Episode 23 Transcript
You're listening to the Fierce Fatty podcast. This is your host, Victoria Welsby and welcome to episode 23. We've got a pretty special one for you today. We are covering COVID19 and we have special guests, Louise Green, Summer Innanen, and Dawn Serra, let's do it.
You're listening to the Fierce Fatty podcast. I'm Victoria Welsby TEDx speaker, bestselling author and fat activist. I have transformed my life from hating my body with desperately low self esteem to being a courageous and confident first fatty who loves every inch of this jellied society teaches us living in a fat body is bad. But what if we spent less time, money, and energy on the pursuit of thinness and instead focused on the things that actually matter. Like if pineapple on pizza should be outlawed or if the mullet was the greatest haircut of the 20th century. So how do you stop a negative beliefs about your fat body controlling your life? It's the Fierce Fatty podcast. Let's begin.
Hello. Hello. Hello. So last episode, I told you that I was going to do a Facebook Live COVID19 special and I did that two days ago, one day ago, two days ago, two days ago. So I am going to have it put into a lovely juicy little podcast episode here for you with a workbook resource, not work like a resource with the stuff that we talk about at the end, which is stuff that makes your brain happy. Some words of wisdom for you to tell yourself to get through if you're feeling pretty weird right now, which is yeah even when I'm feeling pretty weird. It's March 26 today when I'm recording this and in Ireland, the schools are shuts a couple of weeks ago, obviously everyone's social distancing. I only leave the house if I need to go get groceries or walk Dougal, go to the beach, that type of thing. And cause I live in the middle of nowhere. It's pretty good, pretty easy to not see anyone. So, but because as well, I work from home. Normally, it's pretty much business as usual for me, but it doesn't mean as business usual in my brain. And when this COVID19 started affecting Ireland and the way that we're going about things, my brain was like, no fucking way. I am not interested in this. I don't want to hear about it. It's really damaging my mental health.
So that was a couple of weeks ago and then I was like, no, I feel it's okay and I'm going to be a leader and talk about how we can work through this. And then other days I'm like, fuck this. Ah, I can't go which is totally normal as well. I've noticed, and you probably a lot of listeners will probably be the same, is that I've noticed that I need to eat more food currently. My body is responding to a perceived scarcity which is not the actual reality because we have lots of food. The stores might not have everything like I was going to make macaroni cheese and they didn't have macaroni pasta. They only had like these weird star shaped pasta. I had to make star shape pasta with cauliflower to bulk it up and cheese and it didn't taste good anyway. So you know, there might be things that I needed we need to substitute. And you know, in some areas you might not have access to food and as well to recognize some people might not have all the funds to access the food. Depending on your work situation and if your work is paying you the full amount. And you know, it's complicated, right? So because it's complicated and this is not anything that we've experienced before in our lifetimes we're going to have a reaction.
It's absolutely 100% normal. Even if you've never had a disordered relationship with food, even if you've never had an eating disorder. Obviously if you have had either, then it's going to be potentially more heightened. And so it's really important for you to eat the food, to not deny yourself, to not fall for these fucking bullshit fat phobic memes and shit going around the internet being like, Oh my God, I'm going to put on weight while I'm doing this Corona quarantining shit. Fucking, it's bullshit. It's bullshit. And it's really problematic. So, you know, alongside dealing with being social distancing and the world stopping, you're having to worry about not putting on weight. Fuck that noise. No, don't look at those messages. Don't listen to that. If you're worried about becoming fatter becoming fat or becoming fatter, please look after your mental health and surround yourself with only fat, positive messages.
So if you see anyone sharing anything like quarantine 15, mute them, snooze them, block them. Protect your mental health. Try and avoid that stuff as much as possible. And I know sometimes, I've noticed that people who are on my friends on Facebook normally they would be reasonable and they're sharing normal thing, but now they're like, Oh my God, have you put a cucumber up your bum and then breathe in for 10 seconds. You're not going to get COVID 19. And I'm like, what? So what now, I thought you were cool but your ass is getting snoozed for 30 days until you sit in the corner and think about what you've been doing. Yeah. So as well, if possible, taking yourself off social media because there's so much noise going on and because everyone is, you know, everyone, a lot of people are not working or working from home. So they're on social media and they're scared and they're set sharing stuff which is not based in reality.
And this is all the stuff that we are talking about in this episode with some people like Louise green. And so these people are my Vancouver friends. I was like, who can I rustle together real quick? I know people who are my friends who are obliged to take stuff with me. They're not. They're just you know, they're just nice and yeah. So I'm gonna go in and cut in. And so that's the episode starts right in where they're introducing themselves and, we get into some juicy stuff. So just so you know what's coming is we talk about risk factors. So there's the shit going around the internet saying if you're fat, you're going to die from COVID19 and you're a higher risk and you should lose weight so you don't get COVID19 and you should drink silver and you won't get COVID19.
So me and some talk about that and how to counteract those messages and those lies. Next, I talk with Dawn who is an amazing sex therapist. And she talks a lot about pleasure and I talk to Dawn about how we can find moments of pleasure when we don't necessarily have access to the things that we normally do to make our brains happy. You know, going out to see your friends or going to the movies or get a massage or whatever it is. And if you're worried about finances, how is it you can, the things that you can do so you don't have to like spend money on fancy shit. And understanding how we can connect to our bodies next. With the Louise, I talk about the guilt that we have about moving our bodies and you know how everyone is suddenly like, Oh my God, am I going to become like a platties, I'm going to do yoga and I'm going to just do a marathon every day and everyone thinks that you should be working out 27 hours a day because your self isolating and also to be super productive.
And also if you have kids fucking homeschool them and also make this delicious dinner which is filled with nutrients every night. Like, fuck, Oh my God. And you're dealing with a global pandemic. So yeah, just be a perfect human being. Change your personality and your lifestyle overnight and become an athlete. And we talk about that stuff. And then I go into setting boundaries with people who are talking about this pandemic in negative ways. Of course it's a negative thing, but you know, when people are like, Oh my God, ha ha, we're going to die. And you know, your great aunt Gertrude is sending a WhatsApp message. You know, about how Oh my God, just fucking bullshit. Like, Oh, if you take an aspirin, you won't get Corona if you do this and who do that.
You know, all of these these things which are not based in truth. So how to set boundaries with those. And also I talk about the positives that we can take away the positives in regards to anti diet fat positivity. So the positives around that. And finally we talk about the things that make our brain happy. Some, some words of wisdom and all that type of stuff, which is in the download. So you don't have to quit. You write it down and be like, Oh, Louise said to watch this. And know some, I said this I've got it all in a download for you. So check out the show notes to get that download then learn absolutely free. It's good. It's good stuff in there. Dawn shared a video about Guinea Pig Olympics and she even sang Guinea Pig Olympics and olympics, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. And it's fucking stuck in my head. It was two days ago that I saw that.
