“I decided to participate in the nutrition challenge last year after hitting a wall with my weight loss. At that point I had lost 30 lbs. I was eating better in comparison to my previous eating habits but the nutrition challenge was difficult initially. Abstaining from alcohol was not the hardest part of the challenge. My sweet tooth is a problem. Prior to the challenge I was having 3 to 4 sweet treats a week. It was mostly ice cream and mochas.
What helped me during the challenge was signing up with a partner. Having a partner created a sense of accountability. I didn’t want to let my partner down. Having support at home helped too. My wife participated in the challenge. We meal planned and prep every week. Meal prep is time consuming but it proved to be very helpful throughout the week. After a couple of weeks, I became comfortable with the diet then the weight just came off.
At the end of the challenge I lost 25 lbs. The best part of the challenge for me was examining my eating habits and deciding to no longer make them a barrier to my weight loss goals. I have incorporated most of the nutrition challenge into my day to day life. The struggle with my sweet tooth is real but my fitness takes priority.” – Al Hearn