For years I had blamed my weight on a slow metabolism and had always fought exercise like I fought losing weight. I knew I couldn’t go further without getting my body moving.

Parking my car near a wheat field by my home, I walked along the fence till I reached the end of the one-mile long field. If I wanted to get home, I had to get back to my car, so I had no choice but to walk the return mile. Within eight months, I was at my target weight of 170 pounds. Now, my husband and I are so happy. Plus, I’m able to be an active mom. Today, at 36, I’m blessed with a new career. Writing and publishing my low-fat cookbook has been one of the most exciting adventures I have ever been on. I’ve been given the opportunity to reach out to others who, like I once had, have all but given up hope of losing weight and gaining control of their lives.

I remember a day on one of my walks by the wheat field, when I reached over the fence and grabbed a stem of wheat to hold in my hand as I walked. I remembered from school that, to the ancient Greeks, wheat represented life. Whenever I felt like giving up that day, I looked at the wheat in my hand and it spurred me on to finish my two-mile hike. I still have that piece of wheat. When I have a tough day, I look at it and it reminds me of a girl, and later a woman, who for years thought there was no hope, but through faith, courage and love, found her hope and her life again. It is, finally, my time to shine. — Beliefnet.com (Concluded)