“Everything was at stake”
Before I started the Challenge, I was at an extremely unhealthy weight. Everything was at stake — honestly, any moment could have been my last. My family wasn’t able to save money because of all the eating out. Not only was I bloating my body, but I was bloating my debt as well. My inner critic was telling me that I needed to make a change. I would always tell myself that I would start the next day, or the next week, but I never did.
“I made up my mind to make a small change.”
Then one day my fellow associate, Ashley, shared her success with the Challenge in a meeting, and my interest was piqued. I liked that she talked about how small changes add up. I made up my mind that I would make a small change by taking a few minutes to be active outside of work. So I’d go outside and run around with my 4-year-old son, Rivers, for 10 minutes. Then I started walking — and now I’m jogging up to six miles a day. My goal now is to complete a mini marathon.
I also started tracking calories on an app on my phone. At first, I didn’t set a goal. I was like, just keep eating the way you’re eating, and record it. And then I slowly gave myself a limit. My wife and I also do healthy food substitutions. A favorite is to take cauliflower florets, lightly sprinkle with panko, and bake them. That’s our substitution for chicken wings. I also use the Thrive App to look for suggestions for Better Choices and to get motivation from other peoples’ stories.
I’m on the last notch of my second belt, and getting ready to go buy my third. I’m having to buy new clothes, and have donated probably half my closet.
“A really positive feedback loop.”
I’ve never had more energy than I do now. I’m sleeping better, and I’m more positive.
Not only am I spending more time with my family, but that time is now spent doing healthy activities together, which is improving the health of all members of the household.
Pretty much everyone I talked to is just beaming about it — I have a really nice positive feedback loop. It’s given me a lot more confidence, and I’ve transferred this into my work by taking on more projects for my team.
“The sky’s the limit.”
I’m hoping that everyone can read my story and see that it doesn’t matter how out of shape or overweight you are — it’s never too late to start making changes. After seeing my results, several co-workers have been motivated to start getting active and watching their diets, too.
What I’ve learned is that I can actually do it. It starts with one small Better Choice, and can snowball into something amazing. I feel like the sky’s the limit.
––Brent Scamihorn, Distribution Center #7055; Gas City, IN; $5K Winner