Before & After - Training, lifestyle & mindset from a masters athlete POV

You Gotta Want It!

Frustrated by lack of progress or questioning what it really takes to achieve your goals if you embark on a weight loss/body recomposition journey?  This is your episode!  We take a look at our individual experiences and how we both have taken a different approach but in the end pretty much arrived in the same place.  Hannah reveals the discipline it took to drop from 23% to 11.5% body fat in just 3 months and how she feels about being that lean in relation to overall health while Rachel discusses how macro counting and steady body recomposition has given her a whole new respect and appreciation for her body (never say never to wearing that bikini!).  We also take a look at the importance of tuning into feelings and the difference between self compassion and sabotage.  Trust the process, tune in and enjoy.
Happy listening!

The Facetune Rabbit Hole

Do you believe what you see in those perfect Instagram pictures where the influencer looks flawless, has a physique that seems to defy gravity and not a hair out of place?  In this episode we dive into the world of apps that allow the user to completely change almost every feature from eyebrows to waist size, you can now even change video footage to make yourself appear a few sizes smaller!  We talk about how destructive this can be for influential teenagers (and adults) and how the Dove brand is trying to combat this by helping parents to educate their kids with 'The Confidence Kit'.  If it seems too good to be true....it probably is!
Happy listening

Confidence

In this episode we explore what body confidence really means and how that shifts when you take the focus away from just aesthetics.  We also contemplate various outfits worn by Olympic athletes and how confident we would feel competing in them in front of millions of spectators.
Happy listening!

Shapeshifters - 100 Years of Trending Body Shapes

From tall to short, sloping shoulders to broad shoulders, boobs to no boobs, it is quote incredible to see how fashionable body shapes have changed over the last century.  We take a look at how trending body image has changed and continues to change for both men and women and highlight the stark differences between decades.  It really hit home for us how important it is to value your body for what it can do and learn to love the skin you are in because if you tried to follow every trend it would be exhausting and demoralizing!  This episode also highlights the great difference between how many times the "ideal" female body type has changed compared with the male body.  Happy listening.

Implicit Bias

We contemplate the significance of the number 13 (seeing as this is episode 13) and whether or not it is actually unlucky!  Once we resolve this we go on to nerd out a little on implicit bias as it relates to body image.  We both took the Harvard implicit bias tests for weight, age and disability to find out whether we had any unconscious biases and we share our results with one another.  Then we investigate where these biases came from and how our thoughts on fat vs thin, old vs young and able bodied vs disabled are shaped by the culture we grew up in.  From Disney to Lizzo we cover it all!
If anyone is interested in taking these tests visit implicit.harvard.edu 

Build Your Tribe

We take the opportunity to check in with our own progress and how we relate to previous topics discussed on the podcast.  Then we take a look at the importance of surrounding yourself with a community of people who support you.  We talk about our new ladies brunch club at the gym and how refreshing it is to see women supporting women and celebrating success based on what you can do rather than what you look like.  A nice easy listening episode!!
Thanks for listening.

The Story Behind The Numbers

We promised you a guest and in this episode we deliver!  We had the pleasure of speaking with Laila, an athlete, a mom, an academic and a true inspiration when it comes to modeling great behavior for her young daughters to follow.  We talk about her relationship with her own body image and how that has changed over time as life presented a colorful array of challenges and opportunities.  We also investigate Laila's thoughts on body image in different cultural environments and get her thoughts on her personal narrative associated with the number on the scale.  One of our favorite moments in this conversation is when Laila shared with us how she became so comfortable wearing 'the damn shorts'!!
Happy listening.

Recognition

We celebrate our 10th episode (apparently a big milestone in the podcast world) by talking about recognition - how important is it to receive compliments when you are working hard on your body composition?  Rachel talks about two compliments that were both fascinating because of the language used and Hannah contemplates what it means to her when someone recognizes consistent work even if that doesn't mean drastic change on the outside.  We talk about the importance of embarking on a body composition change journey for 'you' rather than doing it just for likes and how recognition should come from within!  So celebrate yourselves and the hard work you have put in while you listen to this episode.
Happy listening.

Rachel

Get to know your host Rachel that little bit more intimately!  In this episode Hannah gets to interview Rachel.  Starting with a series of fun 'quick questions' (that actually turned out to be a little mean) then taking a deeper dive into Rachel's journey with body composition and image, we find out more about why Rachel was motivated to say 'yes' to be involved with this podcast.  We also go on to talk about her diagnosis and management of PCOS and how she has learned to fuel her body best to allow her to perform at her potential in the sports and activities that she loves.
Thanks for listening! 

Spreading Cake On Bread

Yes this may be one of the most random podcast titles ever but bear with us it will all make sense!  In this episode we talk about our recent trip to Mammoth for Rachel's birthday where we turned off our macro tracking apps and tried our best to live in the moment with zero guilt.  We won't spoil the story behind the title here you will have to listen to find that one out but the crux of this episode is all about the importance of being able to recognize obsessive behaviors when it comes to food and eating and to know when it is the right time to ditch the strict tracking for a more relaxed intuitive eating approach.
Thanks for listening!