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.

Have you ever said, "If only I could just be the size I used to be... then I'd be happy." Or, maybe you've thought, "If I could just weigh what I did before the baby, or menopause, or when I had the eating disorder...then I wouldn't have body image issues." Oh, friend. In today's episode, Heather Creekmore, Christian body image coach and best-selling author, dispels these myths and gives you the practical truth and a "BS test" ("baloney sandwich") to see if you believe lies that will keep you stuck in body image issues and frustration. If you've ever longed for the smaller, younger, sleeker, different body that you "used to have"... this episode will encourage you and give you practical strategies to align your thoughts with the truth of scripture.

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

Read Heather's 40-Day Body Image Workbook-- starting with a free sample (Day 5 is mentioned in today's show) here: https://amzn.to/4ai0FFS (Amazon affiliate link - small portion of your purchase goes back to this ministry).

Learn more about the 40-Day Journey 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.

Author and Christian Body Image Coach, Heather Creekmore continues her conversation with eating disorder expert and dietitian Amy Carlson. Today they get to the spiritual root and false beliefs around what God expects of our bodies and body size. Amy brings encouragement, hope, and truth to this tricky topic for anyone who struggles with believing that God has a certain size in mind for our bodies. Pretending to be Amy's client in a session, Heather asks tough questions like, "What if God wants me to be a bigger size?" and "How do I stop thinking about this food I love, all the time?"

You'll be challenged and encouraged by the truth revealed in this episode about body image issues, eating disorders, disordered eating, and trusting God.

Here are some other great episodes featuring Amy Carlson:

Have we Christianized disordered eating? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/have-we-christianized-disordered-eating-featuring

A "With God" approach to food and eating: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/a-with-god-approach-to-food-and-eating-featuring-a

Do I need more self-control to stop eating so much? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/do-i-need-more-self-control-to-stop-eating-feat-am

Romans 14 and good foods and bad foods: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/romans-14-good-foods-and-bad-foods-part-2

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

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

You feel like you've invited God into your health goals. You've prayed. You've asked him to help you eat a certain way. You've asked him to give you "self control" around certain foods. Maybe you've even asked him to zap you skinny! But, it feels like he's not answering. It feels like it's hard, you obsess over food, you want to be free, but he seems to be silent. What do you do? Today, Heather Creekmore and Amy Carlson, (MS, RD and eating disorder specialist) talk about the whats and whys of our struggles with food and how to keep our eyes on Jesus (Matt. 6:33). If you've struggled with food, disordered eating, an eating disorder, or food obsession, this episode will encourage you. This is part one of a two part conversation.

Here are some other great episodes featuring Amy Carlson:

Have we Christianized disordered eating? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/have-we-christianized-disordered-eating-featuring

A "With God" approach to food and eating: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/a-with-god-approach-to-food-and-eating-featuring-a

Do I need more self-control to stop eating so much? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/do-i-need-more-self-control-to-stop-eating-feat-am

Romans 14 and good foods and bad foods: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/romans-14-good-foods-and-bad-foods-part-2

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

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

Does the scale determine whether or not you have a good day or a bad day? Does the scale's readout have a weird, mysterious power over you? Today, Christian body image coach and author, Heather Creekmore talks about why the scale holds such power over us, what that number means to us, and gives four strategies for doing the work required to break up with the emotional roller coaster that the scale puts us on. If you're tired of letting the number readout spoil your day, then these strategies will help you get on a path to body image freedom and help de-mistify why you just can't stop going to the scale, even though you know the readout may upset you.

If you know that your value is more than your gravitational pull on the earth and yet you still feel like weighing yourself is a compulsion or affecting your mental health, but you just can't stop, this episode is for you.

Heather also makes suggestions for when to weigh yourself if you are affected by morning weigh-ins, and what other things you can do in the morning so that you can grow closer to Jesus and embrace who he made you to be so you can learn to be less affected by the number on the scale or your reflection in the mirror.

Learn more about the ministry of Compared to Who and sign up for our email list to get a free resource packet every month here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Join us in coaching or on the 40-Day Journey by visiting improvebodyimage.com

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

Pursuing physical health seems to have great benefits. Longer life, more enjoyment of life, compliments from friends who notice . . . But, what if the best way to become more physically healthy is to first become more spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy? In fact, what if a lack of spiritual, mental, or emotional health is actually keeping your body stuck in diseases or distress because you've tried to fix the problem from the outside in, instead of from the inside out? On today's podcast episode, Heather Creekmore talks about the importance of caring for our souls: our emotions, our mental health, and our spiritual health. She talks about research that shows how a failure to take care of what's going on inside may keep us fighting our bodies. As Christian women, what should take priority? Heather explores these questions and more in today's new episode.

Listen, learn, and be encouraged to get healthy emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically in 2025.

Did you get the January resource kit? Make sure you're on the Compared to Who? friends list at: https://www.improvebodyimage.com so you get our monthly resource kit with direct links to podcast episodes, YouTube videos, and more that connect directly with this month's new content.

Are you ready for the 40-Day Journey? Learn more here.

Wnat more information on Christian body image coaching? Learn more here.

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

Heather continues her conversation with author and board-certified physician, Dr. Mikala Albertson. In part two of this two-part interview, Heather and Mikala discuss why women feel so much shame around weight and BMI and how what's most healthy for some women is going to be to not focus on weight loss, especially if they have a lot of stress, grief, or change they are experiencing. You'll appreciate Dr. Albertson's honesty and genuine encouragement as she talks about the nuance of weight, health, and the pressures Christian women feel in this arena.

Ready to join us for the 40-Day Journey? Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Learn more about Dr. Mikala Albertson and check out her new book here: https://amzn.to/3W6PqtS

Read Dr. Albertson's open letter to anyone who's been body shamed or similarly hurt by the medical community: https://www.mikalaalbertsonmd.com/blog/im-sorry

(Amazon affiliate link - a tiny portion of your purchase goes to support ministry of Compared to Who?)

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

Today Heather is joined by author and board-certified physician, Dr. Mikala Albertson. In part one of this two part episode, Heather and Mikala discuss why women feel so much pressure to do and be everything and "look good doing it." They talk about control, striving, believing that we can control all of our health outcomes, and the pressure to be thin because of the belief that thin equals healthy. Heather asks Dr. Albertson what to do when your doctor makes you feel like your top focus should be weight loss and why doctors focus so much on weight and body size.

Ready to join us for the 40-Day Journey? Learn more here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Learn more about Dr. Mikala Albertson and check out her new book here: https://amzn.to/3W6PqtS

Read Dr. Albertson's open letter to anyone who's been body shamed or similarly hurt by the medical community: https://www.mikalaalbertsonmd.com/blog/im-sorry

(Amazon affiliate link - a tiny portion of your purchase goes to support ministry of Compared to Who?)

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