As I enter my birthday week, it has constantly been impressed on my heart that I have to write a “thank you” note to all the people who have brought me to this week… where on this Wednesday, July 18th, I not only celebrate turning 48… but also celebrate that I am 70 pounds lighter than I was on my last birthday! What a gift!

On September 26, 2011, Dr. Oz announced the Transformation Nation Challenge, and I remember, literally, sitting up on the edge of my sofa, writing in my notebook where I keep notes from his show, believing for the very first time in my life, that I would not only take on this challenge and finally win the battle with this weight, but I believed at that point that I could win the entire challenge.

When the show was over, I went right over to my computer and filled out everything that I had to in order to sign up. The starting weight and final weight had to be done at a Weight Watchers, so I also looked up the meetings in my area. I knew that I didn’t want to bump into any one that I knew while weighing in, so I would go to the next town over. That Saturday, October 1, 2011, I weighed in to get my official Dr. Oz sheet. (I remember being so ashamed of that beginning number, as soon as I got home, I even sealed it in an envelope, in my Dr. Oz Transformation Nation folder, where I knew no one would ever see it.)

After weighing in, I remembered that Dr. Oz said that the first meeting would be free, so I went in, to just go to my one “free meeting”, knowing that I had been to ww meetings a few times during my life, and I thought I would just pick up the information, find out what was “new”, and I could just do it “on my own”. I wasn’t going to “waste the money”.

I walked in, sat in the back seat on the end, read through the material while I waited for the meeting to start, not really sure how long I would stay, even for that morning….depending on “how good” it would be. Well, a blonde woman came to the front of the room… she was beautiful not only on the outside, but when she began to lead the meeting with such honesty and excitement, literally bursting with all that she wanted to pass onto us, that she clearly had lived and continues to live herself on a daily basis…passing on the most amazing tidbits of information, filled with incredible wisdom, I couldn’t get enough. She passed around her, “before” picture, which also blew me away, clearly seeing what she had accomplished, herself.

The other amazing thing about this meeting was that I learned just as much from the people in the group there. I had never experienced a meeting like this in my entire life. I knew that morning, after meeting both Elyse, my leader, and the members in that room, that I could not do this challenge without them. I have been sitting in that back row on the end seat for almost 9 months now, only missing 2 or 3 meetings due to being away. I have told other friends, even strangers… If I miss my meeting, it’s like missing an amazing sermon in the midst of an incredible sermon series, along with missing your “meeting friends” for a week. I still don’t know some of their names, but we all know how much we miss each person when they are not there. (and I think we are up to around 60-70 people in our special group). I wish that I could get up one day in that group and let them know how much they have impacted my life, and continue to do so every Saturday morning. I don’t “have to” go to Weight Watchers….I “get to” go to Weight Watchers, and it is such a highlight of my week, I can’t even put it into words.

As I continued to pray every single day for the Lord to help me finally win this battle with my weight, one by one, I began to see all of the “God-incidences” (because I don’t believe in coincidences), occurring over and over again. This journey started to become something even bigger and more extraordinary than I ever could have imagined.

As I have written in my blog and journal, and shared with many people as I have shared this journey, my belief that I could finally do this came from Olivia Ward (winner of the Biggest Loser), and her husband Ben. As a family, we watched Olivia on television, week after week, and also watched Ben lose over 100 pounds, right in front of us, every week as he lead the worship time in church. We prayed for Olivia and Hannah, “The Purple Team” on the Biggest Loser, as they continued on the show. When Olivia walked into church on Christmas Eve,(as they were given a week to come home to see how they could do on their own), she took my breathe away. I was stunned at how much weight she had lost already, and how great she looked. I had promised myself that I would lose the weight along with her as I watched the show, and there I was on Christmas Eve, probably heavier than in the fall when she left and started. After saying hello and telling her how amazing she looked, I walked back to my chair and tears just flowed down my cheeks as I just prayed and kept asking God, “why can’t I do this? Why can’t I find the motivation to do this? Why can’t I do what Olivia has done? What will it take for me to be able to get where she is? Will I ever be fit and thin again? Can I do it before I turn 50 one day?” ….the questions just kept being asked, and I could barely concentrate on the Christmas service, already promising myself that I would begin…”after Christmas and New Year’s”. Yes, again, my New Year’s Resolution was to lose weight and get fit.

