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Pastors: This is What Ignoring Your Health Really COSTS You | Liv Hill

  • Feb 4
  • 9 min read

Updated: Feb 9

You’re still showing up. But are you leading with clarity — or just holding it together? Take 15 minutes to reflect with the Christian Leader® Self-Assessment — a simple tool to help you see what’s really working... and what’s quietly wearing you out. It’s free!




In this episode, Ryan sits down with wellness coach Liv Hill to talk about whole-body wellness through the lens of leadership and stewardship. Liv shares her journey of losing over 150 pounds, the desperation that sparked real change, and what she learned about listening to her body instead of overriding it. Together, they explore why pastors often ignore physical warning signs, how chronic stress quietly undermines calling and relationships, and what sustainable wellness actually looks like for leaders in constant output mode. This conversation offers permission, clarity, and practical wisdom for leaders who want longevity, not burnout.





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Transcript


But had people not been depending on me, I could have slowly slipped out or pulled back and started sitting in the back of the church and going through some things.


Welcome to the Christian Leader Made Simple podcast. I'm your host, Ryan Franklin, and I've been in pastoral leadership at the Pentecostals of Alexandria for over 20 years. I'm also an executive coach, helping Christian leaders grow with clarity, confidence, and balance.


If you're leading in ministry or business, then you likely know just how easy it is to get scattered, lose your focus, and start feeling ineffective. I've definitely been there myself, and that's why I created the Christian Leader Self Assessment. It's free, and in just 10 minutes, it'll show you exactly how to gain clarity and confidence as a leader. Go to ryanfranklin.org or click the link in the description to take the assessment today.


And now let's dive into today's episode.


Welcome to the Christian Leader Made Simple show. My name is Ryan Franklin, and today we're talking about something that feels uncomfortable for many pastors and church leaders but is becoming impossible to ignore: the quiet, growing struggle around health, stress, and sustainability in ministry.


For many leaders, it shows up in the body long before it shows up anywhere else. Our guest today is wellness coach Liv Hill. Liv brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation, including a personal journey of losing over 150 pounds and maintaining that transformation for many years.


This is not a conversation about diets or discipline—though we may dabble in that. It's about stewardship, awareness, and what it really takes to lead well for the long haul.


Liv, I'm really glad that you've joined us here today. Welcome to the show.


Thank you, Ron. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.


I appreciate you being willing to share so openly. Before we jump into heavier ground here, how are you today?


I'm doing well. It's a little cool here; we're working through these winter temps, but yeah, I'm doing great.


Where are you in the world?


I'm in Knoxville, Tennessee—so between Dolly Parton and Elvis.


Well, let's jump into some deeper things here. I'd love to hear some of your story. But before we go there, from my perspective there's a silent epidemic of pastors dealing with obesity—or maybe not even obesity specifically but just unhealthy living. Many people frame this as a biblical issue. From your work in this space, why do you think this is happening?


Yeah, I think you're right—it is a silent epidemic starting to take over. A lot of people start thinking about this in terms of body type and body structure—you alluded to this earlier—that we might talk about obesity or how your body carries fat (I don't really like that word), but ultimately if we can have this discussion apart from body standpoint—removing all body type considerations—and instead ask: How am I stewarding my health? What am I doing to take care of my stress? How am I managing my body? How am I stewarding my body?


Opening your mind to think about it differently than just body shape—starting with habits and lifestyle every day—is key because often when people hear "you need to lose weight," they just turn off their brain because they don't want to deal with it or hear it.


I've been there myself when I was close to 300 pounds.


But if we start the conversation around how we're treating ourselves from a biblical perspective rather than an "I'm not doing what I should" perspective—even if maybe you're not doing what you need—it gives grace to start having those conversations with yourself.


I love that approach. So you were around 300 pounds about 16 or 17 years ago?


Yes.


You lost 150 pounds—and not only that—you kept it off?


Yes! But obviously more was going on than just weight loss; that was just a byproduct.


What did that season feel like emotionally for you? Do you remember a moment when you thought: I just can't keep pretending this is okay?


Absolutely. This ties well into leadership coaching because when I was close to 300 pounds I worked a corporate job at a bank where I was extremely successful—turning underperforming branches into top performers across multiple states managing 100 teammates.


So parts of my life were going great—career success and ministry involvement teaching Sunday school—but when it came to weight loss I couldn't get a hold of it.


Root issues were at play—past trauma led me to feed emotions through eating: eating when happy or sad or stressed became comfort food. Food became solace—and almost an identity; being "the person at the table" who had second helpings or big orders became part of who I was without realizing it until looking at myself near 30 years old at almost 300 pounds asking: What am I doing here?


It came to a head spiritually—I wasn't enjoying getting ready for church anymore because nothing fit; clothes were uncomfortable; buttons popped; interacting with people felt like all eyes were on me.


I was queen of the big brooch club—wearing huge brooches or flowers hoping people would look there instead of at me.


Honestly—I probably would have missed church if I wasn't teaching Sunday school because God knew what I needed; those kids depended on me so that kept me going but otherwise I might have slipped out or pulled back quietly sitting in the back dealing with things alone.


For pastors out there—that's why involving people matters; being needed helps keep you engaged.


It got to where I realized I'd got to do something but didn't know where to start; my weekends were full of unhealthy food routines: Cracker Barrel on Saturday mornings; pizza Saturday nights; Mexican after church Sundays; Applebee's Sunday nights—no positive health routines for years.


Looking back on that time period—what made change possible instead of another try that didn't last? Did you have any tries that didn't last?


I didn't have many tries because I was so career focused; maybe once tried an all-vegetable diet for 24 hours and quit; even ignored high blood pressure diagnosis without taking medicine—not wise!


