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Explore every episode of Compared to Who? Body Image for Christian Women

Dive into the complete episode list for Compared to Who? Body Image for Christian Women. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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Pub. DateTitleDuration
31 Jan 2025Jesus Didn't Look Like an Influencer: Dying to Live with Margaret Jen Burke00:40:26

Consider today's episode a heart check-up for your spiritual health. Today Heather chats with author Margaret Jen Burke about her book titled, "Dying to Live: Letting Go of Earthly Treasures to Find Eternal Joy." In the book, Margaret Jen challenges American Christian women to consider the ways they are killing themselves (literally and spiritually) to strive for the American dream or the promised comforts of this life, while missing out on the supreme joy, comfort, and contentment found in Christ alone. Margaret Jen talks about how our quest for satisfaction will never be quenched at TJ Maxx...but how the greatest satisfaction we can discover is connected to our journey of sanctification in Christ. Is the American dream what's killing our contentment? Why do we follow and try to be like so many influencers when, the truth is, Jesus didn't look like an influencer? This episode will challenge you to think about your spiritual health in a new way.

Learn more about Margaret Jen Burke here: https://www.instagram.com/margaretjenburke/

Read or order her book, "Dying to Live" here: https://amzn.to/42eX4GE  (Amazon affiliate link)

Here's the "Do You Long to Be Hot or Holy" episode mentioned in today's show: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/blog/hot-or-holy

Learn more about Compared to Who? here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Learn more about Heather's 40-Day body image workbook here: https://amzn.to/4jkkpfW

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

13 Jun 2023Is Food Really Your Idol? A Test to Discover Your Real Relationship with Food00:32:19

Heather Creekmore tackles the issue of food idolatry and how it relates to body image. Idolatry is a tricky topic, and many women who wrestle the body image idol may secretly desire to label food as an idol too. Heather asks listeners to carefully consider several questions in the form of an "idols test" to see where if food is really their idol, or if it's something else.

Here are some key topics covered in today's episodes:

  • Introduction to body image idolatry among women
  • Discussion on how women may shift their focus from body image to food as an idol, especially for those with eating disorders
  • Link between food as an idol and the desire to improve one's body
  • Heather Creekmore's suggestion to consider what one cannot live without beyond physiological needs
  • The potential confusion around food being on the idol list
  • Discussion on fear around food and the topic of gluttony
  • Heather Creekmore's personal experience with disordered eating and society's influence on food habits
  • Fear of losing something being an indicator of an idol
  • Determining the difference between physiological need and food idolatry
  • Lack of understanding about the physiological effects of restriction and disordered eating
  • Idea that finding satisfaction in food is not bad, but ultimate satisfaction cannot be found in it
  • Discussion on spending a lot of time thinking about food and potential physiological connection.

Ready for Christian body image coaching? Learn more at: www.improvebodyimage.com

Are you interested in homeschooling? Learn more about our sponsor, Classical Conversations at: www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

29 Aug 2023Redefining Beauty Featuring Melissa Johnson00:39:02

Melissa Johnson joins Heather today to discuss the concept of beauty and how it can be redefined. Melissa shares her personal journey of simultaneously undergoing eating disorder treatment and spiritual formation classes, which prompted her to question societal beauty standards and discover true beauty. Through her own experiences and encounters with God, Melissa began to see the broken nature of cultural beauty and how it disintegrates individuals.

Melissa highlights the mind-blowing beauty and expansive love of God revealed in his Creation and creations. True beauty, she explains, integrates and draws individuals towards wholeness and unity. To see and appreciate such beauty, Melissa suggests adopting a posture of presence and using our senses to notice the world around us. The conversation delves into Melissa's personal experience with the harmful beliefs around food, body image, and worth as a woman that she had to undo through intensive treatment. She emphasizes the importance of stopping objectification and embracing our bodies as integrated parts of who we are. We also cover touch on societal pressures, shame, and the impact of beauty standards on individuals' sense of self-worth and belonging. The toxic nature of these standards, perpetuated by media saturation and social media, leads to comparison, competition, and disconnection from our own bodies.

Check out Melissa's new book or connect with Melissa at: https://www.impossible-beauty.com

Learn more about Melissa's new book: "Soul Deep Beauty: Fighting for our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless" https://amzn.to/47diXWT (Amazon affiliate link - a tiny portion of your purchase supports this ministry)

Learn more about Compared to Who? coaching opportunities and the brand new signature coaching program and online course here: www.improvebodyimage.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

11 Aug 2023What is Your Body Holding? Featuring Alisa Keeton of Revelation Wellness00:39:28

Today Heather interviews Alisa Keeton, founder of Revelation Wellness and author of a brand new book called, "The Body Revelation." Heather and Alisa talk about trauma, how our bodies hold on to and store trauma, and what we can do to find healing spiritually, emotionally, and in our bodies from past traumas of all kinds. Alisa shares her story and talks about how unpacking our past can help us live more free and more free in our bodies. Filled with Gospel truth and biblical wisdom, you'll love today's conversation about what we can do if our bodies are "keeping the score" and telling a story of past hurt or trauma that we didn't even recognize or know to acknowledge.

Learn more about Alisa's brand new book here: (Amazon affiliate link, a tiny portion of your purchase goes to Compared to Who?) https://amzn.to/3OiibPx

Connect with Compared to Who? and take the FREE 5 Day Body Image Freedom Challenge here: www.improvebodyimage.com 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

31 May 2024I Ruined My Body: How Do I Believe My Body is Good When I Messed It Up?00:40:18

What do I do if I feel bad about having ruined my body? How do I believe my body is good even though I feel responsible for having messed it up? Isn't God mad at me because He gave me a good body and then I messed it up by the way I ate (or didn't eat) and exercised (or didn't exercise)? Today, Heather explores the reality that our bodies are made differently and some bodies are more susceptible to issues and disease than others. But, the real answer for this struggle is a theological answer. What do we believe about sin and the consequences of sin? What do we believe about repentance and forgiveness? What do we believe about making bad choices and how God handles that? 

The questions under the question is: Has my sin ruined my life? Have my choices changed my life in such a way that I'm no longer able to live the life God planned for me? Can God still use me even though I feel like I've made bad decisions?

Heather explains how often the sins that we believe we are guilty of around our bodies are not what we think they are. And, how the real sins of pride, envy, lust of the flesh, greed, idolatry are what was under and driving those decisions to eat or exercise in a certain way. So-called food "sins" are often not about the food at all.

Heather also digs into the concept of guilt, worldly remorse, and true repentance. Taking inspiration from Tim Keller's sermon, The Problem With Guilt , Heather explains how these concepts can help us get out of that place where we feel stuck feeling guilty for the ways we've inappropriately cared for (or neglected) our bodies.

This topic is nuanced and tricky, but hopefully the truth of scripture about how God is still good and still has a good plan for your life, no matter how you feel you've "messed things up," will encourage you.

Learn more about Compared to Who? at https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Learn more about the 40-Day Body Image Workbook: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-Day-Body-Image-Workbook-Christian

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

15 Jul 2022What Does it Mean to Be Normal With Food?00:24:48

Most of us who diet or try fitness/wellness plans aren't looking to be on a plan forever. We just want to rest. We just want to be normal with food. But what does that even look like? Are you so far from feeling peaceful and "normal" around food, that you can't even conceive of how that would look? That's what we're talking about in today's "Hot Coaching Tips" episode.

Here are some points we cover as we discuss: What Does it Mean to Be Normal With Food?

  • Why it's important to understand what eating disorders and disordered eating really looks like?
  • How too many don't classify themselves with that label because they believe their strained relationship with food is normal or necessary.
  • How looking identifying our behaviors around food can help us work towards healing, freedom, and recovery--if we aren't afraid to be honest about them.
  • How Heather's understanding of her own eating disorder came decades later. (She talks about that in this episode: What You Need to Know About Eating Disorders )
  • Why if your weight is something you can only maintain through eating disorder behaviors, that's not a healthy weight for you.
  • How getting food freedom means thinking about food less and getting back mental space assigned to calculating and measuring.
  • What I observed about my Food Network watching habits after I quit dieting!

Coaching Tip: Is your relationship with food disordered? Take an honest look at your habits, thoughts, and patterns this week. Reach out for help if you need it.

Promoted on today's show: BodyBloved Food Freedom Bible Study and Course!

Use these links to learn more:

Food Freedom Bible Study Group Course (One Year Access) or Lifetime Access

Food Freedom Bible Study Individual Course (One Year Access) or Lifetime Access

Are we email friends yet? Join the 5 Day Body Image Freedom Email Challenge here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Have you read Compared to Who? Check it out and start reading free, here: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Check out Heather’s coaching options:

Ready for some extra support on your journey to body image freedom? Do you want to believe you are more than a body but still feel stuck?  Learn more here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

08 Mar 20217 Minutes of Scripture: Psalm 10300:09:08

In this episode we look at Psalm 103 and how it can encourage your body image and comparison struggles. Instead of waking up and cursing the mirror or the scale (or his life), David wakes up and says, "Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name!"

This passage has some rich truths for those of us who struggle with body image and comparison. There are reminders of God's benefits, reminders of his tremendous love for us, and reminders of why worship is so important.

Grab your Bible or open your Bible app and follow along.

Take the Free Body Image Quiz and get a FREE "Lose the Weight of Comparison" Walking Workout Download, here: www.comparedtowho.me

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

10 Sep 202130 Days to Pray for Body Image: Day 10 - Guilt00:08:28

Today we're talking about guilt and how all of our rules about our bodies, our diets, our exercise can add extra guilt we were never meant to carry. Guilt leads to shame and condemnation (and if you check out our verse of the day-- condemnation is something Jesus died to free us from). So what can you do to get rid of that guilt? That's what we'll pray about today. I hope you'll pray along and grab a friend to join you on this journey!

Romans 8:1 ESV There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Interested in coaching with Heather? Learn more at: https://www.comparedtowho.me/coaching

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Nov 2022Feasting & Fasting with Erin Davis Part 200:24:35

Today, Heather is joined by Erin Davis, an author, Bible teacher, and podcaster who has a new book out on Feasting and Fasting. In part two of this interview, Erin talks about feasting and how God created food as a good gift for his people. She shares how God has used food to show her his goodness and how healing our relationship with food is important. Erin and Heather also talk about how God will throw us a feast in heaven someday, great evidence that God isn't against food and wants to bless us with and through it.

About Erin Davis: Erin is a writer and teacher passionately committed to getting women of all ages to the deep well of God's Word. She is the author of more than a dozen books and Bible studies, including Connected, 7 Feasts, and Fasting & Feasting. Erin serves as the content director for Revive Our Hearts and hosts the Women of the Bible podcast and Grounded videocast. Hear her teach on The Deep Well with Erin Davispodcast. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin chasing chickens and children on her small farm in the Midwest. Learn more about Erin Davis: http://www.erindavis.org

Learn more about Erin's new book on Feasting and Fasting:

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3ULbDuy **

Ready to learn more about Compared to Who? Sign up for the free 5 Day Email Challenge here: https://comparedtowho.me/5-day-email-challenge/

Today’s show also features an ad from this month’s sponsor: Tighten Your Tinkler. 

Heather tells you about her experience with this fantastic program to help you strengthen your pelvic floor and why that’s important. If you haven’t listened to the full interview with Jenn from Tighten Your Tinkler, listen here. To learn more about the program, visit: https://www.tightenyourtinkler.com/signatureprogram and use the coupon code: HEATHER to save $50!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

12 Mar 2020Body the Novel, Helping Boys with Body Image: Interview with Author Sean Coons00:38:17

Love meaningful fiction? Then you'll love this interview with author, Sean Coons who wrote a great book titled, "Body." It's the story of a woman who wrestles body image and finds peace. Sean and I talk about what it's like to be a man writing about a woman's body image struggle, how to help your son with body image issues, and how to help your spouse too. Great nuggets of truth in this one.

Find Sean's "Body" book here. (It's on sale CHEAP as of podcast release!)

Connect with Sean Coons.

Take the Body Image Quiz.

Support Compared to Who? through Patreon.

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

19 Jul 2022Are Fitness Trackers Bad for Your Health?00:13:23

In today's "Hot Coaching Tips" episode, Heather talks fitness trackers, Apple Watch, and all the other little exercise bullies that we wear on our person. We talk about the good, the bad, and the unexpected when it comes to these tracking devices. Do you have to have your watch on to get "credit" every time you walk? Do you never leave home without your tracker? Take a listen today and see how this coaching episode can help you.

Are Fitness Trackers Bad for Your Health? Here's what we talk about on today's show:

  • How we can be shamed or challenged into obeying our trackers versus our bodies.
  • Do these trackers and their readouts keep us stuck in disordered behaviors?
  • Why we get so "inspired" and how those little "rewards" on our wrists work.
  • How these "motivators" can lead us to a bad place with exercise.
  • Are fitness trackers bad for your mental health?
  • How they're not inherently bad or "evil" but how those of us with issues around disordered eating and exercise, they may be unhealthy.
  • Why changing our goals may be the healthiest things for our bodies and our minds.

Coaching Tip: Pray about whether or not you need to give up your tracker. Is it helping you or hurting you? Who can you have an honest conversation with about your relationship with your tracker?

Are we email friends yet? Join the 5 Day Body Image Freedom Email Challenge here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Have you read Compared to Who? Check it out and start reading free, here: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Check out Heather’s coaching options:

Ready for some extra support on your journey to body image freedom? Do you want to believe you are more than a body but still feel stuck?  Learn more here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

08 Apr 2025What's it Really Like to Be 50 Years Old? Midlife Mastermind Group Chat00:57:19

Today Heather chats with two of her 50 (or near 50) year old friends about what it's really like to experience aging at midlife. They talk about perimenopause, menopause, symptoms of both, the impacts of aging on our brains, bodies, and emotional lives. They also talk about what they've found helpful as they age, the parts of aging they enjoy, and the parts of aging they can do without.

You'll enjoy this fantastic group chat with three fifty-year-olds about what it's really like to be fifty years old and be a woman facing midlife. 

Listen to other episodes with Rosie Makinney:

His Lust Problem is Not About You:https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/his-lust-problem-is-not-about-you-or-your-body

Help My Husband Looks at Porn How Do I Heal: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/comfort-after-deep-hurt-his-lust-problem-is-not-ab

What to Do if Husband Looks at Porn: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-to-do-when-your-husband-is-looking-at-porn

Listen to other episodes featuring Stephanie Rouselle: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/make-bible-reading-more-interesting-and-spicy

Connect with Stephanie: https://www.gospelspice.com

Connect with Rosie: https://www.fightforloveministries.org 

Connect with Compared to Who?: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Jan 2019Fear and Body Image Issues: What You Need to Get Free00:29:45

Could fear be driving your insecurity, body image issues, or comparison struggles? In this fascinating episode of Compared to Who? we'll talk about all the places fear may be hiding when it comes to your struggles. Is fear driving disordered eating, control issues, or trust issues? Do you wrestle with fear of man--wondering what other people think of you and hoping they always approve?