January flew by, I think I started off, again, strict with the food and trying to do a few exercise tapes, getting outside when it wasn’t so cold.  I tried a few of the latest fad diets, like the “17 day diet”, I probably lost some weight quickly, in an extreme way again… and by the end of January, with the cold weather, excuses not to exercise, letting “life” get in the way again, eager to put everyone else first except me,…I continued to watch Olivia and Hannah lose over 120 pounds each and win the entire thing! As I saw her get closer to her goal, and watched the episode where She and Ben reunited, seeing each other for the first time since Christmas on national television, astounded at how amazing they each looked, I then thought, maybe when she comes home she can tell me what she learned.

Well, the finale ended, she was now an instant major superstar, and I wondered if she would ever have a little time to give me… for me to just ask her how to do what she did and  how she finally accomplished her goal. So I sent this email on July 10th of last year….

Hey Olivia,
I hope you are getting my emails through this. Although I follow you and Hannah on Facebook through my husband, Warren’s account, I don’t have one, and believe it or not, I don’t know how to twitter. LOVE the “myfitspiration blog”. Not sure I am ready for the sports bra challenge, maybe in my own home. Wish with all my heart that I was at the place you and Hannah are….. I would put on a great color sports bra and sign up for that class on the 29th and meet you there, even though I have no idea how to spin. But like many others, I am at the place right now where you and Hannah were last summer……so sad not to be able to walk around in a bathing suit, hiding under big shirts and capri pants, wishing I could just put on cute shorts and a tank top, or a cute little sleeveless dress for all of the parties/weddings I have to go to.  The sentence that hit me on your blog was the one where you pointed out how much you have missed in life….. just by hiding. We’ve all been there, and like you pointed out, so many missed opportunities through the years, not swimming with friends or with the kids, or choosing not to go somewhere, because your ashamed of how you look. I keep thinking that you guys were there just a year ago, and think maybe by next summer there is a possibility for me to be as free as you are now, I just can’t get started and stick to it. I saw the new TV show being publicized on Hannah’s wall looking for people who want to lose 50-100 pounds, but I know that I could never do it publicly where you have to let the whole world know your weight. I still don’t know how you guys walked up on that scale the first time in sports bras back then…..but because you did, we are all now soooo inspired by your bravery and honesty….and I want somehow to lose the weight,  to be that person for others, helping and blogging and connecting and inspiring, like you girls are doing. I really want to figure it out like you have done, and again when things slow down a bit for you, would love to ask you about some of the head stuff, and get your best everyday tips.

We just got back from an amazing family vacation. I did everything with everyone, remembering as you said, not to miss it. I had the best time, but my husband just put an amazing video together of all the pictures to music, and I absolutely love it, until I see a picture of myself come up, I just get soooo upset at the way I look. I’m sure you remember looking at pictures and thinking, “is that what I really look like”, and just wishing you looked differently. Then I see your Hampton picture, as you said, sooo surreal, rocking out a bathing suit…..I can’t even imagine, but I want to be able to feel that way, again,  with all my being! You and Ben have done it together, and Warren and I just want to get to that point of feeling and living a healthy lifestyle forever. We last a few weeks, then with kids schedules, etc…..blow it. I keep trying to go to Weight Watchers meetings, I last a few weeks, then ruin a day here or there and say, oh I’ll try doing it on my own, because I know I gained and don’t want to get on the scale with a gain, so another week goes by, and failure sets in, gaining back the lost weight and more…

If you and/or Hannah decide to run a support group, or want to take on someone to use to pass it all onto, please let me be one of the people you work with. I will write it all down, follow it all, and share my results on your blog if you want.  Each time I grab another magazine with you guys in it or see you on your blog, I am soooo upset that I didn’t start and stick with it when the BL started last fall, hoping to lose bit by bit along the way, I wouldn’t be here at just about my highest weight in the middle of summer.  Even each week when we saw Ben get smaller and smaller, I thought, oh man, what am I waiting for? So here I am, another summer, sooo upset to be hiding behind the big shirts and three quarter pants.

