Episodes

Today Heather talks to her friend, author and podcast host Rebecca George. Rebecca is a pastor's wife, speaker, author, and podcaster who has been a runner most of her life. Today Heather and Rebecca talk about how Rebecca's relationship with running has taught her things about her body image and goal setting. They also discuss the pressures of social media, the importance of finding rest, and discovering one's purpose and calling. Heather and Rebecca share personal experiences and insights on h...

The June 16th episode on gluttony caught many listeners by surprise, so today Heather revisits this topic to go even deeper into what the Bible says about gluttony. Heather delves into the topic of gluttony again and provides listeners with tools to think critically about what it means according to Scripture, not bloggers or internet pundits. Today Heather discusses how the Church has historically used manmade created lists of virtues and vices but how it's crucial to interpret them in light of...

Host Heather Creekmore shares what to do when you have a bad body image day or week where you just feel really bad about your body. Heather shares from a recent experience having her own "body image flare up" and how she handled it. The episode also covers topics like grieving our past or ideal bodies, recognizing vulnerability to body image attacks, and creating resources to prevent spiraling out of control when you're struggling. Heather describes how body image issues are often connected to o...

Have you been following the Ozempic or Wegovy weight loss drug trends that are skyrocketing in our culture? It seems like it may be the "miracle solution" every dieter has dreamed of. It's not a pill, but a shot that you can take that seems to melt the weight right off. In today's show we're going to talk about what these drugs really do to the body, what the side effects are (and there are a lot of them), and how they may not actually address the real issues behind body image issues that connec...

Today Heather digs into the topic of gluttony. So many of us have been taught in the church that gluttony equals overeating. We've felt shame, guilt, and stress as we've tried to not be "gluttonous" in the way we've related to food. And, in that desire and pursuit of not committing this sin, we've been co-opted by the myths and rules of diet culture. We've learned that going back for seconds or enjoying Thanksgiving dinner is gluttony. But, does the Bible really connect gluttony to food and our ...

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 w...

Today we explore the uncomfortable changes women go through as they age. We discuss how perimenopause and menopause are not talked about enough in society and how there is a movement to normalize aging. And, Heather gets an exclusive coaching session from Ruth Harper, a registered dietitian and intuitive eating coach. Through the coaching time, Heather and Ruth talk about naming the feelings we have towards our changing bodies, how shame can feel heavy in certain parts of the body, and how conn...

Today Heather and her guest, Ruth Harper, a registered dietitian, and nutrition therapist talk about Ruth's journey to making peace with both food and aging. Ruth struggled with body-consciousness and a strong perfectionist mentality as a teenager, as a result of her involvement in track and field. She tried to control her eating habits by eating less and running more, but ended up feeling devastated when she couldn't maintain control over her body. Ruth shares what helped her overcome her strug...

On this episode of Compared to Who?, Heather Creekmore is joined by Erin Kerry to discuss a simple and effective way to feel better in your body without weight loss or changes in diet and exercise. Erin, an integrative nutrition health coach and a survivor of bipolar disorder, advocates for safe sun exposure for vitamin D production, gut health, and overall wellness. She also recommends apps like D-minder and talks about an interesting study using cacao powder to ensure optimal safe sun exposure...

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...

Today's show is dedicated to giving you a new playlist for when you have a bad body image day. If you're struggling with how you look or feel down about your weight or appearance, pull up these songs and listen on your way to work, while you exercise, or wherever your day takes you. If we can train our ears, hearts, and minds to worship instead of obsessing over our bodies, we will feel freedom like never before. This is a list of Heather's current (Spring/Summer 2023) favorites. What are some o...

day we're talking about all things music, television, movies, and social media. If you want to be free from body image issues, chances are you're going to have to re-examine how you relate to these forms of media. It's impossible to stay free if you are feeding on a constant diet of unhealthy images and messages. For Christian women who want body image freedom, we have to carefully evaluate every thing we are consuming with our eyes and our ears, much in the same way we were carefully evaluating...

I've had many women reach out to me over the years with this sentiment, "Help! I hate pictures of myself!" Today's episode of the podcast is dedicated to you. Let's talk through why we hate to see ourselves in pictures, what's really going on in our heads, and what's really going on in our lives when we get our pictures taken. Today, we talk through why pictures of ourselves can be so triggering, how BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) is stirred by photographs, and what we can do if we are afraid o...