So enjoy this special episode. Let me know if it was helpful and if you did find it helpful and you feel obliged or you feel obliged, do you feel you feel like, ah, yeah, that's the right word. You feel like you want to, then why not write a review and bonus points, send me a screenshot of the review before you submit it and I'll give you my book Fierce Fatty in audio and digital version for free. Oh my gosh. So much good content. All of the juicy stuff. So yeah, check it out and I will see you on the next episode of the Fierce Fatty Podcast. Good bye!
So welcome to our Fat-Positive, Anti-Diet COVID-19 Resilience Online get together hosted by me, Victoria Welsby from Fierce Fatty. And we have guests. Let us introduce everyone. So let's start with Louise seems you're at the top. So Louise, tell us who you are and how you feel and how have you been feeling with this pandemic and how are you feeling around your body and with food and all that type of juicy stuff.
Well I'm in my car right now of downtown Vancouver dealing with an emergency, but I'm Louise Green and really mostly known for the Brand Big Fit Girl and the book that I wrote, Big Fit Girl, which is making fitness accessible to all body sizes and you know, delivering content in a way that's palatable for people. And I live in Vancouver and I'm a personal trainer by trade, but really have become a body positive advocate through the work that I do, just because the fitness industry is so intertwined with messages that don't resonate with a lot of people and it's very tied to diet culture. I would say that I go through bouts of real optimism during this time, but at the same time I go through bouts of you know, I'm recently separated. It's not really that recent, but it's still raw for me. And so it's like, you know, there's not real, like I'm going to be alone. And you know, but then it's like, no, you're not because there's this kind of connective way to get together with people and I'm still working at home. I still, you know, have my son, there's, you know, there's still ways to connect. Whether when they say it's going to be months, it's like, don't, don't, don't like, I feel like this real like loneliness and kind of scared. Like, how are am I going to make enough money and you know, will my business survive and am I going to be able to reach everybody that I want to help with their journey through these times? And you know, but that's very intertwined with optimism. I think that Canada is doing a phenomenal job. Our government, frontline workers. I think that we're doing a phenomenal job at doing what we need to do to get it under control mostly. So that's me.
Amazing. Good. Good bit. Great. Thank you for sharing. Dawn, let's go to you, clockwise. Yeah. Tell us about you, how you doing, how you feeling about that?
Yeah, absolutely. So, hi everyone. My name is Dawn Serra, I am a sex and relationship coach. I have a weekly podcast called Sex Gets Real. My annual conference is coming up in a couple of weeks, explore more summit. And so I do a lot of work around to pleasure and Bobby's and connection. I'm also a certified body trust provider through be nourished. So I spend a lot of time thinking about bodies and how we do or don't inhabit them. Pleasure and the ways that we relate with each other. And as for how I'm doing, it's like a mixed bag. I've had more conversations with people that I love in the past couple of weeks that I've had in a really long time. There's all of a sudden, you know, many more phone calls and Zoom calls and FaceTimes happening. So that feels actually really nice and sweet. And I work from home most of the time. So being here is pretty normal for me. I don't feel super agitated by it just because, you know, this kind of what we do all day. Every day is you know, business owners working from home. But that said, there is kind of this like anxiety and tenseness that keeps creeping up, especially as I just see so many other people in distress and, you know, just really thinking about who's being most impacted and the grief that comes with that. So it's definitely a heightened more intense time. But overall, like my needs are being met and I'm really excited to just be in conversation with all of you today. That feels like a gift.
So, Summer, you. Let's go with you next.
Hi. Thanks for having me. So I'm Summer Innanen and I'm a professionally trained coach that specializes in body image and self worth and confidence. And I work with people all around the world to help them break free of societal expectations and live the life free of diet culture. Not really completely free cause we still have to exist in it, but you know what I mean? And I host the podcast, Rebel Radio and how I've been feeling is it really vacillates between like really kind of feeling fearful and panicked, especially when I think about the individuals I know and those that are really being significantly impacted by this. Like those people whose businesses who have brick and mortar businesses that have just been taken away, those people who've been laid off in all the different industries, which I have several friends that are in those positions. And I feel really fearful for the big picture when I think about it. But then I vacillate between being like, okay, everything's going to be okay today. And I have a one and a half year old, so I'm quite distracted a lot of the time. Like he brings a lot of joy. He has no idea what's going on and that's really great to distract me from from this. But yeah, I think it kinda goes back and forth. I would've never described myself as being an anxious person, but I certainly have felt quite a bit of anxiety around everything that's going on. And I feel for the extroverts cause I'm an introvert, my life really hasn't changed that much with being socially distanced. I'm sad to say I'm actually probably talking to more people than I'm used to. But I feel bad for those that are really, you know, have an upheaval in their lives by having social distancing. I think that's it. That can be a big change for people and a lot of feelings about isolation and loneliness can come up.
You're actually talking to more people now than you have normally. So I felt the same because that's me as well talking to more people, but normal because normally I'm working from home. So you know, self isolation is pretty much business as usual for me. So, Summer let's talk to you about body and food. So tell me, we've have all of these fucking stupid means going about the internet being like, Oh my God, I'm going to get so fat when I am self isolating all this bullshit. And saying that if you are fat, then you're more likely to get COVID19 Coronavirus. So talk to me about that. Is it true? Is it are you more likely to get the virus if you have a bigger body? Yeah, let's start with that one.
You know, it's unfortunate because if you Google that, there's actually several articles that indicate that being a risk factor. However, it was Christie Harrison, so it wasn't me who did this, but it was Christie Harrison who was the awesome Food Psych Podcast. And who wrote the great book anti diet. So plug for her for doing this, but she actually searched pub med and there's no studies that show and I'm gonna use the O word like obesity being a risk factor for COVID19, whereas there are quite a few studies that show things like, or cardiovascular disease or other things like that. So I think we have to focus on what we do know. We do know that every, everybody can get this, that this virus like, there's no individual that's immune to it. Then people have this, people of all sizes can get this. We also know there's like, there's no longterm form of weight loss that's effective for the majority of individuals. So, even if this is a risk factor, it kind of becomes a bit of a moot point because we don't have an effective form of weight loss that we could prescribe for individuals that we know is actually gonna work in the longterm. And what we also know is that weight cycling, so going on a diet and then coming off the diet and having your weight go up and down because that's what happens when we go on a diet is also detrimental to our health and overall wellbeing. And the other thing we also know is that weight stigma. So those memes going around about you know, that are fat phobic are not good for people's wellbeing. And weight stigma does have a huge impact on health.
We know that social factors in general have a huge impact on health. So those individuals without access to adequate and fair healthcare, which you know, we know happens with weight discrimination and other social oppressions, you know, those that face discrimination, they're going to be harder hit by this because of because of that. And so I think we have to focus on the things that we actually have facts around. And those are the things that, there are studies, there is actual information out there about that. And so with all that being said, you know, having the memes and having people say that it's a risk factor is actually going to be a lot more detrimental to individual's overall health. And stress in general has a huge impact on our overall health. So like even kind of thinking, Oh, I should be restricting my food or stressing about it are not going to be helpful. So the more that we can, you know, kind of shut out those things down or block ourselves from those things, the better that we're going to be overall. And just know that there isn't any actual research that is making that relationship valid at this point in time. You know, the best thing that we can do is social distancing and washing our hands, not touching our face and eating like just eating like a grown ass out all, not restricting your food.