My brother and kids are leaving today. Hoping tomorrow (yes, another Monday start), to get back to working on it with Warren. If you have any tips at this point to just help us start and stick to it, would love to hear it. I know you are busy with all of the publicity, blogs, opportunities. So for now, I will just keep reading and watching all that you and Hannah are sharing with the world. Keep sharing from your hearts, all the stuff you are sharing really hits home for sooo many of us. As I continue to pray for you guys, please pray for me to win this battle as you have done.

Gotta go and find something to wear for a birthday luncheon today (wish I could just throw something cute on and love the way I looked)…… hopefully someday soon…… Thanks so much for listening,  but more importantly, thanks so much for sharing your whole process with everyone (tell Hannah thank you also), you both continue to give me hope that it really can happen.  Praying that tomorrow is finally the starting point of real success, and that next summer I can be where you guys are now, actually happy to be in a bathing suit. That would be the ultimate dream come true! (I guess the first goal is tucked in shirt with no third layer of clothing on top….maybe a goal for the winter!, Do you girls remember that first moment?)   Love, Wendy

And she wrote back an email that forever changed my life…

Hi Wendy!
I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog!!  It has been a joy to work on.  I would love to get together to chat about all of this and working with you to help you achieve your goals.  I know you can do it….believe me if I can you can.  Like me you just don’t have the knowledge…it’s as simple as that.  It’s not because you have failed…you just need some instruction.  Start to look at it that way…mentally it will make the BIGGEST difference in how you view weight loss.  What are your plans Sunday after church?  Would you like to go to lunch with Ben and I?  I’m going to write down some instructions for you and we can go over them then.  You will start on Monday. 🙂  Let me know if that works for you, if not we can find another time…no worries.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Olivia

And until I just went back and found these emails, I didn’t know that it was actually the week of my birthday, one year ago, that this all occurred, as I responded…

Hey Olivia,
You just gave me sooo much hope this morning. Sunday would be perfect, and Monday is the best day to start, as it is my birthday! It would be the greatest gift in the world to achieve what you have achieved. Thanks so much, see you Sunday.   Wendy

Wow, as I write this…I can’t believe it has been exactly one year since Olivia and Ben met with me that first morning. I remember sitting there with my notebook, taking in all of their wisdom and knowledge for hours. (of course in between us talking, people would stop by the table after recognizing her, and come over to tell her how she inspired their lives. It was a taste of having breakfast with a celebrity.) And I knew how blessed I was to be able to learn from her and Ben as they shared honestly and openly of the challenges, tough times, hard decisions, hard work. I remember saying to Ben, “I wish I could get to the point where you are, running marathons and loving it.” and he said, “Oh, I don’t love running.” and I remember him explaining that so much of exercising and fitness and eating is a real choice. He explained how he had to just find the strength to get through it sometimes. I had never heard that from anyone before. I just assumed all of “those fit people”, athletes, everyone who has achieved amazing fitness.. love doing it, and I was praying that one day I would love it also. But so much of it is a choice to do it, because it is good for you, and the results will come. You don’t have to love it, you just have to do it.

