In a world where the pursuit of a healthy body often collides with the search for spiritual fulfillment, this podcast episode is a breath of fresh air. Our host, Sarah, a pastor and clinical therapist, brings her in-depth understanding of biblical studies and mental health to the table, offering listeners a unique perspective on how to weave their Christian faith into the fabric of their daily lives.

In this episode, Sarah introduces us to Cara Foote, a personal trainer who specializes in empowering women on their fitness journeys. Together, they share their experiences with adoption, the challenges of motherhood, and the transformative power of faith and fitness. As Sarah recounts her own journey toward physical health, we’re reminded of the importance of setting realistic goals and finding our “why.”

What makes this episode particularly compelling is the candid discussion around body image and the struggles many face in reconciling their physical appearance with societal expectations. The conversation delves into the impact of fitness on mental well-being and how embracing our bodies as they are can lead to a more satisfied soul.

Sarah’s revelation about her own struggle with weight and her decision to forego soda, sugar, and embrace a healthier lifestyle is inspiring. It’s a testament to the power of small, consistent changes and the role of faith in sustaining those changes. The mention of the book “The 40 Day Sugar Fast” serves as a resource for those looking to embark on a similar journey.

Moreover, the episode touches on the delicate topic of fitness during and after pregnancy, offering reassurance and guidance to mothers navigating this season of life. The emphasis on setting an example for our children and fostering a positive body image is a crucial takeaway for any parent.

As we approach Mother’s Day, this episode is a timely reminder to celebrate the season we’re in, embrace our bodies, and honor God with our physical and spiritual practices. So, whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, or a mother looking for encouragement, this episode has something for you.

Tune in, be inspired, and join the conversation on faith, fitness, and finding joy in every step of your Christian journey.

[Listen to the full episode HERE and discover how to align your physical health with your spiritual well-being for a truly satisfied soul.]

If you are more of a reader than a listener, keep scrolling to read the full transcript.

 

> Sarah: Welcome. You’re listening to The Satisfied Soul, where I help believers untangle messy theology. As a pastor and clinical therapist, I am passionate about helping people discover how God’s word is intended to bring direction, safety through boundaries, mental healing, and help you enjoy your Christian journey. Join me as we shake off the boring of God’s word, find a love for his truth, and discover a satisfied soul in our everyday life.

I just want to take a minute to give you a little disclaimer. I have a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies and a master’s in professional counseling, as well as went to seminary. So I spent a great deal of time studying the word of God, researching history books about things in the Bible, as well as mental health, physical health, just in general, our, whole well being. And I wanted to give you this disclaimer because it was brought up to me by someone that was listening to my podcast, and they felt that it wasn’t a good idea for me to say the things that I do without citing sources. And while I appreciate the, stance on citing sources, I also can say that this is m the podcast I am being called to create by listening to the Holy Spirit. And so just know that I have done research, and what I’m saying is what I have pulled from that research and am, bringing it to you as a way to inform you of things. You have the choice, though, whether to continue to listen or not. And if you don’t want to listen based upon not having sources, that is your choice. However, if you ever have any questions, you can search, certainly reach out to me by emailing me@infoastersarajane.com

 

>> Sarah: I am, joined today with my guest, Cara Foote. She and I have been friends for a while. little backstory years ago, I thought it was longer than what it was, but we had to do some math and figure stuff out with which kids were alive at the time. Basically, we have been friends for about eight years, right, Cara?

>> Cara: Yep, about that.

>> Sarah: And, my phone just started ringing. We were just talking about how there’s interruptions every time we do some sort of recording, and so my phone starts ringing right now. Anyways, we’ve been friends for about eight years. And prior to when we met, her and I, in our own stories, were going through adoption process, and she, she and I went through foster parent training, and we were trying to become foster parents. And this was my second round of foster parent training, and it was her first. And we met each other in this class, and we just kind of hit it off and we stayed connected over the years, in different capacities. And she’s got a wealth of wisdom because her job is actually, she is a personal trainer and has both male and female clients, but does really well with females because she speaks their language and is very supportive of who they are as well as who they would like to become. And so I want to say a year and a half ago, maybe I had reached out to her and asked her some questions, personal trainer type questions, because my husband is also a personal trainer. Now, that’s not his full time gig. He’s got a totally different gig that he loves, but he did get certified as a personal trainer, and he has talked about different aspects of physical health with me, but it just never felt good to me. And it’s because he was speaking more in the language of how a male thinks. And so I reached out to Cara and I’m like, I need help, please. And so she was giving me some tips, to do things. And I have made a significant change in my weight and my physical health for many reasons. but we also started a while ago a faith and fitness Bible study group. And so I thought this month we would talk about fitness because we are going to be gearing up to do some pretty strong fitness groups with our actual faith and fitness group. And so we’re working on developing that. This last round was a, ah, Bible study book that we went through all about how to see ourselves as God sees us whilst also improving our physical health. And now that we’re done with that book, we’re getting ready to go into a different season where we’re going to do physical training with our ladies that are in our group. She on the side of personal trainer and strength based, routines and me on the side of holy yoga and bringing that in, as well as my knowledge of the word of God. And so I thought, who better to talk about fitness for this month and the benefits of it than my friend Cara? So, hello, Cara. Welcome.

