Last year, I was feeling the effects of the pandemic. I was starting to gain back weight that I had lost before, and I was feeling tired and unmotivated. My time with my family was also not as active as it had once been. It felt like we were turning into couch potatoes and streaming shows instead of getting out and experiencing life.
Stepping on the scale inspired me to start the Challenge.
I saw how the pandemic was making me take steps backwards, and I talked to my wife about what I wanted to do differently. She had mentioned that her sister and brother-in-law were in the same boat, so we all talked and decided to have a competition to start the new year to see who could lose the most weight. This created the motivation for all of us to get started.
I have been on a weight loss journey for the last five years, and I’ve dropped over 160 pounds.
But I hit a wall where I could not get below 240 pounds. Thrive showed me that small changes in my eating could make the difference I needed. I started to count calories and make small changes: looking at snacks and alternatives, thinking about portion size, and making simple substitutions, like swapping cashew milk for regular milk. The small things are what really added up in the end.
The concept of small steps is what allowed me to get over the final hump.
In the end, the four of us collectively lost over 100 pounds, and this year has been game-changing. I’ve lost 52 pounds. I am exercising every day, whether by walking or doing cardio and strength training. I am also starting to dabble in yoga. My resting heart rate has gone down. I have dropped an additional two shirt sizes and six inches off my waist. I have more energy and I am getting more done, both at home and at work.
Now, we are healthier as a family.
We spend more time outdoors. We’re starting to hike harder trails in the nearby national parks and have even taken on some home renovation projects that we would have never thought we could do in the past.
Now, I wake up more refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
I can’t believe how much easier it is to layer several small changes together rather than aiming for big changes that just wear you down. It is something I am really conscious of now, both in life and at work. I am really finding that this mindset makes it easier to excel at work and makes my life much more full and meaningful.
—Gary Price, Market #28; New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, Canada; $2K Winner