Compared to Who? host, Heather Creekmore unpacks all the ways that fear hides and robs us from living a joyful and confident life.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Neil Anderson's books: Letting Go of Fear

Freedom in Christ Ministries 

Zach Williams, Fear is a Liar (song)

Compared to Who? body image quiz

Compared to Who? the blog 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

25 Aug 2023How's Your Relationship With Wine? Featuring Christy Osborne00:35:48

Today Heather interviews Christy Osborne who shares her personal journey with disordered eating and drinking. Christy discusses how she struggled with restrictive eating and alcohol dependency, especially during her time in politics and in the church. She opens up about her decision to remove alcohol from her own home and the impact it had on her relationship with her husband. Christy also explores the reasons why people turn to alcohol, the difficulties of moderation, and the societal pressure to drink. She emphasizes the importance of grace, compassion, and leading by example when addressing someone's drinking habits. Christy touches on her upcoming book, "Love Life Sober," which focuses on finding freedom from alcohol in 40 days and includes biblical truth, coaching tips, and personal stories. This episode delves into the complexities of drinking and emphasizes the path toward freedom and mental peace.

Connect with Christy Osborne here: https://www.lovelifesober.co.uk

Connect with Compared to Who? and learn more about the brand new group coaching and online course here: www.improvebodyimage.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

30 Apr 2024What I Learned from Internet Influencer Master Classes About Food and Taking Care of My Health00:35:12

Are you trying to do everything right to be “healthier” but feeling overwhelmed with all the rules? Have you been sucked into watching a "master class," influencer videos, or subscribing to the program of an influencer who offers the “right” ways to eat, act, and move so that we can beat all our diseases or live a long life? Today Heather questions the food rules, whether or not they are helpful, too severe or disordered, and whether or not they are healthy for us spiritually and mentally (do they invoke humility or pride?). Is food the most important thing to our health or, if we look at history, are we putting too much emphasis on our food rules and the connection they have to optimal health? What about the ways we personally believe or hold to our own health and food rules? Are we willing to try anything and do anything to get what the idol of health gives us? Do we believe that we’ve “lost our lives” and do we try everything because we are desperate to “get our lives back”?

In this information age, it's easy to believe that the end of all of our suffering is available if only we just work hard enough to find it. This can put us on a wild scavenger hunt to find the end to our sufferings. But, if it doesn't work, or even if it does, how does this affect our mental and spiritual health?

Heather closes the show with five suggestions to help anyone be more discerning about health programs and their offerings, and what we click on.

Learn more about Heather and Compared to Who? by visiting: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Join the 40 Day Reading Challenge here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

01 Aug 2023Unmasking Diet Culture: Featuring Leslie Schilling00:29:54

Registered dietitian, sports nutrition expert, and baby-feeding expert Leslie Schilling is on today's show to talk about her journey to recognize and identify diet culture and the harm it's caused people of all ages and stages. Today Leslie shares her story-how she used to be the one doling out weight loss advice-but how through years of research and experience- she's come to a different perspective now. Leslie has a brand new book out that releases today podcast titled, "Feed Yourself" (**Amazon affiliate link, see below) that takes a biblical look at the messages of diet culture and how they've affected and harmed so many.

In this show, hear Leslie talk about how diet culture has crept into the "safe places" in society. From our schools, doctor's offices, and churches we've learned to accept certain truths about food and our relationship with it that have damaged our bodies and our relationship with eating. Leslie also talks about how many of these messages don't align with what the Bible teaches about eating and food.

Listen and subscribe to find out how you can break free from the shaming and harmful messages of diet culture to truly make peace with food and your body.

Learn more about Leslie Schilling on her website: https://www.leslieschilling.com

Considering homeschooling? Learn more about our sponsor, Classical Conversations, here: www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho

Are you ready for some extra help in your body image journey? Connect with Heather at: www.improvebodyimage.comto find out more about your best next step to find freedom.

**Amazon affiliate links allow a tiny portion of your purchase to go towards the ministry of Compared to Who?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

28 Apr 2021One Habit That Will Destroy Your Body Image: Your Media (Day 17)00:06:36

Is there one habit that's potentially worse than all others for your body image? I think so.

This habit will destroy your body image. Even if you make progress . . .if you slip back into doing this, you'll likely find yourself right back in the pit of despair over your looks and size.

What am I talking about?

Catch up on what you missed or get your daily discussion questions here: https://comparedtowho.me/category/spring-break-free-body-image-course/

You'll just have to listen or watch this video to find out more:

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Questions for reflection:

What do you think of today's video? Do you think that Heather's points are right or do you think it's okay to keep these habits? Write your response below (in the comments section) if you are comfortable, and let's start a conversation about this important topic!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

06 Aug 202150 Ways to Beat Comparison Part 100:22:09

Why do we stay stuck in comparison, what can we do to break out, in what ways is comparison ACTUALLY hurting us? This episode is a rapid fire list of ways that you can recognize and beat comparison in your life. Many of these ideas are found in my new book, The Burden of Better, so if you like this list --check out the book!

Make sure to listen next Friday for the second part of the list... and you can download the entire 50 ways list next week too!

Connect with Compared to Who?: www.comparedtowho.me

Get your FREE walk to lose the weight of comparison download: www.comparedtowho.me

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

04 Jun 2024I've Messed Up My Body: How Do I Move Forward?00:44:07

Today Heather talks to her friend, neuropsychologist and author, Dr. Michelle Bengtson about how we can move forward after we feel like we've done things (or had things done to us) that have caused hurt or damage to our bodies. With grace and compassion, Heather and Michelle talk about how God wants to use our scars for our good and His glory. Dr. Michelle offers tangible and practical ways to move forward in grace and healing, including the recommendation that you find someone to walk with you who has had a similar journey and can understand both your wounds and scars. They talk about the realities that some things we have done to our bodies -- via eating disorders or an unhealthy relationship with food -- may have left a visible mark, but God is not upset by or afraid to use that.

Heather and Michelle explore how to get past the shame, how to get past the condemnation, and how to let God turn those scars into something beautiful. 

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Bengtson's brand new book, Sacred Scars: Resting in God's Promise That Your Past is Not Wasted. (Amazon affiliate link)

Learn more about Heather's book, the 40-Day Body Image Workbook.

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Bengtson and all of her books here: https://www.drmichelleb.com

Heather's other episodes featuring Dr. Michelle Bengtson include:

Finding Hope in Pain and Suffering: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/finding-hope-in-suffering-pain-featuring-dr-michel

Identity, Depression, and Anxiety: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/identity-depression-anxiety-how-to-find-freedom-wi

OCD, Narcissism, Eating Disorders, and Body Image: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/ocd-narcissism-eating-disorders-body-image

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

21 May 2020Real Women, Real Hope: Kassandra Baker on Orthorexia and How Clean Eating Didn't Fix Body Image00:42:38

Kassandra Baker and I get real about the struggles of eating disorders (or ED as she calls them) and talk about her journey through Orthorexia and how God has shown her a freedom she never thought possible. If you love stories of real women who have found recovery and freedom, this one is for you!

Connect with Kassandra for your free consult.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon

Take the Body Image Quiz

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

02 Jan 2024Three New Year's Challenges for Christian Women with Body Image Issues00:40:50

It's a New Year! In this episode, host Heather Creekmore offers three challenges to encourage and inspire you to become healthier and more beautiful in the ways that matter the most to eternity. Heather explores Oprah Winfrey’s weight loss journey, the WW president’s apology that ushered in their new programs to sell weight loss drugs in addition to their program, and more. Heather encourages listeners to think about health and beauty in a more holistic way and offers practical tips that are easy to implement now and all year long.

Here are your three challenges:

  1. Make your body goals about something more than your weight.
  2. Make your life about something more than your body.
  3. Make your heart about Jesus, not body change.

Here are resources mentioned in today’s show (This list includes affiliate links, a small portion of any purchases will be paid to Compared to Who?):           

Use the code: START40 to get started with Heather's online course or group coaching for just $40 in the month of January. Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Apr 2021What I Thought Would Fix My Body Image: Motherhood, Day 700:05:48

Marriage didn't fix my body image issues. In some ways, it may have made them worse! But, there was still something I hadn't tried. I knew if I could just get pregnant, then, somehow, I'd feel better about my body. After all, in my mind, pregnant women didn't need to worry about how they looked. They had a baby growing in them! What an awesome job and responsibility. How could anyone nurturing a baby in their womb stress over calories or the shape of her bum?

Oh, but, this is the part of the series where you learn how dense I truly am. Haha. Can a pregnant woman worry about her body image? Uh, yes and double yes! Here's my story:

Question for Reflection

I have friends who swear that pregnancy fixed their body image struggles. Eating disorders were finally beat because pregnancy made them see their bodies in a new light. But, for me, it had relatively no positive impact.

If you've had a baby, did body image bother you while you were pregnant?

If not, are you guilty of imaging that pregnancy will "fix" your struggles?

**Answer below to join the conversation or answer privately in a journal for prayerful reflection later!**

Here's another post on lessons I learned about how my children were little mirrors who needed me to work on my issues so they wouldn't repeat them!

Watch and read the rest of the Spring Break Free Series Here.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

26 Nov 2021Quieting the Shout of Should This Holiday Season00:34:30

You should have better Christmas lights, you should have already decorated, you should be baking treats, but you should also be watching your treat intake . . . Does "should" ever haunt you? Culture and a few scrolls on Instagram tell us we're supposed to be doing any number of things, well, and all at the same time. The pressure can be overwhelming!

Today my guest is Crystal Stine, she's an author and speaker, and today we talk about how to quiet the shout of should during the holiday season and all year long. The pressure is off my friend. Listen and be encouraged. Connect with Crystal and learn more about her at: https://www.crystalstine.me 

Mentioned in today's show: Download Heather's new "a Comparison-Free Christmas" reading plan on You Version App

Crystal Stine's book The Shout of Should (On sale on Black Friday for CHEAP!)

Heather's book The Burden of Better

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

Crystal Stine's book Holy Hustle

Check out Crystal's Shout of Should Reading Plan on You Version App

Want to win a copy of Heather's "The Burden of Better" AND Crystal's "The Shout of Should"?

Leave a review of this podcast (directions for leaving a review are here at https://www.comparedtowho.me/podcast - scroll to bottom), screen shot your review and email it to Heather at: Heather @ Compared to who (dot) me.

Already reviewed the show? That's okay. Screen shot it...or for bonus points - share an episode on social media or with a friend!

(Amazon affiliate links allow a tiny portion of your purchase to support Compared to Who?'s ministry)

 

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12 Jan 2024My Body Was My Business Card: Belinda's Story of Overcoming Negative Body Image00:47:34

“My body became my business card,” Belinda explains in today's interview. You'll hear all about Belinda’s journey from experiencing weight loss success and even coaching others in a popular weight loss business to being overwhelmed with body image issues and desperate for help.

Belinda just completed the Body Image Freedom Framework online course and group coaching program. Belinda reached out on her 40th birthday for help and is now sharing her story after spending 12 weeks in Heather’s coaching and course.

Belinda had the “after” picture, but it hadn’t fixed her body image issues.

Today Belinda shares what she thought and expected from the program, how the program worked for her, and where she’s at now in her body image struggles.

“God wants you to be healthy and thin” was the message she heard, but it soon became an idol that Belinda was chasing and feeling more and more trapped instead of more freedom.

Now she feels like she has tools to knock down the lies and fight to believe what God says about her worth and her body.

Belinda shares how she had to re-learn principles around food and body from a biblical perspective and how she’s wrestled her heart posture and beliefs around beauty. She shares how this course helped her take that head knowledge and make it heart knowledge.

They also talk about how heavy the body shame is when women are struggling with body image issues and always trying to change their body to feel better about it.

They also talk about how the group coaching program connected Belinda to a group of women who understand not only her body image struggles but also understand a biblical perspective on how to solve them.

Connect with Belinda here: https://www.instagram.com/healthinhisimage/

Ready for coaching this year? Get started with Heather's Body Image Freedom Framework Coaching or online course for just $40 in January. Use the code: Start40 on www.improvebodyimage.com course page. Or, drop Heather an email at: heather@comparedtowho.me to learn more

Have you read Heather's brand new 40-Day Body Image Workbook? Learn more about this fantastic resource at: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-Day-Body-Image-Workbook-Christian

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08 Nov 2024Strategies to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People (Group Chat Part 2)00:31:31

Today Heather Creekmore and her incredible team at Compared to Who? dive deep into the world of comparison, uncovering personal stories, strategies, and biblical insights to illuminate the path to freedom from comparing.

Rachel shares her experience as a worship leader facing comparison in front of teenagers, discovering the power of "bless and not impress" with divine assistance. Tara reflects on her journey of overcoming body image dissatisfaction through spiritual growth, and Jackie emphasizes honesty with oneself and loved ones. Presli explores the role of growing her faith in handling her comparison and self-image struggles.

The team delves into the heart of their comparison issues, likening it to idolatry and proposing grace as the remedy. Heather emphasizes the importance of shaking off societal pressures and instead aiming for spiritual growth and sanctification. Jackie's approach to curating a healthier social media experience and Rachel's use of the "pause app" are practical tools shared with listeners.

Together, they address the tendency to compare with past selves, encouraging a shift from self-centeredness to serving others. Heather introduces listeners to her book, "The Comparison Free Life," as a resource for understanding grace and breaking free from the comparison trap, inviting them to explore it for deeper insight.

For more meaningful episodes and resources, visit improvebodyimage.com. Tune in to Part 1 for the beginning of this transformative discussion and stay connected as Heather and her team continue to tackle the nuances of comparison and body image challenges on "Compared to Who?" with love, truth, and authenticity.

Be sure to check out Heather's book, "The Comparison Free Life", to accompany you on this journey towards freedom from comparison.

 

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15 Sep 2023Spiritual Warfare & Body Image Issues Part 200:30:37

In today's episode, we continue discussing the existence of evil and the spiritual battles we face daily including our battle with body image issues. As believers, Heather stresses the importance of surrendering control to God and relying on His divine protection and using our authority in the name of Jesus to tell the enemy to flee. Throughout the episode, Heather addresses the concept of spiritual warfare, highlighting that as Christians, we cannot be demon-possessed if we believe in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living inside us. However, she acknowledges that we can still experience oppression and encounter demonic activity around us. She discusses the devil's goal of stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10) and emphasizes the need to recognize and confront spiritual battles in every aspect of life. Drawing from Paul Tripp's teachings on Ephesians 6, Heather explains that the struggle is not against other people but against the demonic world. She challenges listeners to approach life as if they are at war and to rely on God's truth and authority. She asserts that these struggles are not solely physical but also spiritual, highlighting the battle between God's truth and Satan's deception. Heather shares her own struggles with body image and emphasizes that the devil is the deceiver.

Here's the Tim Keller sermon Heather references: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timothy-keller-sermons-podcast-by-gospel-in-life/id352660924?i=1000625372146

For more in-depth guidance on body image and spiritual struggles, sign up for Heather's course and coaching program, The Body Image Freedom Framework. Remember, you are not alone in your battle, and God's love and truth are always available. 

Learn more about the Body Image Freedom Framework: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

Learn more about the In His Image conference this October in Dallas: https://www.wonderfullymadenutritioncounseling.com/events/in-his-image-body-image-conference-for-teen-girls-and-women-2023

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29 Mar 2022Can a Deeper Understanding of Grace Cure Comparison?00:39:30

In today's second installment of the Burden of Better Book Club, Heather talks about how understanding grace cures comparison. In her book, The Burden of Better, Heather explores four different manifestations of grace in the daily life of the follower of Jesus. She also answers some of your questions about comparison and idealism (from the first Burden of Better Book Club Episode here.) Here's what to expect from today's show:

Heather tackles the following questions:
  • Did you experience any spiritual push back when you realized you were entrenched in this kind of sin?
  • Is it normal to feel overwhelmed with the scope of my discontent?
Heather explains four different types of grace:
  1. God's saving grace.
  2. God's sanctifying grace.
  3. God's growing grace.
  4. God's sustaining grace.