>> Cara: Hi. Thank you, Sarah. Thanks for having me.

>> Sarah: You’re welcome. That was really a long intro, so…

>>Cara: you said it really well.

Sarah: So we’ve known each other eight years, and that friendship is kind of, like, ebbed and flowed, but it’s developed over the eight years into something really great. We actually recently went on a retreat together and I did some yoga with you and you’re like, oh, my gosh, that kicked my butt. But, yeah, I’m a little nervous about your boot camp that we’re going to be doing with our ladies because you thought yoga kicked your butt. And I’m worried about what you’re going to be doing to my butt during that time. So I don’t know, you know, it’s.

>> Cara: Everybody has their own thing that they’re maybe, and, you know, I don’t, I don’t do a ton of cardio, but, yeah, it’s, it’s easy when you’re a trainer. I kind of joke around sometimes with people that I, I train a lot, but it doesn’t mean I do everything that I’m training. So I have a lot of knowledge, but I’ve also, you know, being in my forties, I don’t, I can’t do everything that I did when I was in my twenties and thirties, but, yeah, I will be doing more like, like tabatas, hit style workouts, kind, of where you’re, you know, getting your heart rate up on one thing and then you’re doing something else and getting your heart rate back down so it won’t be super crazy. Honestly, I think yoga might be harder because you’re holding poses and you have to have, like, that strength and that balance and, like, good core strength. So I think, I think it’s just, different.

>> Sarah: Yeah. So yoga was a challenge. So I started my yoga training certification as a actual yoga instructor, back in January. I’ve got one more class to do to complete, which is going to be in two weeks. And I’m super excited to finally be done with it. But looking back, our instructor has taken pictures and we have learned different moves that when we first started, my boss body, if you’ve ever done any kind of exercise where you are pushing your body to a point where your whole body just vibrates like you’re, it’s just shaking and you are feeling like you’re going to just crash to the ground. That’s how it was at the beginning of yoga. And now, last week when you were.

>> Cara: Doing the yoga, the 45 minutes one, I was like, I’m about to fall to the ground.

>> Sarah: Yes, yes. And when I first started, I mean, every, every yoga routine we were doing, every move she put us in, I felt like, can I even do this? And I remember thinking at the very beginning, I don’t know if I can make it nine weeks. I don’t know if I could accomplish this task. I don’t have this strength in me. And she kept reminding me, and I never said anything, but she very specifically, her name’s Christina Garcia. she has yoga for one. And I think it’s holy yoga for one. I’ll have to look it up, but it is. She is such an amazing yoga instructor. I love listening to her. Her and I have been friends, actually, for, 15 years, and our friendship has developed differently. And so when she told me she was doing this instructive training, I’m like, who else would I want to learn from then from her who teaches the word while she’s teaching yoga and looks at it from a biblical perspective? Well, you know, I never told her that I was concerned about my strength, and she has spoken strength into me, the God strength into me, since day one. And so, you know, when I first started, I was like, I can’t do this. I don’t have the strength in me. And she kept speaking it over me. And now I’m doing moves. Like, one of the biggest ones that people struggle with are, I should say, women guys. My husband does it. Like, it’s like, oh, no big deal. There’s something called a chaturanga. Chaturanga is like a yoga push up, but it’s not a push up. So people think I could just do a push up, and I’m fine. A, chaturanga is your. You’re drawing your belly in and engaging all your core muscles so that you’re not actually really using your arms and legs when you go down. You’re using your core to slowly bring you down to the ground so that you don’t, drop suddenly, because a lot of people that are not used to push ups, they’ll drop to the ground suddenly, and then they’ll desperately try to pull themselves back up. But the core is so engaged that you go down slowly to where your chest and stomach meet the ground at the same time, and everything’s engaged. When I first started doing this, every inch of me was shaking, and I was crashing to the ground. Now I can do a chaturanga like a pro, and it’s amazing. And, I mean, that’s. That’s not the most difficult pose, but it is a difficult post.

>> Cara: I can drop and do endless push ups. Not endless, but, like, I can do push ups no problem. Chaturanga’s, it’s just. It’s a totally different position that your arms are in that forces you to use something different. And unless you’ve been doing it. Yeah, yeah. When you have, I was like, oh, no, she’s not going to make us do that.

>> Sarah: But, yes, yes, I did consistently do.

