Today’s Guest – Sundi Jo Graham
1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?
Sundi Jo Graham, Speaker, Author, and Program Director for Esther’s House of Redemption. Age 30. I run a residential discipleship program, offering hope to broken women, in Branson, MO.
2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?
I never had good influences as a child regarding health. I was morbidly obese until I was 25 years old, at which I weighed 330 lbs. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned there was another way to live.
3. What did they do to inspire you?
A mentor came into my life in 2008 and began encouraging me in my health and faith walk. I remember her serving me soup in a cup once and I thought she was crazy. Who does that? I ate my soup in a big bowl with a package of crackers. But I then realized I was full after that cup. It may sound small, but it was eye opening to me. She taught me how to doctor up a salad and it was amazing. I found ways to substitute McDonald’s for things that actually tasted delicious, and were good for me. She encouraged me to simply go for a walk, so I did. That walk around my apartment complex parking lot eventually turned into running a 5k.
4. How did their lesson change your life?
It put me on the path to changing my own life. I lost 145 lbs. I’ve ran two 5k’s. I don’t allow food to control me anymore. I don’t use it as a way to hide from my emotions.
5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently? I have a little cousin I try to teach about living differently. For example, instead of going to McDonald’s and getting chicken nuggets, we make our own healthy version together and he loves them.
6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?
You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to fit in. Don’t go for the whole pack of Twizzlers. Grab some almonds instead. You’re not a weirdo because you didn’t get a 40 oz. Root Beer at the movie theaters. Settle for a small size. Don’t think you have to have what everyone else does. Take a moment to look into your future and see where you want to be in 20 years. What you eat today will make a difference in these next 20 years.
7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?