Yeah, absolutely. And so amazing points. I'm not in my head. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. What about we are seeing a ton of things saying like essential oils and drunk drinking silver and eating certain berries and supplements means that your less likely to get Corona virus. Is there any truth in that?
So again, like I don't, I mean I haven't extensively researched all of those statements and I think that, you know, people are associating like immunity, like things that boost immunity with helping to prevent it, which, but like if there's, if there's no valid studies then you know, we don't know and I don't think there's been enough testing cause it is so new and here's my take on it. Like if you like that and you're into it, like go, go for it. Like if you want to, you know, buy that stuff and do it if it makes you happy like have at it. But if you think that it's something you should do that it's going to protect you, likely not is my answer to that. You know, save your pennies for things that are going to be better for your overall wellbeing and mental health. But if it is truly something that you want to be like down to clown with, go for it. But otherwise you know, I don't think that there's any kind of validity to a lot of that stuff. It's just, and a lot of it is really laced with diet culture and fat phobia as well, which really again, is just contributing to the problem.
Yeah. And some of these things like the silver one, there's some sort of silver substance and it's actually super harmful. And so if there's anything that you're seeing on the internet that says, you know, rub salt into your eyes and anything like that, then maybe have a quick Google before you do it because you know, you might die. Who knows. So what about the way that we are feeling around food at the moment? Because I know me personally having feelings, like I need to eat more richer foods and feeling like I need more food in the house in general at normal behavior for everyone to be feeling like that.
Yeah. I mean like, you know, we're wired to kind of respond to scarcity and I think, you know, that can come from two things. Like I think we're wired to respond that way because of the, you know, just from our evolution but also then from diet culture. So I think a lot of us that were exposed to dieting as kids or even just like any kind of actual food scarcity have that kind of built into us to think like, okay, if there's not enough of something, then I need to kind of have enough of it, you know, I need to stock up on it cause it's going to run out. And so there's a lot of influences that drive us to be that way at this in this moment. And I would see it as kind of like almost more protective. So instead of getting mad at yourself or thinking that you should be different, like you can sort of almost be really compassionate towards yourself and say like, Oh wow, thank you body and mind for really looking after me here and I'm going to be okay. And I know that's a hard statement to make. Like I'm going to be okay because I think that a lot of people are facing financial instability and legitimate fears about food scarcity.
And so, you know, we have to then like really be mindful of the fact that that could be a real fear for some individuals. At the same time, there's a lot of people that food is still going to be for the most part, fairly abundant. I dunno where it's like where everyone else is, but there's still a lot of food available in stores. You know, certain shelves are cleared out. Yes. But there's still a lot of food. And so to answer your question just quite simply as like totally normal and I think if we can be compassionate and see it as like a protective thing that our minds are doing for us and our bodies are doing for us, then we can be in a better position to ride it out and to have that scarcity mindset be calmed and to go away, you know, to really just kind of comfort the part of you that's feeling fearful and scared right now. And then the other reason why I think that's really coming up is that fixating on food, fixating on our bodies is often a coping mechanism. So whenever our life is feeling really out of control or uncertain, which like, yes, we're all feeling really sort of out of control and uncertain right now, it feels like something we can control.
It gives us a sense of control. And so I think that a lot of people are responding to that by having the diet mentality being triggered which can then trigger that scarcity mindset and cause you to sort of want to eat more than you were eating previously or to eat more richer foods and things like that. And again, I think it's just like, thank you body for trying to protect to me. But let's try to like really just be mindful of true feeling and look their way to address our feelings instead of thinking that diet is going to fix it. Cause we know that that is certainly not going to fix it at all.
And is it okay for people to seek comfort from food at this time to eat more than normal to change their eating habits because they feel a desire to, for whatever reason?
Hell, yeah is like, I had you know, a burger with onion rings and fries on Friday and I was like, this is my one pleasure of the week. Like I was like, this is like the most pleasurable moment I've had all week. And I was totally okay with it. I think we have to give ourselves permission to kind of cope any way that we can. And food is an okay way to do that. Like there's nothing wrong with doing that. I think that the more that we can kind of lean into it, give ourselves permission more that we'll be able to then look at other ways to cope as well. And so instead of saying like, Oh, I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be turning to food to comfort myself, let's maybe look at it this way and think like, okay, I'm going to turn to food for comfort and I'm going to see what else I can do for comfort.
So maybe that's like I'm going to call my friend or I'm going to try and just go outside to get some fresh air today. Like whatever else can can give you a bit of comfort in your life. So we don't have to say like, I need to stop emotionally eating. Like the more that we say that to ourselves, the more we're going to do it. So try to give yourself permission to do it and look for other ways to also manage your emotions. But you know what, like what we're going through right now, if that is giving you pleasure and Dawn, obviously pleasure is like your jam. So I'm sure you'll talk about that more. But it's totally just lean into it. It's okay and you know, it's okay anytime. It's not just pandemic thing. It's okay actually if that's what you need to do. I'm really all about just trying to give yourself permission cause the more that we deny ourselves, the more that we feel shame about it and the more that we then do it, which because the more that we're then kind of having that mental restriction happening and shame it feeds the sort of day feeds the diet mentality.
So eat the food, don't feel guilty about it and be kind to yourself.
Yeah. It really can be that simple.
Really ate the food, eat the food. Amazing. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm going to come back to you in a little bit, but let's chat to Dawn. Now, Dawn, I want to talk to you about how as a part of self care finding how we can find small moments of pleasure and you know, is it possible during this time to be able to have those small moments of pleasure?
I would say pleasure is essential during times like this particularly, but always and I think pleasure is something that's really foreign to a lot of us. Something we feel like we have to earn. And so also when we are maybe self isolating maybe where you aren't working, you know, that can really bump up against some of our worthiness stuff and whether or not we deserve to feel good and to center our pleasure. So there are so many opportunities for us to really find these small little moments of pleasure. And I think one of the big challenges we have is a lot of the stories that we have around pleasure is that it looks a very specific way. It tends to be a pretty prescriptive story that we get from culture about, you know, pleasure being really decadent things, expensive things, things that take a lot of time. And what I'm really interested in is moments that just increase our sense of a lifeness that deepen our connection either to ourselves, our bodies or each other that feel like they give us just a little bit more choice or joy. And so I'm thinking about things like food, things that engage with our senses. They're so important, especially right now when maybe we don't have access to go out and do some of the things that might really, you know, kind of scratch that pleasure itch. So some of the things that I like to help people do is really start with simple senses. So what are some smells that just really give you that sense of like, Oh man, I love that smell. Maybe it's, you know, making a casserole that reminds you of something that you had when you were a kid or a flowers that you really like, or the smell of your kitties fur, or whatever it is.
