#209: "I Refuse to Be Good": Women, Bodies, and the Cost of Compliance with Savala Nolan

What if being “good” was never meant to protect us?

In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by the incredible Savala Nolan (back for the second time) to talk about her new book Good Woman: A Reckoning, which is a lyrical, unflinching exploration of the expectations placed on women’s bodies, voices, marriages, appetites, and lives.

We explore what happens when the bargain of goodness stops “working” and what becomes possible when we refuse it.

Tune in for more on:

  • The myth that being “good” (thin, quiet, agreeable) will keep women safe

  • Midlife as rupture: dieting, divorce, and the unraveling of social conditioning

  • Body liberation as a daily practice — especially in the age of GLP-1s

  • What it means to become “illegible” to misogynistic culture

  • Raising daughters who are fluent in their bodies, not afraid of them

This is a conversation about wilderness, refusal, and the kind of freedom that feels both exciting and terrifying because of its importance and truth.

Find Savala on IG: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/

Order "Good Woman" here: https://savalanolan.com/

Savala's Substack: https://savala.substack.com/

Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership, which meets every other week: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Administrative Support by Alexis Glaubach

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

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#210: This S**t Is So Hard. Is Recovery Worth It?

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#208: Fibermaxxing, Protein Hysteria, and the Trap of “More Is Better"