When I decided to try losing weight seriously I started small: bringing lunch from home instead of eating out cut calories significantly which showed progress and then slowly built on small changes over time—that made a big impact.


So little shifts made big differences?


Exactly! Also learning about emotional health: food was comfort so evenings between getting home and dinner—the "witching hour"—was hardest temptation time when I'd want extra snacks as emotional soothing which I couldn't break on my own.


What helped was going into my prayer closet during those times daily—a walk-in closet where sometimes I'd pray or sit quietly asking God for help during temptation season—and He met me there telling me: If you take steps I'll help but won't do it for you overnight—you've got work ahead uncovering root causes but I'm with you.


That hour was excruciating but getting through it allowed me to carry on with plans rest of day—a huge difference maker.


Did community help during this journey? If not, what difference could community have made?


I didn't really have community then beyond one coworker giving feedback but no social media support like today; community would have helped greatly as would guidance—which inspired me later to start my company offering coaching plus community support since none existed then!


After losing weight keeping it off brought new challenges especially pregnancy which required faith-based perseverance not gaining weight back during pregnancies—the learning continued post-pregnancy focusing on eating less and moving more (walking up to 20k steps/day).


Typical Sundays involved running miles before service while caring for two babies plus teaching Sunday school plus evening services—a lot physically painful due to exhaustion—but gaining weight back meant returning to bondage I'd escaped spiritually which kept motivation strong despite struggles (crying in shower etc.).


Eventually God led me deeper into nutrition science guiding me toward opening my company serving others facing similar battles addressing mind-body-soul wellness holistically including therapy support for root issues alongside nutrition coaching—a full life series walking through every season related to weight management sustained by faith!


There were lots of trials/errors/pain—but also wisdom gained simplifying methods combined with community support making sustainable change livable without overwhelm—which is crucial especially for leaders juggling ministry demands!


Speaking of your company—my wife Angie is investing there now seeing great results helping her—and it's impacting me too (even though sometimes cookies win!). Your approach simplifies processes making them guilt-free allowing flexibility even around treats which makes adoption easier—your training with our Christian leader community impressed me deeply!


When pastors hear "wellness" they often think diets/workouts—but you emphasize whole-body wellness encompassing spirit alignment plus practical lifestyle habits like hydration/sleep/stress management beyond appearance alone—can you elaborate what leaders miss when thinking about whole-body wellness?


Whole-body wellness means caring holistically addressing spirit/mind/body—not fixating on fat/skinny ideals but asking practical questions like: Have you eaten vegetables today? Drank water? Slept well? Managed stress? Wellness focuses on feeling well stewarding health sustainably aiming for longevity defined as quality active life span—not merely longer years marked by poor health/frailty which undermines ministry effectiveness/life enjoyment!


Leaders constantly pour out energy so early warning signs like poor sleep patterns (difficulty falling/staying asleep/waking early), digestive issues (bloating/constipation), altered hunger cues (always/nothing hungry) signal unsustainable rhythms needing attention before they worsen physically/emotionally/spiritually!


Many pastors feel guilty/selfish prioritizing self-care fearing taking away from ministry/family yet avoiding self-care often stems from overwhelm/not knowing where/how rather than true selfishness—it’s often a convenient scapegoat blocking healthy change—but practical small steps can honor God while sustaining energy needed for serving others effectively!


Ignoring chronic stress symptoms risks serious consequences—from cognitive decline/muscle loss/falls/dementia linked strongly with lifestyle choices—to missing ministry opportunities due to physical limitations (e.g., inability kneel/pray at altar)—ultimately losing quality family time/life vitality/fruitfulness!


Retirement planning often neglects physical preparation leading leaders unable fully enjoy fruits of labor due to preventable health decline highlighting importance of ongoing stewardship throughout life seasons including mentorship roles requiring vitality!


Simple self-regulation practices amidst leadership pressures include walking—which reduces stress/improves cardiovascular health/decreases mortality risk substantially—even modest goals like 7k steps daily lower mortality risk by 37% without drastic diet changes! Walking outdoors compounds benefits further reducing stress levels so integrating walking/prayer doubles impact—for example walking while praying during early mornings maximizes time use blending spiritual/physical wellness!


For busy leaders unable access outdoor spaces simple indoor walking routines suffice—even pacing kitchen islands while praying early mornings can build consistency starting small progressing steadily improving overall well-being without requiring major schedule upheaval!


For pastors feeling disconnected/shamed behind on health journey give yourself grace recognizing transformation takes time much like new converts gradually growing spiritually so incremental habits such as drinking adequate water consistently become foundational steps reducing cortisol/stress levels paving way toward further progress—embrace hope knowing no one is too far gone with God's help steady effort yields lasting change!


Finally Liv shared her company info:


Live Hill Nutrition Coaching offers individualized apostolic-Pentecostal-rooted coaching tailored uniquely per client preferences/lifestyle working one-on-one creating sustainable plans avoiding cookie-cutter diets emphasizing education empowering long-term habits plus supportive community sharing wins/challenges fostering accountability alongside licensed therapist addressing mind-body-spirit integration covering diverse needs including hormone balance/pre/postnatal/menopause functional medicine lab reviews strength training seminars podcast resources—all accessible via livehillnutrition.net including weekly newsletters sharing recipes/tips/success stories/questions plus live events/seminars serving churches/businesses worldwide!


Thank you so much Liv for joining us today sharing your knowledge honestly—we've only scratched surface but your practical insights bring hope/resources badly needed among leaders striving for sustainable wellness honoring God’s call faithfully!


This concludes our show today. My name is Ryan Franklin. Thank you so much for joining us on the Christian Leader Made Simple show.


Copyright © 2026 Ryan Franklin. All rights reserved.

 
 
 

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