To learn more about the Burden of Better visit this page: https://comparedtowho.me/burden-of-better-book-for-christian-women-on-comparison/

Are you on the Compared to Who? email list yet? Do you get special offers and promos and encouragement twice a month? If not, go to www.comparedtowho.me and take the 5-Day Email Challenge on the front page!

Want to buy a copy of Burden of Better? Use this Amazon affiliate link to help support Compared to Who? https://amzn.to/3ubM3Dq

Interested in becoming part of our Patreon community? Learn more here: www.comparedtowho.me/podcast

Have a question for the next Burden of Better Book Club episode? Leave a voice message at speakpipe or send Heather an email to: heather @ compared to who (dot) me.

Here is a partial transcript from the last half of today's show about understanding grace:

Section 2 of this book is called the grace-filled life – And in it, I talk about there being 4 different kinds of grace. There is saving grace, sanctifying grace, growing grace and sustaining grace.

If you’re like me – you sang Amazing Grace in church and maybe you only thought about grace in the context of Jesus dying on the cross to save you from going to Hell. But, as I explain through this section – a truer and deeper understanding of grace goes much deeper.

If we truly understood that God’s saving grace was so much more than saving us from hell after this life – I think we’d all live a little differently. You see the truth is God’s saving grace tells us that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from his love. We are unconditionally loved and accepted after we receive Jesus as our savior. There is no one else on this earth who can love us this way. We’d like to think parents could but loving without any conditions is very difficult for most of us. So we have this crazy, completely reliable constant source of love and acceptance that should mean we never have to be afraid of what other people think – Truly – if we lived in our identities as women who are unconditionally loved and accepted by God – we’d never stress about what others think.

There’s more to saving grace than that even – in terms of speaking to our confidence issues and our body image issues – so I hope you’ll snag the book and at least read that chapter.

I also talk about sanctifying grace. This is our grace to become more like Jesus and less like ourselves – every day- God is gracious to sanctify us. Now, sometimes sanctification feels painful – because, like the reader question I answered – we see the depth of our sin and once we’ve seen it – we know we have to work on being different – we have to change. No one likes change. It’s uncomfortable. But, it’s a grace that God doesn’t leave us stuck in our sin issues – He unconditionally accepts and loves us -but then graciously holds our hands as we walk out of issues like body image issues or comparison issues. He shows us the idols we’ve been serving but as Romans says – it’s his KINDNESS that leads us to repentance. He doesn’t beat us over the head or shame us for our sin – he covers our guilt and shame and says, okay – now walk a new way.

The third kind of grace I talk about is Growing Grace  - This is the grace you have received when you realize that you were made on purpose and for a purpose. This is the grace where you get to figure out how and why you were made and see the beauty in God’s design for you and for your life. Honestly – one thing I see a lot is that women who are stuck in body image issues have no idea what their spiritual gifts are. They don’t know what they’re good at or what they have to offer the world beyond being pretty or having the body they think other people will appreciate or admire.  For me -  personally – I knew some of the ways I was gifted – I was using these gifts at work -but I was so caught up in fixing my body image in my free time that I didn’t have the extra capacity to use my gifts for God’s kingdom too. Once I started to do that – that’s when it became much easier to take my eyes off my thighs and to really believe and feel like I was made for more than weight loss.

The final kind of grace we explore is sustaining grace – This is the very real and present grace God gives us when our world is falling apart – when you lose someone close to you and you still know, maybe even in a more real way than you’ve ever felt or known – that God is right there with you. That’s a kind of grace. Can you even imagine how hard life would be without God’s sustaining grace?

This isn’t in the book but here is a weird example I’m thinking of that I think many of you will relate to. Are you ready for this? Do you know the reason why you feel a kind of “buzz” when you go on a diet or weight loss plan and start to really restrict calories? I always thought it was because I was eating healthier or eating less… but now I know that (unless you are bed fast), 1500 calories or less a day is probably not enough for your body if you’re over the age of 10 and moving at all. So, when you go on the crash diet. You follow the Optavia 1200 calories a day plan. You start to feel really really good at first. Do you know why that is? It’s because God created your body to hide the pain of starvation from you.

Isn’t that crazy? God actually designed your body in such a way that when you go from a regular amount of calories to an amount that feels like starvation – certain hormones would be released to mask from you the impact of that. To truly feel starvation is an absolutely horrible thing and so it’s God’s grace that he created our bodies to not feel the impact of it in the early days of calorie deprivation.

Now, it doesn’t stay that way. Eventually your body decides to take action so you won’t starve– whether that’s storing any calories you consume or putting other hormones into hyper drive to protect you. But when one of my dietician friends with a Master’s degree in body science explained this to me,I was in shock.

It’s not a feel good because I’m eating good buzz – it’s God’s sustaining grace because I couldn’t handle the feeling of actual starvation.

So there you have it! Four different kinds of grace operating in our lives today and everyday. The reason why I spell them out in the book is because I believe once we become more aware of all these little graces we’ve been given – we become less likely to compare ourselves to others or to question the ways God is working and moving in our lives. We become more able to trust him and our hearts fill with gratitude for what he has done – in big things and little things.

That’s what the next section of the book is about gratitude. We’ll talk about that at the end of April.

Until then, what questions do you have? What can I help clarify about these concepts for you? What do you think? Did you know there were so many different types of grace operating in your life everyday?

 

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12 Apr 2021Spring Break Free Course Starts Today00:14:39

Welcome to Day One of the Spring Break Free!

I created this course in 2017 as a companion or use-along with my first book, Compared to Who?

This course is all about helping you get free. I want you to be free from body image stress and comparison's burden.

Friends Don't Let Friends Struggle With Body Image Alone

Have a friend that needs body image encourgement? Use the email or a social media link below and share with her. Trust me . . .most women need encouragement in the body image arena! Or, gather some friends online and start a Bible study using these videos as your guide!

Tomorrow we get into the meat of why there are so many women with body image issues! Don't miss it!

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

04 Sep 202130 Days to Pray for Body Image: Day 4 - Truth00:07:58

In today's show we pray for God to open our eyes to see the truth beyond the scale and beyond the mirror. We'll pray that God will help us understand that he knit us together in our mother's womb and knew/knows EXACTLY how he made us. That is encouraging news because that means nothing about your body is an accident--even those parts you don't prefer -- he had a purpose for. I hope you'll join me in praying today that God will give you eyes to see yourself the way he sees you.

Connect with Compared to Who? and join my BFF's email list here: https://www.comparedtowho.me - You can take the free body image awareness quiz and get a free walk download!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

15 Nov 2024Who Are You Imitating? Ephesians 5 and Examining Who Really Influences Us00:11:23

Ready for a quick, 7 Minutes of Scripture episode? Today, host Heather Creekmore delves into Ephesians 5  She begins by reading Ephesians 5:1-8 from the English Standard Version and focuses on the theme of imitation and influence. Heather emphasizes the idea from scripture that we are called to be imitators of God as beloved children and walking in love, as Christ did. She challenges listeners to reflect on whether they aspire to imitate Jesus or if they're more influenced by cultural figures or influencers, especially in the realm of body image. Heather encourages listeners to walk in love, focusing less on self-love and more on loving God and others, advocating for what Tim Keller calls "the freedom of self forgetfulness."

Are you ready to transform your body image? Join the 40-day Journey here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Learn more about Heather's latest book release on comparison here: https://amzn.to/3Uucwd4 (Amazon affiliate link)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

22 Feb 2022Body Image and Pregnancy00:40:18

Pregnancy can be a rough time on our body image. Rebekah Hargraves helps me dig into the challenges of body changes during and after pregnancy. Rebekah had her first baby in her early 20s, while I had my first in her early thirties. We compare stories and experiences and talk about the pressures we put on ourselves to come out of pregnancy like a celebrity. There's more to this episode than just pregnancy talk though, here are some other topics Rebekah and I dig into:

  • Why she felt relief of having the 6 week after baby required break from intimacy.
  • How she learned to believe and accept her husband's compliments about her body (even after baby).
  • The lies moms believe around their bodies, their worth, and their calling as a mom.
  • How we respond to what God says about our bodies.
  • How Romans 7 & 8 set Rebekah free from some of the lies she had held on to regarding the need to be a "perfect" mom.
  • How Rebekah found freedom from the "Mommy Wars"
  • And more...
Struggling with Pregnancy and Body Image? Here are some more resources:

Check out these blog posts about pregnancy and body image

Connect with Compared to Who?

Start reading the Burden of Better or order your copy here: Burden of Better

Join the Compared to Who? insiders email list and take the body image5-Day Email Challenge and download the free "Walk to Lose the Weight of Comparison" walking workout. https://www.comparedtowho.me

Join the Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

Leave a review of the show or leave a speak pipe comment: https://www.comparedtowho.me/podcast

About Rebekah:

Rebekah Hargraves is a wife, mama, blogger, podcaster, and author whose passion is to edify, equip, and encourage women in their journey of Biblical womanhood, particularly with an emphasis on the gospel and its implications for everyday life. Rebekah's first book, "Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them)" released in 2017, and the "Lies Moms Believe" Companion Bible Study came out in 2018. You can find Rebekah on her website, Hargraves Home and Hearth, on Instagram, or on iTunes via her podcast.

 

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11 Oct 2022Letting Go of Culture's Beauty Standards00:28:46

How do we live in the world but not of it when it comes to beauty and standards of beauty? Have the standards of what the world calls beautiful subtly affected our own definitions of beauty? Today Heather talks about the history of beauty standards, including the history of foot-binding in China.

Heather talks about what this beauty practice did to the girls and women of that nation over the course of hundreds of years and how some of the beauty practices we have in the U.S. may bind and cripple us in similar ways. Heather also shares the story of an amazing missionary named Gladys Alyward, who went to China to share the gospel and unbind women's feet.

If you feel caught up defining beauty the way the world does instead of the way the Word does, this episode will encourage and inspire you.

Learn more about the mission and work of Compared to Who? here: www.comparedtowho.me

Join the conversation in the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/comparedtowho

Have you read the Burden of Better yet? https://comparedtowho.me/burden-of-better-book-for-christian-women-on-comparison/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

25 Sep 2019Making Peace With Your Body: Interview with Jen DeFrates00:23:55

Today I interview Jen DeFrates of Heaven Not Harvard: Heaven Focused Parenting and Living. Jen and I talk about her story, homeschooling, life as a military spouse, and--of course, body image, comparison, and so much more!

Hear Jen talk about how she's learning to accept the skin she's in, how she's journeyed through mean girls, body image, and comparison issues and how she's learning to make peace with her body!

Links from today's show:

https://heavennotharvard.com/

https://themamapologist.com/

www.comparedtowho.me/follow

Loving this podcast?

Consider supporting Compared to Who on Patreon:www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

 

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25 Mar 2020Quarantine Survival: My Best Homeschooling, Body Image, ED Recovery, Comparison & Anxiety Handling Tips00:29:56

Let's get real about this quarantine situation. Today I'll give you my best tips for homeschooling (I've got 7 years of experience), handling anxiety, flaring body image or ED and control issues. We'll talk about it all and what you can do to stop comparing and "live" in this strange new world we've encountered!

Join the Spring Break Free

Get Compared to Who? the book SUPER cheap!

Take the Body Image Quiz

Support on Patreon

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

10 Mar 2023Binge Eating, Stress Eating, Food Issues & Our Brains00:31:01

Today Heather interviews Dr. Kari Anderson, a licensed professional counselor, eating disorder coach, author, and a recognized authority in treating binge eating and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Today, Dr. Anderson shares her story of struggling with food as a child and young adult. Heather and Kari talk about everything from Kari's secret affinity for downing sugar packets for comfort to going to Weight Watchers meetings and how Kari's faith and training helped her come to a place where she has peace with food and her body. Kari and Heather talk about stress eating, what binge eating actually is, food scarcity, what the brain does when it's food insecure (be it from dieting or actual food scarcity), the connection between binge eating and impulse disorders, what role your epigenetics play in the way you eat and how you feel about food . . .and more. Learn more about Dr. Kari Anderson at: www.myeatingdoctor.com, and you can check out her 8-week course online. Use the code: RW50 to save 50% 

Interested in Christian Body Image Coaching?

Visit: www.comparedtowho.me to learn more about how you can work with Heather.

Are you on the Compared to Who? friends' list yet? Visit www.comparedtowho.me to get the free 5-Day Body Image Email Challenge.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

07 Nov 2023Understanding Gen Z Featuring Jessie Cruickshank00:28:16

Today's show is a must-listen if you have children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren or folks in your ministry who are a part of Gen Z categorized as those between the ages of 12 and 26. Heather's guest, Jessie Cruickshank, has been studying the older set of this generation since they were in middle school. She has a Master's degree from Harvard in experiential education and has studied how our brains work and learn best.

Here's where we go today:

Generation Z looks different: More than 50% are biracial. This is changing the way they see and think about race. And Gen Z doesn't mind having more than one "tag" in this arena. We talk about how this may change the standard of beauty in the future.

This generation has more anxiety because they've grown up in a more volatile and complex world and they're aware of so many things that are completely out of their control. They have a "precocious" awareness of the world. Many of those Jessie interviewed admitted to crying at night.

Gen Z has more social experiences through the phone, so they're missing the regulation impact of being with people in person.

Gen Z doesn't prefer the "tech" solution. They prefer non-zoom in-person communications compared to tech connections. Be gracious for how awkward this may be for them, they haven't had enough practice here.

The lack of agency Gen Z has felt, has led to a great desire to speak into things, as an agent, with an opinion that matters (even if there's still some maturing to do.) Asking them questions and offering options is the best way to invite them into the conversations.

What does Gen Z dream about? You'll be amazed by Jessie's startling answer here.

Learn more about Jessie on her website: https://www.whoology.co

Connect with Jessie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/who_ologist/

Ready to stop stressing over body image? Check out Heather's brand new book: The 40-Day Body Image Workbook, available wherever Christian books are sold. (Amazon affiliate link. A tiny portion of your purchase (at no additional cost to you) will go to support this ministry.)

Join the Body Image Freedom Framework Online Course and Coaching Program - Watch for a special discount coming soon!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

21 Jun 2020Hate How You Look in Pictures? Listen to This!00:25:34

Do you hate how you look in pictures? Do you volunteer to be the photographer or duck out of photos as much as you can? Instead of convincing you to stay in the photo, this episode will encourage you with strategies to stop obsessing over yourself in photos and how to remember that your real worth far exceeds how you appearance in a still photo! 

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon: www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

Take the Body Image Quiz: www.comparedtowho.me/follow

Read, share, or pin the blog post that accompanies this episode: https://comparedtowho.me/i-hate-pictures-of-me-how-to-stop-cringing-over-pictures/

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

12 Nov 2021Navigating Holiday Eating & More: Featuring Megan Hadley (Part 2)00:26:03

This is Part 2 of an interview with Megan Hadley, MS, RDN, LDN -- a non-diet dietician whose advice you will really enjoy. In the first episode Megan talked about why we tend to overeat in the afternoon or evening (or whenever we get home) and how we can alter our habits to avoid brain fog and that "I must eat all the things" feeling at the end of a day.

In today's episode, Megan shares more about this and how restriction will always lead to over-doing it. We talk about the impact of restriction, how a non-diet approach helps, and we talk about why you should absolutely  never tell yourself that your diet starts January 1st. (Unless, of course, you want to eat more during the holidays!) There's so much good stuff in this interview. Share it with a friend!

And make sure you listen to part 1 of this interview first!

