My mom had a massive heart attack, and it was scary. It was a wake-up call that motivated me to change my lifestyle. She had high cholesterol. I also had very high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I’m 39, I weighed 254 pounds, and I really wanted to lose weight and get healthy. I was in a lot of pain — my knees hurt a lot and I didn’t feel good about myself.
I downloaded the Thrive app and started to make changes with Microsteps.
I began making healthy food choices. The hardest obstacle for me was staying motivated every day. But I overcame that by focusing on my goals. I eat a lot of protein, like hamburger meat and eggs. For lunch, I’ll have a hamburger or chicken breast, and for dinner I’m eating mainly grilled chicken and broccoli. Also, cooking at home instead of eating out is helping me save money.
A Microstep that’s really helping me is moving my body every day.
I walk on my treadmill in the morning before work and I exercise again at home after work. I use dumbbells and I’ll do push ups. And three days a week I go to the gym. I listen to country and rock music while I work out. Once I was moving every day, I started to feel better, and now I feel great. I have a lot more energy.
Work has improved because it’s easier to move around.
I’m in a better mood. I watch Thrive Reset videos to stay calm and relaxed. And I watch classes that are offered on the app. The thing that helped the most was the checklist reminding me to complete my Microsteps every day. That gave me a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to keep on going.
My sleep is better.
I set a night time schedule. I go to bed at the same time every night and I put my electronics away an hour before bedtime. I get the rest I need and wake up ready for the day.
To relax, I love to go fishing — I go anytime the weather permits.
I love to fish at Lake Waco and the Brazos river. I like to hang out with friends and family. We have group gatherings to watch sports and play games.
I’ve lost 40 pounds and I feel much more confident and less stressed since my weight loss.
My Thrive journey has been life-changing. I went to the doctor the other day and I weighed 214 pounds. I was very happy when I saw that number. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
— Matthew Howard, Distribution Center #9153, Waco, TX; $5K Winner