You have given me beautiful insights and gentle acceptance.
A "hack that felt like a fight," my entire life could be summed up in that phrase. I've been trying to build my own army, one woman at a time who could "ignore" diet culture along with me by refusing to be controlled. Knowing now that I retreat as an Investigator type and heal as a Helper type really shows me the cycles of harm and healing that I have been on throughout my life. I really think the step to "activate my own protection detail" will be a life changer, and that absolutely will be my focus in the coming months as I rewatch this series. You have given me beautiful insights and gentle acceptance.
Such important words for me.
‘I am here, that is enough.’ Such important words for me. Sophia is so astute about how we come to see ourselves, what underlies it, and how this all gets interwoven with diet culture. I found her to be spot on in describing so much of how I (as a number 2- Helper) react, but so full of kindness and compassion, with a strategy for the path forward.
It was speaking directly to parts of me I've struggled to put into words
The Individualist episode felt like it was speaking directly to parts of me I've struggled to put into words. I remember being a kid in the locker room at school looking at the other kids and feeling sick to my stomach and like I could never have a normal life because of my body. When the episode talked about using envy as a compass for my longing, I realized that it was confidence, relationships, and joy that I was really envious of all those years ago in the locker room. This reframe will help me let go of the shame I feel around envy, and instead have it guide me toward what I'm really wanting. That shift alone felt worth the entire listen.
Every time we talked, another weight was lifted off my shoulders
I sought Sophia out as a coach because in the past couple of years some habitual toxic patterns of thinking have crept in, and I thought it would be helpful to talk through them with a coach. I really liked that Sophia is practical and actively seeks strategies rather than passively discussing the topic for hours on end. She looks for ways to launch into action and also keep me accountable for my promises. I felt like every time we talked, another weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was very liberating and freeing.
Now, after receiving coaching, I have daily activities to complete that keep me mindful, truthful to myself, and living in the moment. I have identified the saboteurs and have strategies to deal with the nasty little things!
All fat people deserve a space like the Silent Book Club
Aside from family, I've never been in an all-fat space. It is a relief to be with fellow fat people and just not think about it. We can just be people, without judgement. We get to be creative and complete. I feel fulfilled and safe, and I look forward to SBC every month now.
Recently, we had a gathering where everyone shared the creative things they'd been working on. It was great to experience such beauty and positivity. If a fat friend was thinking about joining, I'd tell them that all fat people deserve a space like the Silent Book Club.
A supportive catalyst for self-knowledge and personal growth
Sophia brings a great deal of intelligence, compassion and warmth to her work as a body liberation coach. She has a hard-won personal sense of confidence stemming from her own evolution and experiences, and this has made her both a strong person and a relatable coach -- someone in the trenches, as we are, and who has developed a remarkable knowledge base of coaching techniques and processes to walk us through.
Her particular strength is listening actively, connecting the dots, challenging and reframing as needed, and providing a supportive catalyst for self-knowledge and personal growth.
And her understanding of the neuroscience basis for human behavior has given me a transformative lens through which I am learning to better understand myself, my history and my patterns -- as well as the techniques that are enabling me to change what needs to be changed. I'm so glad I found my way to her.
The confidence I feel about myself and my body is real for the first time
Sophia coaches through a beautiful blend of neuroscience, positive affirmation & visualization, leadership and a deep belief and ability to help you see yourself as she sees you. Her commitment to helping others discover their confident selves and ‘grab life by the love handles’ has been the most profound gift I have ever received. I have given this gift to myself with Sophia’s coaching. The confidence I feel about myself and my body is real for the first time in my adult life. My body positivity journey is still on-going, perhaps it always will be – and that’s ok!
Sophia has provided me the coaching and tools to work towards becoming my authentic self. I have experienced the energy and confidence that I create with ‘predictable magic’ and I know that I am becoming my powerful Goddess self!
I love myself more than I ever have!
I have been working with Sophia Apostol this year at a time when my unhappiness about my body has been overshadowing all the goodness I feel about my life. My unwavering ability to project a confident, successful woman was breaking under the pressure of my shame and lack of love I was holding for myself. I have not lost weight, shrunk to average height or become invisible this year. Not even close and I love myself more than I ever have!
What I am working on through Sophia’s coaching is becoming someone proud of who they are and what this body can do. No longer believing all of the love, success and strong relationships in my life are despite my size – rather because of who I am and what I give to others.
Best laugh of all time
Love everything about this podcast: Sophia’s guests, her politics, the poems she chooses, and most especially, her voice and laugh are the best!
Love hanging with the 2%er club
this podcast is pure warmth and kindness. I really appreciate how the conversations flow so easily and the topics are shared in a down to earth way (as opposed to academic).
Interesting guests and topics
This is a lovely, enlightening, mind-broadening podcast about fat joy and liberation. Real, deep topics with a light touch. Highly recommend to fat people wanting community and straight-sized people wanting to be allies.
Thank you!
One of the voices that feeds actual logic to our diet-cultute-corrupted brains. thank you, sophia for your poems, ease, and resistance, and for always bringing it back to joy.
This podcast is fabulous!
For every version of me that tried to be thin, for every diet and fad and cleanse I did to try and claim my inner thinness, this podcast helps throw that in the garbage and claim the amazing version of me that just wants to take up space.
So happy to find this podcast
If you like Maintenance Phase you will love this podcast. It is so relaxing to listen to other fat people's stories and see how many of the same threads are woven between all of us. Sophia has so many great guests, some I've heard of and others I've been so happy to have found! Keep up the great work!
Excellent show!
A joy to listen to, and I've learned so much from the engaging discussions!
The F Word
This podcast just really resonates with me. Understanding and reclaiming the word 'fat' has been huge for me, and I love hearing the openness and transparency of the interviewer and all the interviewees alongside their experiences, both positive and negative. Thank you for creating a space for the continuing conversation around this topic. Representation really is key. Highly recommend!!
Joy Joy Joy!
Every episode so far has been so thoughtful, so resonant and so joyful! The episode with Luna was especially radical for me. Thank you!
I feel seen!
I just finished listening to this excellent podcast and have a real feeling of connection and a sense of having found "my people" here. Living in a fat body brings plenty of challenges with it. Thank you Sophia for acknowledging all of this AND for exploring the joy of taking up space!