Cure a broken metabolism

“Do I look like a princess?” asked Marilyn Goodson’s great-granddaughter Avah, 4, twirling in a gown from her dress-up box. Before Marilyn could answer, Skylar, 3, tugged her sleeve. “Help!” she said, holding out a toy crown. Marilyn slipped it on the toddler’s head. “I’m Queen GG, and I declare you two are the most beautiful princesses in all the land,” said Marilyn, beaming. She sat back and marveled at the youngest of her 20 grandkids and great-grandkids. And as they sipped imaginary tea, a realization hit her hard. I sure would like to see them grow up, she thought. I want to be part of their lives. I want to be here if they ever need me. The desire was so sudden and strong, Marilyn began to wonder: Could this be the motivation I need to finally get my weight and health under control?

- Allison Nemetz

Marilyn was soon thinking back to when she was just a bit older than Avah. I was already so big, my mother had to make all my clothes, she remembered. Her pretty hand-sewn dresses, though the envy of the neighborhood, had marked the beginning of a long struggle. No matter what Marilyn ate, she seemed to gain. Her weight crept up through school, marriage, motherhood. Widowed at 30, Marilyn often found herself too overwhelmed to do more than hit the drive-thru for family meals. And pounds came on fast.

Gradually, her knees a mess and her blood sugar up, she was offered an early type of weight-loss surgery. “Even that didn’t work for me,” Marilyn whispered, shaking her head. She’d gained 100 pounds afterward. Still, she kept battling. Group programs, extreme fads, healthy plans. I’m 362 pounds and my body has been through so much, she thought. But I’m not giving up. God has work for me to do. Typing ‘fix my metabolism’ into her computer, up popped the image of a book that promised to help her lose 20 pounds in 28 days. Yeah right! Marilyn thought, chuckling. But something told her divine guidance led her to that book…