Sather's Story

I heard about Grace and Strength through my best friend who was going through the program. Every time I talked with her, she was so excited about everything she was learning. She shared with me how the program was challenging her to grow in her walk with the Lord, and to memorize scripture to lean on it in times of need. As a result she was loosing all of this weight and still felt great. I was intrigued!

I'm a personal trainer and I have a passion for fitness and health. I also have a heart to help women with the struggle we all go through with our body image and weight. I became a personal trainer so that I could spur women on to a healthier lifestyle. I've come to realize in the last 6 years as a trainer what a small role working out plays in our struggle with weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle. Yes, it is necessary and important to workout, and yes it helps release the happy hormone in our brain that causes us to make healthier choices. Unfortunately, if our diet is out of balance, working out alone is not enough to compensate for that.

Over the last year or so I've been looking into Health Coach programs, most of which I would not really want to be a part of. I knew that I needed more knowledge to really help women in the capacity that I felt God was calling me to.

When I heard about Grace and Strength I was really excited! Not only does the program help women loose weight, but it addresses the underlying issues of why we eat, why we overindulge, why we turn to food for comfort, and it turns our focus to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith. This program is not just about helping women get results, it's about helping women transform their lives from the inside out!

I know that most people have an addiction to food, whether they want to admit it or not, and just because I was a personal trainer didn't mean that I was free from the same issues that 90% of Americans struggle with. Going through this program has been so eye opening on so many levels. It's helped me to understand issues that have plagued me my whole life, that I wasn't even aware were issues to begin with.

Before Grace and Strength I was so frustrated with myself because I really lacked control when it came to food, primarily when I would go out to eat. I would eat pretty clean all week, but then the weekends became a free for all. Often I would eat out every single meal over the weekend, and when I did, I generally ate anything and everything I wanted with no restrictions whatsoever. Sometimes I would try to make healthier choices, but it never really lasted. I felt like such a hypocrite, giving all of this sound advice to my clients, but then having very little discipline myself. I had all of this great information, but just like most of my clients, I struggled to actually put it into play in my life.

My body fat percentage was not in the healthy range and I found myself always trying to wear my clothes, especially at work, in a way that covered my problem areas. I knew I needed a change, but I kept telling myself that change would come if I just workout harder and tried to eat more clean the following week. Of course, there was always a birthday or event or date night with my husband that would set me back. Then I would punish myself by spending extra time on the treadmill. I knew I couldn't get back on track in my own strength, but I didn't know how to bring God into that area of my life. I thought I just needed to be stronger.

I found Grace and Strength at just the right time, before my weight got too out of control. After spending several weeks researching the program, I signed up to go through it myself. My "why" was not just about my weight and body image, but it was more centered around the desire to bring God into this journey with me and learn how to find comfort, peace and joy in Him alone.

After the first couple of weeks I realized that I had signed up for something even bigger than what I thought it was. I realized that by the time I finished this program, my life would literally never look the same. That's not to say that the same temptations are not still there, but I have found a certain freedom from the power of those temptations. God is so faithful and He has given me, through this program, a healthy desire for discipline in my life that I desperately needed.

I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone that is ready for real and permanent change in their lives. Mind you, this is not a diet program that you do for a little while and then go back to the way you were living before. You will make real sacrifices, you will be challenged to let some things go that you cling to desperately. But the Lord will bless you so deeply through your obedience.

My coach has been such a huge blessing to me! She's a well of knowledge and such an amazing voice of hope and encouragement. God continues to use her in such incredible ways in my life. She's teaching me how to understand my body's unique make up, and helping me reveal more and more truth about my struggles, my walk with the Lord, and my character. I look forward to one day being able to be a witness and to help women as they walk through this extraordinary journey as well!

Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

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* Individual results may vary.