Good Guys Podcast: "Skinny in the City"
Hosts: Josh Peck & Ben Soffer
Date: November 6, 2025
Podcast Network: Dear Media
Episode Overview
In this lively and honest episode, Josh and Ben reunite in Los Angeles, diving deep into weight loss journeys, the realities of taking GLP-1/GLP-2 medications, gym woes, and the unique health and beauty standards of LA versus New York. Alongside sharing laughs and personal insecurities, the duo touch on topics like parenting, the struggle to build good habits, and their evolving friendship. Packed with relatable anecdotes and candid advice, "Skinny in the City" encapsulates the highs and lows of self-improvement – with plenty of playful ribbing along the way.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Ben’s Weight Loss Journey & the Power of Zepbound
[00:26–08:52]
- Ben’s Current State: Ben jokes about being a “skinny mini,” credits current weight loss to both Zepbound (a new weight loss medication) and the LA lifestyle, and reflects on his fluctuating weight journey.
- Medication Talk: Detailed discussion about GLP-1s (Ozempic) and dual-agonist drugs like Zepbound/Mounjaro, their mechanisms (“the real fucking deal” [01:40]), and the immense impact on appetite suppression and food “noise.”
- Trial and Error: Ben admits to getting comfortable when the medication's effects waned, thinking, “I went off of a name brand drug and I went on to something that...I’m not gonna blame the generic GLP...but I am going to blame the dose.” [07:01]
- Josh’s Gentle Tough Love: Josh pushes Ben about his goals: “If you said to me, I want to be 210, I would say you should be already.” [06:56–07:01]
- Lifestyle Effects: Ben underscores the difference the LA environment makes for daily movement and healthy habits compared to New York.
Notable Quote:
“The food noise isn’t there. The food noise came back vigorously. It was there.” — Ben [08:54]
2. Los Angeles vs. New York: Beauty, Walking, and Food Culture
[04:31–06:18]
- Ugly People Analysis: “We have a higher caliber of ugly people in Los Angeles.” — Josh [04:31]. The guys riff on how both cities have extremes in physical appearance.
- Lifestyle Shifts: LA encourages walking, healthy eating, and a general sense of wellness – “Everything’s healthier, I think...it’s just stylized.” — Josh [05:36]
- Coffee Anecdote: Josh shares a story about LA’s aversion to traditional cream in coffee, highlighting local dietary trends [05:57].
3. The Gym Struggle: Building Strength and Consistency
[09:33–22:27]
- The Eternal Commitment Issue: Both hosts admit to struggles with gym consistency, the difficulty of building upper body strength, and their ambivalence about weightlifting, despite understanding its health benefits.
- On Motivation: Ben feels motivated when he sees gains but laments, “I’ve never once seen gains in my chest. I could never do a pull-up. I could never do a push-up. Like, push-ups are so fucking hard for me.” [18:57]
- Honesty Pod: Josh shares learning to ride a bike at 18, underscoring everyone has their own pace and struggles [19:04].
- Advice for Gym Beginners: “If you’re going from like, just the couch body...15 minutes. Start with 15.” — Josh [22:48]
- Building Habits: Both agree that inspiration follows action, not the other way around: “The muse will reveal itself when you do the work, not the other way around.” — Josh [20:55]
Notable Quote:
“You have to find the torture you love...that’s the key to life.” — Josh [20:13]
4. Family Life, Parenting, and Friendships
[23:18–25:17, 29:08–34:54]
- Milestone Celebration: Ben celebrates attending Josh’s son’s birthday, cherishing in-person podcasting and their deepening friendship.
- Partners’ Type A Tendencies: Both hosts praise their wives’ attention to detail at home and at birthday parties: “...without them, you wouldn’t have thought of the hundred other things that they did.” — Ben [30:55]
- Homesickness & Parenthood: Ben reflects on missing New York, the need for family time, and how travel with a baby is exhausting: “Every day feels incredibly long.” [32:11]
5. LA Logistics: Overbuying, Pickling on Vacation, & Sourdough Starters
[34:01–35:59]
- Overpreparedness: Ben humorously details his overzealous shopping at Target and buying Mason jars imagining vacation pickling, only to realize, “I’m not pickling. I have no time to pickle.” [35:05]
- Domestic Exaggeration: Discussion on unnecessary vacation projects and the fate of Ben’s sourdough starter at home [35:36].