>> Cara: That, even from, like, I would say I came back after that retreat that we just had, and I did yoga following, something I found on YouTube, and it was like, I looked up holy yoga because I was like, I want to have something like that. And I found that I was already in just those couple days and those couple times doing yoga already sturdier and. And stronger. So I could see how if a person’s gonna continue doing that, it really helps. I used to. I used to do yoga, once a week back when I was, an avid rock climber, and I was at my leanest, and I was probably about 33. Around 33 years old, was, when I was in my top physical shape, I would say, very lean. And it was something I did because I needed that. But, I love that you’re doing that in the holy yoga, really bringing God into that and praying throughout that. It’s really. I think that’s just so cool.

> >Sarah: Yes, it. So it has been a challenge. Like I said, my husband, I’ve had to. I’m having to teach yoga as part of, like, my quote unquote ceus, to get my certification. And so I’ve taught my husband some things, and when I have him do a chaturanga, he does an actual push up. And it’s hard to explain to a man that has biceps that are bigger than my thighs, that you cannot use your biceps to go down. You have to use your core. But he just does a push up like, it’s not even a big deal. It’s like, babe, it’s not your arms, it’s your core. So it’s hard to explain, but, yeah, I don’t shake anymore when I do a chaturanga. Now, I will say Christina had us do, a routine this past weekend, and I think we did, like, six chaturangas. By six, I was like, okay, maybe I’m shaking still. Maybe there’s still some truth to my core not being great, but it does really enhance your ability to stay strong in different positions because you’re holding for a very long time and breathing through it. And so it’s actually helped me with my physical, like, resistance or weight training part of my routine. you know, I’m 46 years old, and we’ll talk later in a different episode about fitness. in your forties. But I’m a mom at 46 years old and actually a mima. I’m a grandma to a beautiful little baby that when I started this fitness situation and made very life altering decisions, and I mean, life altering decisions in that, I stopped drinking soda, any soda, like, I don’t even know. it was around when I was pregnant with my son. So almost ten years ago, I stopped drinking soda, and that took a little weight off of me, but not really anything. I compensated it with other kinds of sugar, like lemonade and massive, amounts of cream in my coffee. And so even though I took soda out, I just compensated with extra sugar. Well, about, I want to say two and a half years ago, my sisters and I did a sister trip to go see the Noah’s ark up in Kentucky, and my baby sister, who I’m actually going to go see this weekend. I’m so excited to see her. My baby sister found a book called, the 40 Day Sugar Fast. And it’s a Christian author, talks about God in it. But basically, it’s like, let me challenge you. Kind of around lent time was when this all took place and when she intended, because if you’re going to give up something for Lent, why not give up sugar? But she did it, in a way, in her explanation of, you know, don’t be cold turkey, be responding, responsible. And so I started taking things out that’s like, I know I love these things, but do I need these things? Like, we need sugar in our diet, but we don’t need lemonade, we don’t need, the very sugary syrup. We don’t need tons of creamer in our coffee. We don’t need desserts, really. And so those were the things that I took out of my diet about two and a half years ago. And I started to lose weight, but I also increased my water intake, and that actually helped a ton. ultimately, when I sat down reading this book, she kind of explains, like, what is your why? Why would you do this? Most women will say I’m losing weight because I want to lose weight. I want to look good. I want to be in a bikini. I want to, you know, have the body that I had when I was 19 years old and fresh out of high school. that’s just not a realistic idea. But most women will say that. Most women say, I want to lose all this weight so I can have a fantastic body again. For me, my whys were more of a health thing than they were a physical thing because, number one, my mother has dementia. And I found out, in all this research my sisters and I did to try to help her was our food intake has a lot to do with whether or not we are susceptible to dementia and Alzheimer’s. And I have had to walk this walk with my mom for over a decade and see her decline. I don’t want my kids to ever experience what I’m witnessing with my mom. So that was number one. Number two was, I could tell that when my kids and my husband were doing things that they enjoyed physically, I was getting very winded quickly to where I was uncomfortable, or I would have to stop and take breaks more than they would. And I felt like I was holding everybody back and not really enjoying things. And I actually like physical activities. I love to golf. I love to bowl. I love to play softball. I love to play volleyball. I love physical activities. Now, I’m not good at it, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying physical activities. Unfortunately, my body wasn’t really in a space where I could do it for long periods of time, and so it didn’t feel good to me. And so I thought my number two reason was to be able to be in enough physical health where I could enjoy these physical activities with my husband, with my kids. And guess what? As a meemaw, I want to do it with my grandbaby. I want her to be so excited to be with me ma and do these things with meemaw, because meemaw can. So that was number two. Number three was to finally be able to wear clothes where I’m not embarrassed to be in them. So I have not. And this is, This is like a total hidden secret that I don’t share with anybody. So you’ve heard it first here. Here’s my confession. I have not wore shorts in public in over a decade. I would venture to say maybe 15 years, because body image issues. My, legs are, in my view, very disproportionate to who I am, and that’s because I carried around so much weight for so long. So, like, my thighs are big, then my knees kind of go in to where they’re skinnier, my knees are, and then my calves bulk out more because my thighs and my calves had to build muscle. So if you actually grab hold of my calves and my thighs, there’s not a whole lot of fat there. There’s actually not. I mean, there’s excess skin because I’ve lost weight, but the majority of that is muscle because it had to carry around all the weight I did have. So they’re very disproportionate to what is going on with my body. So I just didn’t wear shorts. I’ve worn jeans in the middle of summer in Arizona heat and new Mexican heat for over a decade because I’m not comfortable in shorts. So you know, being able to wear clothes that I feel good in. Same with tops. You know, I have a smaller torso than I do the lower part of my body, and so it just always looked awkward to wear the kind of shirt that fit my upper part of body when the lower part wasn’t the same and, like, it didn’t fit around my hips. And now I’m in a size in my upper part of my body. That is so awesome. I have never in my entire life, I’m 46. Have never in my entire life wore a bikini. Now, I don’t promote people wearing a bikini, but I’ve never even felt like I wanted to because I wasn’t comfortable.

