Melissa's Story - In her own words

"Breaking a Cycle of Defeat"

For years I have struggled with a vicious cycle of defeat. While I have been active and athletic for my entire life, I allowed myself to gain weight over the last decade and used some of life's major events (having 2 boys, work and travel, etc.) as justification for that weight gain and un-healthy lifestyle.

For as long as I can remember, I have started each day by saying, "today is the day that I will lose weight and get healthy," and by the end of the day, I had either sabotaged those efforts or given-up... which would lead to the same thing the next day, and the next day. I didn't even realize how much I had pushed God out of my life, just because I was giving so much time to this cycle that filled my head and destroyed my confidence.

After watching Bekah Boyd take victory in her own life (and I've known her for 22 years), I decided to contact G&S and find out more. I began this journey back at the end of January, knowing that this would be one of the more challenging and difficult "seasons of life" for me to go through. With God, my amazing husband, awesome family, and Bekah by my side- I watched the weight melt off. Nearly 6 weeks into the program, I woke-up one morning and realized that I didn't feel defeated...hungry, yes, but empowered and excited to fight again that day. Fifty-seven pounds and a lot grilled chicken later, God has revealed so many amazing things to me- things I never would have learned had I not had the opportunity to go through this season of discovery.

I praise God for G&S and the support and encouragement over the last few months. Thank you, Bekah, for being a light in my darkness. God has truly shown me that only He can deliver us from our own chains. Proverbs 3:5-6 is my prayer for each day, and for anyone else that can relate! Thank you!

~ Melissa Belford

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* Individual results may vary.