I have lost 9 lbs. and 4 inches. I am making better choices of foods for my family and myself. I am making healthier eating choices that I don’t think I would have made otherwise. I have made changes I know I can stick to. I am exercising regularly 4-5 times a week. I am doing cardio and sculpting. I also end my day with 30-45 minutes of spiritual time. I spend this time in prayer and reading the Bible. -Alesia Beshears

I feel better about myself, before I had low self-esteem, but now I realize that God’s view is most important. I am happier, physically I feel better, emotionally I feel joy, and spiritually I am closer to God. I am learning to give all of my stress to God and pray about it. With my poor habits I have been laying them down. With my diet, I am eating more food by God. With my recreation, I am more active. With my time management, I am realizing what is most important, especially my family and how important they are. My outlook is I have a life to live to abundance to God. My mission is to be led by God not by what I think. My purpose is to live for God, love for God, work for God.  -Angie Eichstaedt

I lost 5 inches,and my husband lost 6 lbs. and 11 inches. My family is now eating healthier, my children are slow to accept the vegetables, but they are trying. Ultimately they are learning habits at a young age that can help them live their best lives possible. This journey is just beginning and I am hopeful that as I continue to be faithful even greater things are in store. God is beginning to bless my family and my finances.I AM COMMITED FOR LIFE!! -Celeste Crider

I have lost 7lbs. and 4.5 inches and have kept it off. I feel better about myself and I know I will be healthier as time goes by. My eating habits have changed for the good. My outlook on life in general has improved, as I feel I’m entering into a healthier lifestyle.-Cindy LaPlante

I have lost 6 lbs. and 8 inches. My clothes are now fitting loosely and people have said they can tell I’m loosing weight. One person even told me I I’m looking more “vibrant”.I have changed my eating habits and even my cravings have changed. I never ate fish before and now I actually want some. The food by man, that I use to enjoy, doesn’t even taste good to me anymore. I feel healthier and more energetic. I am sleeping better at night. I am getting more things done and I have made God a bigger priority in my life. I know schedule him in, not squeeze him in.I am looking forward to the next makeover and putting more of myself into it. -Debra Bardin

The biggest change is knowing that you can change because you have the power of God behind you. I thought I couldn’t do it, but I have realized with God behind me I can. I lost 9 lbs. I have also learned to be still and know God. This was an awesome revelation to me. I want to be healthy!! I watched my father for 2 years suffer and die slowly because of numerous health conditions. I don’t want to end up like that. My outlook for this year is to rid my diet of man food and replace it with God food, and exercise more. -Gwen Angelino

I wanted to take a few minutes and let you know how much I appreciate the Body By God: Extreme Makeover program you have been conducting. It is a bit disappointing that my circumstances have made attending each week difficult. Please know that my spotty attendance in no reflects my commitment to this program. The blessings I have gained are numerous.

While I know that my health could benefit from weight loss, that wasn’t the main reason I decided to come to the extreme makeover- stress was. For the first time in my adult life, I find myself living in an extremely stressful environment that isn’t of my choosing. In other words, I am surrounded by situational stress with no way to get out of it. Well, at least not any time soon. After coming to the realization that I couldn’t remove the stress, I was in desperate need of a way to change how I handled it. Extreme makeover was the answer.

Now instead of burning mental and emotional energy feeling sorry for myself or trying to figure some way out, I have a great amount of peace. I could give you many instances of little changes I have made. Instead, I will share the most monumental. I refuse to feel guilty any longer for operating on the schedule that suits my family best. Now that I see that typed, it looks so insignificant. However, the results from that little change alone are extremely liberating!

Another benefit I have noticed is a huge decrease in my desire for diet sodas. Previously I rationalized my dependence on them. I rarely drink alcohol, have never smoked and have never desired coffee. So how bad can diet soda be in the grand scheme of things? I also gave myself a free pass because I drink more than the recommended amount of water each day. I even told someone that if I was supposed to improve 1% a day that diet sodas would be my last percent. While I never consumed more then two a day, I think I did have them everyday. Evidently God had other plans.

Knowing how much I depended on them, I never set out to give them up. But a funny thing happened. Sometime during week three I realized that the day was nearly over and I hadn’t had any Diet Dr. Pepper. During the next few days I started paying attention and noticed that I really didn’t feel like I had to have them anymore. Needless to say, I am shocked!! I have had a few in the three weeks since them, but I am committed to removing the completely.

I have also found that the “yellow line” is a wonderful tool in my life. It has helped me see how to fit in exercising again. After a pretty severe injury in the fall of 2005, I had not exercised regularly. At first the recovery time kept me from my exercise of choice (cycling). Then we moved and I never found a way to get that time back. The gradual change from very active inactive left me feeling bad, physically as well as mentally. I was so excited to find out that a local gym would allow me to come free for the duration of the program. While I am saddened by how much ground I have lost over the past two years, I am hopeful for the first time in years. I was even able to get back on my bike last Sunday. Even though I had no endurance, it felt wonderful to be “back in the saddle”. I look forward to working my way back to where I was.

