Shay's Story: Before Grace and Strength, I can honestly say that my relationship with food was very unhealthy. I would call myself a "foodie" who loved to go out to eat and try new foods and drinks! That is what I would look forward to every day. The idea of food became an idol in my life that consumed my every thought. All day I would be thinking about places I wanted to try and recipes I wanted to cook at home.

Coleen's Story: This journey officially started for me as I was looking at pictures of myself from my daughter's wedding last summer. I was amazed at how large I had become! It saddened me to look at myself and realize that I had been gaining steadily over the last 20 years with a sharp jump of 30 pounds in the last three years! How could this happen? I realized that the majority of the clothing I had purchased only three years ago no longer fit!!!

I grew up as the proverbial skinny girl --- so much so that I was referred to as Olive Oyl most of my life! I was 40+ years old when I began struggling with weight issues. As a mom, wife and full time account executive my full efforts in life were spent taking care of everyone around me every day. From my 4 kids (my youngest having several major health issues), my work, my spouse as well as my friends and church family, I always found myself too tired to take care of me at the end of the day.

Food was my comfort except, it did not comfort me. My journey with Grace and Strength began early January 2016. I had put on 45 pounds since the death of my 43 year old daughter in a tragic motorcycle accident. Food was my comfort except it did not comfort me. I had been on a program similar to this 2 or 3 years ago but I was looking for something more. The spiritual part was missing in my previous  weight loss and I knew that the spiritual was all a part of the whole.

My sister-in-law and best friend told me about a health coach she knew and how great she looked and that she had kept her weight off for four years. She then told me that she was going to meet with her and discuss the program and she would let me know what she thought. As this was going on, my husband let me know that he had been praying for two years for God to give him the wife of his youth...