After waking up one morning in November 2018 and succumbing to an unexpected crying spell, Stacey Johnson, 34, realized she just wasn’t happy anymore. With her sedentary job and her sedentary life, she had tipped the scales at 220 and felt miserable. She gathered her composure and called into work to request a personal day off.
Rather than lay around all day feeling sorry for herself, Stacey drove to a local gym to sign up for her first gym membership ever. A month later, she found out that the NUTRISHOP, a nutritional supplement, wellness and weight-loss franchise, was hosting a 8-week transformation challenge and she decided to join.
“I had never stepped foot in an actual gym before joining that gym, and I definitely didn't know anything about nutrition,” Stacey said. “As it turns out, your nutrition is about 80% of changing your body composition.”
Weight-Loss Journey
At the NUTRISHOP store in Rapid City, SD, Stacey met Gunnar Swanson, the owner/operator. She didn’t know a thing about nutrition, but she said he taught her that nutrition is roughly 80% of changing your body composition. “Who knew?” she joked.
Stacey’s experience with Gunnar was nothing short of life-changing. “He put so much faith in me – more than I ever gave myself – that I didn't want to disappoint him,” Stacey said. “I wasn't just coming in for supplements, I was coming in for the support and guidance that I knew he would always have for me. It didn't matter if I had a good or bad week, Gunnar was there with a high five or advice to keep me moving forward.”
Stacey started the contest, which ran from January 13, 2019 to March 17, 2019, weighing 204.9 pounds, with 38.7% body fat (79.15 fat pounds). Her waist was 36 inches around. By the end of the 8 weeks, she weighed 191 pounds, with 31.5% percent body fat.
“Taking part in the challenges is 100% what kept me going. I'm competitive!” Stacey said. “But it was also exciting to come in every two weeks, see how far I had come, and talk with people who were making the same changes I was.”
The transformation challenge ignited Stacey’s passion to get in the best shape of her life. She kept putting in the hard work and has since dropped 25 more pounds and reduced her body fat another 10%, down to 21% (35.3 fat pounds). Her waist is now 26 inches around and she’s shrunk from a size 18 to a size 6. Beyond the fat loss, Stacey is also sporting new, lean muscles. She has completely transformed her body composition.
New Life & New Family
The days of Stacey sitting around all day and night are long gone. At NUTRISHOP, she found a new family, one that supported her and helped keep her going. Then, in December 2019, Gunnar approached Stacey about coming to work at the store. She did.
“I have a philosophy in life: ‘if you have the power to help someone, why wouldn't you?’ So when I had the chance to join Gunnar, there was no way I was going to turn it down,” Stacey said. “Now it’s my turn, it’s my turn to help people feel what I feel every day, because of NUTRISHOP.”
Stacey said she’s done a complete 180-degree turn-around from her old self. Just this past week, she hiked Mt. Elbert in Colorado. It is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains at 14,440 feet.
“I got to the top and couldn't help but cry,” she said. “I would have never imagined that I would be standing at the top of the Rockies after climbing up to the top. AND, IT FELT SOOOO GOOD!”
If you'd like help with your own weight-loss journey, find a NUTRISHOP® store near you and get started today!
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