My clothes weren’t fitting as well as they used to, but I didn’t realize how much weight I had gained until I saw an old picture of myself. That was the moment I knew it was time to make some changes. Thrive is helping me stick with my better choices and stay motivated. The feedback I get when I share pictures to my Thrive group on Facebook is encouraging, and makes it easier to keep going. I’ve changed my eating and I am more active these days. Even small things, like walking instead of driving, or mowing my own yard for a workout, are helping me. When I was 340 pounds, I used to have a hard time tying my shoes. Now, my weight is down to about 295 and I’ve lost two pant sizes!
- After losing almost 50 pounds, I don’t feel sluggish or heavy like I used to.
- At home, I do sit-ups, push-ups, and use dumbbells.
- Now that I have more energy, I’m able to be more active with my kids.
- I’ve cut out late night eating and keep an eye on my portions.
I used to eat a lot of fried food and junk food. Starches like bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes have always been favorites for me. Basically, I was eating all the wrong stuff. I love all of that food, but I love me more. Now, I’m limiting carbs and stopped drinking soda. I never used to be a vegetable eater, but now I eat lots of cabbage, carrots, and broccoli. My wife has been very encouraging and has also lost weight. At work it can be easy to buy bad snacks, but my friends are there to keep me on track. I’m lucky to have a whole community of people, at home and at work, who have my back. I’m happy to see the results of my better choices, but I have even bigger goals ahead. I’m not done yet!
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making better, healthier choices, seeing big results, and winning big.
Stories from past winners, such as Derolies Ivey, prove that every individual has the power to transform their life every day through a combination of small, healthier choices and peer-to-peer inspiration.