot on his plate so we talk a lot about how he keeps himself SANE while still maintaining his health, jobs, and whatever else life throws at him.  This is an episode about mental health, being self-aware, and knowing your baseline for whatever it is you are going through or trying to start. We cover so much from grief and loss to meditation and planning. We don't even get to Out of the Box until the very end!   Find Out Of The Box Theatrics Twitter: @OOTBTheatrics Instagram: @ootbtheatrics Facebook: Out of the Box Theatrics Check out www.ootbtheatrics.com to see what's coming up & sign up for t

This week's guest, Liz Flemming, is not afraid to let go of something if it is no longer serving her. Not to say that letting go is easy. She was severely bullied in school as a young girl so she left and was homeschooled. She became an actress and theater became a huge release for how she was treated as a child. Acting served her for a while but once she lost her joy there, she re-evaluated herself and wasn't afraid to take a big leap of faith in herself by starting her own theatre company. A company that focuses on inclusiveness, diversity, and making theatre more handicap accessible.  Her journey is one of resilience filled with ups and downs. Being bullied caused her to emotionally turn to food. Then she became a diet-er and used her need for control to become underweight. She hit rock bottom and decided to focus on health above all else. One thing we talk about a lot is how women are always complimented on looking "thin." What is so great about being thin? Why are women automatically congratulated for "t

"I've seen people who have these insane gifts but for one reason or another choose not to cultivate them ... and even though it's not my dream, it's really disheartening to see. It's like, 'oh you could have made the most out of this and you've chosen not to.'" - Carrie Greenberg.    Today's guest, Carrie, is here to tell you that YOU DO have potential. It's there deep inside, even if you can't see it. She's been there - going through the motions, complying with everyone around her just because she wanted to be liked, she didn't want people to have a reason to be mean to her. She struggled with confidence and believing that she had something valuable to offer. Over time, her mental and physical health journey has lead her to a whole new place. She's found that confidence and wants nothing more than others to see that THEY are worth it, too!    Carrie is small but mighty. She was sent to a nutritionist at the age of 10. She was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure in her early twenties. Her health has been fille

“What’s cool about this [non-traditional casting] process and what has been so eye opening is that it’s never who you’d expect and it has everything to do with talent and your unique possibilities and that’s really all it comes down to.” - Liz Flemming, Founder and Artistic Director of Out of the Box Theatrics   Love Your Bodd welcomes Liz Flemming, Ethan Paulini, Frank Hartley, and Carrie Greenberg: four members of Out of the Box Theatrics theatre company. Out of the Box Theatrics is committed to hiring a diverse company of actors with no regard of race, gender, creed, ethnicity, etc. The mission of OOTB is to build unique theatrical experiences for audiences by a season of plays, all built around a venue that isn't typically home to theatre magic. So unique casting and unique venues to create an extraordinarily rare theatrical experience. This interview focuses on how OOTB came to be, how the members involved follow the mission in their everyday lives, and how OOTB is breaking barriers in the world of tradi

“You’ll be surprised at how much your body can overcome… Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually - you got this!” - Moe F.  This week's guest was visiting NYC from Qatar! He and Heather met in college and formed what we can definitely call a lifelong bond. As one of the smartest people she knows, Heather was astonished to find that Moe was bullied for being "stupid" when he was growing up. In some ways it pushed Moe to be the eloquent creative he is today but it also caused him depression, weight gain, and a loss of identity.  If Moe didn’t come to the US he may have never addressed his depression. He was able to fully express himself in America in a way he felt would have him "shamed" at home. Now he is slowly working on bridging the gap between his two “identities” but there are still parts of himself that he chooses to keep private - which is obviously understandable. The first half of the interview is definitely more functional: his education, why he came to the states, why he chose Ohio, etc. The

This week's guest thought she "didn't have a story." When Heather approached her about speaking on Love Your Bodd Ashley said, "I'd love to but I don't really have anything special to share." Boy. Was. She. Wrong. This chick is INCREDIBLE. It's funny because you never know who you can inspire. She has a wonderfully unique story about being a "gangly green been" and blossoming into a beautiful dancer, about how dancing literally saved her back, and about how she has realized she let go of who she used to be and now wants those parts of herself back.  If none of that makes sense, listen and you will understand.    Find Ashley W  Instagram: @ashleywarebear Twitter: @ashleywarebear   Find Shaun T  Instagram: @shauntfitness Twitter/Snapchat: @shauntfitness   Love Your Bodd Stuffz Email LYB: loveyourboddcast@gmail.com Tweet: @LoveYourBodd Instagram: @love_your_bodd Facebook: Love Your Bodd Find Heather @HeatherBoddy on Snapchat, Twitter & Instagram     Wanna become a Pop Pilates Instructor? Follow this link t

I am amazed by the Positivity in this weeks guest.  Could you imagine being 13, going into an audition for a BIG MOVIE, and when you look at the sides for the audition it says "Obese Child" ??? Lys started acting when she was 5 and she goes to explain how being a child actor affected her self esteem. She wasn't made fun of in school, she always surrounded herself with positive people, but the industry didn't lend a helping hand when it came to her positive attitude.  Fast forward to 20 years later, she's living in NYC, auditioning like crazy, and playing the negative comparison game. It just wasn't worth it and it was time for a career change. Of course, she's never going to give up on acting and she still exercises her creative muscles as a teacher in the classroom (yes, she even dresses up like a minion sometimes) and as a director (most recently she got engaged on the closing night of her production of Annie! Congratulations, Lys!).  In this episode Lys explains to us how becoming a teacher has changed the

