Dr. Mel is back and this time we're not talking about our usual fitness and physical therapy stuff. We're talking shit about the Epstein files. Or more specifically, how we're coming to terms with the fact that the beauty standards pushed on us as teenagers were created by literal pedophiles.

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

On this episode we talk about:

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

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Today's episode is inspired by a post I saw on Instagram last weekend where someone was asking if having a weight loss goal made them fatphobic. The comments section was interesting because a lot of people seemed very confused about what that word even means. I was tempted to write a novel in response, but them I remembered that I have a podcast. So I decided to turn my comment into content.

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

On this episode we talk about:

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

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It's the second week in February and I know why your New Year's goals (or resolutions or intentions or whatever) didn't stick. It's the same reason they usually don't, and if you're more of a "New Year Same Me" kind of person, maybe you've known this all along.

On this episode we talk about:

• The mind blowing realization I had when I realized that my goals for the New Year have been the same (and largely unachieved) for a few years now.
• The harsh reality of trying to work towards health, fitness, wellness, relationship, and even leisure related goals in a world that wasn't designed for us to be well or relax.
• How we've lost the plot (and perhaps been misled?)
• What needs to happen if we want next year to be different.
• So many other good things!

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