I am very happy that I choose Grace and Strength Lifestyle as my weight loss plan. I have always exercised but this was my first diet. Over the last 10 years I had slowly gained an extra 49 lbs. and this year began avoiding pictures and I hardly recognized my face in the mirror. My back began to hurt in the mornings and when I bent over and I assumed it was because I was now in my 30's, and that's what happens when you turn 30!

Weight has been an issue in my life for about the last 10 years. In 2004 my daughter was born and I just thought to myself... This "baby" weight will go away eventually… well, that eventually turned in to never and then after my son was born in 2008 I worked hard to lose weight… I lost 40lbs and then gained those 40 lbs back and then some.

Wow...ok, where do I start! When I first entered this program I was not the heaviest I had been, but the heaviest in the way I felt about my weight and my future health. My husband and I were thinking about having one more child and after a visit to the doctor I was told that due to my consistent high blood pressure and obesity, a big change would have to be made in order to facilitate such an occasion. My weight had been an overshadowing issue since childhood.

This isn't so much a recipe as just a really great snack idea! I don't know why, but it always seemed to take away the dessert cravings I would sometimes get. I still have this snack numerous times a week! Just slice an organic orange and sprinkle a little cinnamon (as much as you'd like). You can even heat this up just a tad, too! Read more...

It doesn't sound very appealing (especially if you aren't a fan of cottage cheese) but it was SO good--I wanted to lick the bowl!!  You could substitute a different veggie for the asparagus. This recipe is phase 2 approved!