Some type of smell, finding those things, finding textures that bring you pleasure. Maybe you have a super like cozy, thick blanket that you really like or maybe you have like a really, really scratchy body glove and you wait. You love the way that that feels on your skin when you're in the shower or a really luxurious lotion or even getting your hands into like some bread dough and really playing with those textures. So there's so many ways, you know, music and sounds, the sound of a loved one, laughing. Certainly flavors and really allowing ourselves to just be with those things. And it can be a couple of seconds, but I think the invitation is can I just arrive and be with this for just a moment and really allow it to feel good before I move into all of the other things. And when we start really deliberately looking for small moments of pleasure throughout a day, we start finding all kinds of things, which is just another way to keep arriving, checking with our body, being with ourselves. So it can be a really powerful way for us to kind of move out of some of the anxiety cycle and the kind of future thinking and to instead just be here while I eat this crunchy chip or be here while I listened to those birds outside my window or you know, stand outside and feel the sun or the rain on my skin. Things like that can be such an amazing gift. Yeah.
Yeah. It's making me think. I was doing this earlier and I didn't realize I went for a walk to the beach with my dog and I sat down and I like breathing. I do like a hundred breaths and as I was doing the hundred breaths, every breath I stroked the top of my dog's head. And I was like, Oh, it's so soft and lovely. And at the end I was just like, Oh, I feel so relaxed and lovely. And I had never thought about doing the breath with touching something so soft and lovely. So there you go, connecting two and two there. So, what ways can we recognize that we are feeling either disconnected from our bodies or we're feeling particularly stressed out. What signs can we look for?
I think some of the things that we'll start to notice is we've kind of been floating heads for awhile. Maybe we didn't notice that we had to use the restroom until really, really late in the game. Or maybe we didn't notice we were hungry until like, we were just famished if we don't notice cues until we're kind of at like crisis stage ligo. I've only got a couple of minutes before I become extremely hungry. Those are signs that maybe we're disconnecting from ourselves and those can be really, really wise ways to cope and to survive. So by no means is the expectation that we're present and embodied all of the time. It's very hard to be in a body. But when we start noticing we haven't moved our body in a little while that can be an opportunity for us to just like what his body needs. You know, what would feel good? Maybe it's just a really simple stretch. Maybe it's standing up and just walking across the room for a moment. Maybe I could really use something that's warm. So am I not noticing my body's needs? Also, another good question is what do I want and, or what does my body want? And if we find the answers really difficult for us to find which is really normal, a lot of us have no idea what we want and we're really scared of that question. That's also a really good indicator that we have an opportunity to listen more, to ask our bodies to move in the direction of our longings, to validate our longings in our hungers. And to really start establishing a little bit of a connection with what on my plate looks, the yummiest, like if I were to start with the thing that looks the best. So doing really simple little questions like that move us in the direction of starting to hear a little bit more and to hear with a little bit more nuance. And then the more we practice that the more information becomes available to us.
Amazing. I love it. I love it. I love it. And I love the way that it's so accessible. Especially with the pleasure thing, you can just wear your sat or you don't need anything fancy. You don't need to spend money. You can engage in something that's filled with pleasure for you. And that's wonderful. That's really awesome to hear. So thank you, Dawn. I'm going to come back to you in a moment. Let's go to Louise and Louise, let's talk about seeing as you are the plus size personal trainer. And we have been getting all of these messages that we need to be working out for 75,000 hours a day and now's the time to, you know, do all of these gym routines and, you know, start all these new practices. Do we have to do that?
No, no you do not. I really enjoyed what Dawn just said and unfortunately I can't hear Summer so she always has great things to say. But if exercising wasn't pleasurable before COVID19 you know, the burpee or the plank routine or whatever you're seeing in your social media feeds, it's probably not going to be pleasurable now. And it will create that negative experience associated with movement. And that's exactly what we don't want is we want people to, if they have the desire to move. And when I think when we talk about fitness and movement, there's idealism around it as there is with the beauty and you know, size. There is fitness idealism which often looks like very lean and ripped individuals doing CrossFit or running and really fitness or movement can be very pleasurable and not look like those things at all. So, for example, in the groups that I coach, you know, I hear of all things that people are doing, like DAP, just dancing in their living room or you know, doing Tai Chi or doing different things that is moving the body that connects them to having a positive experience with movement. Because I think so many of us have had, we as soon as somebody says, do you want to go for a hike or do you want to do this burpee challenge or whatever thing that's being pushed on you, there's this immediate switch that goes on that is like, no, I don't, I don't. You know, there's this, like the brakes are on because we've had such negative experiences related to movement. And what I tried to do with women is, or anyone really is switch that experience and create a new experience for you if you desire to move. I mean, I think movement of, of all ranges is, makes us feel good for the most part. So I'm a real advocate for movement. I know for me and my mental health, and I'm also in recovery. It's a very essential part of, of who I am. And I just want to make it accessible for people to really reestablish what it means to move.
Yeah. And someone said in the comments and I know that this is the way you see it as well. Renaming it from exercise to joyful movement. And from what I'm hearing you say is that if you want to move, then that's cool, but then if you don't and it's not a part of who you are as a person, then that's cool too. Right?
I mean, if it wasn't a part of your life before we were, you know, under this new stay at home kind of situation, then I don't understand why it's being pushed to be a part of your life now. So I mean, if that is something that somebody is like, yes, I'm at home and I've got more time and I do want to start to explore these things. Well your social media feed is probably full of ways in which you can do that, but want people to identify exactly. Like Dawn was saying, what really speaks to them, and I mean it is a little limited right now, but we get to define what joyful movement means to us. Or what fitness, whatever words you want to use with it. But then we can throw away the idealism of, you know, this is what fit looks like. This is what fitness is. This is what movement looks like. Because a lot of us have had experiences, you know, I've heard horrific things dating back to elementary school that are burned into people's psyche that they do not want to associate with fitness or movement of that type because they've been either shamed by motivation or they've been leaned on way too hard in, in their capabilities. You know, a lot of us grew up in, well, I'm assuming I grew up in the 80s, I'll speak for myself and it was a real like no pain, no gain time of history where, you know, we're sort of moving away from that, but exercises still presented in a very intense and hardcore way.
So what I'm hearing you say is that it could be potentially harmful to your mental health to guilt yourself into trying this new routine or whatever it is.
Well also I find that a lot of routines out there are really intense. So it, Oh, you know, it could be harmful for your mental health and creating that, you know, re-establishing that negative experience, which we're trying to move away from. But also for injury purposes and doing too much too fast and all of those things where we walk away from an experience feeling like a failure. So we're trying to, if you have the desire to move, it's again finding what really brings you joy and movement and also what really sets you up for success. Because when you can walk away from a movement experience and say, you know what, that was really great and I feel successful, it then switches that relationship with your mind and movement. This is actually something I enjoy and I feel successful. I don't feel like, you know, a failure, which is what a lot of our industry sets people up to feel like is we have kind of like this narrow thinking and we present fitness in a way or movement in a way that is for certain people. So we're really exclusionary to what it could mean for a range of people.
