The last few years have been tough. I went through a divorce and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I’m in remission now, but recently I was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome — my whole body was in constant pain. I’m 48 with four kids and I take care of my elderly parents.
I couldn’t walk up the stairs — my kids would have to help me.
I had no energy. It was hard to walk at all. I couldn’t exercise and put on weight. It’s been one thing after another. I was eating fast food from In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A, and I weighed 290 pounds. My sister-in-law, Peggy, who works at Walmart, told me about Challenge — she was a winner. What I love is the way it helps me set goals and stick to them.
First, I cleared all the junk food, like chips, cookies and candy out of the house.
I gave it all away and stocked up on fruit, veggies, meat, and fish. I now make a tasty broccoli beef stir-fry with cauliflower rice and I started making my own cauliflower pizza crust. I boil the cauliflower, blend it with cheese, and bake it. I’ll add sauce and top it with cheese and lots of veggies. For dessert, I’ll make keto-style, sugar-free cheesecake with a pecan crust. Following this low-carb plan, I quickly started to feel better. And because I’m not buying junk food, I’m saving $300 a month.
Instead of sitting on the couch, I’ll go to the park with the kids.
I bought a Wii U console with games and we’re always jumping around, jogging, and boxing. The kids love it and we all have fun. I’ve created a home gym with weights, a treadmill, an exercise bike, and an elliptical machine.
I’m grateful for my job and look at life and work in a different way now.
I am an I.T. manager in a hospital. It’s very demanding, and during the pandemic I played a vital role converting our patients’ appointments to telehealth as well as running a vaccine station. I appreciate being able to give back. I also volunteer for my church, helping out elderly people in our community. I’ll do grocery shopping for them and take them to doctors’ appointments. And I volunteer helping homeless people.
I lost a lot of weight, I’m feeling great, and the pain has almost gone.
The Challenge has been a godsend. It helps me focus on me and keeps me on track. My kids encourage me because they see how I’ve changed. They’ll say: “Did you do your ‘Thrive’ today?” As a family, we’re a lot closer. Our communication has improved and we’re bonding more. Inspired by me, my two sisters and a co-worker have downloaded the app. My hopes and dreams for the future: I’d love to meet my life partner, get married and travel. My goal: to buy a family home.
—Robin Nathan, Walmart Customer, Supercenter #2479; San Diego, CA; $5K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making Better Choices, seeing big results, and winning big.