To this day, even just that great piece of truth is something that I hold onto when I head to a workout or try something new that I am not sure that I am going to like. I still hate spinning, I have gone from absolutely despising it and fearing it, to just hating it. But it is an amazing cardio workout, I do it once a week as one of my classes, every Thursday, and to see my growth and accomplishment in doing something that was so difficult that I could barely get through the first class…to training and accomplishing a spinning race day…to be at a place where I know I could go into any spin class, anywhere, and get through the class, is pretty astounding. And if true athletes like Ben and Olivia weren’t honest with me in saying that they don’t always love working out or running, etc., I never would have gotten to where I am today. Sometimes it’s just a choice to do it, and choice determines your destiny.

When I left that breakfast meeting, I was filled with new knowledge, advice, and wisdom from Olivia and Ben, along with such a gift…the gift that they believed that I could do it. They were sitting there, both over 100 pounds each, lost within a year…they heard some of my story, listened to my fears, frustrations and empathized with me through my tears, and offered to share all that they learned with me…and believed that I could truly accomplish what they had. That was the birthday gift they gave me last year…

The belief was birthed that morning, I ordered my “bodybugg” right away (the armband they wear on the BL, which tracks calories burned, steps, etc.), and I began to get truly honest about moving more and eating less, starting to add one great choice and piece of wisdom at a time. I put my “just 10” bracelet on, which was from the Dr. Oz show. A free bracelet to wear to remind me to shoot to lose 10 pounds at a time, as he did a show explaining the incredible health benefits to your body each time you take off just 10 pounds. I started to work hard, but also had my “old thinking” in my head saying…”when the kids go back to school, then I can really get back on a schedule and workout, etc.”

That thinking has happened every year of my life….here’s the ongoing cycle of my weight loss life….In the summer, I say, “It’s summer, I’ll start as soon as the kids go back to school.” Kids go back, I start on a routine, work out a bit, start to do all the right things with food, usually starting out pretty extreme. Then the holidays come, it starts to fall apart around Thanksgiving, then it is over by Christmas, as I say, “I’ll begin after the holidays.” Then January comes, I go all out great for a month or 2, lose some weight, but February gets really cold, and the excuses start, and comfort food wins during the cold months.Then I say, “as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer, I can get going again and walk and try to run at the track one day.” I play the thought of doing it over and over in my head. Before I know it, I can smell the fresh spring air, see a few buds on the trees, hear the birds chirping in the morning, and start to think, “I have to really get going before the kids are out of school and it’s summer again, and I won’t want to put on shorts or even think about a bathing suit.” I count the weeks, divide it out to work out how to lose the most amount of weight, and again choose something extreme that I can’t possibly live with long term…so I fail again, and head into summer disgusted with myself, picking out the few outfits that I can “hide” in throughout the summer. I then hope that I am not put in many situations where I have to make the excuse why I’m not going swimming, etc….and I see others swimming, having so much fun outside in their cute clothes, cute sundresses, and wish for the day that I could experience what that is like.

BUT….this past fall, the major catalyst to my weight loss happened when I joined Dr. Oz’s Transformation Nation Challenge, took on the challenge using all the knowledge and inspiration Ben and Olivia shared with me, along with all that Elyse, the Weight Watchers team and members taught me…I added eating right for my blood type, I began to really exercise at least an hour a day…started out just walking, added an exercise tape, then in January, when the excuses normally kicked in for being, “too cold outside or snowing or raining”, got the courage to try a gym.

Again, through amazing “God incidences”, my next door neighbor, whom I never really knew that well, became my every day work out partner (who happened to be a ww leader herself), and with a coupon in her hand, to try a local gym for one week free….we walked in together one day at a time, trying one new class at a time, placing down one fear at a time. By the middle of the week, we both signed up for a 3 month special package (which would “just happen” to end when the Transformation Nation Challenge ended, April 9, 2012).

For some reason, very early on in this journey, it was placed on my heart that I should write this all down and keep a journal. I never dreamed at that point that it would become a blog, and certainly never imagined that people would follow it and be inspired, at least not until I got to my goal weight.