Amazing, amazing advice there. What about your a parent, right? And so I don't encounter all the schools out at the moment. Yes. Yeah. Okay. So I'm in Ireland where I am at the moment. All the schools are out. So you also have this pressure to now homeschool or be this incredible teacher to your son and all of this other stuff too. So, let's talk about that pressure there to be the best professor ever. Is that possible?
Well, right now I like, technically the kids are still on spring break, so I'm kind of like, ah, it's spring break. But I also don't want to put a lot of pressure on my son right now because I think it's very scary and unknown times for kids. So he is really getting a lot of leeway just to do what he wants to do. In yesterday he moved about the house and he got all the pillows and he built a Fort and he sat in his Fort and we watched Fast and Furious because, you know, not my favorite pickup movie, but that's what he wanted to watch. We're like baking cookies and you know, making meals and just chilling in the house. And once in a while we'd go outside, we dribble the basketball and we come back in and it's really just free play right now. Because I don't want him to feel pressure. I don't want to feel the pressure right now and I don't want him to feel the pressure. And I think what all I heard all of you saying on this call is that it's that you're connecting more during this time. And I'm feeling that too. Like right now, maybe the lesson is for us to connect and to not do like, you know, there's this real pressure to be doing things all the time. And maybe the lesson here is just to not, so I don't feel like he's not learning anything. I think that the world is teaching us a lesson right now and we're just taking it in stride and just going with that.
Absolutely. One of the comments here is, I'm sorry, I can't see the authors of the comment, I just see it says Facebook user, but someone said it's been advised that parents shouldn't be trying to recreate curriculums because it can mess with how kids are actually being taught. So that's interesting. And just like you say, connecting and using this, it's like a really unique experience. I mean, how often is this going to happen? And a little while where children are not learning in a structured manner that they would be at school. Is it going to mean that their education is going to be a failure for the rest of their lives? Like, Hmm. Probably, probably not. Yeah. Yeah. So amazing. Thank you. Louise. I'm going to come back to you in just a moment. So I wanted to talk about, I've got a question before about boundaries and I know everyone on the call loves boundaries a lot. I love a bit of boundary setting because we have a lot of information coming at us. And as we know we've got all of this, I don't know about you, but I've had Whatsapp messages from one of my uncles that went to my mom that went to me, that went to my sister's and went to probably a thousand other people that said, Oh, if you can hold your breath for 10 seconds, then your lungs aren't damaged, therefore you don't have coronavirus. If you gargle salt water and vinegar, then you're not going to get the virus and drink orange juice and you won't get the virus and all of this stuff. And it's actually not true. And I have found that, look at it, this stuff to begin with. I like read something about gargling water. And I was like, is that true? And started Googling it and being like, no, this is actually not, not true. And so for me, only trusting sources like the Irish government because I'm in Ireland at the moment or the British government I don't know about America if you would trust the American government website who knows. Actually, yeah, don't trust what Donald Trump is saying. Actually I heard, I read today that in a news conference, I think it was yesterday or a couple of days ago, Donald Trump said that there was a medicine that the FDA had approved and they hadn't approved it. And so two people went out and took the medicine, two older people and one of them died. Because president Trump had said that it's approved by the FDA. And the FDA was like, no, it's not approved. Don't take it. But yeah, so maybe not the American government but the stuff that we were seeing circulated is not reliable.
It can hurt our physical health and mental health. Hence, why it is important to set boundaries and in general life. Anyways, it's wonderful and juicy to set boundaries. And so some word tracks for you for setting boundaries. And I have had to set a good few boundaries to protect my own mental health during this time because I have found that watching too much news, consuming too much content while I'm online around the coronavirus has negatively impacted my mental health. So here are some word tracks for you and you can learn more about boundaries in one of my podcast episodes is episode six actually. So if you go to fiercefatty.com/006, How to Deal with Dieting Friends in that I talk all about boundaries. And so if you want to know more about the process of setting boundaries and then check that out.
So one thing that you could say is I'm finding that hearing too much news around this pandemic negatively affects my mental health. Can you let me know if you're going to turn the news on so that I can leave the room or put headphones in? So that's one idea. Another way that you could say I'm setting a boundary is please do not share articles about the pandemic unless they are from the government or XYZ website. Because people are trying to be helpful, right? They're not trying to make you feel awful. And so if you put in a boundary about where the sources are from, then that might be helpful. And another way that you can say is, can you not talk to me about the Corona virus unless it's something really serious that you want to discuss.
And so come up with a plan about how, what you're going to do if your boundary is crossed and it's, we're kind of in special circumstances because you might be self quarantined, self isolated depending where you are in the world and be having to spend time with people that you might not necessarily always spend time with. And so your options are a little bit limited in regards to being able to leave the house or, or go somewhere else. But giving yourself the permission to go into a different room to put headphones in to protect yourself. And it's okay not to want to hear news about. So for more on boundaries, go to that podcast episode fiercefatty.com/006. There's also a download with it, which goes into deep how to set boundaries, what to do and all that type of jazz. It's called How to Deal with Dieting Friends.
And the next thing that I wanted to touch on is the positive side of COVID19 in regards to fat positivity and anti diet. So here are a few things I came up with in regards to some positives that we can take from this because I love hearing positive news. It makes me feel like there will be an end in sight. So I want to share some fat, positive anti diet stuff. So because this is a global thing, its a pandemic, we know that this can be traumatizing. So because of that, if weird things are happening in regards to the way that you're viewing your body or the way that you are connecting with food then you will be more likely to be able to connect the two and say, okay, I have less self esteem at the moment. It's probably because we're in a global pandemic and things are really strange at the moment. So as an example for this, I was able to recognize it, one time in my life when my dad had died suddenly a couple of, a few years back and I'd gone to the UK for his funeral. And while I was there, I got gastroenteritis. And so I was super, super sick. And when I came back to Canada, I looked in the mirror and I noticed I had lost weight and I had this thought, this automatic thought of, Oh, the boys are gonna like you now. And I was like, what the heck? Where did that come from? And I recognize that because I had just gone through this trauma physically and, you know, emotionally and in my body as well. It was to be expected, but my mind would start coming up with things like this. And so be prepared that your minds, your body might be experiencing something new. You're also able to really dial into what self care is for you and those moments of pleasure that Dawn mentioned and really get to a place where you are getting pleasure from things that aren't based on the external, which is beautiful because we can use these at any time in the future moving forward. If you're inclined to do so, you might have more time to learn about fat positivity and anti diet and get stuck into some of those juicy books that you might have in your Amazon wishlist or your orderable wishlist or whatever. You will also potentially have more time for creative thought and getting clear on what you want from life. So some something like this can really make us look at our own mortality and think, you know, what do I really want from life?
