Compared to Who? Body Image for Christian Women

Today Heather interviews Tracy Brown, registered dietitian and trauma-informed eating disorder recovery coach about all the physical issues that can accompany or follow seasons of dieting, disordered eating, or an eating disorder. Are you always cold? Have you experienced seasons of hair loss? Have you had joint or bone density issues? GI and digestive tract issues, no matter what you eat? Today Heather shares her story of several strange physical symptoms she's experienced over the years--from easily broken bones to esophagus issues--and how the decades of an unhealthy relationship with food have hit her with new symptoms and strange side effects, years later, even after she's recovered from disordered eating. In today's show, Heather and Tracy discuss issues like bone loss, muscle loss, joint issues, sexual health issues, fertility, and cardiac arrest and other heart issues. They also talk about how being malnourished (the technical way to look at dieting and calorie restriction of any kind) can cause hair loss, nail growth to stop, and your skin's appearance to change. Tracy explains how the human stress response acts as a protective mechanism to keep us alive by deciding which systems are most important to keep working. If your body only has a limited amount of resources and you are limiting food, the body has to choose whether or not to keep running your heart, lungs, and brain or to grow your hair. The body is smart enough to know that the heart, lungs, and brain are most important. Dieting Can Hurt Your Health: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Heather and Tracy discuss how serious it is to put our bodies in a situation where it has to make this kind of choice. They also discuss how even without physical symptoms, there may be emotional and spiritual symptoms connected to months, years, or decades of disordered eating. Connect with Tracy & Other Resources Book Heather mentioned: Sick Enough by Jennifer Gaudiani* Amazon affiliate link Connect with Tracy Brown, RD and learn more about how to work with her. For helpful encouragement on Intuitive Eating and finding a healthy relationship with food, follow Tracy on Instagram here. Do you need Christian body image coaching? You can connect with Heather or schedule a free ten-minute call here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you hate to buy bigger clothes? Is it a mental battle when you try on the size you thought you wore only to find that you need another size or two (or more) larger? Have you been frustrated with your body because it has changed sizes and now you don't even know what size you wear? Today, Heather unpacks our complicated relationship with clothing and clothing sizes. She gets real as she discusses why so many of us have difficulty getting rid of clothes that don't fit and why we refuse to buy ourselves new clothes when our bodies change sizes. She also explores the history of standardized sizing and what that means to us as women of all shapes and sizes. If you're staring at clothes in your drawer or your closet that are too small or too big . . . If you're frustrated that you're feeling healthier in your relationship with food but now don't fit in your clothing . . . or if you feel shame around changing sizes or the letter or number inside your jeans, this episode is for you. Hey, it may be the perfect episode to also share with a friend. Share it on social media or just pass it on via text to a friend or family member whom you know would be blessed by it. Heather IS taking coaching clients this month. If you'd like to explore coaching with Heather, try a ten minute intro to coaching call and get your Christian body image coaching questions answered. Click here to schedule your free ten-minute coaching call with Heather Creekmore. Have you taken the survey yet? Tell Compared to Who? what you'd like to hear more of. Fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/dhxZ3TvHM1NfXPTS6 This episode was sponsored by Classical Conversations -- a great way to do homeschooling in community. Learn more at: www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho The Burden of Better will only be .99 May 1 through May 14th on Kindle. Go grab your copy while it's almost free.(Amazon affiliate link - a tiny portion of your purchase will go back to Compared to Who?)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heather continues her conversations with Ashley Smith of the HA society about hormonal issues, infertility, and body image issues common among women she works with. Part two of this conversation goes far beyond the medical and fertility implications of disordered eating that often accompanies body image issues. Today, Heather and Ashley dig into what it really means to find body image freedom and how agreeing with God about how he made us is vital to that process. Together they discuss topics like: Trying to achieve your ideal image. Fear and surrender around body image, food, and even fertility What it really means to be the "temple" of the Holy Spirit Is it even possible to be happy in your body? Why self- hatred may be the biggest (secret) idol of all. At the end of today's episode, Ashley gives specific instructions about when it's time to get help with your HA (loss of cycle). Reach out to Ashley Smith at: www.thehasociety.com if you want coaching or help around your hormonal or fertility issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

