Is your body image really about how your body looks or are your hormones playing tricks on you? Today, Heather interviews Dr. Mikala Albertson about how our hormones affect the ways we feel and think about our bodies. In this first of this two part interview, Heather and Mikala talk about hormonal changes at puberty and then until midlife. How what we think and how we feel about our bodies can fluctuate depending on the week of our cycle, why being aware of our cycle can help us, and what we can do to relax the pressure we feel from culture to "fix ourselves."

Learn more about Dr. Mikala Albertson and her book here: https://www.mikalaalbertsonmd.com

Listen to Heather's other interview with Dr. Albertson here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/doctor-says-weight-loss-may-not-be-your-best-new-y

Learn more about Compared to Who? and how you can connect with Heather and the team to start your journey to body image freedom here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

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

In this episode of the "Compared to Who?" podcast, Eryn Eddy Adkins, an entrepreneur and co-host of the "God Hears Her" podcast, joins the show to discuss aging, self-worth, and the challenges of understanding God's will for one's life. 

Eryn and Heather discuss the pressures women face in their thirties, both in terms of their appearance and societal expectations and the significance of finding contentment in one's identity and purpose.

Eryn highlights the importance of honesty with God and oneself, as well as the value of being transparent about struggles with envy and comparison in friendships. She also delves into her role as a stepmother and how embracing God's unpredictability has shaped her experiences. Together, Eryn and Heather emphasize that understanding one's worth through God's love rather than social validation is essential for personal peace and fulfillment.

Learn more about the God Hears Her Podcast: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/

Listen to Heather on God Hears Her: https://godhearsher.org/podcast/aging-gratefully/

Connect with Eryn: https://www.instagram.com/eryneddy/

Connec 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.

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.

Heather is joined by Mary DeMuth, speaker, podcast host, and author of more than thirty books including her latest, "The Most Overlooked Women of the Bible." (Amazon affiliate link.)

Heather and Mary talk about how feeling overlooked can connect to aging and why and how we may feel we're losing our "shine" as we get older. Mary offers encouragement around being honest about the grief and loss of aging and discusses the helpful tool of lament. Mary also shares stories of some of her favorite overlooked women from the Bible and what we can learn from them.

Listen to other conversations with Mary DeMuth here:

Leah and Misunderstood Women of the Bible: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/leah-and-other-misunderstood-women-of-bible-feat-m

 Body Image and Sexual Abuse: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/body-image-sexual-abuse-hope-healing-resources-for

Connect with Compared to Who? and get our Aging April resource plus other freebies - like the new Mirror Fast Bible Study, here: https://wwwimprovebodyimage.com

 

 

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

What does it take to age well? According to Instagram, it seems aging is all about what you eat and how you exercise. But, what if there's more to aging well than that? Today, author and Christian body image coach, Heather Creekmore, will encourage you with 4 strategies to age well that have a much greater impact on your health and on the way you feel about aging than any kale salad or cycling class. She'll look at how the science shows that gratitude can extend your life and improve your health. Similarly, she'll look at how finding community and activities you have fun doing can do the same. Heather talks about why it's not helpful to follow a restrictive diet and be rigid with exercise if you want to age well, because there's more to aging than just the way we eat and move. 

This is Aging April! Visit our website for more great resources on each month's topic. Monthly resource kits can be accessed the 10th of each month here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/body-image-resources-for-christian-women-monthly-resource-kits

Are we email friends yet? Get the free 15-Day Mirror Fast Devotional download with regular weekly encouragement here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/mirror-fast-christian-women

Check out Heather's 30-Day Devotional on Aging: Aging Gratefully, here.

Other episodes on aging:

What does the Bible speak to aging and body image issues? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-does-the-bible-speak-to-aging-and-body-image

3 Secrets to Aging Well for Women with Food and Body Issues

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/3-secrets-to-aging-well-for-christians-with-body-i

What is a Biblical View of Botox?

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-is-a-biblical-view-of-botox-is-it-okay-to-get

 

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

Host Heather Creekmore sits down with pastor's wife, author, and counselor Kristen Hatton to discuss what to do if your child has (or you suspect they have) an eating disorder or body image issues. Kristen shares the story of her daughter who had a derogatory comment directed at her in 8th grade and then began to restrict food until it became the eating disorder, anorexia. After going through treatment, Kristen's daughter shifted from restriction to a restrict and purge cycle (bulimia) and Kristen, again, had to intervene to help her daughter restore a healthy relationship with food and her body. 

