Reader's Digest!

Good morning, everyone!

To my surprise and delight, I received a couple of phone calls this past Sunday afternoon from people who opened up the June issue of Reader's Digest and found a full-page Medifast ad that featured my before & after photos and my weight loss story (on page 190). Needless to say, my husband and I headed for the store to pick up a copy or two for ourselves (OK, we bought four copies . . . lol).

This Friday, May 22, will mark one year since I reached my weight loss goal, losing 120 pounds in just under 11 months. I never dreamed a year ago that my story would be printed in an ad in a national magazine, and that I'd be excited at the prospect of hopefully inspiring someone else to place their own order. After spending so many years feeling embarrassed and ashamed about my size, it's almost incomprehensible to me to think that now anybody who picks up a copy of Reader's Digest will know my formerly closely-held secrets - my weight and my clothing size. The funny thing is, I'm totally OK with that because my hope and prayer is that maybe just one person will feel a flicker of hope by reading my story, just enough hope to prompt them to place an order and start on their own journey.

We had a get-together at our house last night for some of our friends who are currently on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and it was exciting to see them and hear their stories. Just because they saw ME lose weight, some of them decided to go on the program themselves; others heard about my story from someone else and ended up going on the program. I have three friends who have each lost over 100 pounds this past year, and several others who have reached weight loss goals after battling 30-70 extra pounds for years. Seeing people I care about lose weight and get healthy is thrilling - I know I'll never tire of it!

What's humbling is realizing that if I hadn't gone on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and lost weight myself, most of my friends who have now lost weight and reached or are nearing their goals would most likely still be struggling. The last thing that ever entered my mind when I started on the program was the thought that I would somehow be able to help somebody else. I was so desperate when I started and felt just about hopeless at ever escaping from the morbid obesity that entrapped me; I couldn't have imagined not only being released from that bondage but then being able to extend a hand to someone else. Humbling doesn't even begin to describe it . . . I'm so thankful!

I'm sharing this today because I want to encourage you, especially if this is a time of struggling to stay on plan. I keep stressing that it IS worth it, so I'll just say it again. Staying on plan and reaching your goal will not only be life-changing for you, but it may potentially be life-changing for people you care about. We all have people in our lives whom we love and who need to lose weight and get healthy, and they are watching us. What we choose to do today can have profound implications far beyond anything we can imagine, so keep on keeping on! A year from now, you may look back and be amazed at all the lives you've been able to help, in addition to your own.