As a mom, I think there’s a lot of importance to how we do physical health

However, because I lost weight and got my body into physical shape, still, need a lot of work to do. But because I got to a place where I felt comfortable, my husband and I went on our 20th anniversary to Hawaii, and I bought bikinis and surprised him with bikinis. And it felt wonderful to do something like that, that I never had the courage to do. So most of my journey in my weight loss has not been anything about, you know, wanting to be size two and look like that supermodel. It has been. As a mom, I want to be able to be in the kind of health that my kids can, like, do things with me. They can see me as an example. They can want to participate in mom’s challenges. And so, as a mom, I think there’s a lot of importance to how we do physical health.

So talk to us, Cara, about, like, just being a mom and the example that you set when you’re focused on, like, what does that do for your kids? What does that do for your household?

>> Cara: You brought up some awesome points. I love to hear your story. And honestly, from a, ah, trainer standpoint, I have, like, the majority of the women that are moms that I train, they would have their number one thing. The number one reason their why is because of their kids. They want to either set that good example or they want to be able to. And actually, a lot of men say this, too, with their kids, or sometimes as grandkids, they want to be able to do things with them. They want to be able to live a longer time. People are realizing that when you aren’t, being cognizant of, you know, the things you’re eating or what you’re doing with your body, we tend to have more issues, maybe heart problems, stroke, things like that. So it is really important to make sure that we’re taking care of ourselves if you want longevity. And so, you know, obviously I want to. I want to be able to see my grandchildren someday. I am not a grandma like you. I know I’m the age where a lot of my friends around me are having grandchildren, and that’s been a thought process for me because I’ve watched, other friends that have had children much later in life. I tend to have a lot of friends, like, in their thirties, and they’ve had, children in the last five years, and I’ve watched their children, and I think, oh, my goodness, I cannot do this. I cannot run after these kids anymore. losing, like, did I have way more energy when I was younger or are kids just crazier? and maybe it’s both, but, definitely, you know, setting an example is a huge thing. so there’s, there’s so much I could talk about in regards to that, but I’ll just talk about, if you don’t mind, a little bit of what I do in my own household and what we try to do, like, kind of how it’s sort of evolved. If that’s okay with you, Sarah.

>> Sarah: Sure.