An added blessing has been a small amount of weight loss. Knowing that I have a huge tendency to be result oriented with my weight, I made the decision at the beginning of this process not to weigh frequently. After four weeks, I weighed and lost 10 pounds. Typically, I wouldn’t be happy with this and would give up. But I have been working on being “result less”. Instead I am focusing on the fact that I actually lost weight and am committed to betting a little better each day. I haven’t weighed again yet. The temptation to put my success in a number is still a little to great.

Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. I pray the Lord richly blesses you and your family for the sacrifice of time you have put into this program. My family is healthier because you care.In Him, Holly Holladay

This book and class has been wonderful. I came into this class wanting to lose weight and learn more about eating healthier. I have lost 10 lbs. and 9.5 inches. This class has benefited me in so many more ways, I feel better, I look better (according to my wife), I am spending more time with my family, and I am eating much better.I don’t even care to eat fried foods again. Thank God!!-James Stephens

When I started the Body by God program I was already on a healthier journey. When I started the Body by God program, I started to rearrange the way me and my family ate and we cut out all sugar. I lost 10 lbs. This program was great. It helped to discipline my eating habits. I am excited that I will hopefully instill in my children lifelong healthy eating habits. I pray this will also be instilled in generations to come and that I live a long and happy life.-Jennifer Henry

I’m proud of myself!! I lost 14 inches! I have started to exercise now. All together, I feel better that I ever did before.I am watching more of what eat. I am trying to eat healthier now, and I try to prepare healthier food for my family. I am happier than I ever was before. My outlook on life is to look good and feel better always.-Jessie Boyle

I actually think before I eat now. I just don’t eat anything & everything. I think “does it have value? Is it food by God?” I have lost 15 lbs. and 11.5 inches by changing my habits and making better choices. I am getting better and more rest. I have a more consistent positive outlook on life.-Jimmy Mattio

This process has helped me get back into shape. My biggest change is in my waist. I lost 5 inches in my waist. I lost 14 lbs. overall. Physically, I feel better than I ever have. I can now actually keep up with my children. My greatest accomplishment is my eating habits. I eat better than ever before. Needless to say I am very happy with the results I have seen in such a short time. I look forward to many, many more years of a healthy lifestyle. Praise God!! Thank you- John

Overall I feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I plan and purposefully eat now, instead of just grabbing what’s easy. I also know now what time of the day to eat certain foods.-Linda Mattio

I have lost 26 lbs. and 9.5 inches. My mobility has improved; my wife and I can do things together again. My mission is to do more for my church and my God, this has become easier for me since Extreme Makeover.-Charles Reeves

I am able to walk 22 minutes on my “fast track”. I can get around much better, my energy level is much better. I feel much better about myself. I have a closer relationship with God. My prayer time has improved. I stop and think now, “Is this pleasing to God?” 

I have been on cholesterol medication for over a year. My medical doctor gave me a goal weight, and once I reached that goal I could come off of my medication. I have lost 17lbs. and 14 inches. This program has given me the Holy Spirit back and my desire and dedication back. With God in my heart and on my side I am determined to make it happen.-Jane Reeves

When I started this process I was very excited about getting started and moving toward a healthier me. I have been given a start and a hope to be more committed to a healthier lifestyle. I am looking forward to feeling better, looking better and more importantly my spiritual health is getting better as well. I lost 5 lbs. and 5 inches.-Sheila Yates

My family was already on the path to living a healthier lifestyle; this process pushed us to make bigger changes in our diet. I noticed that I feel better now. I have more energy, I am sleeping better. I believe that by taking 30 minutes to an hour of quiet time has really helped me with my stress management. It gave me time to work things out in my mind. I just made the decision, that instead of blowing up & yelling about something, I would just walk away or close my eyes& take a few deep breathes before speaking. It has really worked! It is unbelievable how stress can effect how you feel. My family life has definitely improved, I think they like the much calmer, unstressed me a lot better. We are doing more together, such as playing a game or taking an outdoor walk. We have also made the decision to get back into church. So the overall experience has definitely been a positive one for me and my family. Thanks a million!!-Teresa Hafner

This process has given me the knowledge and understanding of how food works in my body. It has also given me wisdom to make decisions as to what I put in my body, my temple. I also lost 10 lbs. and 5 inches in my waist.-Terry England

I feel I can make better choices of nutrition, and stick to them. I have more energy, less stress and feel like I can really stick with this program.-Tonya Mangrum

Through this program I have felt physically and mentally better. I feel healthier and more energized. I feel more confident about my lifestyle.-Alex Jenkins