Connect with Megan at: https://www.instagram.com/tasteandseerd https://www.instagram.com/forkthefoodrules or on her website at: http://www.simplenutritioncounseling.com/

Connect with Compared to Who? at https://www.comparedtowho.me or at https://www.instagram.com/comparedtowho

It's November! Have you ever considered supporting Compared to Who? This show is run on contributions of loyal listeners like you. To fund this show fully for next year, we need to raise another $1800. Would you consider helping? A gift of ANY size helps! You can even give $5 at buy me a coffee and make a huge difference! Thank you for your consideration!

Support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/comparedtowho or at https://www.buymeacoffee/comparedtowho

 

 

 

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04 Jul 2023Do You Long to Be Hot or Holy? Striving for Holiness in a World That Wants Us to Be Hot00:29:25

Today's show is a replay of one of the most popular shows of last year. Even if you've already listened, it's a great reminder and encouragement for all of us to remember what it is we are truly called to pursue. Do you want to be hot or holy?

Like me, you may struggle not to have your answer be: I want to be both! Yet pursuing a better body can often precede our priorities over pursuing Christ-likeness.

Longing for beauty isn't something to be ashamed of. We've been programmed to believe that our value is based on our appearance or connected to how we look. It takes a lot of faith and trust in God to break free from the world's economy of beauty. On today's show, we talk about how shifting our greatest pursuit to holiness instead of the culture's definition of beauty can transform our lives and feel the freedom in Christ that we long for. If you struggle with wanting to be hot more than you want to be holy, today's show is for you!

Here's where we go today as we discuss pursuing being hot or holy:

  • How do we truly desire to be more like Jesus?
  • How do we free ourselves from the mindset that an improved physical appearance gives us the most value?
  • Does Hot or Holy have to be a choice?
  • How do we focus on making our hearts more beautiful when culture tells us our greatest need is a better body?
  • What does Jesus really ask of us in the arena of pursuing holiness?
  • The Catholic Litany of Humility - and its amazing reminders of how to lay down our desires to pursue recognition, glory, praise and worship for ourselves in order to keep our focus on worshipping Jesus.
  • Erin Todd's "A Former Dieters Prayer for Humility" - Erin does an amazing job re-writing the original to speak to each of the issues we face in the body image/dieting/wellness realm. Print it somewhere you can read it daily!

Today's show is sponsored by Classical Conversations. Learn more about this great homeschool program at: https://www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho

Are we email friends yet? Join the 5 Day Body Image Freedom Email Challenge here: https://comparedtowho.me

Have you read Compared to Who? Check it out and start reading free, here: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Ready for some extra support on your journey to body image freedom?

Do you want to believe you are more than a body but still feel stuck? Struggling with the hot or holy paradigm? Check out Heather’s coaching options. Learn more here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

19 Nov 2021The War for Our Girls (Children) featuring Yvette Hampton00:45:13

Five minutes online and you can see what our girls are up against. It seems like, from every angle, their identities are under attack. From the hyper sexualization of young teens to gender dysphoria to the all out war on biblical truth--girls (and really our boys, too) face more challenges than previous generations. Today my friend Yvette Hampton and I talk about what's really going on with our girls, what they're being taught about their identity in schools, and how parents can intervene to help girls find their true identity and purpose in Jesus Christ.

I timed this episode to intentionally help parents who will get the opportunity to spend more time with their children over Thanksgiving break. Dig in, moms! Find out what your children are being taught about their identity and purpose. It's never too late to change the conversation.

Yvette Hampton is the producer and host of the documentary, Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution and The Schoolhouse Rocked Podcast. As a mom who is concerned for the future of this generation, Yvette has a deep desire to see a culture shift by encouraging people through God’s Word. She and her husband, Garritt, have a passion for strengthening and equipping families and the homeschool community by teaching parents how to live out their convictions and point their children towards Christ. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mom. Learn more by visiting SchoolhouseRocked.com.

Learn more about the School House Rocked documentary here: https://watch.schoolhouserocked.com/index/comparedtowho

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07 Mar 20236 Things to Do When You Feel Fat: Tips for Christian Women00:30:28

What do you do when you feel fat? Of course, most know by now that "fat" isn't really a feeling. Yet, how many of us say it? It's what we say when we don't know any other words to express displeasure with how our bodies look or feel. Today, Heather explores six things you can do when you feel fat. Heather talks about what's under the surface of our "bleh" body feelings and how we can ask ourselves questions to try to separate what we are feeling, emotionally from how our bodies look. Heather also talks about what we need to do to protect our body image and how, as Christians, there are certain habits and tactics we need to employ regularly in order to make sure that we are not drowning in culture's definitions of where our worth and value come from. If you've ever complained about "feeling fat" or if you've ever just felt weighed down by body image woe this episode is for you!

Shows referenced in this podcast: podcast-defeating-comparison-in-unexpected-ways

Are you interested in Christian body image coaching? Learn more or grab a free 10 minute call with Heather to see if coaching would be right for you!

Are you on the Compared to Who? friends list yet? Friends find out all about specials, new releases, and get personalized encouragement every month. Sign up and get the free, 5-Day email body image challenge. Learn more here: www.comparedtowho.me

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Nov 2019The Burden of Busyness Part 100:39:12

Do you thrive in busyness or feel like you're falling apart? Do you go through seasons when life feels out of balance and the busyness turns to overwhelm? Does the busyness of the holiday season stress you out? Today Heather Creekmore reveals the secret to handling busyness biblically, looking at Old Testament passages and the New Testament story of Mary and Martha. The secret to finding relief to the burden of busyness just may surprise you!

Links from today's episode:

www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

www.comparedtowho.me/follow

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

31 Oct 2023Wise Investments: How Money Stewardship Connects to Body Stewardship00:40:28

This thought-provoking episode of "Compared to Who?" explains the connections between being a good "steward" of our money and the stewardship of our bodies. Looking at Matthew 6, Heather answers a listener's question: How can I know what it means to be a good steward of my body when it's so easy to believe diet culture's definition of health and stewardship?

Here are three key takeaways from the episode:

1️⃣ We can learn to focus on eternal investments: The passage in Matthew 6 reminds us that our focus should be on seeking God's kingdom and righteousness first rather than getting caught up in worrying about material possessions. Investing in things that will last for eternity is more valuable than earthly wealth. This applies to our bodies. They will die one day. So, how do we invest them well, here on earth, without getting caught up in trying to make them last (or avoid aging) forever?

2️⃣ Stewardship of our bodies may not be as complicated as we've made it to be. While the Bible doesn't specifically lay out rules for taking care of our physical bodies, we can extrapolate from scripture that we are to care for them as we are to care for other good gifts God gives us. But this doesn't mean prioritizing health, fitness, weight, or beauty goals, above the pursuit of godliness and holiness.

3️⃣ Beware of misplaced priorities: If at any time "stewarding" our bodies leads us to shift our focus away from God and his eternal purpose or keeps us tied to earthly priorities and agendas, we can be pretty sure that we're no longer stewarding but idolizing. Stewardship will never requires us to make our bodies a priority over loving God and others or pursuing God's purpose and plan for our lives. In other words, if you're too busy "stewarding" your body to have time to use your spiritual gifts, then you're no longer stewarding it well. 

Listen to Heather's previous episode about money and body image connection here: Money, Body Image, Stewardship, Hoarding and All the Connections 

Ready to learn more about the Body Image Freedom Framework Online Course and Coaching Program? Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

 

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12 Apr 2024Going from Approval-Seeking to Finding Confidence in Christ00:38:30

If you've been in church for even a few minutes you've likely heard that you should derive your identity from Christ. But how does one do that--especially when we've been conditioned from birth to perform for applause or be the type of person who makes everyone else smile in approval? Today, Heather digs into this topic of how we change where we find our applause. It's not that we go from seeking the applause of others to being content with the applause of ourselves (that's what culture says to do.) Instead, it's that we find a source of applause far greater than ourselves or those around us. We recognize, through the Gospel, the delight of God!

If you're tired of trying to please everyone...or living for compliments and approval and it never being enough, this episode is for you. You'll be encouraged in ways to find a strength and peace in your self-image that outlasts and outdoes anything you could achieve through your own accomplishments. The pressure is off!

Heather's inspiration piece for this episode is the sermon "The Sickness Unto Death" preached by Dr. Tim Keller. You can listen to the full sermon here: https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/the-sickness-unto-death/

Scripture references for today can be found in Jeremiah 9:23-34 and 1 Corinthians 4.

Are you ready to improve your body image? Find out about great resources, coaching, and other opportunities at https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Don't forget to leave a review! Those are a huge blessing to this ministry!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

30 Apr 2021Do Clothes Help Your Body Image Struggles? Day 1900:06:34

Ahh . . . clothes. I love clothes. Well, sometimes I love them. Other days, I hate them. I look at my closet and search through my drawers and physically feel like there's no possible way anything will fit. Clothes have this funky connection to my body image. Sometimes they help me feel "better" (or so I think . . .) other days, they "make me" feel worse (or so I blame. . .).

I spent decades shopping for the perfect clothes to help assuage my issues with my body. The challenge is, I never found them. Or, at least I never found any that could help me in a permanent sort of way. That new dress would help me feel good for a few days, and then. Boom! Right back to needing something else, new, for the next special occasion.

Listen to or watch today's video for a little more about my struggle with clothing. Maybe you can relate?

Questions for reflection:

Have you used clothing to try to help your body image? Are you a compulsive shopper or are you constantly looking for the next "perfect outfit" to try to fix the way you feel about your body? In what way's do you think this practice is healthy or unhealthy?

Can I encourage you to prayerfully consider the ways clothes have played into your body image struggle today?

(Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Read this for encouragement!)

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28 Mar 2023What Can I Do to Feel More Significant? Featuring Rachael Adams00:36:03

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! 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

14 Sep 202130 Days to Pray for Body Image: Day 14 - Body Image Idol00:07:03

Body image idolatry - What is that? If you're new to this show or my ministry, this episode will tell you about the number one reason why I believe Christian women get stuck in body image issues. It's so easy for us to make an idol out of our ideal bodies. We believe we will be happier, more peaceful, more joyful, or able to rest once we reach that goal weight or size. But, the truth is this type of salvation -- the salvation message that tells us freedom comes from a certain body shape or type--is a false salvation. Today we pray against our tendency to fall for the body image idol and its cunning ways.

New International Version Jonah 2:8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them."

Are we email friends yet? If not, please connect and enjoy the free "Walk to Lose the Weight of Comparison" download - sign up here: https:/www.comparedtowho.me

Are we Instagram friends? Follow on https://www.instagram.com/comparedtowho

Enjoying this series? Drop me a note: heather @ compared to who (dot) me

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24 Feb 2023Improving Body Image, Body Image Idols, and Compared to Who?00:35:21

On today's show, Heather re-introduces herself, shares her story, and explains in more depth the ministry of Compared to Who? Heather tells of how God helped her overcome a lifetime battle with food, a likely eating disorder, and other body image issues. She shares how God revealed to her she had made her body image an idol and how the revelation of the body image idolatry was life-changing. Heather also shares what Compared to Who? is all about, including the resources Compared to Who? offers beyond the podcast. Heather talks about her books, her coaching opportunities, and what's ahead for the ministry of Compared to Who? Whether you've been listening to the show for years or if this is your first episode, everyone who wants to improve their body image or understand body image idols will find something interesting and encouraging in today's show.

Mentioned in today's show:

Join our Facebook community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/764271297116024

Compared to Who? the book for Christian women who struggle with body image issues. Includes study guides for individual or group study.

The Burden of Better: How a Comparison-Free Life Leads to Joy, Peace and Rest book for Christian women who wrestle comparison, includes study guides for individual or group study.

You Version Bible Plans - Discover Heather's free Bible reading plans for Christian women who want to improve their body image or fight body image idolatry available on You Version (the Bible App) here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-bible-reading-youversion-the-bible-app/

Coaching: Interested in getting individualized help for your body image issues? Heather works with a limited number of clients on a one-on-one basis. Find out about Christian body image coaching to build your confidence in Christ and fight insecurity here.

 

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08 Sep 2020One Woman Can Change the World: Interview with Ronne Rock00:45:52

Ampersands (you know -- these things "&"), finding your purpose, and comparison . . . these are topics my friend, author Ronne Rock and I talk about in today's episode. Listen and be encouraged as to how God doesn't waste any part of our story... instead he adds ampersands! If you're tired of feeling like "finding your purpose" is this big and elusive beast, Ronne explains how to take the stress out and rest in how God has designed you. We'll also talk about Ronne's new book: One Woman Can Change the World.  

Connect with Ronne here.

Follow Ronne on Instagram.

Buy Ronne's new book. 

Connect with Compared to Who?

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

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07 Jan 2019Do You Need a New Year New You? Resolutions, Diets, and How to Change00:27:28

Ready for a "new year, new you?" Or, are you tired of the endless cycle of making annual resolutions only to not accomplish them . . .once again.

It's frustrating to want to improve BUT feel stuck and powerless to make it happen.

In this episode, author and speaker Heather Creekmore explores the concept of reinvention and whether or not, as Christian women, this should really be our goal. She also talks about how to accomplish goals or resolutions without getting bogged down with faulty thinking about WHY we need to change that takes us off track. 

 

Learn more about Compared to Who? and sign up for the email list or find out about coaching here: www.comparedtowho.me

Compared to Who? the book on Amazon

 Read the Compared to Who? blog!

 

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24 May 2022Do I Need More Self-Control to Stop Eating? Feat. Amy Carlson, RD00:39:20

Do we need more self-control to stop eating? That's what many of us have believed. In this part two of a conversation between Heather Creekmore and Amy Carlson, RD -- we break down the spiritual fallacies surrounding applying self-control to wanting to be a "better dieter." Amy and Heather talk about the heart problems surrounding our desire to control our bodies through restricting food and what's really under the surface when we talk about needing more "self-control" to not eat foods we deem may make us gain weight.

Here are some other topics we hit in today's episode: Do I Need More Self Control to Stop Eating:
  • What is the real appetite that requires self-control? Is it our desire for food or is it our desire to satisfy our own desires--what I "want" for my body?
  • Why self control to stop eating is a dangerous and distorted version of the Bible's self control
  • How we reinforce the messages of diet culture in the church when we equate purity, holiness, and sanctification to being able to say no to dessert.
  • We talk about how rattling it is for women who have been immersed in diet culture to recognize the truth of scripture from the lies of the dieting world.
  • We discuss how we subtly fall into the trap of desiring self-worship when we want to change our body size through food restriction.
  • If self-control isn't what we need to have better "control" of our eating (or to stop eating)-then what can we do? What should we be praying for instead?
  • How we can change the conversation around food and body image issues by pushing back on some of these beliefs that have been taught even in the church and asking ourselves if the intent of scripture has been twisted to teach the gospel of diet culture instead of the true gospel--the good news!

Connect with Amy Carlson and check out her Peace With Food app here: https://www.hellopeacewithfood.com

Are you on the Compared to Who? email friends list yet? If not, take the 5 Day Body Image Email Challenge here: 5-Day Email Challenge or here: https://comparedtowho.me/5-day-email-challenge/

Leave a review for this show or support it here: https://www.comparedtowho.me/podcast

 

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12 Mar 2024The Bible's Perspective on Emotional Eating and the Religion of Food00:36:43

Maybe you've heard that as Christians we have to be careful to go to God, not to food. Maybe you've heard that emotional eating is wrong, sinful, or not "taking care of your temple" the way God instructs. But, what if there's more to it than that? What if God created our bodies to eat and what if relating to food and eating should be as simple and benign as the way we relate to breathing, sleeping, or even using the bathroom? In today's podcast, Heather takes an alternative look at emotional eating and the religion that our culture (diet culture) has created around food and food rules. Heather challenges the notion that dieting is the only way to relate, biblically and healthfully to food. Heather also challenges the concept that restricting food and keeping a fear of "overdoing it" is what's most healthy for us as Christians. What if restricting is what leads us to an over-obsessive relationship with food that renders us less useful for the cause of Christ?

