As women, we tend to view our bodies as good or bad. Fat or skinny. We’re never quite satisfied with the way we look.

“If I could just lose xx pounds”

“My thighs are huge!”

“My arms are jiggly.” 

“I can’t seem to lose this baby weight.”

I want to tell you something, YOU were created in the image of God. There is nothing about you that isn’t exactly the way it should be. The vision of what you may feel you “should” look like is based on something you have seen or heard based on societies standards at a given time. And this changes all the time! In the 90’s it was cool to be super skinny and have little eyebrows, but now women are told that beautiful is a small waist and curvy bottom with big eyebrows. No wonder women feel so much pressure to diet and over exercise.

In the Passion translation, Romans 12:1-2 says, 

Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.

Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

God gave us each a unique, strong, miraculous body. Since we are all made in His image, how can we hate any part of it? We were not created to live by the standards of this world that dictate what is deemed beautiful. We are daughters of the most high God, created exactly the way He wanted us to be. The beauty in our differences is what inspired my philosophy behind my coaching practice. I believe we all have our own personal remedy for what makes us look and feel our best; our own Glow Remedy.

Telling ALL women that beauty is a one-sized fits all approach, that a specific weight places more value on you, that you have to starve and be miserable to be beautiful, that healthy has to also mean skinny…these are beliefs that are creating a wellness culture that promotes eating disorders, orthorexia, and body dysmorphia.

We see the same image on repeat when looking at health and wellness trends, a white woman drinking green juice and doing yoga surrounded by crystals. This isn’t the only image of what wellness can look like. Health and wellness should embody how we treat our bodies through the ways we eat, move, and live.

I believe that self-care and rest is actually a form of worship. If we revisit the scripture above, when we surrender ourselves to be His living sacrifices and live in holiness, this becomes a genuine expression of worship. Why would Paul write this? Possibly the same reason Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

When we are burned out, overwhelmed and overworked, it’s nearly impossible to treat others with love and grace, let alone ourselves. The “no days off” lifestyle isn’t healthy. We were meant to make time for rest so that we can serve and lead at our best. Even Jesus rested. 

When we live in a constant state of fight or flight, we also impact our hormones negatively. The most common hormonal imbalance I see in my clients is high cortisol. Some of the physical attributes of high cortisol are feeling tired but wired, low energy in the morning and a “second wind” in the evening, body fat storage around your waist or belly. Oftentimes when a woman is experiencing high cortisol, she will also experience bouts of low cortisol when her cortisol levels attempt to come back down. This leads to feeling exhausted and drained, like you are running on an empty gas tank. When cortisol is imbalanced, a host of hormonal issues are likely to arise, such as infertility, heavy and/or painful periods, other gynecological issues such as PCOS or extreme cases of PMS. 

Cortisol imbalances also lead to poor dietary habits. A common theme I see is the need for caffeine to get going in the morning, followed by sugary or high carbohydrate breakfasts. By lunchtime, energy levels are completely drained so it’s either more caffeine, or more sugar, or both! If you make time for actual food for lunch or dinner, it’s often low in protein, veggies, and healthy fats, so around 8-9pm you are starving, and eat whatever you can get your hands on. 

In regards to women specifically, this lifestyle won’t just burn your energy, it will actually break down your physical body. Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States. In 2013 this was 289,758 deaths, thats 1 in 4 female deaths. 

From a modern day perspective, I see my clients, many of whom likely live similar lives as you, and they are burning on all cylinders, yet wondering why they can’t lose those last 10 pounds. The secret? You have to structure in time for rest and self-care. 

Sometimes we think it’s not worth eating well and exercising if we can’t give it 100%, but that’s so far from the truth. Each opportunity you take to make a better choice is an opportunity for you to show honor and respect for your body. You don’t need to weigh your goal weight or fit in a certain pair of pants to treat yourself with the worth and value that you are already deserving of. When you learn to love your body now, just as it is, healthy eating habits and self care become natural practices, and your body will only respond positively to these new habits. 

One of my pastors, Bobbie Houston, talked about the importance of changing the narrative on the GirlBoss movement. She said, “Christ in you makes you an excellent, outstanding, dominating girl boss in the purest sense. The girl who can steer her influence to things that are noble, pure, and right. Christ in you makes you the head and not the tail boss girl. We can become invincible because of the Word within you. As we immerse ourselves in this Word we become invincible. We will be a global sisterhood who immerse ourself in the Word of God. He knows we have the capacity to make much of Jesus and we have the power to make revival.”

How can you love, serve, lead, and live better as a female professional girl boss? Does your calendar reflect what you value? Does it reflect taking care of yourself?

Are you asking God to do a work in you in your health? Do you trust that He can do that? Pray regularly and be in His Word. But we also have to do our part. We wouldn’t expect God to work a miracle in our finances while we sat at home on the couch watching tv all day, so we can’t expect Him to transform the state of our health while filling up on processed foods, coffee, and no exercise or rest.

Remember, treat your body with the respect and honor that it deserves. You are God’s precious daughter. Created in His image. Do not settle for self-sabotage, guilt, and shame. Start today making healthier choices so that you can serve, love, lead, and live to your full God-given potential. 

Some Ways To Start Honoring Your Body:

1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods and drink plenty of water. No calorie counting, just focus on healthy foods.

2. Exercise at least 3x a week. Even if it’s just going for a long walk on your lunch break. Start somewhere and intensify as appropriate. 

3. Schedule time for rest and self-care. Get a mani/pedi, grab some tea with a girlfriend, book a spa day, have a night in by yourself and listen to music or read. Do whatever you need to do that makes you feel rested, nourished, and refreshed.