May 1^st 2015—I just wrapped up six months that has completely changed my life, the way I do life, the way I view food. It’s unbelievable.

When I began, I didn’t actually think I would be able to achieve it – so I told no one. I was silent. You know when you think you might fail, you don’t want anyone to know about it so they can’t hold it over your head. I was SKEERRRED! (Scared) I was WEAK! Weak to resisting temptations. Weak in muscle strength! 

I started this journey October 15^, 2014 by just eliminating things that were not good for me. I eliminated white bread, soda, candy; and then I added to the list by eliminating wheat, dairy, corn, etc…—unhealthy foods. In just those two weeks of elimination, my body shape changed so much. In those two weeks, I didn’t look great, but it was an unbelievable difference and I would probably never show that first picture to anyone because it is just ridiculous.

But for the last six months, I submitted myself to a coach (The Bailey Bomb) and trainer (the kind Jenn) to learn how to workout and change my view of food. I have learned that food is fuel; it is not entertainment.

Food was entertainment – every day. It was a source of joy, like, “Oh, a snickers! Yay!” “Oh a coffee, yay!” Now…I no longer view food as that. In fact, it kind of makes me kind of sick to see it happening all over our society.

So the past six months, has really been like two things: a fasting from, and a fasting to.

I have been fasting from all of the pleasures of the flesh that it desires to eat and consume. I have told my body, “No,” time and time again. I have cheated maybe five bites in the past 6 months. But I stopped cheating on bites on December 31^st. So I’ve stayed the course. I have finished strong.

I’ve fasted to something –exercise. I’ve exercised six days a week for six months (except for a handful of times that I missed). But even when I missed them, I made them up because when you’re fasting to something – you do it even when it’s painful!

For over six months, my body has been under submission to a new plan and a new way – being trained in the way it should go.

Some of the Words that God has given me along the way—one is I “can’t mix my new habits with my old habits” because when I do that, I don’t actually end up with something completely new.

My habits were rotten and toxic. I needed a revamp, a total makeover. I was ready for it mentally. I knew it’s what I wanted. I knew it’s what I needed. I knew the Holy Spirit was calling me to it. Every time I had a craving or desire at first, I would say, “God, you are MY Shepherd and I shall NOT WANT.” I no longer wanted to lust after foods that were detrimental to my well being.

Later, the temptations grew stronger. It’s interesting because the more you deny your flesh, the more your flesh wants to deny you. And it’s rebellious like, “Hey, I’m going to defy everything in you and I am going to have my way.” However, as the temptations exploded inwardly, I received a fresh word: The Lord really spoke to me through this—Jesus was tempted beyond anything. There is no temptation we encounter that He didn’t experience. Then BOOM: “He was tempted, yet he never sinned.” It was then (January 2015) that I realized “Yes, Lord. The same power Jesus used to resist temptation lives in me, and I can do that because you equipped me for this season, for this time.”

Acts 3 is really one of my favorite miracles and stories in the entire bible. It reads that Peter and John came to the gate called “Beautiful.” They met a lame man who sat at the gate to asked for money. But Peter said, “Hey, I don’t have money, but I will give you what I do have.” The man looked at him expectantly. Peter grabbed his hand and picked him up. He was healed him in a moment. I love that because a “gate called Beautiful” means “the perfect hour.”

I believe the Lord told me, “This is your perfect hour to take your health back. This is your perfect hour to renew all of those old habits. They don’t have to be yours anymore. It’s your perfect hour. Would you be the one to take possession of it?”

So I am delighted to tell you that I have lost 26 pounds, 31.35 inches, gained a ton of muscle, and lost my chest (no joke). I just shrunk. In went from the size 10 to a size 3 or 1 in juniors.

I just want to encourage you. If you are ready to make the next step, I want you to get in contact with me. If you desire to #takebackyourhealth, or if you recognize that you have some really bad habits like I did, it’s time to move. Is this your perfect hour? If it is, give me a call, text me, comment below, find me on Facebook. Let me introduce you to my coach or let her give you an inspirational phone call that can help you and change your life.

Sheri