What do you say to women in your church when they wrestle body image issues? I sat at the table's edge, not fully committed to the group of women already crowded around it. I love getting to know women at the MOPS and women's groups where I speak, but, sometimes, I...
Feeling or Fear of Fat
How to Balance Pursuing Health and Body Image Issues
Today the "Questions About Your Body Image and Comparison" series continues with this question about how to balance pursuing health and body image: Dear Heather: I'm a fairly healthy mother and wife who has struggled with my body image for at least twenty years. I...
Healing Body Image Struggles in Young Women:
Yoga mats, dumbbells and at-home workouts I started working out again recently after a long hiatus and lack of motivation. Senior year of college during a pandemic has not been an easy feat. Like with everything else, working out at college has looked different due to...
Skipping Lunch Is No Big Deal, Right? Restrictive Dieting, Over Exercising & Orthorexia
The Makings of my orthorexia As my body matured and grew through puberty, I found myself in an unhealthy romantic relationship with a boy that was crumbling. I also found myself busier and more stressed than ever between my honors classes, extracurriculars, sports,...
What to Do When Your Friend Loses the Weight
Every woman who's ever tried to lose an ounce of weight has had this happen. I'm sure of it. Stepping on the scales every week feels like watching grass grow. Progress is slow. Will it ever change? You give yourself a virtual pat on the back for sticking to your plan...
I’m Too Fat
Today is the final installment in the series "Real Women. Real Stories." Each of the women featured in the past two weeks took part in the making of the video trailer for the book, Compared to Who? Each has a real story of battling lies about their value and worth and...
Did You Just Call Me Fat? Finding Hope Even When Words Hurt
“Marlee, I need my hands. When you’re chunky like your mom and I, you need your hands to get up. That’s just what fat people do.” Oh, no she did not. But one look at my daughter’s face confirmed what I already knew: Oh, yes, she did. An ordinary playdate on an...
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: How to Find Serenity In Your Relationship With Your Body
The reactions I got when I told my close friends and relatives about writing something for a Christian blog devoted to helping women who are struggling with body image surprised me. Instead of "Way to go!" and "I'm proud of you!" I almost unanimously received the same...
I Don’t Want to Be the Fat Friend
“I don’t want to be the fat friend!” I had never actually said the words out loud before. But as I finally admitted this truth to my husband, I was flooded with unexpected emotions. Growing up, I was (almost) always the skinniest girl wherever I went. I was proud of...