I launched the blog the second week in January, and I remember walking into the gym on a Tuesday, as Meg and I were trying our first zumba class. We stopped to check in at the desk, the owner of the gym, Steve, was working on the computer. I had already told him that I was in the Dr. Oz challenge, and that was why I was joining the gym, but that morning I told him that I had just launched my first blog the night before, and was going to start sharing this journey with the world. By the time I got out of zumba class, he had not only looked it up and read it, but tagged it on the gym’s facebook page. I came out of class, and he told me that he tagged my blog, I could see it from afar, and I was just stunned. As I wrote in a much earlier blog…the owner of a gym just tagged the blog of an overweight woman, put It on the gym’s facebook page, and believed the very first week of meeting me, that I could win this entire challenge. I remember going right home to have my husband bring it up on our computer to see if it was real, and just crying, standing behind him at the computer, that this owner of the gym believed in me right away to do that. It still leaves me stunned.

That first night of launching the blog, I will never forget going to bed, absolutely blown away by all of the people reading it.. and then writing me the most beautiful emails ever! I am still amazed and so blessed to this day when people read about my journey and email me. It’s absolutely the most awesome experience.

Since that first week, Steve, owner of Power Ten Fitness in Port Washington, on Long Island, NY, has believed in me, inspired me…I added him to my list of people whom I would email after every weigh in each week, and he has written me back the most encouraging emails every single time, lose or gain. When I entered tough times with my parents’ health, after 2 days of not being in the gym, he sent an email to reach out to me, and make sure I didn’t lose focus on me. He believed in me 70 pounds ago, and continues to be one of the most instrumental people in this journey for me.

His trainers and instructors also believed in me from day one. Every single class we tried, the instructors modified any and every move that needed to be modified for Meg and I until we could work up to what needed to be done. In the beginning, there was a lot of modification, but we hung in there, and day by day saw some growth, (along with lots of pain at times, using muscles that haven’t been used in a long time). Now, just 6 months later, we have seen our bodies accomplish amazing things, from cardio sculpt class, to zumba, to circuit training, spinning, and weight training. Each time I reach one goal, I write down another. It’s very empowering to see your body change, your strength increase, and your abilities grow beyond your own expectations.

As the challenge went on, and the weight loss continued, I believed more and more that I could win the entire challenge, just seeing all of the incredible God incidences that were happening. That kept me going strong. On March 7th, just a month before the final weigh in, I was given a ticket to go to the Dr. Oz show with a group of girls, most of whom I had never met. The girls who invited me, I met in the gym, and through the most amazing circumstances, I walked through one of the most incredible days of my life.

It was that amazing day that I went to the show with the crazy “Check me out Dr. Oz” shirt (designed by the artist, Everardo Gonzalez), I sat in the second row off of the floor, I shared some of my story that day with some of the producers and publicists who were some of the kindest, most encouraging people I had ever met, I ended up shaking Dr. Oz’s hand, looking him in the eye and telling him that I was in his million dollar challenge and believed that I would be standing next to him on that day when they announced the million dollar winner, (and yes, part of that came true!). That whole day and experience was crazy, and I’m so glad that I wrote it all down to remember. Every single person I met there that day, including Dr. Oz, made me feel like a million dollars. I remember telling Tim and Angela and Sarah, some of the publicists and producers on that show, that this journey that I was walking through was something bigger than I could ever imagine, and I continue to believe that.

In fact, as I have been writing this letter all day, about a half hour ago, I switched over to my email, as a note popped up from a very close friend, and in her email was this sentence…

“you have been incredibly strong, and have set an example for everyone through your faithfulness and grace.  I believe God is “growing” you for something bigger than can ever imagine.”

Walking through all of this has been bigger than I ever imagined already. After the Dr. Oz show, I continued to work hard up until the final weigh in, April 9th. I remember pulling out a crazy number that last week, and saying, only God could have pulled out a number like that. Then on April 10th, the email came through that out of 1.2 million people, I made the top 200 people! That was the greatest email. I can’t even tell you how many times I looked at it. On April 11th, I had a phone interview with the nicest woman from the Dr. Oz show, who asked me questions and listened to my amazing journey for one hour and 45 minutes. It was exhilarating! Again, I got off the phone and knew that the Lord gave me the words.