>> Cara: So, for me, you know, I didn’t have some, like, huge weight loss thing now, mind you. I have, a son that’s turning 24 this year. I have a 21 year old, and then my youngest, biologically is almost 15. And, then I also have stepchildren, 1815 and 13. And so, I had already been a trainer. I’ve been a trainer for going on eleven years. And so I lived a fairly healthy lifestyle. You know, it kind of ebbs and flows with, I wasn’t always working, like, as a specific job, being a trainer. And so, you know, my kids have kind of seen me go throughout different things, but I wasn’t ever, like, super overweight or where I was really worried about it. I look back on pictures and I can see that. And I was, I’ve shared with Sarah in the past that I didn’t struggle with, like, any kind of body dysmorphia or anything because of social media being out there, too. So that’s a big part of it, is, keeping ourselves, our kids, maybe, away from social media to where they’re not comparing themselves. And as women, as moms, it’s really hard to, understand that people that you may see on social media, a lot of them, if they are moms, have done things either very differently. Everybody’s body is totally different, and there are a lot of people out there that have maybe, had a surgery or something like that, so you don’t know their story. And so we can’t compare ourselves to people on social media. And that’s one of the number one struggles that I see moms having. and so, you know, obviously, when it comes to wanting to be healthy for our kids, I remember watching a couple of Netflix things, that made me go, oh, you know what? If my kid has ADHD or if they have something that I need to cut out all their sugar and cut out all their grains. And so I remember going through the pantry, and this was probably, like, five years ago, right before summer break, which was, like, the worst time. I probably could have done this. And I cleaned everything out that was processed. I, like, we had nothing pantry. I mean, anything that was canned or boxed or it was gone. I was like, sugar grains, everything gone. And the kids came home, and, like I said, literally right before summer, and my husband, as well, looked in the pantry and freaked out a little bit. And I’m, like, oh, yeah, the good food is in the fridge. And needless to say, that didn’t last for super long. I think that they pretty much, had a mutiny because they all started seeing things from their friends or from other places, and they’d be like, dad, can you take us out to get something? And they had stuff in their rooms, things like that. And I was like, oh, no, what have I done? and so around that same time, I also had read a book, and it, I’m constantly reading books, and they influenced me one way or the other. And. And I was also listening to podcasts, and somewhere in there, I realized that when you take away everything from a kid and force them to eat a specific way, you’re oftentimes actually possibly giving them the idea of binging. And so, you know, eating disorders is a very real and hard thing. It’s very prevalent right now, even across younger kids. And so, something like binging can happen when, you know, if they’re at home and they can’t have the food that they thought that they could have before or that they want to have, then they go elsewhere. They’re going to binge on it because they haven’t had it. It’s the same thing if you’re dieting all the time and you’ve restricted yourself, and then when you are able to have something, like if you restricted yourself from sugar, a lot of times people will go, if they give themselves a set amount of time, I won’t have sugar. And instead of maybe looking at it differently, if they’re like, okay, now I can have sugar. whereas if you, if a person would have restricted themselves in the first place, they wouldn’t binge. So just learning to have things in moderation. And so with my own kids, I’ve had to, really just set the example and not beat myself up. That’s number one. Number, two, set, the example in not, going crazy overboard. Like, hey, I have to be at the gym all the time, which is really, really hard because I’m a trainer, and so I am at the gym all the time, but they don’t see me doing super crazy workouts. I say that tongue in cheek because my husband are currently doing 75 hard. And that’s not like, the example I want to set for my kids doing.

So we do workouts every single day, but one of them is a walk. So one thing we do is we take, if the kids are around and they want to go on a walk with us, we let them go on a walk with us. we’re taking them to the park. So, in that physical activity, it can be something for moms as simple as, taking your kids to a park and just getting out and getting some exercise and some fresh air. Fresh air is great for the kids. It’s great for us as moms because it kind of clears our head and they can get all the noise out that they want at the park, whereas we’d rather them make those noises there than at home when they’re in the house. So doing something or even taking them on a walk can be really fun. or, I used to do little dance parties after dinner where we would just set a timer, turn on the music, just crank it up. Our neighbors probably thought we were crazy, and all of us would dance. And if they could see in the windows, they were probably like, what is this family doing? And I’m talking about when my 24 year old and almost 24 year old and my 21 year old were little. And so, you know, my, 21 year old, she, you know, she would have her feet on her dad’s shoes, you know, and they would dance and, and then we would do all. I mean, nobody’s judging you when it’s just you and your family. And when, especially when kids are little, they don’t judge you. Now, if I started dancing, my kids would be like, oh, mom, you can’t dance. And so it’d be a different. I’m talking when you have little kids, but it’s. It’s so it’s super important to, like I said, remember that, that you, you know, physical movement is important for them and not going overboard. And the third thing is to also just kind of have a healthy perspective and give yourself grace. And the kids need to see you doing that and not going, oh, I can’t. I can’t eat that cookie. because if they see you doing that all the time, they’re going to start doing the same thing.

Giving yourself grace is not a diet or anything specifically a mental toughness challenge

So when they see you giving yourself grace, my daughter, if she saw me, like, eating a cookie, obviously not right now. I’ll have to explain 75 hard. If any of your, if any of your listeners are confused about that, put a side note in there. that it’s not something that’s not a diet or anything specifically a mental toughness challenge. And so that’s for a totally different reason. And everybody that I know that does it has their own reason. So I wouldn’t what I would call cheat right now, but normally, if I was trying to have a healthy lifestyle, I use an 80 20 rule of, you know, 80%, like, super healthy, and then 20% is that grace period. That grace where I can have a hamburger and not feel bad about it. And I want my kids to see that, because if they see me eating a hamburger and they’re like, mom, you’re not supposed to eat that. That’s not good. That’s a bad sign. So we want our kids to see that food is good. God created food for our bodies, for nourishment, and there’s a huge variety of foods, and that’s good. And then also encourages them to try new things. So being a mom is already stressful enough. You don’t want to make it more stressful by trying to, like, fit yourself in a box and understand that you were created for you, and, you know, you can’t compare yourself to other people just to bring that full circle.

