Before I took on the Thrive Challenge, I was confused, obese, and didn’t have much motivation. I was dealing with debt and the pain of my divorce, and completely lost control of my health because of my anger and guilt. I was over 260 pounds and looked at myself as a failure. I decided to make a change after my friend, Adedolapo, told me about the Thrive community. He had dropped some pounds and felt much healthier from taking the Challenge. He asked me to come on board, and I decided to start my Challenge last March. I knew it was time to work on my blood pressure, weight, and diet.
“I can’t tell you how much better I feel.”
Before I started making changes, I wasn’t active. I was eating a lot of fast food and was struggling with hypertension. I began exercising, and I’m so much more energetic. Now I have the endurance to run for an hour without stopping. My daughter often works out with me, too. I have come a long way, considering I used to be out of breath from taking the stairs! I’ve also stopped eating fast food and drinking soda. I keep a food diary where I track my calories. I’ve gotten into the habit of reading nutrition labels and watching out for foods that are high in sodium and fat. I can’t tell you how much better I feel. I’ve lost 20 pounds so far and continue to work hard to reach my target weight. I’ve purchased at-home workout equipment so I can keep exercising during the pandemic.
“I have proven my own mindset wrong.”
I am taking the money I would’ve spent on fast food and soda and putting it toward paying off my debt. In just eight months, I’ve made drastic improvement on my debt and have raised my credit score by 100 points! I am feeling less depressed now that I am freeing myself from debt. I initially had the mindset that it was not doable to pay off debt and still have some extra money on the side. I have proven my own mindset wrong, and now use the extra money to give my daughters a better future and make life more fun for me and my kids.
“I feel fulfilled and accomplished.”
I am paying more attention to gratitude. I have taken a special interest in the way I relate to people and my family. I have become more courteous and friendly with others and take extra time to ask how they are doing. If anyone had told me I would be achieving all that I am doing now, I wouldn’t have believed them. I’m sharing my progress with my family and have been encouraging my sister to come on board with the Challenge and track her progress. I’ve gained the strength to know I can change things around me. There is hope and light at the end of this tunnel!
—Abimbola Somoye, Walmart Customer; San Antonio, TX; $2K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making Better Choices, seeing big results, and winning big.
Stories from past winners, such as Abimbola Somoye, prove that every individual has the power to transform their life every day through a combination of small, sustainable changes and peer-to-peer inspiration.