Excerpt
In this episode, I’m talking about what it’s like growing up with weight issues—how people make assumptions based on what they see, and how those assumptions can shape your self-image in painful ways. I share how being called names, being treated like something to hide, and being reduced to stereotypes impacted my confidence and even my relationship with food.
I also talk about the moment things started to shift: realizing my body wasn’t “lazy,” and that there could be deeper factors at play—like hormones, stress, sleep, and trauma. Learning about PCOS gave me language for what I’d been experiencing for years, and it helped me release some of the shame I had been carrying.
This episode is about moving from condemnation to understanding—then from understanding to change. Not change from hate, but change from stewardship. Because stress kills, sleep matters, and your body is not your enemy—it’s your home.
Reflection
People can be so loud with opinions, and so careless with their words—especially when it comes to bodies. I grew up hearing comments that weren’t just about weight… they were about worth. Like my size meant I deserved less respect, less gentleness, less honor. And when you hear those messages long enough, you start trying to shrink—not just physically, but emotionally. You start trying to become invisible so the comments stop.
I share how that shame fed unhealthy patterns, and how certain moments cut deep—being treated like an option, like a placeholder, like I wasn’t valuable enough to be chosen publicly. And it’s hard, because you can “forgive,” you can “move on,” but your nervous system still remembers what humiliation felt like.
But here’s the pivot: I had to wake up. Not just to food, not just to workouts—but to the full picture. The trauma. The stress. The lack of sleep. The pressure to perform strength. The hustle mentality. The way I wore stress like a badge and didn’t realize it was slowly draining me.
When I started prioritizing sleep, I noticed something: my mind got quieter. My emotions regulated better. The lies got louder when I was exhausted—but when I was rested, I could think. I could choose. I could breathe. That’s not small. That’s war-level important.
And spiritually? I’m reminded that this body is a temple—not a punishment. Stewardship doesn’t start with shame. It starts with truth.
Journal Prompts
What comments about your body still echo in your mind—even if you don’t agree with them anymore?
Where did you learn to connect your appearance to your worth?
What does your body need more of right now: sleep, nourishment, movement, safety, softness, boundaries?
When you’re exhausted, what lies get louder? When you’re rested, what truth becomes easier to believe?
What would it look like to care for your body from a place of honor instead of pressure?