I think it’s important to bring your kids into your exercise

>> Sarah: So, yeah, so I thought, one of the things you just said was, you know, bringing your kids into it, I think it’s really important to, bring your kids into your exercise. I mean, my. One of my daughters will come out to my in home gym. I have an in home gym in my garage, and she’ll work out with me. My son, when I’m out there, he constantly wants to do something, whether it’s burpees or step ups or something, because he wants to be in the space with me. whereas, you know, I’m not really. Somebody likes people in my space, so I’m just like, I just want to work out by myself and be in my own garage and leave me alone. But I get why they want to be in there because they’re wanting to be with mom, and it’s something that they can connect with mom with. and so bringing your kids into that is super important and letting them know that it’s a good thing. So some of it’s just like your wording, wouldn’t you say, like, if I say to my kids, I can’t have that, or I’m not supposed to eat that, is a negative way of saying, that’s not good for me right now. But if you said something like, you know what? Mom’s choosing not to eat those things in this moment, it’s more like, I may making a choice to have a different version of food. Not that it’s bad to. To eat that type of thing. Yeah.

>> Cara: just saying that, hey, I wouldn’t care for one of those right now. They don’t even need to know that you can’t have it right now or that you’re not, that you’re restricting yourself in any work. They don’t need to actually know that. I, think we share. We over share with our kids often, and I think it’s healthier for us to just keep it to ourselves. Maybe our spouse knows, but the kids don’t actually need to know. They don’t know that. Oh, mommy doesn’t really feel like having that Brownie right now, even though you would absolutely want to eat that brownie.

>> Sarah: Right? Yeah. So I’ve had to change my way of saying things, specifically because I have daughters, and I have four daughters and one son. But my four daughters have very different body styles, body shapes, and so they’ve also got a very different body image, each one of them. And so I’m trying super hard to say things differently. You know, I’ve had. I’ve had comments from people of, you know, you’ve taken this step to make these great health changes for yourself. Why aren’t you forcing your daughters to do the same? And I’m like, because everybody’s body is beautiful the way it is, and it’s their choice to do things so long as they’re not harming themselves. Now, if I see my daughter just eating ho hos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then I’m going to step in and say something. But as long as she’s willing to eat what the rest of the family is willing to eat, and they’re, you know, you’re not overdoing on the sugar, then. This is not something that is a battle that I want to get into her.

Normally, women don’t think about fitness until after they’ve had a kid

But I also wanted to tell you, you know, we talked beforehand about how moms, tend to question timing of fitness. And true, you know, we’re. Because we’re setting an example because, people are watching us normally and not always, but normally, women don’t think about fitness until after they’ve had a kid because my body’s got to bounce back. I got to get back to my weight when I was in high school. I got it. So you start focusing on it then, but in reality, you should be focusing on it prior to having kids so that your body does bounce back quicker. And, I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s okay to work out while you’re pregnant.

>> Cara: Yeah, yeah. And I know. Yeah. When we were talking about that earlier, I was telling Sarah that Sarah and I are around the same age, and so I won’t give away our age, but, I mean, she’s brown, so, I mean, we’re not that old, so we’re. She’s a young grandma, let me say that. but, you know, when we were having our first children, it was very frowned on to, you know, if you were in the gym especially, it would have been very frowned on. fitness was not a huge thing. And again, we didn’t have social media back then, so, you know, there weren’t people kind of advising us in that front, and there probably weren’t even a lot of fitness trainers other than, like, Jane Fonda. And while we’re not quite that old.

>> Sarah: But, you know, I know who Jane Fonda is.

