I used to have bad sleeping habits. I’d only get five or six hours of sleep each night, and I’d keep my phone right next to me. Looking at social media at night — especially if I saw images of war from my home country of Cameroon — would haunt me and keep me awake. In the morning, I felt tired and dizzy, but I just kept moving.
I also felt bad about myself because I was eating so much sugar, spending unnecessarily on fast food, and rarely exercising. When my family first came to the United States from Africa, we followed the status quo of eating fast food. I knew this wasn’t right. And as a pharmacist, I was telling other people not to eat fast food.
“I’m getting a full seven or eight hours of sleep each night.”
One day, my friend Sunday Oguntoyinbo told me about Thrive app. I thought, “If Sunday can do it, I can do it.” I downloaded the app and learned that I should be getting a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night. Now, each night before going to bed, I put my phone in the living room. I’ve stopped watching T.V. and looking at social media before going to sleep. I make sure to get a full seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Instead of watching T.V. for three hours a day, I use my Smart T.V. to do at-home exercise videos for an hour with my wife. I stretch when I wake up, do yoga, and walk a lot. Between taking my 2-year-old daughter on walks and getting steps in at both of my jobs, I’m on my feet for most of the day. I have lost eight pounds so far and feel more energized.
“We started cooking at home more often.”
As my sleep improved, the app also helped me work on my eating habits. We started cooking at home, making African dishes like jollof rice and plantains. We make beans and cocoa yams, and eat fruits like papaya, watermelon, and cantaloupe. I’m focused on eating more protein and less carbs, and drinking more water too. I am now drinking five water bottles a day instead of soda.
“I am a proud husband and father thanks to this journey.”
At first, I doubted that I could lose weight and get more sleep. The hardest part was staying consistent. Getting my wife involved in my fitness has helped me stay on track, as has setting my alarm so I make sure to get seven or eight hours of sleep. I am a proud husband and father thanks to this journey. I’m committed to improving my health and living better. My next goal is to build my savings account and make more payments on my student and car loans. I’ve saved $1,000 so far and am hopeful about the future.
– Anderson Kajang, Sam’s Club Customer; Fort Walton Beach, FL; $2K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making Better Choices, seeing big results, and winning big.
Stories from past winners, such as Anderson Kajang, 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.