Today, prepare to have your preconceived notions about food, dieting, and what the Bible says challenged in a healthy and helpful way.

Heather references this passage where Jesus fed the disciples breakfast: John 21:1-14

Heather references the book, "Health, Money, and Love and Why We Don't Enjoy Them" by Robert Farrar Capon. 

Heather invites you to join the next 40-Day Reading Challenge starting in May. Learn more at ImproveBodyimage.com

Ready for more intensive body image help? Join the Body Image Freedom Framework Mini-Session happening this April and May. Email Heather for more information. 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

22 Sep 2023A "With God" Approach to Food and Eating Featuring Amy Carlson00:37:39

Today Heather is joined by one of her favorite guests, eating disorder expert, dietitian, and biblical truth seeker, Amy Carlson. Amy and Heather dig into some of the messaging around food that they've observed floating around from Christian content creators. Today, the duo gets real and analyzes some of these messages. With an MS in Nutrition and more than twenty-five years of experience working with women with eating disorders and disordered eating, Amy challenges us to think about God as being with us on our eating journey instead of against us. A lot of the messaging around food coming at Christians casts food as "temptation" or "evil," but today's conversation looks at how God really intended us to relate to food and why demonizing food is not the best way to find a healthier relationship with it. Instead, we can invite God into this space and into our relationship and struggles with food.

Heather and Amy also discuss the dangers in using Bible verses and stories to support disordered eating habits. Amy vulnerably shares how scripture played a role in her own journey into an eating disorder and how confusing and dangerous it can be to miss the context and goal of God's word and verses like, "commit your ways to the Lord and your plans will succeed" and twist it into a message of disordered eating.

You're going to need to listen to this one twice! Get ready for a thought-provoking episode that just may challenge you to think about your relationship with food in a different way. Whether you've had a restriction-based eating disorder, or wrestling binge eating, if you've dieted all your life, or never been sure of how to handle food in a God-honoring way, this episode will encourage you. If it does, please leave a review.

Learn more about Amy Carlson and the Peace With Food app at helloPeacewithfood.com

Listen to Heather's other episodes with Amy Carlson about our relationship with food here (some are mentioned in today's show):

How to Really Feel Better in Your Body Featuring Amy Carlson, RD

Letting Go of “Good” and “Bad” Food Labels Featuring Amy Carlson, RD

Is Self Control Really the Solution to Our Food Issues? Featuring Amy Carlson, RD

Do I Need More Self-Control to Stop Eating? Feat. Amy Carlson, RD

Amy Carlson, RD Shares What to Do if You Need to Lose Weight 2

What if I Really Need or Want to Lose Weight? Feat. Amy Carlson

Do Food Choices Make Us Righteous? Diet Culture & Purity Culture

Romans 14: Good Foods and Bad Foods? Featuring Amy Carlson Part 2

Should I Fast if I Had an Eating Disorder? A Look at Fasting

Daniel Fast, Sugar Fasts, and the Truth About Biblical Fasting

 

Are you ready for the next step to freedom in your body image journey? Check out Heather's new Christian online body image course: The Body Image Freedom Framework. Save $50 by using the code: PODCAST

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

01 Jul 2022Hot Coaching Tips: Black and White Thinking00:28:25

This month Heather gives "hot" coaching tips to help you get body image freedom. Today's topic is black-and-white thinking. Sometimes it's called "All or Nothing thinking." But the trap those of us who fall into body image issues fall into is believing that the choice is in between caring about your body or not caring about your body. This is a false dichotomy. The choice isn't to steward or not steward our bodies, the choice is to believe that we can surrender our body image to the Lord. Getting rid of the black-and-white thinking can help you see these issues rightly and get free!

You can learn more on this topic by listening to this amazing interview I did with Shawna Scafe last year: https://comparedtowho.me/podcast-the-all-or-nothing-mentality-featuring-shawna-scafe/

Other topics we cover today around black and white thinking and body image:

Jesus clearly commands us in Matthew 6:25 not to worry about our food and our bodies. But, not worrying about them isn't the same as mistreating, abusing, ignoring or not caring about our bodies.

So, how do we care for our bodies without worrying? How do we take care of ourselves without making body image an idol and making food something to obsess over? In today's show, we talk about how to fight the temptation to enter into black-and-white thinking in the arena of your body image. We talk about how money issues can relate to body image issues and how the lessons of scripture that apply to money can also apply to our physical bodies.

Coaching Action Step: Are you struggling with all-or-nothing or black-and-white thinking? Think about ways this week that you see yourself practicing this and take a pause to think of some alternative, healthier ways to make progress towards your goals without making it all or nothing.

All-or-nothing or black-and-white thinking separates us from living the life of grace and understanding and accepting God's grace for our lives. This episode will encourage and inspire you.

Are we email friends yet? Join the 5 Day Body Image Freedom Email Challenge here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Have you read Compared to Who? Check it out and start reading free, here: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Ready for some extra support on your journey to body image freedom? Do you want to believe you are more than a body but still feel stuck?  Learn more here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

03 May 2021Stop the Comparison Habit (Day 22 Spring Break Free)00:13:17

Are you guilty of comparison? Don't feel bad. Most of us are. It's hard, in our culture, not to compare ourselves to others. I mean, gracious, we see their lives in front of us all day long. It used to be you could only compare yourself to those folks you ran into during the week. Now, we can see all of our friends' lives, around the world, all.day.long.

What makes matters worse is that most of us are guilty of projecting our best self. I mean, who puts selfies online that look bad? You take the 35th shot (the only one that makes your chin look less than double) and that's the one you post. Not the 34 where you look a little fuller in the face. Come on. We all do it. Don't we? We project a certain image online.

If comparison is where you struggle - check out my brand new book, The Burden of Better and start reading here.

Listen to today's episode and then check out the questions for reflection on Day 22 of the Spring Break Free. Or, catch up on all the episodes at: https://comparedtowho.me/category/spring-break-free-body-image-course/

 

Here's more on the topic of comparison in today's video:

Questions for reflection:

Do you tend to compare your rough days to other people's best days? Do you tend to believe the "storyline" that women share online, social media, etc . . .or do you look deeper?

Have you ever thought about the concept of objectification? Do you feel that you sometimes objectify other women (looking only at one aspect of them and comparing yourself to them in only one way?)

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

27 Aug 2021Control, Thyroid, Image, Introversion, & the Middle: 5 Lessons00:34:13

Today I'll share 5 lessons I learned this summer about a wide range of topics from swimming with sharks to introversion...how everything is hardest when you're in the middle to what happened to my Thyroid and Hashimoto's disease. I hope this episode will encourage you with truth you need if you're wrestling control, battling thyroid issues, in the middle of something that feels REALLY hard, or just feeling overwhelmed by the need to manage your image. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Are we email friends? Sign up for the Compared to Who? list here -- I send email friends exclusive messages I don't send anyone else!! https://www.comparedtowho.me

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comparedtowho

Plus: Don't forget to tell a friend about the 30 Days to Pray for Your Body Image series that starts Wednesday, September 1!

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

13 Jan 2020Real Women, Real Hope: Uncovering Body Image Idolatry Changed Me - Mindy's Story 00:35:32

Today Heather Creekmore interviews Mindy Pickens, a woman who's uncovered God's grace and hope for her body image in a way she never expected! Listen to Mindy's hope-filled story and glean from her wisdom in walking a path towards freedom she never thought possible.

Connect with Mindy at her Remedial Homemaker Blog here.

Read Mindy's blog posts here.

Take the body image awareness quiz here.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon here.

Read Compared to Who? the book (Mindy's story on page 112!)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

29 Mar 2024Contentment and Sanctification Improving Body Image Issues: Live Coaching Call Featuring Presli00:28:16

In part two of the live coaching episode with Presli, Heather Creekmore and client, Presli, delve into the concept of righteousness and adoption in the context of body image and family upbringing.

Presli bravely opens up about her family's view of fitness and body size, revealing the deep-seated impact it had on her perception of herself. They discuss the idea of being seen for who you truly are, beyond physical appearances, and how authenticity and integrity play a crucial role in finding freedom from body image struggles.

In this vulnerable and insightful conversation, Heather guides Presli through a journey of self-discovery and reflection, prompting her to explore the concept of adoption in the Bible and how it relates to her own life. The session touches on the power of authenticity, breaking down the myth of a "perfect" external appearance, and finding true value and acceptance.

If you're looking for real, relatable discussions on body image and faith, this episode is a must-listen. It's a powerful reminder that we are all seen, known, and loved beyond our physical attributes.

Ready for body image coaching? Join the April/May mini-session and have direct access to Heather through April and May to get your questions answered. Plus, get 4 sessions with an encouraging group of Christian women. See what's included in the April/May group coaching mini-session here https://www.improvebodyimage.com/offers/XorzcqNz/checkout

Or, find out more about Heather's coaching options here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

15 Feb 2022Why Am I Always Tired? Intuitive Eating Coaching Call00:40:55

Today's episode is the recording of my coaching call with my Intuitive Eating Coaches--Char-Lee Cassel, RD and Erin Todd--hosts of the Intuitive Eating for Christian Women podcast. The most startling discovery: maybe my lifelong fatigue hasn't been related to eating the "right" foods or the "wrong" foods but could be related to not having enough calories. Both Diet Culture and Health Culture have deceived many of us about the calories we need to function well. I've believed it for years. I thought maybe I was always tired because I was eating foods that my body was sensitive to or eating too much food. But, today we discuss how being underfed (even if you're not underweight) can have an impact on energy levels. If you're always tired, it may not be that you're eating the wrong foods--it may be that you're not eating enough food. We also discuss the cultural phenomena of drinking smoothies--often green smoothies--and how they can sometimes be a healthy nutrition boost but other times be a crutch that keeps us dissatisfied and afraid of other foods.

I'm not an intuitive eating expert or a registered dietician. These coaching calls are episodes designed to show you how I'm working through my lifelong issues with foods, diets, and "trying to be healthy" in an attempt to become a more intuitive eater who has a healthy relationship with food. As you listen to our conversation, I hope you'll be encouraged that if food is a struggle for you, you are not alone.

This show was not designed to provide specific health related advice. Please seek guidance from a non-diet dietician or other health professional as you make your own choices about food and diet. If you are always tired, please talk to a health professional.

If you're interested in learning more about Intuitive Eating listen to the Intuitive Eating for Christian Women podcast here.

Always Tired? Listen to These Episodes, Too

Have you always believed that 1500 calories was enough (or more than enough) food every day? Listen to this interview with Erin Kerry about what 1500 calories a day does to your brain and body.

Are you always tired, restricting or worrying about food, or overeating at night? This interview with Megan Hadley, "Why Do I Overeat at Night" may be of interest.

Connect with Compared to Who? take the free body image 5-Day Email Challenge and get your free "Walk to Lose the Weight of Comparison" Walking Workout Download here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Support the show by joining our NEW Patreon Community here. We'll have exclusive monthly virtual get-togethers starting in March and so much more. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

27 Aug 20244 Ways To Stop Thinking Negatively About Your Body00:28:57

Don't believe everything you think. That's what host, Heather Creekmore discusses today as she encourages Christian women on how to handle internal negative thoughts that can become obsessive. Heather provides scriptural and practical guidance for taking control of these thoughts. The episode delves into combating negative self-perceptions and the harmful influence of societal ideals. It also discusses the importance of addressing the heart and belief systems as the first step toward transforming thought patterns. Heather will encourage you to preach the gospel to your doubts and how real faith isn't just about knowing Jesus died for you, but about practicing living in a way that shows you believe He is the truth. 

Go check out our brand new Etsy show to get cute podcast merch: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/shop

New to the show? Learn more about Heather Creekmore, Heather's books, and the ministry of Compared to Who? at: www.improvebodyimage.com

Ready for real body image change? The 40-Day Journey begins soon. Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

14 Jun 2022Cleaning Your House and Body Image Issues Connection00:26:22

Did you know that your body image issues and cleaning your house like a crazy person may be connected? If you've ever turned into a cleaning Gestapo before company came over or if you've ever stressed way too much over how your house looked, you may be surprised to find out that there's a body image connection. Getting free to be yourself in your body may help you become a little more chill when it comes to cleaning your house before guests stop by. If you've ever cleaned the house to make it look like "no one lives here," you'll be able to relate to this episode in many ways!

Here are some other things we talk about as we discuss how cleaning house connects to body image issues:
  1. What image are we trying to protect or portray in our physical homes? Is this related to the image we're trying to present in our soul's earthly homes--our bodies?
  2. How control issues flare in similar ways between cleaning our homes and caring for our bodies.
  3. What is the difference between loving others and desiring to be approved of and accepted?
  4. The mistake we make when we over-clean is the same as when we over-exercise or over-restrict food from our bodies.
  5. Who are we trying to impress? Is image management playing more of a role in our lives than we know?
  6. The "Mirror Tilt"-- How we can learn to better manage our image and understand Jesus's desire for us as image bearers. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/KlYCi3QMj0o
  7. Read the original blog post that got so much attention here: How Cleaning Your House Like Crazy Connects to Your Body Image

Homework: How have YOUR body image issues connected to how you care about the appearance of your home?

Are we email friends yet? Join the 5 Day Body Image Freedom Email Challenge here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Have you read Compared to Who? Check it out and start reading free, here: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Ready for some extra support on your journey to body image freedom?

Do you want to believe you are more than a body but still feel stuck? Struggling with the hot or holy paradigm? Check out Heather’s coaching options. Learn more here: https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

03 Apr 2020Is Your Quarantine Goal to Deepen Your Faith: Convo with Phylicia Masonheimer00:32:49

Today I chat (from quarantine) with Phylicia Masonheimer author of a brand new book, "Stop Calling Me Beautiful: Finding Soul-Deep Strength in a Skin-Deep World." We talk about how to REALLY trust God in the midst of crisis, how to deepen your faith, and how to make anger and discontent dissipate when you learn to trust the Lord.  Order Phylicia's Book here.

Connect with Phylicia here.

Visit Compared to Who? and take the quiz.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Jul 2023Colossians 2: Does the New Testament Endorse Food Rules?00:11:31

In today's summer replay, Heather looks at a passage of scripture in the New Testament where Paul talks about food rules. You may find it interesting how Paul encourages the church at Colossus not to take pride in their ability to follow rules (even food rules) because they are saved through the grace of Christ alone.

Today, Heather looks at the passage in Colossians 2:16-23. Read along as you listen to get a greater understanding for yourself of what this scripture has to say to us and our tendency to want to justify ourselves through our ability to follow all the rules!

Want to learn more about Classical Conversations and homeschooling your children? Visit: www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho

Ready for coaching? Visit: Improvebodyimage.com to learn more!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

12 Jan 2023Praying for Protection from Shame and Body Image Issues00:09:11

Shame is what keeps us afraid and hiding around our body image issues. When we’re embarrassed, we will do anything to cover our shame. Sometimes it seems like the easiest route to covering our shame would be to "get" the body/outside appearance that we want so we will be safe from condemnation or the opinions of others. But, shame is deeper than our skin. What often happens is that we may have a successful physical transformation, but the shame remains. Then it feels even more hopeless because what was supposed to take our shame away didn’t work. The only one who can take away our shame is Jesus. No matter how much you’ve been bullied by yourself or others for your body – no matter how much shame you feel about your body or your eating disorder or anything in your past – Jesus is the only one who can take away the shame.