6. Digital Life: Social Media, Screen Time, and Coping Skills
[36:56–49:12]
- Consuming Pop Culture: Ben wishes for a newspaper summing up TikTok trends and pop culture—without more screen time.
- Social Media as a ‘Rough Neighborhood’: Analogies about ending up in bad algorithmic ‘neighborhoods’ on platforms like TikTok and X [37:38].
- Phone Detox: Both discuss the dopamine addiction of screens and how even a 25-hour fast (Yom Kippur) improves mental state.
- Screen Time Shame: Comparing daily averages (Josh: 7–10 hours, Ben: ~7 hours), realizing, “Over half of your waking day is on this stupid thing.” — Josh [46:24]
- Morning Routines: The hosts aspire to create better boundaries around phone use for improved well-being.
7. Mental Health: Medication & Self-Acceptance
[48:55–50:16]
- On Medication: Josh contemplates returning to Wellbutrin, discussing whether self-improvement is ever “enough,” and if it’s OK to supplement with medication. His therapist’s advice: “If you need it, then you take it.” [49:42]
- Jewish Parent Wisdom: Ben delivers the quintessentially mixed-message support: “You’re perfect the way you are. I wish that wasn’t at such a BMI.” [50:03].
8. Listener Call-In Segments: Tough Love & Requests for Better Stories
[52:23–53:38]
- Coaching Listeners: The hosts encourage spicier, more interesting call-in stories for future episodes: “Even if you’re lightly fabricating, even if it’s a friend’s problem, no problem.” — Ben [52:57]
- Making Content Fun: Their willingness to riff on outrageous hypotheticals: “Call and say my friend was involved in a murder. Make it up.” — Ben [53:18]
9. "What Are Ya Nuts?" Gripes of the Week
[53:40–57:08]
- Ben’s Gripe: Observing someone at Target paying for $110 worth of goods with a literal stack of $100 bills, dressed in head-to-toe Gucci/Louis Vuitton: “Like, why are you showing me that you have $20,000? Why are you flexing on this cashier?” [54:00]
- Josh’s Gripe: Phone number rewards programs: “No, I don’t want this text, ‘Hey, you haven’t been into Bennigan’s,’” [56:06] pushing back against needless spam.
Notable Quote:
“If you’re actually a credible source in health, you don’t have a collab at Erewhon.” — Ben [57:06]
10. Memorable Moments & Quotables
- On LA’s Health Culture: “They were like, we think we have half and half somewhere, but we’d probably like to just give you oat milk.” — Josh [05:57]
- Fitness Real Talk: “You have to find the torture you love...that’s the key to life.” — Josh [20:13]
- Parenting Frenzy: “What are Ruby’s eye color now? Or like, what is Ruby — can he drive yet?” — Ben [32:18]
- Phone Use Honesty: “I could have started that rat race at 7:30. It doesn’t matter to anybody else. I could have been up with myself having a cup of coffee.” — Ben [48:34]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:26–08:52] Weight loss, Zepbound, medications, and Ben’s journey
- [09:33–22:27] Working out, building habits, and fitness struggles
- [23:18–25:17] Friendship, family moments, and podcasting in person
- [29:08–34:54] Parenting, milestone stories, LA/NYC homesickness
- [34:01–35:59] Overdoing logistics, pickling, and quirky habits
- [36:56–49:12] Digital overwhelm, social media, and screen time talk
- [48:55–50:16] Medication, mental health, therapy insights
- [52:23–53:38] Listener call-in feedback and future plans
- [53:40–57:08] Weekly “What Are Ya Nuts?” gripes and observational humor
Episode Tone & Style
The episode is classic “Good Guys”: funny, irreverent, deeply personal, and always willing to poke fun at themselves and each other. Beneath the banter lies genuine care, accountability, and a wish to improve—not only for themselves but also for their audience.
For listeners new and old, this episode delivers frank honesty about weight, wellness, motivation, friendship, and the pursuit of feeling “good”—with equal parts humor and heart.