After reading Coach Josh's book and going through the seven minute secret exercises, I wrote down UNRESTRAINED fun! What I meant by this is that I can go anywhere with my family and not have to worry about what I look like or if I will be able to participate due to my size or health. Yes, my most pressing issue was my health. Normally at the end of each pregnancy, my blood pressure would up and then after delivery, it would go back down. I recently had our eighth child and unlike the end of all my other pregnancies, my blood pressure did not go down so I had to go to the doctor and he gave me a physical. After drawing blood, he told me that I was on my way to diabetes, thyroid problems, high cholesterol, and continued high blood pressure. I decided I had to something about it. I first tried the South Beach Diet and I lost 20 pounds in a month but after allowing one splurge, I gained all that back and more. Then a few months later I came across Slim Body Coach and decided that I needed to try this because of the online support! So my health and desire for unrestrained fun got me started. I have to admit that the great results that I had seen from this way of life and a chance at the Cruise and $2500 really has made me stay with it and finish as strong as possible.

I lost an amazing 55.8 pounds in 12 weeks. I went from wearing a size 22/44 to mainly size 16 pants. I have much more energy as I get up when the alarm goes off at 5:30am so that I can walk 60 minutes (four miles) before getting my kids up and off to school. My doctor took me off all of my three prescriptions (blood pressure, thyroid, and diabetes medicine - he had me started on them to help me lose weight)! I used to take a nap almost every day and now I sometimes take one when I do not get to bed early enough the night before. I always used to yell upstairs and tell my kids to get or check on things for me; and now I find myself going upstairs more often. My fingernails were always breaking off before they grew out at all. Now, they seem much stronger and look nice! Just a few weeks after I had started here at Slim Body Coach, I added in resistance training most every evening with my husband. Here in the last month, I have added in walking at a very brisk pace with my oldest son. I look forward to getting more involved with my children's school activities this year!

3. How has your mental outlook changed - do you have more confidence?

I think God has used GNS and SBC to prepare me for what he knows is coming for me. I feel more in control of my life rather than my fat controlling it. I am now excited to see the kids grow up and have the ability to get involved with them now and in the future. I am excited to see what my husband and I will be doing after the kids do not consume our time! In my eyes, the longevity and quality of my life is being extended. Instead of dreading tomorrow and all of its stress, I look forward to the many exciting things life has to offer.

6. What kept you motivated and allowed you to finish this contest?

I really appreciate the fact that Josh wrote about and encouraged us to do the seven-minute secret. That really made me take some time to think about why I was trying to get healthy. It is not just to get skinny and look great, but it's really to be there for my loved ones and to be able to enjoy all that God has for us as a family - all that God has for me! Also, I am trying to continue to work hard with lots of exercise and care with my food and water so that I can finish strong. That way I can have a chance at the wonderful prizes that you have put up for us (I keep my goals and the possibility of prizes always before me). My husband has also encouraged me by helping out even more so that I can get in my exercise and good food! He has been so supportive, along with my good friends on the website! The supplements have been great to help keep me on track as well - with more energy and less cravings!

7. What were some of your keys to success in losing weight?

I think the biggest key was that the supplements reduced my cravings greatly and gave me some added energy. That is where I had struggled so many times before! Another key was instant connections with people on the website and my accountability that I made myself feel to them, not to mention all of the wonderful encouragement that I received. I think Coach Josh's Ebook [Slim Body Secret] is great! I believe that sitting down and thinking about why I am here and why I am putting forth the effort to get healthier and writing it down was a great exercise for me. Also, the Ebook answered a lot of my questions for me and if I know the answers, then I am more apt to follow through. The seven minute focus time really helped me to stay on track and remember that this is not another diet (to lose weight) so much as it is a program that teaches and encourages us to adopt and adapt to a healthier way of life - a life that renews our health within more importantly that anything else! Then everything put together showed me some big success from the start! I am still amazed to see how far I have come in such as short time and I know I am not going back - I will see this through!

8. What challenges did you have to overcome while participating in this contest?

A struggle that I had with getting started was the fact that I have this apron of skin hanging down in front of me, and the fact that I knew that it would probably not go away as I exercised and lost weight. It will always be there to remind me of my bad habits and it will always be unsightly and uncomfortable. Also, I was having health problems almost the whole second month that I was journeying toward better health. First it was a chest infection, and then there were some serious female problems and then some severe diarrhea. Most of the time I continued exercise, my eating pattern, and keeping hydrated. All three times I saw a doctor for help. And the third month I was not sick at all. My aunt, who is a nurse, suggested that I tried to slam my unhealthy body into a healthy lifestyle, and as a result, I got sick.

9. Why should you be chosen as a winner in this contest?

I have worked really hard and have seen some great results while trying to follow the suggestions that I read in Josh's Ebook. I have followed all of the rules and fulfilled all the requirements to the best of my knowledge. Many, online, have told me that I have inspired and encouraged them. My oldest son who is nine said I look a lot better, and I know I feel a lot better as well.

10. What weight loss support tools did you find to be the most helpful at SlimBodyCoach and why?

I thoroughly enjoyed the journals and forums! My journal was a good place to keep track of all that was going on and to evaluate what was to come so that I could plan to live through a potentially unhealthy situation. I also received a lot of encouragement in the journals, which helped me to keep going. The other journals and forums were good places for reaching out to encourage and make friends. I also enjoyed the "Post You Positive Results" topic in the forum because that always kept me positive - whether I was posting my own results or congratulating someone else, I knew I could always go there and celebrate with someone. It kept me in a positive mindset! I also enjoyed the newsletters on a weekly basis.

11. What specific GNS Weight Loss Product did you use, how did you use them, and how did they help you in achieving your results?

I started on the Slim Path Burn with one twice a day and then I starting taking two twice a day. On my two days off Slim Path Burn, I took one Slim Body XP three times a day. Both Slim Path Burn and Slim Body XP seemed to take away my cravings and give me a boost in energy. This allowed me to exercise and work through my day without thinking about food except when it was time for my mini meals. I also enjoyed a shake most mornings for breakfast. It was easy to get me going and boost my metabolism before I fed the kids. I enjoy every shake I drink with crushed ice! Good for a sweet tooth as well. I also used the Ebook. I read through it before my first month was through and made my plan and then referred back to it several times for everything including food and exercise tips and to go over the seven minute secret!