My biggest obstacle in signing up for Katie’s retreat was being afraid that I would not be accepted as myself.

I found that my fears were unfounded, and we all had our own battles to overcome. I was accepted with open arms, which was very heartwarming. I liked how we all could laugh and feel at ease with each other. There were some very emotional moments for us, and we were all accepting and nonjudgmental with each other.

Some of the benefits to me included, meeting some fantastic women who are struggling with issues, just as I am; learning that secrets will keep me sick (so I found the courage to share my issues with this group of women, who in turn, shared theirs with me); and I discovered it's not easy to be honest, although in this retreat setting and with the support of some amazing people, I felt safe enough to dig into my ‘soul’ and find answers.

I would recommend Katie’s Renewal Retreats to any woman who is struggling with issues around her weight loss and acceptance of herself. It is a very powerful tool to place in our ‘shed’ for the hard work of finding ourselves in the ‘dirt’ of life.

Just remember that weight loss isn't going to clear up a lifetime of bad habits, and if you feel like you're alone with your issues and are afraid of ‘failure,’ once again, Katie Jay offers you hope to work on ‘getting it right.’ This journey isn't something that is a quick fix. It is a lifetime commitment to ourselves.