Heather and Kristen have a bit of friendly debate over whether or not encouraging a child to have healthy habits is effective for those with brains that are geared towards restriction or perfection. They also talk about how important it is to help our children be healthy in every area--not just physically, but spiritually and mentally too. Kristen shares what she learned, in hindsight, to look for if your child may be exhibiting signs of an eating disorder or body image issues. She also talks about how to know when you may need to bring in outside help.

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

Learn more about Compared to Who? and how to start healing your body image and food issues: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Check out the Compared to Who? Etsy shop -with hats, tanks, and tees to remind you to stop comparing and start living. Check it out here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/shop

 

 

 

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

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.

Heather welcomes back Emily and Ryan Baker from Story Matters Initiative to finish their discussion of the Mother Wound and the ways that our moms may have impacted how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. Today the trio talks about the innate need we have for mom to see, know, and approve of us and how that is sensed and felt as a child. They talk about how not sensing that approval triggers a stress response in the brain and how that can impact our ability to learn. They start with a discussion of attachment theory, including the different types of attachment--both secure and insecure-- and how the attachment style can impact us even through adulthood.

Through sharing stories from their personal journeys of understanding their mother wounds, Emily, Ryan, and Heather explore what it means to name your issues so that you can tame them (not naming for the purpose of blaming!). They also give you great hope that if you are seeing or understanding your own story with mom differently, there is hope for you to find healing and peace.

Learn more about Emily and Ryan Baker here: https://storymatterscoaching.com

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

Explore all of Heather's books including the 40-Day Body Image Workbook here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/books-for-christian-women-body-image

Mentioned in today's episode:

What was mom's impact on body image issues? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-was-moms-impact-on-your-body-image-issues

Forgiving Mom: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/forgiving-mom-or-others-for-their-roles-in-body-im

 

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

Today Heather welcomes Emily and Ryan Baker from the Story Matters Initiative to discuss the Mother Wound and the ways that our attachment to mom, attunement to mom, and our "mom stories" impact the ways we view ourselves and the world around us. Today, Heather, Emily, and Ryan begin this two-part discussion with a conversation about what story work is, how it is different than traditional talk therapy, and how story work can be the key to unlocking repressed or forgotten memories, which can tell a more accurate story about why we struggle in the ways we do. 

In today's episode they introduce the concepts of story work and what it means to be attuned to someone. They also talk about what happens when our moms never had the opportunity to work on their own stories and traumas and how this can leave them with chains to their own pasts that made it difficult for them to be in an emotionally healthy relationship with their children.

Learn more about Emily and Ryan Baker here: https://storymatterscoaching.com

Learn more about the work of Compared to Who? and the 40-Day Journey to improve your body image here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Mentioned in this episode: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-was-moms-impact-on-your-body-image-issues

 

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

Host Heather Creekmore is joined by Erin Todd from Intuitive Eating for Christian Women and Ashley Smith from the HA Society to explore the nuance between surrendering control and exercising stewardship. The discussion kicks off with Erin sharing her journey of conception at age 41, emphasizing the importance of faith and timing. Despite being told by doctors that she had a one percent chance of conceiving, Erin's story highlights the power of trusting in God's plan and timing, while she worked with Ashley to help support her body with what it needed to get pregnant.

Ashley delves into the nuances of AMH levels (Anti-Mullerian Hormone--the measure of the number of a woman's eggs that remain) and fertility, explaining the complexities and variances that are often overlooked in conventional fertility treatments like IVF. She underscores the significance of understanding one's body and situation, instead of making quick assumptions based on initial evaluations from fertility doctors.

But this conversation isn't just for women who are looking to get pregnant. The conversation goes deeper and shifts to the distinction between control and stewardship. Ashley explains that true stewardship involves asking God for guidance rather than bowing to fear or societal pressures. This notion is reflected in Erin's personal challenges, including a series of stressful events that led her to a place of surrender and faith in God's timeline for her family.

The trio discusses relinquishing control in various aspects of life, whether it be our bodies, children, or life's unexpected events, encouraging listeners to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness. Both Erin and Ashley provide insight into the delicate balancing act of living in faith without attaching oneself to specific outcomes, whether that's achieving pregnancy or any other life goal.

Overall, the episode offers hope and encouragement for those struggling with the desire for control, particularly in the context of fertility and motherhood, and invites listeners to lean on their faith and the concept of stewardship.

Listen to other interviews with Erin Todd here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/real-women-real-hope-erin-todd-on-freedom-from-unh

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/all-roads-lead-to-intuitive-eating-what-we-learned

Listen to other interviews with Ashley Smith here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/hormones-ha-infertility-early-menopause-and-body-i

and

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/agreeing-with-the-lord-about-how-he-made-us-ashley

Learn more about Compared to Who? or join the 40-Day Journey by visiting: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

 

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