My husband and I have been married for 14 years and we have 6 kids, our oldest being 12 and the youngest being 3. Both of us have had a really hard time losing weight and sticking to a consistent diet.
After going to the doctor both of us found out that we needed to lose weight due to health issues. I was talking to my cousin about my trip to the doctor and she introduced me to Weight Watchers. She said that I could gain all the information I needed about food and fix my dinners accordingly. This was a bit of a challenge because preparing meals for a large family is really expensive already, but doing it in a healthier manner would cost even more. But we had to weigh out the cost with our (even our kids’) health, so we started making a great deal of changes.
We have a son that has Type 1 Diabetes so we were able to teach not only him about glucose and insulin but also the rest of the kids. Weight Watchers encourages exercising and so I began my step aerobics video that had been sitting in my closet. We had the video from Cathe, The Step: Basic Step and Cardio and Weights. It took me about 4 weeks to move to the Cardio and Weights from the Basic Step but I began to work out more and more.
When my husband would get off work we would take all of the kids (double stroller and all) for a 3 mile walk around our neighborhood. After we would complete our family walks my husband would go back out and jog another 4 miles. We did this about 4 times a week because we wanted this to become a lifestyle for us not a diet program.
Our meals were some of the same foods we have grown to love but we modify how they are prepared. We only buy red potatoes instead of regular ones. We buy more fruits and veggies in place of chips and candy. We also purchased a Nutri Bullet that we use each and every day.
My husband lost 35 pounds and I lost 25 in about an 8 month time frame. We have purchased 4 more Cathe step aerobic videos and also another step so that my husband and I can step together. With Weight Watchers teaching me about food and the videos that we have, we will have success for a long time. We have called Cathe Friedrich our very own personal trainer. 🙂
Good job! I especially like the fact that you and your family exercise together. And you’re right–being consistent is the key to your on-going success. Keep up the good work. I work out with Cathe DVDs at least six days a week. She is so encouraging. You can’t have a bad day when Cathe is on the screen. Yay!
God Bless you and your beautiful family.
This is first Cathe success story where the actual food plan was mentioned. This is very encouraging. Congratulations. You both look happy and healthy.
Lots of love to a beautiful couple setting a great example for the kids. I really enjoyed reading your story and it gave me some motivation to get my diet in gear and stop eating so much junk! I just finished week two of mesocycle 1, STS, but my diet is pretty messy. Thanks for giving me some schooling!
Thanks for sharing your inspirational story with the rest of the Cathlete community! I cannot even imagine how busy life is for you and your husband, but you certainly show that if diet and exercise is important, it can fit into just about any lifestyle! Kudos for showing your children at an early age what it’s like to commit to something and to stick with it. That lesson will also serve them well for their entire lives!
Great story! That is the way to do it…good and mindful eating and exercise. You are right, it is more expensive to eat healthy. It is a true lifestyle change and family affair and will benefit all your health challenges. Keep it up!
What a great example you are being for your kids too. It’s so important for them to learn early what a healthy lifestyle is. Way to go!
What a wonderful story! I, too, am so happy that you both have made this a family commitment. Your children will thank you in the years to come. 🙂 Congratulations to you and your hubby!