“Food was my comfort from the stress,” says Abby.
I am a truly thankful person for the First Place program. As a pastor’s wife who had stayed at the 200-pound (and over) mark for seven years, I can now say that I am 135 pounds, a size 8, and I have maintained that for a year and a half.
In the beginning, I did not want to try First Place. I did not want to weigh my food or take the time to learn the measurements, but since the ladies in my church wanted the program, and since I was a size 18/20, I thought I’d give it a shot. After my first session, I was 27 pounds lighter and I had new insights on the fact that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It took me 9 months and 3 sessions to lose 74 pounds.
My favorite scripture through the program is Deuteronomy 30:11 (NIV), “Now what I am commanding you this day is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”
I am now truly a new creature. My new lifestyle has influenced my husband to lose 20 pounds and my 13-year-old daughter to lose 35 pounds.
We are able to carry out the work of the ministry with much less fatigue.
I now teach others in my church the First Place program and will be forever grateful that the Lord brought it into my life.
Tips from Abby:
- Join a Group: The input and feedback you get every week is essential.
- Check calories for every food: Cereals I thought were “healthy” were much more fattening than I thought.
- Don’t transform your menu overnight: I couldn’t go straight from Reese’s Puffs cereal to whole grains! Start wherever you are and change gradually. It will still work.