- The Grace and Strength Lifestyle
- Success Stories
I have had the pleasure of coaching Stacy, one of my old college buddies through her journey with Grace and Strength. It has been such an amazing experience to watch her change from the inside out through these last five months. To see a shy and timid friend transform into a strong and confident woman in just five months in incredible. She recently won Teacher of the Year at her school and was also offered a brand new literacy coach position. She is now venturing out of her comfort zone, no longer trying to hide herself, and becoming the woman who God really intended for her to be. She is beautiful inside and out and I am beyond privileged to be her coach. Here is Stacy's story .....
By refusing to step on it (scale), I was able to avoid reality and pretend that it wasn't really happening. Five months ago, I hated the way that I looked and felt about myself. I avoided mirrors at all costs. If I was hanging out with friends, I would quickly grab the nearest pillow and place it over my stomach, in an effort to try to conceal some of the weight that I had put on. I hated my bathroom scale. I knew I was gaining weight, but I was afraid to see the number. By refusing to step on it, I was able to avoid reality and pretend that it wasn't really happening. I seemed to be stuck in an endless cycle of bad choices. I was afraid there was no hope for me to ever return to a healthy weight and lifestyle. As all this was happening, I saw one of my friends posting pictures each month of her own Grace and Strength journey. As I watched Lindsay go through her journey, I prayed about what it would mean for me to take the next step. As I prayed, I finally got the courage to step onto the scale and see what damage I had done to my body. I broke down in tears when I saw the number, but there was no hiding from it. I had sworn, I would never let my weight get out of control, but that morning, the number was staring back at me from the scale, and I was unable to hide.
After allowing myself to fall apart for the rest of the day about my weight, I decided it was time to take the first step. I called and joined Grace and Strength. I had to give my weight on the phone and set my goal weight. I remember talking to Jenna that day and confiding in her that I wasn't sure that I would ever reach my goal weight. That day, she told me that she believed that I could do it. She was so encouraging, and I could hear the sincerity in her voice. Her encouragement was enough to keep me moving towards the next step of meeting the girls in my group and beginning to change my own habits. After the first meeting with the girls in the group, I again felt encouraged. I finally felt like there was a group of people who I could be honest with about my struggles with food and they could understand and relate to what I was going through. Our Tuesday night calls became a safe place where we could discuss our eating habits and more importantly, the emotions that drive our habits. At the beginning of my journey, I honestly thought if I could just be under 200 pounds, then that would be enough. I wasn't sure I would be able to lose much more than that. That would put me at a 15 pound loss, which at the time, sounded pretty great.
As I worked my way through the program, I found that the weight was the least of my concerns. I discovered that I had been missing opportunities because I was afraid to take chances and was afraid of failure. I let my own insecurities about my weight stop me from joining in activities. Through this journey, I have learned that I am able to healthy choices for myself. I have learned that what is the easiest option is not really the best option. I have learned that I am in control of what foods I eat, and I no longer allow food to control me. I now see myself as a precious daughter of God and I am able to love myself for who He made me to be. I have my life back again thanks to the Grace and Strength family. To date, I have lost over 65 pounds. I am smaller today, than when I graduated from high school and I only have 10 pounds to lose before I am at goal weight. I will be forever grateful to my coach, the girls in my group, and the amazing team at Grace and Strength for teaching me to make healthy choices and giving me back my freedom.
* Individual results may vary.
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