The Burnt Toast Podcast

It's the one year anniversary of FAT TALK , so we're celebrating with a special episode for you today: Virginia is reading Chapter 11! The title is “I Got Taller and Gymnastics Got Scarier.” That’s a quote from Camille, a 13-year-old former gymnast in Boise, Idaho, who you’ll hear from shortly. Camille and so many other kids talked about how youth sports and dance—these activities that should be e...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your April Indulgence Gospel! Which we recorded in the same room!  The banter should be more delightful than ever!  Here’s what we’re getting into: What to say if your tween switches to Diet Coke? How to embrace “joyful movement” when you hate exercise. Are electrolyte drinks a fun “end of da...

Introducing the Unflattering x Burnt Toast Style Challenge! Corinne and Virginia are joined by Dacy Gillespie, stylist and author of the Unflattering newsletter to talk about why style challenges can feel like diets and what we're going to do differently. (No but really!)  To get all of the links and resources mentioned in this episode, as well as a complete transcript, visit  our show page.  Also...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark! It's time for your April Extra Butter!  This month we’re answering a thorny mix of listener questions: Do we ever get tempted to buy back into diet culture? Is weight-loss surgery (and meds) not “doing it the old-fashioned way?” And what should you say when your dau...

Today Virginia is chatting with Mary Mahoney, co-host of the Dolls of Our Lives podcast, co-author of Dolls Of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl , and author of  Landline .  Dolls Of Our Lives   is available in the Burnt Toast Bookshop ! Don’t forget, you can always take 10 percent off that purchase if you also order (or have already ordered!) Fat Talk from Split Rock Books! (Just use the...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your March Indulgence Gospel! Corinne and Virginia are talking about their new favorite comfy jeans, Paleo waffles, and whether wanting to lose weight is always because of the patriarchy.  If you are already a paid subscriber, you’ll have this entire episode in your podcast feed and access to...

Today Virginia is chatting with Christyna Johnson ( @encougagingdietitian on Instagram and TikTok ). Christyna is a registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image work. She also talks a lot about the intersection of consumerism, diet culture and white supremacy — and that giant topic is what we’re getting into today.  To tell us YOUR thoughts, and to get a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark! It's time for your March Extra Butter!  This month we’re answering a reader question about baggy, black clothes. Then Virginia takes Corinne down a rabbit hole to unpack the rainbow produce, and subtle food- and fat-shaming, of Kids Eat in Color . If you are already...

Today Virginia is chatting with Lyz Lenz, author of the newsletter Men Yell at Me  and the brand new book This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life . This American Ex-Wife   is available in the Burnt Toast Bookshop ! Don’t forget, you can always take 10 percent off that purchase if you also order (or have already ordered!) Fat Talk from Split Rock Books! (Just use the code...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your February Indulgence Gospel! Corinne is here. This month instead of the usual listener questions, we are going to tell you about a bunch of new books we are very about. All of these titles are available in a special Book Gospel section of the Burnt Toast book store over at Split Rock book...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Today Virginia is chatting with Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, founders of the beloved  Food Heaven podcast and the brand new  Diabetes Digital .  To get all of the links and resources mentioned in this episode, as well as a complete transcript, visit  our show page.  If you want more conversations like th...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark! It's time for your February Extra Butter! Today we're talking about the strange new trend of plus size influencers pursuing public weight loss. (We also get into walking pads, for reasons that will become clear.)  CW: Discussion of intentional weight loss. If you ar...

Today Virginia is chatting with Ash Brandin, a middle school teacher librarian better known as The Gamer Educator .  Ash helps caregivers navigate screen time boundaries, to ensure it benefits the whole family. And we're going to talk about how screen time attitudes can intersect so much with diet culture and anti-fatness. To get all of the links and resources mentioned in this episode, as well as...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your January Indulgence Gospel! Corinne is here. We’re getting into 1000 hours outside (is it a diet?), eating sugar when you're sick (does it trash your immune system?), and many, many recs. If you are already a paid subscriber, you’ll have this entire episode in your podcast feed and access...

Welcome to the first ever LIVE episode of Burnt Toast! We recorded this on December 3, at Seattle’s Town Hall . This was the official end of the Fat Talk book tour, but I promise it’s not a regular book promo conversation. Because it’s author Angela Garbes and Virginia, talking about books, but also talking about bodies and big life transitions and other good stuff. All of Angela's and Virginia's...

Today Virginia is chatting with author and feminist philosopher Kate Manne,  about her new book Unshrinking: How To Face Fatphobia .  Kate is also an associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University and author of Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny and Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women . All of Kate’s books, including Unshrinking , are available in the Burnt Toast Bookshop ! Don’t forge...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark! It’s time for your January Extra Butter episode. This month, we’re doing a few listener questions on how to find fat-friendly fitness spaces, how to deal with those coded “you look so great!” compliments, and how to tune out the mainstream media’s often relentless f...

Burnt Toast is on winter break this week, so we're rerunning a favorite conversation from last year, with author Lyz Lenz about divorce and diet culture.  This conversation was inspired in part by a piece Virginia wrote in fall of 2022 about how diet culture shows up in co-parenting. Lyz writes the excellent newsletter Men Yell at Me . She’s also the author of God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your December Indulgence Gospel! Corinne is here. We’re getting into fat boots, fat travel challenges, and ofc, diet culture during the holiday season. We got you!  If you are already a paid subscriber, you’ll have this entire episode in your podcast feed and access to the entire transcript i...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com  Today Virginia is chatting with  Jessie Diaz-Herrera . Jessie is a body affirming dancer, health and wellness influencer, and fitness enthusiast. You might know her on Instagram as @curveswithmoves , or from her Free the Jiggle classes. The first half of this episode is for everyone, and then paid subscr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com  Today Virginia is chatting with Crystal Maldonado, a YA author who writes inclusive rom-com novels about fat brown girls. If you want more conversations like this one,  please rate and review us in your podcast player!  And become  a paid Burnt Toast subscriber  to get all of Virginia's reporting and bon...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark! It's time for your November Extra Butter! We are dissecting 75 Hard (it's not a diet, it's about mental toughness ). And Virginia has thoughts on her post-divorce body.  If you are already an Extra Butter subscriber , you’ll have this entire episode in your podcast...

 Today Virginia is chatting about body autonomy, diet culture, and chronic health conditions, with Leigh Kamping-Carder, who writes  The Heart Dialogues . If you want more conversations like this one,  please rate and review us in your podcast player!  And become  a paid Burnt Toast subscriber  to get all of Virginia's reporting and bonus subscriber-only episodes.  And don’t forget to check out o...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com It's time for your November Indulgence Gospel! Corinne is here. We’re getting into fat fashion, fat hair, and Fat Friends. Plus a divorce update from Virginia.  If you are already a paid subscriber, you’ll have this entire episode in your podcast feed and access to the entire transcript in your inbox and ...

 Today Virginia is chatting with Vashti Harrison , number one New York Times- bestselling author and illustrator of Little Leaders , Little Dreamers , and Little Legends — about her newest picture book, Big . AND - we have signed copies of Big and several of Vashti’s other books in the Burnt Toast Bookshop right now! Plus you can get 10 percent off that purchase if you also order (or have already...