Grace H.'s Story

38 Pounds Lost and Her Spirit Regained

Grace had been aware of her health her entire life. She made sure to include plenty of vegetables in her diet and got tons to exercise to keep in shape. For the most part this worked for Grace, but her stressful job started her on an unexpected path of weight gain and out-of-control cravings.

Grace enjoyed her job, but realizes now that it took a toll on her health. She was traveling more than she ever had, sometimes eating out three times per day. Work dinners were often accompanied by several bottles of wine. This pattern of living and eating caused her to have increasing cravings for sugary foods and she found herself “giving in” more often when tempted by goodies.

She realized she needed to get out of her work situation and eventually found a new job with no travel requirements, but unfortunately this job had its own set of unforeseen challenges that caused Grace’s stress to continue. Her demanding boss, office treats, and convenient on-site lunchroom with fresh-baked cookies made her cravings snowball. Her weight was the highest it had ever been and that coupled with blood test results that showed high LDL cholesterol and a dangerously low vitamin D level, was the wake-up call she needed. She knew she had to do something.

Grace decided to try the Nutrition 4 Weight Loss program after a friend suggested the class. “At first, I was afraid that eating fat and extra snacks would not work and I’d gain more weight” she remarked. Although skeptical at first, she gave the eating plan a try and after a few classes and meeting with Kara, she started to feel good. She was experiencing better digestion and less pain in her joints. “I finally felt ‘safe’ eating foods like olives and avocados—fatty foods that I love, but used to avoid because I didn’t want to gain weight. Now I see how these foods HELP me drop weight!” she said.

In total, Grace lost 38 pounds and finds that maintaining her weight loss is much easier than she imagined. She continues to eat balanced meals with plenty of fat. Her cravings are gone, she’s energized on a daily basis and feels great in her clothes. She’s more aware of her food choices and feels in control again. Grace noted, “I gave up my spirit for so many years and now I’ve got it back!”