1 Thing Helped This Woman Silence Bullies With Her Amazing Transformation

Meghan Gilbert endured years of bullying because of her weight. Cruel classmates even taunted her with nicknames like "Thunder Thighs" and "Jiggly Legs." But then this 1 thing changed everything about Meghan Gilbert's weight-loss journey. And she silenced her bullies with an amazing transformation!

Meghan struggled with her weight all throughout her childhood. The taunts and name-calling from bullies at school only made matters worse.

"I used to be called 'thunder thighs'," she recalls. "People would say 'thunder just struck' when I entered the room because my legs would 'jiggle so much'."

Diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Meghan wound up turning to food for comfort.

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The vicious cycle spiraled out of control after Meghan went on a cruise. The ship's all-you-can-eat buffet opened a door to binge-eating. Meghan spent her time grazing the buffet, regularly knocking back four servings of lasagne and six bowls of ice cream in a single sitting.

Meghan's self-esteem plummeted as the scales climbed to 200 pounds. 

"I had no self-love or self-respect. I was lost," Meghan explained.

In addition to food, Meghan tried drowning her pain with booze and drugs. But nothing brought her lasting happiness. Things just kept getting worse. And finally, her self-destructive lifestyle came to a head.

"I woke up in the morning wanting to forget that I had to wake up. My life was just. . . sad," she recalled. "I hated every part of my body and being until I took one too many pills and sipped one too many drinks."

Meghan nearly overdosed. The eye-opening close call helped her see just how bad things were. When she woke up, the words from 2 Corinthians 5:7 she'd had tattooed to her body:

"Walk by faith, not by sight" 

This was Meghan's wake up call. She realized she had to make a serious change. But how?

The Secret Behind Meghan Gilbert's Weight-Loss

There was no quick fix or magic formula to do the trick. Starvation diets just left her feeling exhausted. Meghan realized it was going to take commitment and determination to change her life.

But she did find one thing really fueled her success -- making the choice to love herself. And this decision came from Jesus!

"The Bible preaches love! That's Jesus's commandment. So that's where I started. I loved myself," she said.

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Of course, learning to love herself was a day-by-day process. But Meghan focused on loving God and all of His creation, which included her. And a renewing of her mind and body took place, which she honored through baptism.

WATCH: Meghan Gets Baptized

 

Just posting a throw back to the most beautiful, healing, kind, loving, and most of all healing moment of my entire life. I can’t wait to get back to California so I can surround myself with Godly people and grow spiritually. God is sooo good!! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭

A post shared by Meghan Gilbert (@megsmotivationn) on Mar 12, 2018 at 8:02am PDT

God's love gave Meghan the motivation to keep pushing herself toward a healthier lifestyle. It's what made Meghan Gilbert's weight-loss journey a success.

"When I learned to love myself I wanted to treat my body well," she says. "I wanted to eat healthy, stop taking chemicals and drugs, stop drinking sodas, and get exercise."

Meghan Gilbert's Weight-Loss Journey -- Amazing Transformation

With her mind and heart set in the right place, Meghan Gilbert's weight-loss journey resulted in an incredible transformation. She did an overhaul on her diet, opting to fuel her body with healthy foods. She also started exercising regularly.

RELATED: 3 Changes Helped 600+ Pound Woman Drop Over 400 Pounds

Meghan started off slow with light workouts at home. Gradually, she moved her workouts to a local park and then, eventually, enlisted the help of a personal trainer.

As her diet improved and activity levels increased, Meghan saw progress she never imagined possible. She dropped over 80 pounds and 8 dress sizes!

 

A post shared by Meghan Gilbert (@megsmotivationn) on Jun 7, 2018 at 3:55pm PDT

But Meghan didn't abandon her efforts once the weight was off. She's stuck with her healthy lifestyle over the past 3 years. She no longer worries about losing weight. Instead, she focuses on regular cardio and strength training to stay healthy and toned. It's a regimen she's come to love.

Meghan documented her journey of transformation through her Instagram account, @megsmotivationn. There, she uses her real-life inspirational story to encourage others.

"Trials are like God's gym. Building you up to prepare for what is to come next," Meghan writes on Instagram.

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No matter what you've been through or where you are in life, it's never too late to make a change. And the key to success is a firm foundation in Christ!

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

h/t: LAD Bible