Myra Anderson had let her weight get the best of her. So much so, she had to see a doctor and and the doctor told her that she would have to have weight loss surgery.
“I kind of frowned at that idea, but I realized that I needed to make a concerted effort to lose my.”
She was diagnosed with diabetes and high cholesterol and was on medication for both.
But instead of taking her doctor’s suggestion, she didn’t get the surgery, but instead started working out every day and start eating right.
Now, not only has Myra Anderson lost over 150 pounds, she also reversed her diabetes diagnosis and started a Christian fitness program that she leads at several local churches.
“I cut out fast food, sweets, white bread, white rice, and pasta,” explains Anderson. “I filled my fridge with fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meat that I broiled, baked, or grilled instead of fried. I started using portion control, prayed and meditated daily, got sufficient rest, practiced gratitude, and drank lots of water.”
“I also developed a strong network of (healthier) friends. Thank goodness I had a supportive exercise teacher walking beside me and encouraging me every step of the way. She modeled a healthy lifestyle for me. All I needed to do was pay attention and put it into practice.”
“What a glorious day it was when my doctor said I no longer needed to take diabetes medication and that my cholesterol was back in the normal range! I felt like I had been given a second chance to do right by my body.”
Anderson’s story was shared hundreds of times and has now gained the attention of “O” the Oprah Winfrey Magazine.
“It is a supreme honor to be selected as a health hero,” said Anderson. “When I think of the word hero, I think of someone that is saving lives and doing something really courageous and heroic. I think to put health in the front of that, it’s exactly what I do because getting people to eat well and exercise, it is saving lives.”
According to Oprah’s magazine, five days a week, Myra drives her SUV to churches around Charlottesville, Virginia, and turns their fellowship halls into workout studios, leading participants ages 7 to 81 in cardio classes set to Christian chart toppers. As devout about fitness as she is about faith, Anderson calls her class Temple Fit (“Temple stronger, serve Him longer” is her motto, and a nod to First Corinthians); it’s the…
… flagship offering of her roving one-woman gym, Inspire Fitness. Anderson accepts only pay-as-you-wish donations; the workouts are bookended by prayers, hugs, and high fives.
The amazing part about it is, before joining Anderson’s class, three-quarters of her clients had never set foot in a gym. Now former pew potatoes report trimmer waistlines, better moods, and lower blood pressure. Anderson’s own fitness journey started two and a half years ago, when she found herself in the ER for shoulder pain and the physician suggested weight loss surgery. She was diabetic, weighed close to 400 pounds, and hadn’t worked out in more than a decade. A few days later, she tried a Jazzercise class; within a year, she’d earned certifications for teaching group fitness and personal training. Since 2014, Anderson has lost 151 pounds; today she no longer needs diabetes medication. Her goal is to help clients make similar changes:
“They say looking at me gives them hope for themselves.”
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