What is really good in my life and what things might I want to change? And so that's a wonderful opportunity for that. You also might have more time in your pajamas, which is a great way to feel comfortable in your body that you might not get to experience on a day to day basis. Cause you might be going to work and having to wear clothes and we don't want to wear clothes. You can just walk around naked in your house. It'd be amazing. And you're going to have more time to focus on not focus on what your body looks like to the outside world. Because if your social distancing or self isolating, no one's going to be seeing you. And so you can, you know, not wear makeup and you know, do whatever and not do the things that you normally do in your day to day life and just, you know, hang around the house naked.
Also you can become more confident that in the future you can survive these difficult, unexpected times and have a better idea about how to cope if the shit hits the fan again. So once we overcome this, say in 10 years time or something else comes around, we were like, yeah, whatever. We've, we've done this already. No big deal. We know how to, we know how to cope individually. And also there are so many free online events with this type of content out there. And so you're probably gonna get to hang out with more people online that than you ever have before. So there are my positives for, you know, this, this pandemic who would have thought that'd be positive for a pandemic. But I want to go around and get some more positives in regards to the things that make our guests feel great. So let's start with Summer because someone a person to talk. So Summer, give me one favorite way that you like to relax and distress.
It's very limited because I have a toddler. But I will say that when we can get outside to a green space, which I'm really lucky, there's like woods and a beach near me. And I'm very adamant about staying away from people, which I normally am, but even more so now. No. So anytime I'm kind of in nature, I think is, is like when I actually feel really detached. Like that's when, and maybe it's because I'm away from the electronics and everything like that. But that the one thing that's kind of feeding me at the moment.
Amazing. Now give me three pieces of media. So it could be books, podcasts, shows that make your brain feel happy.
Well, right now I like, technically the kids are still on spring break, so I'm kind of like, ah, it's spring break. But I also don't want to put a lot of pressure on my son right now because I think it's very scary and unknown times for kids. So he is really getting a lot of leeway just to do what he wants to do. In yesterday he moved about the house and he got all the pillows and he built a Fort and he sat in his Fort and we watched Fast and Furious because, you know, not my favorite pickup movie, but that's what he wanted to watch. We're like baking cookies and you know, making meals and just chilling in the house. And once in a while we'd go outside, we dribble the basketball and we come back in and it's really just free play right now. Because I don't want him to feel pressure. I don't want to feel the pressure right now and I don't want him to feel the pressure. And I think what all I heard all of you saying on this call is that it's that you're connecting more during this time. And I'm feeling that too. Like right now, maybe the lesson is for us to connect and to not do like, you know, there's this real pressure to be doing things all the time. And maybe the lesson here is just to not, so I don't feel like he's not learning anything. I think that the world is teaching us a lesson right now and we're just taking it in stride and just going with that.
Absolutely. One of the comments here is, I'm sorry, I can't see the authors of the comment, I just see it says Facebook user, but someone said it's been advised that parents shouldn't be trying to recreate curriculums because it can mess with how kids are actually being taught. So that's interesting. And just like you say, connecting and using this, it's like a really unique experience. I mean, how often is this going to happen? And a little while where children are not learning in a structured manner that they would be at school. Is it going to mean that their education is going to be a failure for the rest of their lives? Like, Hmm. Probably, probably not. Yeah. Yeah. So amazing. Thank you. Louise. I'm going to come back to you in just a moment. So I wanted to talk about, I've got a question before about boundaries and I know everyone on the call loves boundaries a lot. I love a bit of boundary setting because we have a lot of information coming at us. And as we know we've got all of this, I don't know about you, but I've had Whatsapp messages from one of my uncles that went to my mom that went to me, that went to my sister's and went to probably a thousand other people that said, Oh, if you can hold your breath for 10 seconds, then your lungs aren't damaged, therefore you don't have coronavirus. If you gargle salt water and vinegar, then you're not going to get the virus and drink orange juice and you won't get the virus and all of this stuff. And it's actually not true. And I have found that, look at it, this stuff to begin with. I like read something about gargling water. And I was like, is that true? And started Googling it and being like, no, this is actually not, not true. And so for me, only trusting sources like the Irish government because I'm in Ireland at the moment or the British government I don't know about America if you would trust the American government website who knows. Actually, yeah, don't trust what Donald Trump is saying. Actually I heard, I read today that in a news conference, I think it was yesterday or a couple of days ago, Donald Trump said that there was a medicine that the FDA had approved and they hadn't approved it. And so two people went out and took the medicine, two older people and one of them died. Because president Trump had said that it's approved by the FDA. And the FDA was like, no, it's not approved. Don't take it. But yeah, so maybe not the American government but the stuff that we were seeing circulated is not reliable.
It can hurt our physical health and mental health. Hence, why it is important to set boundaries and in general life. Anyways, it's wonderful and juicy to set boundaries. And so some word tracks for you for setting boundaries. And I have had to set a good few boundaries to protect my own mental health during this time because I have found that watching too much news, consuming too much content while I'm online around the coronavirus has negatively impacted my mental health. So here are some word tracks for you and you can learn more about boundaries in one of my podcast episodes is episode six actually. So if you go to fiercefatty.com/006, How to Deal with Dieting Friends in that I talk all about boundaries. And so if you want to know more about the process of setting boundaries and then check that out.
So one thing that you could say is I'm finding that hearing too much news around this pandemic negatively affects my mental health. Can you let me know if you're going to turn the news on so that I can leave the room or put headphones in? So that's one idea. Another way that you could say I'm setting a boundary is please do not share articles about the pandemic unless they are from the government or XYZ website. Because people are trying to be helpful, right? They're not trying to make you feel awful. And so if you put in a boundary about where the sources are from, then that might be helpful. And another way that you can say is, can you not talk to me about the Corona virus unless it's something really serious that you want to discuss.
And so come up with a plan about how, what you're going to do if your boundary is crossed and it's, we're kind of in special circumstances because you might be self quarantined, self isolated depending where you are in the world and be having to spend time with people that you might not necessarily always spend time with. And so your options are a little bit limited in regards to being able to leave the house or, or go somewhere else. But giving yourself the permission to go into a different room to put headphones in to protect yourself. And it's okay not to want to hear news about. So for more on boundaries, go to that podcast episode fiercefatty.com/006. There's also a download with it, which goes into deep how to set boundaries, what to do and all that type of jazz. It's called How to Deal with Dieting Friends.
