'Swipe Fat' Podcast Hosts Share Tips for Using Dating Apps as Plus-Sized Women (EXCLUSIVE)

Dating in the modern age is difficult enough, but being a plus-sized woman comes with its own challenges, according to Swipe Fat podcast hosts Alex Stewart and Nicci Nunez. The two women use this podcast to delve into their personal stories and compare notes about their real-life experiences with online dating and being plus-sized in today's society.

"Articles talk about being fat but never specifically dating," Nicci exclusively told Distractify about how the idea for Swipe Fat was born.

"It’s an untapped market, people are looking for it," co-host Alex explained, adding, "Most fat women only hang out with straight-size women … we just don’t have the same issues that straight-size people do when they date." 

The Swipe Fat podcast hosts opened up exclusively to Distractify about their tips for online dating, why it's important to normalize the word "fat," being body positive on social media, and more.   

Though society has attached a negative connotation to the word "fat," the ladies of Swipe Fat are taking back the word. 

"Fat is just a descriptor, it doesn’t need to be a negative word," Alex stated. "It is just a way to describe myself, just as I have blond hair and blue eyes." 

She continued, "I think people get uncomfortable when we say that our podcast is Swipe Fat and people are like, ‘Oh is it OK to call you fat?’ And 100 percent we want that. We want to normalize the word ... I think we just need to stop using it like it’s this swear word." 

In their podcast, Alex and Nicci talk a lot about using dating apps, including their successes and some of the horror stories they've witnessed and / or experienced. 

While it can be intimidating to put yourself out there, both women agreed that showing confidence online and posting full-body pictures is key.

"For the longest time, I really only put selfies or face shots or pictures where I thought I looked the best because I didn’t fully love myself. It took a long time for me to love my body and appreciate who I was and gain confidence, but I think gaining confidence and realizing that you are a valid human in your body — doesn’t matter that you’re fat, you’re worthy of love — is a huge thing," Nicci told us. "Putting your full body shows that you do have confidence in yourself and confidence is attractive."  

As for Alex, she told Distractify that she posts pictures next to "skinnier friends, like a comparison ... so you can see that there is a difference in body types." The podcast host explained that she does this because it makes people not have to explain "that they’re fat before they meet up."

While the podcast hosts admitted that body confidence didn't happen overnight, Alex advised those who might be feeling self-conscious (while tirelessly scrolling through social media platforms) to only follow people who make you feel good about yourself. 

"I basically only follow people who make me feel positive. If you’re following someone who makes you feel not good about yourself then stop following them," she said. "You have to be the owner of what you process and take in so that you can have a healthier outlook on what you look like."

With a growing fanbase of subscribers, the feedback from listeners has been great. "People have really related to what we’re saying and thought they were the only ones who feel how we feel," Nicci told Distractify. "We’re showing them that there are other people out there."