The next few weeks were filled with fax’s and emails going back and forth, all kinds of doctor’s appointments being made, to get final numbers and information, (I will never forget my doctor and the phlebotomist being so proud of me and explaining that my heart rate and blood pressure were the numbers of an athlete!) I drove to meet another person working with the show, over at a hotel by the airport and went through a complete psychological evaluation for a few hours. Each step was a step towards making it to the final 10.

Then came the hardest weekend of this challenge, May 4th an email came that said that I didn’t make it to the final 10. I remember being stunned, crying, shocked…it rocked my world and my faith for a few hours that day, and the day that I watched as the final 10 were announced. I remember putting on my sneakers and walking down to the town dock, overlooking the water and just pleading with God to let me know why, to try to understand. Again, I’m so glad that I wrote all about that, so that I wouldn’t forget all that I learned through that time…

Then, when everything occurred over the next 10 days, where I then walked through the most incredible finale ever….again, one that only God himself could have orchestrated, which continues to leave me with chills and take my breath away every time I am able to share the story…I continue to end with the mightiest two words…”ONLY GOD”. (if you haven’t read that amazing story, go to wendyweighsin.com and read about the finale day).

And that is what I continue to say about this entire weight loss journey, Only God could be orchestrating all of this, and I am soooo excited to see where it leads. Each prayer that I pray, He continues to fulfill His promise that He will do abundantly more than all we can ever ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20).

I continue to dream big dreams and pray big prayers, expecting great things from a GREAT God!…abundantly MORE than I can ask or imagine….

I dream of filming my final weigh in, at my gym, and having it put on the Dr. Oz show, maybe even having their people come and film it there.

I dream of launching my book about this journey before, during or after the next Transformation Nation Challenge, calling it…”Wendy Weighs In…One Woman’s Journey on Dr. Oz’s Transformation Nation Challenge”. I dream of sharing all that I have learned and finding a way to pass it onto others, so that they can win their battle with weight. Maybe with the 55 more pounds that I have to lose, I will join the Transformation Nation Challenge again, if they do it, and completely finish what I started.

I dream of inspiring others in an amazing way.

I dream of being able to, face to face, let Tim, Angela, Sarah, Nicole, Dr. Oz, all the people who were part of creating the Transformation Nation Challenge, know how they truly transformed my life. To let everyone who brought us through the day of the finale, truly know…that they made us, me, feel like the most special person in the world, just by encouraging me, and most importantly, remembering me, just from the one time they met me in March. I know that they all do hundreds of shows, and have so much on their plates, but I want them to know how each of them impacted just one woman’s life by just by their encouraging and caring words.

-I dream of thanking the corporate Weight Watchers people, also meeting them face to face.(I still can’t believe that Liz, Jennifer Hudson’s leader, knew who I was when I met her.) I have met some of them through email and talked on the phone to many Weight Watchers executives, who encouraged me along the way and shared my story, and I just want to be able to tell them how much that also meant to me.

During the challenge, when I truly believed that I was going to win the Million dollars and the whole contest…I told my ww leader, Elyse, along with the members in my ww group…Steve the owner of my gym, and Meg, my workout buddy… That my ultimate dream would have been to set up my ww meeting on the Dr. Oz stage for the finale, and have Elyse, Steve, Meg and my family standing by my side when they announced me as the winner, with all of the people who supported me and encouraged and prayed for  me in this journey filling the audience.  I prayed for the possibility of all of that….so I’m excited to see God’s plan to continue to unfold….as this journey is far from over!

So I write this next journal entry and end it with this letter, as I am filled with so much gratitude, along with great expectation, filled with hope and faith in what is yet unseen and unfolded in this journey.

So….