(52:22)
And the next thing that I wanted to touch on is the positive side of COVID19 in regards to fat positivity and anti diet. So here are a few things I came up with in regards to some positives that we can take from this because I love hearing positive news. It makes me feel like there will be an end in sight. So I want to share some fat, positive anti diet stuff. So because this is a global thing, its a pandemic, we know that this can be traumatizing. So because of that, if weird things are happening in regards to the way that you're viewing your body or the way that you are connecting with food then you will be more likely to be able to connect the two and say, okay, I have less self esteem at the moment. It's probably because we're in a global pandemic and things are really strange at the moment. So as an example for this, I was able to recognize it, one time in my life when my dad had died suddenly a couple of, a few years back and I'd gone to the UK for his funeral. And while I was there, I got gastroenteritis. And so I was super, super sick. And when I came back to Canada, I looked in the mirror and I noticed I had lost weight and I had this thought, this automatic thought of, Oh, the boys are gonna like you now. And I was like, what the heck? Where did that come from? And I recognize that because I had just gone through this trauma physically and, you know, emotionally and in my body as well. It was to be expected, but my mind would start coming up with things like this. And so be prepared that your minds, your body might be experiencing something new. You're also able to really dial into what self care is for you and those moments of pleasure that Dawn mentioned and really get to a place where you are getting pleasure from things that aren't based on the external, which is beautiful because we can use these at any time in the future moving forward. If you're inclined to do so, you might have more time to learn about fat positivity and anti diet and get stuck into some of those juicy books that you might have in your Amazon wishlist or your orderable wishlist or whatever. You will also potentially have more time for creative thought and getting clear on what you want from life. So some something like this can really make us look at our own mortality and think, you know, what do I really want from life?
Speaker 3: (55:25)
What is really good in my life and what things might I want to change? And so that's a wonderful opportunity for that. You also might have more time in your pajamas, which is a great way to feel comfortable in your body that you might not get to experience on a day to day basis. Cause you might be going to work and having to wear clothes and we don't want to wear clothes. You can just walk around naked in your house. It'd be amazing. And you're going to have more time to focus on not focus on what your body looks like to the outside world. Because if your social distancing or self isolating, no one's going to be seeing you. And so you can, you know, not wear makeup and you know, do whatever and not do the things that you normally do in your day to day life and just, you know, hang around the house naked.
Speaker 3: (56:14)
Also you can become more confident that in the future you can survive these difficult, unexpected times and have a better idea about how to cope if the shit hits the fan again. So once we overcome this, say in 10 years time or something else comes around, we were like, yeah, whatever. We've, we've done this already. No big deal. We know how to, we know how to cope individually. And also there are so many free online events with this type of content out there. And so you're probably gonna get to hang out with more people online that than you ever have before. So there are my positives for, you know, this, this pandemic who would have thought that'd be positive for a pandemic. But I want to go around and get some more positives in regards to the things that make our guests feel great. So let's start with Summer because someone a person to talk. So Summer, give me one favorite way that you like to relax and destress.
Summer: (57:27)
It's very limited because I have a toddler. But I will say that when we can get outside to a green space, which I'm really lucky, there's like woods and a beach near me. And I'm very adamant about staying away from people, which I normally am, but even more so now. No. So anytime I'm kind of in nature, I think is, is like when I actually feel really detached. Like that's when, and maybe it's because I'm away from the electronics and everything like that. But that the one thing that's kind of feeding me at the moment.
Victoria: (58:06)
Amazing. Now give me three pieces of media. So it could be books, podcasts, shows that make your brain feel happy.
So I have really been into like retro things lately. So I've been working my way through the original Beverly Hills and I don't have to one again. I started that when my dad died suddenly a few months ago and I haven't stopped. And now it seems even more relevant cause it's just complete ridiculous escapism. I've been listening to a lot of like retro soundtracks on Spotify, so lots of like eighties music cause I grew up in the 80s as well. And just kind of reminds me of the simpler times. And then I'm also reading the Jessica Simpson memoir, which is really funny cause I was never like a big Jessica Simpson fan. But again, it's like pure escapism. It's just takes me back to the nineties and just reminds me of like reality TV at that time and things like that. So it's stuff that's like completely frivolous that is really helping to distract me. And I also love to follow the page, the man who has it all, cause that's just the satire on there is hilarious and always makes me laugh.
Oh, the man who has it all. I need to write this down.
You don't know that page?
No, what is it?
It's like a satire page where that's kind of like, sorry, say that again.
It's Endless Misandry, like instead of misogyny, it's just all, yeah.
Yeah. For example, today they posted husbands, what are you doing during this quarantine. Baking, coming up with new skincare routines, building quarantine lesson plans, share what you're doing. And then everyone comments with like further satire, you know,
New red love. It's right up your alley. I know.
I'm going to find it amazing. And by the way, everyone listening I've asked the, the answers to these questions beforehand and this one wasn't one of the answers, but I'm going to add it and I have got a download for you with everything that everyone is going to share. So you can go and click on the man who has it all and Jessica Simpson's book and all that type of jazz. So don't be worrying about not having access to them, but if someone's interesting, so people might be like, Oh my God, I'm a massive Jessica Simpson fan. Who knows? So next question is, what would future you tell current you that would make you feel reassured?
I think it would just be that you're gonna be stronger and more resilient for the things that you experienced during this time and these lessons are going to help you for the rest of your life, which is kind of what you alluded to as being one of the positive things earlier.
Amazing. And where can people find you and you get involved with what you're doing?
Yeah, so the easiest way to find me is at thebodyimagecoach.com and not redirects you to my website. summerinnanen.com and yeah, I've got a free workshop coming up in a couple of weeks. It's a Body Acceptance Master Class, which is going to be talking about how to feel more comfortable in your body and making it relevant to everything that we're going through now as well.
Amazing. And again, I'm going to link to that workshop in the download. I'm going to put the download straight into the Facebook group after the call. So thank you Summer. You are a superstar. Let's go to Dawn. Now, Dawn, what is one favorite way for you to relax and distress?
We are really big on play here in this household. And so a big part of just like managing day to day stress and bigger stress and anxiety are making up spontaneous games. So from pillow fights and throwing dry your balls at each other to indoor frisky and making up secret handshakes or even the other day my husband said, let's go to Paris. And then we stepped out onto our balcony and pretended we are in Paris and what we were seeing. So anything that brings an element of silliness and kind of like mirth and just really being in the moment for just a couple seconds is a really crucial part of my mental health management.
I love it. Are you still in like Abbotsford area?
We're out in Portmoody.
Okay. So when I get back to Vancouver, I'm coming around your house and we're gonna play something and someone says, I love the sound of that household. Yes, me too. I'm going round. I'm just inviting myself. So tell me three pieces of media that makes your brain happy.
Yeah. So I love the Netflix show Sex Education as a sex educator. It's one of the only like pop culture experiences I've had where they get so much right and so nuanced. So that is definitely a big joy. I also love the podcast Grownups read things they wrote as kids. So if you have not heard that podcast, you are in for a treat. It is amazing. And then just to go with our silliness theme, there is a song that we sing in this house embarrassingly frequently called Guinea pig Olympics. I apologize if your children hear this song because it will become the song that never ends. But anytime we need a laugh that goes on and you know, for 30 seconds we're singing about Guinea pigs at the Olympics
And there's a video that goes along with it. But I was like, Oh man, this is amazing. I love it. Oh my gosh. Hey Dawn, did you know in Vancouver? They, you know, that podcast. There is a show that's kind of like that podcast. I'm not listening to that podcast. I'm presuming this is what it is, where people read stories from their diaries from when they were kids and it's fucking hilarious. Yes. You knew about it already. You're like, Oh, I knew about the local. It's a show about it.