Verse and Action Step related to Praying for Protection from Shame About Body Image

Verse of the Day: Romans 10:11 – Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.

Action: Share with a friend (a trusted friend, your husband, a mentor--must be someone you can trust) what you've been struggling with and how you've felt shame. You don't have to share details. Only share what you want. If you don't have anyone to share with - drop me an email at Heather @ compared to who (dot) me.

Want more of Heather’s story? Read Heather’s book, Compared to Who? Start reading the first two chapters free here: Compared to Who Book for Christian Women on Body Image or https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Ready to start reading the Bible more? Try Heather’s 10-Day Bible Reading plan on You Version here: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/29320-compared-to-who-a-10-day-plan-to-improvebody-image

Ready to get free this year and tired of the lies? Try Christian Body ImageCoaching with Heather.

Learn more about group coaching which begins January 23rd here: Christian Group Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/body-image-coaching/

Grab an individual, one-on-one coaching appointment or preview appointment here: Christian Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

04 Jan 20223 Tips to Improve Body Image in the New Year00:34:17

It's a new year and everywhere you look you'll find advice for getting a "new you in 2022!" In today's show we take a different, unconventional approach to looking at the most effective ways to meet our goals this year. I'll share with you the three secrets to meeting your body image and other goals this year: Look Up, Look Out, and Look Away.

Mentioned in Today's Show: Other Episodes and Podcast Series Mentioned Today:

30 Days to Pray for Your Body Image: https://comparedtowho.me/category/30-days-to-pray-for-body-image/

Spring Break Free - 30 Day Series to Break Free from Body Image Issues: https://comparedtowho.me/category/spring-break-free-body-image-course/

Why Self Love is not the answer and What the Bible Teaches About Self Love, Self Esteem and Body Image: https://comparedtowho.me/what-the-bible-teaches-on-self-esteem-self-love-and-body-image/

Here's a snippet of the transcript from the end of today's show:

Okay – elephant in the room this time of year is always 'How am I going to lose weight." Or, most of us have been programmed now to say, "How am I going to get healthier" – We've learned that diet culture is bad and so now we use the word health to make it all sound better! Who can argue with health?

According to the BMI chart, diet culture, and what we see on Instagram need to lose a few pounds to be "HEALTHY". Now –again – we'll deal with whether or not these systems and influencers are the best authorities in a second – but let's leave it for now. It doesn't really matter what they say - we feel it? Right. The holidays were fun. We ate foods we wouldn't normally eat and part of us, just physiologically, craves a healthier way. Our pants feel tighter and we don’t want to go buy new ones because we ate too many cookies in December.

Friend, I get it.

But, here's what I want to encourage you with today. Feeling shame over your holiday eating, feeling pressure to "lose the weight" since it's January, and going back to the chains of dieting or following this plan or that program is not going to put you where you want to be this time next year.

How do I know? What if this IS your year to actually stick to it and make it work?

I know because diets don't work – at least not long term. That's why my third tip for you today is when you see all the "Get a new body QUICK" messages you choose to LOOK AWAY.

So last Fall I interviewed several dieticians and got turned on to the concept of Intuitive Eating in a more formal way.

I have almost finished reading the updated version of the original Intuitive Eating book – and I'm flabbergasted. So many of the things I write about in Compared to Who? that came from experiential knowledge for me – were written in that book! No wonder some people didn't think the book was as original as I thought it was!

The Intuitive Eating book – though not a Christian book at all – even talks about body image idolatry! It doesn't use those terms exactly, but it talks about how diet culture has created an image we should all ascribe and bow down to – That sounds a lot like idolatry to me!

I know God set me free from body image issues almost a decade ago. But, the lingering threads of decades of dieting were still hanging on there. When I wrote Compared to Who? I didn't really know what to do about it – I knew that the heart issues surrounding body image had to be dealt with before the physical. Yet, I wouldn't have told you at that point that diets were bad. Honestly, I was probably limiting carbs or sugar-fasting while writing that book.

At the time I believed that dieting was more about my health goals and body image was more about my spiritual struggle.

Yes, I saw how they connected – I saw how it may have been God's grace to not ZAP me skinny everytime I started a new diet – because that "achievement" would have made me bow to the body image idol and serve it.

Now, I'll be honest, I'm still trying to sort it all out. Is it okay to want to lose weight? Part of me still believes it is. But, after my interviews this Fall – I wonder if the REASON I believe that has more to do with the lies and beliefs I've adopted from diet culture instead of the truth that God made people in different body shapes and sizes. I'm still sorting this out my friends.

I'm also still sorting out how to just "BE" with food. As we talked about in the first part of the show – I know what to DO with food. Tell me the rules, and I'll follow them. But, to just be FREE with food, with no rules. That feels scary and dangerous.

As I'm learning more about intuitive eating though – it feels like this principle of being free with food is the most important one. Yet, it's the most difficult for those of us who come from a dieting or disordered eating background. We are used to living our lives on a food schedule. We follow the food rules well, and the results are good. We don't follow the rules – and the results (in other words – how are body looks) is bad.

Listen to the full show below or wherever you get your podcasts:

 

 

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02 Sep 2022Lies We Believe: Weight Loss Fixes Everything00:22:55

Today we start a new series for the month of September called "Lies We Believe." The first lie we tackle is the myth that if you just lose weight or get your body to the size you want it to be, you won't stress over body image any more. This is the lie sold to us through every before and after photo in every weight loss ad. This is the lie that most permeates the marketing of diets. And it's one we want to believe because it feels like it would be SO nice to just drop the pounds and have everything in life get easier. Yet, there is solid scientific evidence proving that weight loss doesn't solve everything. In fact, there's science that shows once a woman loses weight, she may actually start obsessing over her body even more! In other words, it's just not true that weight loss fixes everything. It could lead you to more issues, especially in the arena of body image!

Are you ready to let go of the myth that weight loss fixes everything?

Then today's show is for you.

Learn more about coaching or sign up for emails from Compared to Who? by visiting: www.comparedtowho.me

Today's show also features an ad from our sponsor of the month: Tighten Your Tinkler. Heather tells you about her experience with this amazing program to help you strengthen your pelvic floor and why that's important. If you haven't listened to the full interview with Jenn from Tighten Your Tinkler, listen here. To find out more about the program, visit: https://www.tightenyourtinkler.com/signatureprogram and use the coupon code: HEATHER to save $50!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

06 Sep 2024Can Changing Your Body Fix Your Body Image Issues? Part 200:31:57

Heather Creekmore delves into the complex relationship between body image, dieting, and exercise. The discussion highlights the emotional and psychological effects of relying on physical changes to fix inner turmoil and encourages listeners to confront the root causes of body image discomfort. With insights into how embracing anxious feelings and fears can lead to spiritual and emotional well-being, this episode challenges the notion of using quick fixes. Heather talks about how we can approach our fears and be curious about them. She also emphasizes the importance of understanding one's identity in Christ. The episode sheds light on the ineffectiveness of believing diet and exercise are effective solutions to body image issues and offers a perspective as to how to find body image healing through deeper faith in Christ.

Go check out our brand new Etsy show to get cute podcast merch: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/shop

New to the show? Learn more about Heather Creekmore, Heather's books, and the ministry of Compared to Who? at: www.improvebodyimage.com

Ready for real body image change? The 40-Day Journey begins soon. Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

15 Sep 202130 Days to Pray for Body Image: Day 15 - Body Image Idol Part 200:07:56

Today we talk about body image idolatry one more time - looking at how body image idolatry can impact our daily lives and what it looks like to be lured into serving the body image idol on day to day basis. If you've never noticed or heard about the body image idol - I'd encourage you to check out my book: Compared to Who? which you can learn more about here: Compared to Who Book for Christian Women on Body Image or at this link: https://comparedtowho.me/compared-to-who-book-for-christian-women-on-body-image/

Our verse of the day is from 2 Corinthians 4:7-- But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

How is God working in your life through this series? Drop a comment below or email me at: heather @ compared to who (dot) me - I'd love to hear!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

23 Feb 2022What You Need to Know About Eating Disorders00:35:02

In honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, today I'm tackling the data on Eating Disorders. **Trigger Warning**This is a weighty and emotional topic. If you're recovering from an ED or have been diagnosed already, you may want to just skip this episode in case you find it triggering.

My purpose today is to expose the many symptoms of eating disorders and alert you to the reality that some of what we consider "normal" in our health culture is actually disordered eating or eating disorder behavior. Almost 30 million Americans have or will have an eating disorder sometime during their lifetime. Many eating disorders go undetected and only 6% of people with eating disorders are underweight. Dieting and restriction are not the pathways to health. In fact, the data shows the opposite. Dieting and food or food group restriction is ineffective at best and could lead to the dangers of disordered eating. Improving your body image doesn't mean you disregard your physical health or ignore the signals when the foods you eat make you feel bad. But food avoidance, food fear, and calorie restriction have consequences that we should all be aware of.

Candidly, I would have told you a few years ago there was nothing "unhealthy" about dieting and restricting. I believed this was the only way to have a healthier body. But, now I've learned that this thinking is the same as that which accompanies disordered eating and the mental illness of eating disorder. Yes, it's a mental illness. I think it's time we stop encouraging people to develop a mental illness so their bodies can meet a cultural standard.

Here's where we go in today's episode:

  • We talk about how EDNOS--the category Heather used to associate with--is no longer a category and why.
  • The fine line between eliminating foods for other health reasons and triggering an eating disorder.
  • How dieting can lead to eating disorders.
  • Why food shouldn't be a threat to our identity--and yet, somehow, it feels like it is.
  • The most common emotional and physical symptoms of eating disorders
  • And, more...
If You're Battling Disordered Eating or Eating Disorders Check Out These Resources:

Today's research came straight from the National Eating Disorder Awareness homepage. You can access the data I read today and so much more information on eating disorders here: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders

If you think you have an eating disorder, please check out this list of suggested resources here: https://comparedtowho.me/eating-disorder-resources/

Interested in coaching or joining the next coaching group that begins April 4th? Learn more on the coaching tab here: https://www.comparedtowho.me/coaching

Connect with Compared to Who? here: https://www.comparedtowho.me

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

26 Mar 2019What about Leah? Body Image and Comparison Lessons from Rachel and Leah00:21:51

Rachel and Leah, the iconic Bible story of two sisters with a giant sibling rivalry, has some hidden truths about body image and comparison. Grab your Bible, turn to Genesis 29 and get ready to see this story in a whole new way. For every woman who's ever hoped to be Rachel, not Leah, here's some amazing truth.

 

Show links:

https://www.comparedtowho.me

https://thebibleproject.com

https://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

 

Related blog posts:

https://comparedtowho.me/rachel-rachel-rachel-three-lessons-leah-can-teach-us-about-beauty-and-body-image/

https://comparedtowho.me/leah-wasnt-beautiful-rachel-leah-lessons/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

16 Sep 2019How to Hush the Hustle, Part 200:29:40

Are you a hustler? Someone who works fast and hard, always trying to get ahead or be better? In this episode, Heather Creekmore explores how to hush our hustle--how the long view of life and how the tortoise can sometimes end up winning the race. If you tend to sprint, crash diet, or go through periods of hustle and then burnout, this episode will give you hope and encouragement.

 

Visit Compared to Who's Website.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

02 Dec 2019The Burden of Busyness Part 2: Heart Conditions That Drive Our Busyness00:37:31

You know you're busy -but do you know why? Sure, you can blame the boss, the kids, the holidays . . . but are there subtle things going on in your heart that drive you to be busier than you actually need to be? In this episode, Heather Creekmore uncovers 4 common heart conditions that keep us struggling under the burden of busyness. Want to be free to rest? Listen to this.

Take the Body Image Quiz: www.comparedtowho.me/follow

Support this Podcast on Patreon

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

12 Dec 2023Enjoying Food & Being Thankful for Our Bodies: Lessons from 1 Timothy 400:42:49

Host Heather Creekmore teaches through 1 Timothy 4:1-10 and looks at the ways scripture instructs us to think about our food, pleasure, contentment, and even exercise. This passage includes instruction about how we think about and relate to food and our bodies and even exercise. As she examines these scriptures you’ll see the two concepts that Paul wanted to communicate to the young pastor Timothy and the concepts God still wants us to understand today are godliness and contentment. Listen and be encouraged to feel better about your body image and enjoy God's good gifts this Christmas season and all year long.

Today Heather asks: Can we be content with his gifts? As we learn from 1 Timothy, the more we know him, the more we grow in godliness, and the more we enjoy his gifts-- even the gift of our body and food.

Having a godly perspective, the training in godliness has so much to do with the way we relate to our bodies, our food, and others, in this life and is also good for the life to come. As you'll be encouraged to remember in today's encouraging show: Having an eternal perspective changes everything. 

Here are the verses read in today’s podcast:

1 Timothy 4:1-10

Luke 17:11-17

Here’s a link to Jeff White’s sermon on this topic: https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/the-freedom-of-contentment-life-of-grateful-joy-10th/

Check out Heather’s new book, the facilitator's guide, and the walking workouts: The 40-Day Body Image Workbook: Hope for Christian Women Who’ve Tried Everything

Episodes referenced in today's show:

Here's a link to a podcast episode on contentment and Philippians 4:13

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/can-philippians-4-13-be-my-weight-loss-or-fitness 

Episode to learn more about Heather's new book: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/the-body-image-solution-a-40-day-workbook-to-break

Link to gluttony podcast episodes:

Part 1 on gluttony: https://omnystudio.com/p/compared-to-who/clips/5775b9f0-b418-46bd-ad75-b02200dd7563

Part 2 on gluttony: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/more-thoughts-on-gluttony-what-the-bible-says-part

Link to the Burden of Better book that contains data on gratitude, grace, and contentment 

Link to Amy Carlson podcast episode that talked about abstaining from premarital sex not the same as abstaining from pleasure around food: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/have-we-christianized-disordered-eating-featuring

Mind Over Milkshake Study: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/04/14/299179468/mind-over-milkshake-how-your-thoughts-fool-your-stomach

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 Feb 2022Body After Baby, Surrogacy, and Birthing Your Purpose00:33:34

My conversation with Tiffany Jo Baker was supposed to be about body after baby. But, where we landed became a beautiful orchestra of many topics ranging from infertility to judging others by their appearance to how to find your purpose. Tiffany Jo Baker is a mom of two and was a surrogate mom for three families dealing with infertility. Whether you're a new mom, or a mom of grown kids...whether you're dealing with body after baby or just wondering if your life has purpose. You'll enjoy today's episode. Here are some of the places we go in today's show:

  • How she decided to be a surrogate mom.
  • How Tiffany's husband felt about her being a surrogate (and delivering someone else's babies on Father's Day!)
  • Dealing with body changes after pregnancy.
  • Learning to accept the story of our lives that our bodies tell.
  • How to be kind to your body after baby.
  • How to stop judging others by how they look.
  • How Tiffany helps women birth their purpose and find out what they were made to do.
  • Remembering that you were born on purpose, for a purpose!
There's so much encouragement in today's episode, especially if you're struggling with your body after baby. About Tiffany Jo Baker: Tiffany Jo Baker is a caffeinated mom of two teen girls, surrogate mom who has delivered five babies for three families dealing with infertility, proud dog-mom, and wife to an extreme outdoorsman. She is the podcast host of All the Things TV, author of the devotional Soul-Care for Go-Getters, speaker, and strategizer who uplifts the soul and success of women walking out their why at home and online so they can birth their God-given dreams and projects. Connect with: Tiffany Jo Baker here. Check out her podcast here: Host of All the Things TV video podcast Check out her book here: Author of Soul-Care for Go-Getters (31 Day Devotional)

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

19 Jun 2021Condemnation Vs. Conviction: Win the Mental Body Image Battle00:21:24

If you're battling body image, chances are there are a lot of voices in your head telling you what you should do, making you feel bad for what you did or didn't do, and saying mean things about your body or your behaviors. Today, I dig into the truth that we don't have to believe everything we think. Not all of our thoughts are healthy! Beyond that there are two specific and different thoughts that we need to be able to discern. The first is the Holy Spirit's conviction- this is how the Holy Spirit helps us live a life of freedom in Christ. The Holy Spirit gently convicts us of sin and helps us in many ways. But, the other thoughts that plague us--more of the time--are condemning thoughts. These are not from God and we don't have to listen to them--even if they contain a grain of truth! Learn how to tell the difference between condemnation and conviction in today's episode so that you can win the mental part of your body image battle. Body image issues start in the heart...but we fight them through recognizing that our mind is the battlefield! Listen and learn today!