omen who are struggling with hormone issues surrounding fertility, loss of cycle, early menopause diagnoses, and body image issues. Ashley shares her story and how her own experience has led her to a ministry and coaching business where she helps women get pregnant (without IVF), regain their cycle, and make peace with their bodies and food. Today Ashley and Heather talk about: Heather shares her story of having HA without knowing what she had or why she was missing her period. Ashley shares her story of trying to perfect her body, and "get healthy" and how that led her to losing her cycle and other physical issues. What Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is (loss of cycle do to a suppressed hormone production) and why it's not a permanent condition. How estrogen/progesterone are important to your entire body. Why women are being diagnosed as peri or pre-menopausal in their thirties How HA gets frequently mistaken for PCOS. The impact of disordered eating on the thyroid-and how you can feel wired and tired. Learn more about Ashley and the work of the HA society here: https://www.thehasociety.com/coaching Ready for coaching? Visit: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/Christian-body-image-coaching for more informationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you have a rival? Hannah in the Bible did. As did Rachel and Leah. Today we look at rivalries, competitions, and comparisons that happen between women. Whether you've always been compared to a rival sister or cousin, or whether or not you've just found yourself in competition with a woman at church or at work, this episode is for you! Today, Heather explores the stories of Hannah from 1 Samuel and of Rachel and Leah from Genesis 29-30. She talks about how detrimental it is for us to get caught up in rivalries and offers three things to do if you find yourself in a competition or comparison trap with another woman. Listen to other episodes about Rachel and Leah and women of the Bible from the Compared to Who? show. This episode is sponsored by Classical Conversations. To learn more about how to start homeschooling with Classical Conversations visit www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho Leave a review! For instructions visit: www.comparedtowho.me/podcast then scroll to the bottom for details! Interested in coaching? Visit: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/Christian-body-image-coaching  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The concept of stewardship is often used with our bodies and money, but are there more connections between money and body image than we may know? Today's episode explores these connections, how eating disorders show up in the way we deal with money, how eating disorders can connect with hoarding and more. Have you heard of financial anorexia? How about having "shopping bulimia?" How about an "orthorexic" view of what we spend money on? Or, how about a possible connection between anorexia and a tendency to hoard food? That's what Heather talks about in today's show. Looking through scripture, God has a lot to say about how to steward our money. In truth, there's more verses money than there are about how to care for our bodies. Today, Heather explores several money-related verses and connects how the wisdom around treating this "treasure" could also be applied to how we treat the "treasure" of our physical bodies. Whether you're "wealthy" in the body image department or feeling impoverished in the arena of physical beauty or health, there are lessons to be learned from scripture on the topic of how we think about and steward our bodies. We also talk about how no amount of money or beauty can keep us safe. It's only Jesus that offers that protection, freedom, and safety. Verses explored today: Where your treasure is your heart will be also – Matthew 6:21 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:25 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 19:25 Take the survey! Compared to Who? wants to hear from you. Fill out the survey and you could win a FREE hour of body image coaching with Heather!  Who do you need to share this podcast with? Copy and paste this link and text it to a friend who need some encouragement today. Ready for Body Image Coaching? Visit: www.improvebodyimage.com to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you ever just feel sad about your body size or shape? Part of finding body image freedom is recognizing the truth that sometimes you will just feel sad or discouraged about your body. Grieving the lost dream of a "better" body that would "cure" everything or the loss of youth or the loss of the body size or shape you once had is a normal and healthy process. On today's show, Heather looks at what body grief is and offers three suggestions for how to process grief and how to not stay in the pit of body image woe or body depression.  Today, Heather talks about: 1) The five stages of grief, what they are, and how we move through them, including an explanation of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief. 2) What these stages of grief look like as they relate to our body image issues or adjustment to aging or changing sizes. 3) How being "sober-minded" as scripture instructs, can help us find body image freedom. 4) How Romans 12: 1-3 can help us see our bodies in a different light and help us when we grieve. 