SHOW NOTES: Episode 25
This episode has been on my heart for a long time now. Body image is something that I think is something that so many of us struggle with.
I want to share my perspective on it today by sharing some of my personal story. My journey to positive body image has not been an easy one. I share a little about my personal story from growing up in the south where literally everything is deep-fried, to working long hours, to college and being busy that I was running on no sleep, and fueling my body with the wrong foods. It led me down a path of being overweight. This led to me being told at 21 that I had hypertension and I needed to take blood pressure medicine.
This was my breaking point where I made the decision to take back control of my life.
I started my health and fitness journey with counting calories, low carb diets, diet pills, and all of the fad diets. This left me feeling frustrated and fed-up. I had been depending on myself all along when truly I needed God’s help to overcome it. I learned more about how to fuel my body with whole foods. I learned to plan my meals in advance and to portion my food so that I wasn’t overeating. I made workouts a top priority. I was able to lose 45 pounds and come off of my blood pressure medication. I was so happy that this worked for me!
And then…I became obsessed with it.
I made sure to only eat 1000-1200 calories a day. I worked out every single day. I felt guilty for missing workouts and would punish myself by limiting calories. My health took a toll and you could see it in my hair and face. I was undernourished and over-exercised. Once again, I was unhealthy and had stopped treating my body as a temple that God had given me.
If we could just see ourselves the way God sees us, then maybe we could learn to love ourselves the way we are.
We need to be intentional about taking care of ourselves for our health sake so we can be better moms and wives and take care of our families to the best of our abilities. My why for my health journey is about so much more than a number on a scale now.
The scale does not define me and it does not define you.
My identity is in Christ alone. This journey now is about taking care of my body and the precious gift that God has given me to use for His glory. I am so grateful that God used this as part of my story to help me discover one of my callings – to encourage and support others along their journey as well.
I also want to share more about another body image challenge that arose the last few years – pregnancy. The devil tried to get me down and nag me with those old thoughts that I would never look the same again and told me to just give up. Thank God for saving me from the days where the thoughts that I was less than dwelled. I am now in better shape that I have ever been (even pre-pregnancy).
We should remember that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Just like Psalm 139:13-14 say. We are God’s masterpieces.You are beautiful. God made you in an amazing and wonderful way. He sees you as a work of art. Don’t reject your body. Don’t neglect it either. If you are looking to improve your relationship with food, fill out the application (link below) and let’s talk!
Remember, God created your body. Jesus died for it. The Holy Spirit lives in it. He is with you every step of the way and so am I.
Thank you for tuning in! I hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please leave me a rating or review and connect with me on Instagram: @rachelmeigsking
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
- My own personal story with body image
LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
- Check out last week’s episode here!
- Connect with me on Instagram: @rachelmeigsking
- Are you looking to improve your relationship with food and end the yo-yo, constant dieting, and make the changes you need while being able to fully live your life? Let’s talk more! Submit this form and let’s chat!
- Want healthy lifestyle tips and encouragement? Join me over in my free Facebook community: Heart, Soul, Mind, & Body Wellness
MORE ABOUT FEED YOURSELF: HEALTHY HABITS FOR THE MIND, BODY, & SOUL PODCAST:
Feed Yourself: Healthy Habits for the Mind, Body, & Soul is all about learning the key components of overall health based on Biblical principles. When most people think about getting in shape and becoming “healthy”, they immediately think about their physical health: losing weight, making exercise a priority, possessing flexibility and endurance, and remaining disease free. But Scripture makes it clear that physical wellness is not the only area that impacts health. In order to be TRULY healthy, we have to focus on four areas: spiritual health, emotional health, mental health, and physical health.
This podcast dives deep into the tools and head knowledge you will need in order to create lasting results, but it also looks at the element that truly ties it all together – the heart knowledge that incorporates faith in God in this area of our lives and how to apply it when things get tough (and they will!).
I wanted to create a space to let you know you are never alone on this journey. Through years of experience in doing everything the WRONG way, I am here to share my journey of getting healthy from the inside out – ditching the restriction and diet culture and truly learning to treat my body as the temple God intended it to be.
Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I discuss healthy habits to incorporate in your daily life to propel you forward and FEED YOURSELF on your journey to health in all areas: mind, body, and soul!