Connect with Compared to Who: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Take your FREE body image awareness quiz: https://www.comparedtowho.me AND get your free 30 minute walking working/prayer walk DOWNLOAD to find freedom from comparison!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

29 Apr 2020Quarantine Chronicles: Dieting, Body Image Issues with Integrative Nutrition Coach Erin Kerry 00:57:43

My good friend Integrative Nutrition Coach, Erin Kerry and I dish about our quarantine experiences -- we talk about the temptation to diet, how dieting may not work during quarantine, how we're handling the stress of food shortage, and much, much more! Join our candid and RAW conversation about our own shelter-in-place experiences.

Learn More About Erin here.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

Take the Body Image Awareness Quiz.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

08 Oct 2024Spiritual Warfare, Healing Prayer, and Body Image Issues00:30:06

Host Heather Creekmore is joined by special guests Keith and Megan Peeler for a compelling discussion on spiritual warfare and healing. Together, they dive into the often-overlooked aspects of spiritual life that affect our identity and beliefs.

Megan & Keith share about growing up in churches that focused on theology without much emphasis on the Holy Spirit. They share their own story of encountering the Holy Spirit in a new way and how becoming equipped for spiritual warfare became important to them and their ministry. They talk about how they help people understand the ways the enemy can oppress and affect the believer without possessing the believer. They also share how emotional trauma can evolve into spiritual wounds, affecting our core identity and beliefs. Keith and Megan, through their ministry called "Everfree" now do healing prayer with people to help them restore identity in Christ and heal these wounds. They share how this kind of prayer may feel unfamiliar, but doesn't have to look like the Exorcist movies from the 80s or be scary, loud, or dramatic in any way. 

In this part, Megan also shares how her recent journey with breast cancer affected her identity and brought on a new level of healing and deliverance for her. 

Whether you're looking to understand the spiritual roots of your struggles or seeking practical steps to walk closely with Jesus, today's episode is packed with wisdom and actionable insights. 

Learn more about Keith and Megan's ministry here: https://www.everfree.us/

Connect with Compared to Who? and find resources for body image healing and freedom here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

10 May 2024Re-evaluating "Turn to Jesus, Not Food": Have We Created a False Dichotomy?00:38:31

Heather Creekmore and special guest Erin Todd delve into an expression we've heard a lot in Christian circles: "Turn to Jesus Not Food."  We've all been there. It's late, you've had a hard day. And what you really want it brownies, or cookies, or the ice cream. Maybe you bake or maybe you drive to the store. You give in. You eat the thing that you had hoped you wouldn't. It's like the craving took over. And, now you feel guilt, shame, and worse: You wonder if you've sinned by turning to food not Jesus. You believe you should have just prayed the craving away or handled the emotional need in a way that did not include food.

Today Heather and Erin unpack this expression. They talk about whether or not our physical food cravings are sinful. They discuss how eating can and does help a stressed or tired body calm down, but how this doesn't have to be the only tool in the tool belt. Erin and Heather also talk about the importance of really listening to our bodies so that we can nourish them appropriately. We don't always have to "give in" to the cravings, but neither do we have to over-spiritualize them.

Heather and Erin reference these episodes today:

Gwen Shamblin and Starving for Salvation: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/starving-for-salvation-diet-culture-gwen-shamblin

Gluttony Part 1: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-is-gluttony-really-what-the-bible-really-says

Exploring Every Bible Verse on Gluttony: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/more-thoughts-on-gluttony-what-the-bible-says-part

Connect with Compared to Who: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Join the 40-Day Body Image Workbook Journey here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Connect with Erin or listen to the Intuitive Eating for Christian Women Podcast Here: https://intuitiveeatingforchristianwomen.com/

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

25 Aug 2020Idol of Self & Becoming a Wellness Witness: Interview with Kara Osborne00:40:32

Kara Osborne confesses that she used to spend her Christmas money on what she needed for the New Year's diet! I could so relate! Kara and I have a fun conversation about how God set her free from the body improvement treadmill, what keeps us stuck on it, and her ministry, "Wellness Witness." Lots of nuggets of truth in this fun episode!

Connect with Compared to Who?

Connect with Kara Osborne, Wellness Witness

Connect with Kara on Facebook or Instagram.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

16 Jan 2023Praying for Freedom from Opinion of Others, Approval, Body Image00:09:40

Today in our month-long series where we are praying for your body image, we pray for protection from the opinions of others (or approval) related to our body image. Worrying about what others will think of your body is a type of fear. For some, we fear the opinion of parents – mom or dad's opinion of your body has always heavily influenced your own opinion of your body. If mom doesn’t think you look good, you can’t think you look good. For others, we fear the opinion of friends, exes, or "everyone." What would it be like to be free from the opinion of others? What would it mean to genuinely believe that your Father is the creator of the universe--the most important opinion in the whole world–and that he loves and accepts you so no one else’s opinion matters as much as his. In my book, Compared to Who?, I talk about how it must feel to be one of the royal children in England or how it would be to be a President’s daughter. At some level, I think you’d feel confident and somewhat important just by nature of birth. As scripture reminds us, we are adopted children of God. Because of who your father is, you are important and valuable, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. Again, this doesn’t free us to act unkindly. We still must love others even those who aren’t kind to us. But we can act confidently even when we disappoint others because we are not bound to live by their opinions of us.

Today's Verse and Action Step for Praying for Protection from the Opinions of Others and our Body Image

Today's Verse: Proverbs 29:25: Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Today's Action Step: Be aware! Who are you trying to please? Whose thoughts about your body are still influencing your thoughts about your body? Pray about it and see what God reveals to you. Then, ask him to help free you from their opinions.

Ready to get free this year and stop stressing over the opinions of othersabout your body? Try Christian Body Image Coaching with Heather.

Learn more about group coaching which begins January 23rd here: Christian Group Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/body-image-coaching/

Grab an individual, one-on-one coaching appointment or preview appointment here: Christian Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

22 Nov 2024How Did Your Mother Impact Your Body Image? Part 200:26:02

Host Heather Creekmore delves deeper into the complex topic of how our relationships with our mothers can impact our body image and behaviors around food. Building on the discussion from part 1, Heather addresses the often-unspoken dynamics that influence our identity, self-confidence, and healing journey.

Heather emphasizes that the point of examining mom's role in body image issues is never to blame mom, but rather to help listeners better understand their own stories and why they've believed, thought, or felt the way they did around body issues. Heather also addresses how healing from body image issues might affect your relationship with your mother and the potential grief that comes from such changes because you no longer have your body image issues and food rules in common. 

Heather also offers practical guidance for dealing with emotional triggers, especially when returning to childhood homes or spending time in family environments that can evoke past patterns. Heather also highlights the importance of recognizing our "little girl brain" – our young, survival-driven responses to familial interactions – and offers ways to stay present with ourselves and handle these emotional cyclones.

For further exploration of related topics, check out the episode on grieving the loss of an ideal body Grieving the Ideal Body and listen as Heather prepares to delve into attachment theory in the next episode (coming December 3).

This episode challenges listeners not to fear the acknowledgment of their mom's role but to instead lamentat these past struggles and embrace them as paths to healing and transformation.


Ready to find body image healing? Join us on the 40 Day Journey that begins January 7, 2025. Learn more or reserve your spot here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Grab Heather's latest book, The Comparison-Free Life learn more here: 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

19 Nov 2024What Was Mom's Impact on Your Body Image Issues?00:38:58

Do your body image issues get worse when you're around family? Today, host Heather Creekmore digs into what may be the reason behind why you feel worse about your body at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Heather explores the question: Did your mom have an impact on your body image? While many women know she did, others can't recognize it quite as clearly. But, on today's show, Heather dives deep into the intricate dynamics between mothers and daughters, exploring how maternal influence shapes our body image and how much of this shaping happened well before the teenage years. 

Today Heather uncovers some of the potential influences and connections between body image issues and the mother-daughter relationship. She also speaks to the reality that many of those who have a disordered relationship with food and body image issues will experience a flare-up of these issues when around mom--especially at the holidays!

Heather also addresses the intergenerational nature of body image issues, how they run in families and how your mom could simply be acting out of the way she was taught by her mom. Likewise Heather talks about how a healthy sense of self requires us to have agency over our bodies and our choices around food. And, though it becomes more difficult when we're around family, this "growing up" process is vital for our body image healing journeys.

The episode takes inspiration from Catherine Fabrizio's book, "The Good Daughter Syndrome."

Learn more about agency in this episode: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/finding-body-image-freedom-through-understanding-a

Learn how to forgive mom in this episode: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/forgiving-mom-or-others-for-their-roles-in-body-im

Need more help? Consider working with Heather or our team in coaching. Or, join us on the 40-Day Journey starting January 7th. Learn more at https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

15 Mar 2021Confessions of an Over 40 Fitness Instructor featuring Amy Connell00:47:56

If you like to workout and have ever spent anytime at the gym (or with Peleton) today's episode is for you. Today I talk with my friend, Amy Connell about some "secrets" of the fitness industry. We talk about what it's like to be an over-forty fitness instructor. She shares her story of a personal struggle with body image, and we talk about things you may not know about that person leading your group fitness class or personal training. Here are a few other topics we explore:

  • Why women over 40 may need to work out differently than other women.
  • What happens when we don't give ourselves grace to age!
  • Why Heather has never taught step aerobics.
  • Why mobility is important.
  • How to stop idolizing fitness professionals, and
  • How you can make a difference for Christ at your gym!

I think you'll glean a lot of wisdom from this fun conversation!

Connect with Amy here: GracedHealth.com or on her podcast: Graced Health.

Connect with Heather here: www.comparedtowho.me

Get the FREE "Walk to Lose the Weight of Comparison" Walking Workout Download here: www.comparedtowho.me 

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon: www.patreon.com/comparedtowho

More about Amy:

Amy Connell is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, and imperfect eater. She is host of the Graced Health podcast. She seeks to equip women with simple and grace-filled ways to take care of and appreciate their God-created body … and enjoy a little chocolate in the process. She lives in the Houston, Texas area with her husband of 23 years, their two always-hungry teen boys, and her stray-turned princess pit bull named Grace. Her podcast tagline is: Providing women simple and grace-filled ways to take care of themselves, all with a little chocolate.

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

30 Aug 2022Are You Exercising Your Pelvic Floor?00:36:45

Today's show explores the one muscle in our body most of us never think about exercising, our pelvic floor! We talk about how this little set of muscles has all of your organs resting on it and how many of the issues women experience, from peeing a little when you sneeze to frequent bathroom trips, to posture problems or back pain, could all be related to pelvic floor dysfunction! Guess what: It's not about Kegels!! This isn't your typical episode of Compared to Who? but today, I tackle this physical issue, how it relates to body image and relationship issues, and much more. You will be amazed at the connection!

Jenn Lormand, an experienced exercise physiologist from Tighten Your Tinkler (silly name but serious results) joins me to talk about all the different ways having a weak pelvic floor may be affecting your life, your marriage, and your ability to feel comfortable and confident in your body. Here are some of the topics we explore today:

*How you can feel broken when things "down there" aren't functioning like they should (or aren't reliable!)

*How hip pain, back pain, neck pain, bunions and posture issues can all connect with a weak pelvic floor!

*We define prolapse--a condition that affects many women and comes in numbered stages.

*We discuss how women recovering or recovered from bulimia or over-exercising may especially feel the affects in their pelvic floor.

*Jenn assures Heather that peeing when you cough, sneeze, or while exercising isn't a normal and necessary part of aging--and that there is a way to stop without surgery!

*How the Tighten Your Tinkler signature program gets you safely exercising and working on strengthening your pelvic floor muscles!

*We talk about how this is one set of muscles that no one sees--yet ignoring them could cause big problems for the rest of your body!

Find out more about Tighten Your Tinkler: A Program to Get You Safely Exercising Your Pelvic Floor

Intimacy Guide: https://www.tightenyourtinkler.com/partner-guide

Quiz: Tighten Your Tinkler Quiz Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Back and Hip Relief:https://www.tightenyourtinkler.com/backandhiprelief

Learn more or sign up for their program here use the coupon code HEATHER to save $50: https://www.tightenyourtinkler.com/signatureprogram

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

29 Oct 2021How Do I Handle All the Holiday Candy? Feat Dr. Stefani Reinold00:47:49

Candy is EVERYWHERE. Seems like October rolls around and the candy doesn't leave until January. But, then it only stays gone until February when Valentine's candy shows up, which rolls right into Easter candy time. How do we handle ALL the candy? How do we handle it with our children? How do we handle it with ourselves? What do you do if you feel like you can't "trust yourself" around candy? How do you keep your kids from having a disordered relationship with candy? All of these questions and more are what we tackle in today's episode!

Dr. Stefani Reinold is a psychiatrist and ED specialist who has worked with more than a thousand women and girls to help them find a healthier relationship with food and eating. You will be SHOCKED by her recommendations in today's episode-but I encourage you to listen the whole way through! Studies show that allowing your kids UNRESTRICTED access to candy MAY be the healthiest way to help them learn to regulate themselves around sugar and may help them not develop disordered eating behaviors later in life. But how is it his even possible?

Today Stefani and I talk about:

  1. How do we help our kids have a healthy relationship with candy? (One where they won't binge every time they get some)!
  2. How can we help ourselves have a healthy relationship with candy? Is there a trick to not eating ALL the candy?
  3. What to do if you and your spouse don't agree on how to handle candy and sweets.
  4. How sugar may not be the most dangerous thing for your child's health . . .

This is a must listen episode - I hope you'll share with a friend.

Connect with Dr. Stefani Reinold on Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/@stefanireinoldmd

Connect with Compared to Who?: https://www.comparedtowho.me

Loving this show? Leave a review please! Go to https://www.comparedtowho.me/podcast for instructions if you aren't sure how!

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

30 May 2023How to Stop Having Bad Thoughts About Your Body00:25:10

Do you struggle with thinking bad thoughts about your body? Today Heather will unpack a new way to think about the famous passage in Romans 12:1-2 which tells us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. Heather will talk about how the key strategy to thinking differently about your body isn't found in the transformation but in believing that you are a new creation from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21.