Dear,
-Transformation Nation Team…., especially, Dr. Oz, Tim, Nicole, Angela, Sarah, Maria…
-Weight Watchers Team….especially Elyse, Jen, Barry, Liz, Lisa, Kristi, and everyone in my Saturday morning group…
-Power Ten Fitness Team..Steve, Holly, Nancy, Suzanne, Dave, Mina, Eliza, John, Rob, all my “co-members”, and my “every day workout partner” and friend, Meg…
-Everyone who has followed my blog and encouraged me…
-Olivia and Ben Ward…
-All of my friends and family…especially my incredible husband, Warren, and my children…
-Pr. Charley…our pastor who continues to love and support and minister to 3 generations of our family…
-My church family and friends who have prayed for me and with me, through everything…

Thank you, all…each and every one of you, for being such an amazing part of one woman’s journey of incredible transformation…inside and outside. I am not at my goal weight, YET, but on this… my 48th birthday… which I will celebrate this Wednesday, July 18th,  I want to thank you for the gift of losing 70 pounds. I could never have accomplished, and experienced all of this without you.

Lysa Terkeurst wrote in her Made to Crave book, “What if this battle with food isn’t the curse we’ve always thought it to be? What if it’s actually the very thing, if brought under control, that can lead us to a better understanding of God? What if we could actually get to the place where we thanked God for letting us face this battle, because of the treasures that we discovered on the battle field?”

I never thought I would understand this idea. In fact, when I read it, I thought she was out of her mind….., but not only do I get it now, I have actually thanked God for this battle, because I NEVER would have experienced the unbelievable treasures and gifts that were unveiled in the midst of it all… the breathtaking moments, people, emails, notes, prayers, experiences….walking through this journey and having my life touched by each of you.

Never underestimate the way the Lord uses you in the lives of other people….Every one of you were used in a significant and mighty way in my life in this journey, even those of you who just met me once or twice on the Dr. Oz team, or touched my life through a phone call or email, or an interview.  From television producers, publicists and workers from the Dr. Oz show to Weight Watcher CEO’s, to psychological evaluators… from members of my church to members of my WW meeting, from the owner of the gym  and all of my instructors,to the leader of my ww meeting and the three encouragers who weigh me in every week,  from the winner of the Biggest loser, to the worship director and the prayer team at our church, from all of the doctors, nurses, therapists who helped me through my dad’s stroke and mom’s diabetes during this time, to our family Pastor who continues to take care of and minister to 3 generations of my family…from my oldest and closest of friends, to the newest friends…to even strangers who have become friends throughout this journey….I have been soooo incredibly blessed by each and every one of you!

So during this birthday week, and especially on my birthday, I will be blowing out my candles, thanking God for each of you and the way you have been used in my life. I will continue to “tear up” and be left with chills each time I am blessed to share the stories that have happened to me with others, and I will continue to share the dreams and prayers I have as I continue fighting hard to lose the rest of this weight, working hard one day at a time, making one good choice at a time…heading to the road to victory.

I’m looking forward to the day I reach my goal weight, and continue to pray to be able to get to the place of being an “overcomer”. I read once, that an overcomer is someone who finds absolute victory in an area where they once knew nothing but defeat. I’ve been defeated by the battle with weight for most of my life, and with each great choice, adding the wisdom and knowledge that I have been given through these past 9 months, along with being blessed with the encouragement and support from all of you….I’m looking forward to one day calling myself an “overcomer” in this area of my life, along with being excited to inspire and pass on all that I have learned to others who feel defeated by their weight.

Thanks for being a special part in this journey. As I have written and said many times before…I’ve already been left in awe, in tears, in shock..and breathless walking through all of this…And, I honestly feel that it’s only the beginning of something much bigger than I can ever imagine…So hold on with me… and continue to dream big dreams and pray huge prayers for me and for yourself!  ,…to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine! He’s going to knock our socks off…So blessed to be in it with you!

Many many thanks…and much love
From the very blessed birthday girl…
Wendy Trunz