Have what we've been told about exercise and the way it changes the look of your body been skewed? Today Heather looks at some relatively new data that shows how not every person responds to exercise in the exact same way. While it is certain that exercise has mental and physical health benefits for most of us, there is a certain group that does not respond in an expected way. They are termed "exercise non-responders," and these are people who can follow the same 6-week or 12-week plan as the re...

Today we talk about all things fitness. What does it mean to be fit? Is physical fitness something that all Christians need? Why should we pursue fitness and is there ever a danger to pursuing physical fitness? Today Heather digs into how fitness and health aren't always synonymous. She also talks about how fitness can help us fulfill our calling and serve God with our bodies. But, she shares from her own experience with pursuing fitness at the expense of her health and how this kind of pursuit ...

Do you love exercise? Do you hate exercise? Today we're talking about what a healthy relationship with exercise looks like and what a healthy theology of exercise is. What does the Bible say about exercise explicitly, and what can we extrapolate about exercise from the ways God designed our bodies? Here are some things we dig into in today's episode: Does God command us to exercise? Did he design our bodies to move? How can we apply grace to our views of exercise? How can we think about exerci...

In Genesis 2:25, we read how Adam and Eve were in the garden and "naked and unashamed." But most women with body image issues aren't experiencing this kind of freedom in their intimate lives. Just thinking about being "naked and unashamed" is nerve-wracking for most of us. But the truth is: What your body looks like has little to do with how well you can connect with your husband in the bedroom. If having a "hot" body meant great sex and great marriages, then Hollywood would be the mecca of gr...

In today's About 7 Minutes of Scripture episode, Heather explores how the message of the Gospel can specifically encourage us around our specific body and food issues. We have so many messages coming at us, and every day we choose to believe certain things are true and certain things aren't true. We can choose to believe that carbs are bad or that intermittent fasting is the best way to live. We can choose to believe that more exercise is always better or that taking a rest day is akin to lazine...

Today Heather continues her conversation with Tracy Brown, RD about the strange or unusual physical symptoms that can connect to dieting, food restriction, eating disorders, and disordered eating. Though some doctors fail to make the connections, it's clear from Tracy's work that many women who have this kind of history also have similar symptoms that show up in the form of GI tract or stomach issues that range from bloating, to IBS, to esophagus issues and other problems. Heather and Tracy exp...

Today Heather interviews Tracy Brown, registered dietitian and trauma-informed eating disorder recovery coach about all the physical issues that can accompany or follow seasons of dieting, disordered eating, or an eating disorder. Are you always cold? Have you experienced seasons of hair loss? Have you had joint or bone density issues? GI and digestive tract issues, no matter what you eat? Today Heather shares her story of several strange physical symptoms she's experienced over the years--from ...

Do you hate to buy bigger clothes? Is it a mental battle when you try on the size you thought you wore only to find that you need another size or two (or more) larger? Have you been frustrated with your body because it has changed sizes and now you don't even know what size you wear? Today, Heather unpacks our complicated relationship with clothing and clothing sizes. She gets real as she discusses why so many of us have difficulty getting rid of clothes that don't fit and why we refuse to buy o...

Heather continues her conversations with Ashley Smith of the HA society about hormonal issues, infertility, and body image issues common among women she works with. Part two of this conversation goes far beyond the medical and fertility implications of disordered eating that often accompanies body image issues. Today, Heather and Ashley dig into what it really means to find body image freedom and how agreeing with God about how he made us is vital to that process. Together they discuss topics li...

omen who are struggling with hormone issues surrounding fertility, loss of cycle, early menopause diagnoses, and body image issues. Ashley shares her story and how her own experience has led her to a ministry and coaching business where she helps women get pregnant (without IVF), regain their cycle, and make peace with their bodies and food. Today Ashley and Heather talk about: Heather shares her story of having HA without knowing what she had or why she was missing her period. Ashley shares ...

Do you have a rival? Hannah in the Bible did. As did Rachel and Leah. Today we look at rivalries, competitions, and comparisons that happen between women. Whether you've always been compared to a rival sister or cousin, or whether or not you've just found yourself in competition with a woman at church or at work, this episode is for you! Today, Heather explores the stories of Hannah from 1 Samuel and of Rachel and Leah from Genesis 29-30. She talks about how detrimental it is for us to get caug...