Yeah. And the podcast tours all over Canada. So they are constantly recording all over the country. They come to Vancouver and Victoria at least once a year. Yeah.
Amazing. Amazing. Okay. So what would your future self tell your current self to make you feel more reassured?
The two things that come to mind are to trust myself. Like I have a lot of lived experience and resilience and wisdom in this body. So trust myself and to just really listen to my body and to believe the things that it's asking for and wanting and sharing all of those things that bring me closer to a liveliness. So it really just boils down to like, trust yourself. You've got this, you've got support, you're resilient. You've been through hard things before and to just really believe it but I do have it.
Yes, yes we do. We do. Dawn, you had a request to sing the Guinea pig song. Oh no.
Guinea Pig Olympics (Guinea Pig).
Marvel at the blur of their tiny feet.
Guinea Pig Olympics (Guinea Pig)
The world's greatest guinea pig athletes
Yeah, that was very, I was like, I recognize this tune. Amazing. So people obviously want to find you and follow you and listen to your podcast and all that juicy stuff. So tell us where they can do that. Yes.
So everything lives at dawnserra.com. Serra is spelled S E R R A. My podcast is there. I publish weekly and then I've got a big, huge free online conference that's happening April 20th to the 29th. You can go to explore more summit.com to see the lineup, the schedule to grab your free ticket. It's about three hour long conversations a day for 10 days. And the theme this year is around pleasure healing from trauma, body trust and deepening into our relationships.
Amazing. We had a question. Are you on Instagram? Yes. You are?
Yeah. dawn_serra.
Great. All of these links. Reminder, all of these links are going to be in the download, which I'm going to put straight into the group and I'm going to email it to you so you can follow everyone and get all the recommendations. Thank you. Dawn, you were a superstar and thank you for that. So impromptu sing along. I love it. Let's go to you. So Louise, what is your number one way that you'd like to relax to the max?
Well, I like to light candles around my house and listen to the chill lounge on galaxy and just kick back and relax. But another way that I distress is through movement. So right now that movement is kind of with play with my son. So we'll have like tickle fights and basketball games out in the backyard where we played 21. We're just shooting hoops and just, it's not really about, you know, getting a good sweat on. It's more about just moving and having fun and keeping it light.
Amazing, amazing. So three pieces of media that's makes you feel happy.
So I really delving into female driven documentaries that are related to movement. I just find them so inspiring and uplifting and usually these documentaries are people overcoming some really adversity and experiencing like a big triumph at the end, which is what I'm really hoping is happening for us right now is that we can work through, like we can see our resiliency and I think in these films you can really see the human resiliency and the triumph. So the three top documentaries that I've watched lately that I just love are Maiden, which is about the first British female yacht team that went around the world. And in the big race that leaves from self port learning to skateboard in a war zone. I don't know if anyone has seen that. It's an incredible documentary about young girls learning to skateboard in Afghanistan. And the other one I love is Kim Swims and that is again, another woman that does open water swimming that does the longest distance in the open water without a wetsuit and just really like, they just defy what you think is possible in maze. And I just find it so motivating and inspiring.
Yeah, I like those types of documentaries too. And then when we know that they're not all like, and they're losing weight they're becoming less fat.
They're losing weight.
Yeah. When did you, when did you wash them? Louise?
So I've watched some of them on Netflix. The Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone. It just won an Oscar. So it's not as readily available, but I think it's on craves and it's on, it was on AME. I don't know if anyone has time. I don't.
Okay. And I crave is a Canadian thing. So sorry if you're not Canadian. I don't think. Thanks Louise for nothing. Jesus. So I've, I'll link to all of those. I've got all the trailers for that so you can find them. So what is one thing that your future self would tell your current self to make you feel reassured?
I think this too shall pass is kind of a phrase I love to say and love to live by like human beings variants, some incredible hardships and times throughout history where, you know, you just don't think they're going to make it and we rise above and come through. And I think that our spirit is incredibly strong and I know that I'm personally very resilient and I know that this is going to pass. And I think you know, all the positives that you were mentioning earlier, we're gonna come out different people I think, and I think it's not going to be all negative. I think it's going to really be a time for people to reevaluate.
Yes. And so where can people find you?
People can find me. I think the best place to find me as on the Instagram and it's louisegreen_ bigfitgirl. And that is where I post most of my content. And we also have a link there for 30 days free to my fitness app. Again, it's for everyone where you have a lot of chair movement, standing movement, chair assisted movement. So if people are wanting to move this isn't one of those pushing on you 30 day challenges, it's just a peruse through and do what you like. And if you don't like, that's up to you. That's fine. But there really is something in there for everyone of all mobility types and intensities and different equipment and time ranges. So that's in my Instagram link as well.
Amazing. And it's linked in the document to the download. So people can to get that free for 30 days? 30 days. Yeah. So perfect. Hey, I'm going to share my thing. I'm a jinx. My answers to these. My favorite way to relax and distress is go for a walk on the beach with Dougal, my dog, and listening to the latest episode of All Killer,No Filler which is a podcast about serial killers, not a serial killer. Yeah, not scary at all. So three pieces of media that I like is I'm making myself sound really fucking disgusting. But Dr. Pimple Popper on YouTube which is exactly what it sounds like, it's a adopter popping impulse is very relaxing. Even she says when she's doing it that people watch her YouTube channel to fall asleep to, and I do too, cause it's really relaxing and I like it. I relax singing. And so I like singing along to musical hits, like from the Blues Brothers, Shake a Tail Feather, which is also you can dance to too. And there's a dance routine. And also on Instagram if you want some like happy dance inspiration, don't take coli. I don't know if you know this guy, but he just dances where he's like pushing hearts into the air and saying you can do it and things like that and you're just like, thank you. I can do it. I appreciate it.
So, and I think everyone knows who I am and where to find it because you're here. So I'm just going to check if we, we're going to wrap up. If there's any questions, I think we answered the questions that I saw coming through with as we went along. Someone says three pieces of media that they like, Fern cotton books, happy and calm and quiet. I think how happy calm and quiet is a book called. And yeah, if anyone wants to share their reading the in the comments, go ahead, check out the Facebook group for the link to that. Someone has said, I really needed to hear from all of you today. Thank you so much. Someone else said, thank you so much for this webinar. It's really helpful. And someone said Louise's app is great. Yay Louise. And I say you three are amazing. I'm so pleased that you live in Vancouver and Dawn, I'm coming around your house. Well everyone on coming out to your house and this is coming around your house when I get back.
Thank you for being here. I so appreciate it. Thank you. The viewers for being here and engaging and being amazing. That's it. That's it. Thank you. Have an incredible rest of the day. Everybody.