>> Cara: I mean, I did, like, I’m trying to think of even my earlier years as a mom started, doing things like turbo jam, but they didn’t even have those, like, prior to that because, you know, I got pregnant when I was 20 and had my son while I was still 20, almost 21. He’s my oldest. Shoot. And they. Now they can probably do the math, because I. Because I just gave that away by telling you guys his age. But, yeah, so. So what’s happened now with the evolution of social media, first off, and a lot more people being interested in the fitness industry and trying to be healthy because, you know, for a long time, our mortality rate, generally speaking, here in the United States was probably around 70, 75 years old, and now it has increased slightly. males is still a lot lower than females. but, you know, you still see a huge instance of, you know, obesity or things that are related to that because, you know, unfortunately, when it does come to things like obesity, and just, stats, there’s things like stroke and things like that. So because of that, there’s more awareness now. And so more and more women are getting really fit having their children a little bit later in life, because the part of it is, I think, that they don’t want to ruin their bodies or their lifestyle. And so when they do finally, end up having a child, they just continue doing what they were doing. So if they were lifting weights, they continue lifting their weights all up until, you know, basically up until they have the baby. And what we’re seeing is that they bounce back much faster. now that being said, especially if a person had, like, you know, a c section or something like that, obviously, you cannot just run back into the gym. You have to really listen to your doctor and listen to your body and wait and let it heal. Because what happens is there is that, like, small part of, like, if you don’t. If you don’t wait long enough, then you can actually, hurt your muscles. So, for example, with my youngest, who is 15, almost 15, she, right after I had her, I started doing, like, sit ups and all these things because there was a significant difference. I have four babies. After two babies, I didn’t have, I didn’t look like I was, like, eight months pregnant after I had the baby, my belly went down. Things went down, like, it was much different. And I think because I was a little bit younger and I was right around that age of being 30 when I had my youngest. And so when I had her, because I’d had, you know, so many other babies before I look pregnant for a while, like, I needed to have one of those little things they make you wear around your belly to kind of keep it in, and it wasn’t going in fast enough. So I thought, you know what? I will help myself by doing a bunch of sit ups. And, you know, they don’t teach you a lot of things if, you know, the idea is just sit ups or, other core strengthening things that we didn’t know about necessarily. And so the problem with that is if you do that too early, when you’re doing sit ups and things like that, you’re actually making your muscle and your muscle will. Your body will shrink back on its own. Our bodies are amazing like that. And so once you let it fully shrink back and you’re good and you’re healed, then you go into things like core training. But, if you do it too early, you can actually, kind of stunt that and your, your belly will actually stay, a little bit bulkier in a sense, because your muscle now has that. It was never went back to its original state. You have now worked it out and kind of, like I said, it’s essentially stunted its ability to go all the way back to where it was. And I didn’t know that. So there’s certain things like that that it’s. It would be. Would have been nice to know that when I was younger, because then I was like, man, you know, and I mind you, I was not working out while I was pregnant. So this is coming from somebody who did not at all. So if you are pregnant and listening to this, or you’re going to be having children, like I said, work out, and if your doctor allows you to, and you’re going to get hate from different people, especially if you post it on social media, there’s going to be people that are saying that you shouldn’t do that, and they’re very healthy. Still being able to work out before they have a child and right after, and it’s huge. It’s great. I wish I would have had the knowledge that I have now, you know, in my forties versus, you know, when. If I had that back when I was in my twenties, man, I can only imagine where I’d be, like, today and, you know, maybe a few less health issues, things like that. But it is. It’s never too late to start. So if you haven’t, been physically active, that’s not to say that you can’t start. Like, there’s never a point where it’s too late to start, walking or doing things that you can do to be physical, even if your kids are grown.

>> Sarah: So, yeah, I would say some things that are, that hinder your body from bouncing back when you’re after you’re pregnant is you’re creating scar tissue. Like, anytime you. Anytime you do something strenuous to your body, you’re creating new scar tissue. So you go right into doing sit ups and push ups and things for your core. Right after giving birth, you’re actually creating scar tissue upon scar tissue. So that’s why you. Your body is a little bit bulky and it doesn’t really settle back to flatness. the other thing I would say, just as much as I say, exercise while you’re pregnant. I want to just caution everybody. I’m not saying every person should exercise when they’re pregnant. I’m saying, go seek out an ob g weigh in, or if you can, the best thing is, like, a perinatologist with a nutritionist that can tell you, yes, your body is able to do these things. Or actually, yes, you can do this at these limitations, because there are issues, like somebody who is prone to being pre eclampsia, or, like myself, who’s had history of miscarriages. You are limited on what you can do if you’ve got physical ailments during pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out. Just means you need to be very mindful of what your doctors tell you in following their suggestions. so I think the thing to remember as a mom is that we’re setting an example for our kids to follow, and if we have a bad view of our body image, they’re going to have a bad view of their body image. So love yourself.

You know, somebody I don’t remember, actually, I do remember you kind of mentioned this beforehand, and it made me think of something. So I’m reading a book, or I’m in the middle of it. It’s called FitNEss for every body, and it’s by Meg Boggs. let me just give you a little, a little detail about this book. I was in the middle of. I was in Arizona visiting my daughter. and I went to a bookstore. Best used bookstore ever. They’re in Arizona. They’re called Bookman’s. I love them. And every time I go to ArizoNa, I go to Bookman’s and see what I can find. And I just happened to go to the fitness section, and there was a whole bunch of these copies of this book, and it’s nobody I would have recognized. It’s not like it’s a, you know, CinDy CrAwford BOok or a, Who was it that we were just talking about? That was the,

>> Cara: Now I can’t even think. And we just said it. Jane Faulkner.

>> Sarah: Jane Fonda. It wasn’t like a Jane Fonda book. It wasn’t somebody that you would have acknowledged. But something about this cover made me think, I want to buy this book. And it’s. The COVID is actually this. This woman who, by, you know, supermodel standards would be considered overweight. She is bodybuilding and actually doing weightlifting, as, like, a professional weightlifter. And she has got some serious, like, definition, in her body. Even though somebody would look at her and go, she’s overweight. Something about her just made me want to pick up this book now? I’m going to tell you, just as a caution, just as a warning, there are a lot of curse words in here. And, I’m just giving you a heads up. It’s not a christian book. It’s not a biblical book. But she is talking a lot about body image and how we are setting the example for our kids working out after pregnancy, that you can actually do things that your, body thinks it can’t, that you can create this core strength. And I love that. Throughout this book, she’s also showing pictures of real women with their stretch marks, with their cellulite, with their, you know, flappy arms, and celebrating each body as though it’s like, I get to be this person, not I have to. And so it’s just been a really cool book to read through, just to see, the challenges that she’s gone through, because I resonate with some of them. Having had been quite overweight. you know, it’s. It’s hard when you’re over 40 because they start. They. Doctors start declaring you stuff like, I was, not just overweight, but I was considered obesely overweight.

>> Cara: Yeah.

>> Sarah: And I would not have looked at somebody my size and said, you’re obesely overweight. I would have never declared that.

>> Cara: Well, they told me I. Yeah. Even last year, I was told I was obese because of my weight. Based on my weight, despite that, it is muscle. And if you looked at me, you know, wearing leggings and a t shirt, you wouldn’t be like, you know, I have maybe, you know, a little extra from you, this clear from having had children. And I’m. I’m opposite of you. I am, I don’t carry my weight in the same spot. I carry mine, like, all in my. My upper. My upper torso. I have to have the larger size of my upper torso. So I’m completely opposite of you.

>> Sarah: Yeah.

>>Cara: so. But other than, you know, my boobs that are huge and maybe, you know, having the leftovers from having had children, but I have a lot of muscle, and I was like, I am not obese.

>> Sarah: And I would never look at your body and call you obese. You have got a great. So doctors say those things, and it just kind of sickens me because it, makes women feel bad about themselves. Like, even when I was pregnant with my son, I was actually considered a geriatric pregnancy because I was over the age of 35. Geriatric pregnancy? Are you kidding? These are the titles they give you anytime I would go into the doctor for anything. And I’m not kidding. Here’s, here’s an example. Funny little example. I went in because I had a hangnail. Toenail. I’ve never had a hangnail. This was about 20, well, maybe like 1516 years ago, and it was hurting so bad. And I went into the doctor so that she could try to pull it out and, you know, help. And her first comment was, well, if you lose a little weight, you wouldn’t have this issue. And I’m like, what does a hangnail have to do with losing weight? But every time I went into the doctor, that is what doctors would tell me. And not just one doctor, every doctor I’ve ever seen. And I’m not saying weight doesn’t have a whole lot of issues with, or doesn’t contribute to a whole lot of issues. Like I said, alzheimer’s, dementia, blood sugar, blood pressure. It does have a ton to do with how your body works, but hang nail, come on. Like, really? So.

Muscle weighs more than fat, even if fat eventually decreases

>> Cara: And can I say one thing real quick?

>> Sarah: Yeah.

>> Cara: Because. Because it’s safe to say that I don’t know how much you’ve spoken on your podcast in the past about fitness, and health and things like that, but muscle weighs more than fat. So it’s like, yes, there are things that can give you, a more accurate reading of, like, what the proportions are, what makes up that total number when it comes to weight. But if you’re stepping on the scale and just looking at that, it’s very unfair. Even. Even you can take somebody that stays the same size from the time they’re 20 till the time they’re 50, and they’re going to gain weight because our density increases as we get older. And then, like I said, even if muscle eventually decreases, but muscle weighs more than fat. So if your viewers don’t know that, I’m like, something to keep in mind, too.

>> Sarah: Yeah, no, I haven’t talked a whole lot about it because I just recently decided to do an overhaul of my podcast, and so I’m looking at things differently, and that’s just because of the season. God’s having me in.Every season is different. So see what God has for you in that season

But, you know, last, I would just want to say, any mamas or grandmas out there listening? First of all, happy mother’s day, because we’re coming up to mother’s Day. And so I just want to bless you and tell you, enjoy the season you’re in. Every season is different. Every season has its own challenges, but you’re in it for a reason. So see what God has for you in that season and and be excited to walk through it, even when it’s difficult stuff. but then the other thing I wanted to tell you was, yes, be physical. Be a mom that shows your kids that you can do things, challenge yourself, and do things differently so they can see that they don’t need to give up or have to listen to social media or have to listen to their peers about what their body image looks like. They can be excited about who God made them to be and be in love with the body that they have, desiring to continue to make it. Be more God honoring in how they use it. So thank you all for joining us on week one of our physical health. Join us next week as we talk about fitness over 40 because it’s important. God bless you.

>> Speaker A: Thank you so much for listening to today’s show. If you left a rating or review of my show on Apple Podcasts, thank you so much. I read them all and it touches my heart that you took time out of your day to spend it with me and leave that feedback. Make sure you come say hi on Instagram astorsarajaneho because I love connecting with my listeners and meeting new people in the online world. If you’d like to give back, you can support the show by rating, reviewing, and sharing it with a friend, or you can donate on my website at www.PastorSarahJane.com. Until the next time you’re here, just remember that you are loved and scene.

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