So Melanie and I are taking a little break this week, but we're sharing an episode that will be new to most of you. Last month on Patreon we did a Closer Look episode on health and body image, and we got more feedback - comments, DMs, emails - than we have on any other episode. People's reactions were encouraging and candid and inspiring. Given that, we thought we would share the epsiode here, too. Here's what we told our Patreon folks when we originally posted it:

For this Closer Look episode Melanie and I decided to talk about health and weight and body image and etc. It's something that I write about in a chapter of the new book, and several of you have asked if we might be willing to talk about this very thing. Melanie and I have both found ourselves in not-great places with our physical health over the last several years, so I think no one is more surprised than we are by how much we have grown to love being active.

So. You're going to hear a some of our stories from our teenage years through college and adulthood and now into middle age. Two really different body types, two really different histories with food and exercise - but both of us hitting our 40s and realizing that something needed to give.

(Also both of us getting really angry at our husbands before we made a commitment to ourselves and our health. AS YOU WILL HEAR. :-) )

All that to say: no doubt Melanie and I are both works in progress. But we both have gotten to a place where we feel strong and we actually like to move. I struggle with my weight more than Melanie does - this is no secret - but I am so grateful to be in a place where my level of activity helps to quiet the negative voices in my head. And I'm also grateful for friends like Melanie where I can talk about this kind of stuff openly and without judgment. That has been such good medicine.

Hope y'all enjoy!

p.s. Quick disclaimer: if you have dealt with an exercise or eating disorder, this episode may be not be the most enjoyable for you, especially if you struggle with negative feelings about your physical body. We certainly don't want to trigger that or say anything that might make you feel anxious, so I just wanted to make you aware that we talk a lot about exercise and size and body image in this episode in case it's healthier for you not to listen. And also, if we could, we would give you a big hug right now - because you are awesome. :-)

If you would like to join us on Patreon, we would be delighted to have you. For $5 a month (plus tax, in some states), you get a Closer Look episode - where we talk about something we're both thinking about or obsessed with or analyzing like crazy - and a Q&A where we answer Patreon listeners' questions. It has been a ton of fun, and if you join now, you'll have access to all the old episodes as well as the new content. It's easy-breezy to sign up.

Show Notes:

- Stand All the Way Up

- This is a sad state of affairs for show notes - but we mostly talk about our personal stories instead of products. The good news is that maybe this episode won't cost you a lot of money for new skin care products. :-)