Heather also offers a super practical tool for how to stop bad thoughts about your body from consuming you. She explains something called the Philippians 4:8 filter and how to use it and why you should memorize this passage (or at least have it written somewhere you can always see it) so that you are prepared to transform the way you think about your body every time a negative or damaging thought pops up.

Today's episode is sponsored by Classical Conversations, a Christian homeschool program that Heather's family has used for more than a decade. Learn more about this program at: http://www.classicalconversations.com/comparedtowho

Did you know Heather has a brand new plan out on You Version? Learn more about this plan called "Have a Comparison-Free Summer" on the Bible app.

Ready for Christian body image coaching? Learn more or grab a free ten minute call to see if coaching is right for you: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/Christian-body-image-coaching

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

25 Mar 2025Do Body Image Issues Affect Our Parenting?00:27:25

Heather chats with licensed counselor, pastor's wife, and author Kristen Hatton about the ways that our body image issues can affect how we parent our children. From passing on perfectionism, to trying to control, to expecting our children to look or act a certain way because we're still trying to keep up an image, body image issues certainly play a role in how we parent.

Kristen and Heather discuss the ways our body image issues impact our parenting decisions, recognizing that, for most of us, it's so subtle that we can't even see we are doing it. They also spend time offering hope and encouragement to moms whose children have left home already. It's never too late to redeem a relationship, to apologize, or even to acknowledge how these issues affected the way your child was raised and restore a healthier relationship with your adult children.

Learn more about Kristen Hatton and her books here: https://www.kristenhatton.com

Learn more about Compared to Who?, the 40 Day Journey, and how you can start healing your body image here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

29 Sep 2023Can Philippians 4:13 Be My Weight Loss or Fitness Inspiration Verse?00:31:50

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Do you have Philippians 4:13 memorized or on a Christian t-shirt. Have you recited it before the big test or the big game? Have you used it to be your weight loss or fitness goal motivation verse?

If you have, no shame or blame here. But, today Heather tackles what Philippians 4:13 is really trying to teach us. It's a message in contentment. It's a passage that reveals our struggle with covetousness, and it's a verse that encourage us that we can be strong in finding satisfaction in Christ alone, whether or not we've achieved our personal goals.

Take a listen to Heather talk about this tricky passage and often mis-used scripture verse and then let us know what you think. Drop Heather a line at heather@ compared to who.me or leave a 5 star review of the show if you loved it!

Are you ready for more help on your body image journey? The Body Image Freedom Framework online course is now open! We started group calls this week, but it's not too late to add the group coaching (with unlimited personal support) option. Learn more at: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/course-only and you can save $50 this week with the code: PODCAST

Want to listen to the original Tim Keller sermon that inspired Heather's talk today: https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/the-freedom-of-contentment-2-10th-6334/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

05 Jan 2024Fasting, Daniel Fasts, Sugar Fasts and an Eternal Perspective00:32:59

It's January so everyone's talking about fasting! Churches are doing corporate fasts, Organizations are running sugar fasts. People have cleared out their pantries of all foods that aren't legal on the Daniel Fast and stocked their fridges with vegetables they'll only ever eat in January. Today, Heather digs into fasting. Is fasting good? Should we be fasting? What is the purpose of fasting?

Heather challenges listeners with the real purpose of fasting and offers cautions for those who have a history with eating disorders or disordered eating who try to fast. 

Heather also challenges listeners with the truth of scripture in regards to the Daniel Fast. Heather takes a deep dive into the story of Daniel and what happened when Daniel and his friends refused to eat the king's rich food. Why did they do it? What was their purpose in fasting from these foods? What happened to their bodies when they fasted? Heather looks at the surprising truth of scripture that reveals how their fast actually made them "fatter in the flesh."

Here's the episode Heather referenced with Amy Carlson from last year: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/should-i-fast-if-i-had-an-eating-disorder-a-look-a

Heather ends the episode by encouraging listeners to have a vision for their lives that is bigger than themselves and their bodies.

Here are some of the hot topics from today's episode:

  • The Spiritual Reasons for Fasting
  • The Daniel Fast
  • Sugar fasts
  • The one question you need to ask yourself before you fast or while you're fasting
  • Should people with eating disorders or a history of an eating disorder fast?
  • How we can serve and honor God through fasting and other spiritual disciplines.

Learn more about Heather's brand new book, the 40-Day Body Image Workbook or grab the facilitator's guide here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/books-for-christian-women-body-image

Learn more about the Body Image Freedom Framework online course and group coaching program here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

26 Jan 2024Live Podcast Q&A: Using the Lord's Name to Sell Weight Loss and More00:44:40

Today is part two of the LIVE podcast featuring a 25-year eating disorder specialist, dietitian, and lover of Jesus, Amy Carlson M.S., L.D., R.D. Amy begins the episode by explaining something she said at the end of the last episode about taking the Lord's name in vain when we use God's name to rubber-stamp or sell our diet or fitness program. In addition to this truth bomb, Amy tackles questions from our live audience about participating in church-wide fasts, digestive issues that result from disordered eating or eating disorders, and what to do if you can't seem to stop binge eating. Amy shares so much wisdom in a God-honoring and gentle way. You can't help but get something out of today's great episode.

Interested in being a part of the next LIVE podcast? Make sure you're on the Compared to Who? email list at: www.improvebodyimage.com

Are you READY to take the 40-Day Body Image Reading Challenge? This year for Lent (February 14-March 30) Heather invites you to read her brand new, 40-Day Body Image Workbook along with her. Weekly Zoom meeting check-ins will help keep us all reading and accountable. Plus, find community with other women who are also working to improve their body image in a God-honoring way. Find out more about this new challenge here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Looking for more one-on-one support? Learn more about coaching and the Body Image Freedom Framework here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

20 Sep 2020Comparison and Social Media: Can Christians Engage in a Healthy Way?00:31:00

As my new book, Burden of Better releases this week, in this episode I explore how social media impacts us and I talk about ways God has personally been convicting me over my social media usage. Does time on Facebook alter my view of reality? Does social media help me love better or love fewer? Am I causing my sister to stumble when I post? We'll discuss all this and more in this truth-filled, yet challenging episode. Plus: Find out about bonuses you can receive if you order my new book on 9/22!

Connect with Heather here.

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

Order Burden of Better and get your bonuses here!

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

19 Jan 2023Praying for Truth and Clarity Around Food Rules00:11:48

Like we talked about yesterday, an important part of this process is seeing and believing something new about your body and your value and even food and what it’s intended for. Today we are praying for truth and clarity around food rules. What we need to remember is that there is a lot of lower case "t" truth in this world. There are lots of "truths" about what we need to eat to be healthy, what we need to do to be healthy. But if you’ve been on this planet for a few decades, you may have noticed that all of these little "t" truths tend to change. Eggs are good, eggs are bad, eggs are good…

If you’re close to my age, you may remember eating low fat in the 1990s or eating Special K cereal to get “skinny” in the 1980s . . .but now, we’d be aghast to the thought of eating carbohydrates to be healthier (at the time of recording) everyone is eating Keto or low carb. These little "t" truths are always changing, always shifting.

If we put our hope in them to save us and to keep us healthy, or give us a body that will keep us safe or protect us from the opinion of ourselves or of others – but chasing this small t truth will always put us in a maze with no exit. When the Bible talks about knowing the truth and the truth setting us free – like in John 8 – it’s not talking about knowing the truth of the world or the truth of the day, it’s talking about knowing Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. If you want true freedom, you have to know him. Lean not on your own understanding -but lean on him. It is Jesus’ truth that sets us free and not the truth of the day from a YouTube influencer or some marketer selling you something. If freedom is what we seek- Jesus is the only place we can find it.

Action Step and Bible Verses for Praying for Clarity and Truth Around Food Rules

Bible Verse: John 8:32 – You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. and John 1:14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Action: Write a list of “truths” you’ve believed about the way you eat, health, your body – Now line these up with scripture. How many of these truths are unchangeable?

  Ready to get free this year and stop stressing over food and your body? Try Christian Body Image Coaching with Heather.

Learn more about group coaching here: Christian Group Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/body-image-coaching/

Grab an individual, one-on-one coaching appointment or preview appointment here: Christian Body Image Coaching or https://comparedtowho.me/christian-body-image-coaching-insecurity-confidence-gospel/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

07 Apr 2023Money, Body Image, Stewardship, Hoarding, and Other Connections00:35:52

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. 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

18 May 2020Comparison & Clutter: Interview with Dana White of A Slob Comes Clean00:43:08

This conversation may just change your body image and your home! I talk to Dana White of a Slob Comes Clean on how to keep both comparison and clutter at bay! Hear how she got started writing about her messiness and how it's lead to freedom for her and countless others. We'll talk about the connection between body image issues and a cluttered home. We'll also talk about the root issues of why we just can't get rid of those too-small-size clothes in our closet. You'll be encouraged and inspired by today's episode.

Connect with Dana here.

See all of Dana's books here.

Get Dana's books on Amazon.

Take the Body Image Awareness Quiz

Support Compared to Who? on Patreon.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

24 Oct 2023Is Your Body Storing Trauma? The Biology of Trauma with Dr. Aimie Apiagan00:35:13

Heather talks with Dr. Aimie Apiagan, MD, MS, MPH, a medical doctor who has committed her life's work to studying how trauma impacts our physical bodies.  In today's show, Dr. Aimie shares her own experiences with trauma, revealing patterns of disordered eating and the connection between trauma and how our bodies respond. Dr. Aimie offers a helpful and understandable definition for trauma as experiences that overwhelm us. She discusses how often we store these experiences away for future review yet never get back to processing it and the toll this "storing" of the traumas has on our bodies. Throughout the conversation, the hosts stress the importance of understanding and healing trauma, particularly for individuals struggling with body image issues.

Also covered in this episode:
*Why women may turn to over-exercising or specifically to running when there is unprocessed trauma. 

*How Dr. Aimie sees how she used food in childhood to cover for her traumatic experiences she couldn't recognize or understand.

*Why talk therapy alone is not enough to fully heal trauma.

*How health symptoms can sometimes be related to unprocessed or stored trauma.

*Why many people believe they're just battling stress but they could be battling stored trauma.

Learn more about Dr. Aimie and her work here: https://www.traumahealingaccelerated.com

Connect with Compared to Who? or learn more about coaching and online course options here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Save $50 off the Body Image Freedom Framework course by using the code: PODCAST

 

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

05 Dec 2023Dolly Parton and Judging Bodies00:44:50

Today's thought-provoking new episode may challenge the way you think about judgment and body image. Host Heather Creekmore delves into the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7, exploring how our tendency to judge others based on their bodies might not align with biblical principles. Heather emphasizes the impact of the judgments we make about others on our own body image struggles and the importance of recognizing our own idols of the heart as part of the impetus for judging others.

Heather even tackles the topic of Dolly Parton's attention-getting half-time show performance on Thanksgiving, when she appeared in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform. Should we judge Dolly? Or, should we simply say, "You do you, boo?" Or, is there another answer the Bible prescribes?

Heather goes through Matthew 7, the Bible's most famous judging verses, and talks about what it means to judge others, and explains the Bible's very clear prescription on parameters around how we should judge.

Heather examines the challenges of judging people's bodies by their size or appearance, shedding light on the dangers of complementing weight loss and the complexities of body size and health. Heather also talks about how our quickness to judge may reflect more work that needs to be done in our own hearts around the topic of body image. Heather explains, "Until I'm able to stop idolizing the woman that has the body size that I think would make me happy, until I'm able to stop judging others by their bodies and, really, therefore, objectifying them, it's really hard for me to break free from my own body image issues."

Don't forget to check out Heather's brand new book, "The 40-Day Body Image Workbook." Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-Day-Body-Image-Workbook-Christian

Ready to go deeper in your journey to freedom next year? Sign up for coaching and Heather's online class: The Body Image Freedom Framework. https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

Photo credits: Jeff Schultes, Shutterstock. DFree, Shutterstock

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

17 Nov 2023Holiday Food, Mental Restriction, Satisfaction & Intuitive Eating00:34:30

Heather Creekmore is joined by Erin Todd and Char-Lee Cassel from the Intuitive Eating for Christian Women podcast for a holiday intuitive eating coaching call. The discussion delves into the principles of intuitive eating, including unconditional permission to eat and habituation with foods, as well as the impact of mental restriction and scarcity around food during the holidays. Heather shares her journey to food freedom and her recent experiences with intuitive eating, while Erin and Char provide insightful coaching on how to find satisfaction and delight in holiday foods and foods we eat all year round. Navigating the transition to Intuitive Eating isn't always neat or simple. Heather, Erin, and Char talk through how to navigate the messy nature of overcoming diet culture, embracing mistakes, and finding hope and freedom in our relationship with food.

Connect with Erin & Char and check out their holiday membership here: https://www.intuitiveeatingforchristianwomen.com

Connect with Heather and find out more about her new book: 40-Day-Body-Image-Workbook-Christian

Find out more about Heather's coaching and course and the 30% off Thanksgiving offer (code: THANKFUL) here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/christian-body-image-course-coaching

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

03 Dec 20217 Reasons We Keep Eating Disorder Behaviors w/Brittany Braswell00:33:19

My two-part interview with Brittany Braswell, non-diet RD continues with Brittany and I discussing her list of 7 reasons we hold on to ED (eating disorder) behaviors. She takes us through all of the reasons why we may keep turning to our disordered eating or eating disorder behaviors because, in some way, these behaviors are meeting emotional/deeper needs for us. From control to anger issues, and from anxiety and stress to stuffed emotions--you'll be interested and amazed to see all the ways how we treat food can really be about something deeper. Getting real food freedom comes in part when we can learn what's beneath our food related behaviors. Here's what else to expect from today's show:

  • Learn about the circle of control and how control issues around food and exercise can show up as young as age 8.
  • Isaiah 55 and our control issues
  • How being the wardrobe police for your husband may be a control issue
  • Control may not lead us where we hope it will lead us
  • Brittany explains how, "There's no body size that makes us enough or not enough to the Lord."
  • And, so much more!

Listen and tell a friend about it.

Connect with Brittany: www.brittanybraswellrd.com or follow her on social media @brittanybraswellrd

Download Heather's new Comparison-Free Christmas plan on You Version. Find out more here. 

Support Compared to Who? or leave a review of the show: https://www.comparedtowho.me/podcast

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

26 Dec 2019Compared to Who? Proven Path to Improve Your Body Image Book Preview00:58:12

Stressed or depressed over the skin you're in? Maybe you've heard you should "love your body" but are frustrated trying. In today's episode you'll hear the intro and chapter 1 of a phenomenal resource that will give you new hope for your body image and lead you to find your confidence in something much greater than body love! If you've been searching for a way out of comparison and body image struggles but nothing's worked- listen to this book preview! (**Affiliate links)

Order the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/35XnRY4

Or: Compared to Who? on ChristianBook.Com

 Download the book preview PDF here!

Or: visit comparedtowho.me

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

23 Apr 2021How to Recognize an Idol (Day 12 Spring Break Free!)00:05:47

God surprised me a few years ago with a concept I never learned about in church.

Okay, that's not entirely true. Of course I had heard about idolatry in church. But, I knew I didn't have to worry about breaking that commandment. We didn't have a single statue in our home!

When I learned what modern day idolatry actually looked like . . .Boy! Was I surprised.  Here's how to recognize an idol in today's video:

Questions for reflection

How familiar are you with this definition of idolatry? Do you struggle with the pursuit of things that don't have eternal value?

Do you think body image or beauty idolatry could be a struggle for you? Why or why not?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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