It's Love Your Bodd's 6 Month Anniversary!! Happy baby birthday LYB! To honor some of the guests we've had on, here is a compilation of Inspiring Quotes said by previous Love Your Bodd guests. The quotes are compiled in order of episode release so if you like what you hear, check out the order of the quotes below!!      01. Jessica J - Choose Not To Suffer 02. Daniel L - An Otter And His Boxes 03. Kati F - Frustrations with Weight, Health, And Dads 04. Rachel L - A Dancer's Life 100lbs Down! 05. Brian C - Metaphorically Juggle, Literally Get Naked 06. Ebony S - You Can't Please Everyone 08. Raja B- Be More Than a Collection of Status Indicators 09. Rodney E- Embrace the Sh*t 12. Rebekah - Don't Sweat The Things You Can't Change 13. Jose L. - Don't Believe the Bullies 18. Linda M - Talk To Yourself 19. Megan Y - Protect Your Mind 20. Laura JM - You Are Stronger Than You Know 22. Sabrina C - Fit Girl With A Tummy 24. Grace Cz - Exercise Your Friendship Muscle 25. Brian J- Stop Trying to be Perfect 26. Alex L -

"It is not death that a man should fear but he should fear never beginning to live" - Marcus Aurelius      This week's Love Your Bodd guest experienced most of her life not TRULY living. She did everything right. She was going through her checklist of life and she went to college, she got herself the perfect job, next on the list was to find a husband… luckily she was also able to do that! However, she's had to learn to let go of the next step in the progression of life....  1 in every 8 women have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. That's 12% of women. That's a lot of women. (Resources Below) Katie reached out to me about her infertility and pregnancy loss because she wants other women to know that they are not alone. She has a story to tell and she's got some great advice for other women who may be struggling as well.    Her story is unique though because unfortunately as a child, Katie was bullied about her weight which became a massive factor in her every day life. A life-long struggle. W

"Freakin' push yourself, work hard, and dream big 'cause your potential is limitless and anything is possible," - Rachel Ngom, this week's brilliant Love Your Bodd guest.      This week, Heather remotely interviewed a former collegiate athlete who has been through many ups and downs with her body. She's tall, which has its own pros and cons. It came in handy when she played volleyball - her team won the junior olympics her senior year of high school! - but her height always left her insecure. She's had rib injuries, adrenal fatigue, and lost muscle mass but Rachel has never given up. Over time, she came to realize that fitness and her health is a journey. As long as she is consistent and persistent, she can do anything! She preaches balance and has given up on the "all or nothing" mentality because it really doesn't help in the end.    Rachel wrote a cookbook! Check out Keto(ish) here! https://www.fitwithrachel.com/ketoish-simple-guide-flexible-fat-fueled-living     Find Rachel: Website: https://www.fitwith

Have you ever struggled with identity? Who you are at your core? It's a common process we go through growing up - figuring out who you are. Sometimes it's circumstance, culture, or something beyond our control that shapes us. Sometimes we try very hard to shape ourselves. Like Shelby says in this episode, "it's a constant journey"... only she playfully likes to put her journey on her head - with hair color!  In this week's interview, Heather chats with a long time friend - who is now a cosmetologist - about her identity. Shelby and Heather get into some pretty touchy subjects: depression, anxiety, police brutality, and loneliness just to name a few. In this episode, Shelby opens up about how being in the arts was always a safe space for her. One of the major ways she grew confidence was through her singing and her skill development in coloring hair.    Find out more about the Jared Lorenzen Project here: http://kentucky.247sports.com/Bolt/Jared-Lorenzen-Project-will-document-QBs-weight-loss-journey-105675110

Our past can have a large impact on our future. Things that happened when we were young can have a huge effect on how we behave in our adult lives. What you've been through does not define you. It shouldn't hold you back. It's sad and hard but things happen to us that are out of our control. What we can control is how we react to it and let it mold us. Alex's advice? GET THE HECK OVER IT!!! And she's NOT talking "put on your big girl pants and get over it" - she's talking "address the issue head on and don't let it fester." Hence the title of the episode.  The more we sweep our problems under the rug, the more it will take to get over once it comes to the surface. And it WILL come to the surface. Pretending you don't have problems doesn't make them go away.  In this episode, Alex and Heather talk very intimately about a lot of touchy subjects: what it's like growing up with messed up parents, what it's like to have an eating disorder, what it's like to be a survivor of sexual assault, how to deal with, get ov

Wanna have a giggle fest this week while getting deep in some topics about perfectionism, comparing yourself to others, weight-loss, and sexuality? That's exactly what Heather and Brian do in this week's episode of Love Your Bodd.  Brian is a fighter. He masks his imperfections by finding something to excel at. He's also really good at the comparison game and has recently come to some revelations about how to overcome these feelings. He gives some great advice on finding self worth and being THE BEST YOU. Which is his life mission for himself as well as in his acting and coaching businesses. He is constantly looking for ways to grow and become the best version of himself. His passion is helping others do the same which is why he was a perfect candidate to interview.  "Wherever you are, don't give up" - Brian James.  He brings up a lot in this episode on self-help so here are some links to his mentions.  A book that really helped Brian discover that he CAN and SHOULD fail is Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell