The Truth About Body Breakthroughs: What if your body struggle isn’t about discipline? - Lisa Whittle

Summary

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The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast

Episode: The Truth About Body Breakthroughs: What if your body struggle isn’t about discipline?
Guest: Lisa Whittle
Date: August 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and candid episode, Candace Cameron Bure and her guest, author and Bible study creator Lisa Whittle, dive deep into the real roots of body image struggles. Together, they challenge the common notion that a “body breakthrough” is all about discipline. Instead, through stories, scripture, and honest conversation, they reframe body transformation as a life-long journey, exploring spiritual, emotional, and practical factors that shape a woman's relationship with her body. Their dialogue encourages listeners to shift focus from perfection to process, from self-criticism to acceptance—and above all, to build their self-worth on a spiritual foundation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Warm-Up & '80s Nostalgia (03:20–09:03)

• Candace and Lisa kick things off with light, playful banter about fashion, fond memories of the 1980s, and the fantasy of time travel.
• Both express gratitude for the freedom and independence of childhood in the '80s, contrasting it with today’s more safety-conscious parenting.
  • Memorable moment: Reminiscing about bike rides until the streetlights came on and the innocence of pre-cell phone childhoods.
• Candace segues: “Today I think people have been waiting for this episode because they're like, when am I gonna have my body breakthrough?” [09:05]

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2. Defining the “Body Breakthrough” (09:05–11:39)

• Candace shares her longing for a transformative body moment, referencing friends who’ve experienced what seemed like instant “freedom.”
• Lisa reframes the quest:

  “I am walking a freedom road to glory…this is a process.” – Lisa Whittle [09:48]

• She explains that instead of a single breakthrough moment, most of us are on a journey, gradually experiencing “greater measures of freedom” as we “know Him more.”
  • Key Insight: The journey matters more than the destination.

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3. The Myth of the Moment & The Weight of Discipline (11:40–18:59)

• Lisa likens the journey to the spiritual pilgrimage in Pilgrim’s Progress—the walk itself is transformative.
• Discussion on discipline:
  • Lisa explains her evolving view: previously, it meant strict routines and restriction; now it’s about “saying no to my flesh and yes to my spirit” [16:14].
  • She warns about legalism and how discipline can become an unhealthy obsession, especially for those with a restrictive mindset.
• Candace views discipline positively as “hard work, consistency, and self-control,” inspired by her Olympian husband [18:59–21:06].

  “Discipline means having self-control in, in my mind, in like every aspect of life.” – Candace [20:45]

• Both agree: whether discipline feels empowering or burdensome can depend on personal history.

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4. What’s Actually Blocking Body Breakthrough? (22:30–26:39)

• Lisa challenges the simplistic idea that body struggles come down to lack of discipline:

  “So self-discipline…is a very, very, very narrow way of looking at what you actually fight in your body.” – Lisa [25:54]

• She unpacks the complex “battle” at play:
  • A spiritual enemy (“a very real foe who seeks to devour us”)
  • Internal struggle against the flesh (“sarx” in scripture, or our sinful nature)
  • The reality of living in a fallen world—

  “Don’t think for one second that Satan doesn’t hate that. He hates your body already.” – Lisa [24:55]

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5. Spiritual Warfare & Self-Compassion (26:39–33:05)

• Candace acknowledges how easy it is to forget these unseen battles and fall into self-blame.
• Lisa urges that “body theology”—seeing oneself as body and soul, indwelt by God—is the true foundation:

  “You cannot skip the word of God…that’s why I say, don’t make [body topics] your focus—not if you haven't done the theological work.” – Lisa [34:15]

• Focusing only on external solutions (diet, workouts, aesthetics) without spiritual context, Lisa says, is incomplete.

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6. Acceptance, Process, and True Freedom (37:28–40:38)

• Candace voices a listener’s pain: what if you know it’s a journey, but still feel sad or unhappy in your body (e.g., after menopause or physical changes)?
• Lisa offers profound reassurance:

  “Gratitude is not about preference. It is about acceptance.” – Lisa [38:07]

  • Accepting what you have while still acknowledging your feelings is crucial.
  • True transformation happens in the soul—not just in external “fixes.”

  “All of those outward changes will never change the soul.” – Lisa [40:09]

• Both reinforce that perfection is not the goal—freedom of spirit is.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the illusion of a “breakthrough moment”:

  “I am walking a freedom road to glory…there will be times on this road that you will have these beautiful moments. As you know me more…you will experience greater measures of freedom along the way.” – Lisa Whittle [09:48]

• On spiritual context:

  “We have a very real enemy who is a foe that seeks to devour us, that seeks to come against us, that seeks to tempt us, that seeks to take us down.” – Lisa Whittle [23:19]

• On the limits of external practices:

  “You can get all those procedures done…and I have no judgment for you for that, but it will not change your soul. And you are body and soul—you can’t separate the two.” – Lisa Whittle [40:09]

• On acceptance:

  “Gratitude is not about preference. It is about acceptance…The more that I am living in a place of acceptance, the less I loathe myself.” – Lisa Whittle [38:07]

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Listener Questions & Practical Advice (40:38–45:28)

• Post-Pregnancy Body Acceptance:
  Candace releases new moms from pressure—simply “play with your baby,” move for fresh air, and let your body heal at its own pace. Working out should be about life, not image.

  “You don’t need to be thinking about what your body looks like…Enjoy your baby.” – Candace [42:22]

• On Asking for Help & Family Communication:
  Lisa and Candace encourage honest, specific requests for support before reaching the breaking point. Candace suggests a routine weekly check-in with a partner to safely share needs.

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Key Timestamps

• 03:20–09:03 – ’80s nostalgia, time travel, setting the emotional tone
• 09:05–11:39 – Rethinking body breakthroughs as a journey, not a moment
• 13:35–18:59 – Discipline: redefining the word, legalism, spiritual context
• 22:30–26:39 – What stands in the way: spiritual and worldly warfare, not just self-discipline
• 34:50–37:28 – The importance of theological foundation before fitness/nutrition
• 38:07–40:38 – Acceptance vs. preference, true body positivity and soul transformation
• 40:38–45:28 – Listener questions: postpartum body, communicating needs in marriage

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Closing Reflections

Candace wraps up echoing her gratitude for Lisa’s wisdom, noting the life-changing impact this spiritual reframing of body image has had on her and many listeners.

“I have so much gratitude for you. I really do… I've been looking in the wrong place for 40 plus years.” – Candace [34:50]

Lisa emphasizes that freedom is not a finish line but a dynamic process, grounded in both the “it is finished” reality of Christ—and the daily work of mind renewal.

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For further growth:

• Download the Whole Body Guide at Candace.com
• Explore Lisa Whittle’s Body and Soul Bible study

Be grateful all day, every day!

Transcript

[A]

Hey really quick. Before today's episode, I am going live on Tour for the first time this fall, November 20th through the 23rd in four cities. We will have fun and games, audience questions, full house trivia, real talk about women's health and fitness and more. Get [e-mail] tour Lisa, I'm so happy that you're saying this. I'm so happy that you wrote this bible study. Like every day that goes by that I don't have this information is killing me. I wish. I wish you wrote this years ago. When it comes to healthcare, it can feel overwhelming and expensive but we share really simplifies it. It's the simplest non reimbursement health share on the market and it's built around people helping people with we share members share in each other's medical costs in a faith based community that focuses on four important things cost, network, community and freedom. And just for listening, Weshare is waiving the $149 application fee. So don't wait. Get your free non obligation quote [e-mail] candice or call 855-230-2523. That's 855-230-2523. Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes that we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. Proverbs 11:25 says, Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered. By honoring your career, calling you impact your family, your friends and your community. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, GCU's online on campus and hybrid learning environments are designed to help you achieve your unique academic, personal and professional goals. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University Private Christian affordable Visit gcu. Edu Life is like a roller coaster, but it's so much better when we go through it together. Welcome to the Candace Cameron Bure Podcast. We're talking about life's challenges, our celebrations, and everything in between. Always with heart and hope. This episode answers a huge question. Why can't I have a body breakthrough? Lisa and I are getting real about what's holding us back. If you're watching on YouTube, please click to subscribe. And make sure you tap the bell so you know when a new video comes out. Come join us. Hi.

[B]

Hi.

[A]

I don't want to give you a compliment but you look so cute.

[B]

I knew this would be coming up at some point. Thank you. Thank you. So do you. I love the collar. I'm way into collars.

[A]

Thank you. Me too. The little Peter Pan collar.

[B]

Pan.

[A]

And my favorite color is green, so I love your vest so much. And just the whole black and white with it looks so cute.

[B]

Thank you. We both love fashion.

[A]

You do.

[B]

That's like a bonding thing. We've bonded over so many things, many hard things this season, but fashion feels like an easy thing to bond over it.

[A]

Yeah, it does. It's so fun and. Yeah. Huge, huge part of my life. So I don't know. Yeah, it's great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Here's a. Just a really silly, crazy question I want to ask you, because this Christmas, I did a time travel movie. It's coming out.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And that's fun. We. We went back to 1945 in the Christmas movie. So my question to you.

[B]

Actually, my dad was born in 45, so that's the first thing I thought of. Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I love time travel movies. I just think they're kind of, like, ridiculous, but, yeah, really fun. So my question to you is, if you could time travel to any time in the world, when would it be and why?

[B]

Oh, man. Okay, so I feel this is cliche because I am a genetic Jesus. No, no, no. I would not Jesus juke you. That is not what I would do here.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

The reason I feel this is cliche, maybe it's because people who know me would know the answer to this. Okay, so now you will know the. I feel like it has to be the 80s, because the 80s were the cool decade.

[A]

So what. What age would you want to be in the 80s? Yeah, we were kids.

[B]

Yes, of course. Yes. So, I mean, not all the 80s were awesome, but I just feel in general. Doesn't everyone think the 80s are cool or just my own.

[A]

No, I think they're very cool.

[B]

Yes. And I. And even my kids, I will say, I feel like the one thing I did right as a mother is put my kids on to 80s music and, like, they have real respect for the 80s. But everything was great about the 80s. The 80s, fashion, 80s, 80, all of it. Yeah. Plus, I just have fond memories of the 80s. I do. Like, I even, you know, I. I think my teenage years, to some degrees, I was like an early teenager. But yeah, my. A lot of my childhood in those times was. Was good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I would say that would be it. To kind of go back and be in those.

[A]

Be a kid or be an Adult.

[B]

That's a good. Now that's a good question. What would I want?

[A]

I know because I think of like, oh, we used to ride our bike and then we would stay out until the street lights came on. Like, there were no cell phones. They were. You just build a ramp. Or we'd go play laser tag with friends in the park. And it was like all those things, you know, play with our Rubik's Cube. It's just things. Yeah.

[B]

Yes. It's funny because when I see memes now, like, these were the 80s, I just. I feel a lot of pride. I did. I'm like, we would get on our bikes and we would ride all over town. Our moms, they had no idea where we were. Yeah. I mean, and they weren't.

[A]

I mean, they talk about feeling independence. I loved it. And then my. My parents gave us the perimeter within the. The big neighborhood. I mean, not like it was gated or anything, but what streets I could go on by myself. And it was pretty big.

[B]

Right. But my theory is that's why we became hovering parents. Because our parents were neglectful. They had no idea what we were doing. We were lying to them anyway. But, like, they literally did not have any clue what we. I would get in like six bike wrecks while I was gone, riding all over, you know, Lake Jackson, Texas, or wherever I was biking. And it was great. I mean, it literally was so great. I don't know. I. Sometimes I think, though, that we remember things obviously better than what they were. We glamorize it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So would I go back now and think the 80s were lame? I refuse to believe that. But I, I would go back to the 80s whether I was a kid, whether I was an adult.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

I would just go back. The hair was big. The, the, the. The music was big. Everything was, it was just great. Everything was great. I know they tried to re. Reimagine the 80s now or when, you know, whenever 80s fashion was back in, I don't know, a few years ago or whatever. But you just can't duplicate greatness.

[A]

No, you can't.

[B]

Yeah, it was.

[A]

I, I follow a couple of social media accounts that are all about the 80s.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

If you don't follow the same ones, I'll be sending them to you.

[B]

Okay. Yes, please.

[A]

So fun to watch. And yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, I did commercials in the 80s when I'm a kid.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

That are all online and it's so funny just to watch them back.

[B]

So good.

[A]

I do love it.

[B]

So good. What Wait, where would you go? What would you go back to?

[A]

Oh, well, now that you're saying the.

[B]

80S, I'm like, I want to go with you.

[A]

Why don't we go together? Oh, my gosh, I love that. Sometimes I think, like, I love. I really did love the fashion in the 40s, which was why I specifically chose that era for. For the movie. But then I think about all the things that weren't allowed that they didn't have, and I'm like, oh, I'm really grateful that I live in this day and age, not just with technology, but just even just being a woman.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

In the 40s is going to be a very different experience. And I'm like, huh? I think I'm really grateful.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm here today.

[B]

I hear that. Yeah.

[A]

Well, today I think people have been waiting for this episode because they're like, when am I gonna have my body breakthrough?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What do I do with that? Is it coming? Does God care about me? I mean, I told you that story that my friend was like, oh, I prayed for this freedom, and I got freedom and. And she had her body breakthrough. And I'm like, great. I haven't. You know, at the time I was like, I haven't. When's that coming for me? So let's just start breaking it down.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Where do we. I mean, does it start with discipline?

[B]

Well, here's what I want to say first about just even body breakthrough. One of the things that I realized when I was writing Body and Soul was all my life, I've been looking for a moment. I've been looking for a moment of breakthrough. And what the Lord showed me is I am walking a freedom road to glory. There is this process. I mean, I always knew, like, I am walking sort of this path towards heaven or whatever. I mean, you know, this journey is my life. I'm going to eventually die and go to heaven. Thank Jesus. But I think. I think I thought, there's going to be a moment and it's going to click, and I'm going to be free. And what the Lord showed me is you're on a path, and this is a road, a glory that you're walking. It's a freedom road of glory. And there will be times on this road that you will have these beautiful, you know, moments. What's going to happen, though, is as you know me more, as you know, really about this, what I call the glorious exchange. My body for your body, my life for your life, the abundance that I've promised you, you will experience Greater measures of freedom along the way. And I want you to have the maximum amount of a freedom that you can have, Lisa. That's what I came for, abundance. And so I don't look at it as a moment anymore. I look at it as this road that I'm on. The freedom road to glory.

[A]

Did you ever read Pilgrim's Progress?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, but, but I'm just.

[A]

Saying, like when, when you say those words like it's on the road, I just, that's the story that I and picturing in my mind. Journey.

[B]

Yeah, I never really thought of that. But, you know, now that you say it, it's interesting. I think it helped set me free in a lot of ways too, because there's a lot of pressure when you're looking for a moment because you're thinking, well, this will be it. I mean, that's like, you know, okay, well, it's the one thing I'm missing. Right. Because you're always under the stress. Yeah. And I think the way the Lord set me free is to say that that's not the process that I've called you to. That's not the process that I've called really anyone to. It's this whole body theology of the inner person, the inner working of really sanctification, holiness, becoming more like Christ because he indwells us. He never leaves us. So the good news is you don't need a moment. It's not to say that God, I'm not questioning what happened with your friend. It's not to say that God break an addiction in a moment. But I just believe that for a great majority of us, this is a, this is a road of freedom that we're walking on. And I think seeing it as that means every day there's a greater measure of freedom possible for us as we continue to follow Christ. Now, in regards to discipline, I think that's an interesting word.

[A]

Sorry, that just there was back in the 80s.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

There was this store that would have all of these picture frames and then there would be all these inspirational quotes that you could buy. And one of them, because I think my parents had it in their house, in our house, was, I think it said life. I think the word life was used. But it's not a destination, it's a journey.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, let's listen, I, I, I think people sometimes say, like, they hate Christians, always use the word journey. But I, it really is though. It is. It really is. I mean, it's, it's important that we see things as such that's why I'm. I'm really passionate about us seeing ourselves in light of the race being. I mean, this is biblical. It's not at least a little idea, but being that marathon, not the sprint. Yeah. You know, us understanding that it is the long obedience that we. We wanna be quick to respond to Jesus when he calls to us. But also we have to walk this out. This is not a one and done. This is not that. You know, I had these revelations that the Lord showed me in writing, body and soul, and that I'm all good now. I am still a person that is a human. It's not like I'm all good now. I'm still a person who wears flesh. So in Scripture, there are two words, soma for body and sarx, which is flesh. So Paul talks about the flesh. Flesh has to be given over so that we die to the flesh. And so we have to understand the distinction there. It's very important. It's something that is a process daily that we give over. And we can only do that with the help of Christ. Now, when we think about discipline, because I think that's an interesting word. Discipline has been an interesting word for me. My definition of discipline would have changed through the years when I was probably in college. Discipline for me would have been, have I showed up at the gym every day, Have I only eaten so many fat grams at the time? That was my obsession.

[A]

Like, so discipline. Is it all related to food having, like, restriction, discipline?

[B]

I think those two would have been very interchangeable. It would have been, like, how much. How disciplined am I to withhold from myself in terms of things that I thought would make me fat or would make my body not be in the shape that I wanted it to be? So discipline was always in those sort of outer terms.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It could have even been in my discipline enough to have my check off the list, quiet time every day. So it could have been a soul thing too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I think it would have been in those terms. I think for me now, discipline, I kind of look at the word discipline like, I won't look at the word balance. I don't really like either one of those terms too much because I can get legalistic about things with myself. And when you come from a restrictive body mentality, you have to be very careful with words that are triggers for you to some degree. Yeah. So I try to hold those things very loosely. But I think now the idea for discipline for me is saying no to my flesh and yes to my spirit. And the reason why that works for me is because I know that saying yes to my. To the Spirit is not going to lead me astray. So I know that there's no harm in that kind of litmus test. Right. Like, there's anything that I say yes to the Spirit is not going to get me tied up into body restriction in a way that will harm me.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I think for me, discipline is always attached with the glory mindset, with the base of the whole body theology. I mean, I don't even care if I sound like a broken record, because to me, it is so important that it's all based in the Bible, and I live and die by this now. And so here's a great thing about basing everything in the Word and not like some expert or some program or whatever, as good as they may be. You can't consume too much. Bible.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You can't consume too much. Jesus. No, it's never going to be too much.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so that's the beautiful thing about it. Like, I could be just like anybody else, go way too far with, like, you know, even, like we talked about Ortho Orexia. You can go too far even with eating good because it can become an idol.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because it can become a consumption in your brain. You can go too far with a restriction, even with good food. Yeah. But when you're talking about the word of God, you could consume it all day long, Candace, and you would be the better for it. So for me, discipline is yes to my spirit, no to the flesh, and that's the way I look at it. Now, what about for you? Like, you're a. You are an exercise person. So does discipline. Is that like a good word for you? Do you feel like it could ever dip into obsession?

[A]

So discipline, for me, I, I love this word. It doesn't have a negative connotation, but I actually associate the word discipline with hard work, consistency, and, and my husband, I mean, if I'm gonna put a picture of a person that is disciplined, and I'm not, you know, just talking about the physical, but I think consistency is the word that I, I associate with discipline. And so my husband is the most disciplined person I know in the best of ways. Yeah, my husband is a. I mean, he was a pro athlete for his career and an Olympian. And there's something about any Olympian that you talk to. There's just a whole other. Of discipline that you. You do the things you need to do with consistency, regardless of how you feel, what else is going on around you. And for those reasons, in a Positive way. It is like inspiring to me. And so I, and I don't, I don't automatically associate the word discipline with restriction or food or fitness. I see discipline as a very whole word. That is a great attribute that a person can have to be a disciplined person. And that even means disciplined in my speech, disciplined in my emotions. Just discipline means having self control in, in my mind, in like every aspect of life. So I, I like the word. Do I think that it could be you like use negatively and become obsessive or a controlling word? Like of course it can be, but that's not what my attachment is to that word.

[B]

Yeah. And I love you, I love that you said that because there are two sides to it. And you know, discipline is, I mean that, that's obviously something that's even talked about in the Bible. So it's, it's not something to shy away from. You're bringing up the best parts of it. And that is crucial because sometimes the way that we have been operating in our body skews us to something. So for me, the idea of discipline brings up even that workhorse mentality that we've talked about before where I have been too hard on myself. So for me, discipline might have something different about it than it has for you. And. But I too think of people that are disciplined in the best ways, in biblical ways, in important ways. Also think obviously you can think of discipline in terms of like the way we, we do with our children, which is very important. You would have completely unruly children if you didn't discipline them. So discipline is not a dirty word. And it's important. The interesting thing too is that the world looks at self discipline when it comes to our bodies a bit differently than we do. And I think that's the point that I want to hone in on, is we're talking about body breakthrough.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So a lot of us think, and I think we have this thought about other people if they are a size that we don't approve of, okay. We think, well, why don't they have discipline in their body in order or why don't they have discipline in their life in order to be able to be a certain size or exercise in a certain way, show up at the gym at 5am There's a lot of things that go on on social media a lot, you know, fitness experts or whatever that are hardcore about you need to do this at a certain time in order to have the breakthrough that you want.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And I think we have a thought process about the way that we should show up disciplined. And I think we have a lot of self loathing in some ways because we say if I were more disciplined, I would be this size or this shape or whatever. So we think that we simply lack discipline. And maybe in some cases there is an element of lacking some self discipline that could be true. But we think that we have not had body breakthrough because we just lack discipline. We lack self discipline. The world has also talked about this. There's been specials on tv, there's been comments on this that it's not true that we don't just have self discipline about it, but the thought process there is that you have food noise in your head. So you need to take a shot. Okay, and we'll get into that, into a later episode where I part ways with this idea a little bit is that the Bible tells us very clearly that you. We have a very real enemy who is a foe that seeks to devour us, that seeks to come against us, that seeks to tempt us, that seeks to take us down. And when we are fighting this enemy every day, we're fighting this enemy in our, in our bodies and our souls. And so it's not just that we lack self discipline. We have a very real foe who's coming against us. So I think we have to understand that. We have to understand that we have this, what I just mentioned, which is the sarks, the, the flesh that we are fighting ourselves, which is we are fighting our very own flesh. So that's a difficulty. It's why Paul says why I do the things that I don't want to do. Yeah, right. So that's a very real thing that we have going on in our body. Even you were mentioning about, you know, having this thorn in the flesh that Paul had. You know, scholars have often said that, that it could be that that was a physical ailment that he had. And so there's that reality. Then we have the reality that we live in a fallen world. And so sin is a global issue that is really the, the reality of the world that we live in. We don't live in a perfect garden. We live in a sin fallen world. And so we have all of these things that are at play around us that compromise now that does not excuse us from our personal decisions, but it is a reality because think about it. You house a king. The presence of God lives inside of Candace. So don't think for one second that Satan doesn't hate that. He hates your body already. He hates it. And so when he knows that you have the spirit of the living God inside of you who he also hates. Don't think that he doesn't want to take you down every day. That's the reality that you're living in. That's the reality. So self discipline, you just, you're just not self disciplined enough to go to the gym. It's a very, very, very narrow way of looking at what you actually fight in your body. So I want us to understand that. Why don't I have body breakthrough? Well, you've got a lot coming against you.

[A]

Such a good reminder. Like why don't I think about that every single time? And even that, you know, the, the food noise, the whispers.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Sometimes you just forget that. I mean I just talked about it in the last season with jp. We have a very real enemy working against us that knows what's upsets us, that knows what's triggering for us. And he's doing everything he can to distract us and get at the things that were, you know, that. No, you know, we'll take our mind off of God. As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, there is nothing better than coming home to a cozy spot that feels like a warm hug. That's exactly what Cozy Earth's bamboo sheets and bubble cuddle blanket bring to your home this fall. They are so soft and comforting and you'll want to stay wrapped in them all morning. Their sheets, they're temperature regulating, made from bamboo viscose that naturally wicks away heat and moisture. So even as the weather changes, you stay perfectly comfortable through the night. And the bubble cuddle blanket, it is plush, it's warm, it's big, it's heavy, it is beautiful. With a textured design that is perfect for snuggling up by the fire or with a good book. You can try Cozy Earth's risk free with their 100 night free sleep trial plus a 10 year warranty to keep you cozy for years. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code CCB for 40% off. And if you get a post purchase survey, make sure that you let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here. Because this fall your bed should be more than a place to sleep. It should be your happy cozy place. Cozy Earth makes that possible.

[B]

Support for this podcast and the following message comes from America's Navy. The Navy offers new graduates hands on training and experience in careers like computer science, aviation and medicine. Plus education and sign on bonuses. Parents help your grads start their career. [e-mail] you say you'll never join The.

[A]

Navy that you never track storms brewing in the Atlantic.

[B]

And skydiving could never be part of your commute. You'd never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit or fly so fast you break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy.

[A]

Saying never actually is.

[B]

Start your [e-mail], america's Navy. Forged by the sea. So if the body is such an important thing, and the body is. I mean, the body is what we carry life in as a woman. The body is what, the vehicle that Jesus chose to come and embody himself. The body.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Then don't you know that that's going to be a major area of attack where, Where, Where Satan is going to go? You know what? I want people to question who they are. I want people to question their worth. I want people to look at their body and hate their body every single day. I want people to try to destroy their very own bodies. I want people to, To. To hate everything they see when they look in the mirror. You know why? Because Jesus came as a. In human form and embodied a body that is, that is massive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so we're up against that. And you house a king in your body. Well, he doesn't, he doesn't like that. So you're up against a lot. So why don't I have body breakthrough assistant? It's not because. Just because you don't have self discipline, just because you're lazy or, you know, you just don't want to do the work. I mean, that's such a narrow way of looking at it. Maybe you do need to, to. To do some inventory and take a look at why you're not moving more. Maybe you do. Maybe you do need to go check your blood levels and make sure that everything chemically is working with you. Maybe you do need to go to therapy, do all of that stuff. But let me tell you something. Do not forget what is going on that is warring against your flesh and your very own flesh is warring against you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because that's the reality of it. And so your body's good, your body's made good. But you flesh. And the flesh is the sin nature. It's not that this flesh is bad, it's the sin nature. Because remember, we're body and soul. We're one. We can't separate it. Yeah. So we don't hate this flesh. What we know is that the flesh is really the spirit, the soul that is warring against. And so that's a very important reality.

[A]

So I need this. I. I need to listen. Re. Listen to this episod, like, every week. Because I, I do know all of these things.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And yet you're saying them to me. And it's hitting me as if it's the first time I've heard it. Because it's so easy just to get off track. It's so easy. And I think because we're having these conversations and it's, it's been every week I'm thinking about it a lot more because, like, I know what we're going to be talking about. And it's just, it's so powerful. And it's this incredible reminder, everything that you just said that I know to be true. And I, I, I need that. I need someone speaking into me and reminding me of those things. So thank you.

[B]

It's also, I think, Candace, why it's really important not to get in the weeds with body topics. This is why we've got to really do the work to get this whole body theology and you base to be.

[A]

To get into body topics, meaning, like.

[B]

Making that our main focus and saying this is what it's about without doing the work of getting this theological underpinning first. Here's why. Because that is where you're gonna have.

[A]

Like, fitness people coming after you. Like. But that's what I do.

[B]

And I love that they do that. And I want them to do that. And we need people that are in that. I really mean that. We do. I love the whole, that whole, the whole. The body topics are great. What I'm saying is you need that foundation. You need the foundation so that the walls and the pictures that you put on the walls and the way you decorate the house, that it works because you gotta have the foundation first. And I will say that with the confidence and I'll come to that fitness expert and I will look them in the eye and they tell that. Because if you want to tell me that we have to skip Bible and the theology behind it, then I will disagree with you. Because here's why. We can't be distracted by body Topics believing that that is the freedom that we need. No.

[A]

Right.

[B]

What we need is that foundational peace. The full picture. Because remember in episode one, we talked about the. All the different. We've got to have the full picture for the body topics, for the good body topics, the nutrition and the, and the, and the rest. And all of it, and the sexuality, all of it falls under that, by the way, for all of that to work in the way it is properly meant to work, you cannot skip the word of God. You cannot and so that's why I say, don't get. Don't make that your focus. Not if you haven't done the theological work. The theological work has to go first, and then that will make all the sense in the world. Yeah. So that's what I'm saying. Not saying that. That's not important.

[A]

Lisa, I'm so happy that you're saying this. I'm so happy that you wrote this Bible study. And what you said at the very beginning of the first episode is like, why didn't I. Like, every day that goes by that I don't have this information is killing me. And so, you know, I wish. I wish you wrote this years ago, but I'm so grateful that you wrote it, and I'm so grateful we're having this discussion now. And it is. It's so powerful and it has been. It has been life changing for me. And I'm just. I'm just. I. I have so much gratitude for you. I really do. Um, so I. I'm not even adding anything other than. I'm just. I just want to say thank you. Like, thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this, because I know how many women are listening to this that have just been searching for the body breakthro. And like, when is that physical moment coming in? And it's like we're starting in the wrong place. I've been looking in the wrong place for 40 plus years.

[B]

Right. I mean, me too.

[A]

And I'm grateful that in my late 40s, God. God showed me.

[B]

Yes. And I really want to say that, that if you're looking for the moment that it's not necessarily going to be a moment that it is. That is a road to freedom that you'll be walking. And what we're looking at here is this twofold reality. It is the reality of it is finished. It is the. It is. It is finished work that he did on the cross for us, that. That frees us. Not only. It is the it is finished reality that. That gives us life everlasting, but also frees us from every. Every. Every single chain that we have his. He finished the work. We. This is not up to us. He finished the work so that we could live free. That's the reality. And it is also in process. So we have two realities. We live in. It is finished work, and we live in process because we are bodies that are being transformed. We are people that are being transformed. That's why it says in the word be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We are we are people that are works in process.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I am not perfect. You are not perfect. None of us are perfect. There is only one that is perfect, that is Jesus. And every day is an opportunity for us to continually be transformed in our mind, walk this freedom road to glory, and get a little more free.

[A]

So, yes, I want to ask the question, though. If someone is listening to this and they're saying, like, I. I know this, like, God revealed this to me, and I understand. I've. I've built the foundation, but I'm still so sad at where my body's at, or I'm going through menopause and my whole body is changed. So how do I still reconcile living in that freedom that I know to be true, but I'm still really unhappy with my body.

[B]

Yeah, I think. I think there's one thing that has been a really big reality for me, and that is that gratitude is not about preference. It is about acceptance. I think there is a reality that I live in that is I can be grateful with this glory mindset for the hands that I have that God has given me that I don't prefer. We talked about this in another show. I still don't prefer them, but I am grateful for them. And I am walking a road of freedom that continues to shape me and mold me. And the more that I am living in a place of acceptance, the less I loathe myself. This is a process, Candace. And what we don't honor in this world is process. We honor. Quick.

[A]

Right. What you said to me is the true definition of body positivity.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

In this, like, that's what it should be, where it's acceptance with that foundation. But it may never be perfection. Well, I mean, it never will be.

[B]

It can't be perfect.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And we can't be perfect. And so I think the question is, you know, do you want to be free of spirit? Do you want to have that kind of life, or do you want to continue striving towards something that you'll never achieve? You'll never achieve perfection. You'll never achieve all the. The. The things that you think that you should have been born with. You can change. There's a lot of ways we can change ourselves in this culture. But I'm going to tell you that all of those outward changes will never change the soul.

[A]

Right.

[B]

That won't change. There's only one person that can change your soul. And so you can get all those procedures done, and I have no judgment for you for that, but it will not change your soul. And you are body and soul. You can't separate the two. Yeah. So eventually something will give because you have to be in your soul, free. Yeah. And that will change you no matter what you try to do on the outside.

[A]

Yeah. So true. We're going to take a listener question and it's really what we're talking about right now. This is from Birdie and she asks how, how do you, Trish, how do you transition from pregnancy, accepting your new body and working out as a lifestyle, not just for. For vacation or to get that summer bod. So that's the question. How do you transition? It's really. She's asking about acceptance. You just talked about it. How do you accept this new body and then it's. And working out as a lifestyle. So you know what? I'm just going to come from the practical place in answering this because she's. You have a newborn and you want to know how to work out as a lifestyle, not just for vacation or trying to get a summer bot. Okay, I'm going to say, which I say to everyone that has a newborn or little kids or toddlers, why are you thinking about working out? Go play with your baby. Go take your baby for a walk in the stroller. Just get movement. Go get fresh air. You don't need to go to the gym right now. You don't have to put that into your schedule unless you really want to. If that's a way in which you go, I have an hour and getting a sweat on will actually make me feel great, then great. You do that and you make time for that. But I'm always like, you have a lot going on with a brand new baby. You don't need to be thinking about what your body looks like. You are. You might be breastfeeding, you might not. You might like you're. You just birthed a child. Your whole body has changed. Give it as much time as it needs to become whatever it's going to become. And in the meantime, just go get movement. And I like a walk is kind of all you need.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I just want to, I want to release you from whatever pressure burden you feel that you need to have about getting into this new lifestyle with a newborn baby. You don't. That's just a lot of people, like in your brain or it's what our culture teaches us and you just don't need to do that.

[B]

I love that answer. I don't think I could say anything better. I was literally going to say, be kind to yourself. So that's exactly what you just said. Be kind to yourself stuff. We put way too much pressure, especially when we've just had a baby.

[A]

I know what I know. Enjoy your baby. Okay, here's another question. This is from Jilly. As a mother and wife, I have a hard time asking for help when needed and find myself resentful. I can relate. I have a hard time being vulnerable and sharing my shortcomings. So I hold everything in. How can I have healthy conversations with my husband and family about these feelings that is real.

[B]

You know, we're going to talk about this in a later show.

[A]

Are we?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. Jilly, you might have to stay tuned.

[B]

Yeah, we are going to talk about. This is really important. But how do I have the conversations? Wow. I mean, I. I feel like this is one of those things that we struggle to verbalize because we either feel like we are being a burden to someone or we don't really honor ourselves. What is actually our need? So I think it's kind of a both. And I mean, the fact she's brought a question to the table is a good sign because it means that she is acknowledging that there is a need there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, that's half the battle because most of the women don't even recognize their own need. Yeah. But I think. I think I always believe honesty is the best policy and coming in with this, you know, this need that is verbalized in a succinct way. I think what happens is usually we wait and then we just basically say, I can't do it. And we. We don't even pinpoint what it is because we are so overwhelmed. So I highly suggest not waiting until you are absolutely at the end of your rope and absolutely bring. Be very specific with, like, here's a need that I have. Can you help me with this? And. And naming what the need is. Yeah.

[A]

I would also suggest because you want to have healthy conversations with your husband. And the first place I would start is with your husband. You said husband and family. But by telling him and being vulnerable and saying, I'm having a hard time sharing this.

[B]

That's good.

[A]

So can you help me? Or if you see me getting frustrated, can you help to ask me the question and give me a safe place to say I'm feeling overwhelmed here. Or I would also suggest setting a time with your husband weekly that it could be for 15 minutes and just saying where you could safely download here are some of the places so that you feel like you have a safe. Your person to talk to. And, you know, maybe that eventually moves into the kids and stuff, but at least start with him so you can practice verbalizing the feelings or the need that you have in a safe place. And and with with practice, things always become a little bit more comfortable. But you're right. I mean we become like a boiling teapot that just flips a lid if we let it build up inside. So thanks for asking that question, Jilly. Really appreciate it. That is all the time we have for this episode. But we're going to be back. We will be back. And remember that you can download our free Whole Body Guide. It's designed to walk you through through what we're learning this season. So head to Candice.com or check our notes. And don't forget that Lisa's powerful body and soul Bible study book is also linked there. Until next time, be grateful all day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment all rights reserved. This episode is brought to you by JCPenney. Yes, JCPenney. And if you've been there recently, you know it's the place to go. For jaw dropping looks at bragworthy prices, they've got something special for every style and budget. Not to mention rewards and deals that make finding those hidden gems even sweeter. If you already shop JCPenney, you're already in on the secret. But if not, it's time to wait. Am I sleeping on jcpenney? Shop jcpenney.com, yes jcpenney hablas espanol spoich Kam du nosch. If you used Babbel, you would Babbel's Conversation Based Techniques teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers, Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get the up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com Spotify spelled B A B-B-E-L.com Spotify rules and restrictions may apply.