This week, inspired by Casey Johnston's 2025 book A Physical Education, Heather and Lisa talk about the diets they've tried and despised, body image, and what fitness means for them. Is there a workable way for women over 50 to conserve bone mass, build muscle tone, and feel fit and healthy? Heather thinks she may have found the answer and Lisa is ready to give it a try.

Here are links to some of the sources we used to frame this conversation:

A Physical Education by Casey Johnston

https://www.caseyjohnston.website/my-work/a-physical-education

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-dvd/books/starting-strength-basic-barbell-training/

National Eating Disorders Association

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/body-image-and-eating-disorders/

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/weight-stigma/

Researchers from Penn State weigh in on weight-bearing exercise and bone health

https://pennstatehealthnews.org/2025/04/the-medical-minute-keep-your-bones-strong-during-menopause-and-beyond/

Researchers from UC Davis on the role weight-bearing exercise plays in preventing GLP1-related muscle loss

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/health-wellness/glp-1-and-health-beyond-weight-loss-in-the-ozempic-era/2025/11

A study on why it can be difficult for autistic people to navigate hellos and goodbyes

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1026088531558

This week, we are doing something new. Heather is having a 1:1 sit down with Lili Zarghami, founder of the online magazine Jenny, for a candid, unfiltered conversation about GLP-1 drugs, weight, and the complicated realities of living in a woman's body.

From illness and aging to body shaming and the quiet mental load of trying to do everything exactly "right"—and still gaining weight—we unpack the promises and pitfalls of GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro.

This isn’t a before-and-after story tied up in a pink bow. It’s about what happens when weight loss works, when it doesn’t, and why both outcomes can mess with your head. Show notes: You can read Lili Zarghami's essay series, "A Month of Mounjaro" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/01/14/mounjaro-diary-part-1/ You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/ You can buy Johann Hari's book, "Magic Pill," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743989/magic-pill-by-johann-hari/

Another Bloody Podcast co-hosts Lisa Pierce Flores and Heather O'Neill are both survivors of Stage 4 endometriosis. Here, in Part 2 of their deep dive into endometriosis, they interview one another about their many years of suffering from the disease, attempting to find a diagnosis, and finally, after many of false starts and a fair amount of medical gaslighting, how they each found some level of relief from their symptoms. For a research-based rundown on the disease, listen to Another Bloody Podcast Episode 4, Bloody Hell: Welcome to the (Not So) Wonderful World of Endometriosis.

Show Notes:

You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Janny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/

“The Association Between Endometriosis and Risk of Endometrial Cancer and Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9673303/