At the start of last year, I was always tired and never had the energy to spend quality time with my family. I’m 43 with three kids. One of my 19-year-old twin daughters, Stephanie, is expecting a baby and I want to be healthier and more energetic for my granddaughter. I used to be a smoker, and since stopping, I’ve gained weight. I’d eat anything — hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. I had no portion control, didn’t exercise, and weighed 261 pounds. The turning point for me came when I saw a picture of myself someone had posted on Facebook. I was devastated at how big I looked!
My first step was to stop drinking tea with lots of sugar and drink water instead.
Then I gradually stopped eating out and cooking fried food. I bought a gas grill. We marinade chicken with teriyaki sauce and seasoning and throw it on the grill. I make delicious tilapia, baked in the oven and serve everything with salad.
I used to hate doing yard work — now I love cutting the grass.
I also like to do the weeding. And I have a vegetable garden — we’re growing squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes. We have rose bushes and my porch is covered with potted plants. I love spending time outdoors with my husband, Jason.
At work I walk as far as possible around the store, instead of taking shortcuts.
At home, I walk at least a mile a day around the neighborhood, and on days off I walk two miles in the morning and another two in the afternoon. When I’m out, neighbors stop me and tell me what an inspiration I am to them.
I do whatever I can to be helpful at work.
If I see someone struggling, I’m there to give advice. And when machines break down, if it’s a simple problem, I’ve learned how to fix them myself. I carry tools like pliers with me, which people think is cool — and I clean the machinery with alcohol. It helps out the maintenance crew when they’re extra busy.
I’m beyond excited about having a granddaughter on the way. My daughter lives with us, so we’ll have a new baby in the house. I already bought a jogging stroller so I can take her out with me.
I’ve lost a lot of weight and dropped 10 sizes.
I was a size 20 and I’m a size 10 now. I love shopping for clothes with my daughters, which I never enjoyed before. My whole family’s overjoyed for me. During the pandemic, I didn’t see my dad for six months and when we finally saw each other, I’d lost so much weight, he hardly recognized me.
The Challenge isn’t a diet, it’s a whole lifestyle program with a great support system.
It helps me stay on track and my life has changed dramatically. I can breathe better and move better. If not quite a hundred percent, I feel 95% better than before.
—Stacie Davis, Supercenter #2076; Laurens, S.C.; $5K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making Better Choices, seeing big results, and winning big.