5) How Psalm 73 offers us the best cure for any time we feel grieved or sorrow-filled about our bodies (or anything!) Ready for body image coaching? Reach out to Heather at: heather @ Compared to who (dot) me for more information on how you can get started this month! Have you read the Burden of Better yet? Start reading here. Join our Facebook Community called "Body Image Help for Christian Women" here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Heather talks with one of her Intuitive Eating Coaches, Erin Todd, about step one of Intuitive Eating, which is giving up the Diet Mentality. Erin and Heather hash through how conditioned we are to believe that diets and plans are the only ways to be "healthy" or be on the "path" to a better body or better health. They also talk about the following: How we feel "safe" when we are conforming to the way everyone else is eating or dieting. Why we cling to diets or eating plans even if we know they don't work in the long run. How we conflate appearance with identity. Heather shares how it feels like failure not to be pursuing a thinner body. How the measure of a body's worth has changed from "Yay, you'll survive the winter" to "the person who can restrict the most, wins." How Intuitive Eating is a weight-neutral, non-diet approach to listening to and caring for your body. There are boundaries and principles to be guided by. How Intuitive Eating is bigger than just how you eat and how the framework respects how our bodies were created. How Intuitive Eating isn't the same as just "not being on a diet" How do we trust ourselves around food. Why we are afraid that when we stop dieting we'll gain hundreds of pounds. Or that, "Once we stop eating we'll never stop." (And the black and white thinking behind that). Why are we afraid of the opinions of people we don't know about our bodies. How fear around food and diets is spiritual warfare. How dieting/following plans may keep us from our ultimate purpose here on earth-loving God and loving others well. How dieting as a prescription doesn't fit the "standard of care" test. The Weight Watchers (WW) illustration- how this huge diet company's recent purchase of a weight loss drug company may reveal what's really going on. What do diets really cost us? Are you ready to start walking in freedom? Consider coaching with Heather. Learn more about Christian body image coaching on Heather's website: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/Christian-body-image-coaching Are we email friends yet? Get the FREE 5-Day Improve Your Body Image Email Challenge here. Connect with Erin Todd and learn more about Intuitive Eating for Christian Women on their podcast and blog. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's face it. We all want to be special. We all want to know that our lives are significant. We each desire to know that we matter. But, sometimes our lives can feel anything but significant. We may know that God says we are, but then we look at our schedules or our days and think: Does any of this really matter? Today, Heather's guest is Rachael Adams, author and host of the Love Offering Podcast. Rachael talks about how she's journeyed to find significance and shares truths from her new book, "A Little Goes a Long Way." Heather and Rachael talk about the tiny things in our lives that can make others (and ourselves) grasp a better understanding of our significance. We talk about about how significance sometimes comes from (or looks more like) sacrifice. We also talk about how something as simple as looking someone in the eyes can help them feel like they matter--and how we can practice this with strangers or even family members! You'll love where our conversation goes today--stick around to the end--that's when it really heats up! Learn more about Rachael on her website and learn more about the Love Offering Podcast. Check out Rachael's new book: A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life. (Amazon affiliate link) Learn more about the ministry of Compared to Who? at www.comparedtowho.me Ready for Christian body image coaching? Do you need someone who can help you dig into why you're still stuck stressing over your size or shape? Contact Heather and book a free 10-minute call to see if coaching is right for you! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's interview with Amy Carlson, MS, RD, LD, Amy and Heather talk about the ways that "Purity Culture" a movement in the church through the 1990s, has paved the way for Diet Culture in the church. The duo explores the language we use around our food choices like "being good" or "being bad," how we admire those who can "abstain" from eating, and how we've put a lot of weight and value on our food choices to give us standing, worth, or value. Amy and Heather explore the good, bad, and ugly from purity culture and relate it to the ways we think about thinness, food, and the ways we eat today. This deep dive into what's underneath both of these movements and what's missing from both--(hint: it's Jesus!) will inspire and encourage you in your relationship with food and your body. Connect with Amy Carlson through https://www.hellowpeacewithfood.com or check out the Peace With Food App  Connect with Compared to Who?, take the body image 5-Day Email Challenge, and get on our friends' list here: https://www.comparedtowho.me Start reading Heather's latest book, The Burden of Better, by downloading the first two chapters free here: Burden of Better Book for Christian Women on Comparison or at https://comparedtowho.me/burden-of-better-book-for-christian-women-on-comparison/ Interested in coaching: visit the coaching tab at www.comparedtowho.me to find out more or to schedule a free, 10-minute call to see if coaching is right for you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.