How My Husband and I Lost Over 100 Pounds … Together!

I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my life. And by that, I mean that it has always been something I’ve had to think about. I can’t eat what I want all the time, because it shows up on my hips about five minutes later.  Countless times, I’ve looked in the mirror or seen a picture of myself and looked away, criticizing every problematic area of my body. I’ve wished my legs were smaller, my arms were toned, and my love handles would disappear.  I don’t have a perfect body, but if I’m being honest, I don’t work hard for a perfect body, either.

As a mom, pregnancy controlled my diet {gestational diabetes} and a baby with severe food allergies controlled my diet when I was nursing.  By the time I was released from these strict diets, I just wanted to stop thinking about food and all of the crazy restrictions I had. I wanted to go eat at restaurants and not have to call ahead and talk to the chef about the ingredients. I wanted to eat queso and cookie dough ice cream and sandwiches {yes, even sandwiches were off-limits}.  And so I did… which was fun and fleeting for quite some time… until I realized one day it wasn’t.  It wasn’t fun to be overweight and feel uncomfortable in my clothes.  My eating had spun out of control, and I was miserable. I knew I could do better, and that I needed to do better. And so I did.

Last summer, I took back control of my diet, and this time it was for me. It was time for me to be healthy and set a proper example for my kids. I tracked my food, exercised more often, and it worked. In eight months, I lost 39 lbs. I went from a size 12 to a size 4. A FOUR. The first time I tried on a pair of size four pants I was in such shock that I took a picture of the tag and sent it to my husband! Talk about sticker shock!

BEFORE // AFTER

What happened next is something that I could have never predicted, but something that I had always hoped would happen. My husband decided to take control of his health, too. He saw how successful and manageable my lifestyle change was, and he decided to make a change for himself. Eight months ago, he began tracking his food, and six months ago, he started exercising. He’s now lost 76 pounds. SEVENTY-SIX POUNDS! He has completed two 5Ks and is now training for a half marathon. His pace is already way faster than mine ever was! He exercises at least four times a week and is such an inspiration to me when I feel unmotivated to eat right or work out. I am so proud of him, and I find myself checking him out even more these days!

BEFORE

AFTER

At this point, we are in maintenance mode and not dieting. I think this is the most challenging part, as we will see if we can truly incorporate these changes into our everyday life. If I’m being honest, so far I’m not doing so well, but my husband is. Making healthy choices is especially difficult during the summer when we just want to sit outside and eat ice cream with our kids, or drink adult beverages poolside. But we press on, knowing that one weekend of “cheat meals” won’t completely set us back. For the first time in our ten years together, we are exercising and eating healthy together, and I believe these changes have made us a stronger couple. I am sure that we are setting an incredible example for our kids, as they notice us exercising regularly, and they think that we really love salads!

What worked for us may not work for everyone else, but we learned some lessons that helped us survive dieting. You probably won’t find these tips in the pages of any fitness or health magazine, but they have worked for us, and they are worth passing along to anyone out there who needs motivation to just get started. Doing this together helped us because we were able to hold one another accountable {especially through the holidays when sweets were everywhere!}.

The most important thing is that you have to want the change. You can’t be half-hearted about it — you have to be all in on both the dieting and exercising if you want to see changes. Once you see changes, you should have no problem staying motivated!

DIET

  • Always keep sugar-free gum handy for moments you are craving a snack
  • Eat Mexican food! {We eat soft chicken tacos with homemade salsa at least once a week … our kids even look forward to Taco Tuesday!}
  • Cut out as much cheese as possible from your diet.
  • Drink lots of water. Everyone tells you this, so it’s worth doing.
  • Find flavorful, low-calorie food that you enjoy. We are addicted to Ritz chips at our house!
  • Plan out your menu each week so you aren’t scrambling last minute and making bad decisions.
  • Get rid of tempting food in the house … if it’s not there you can’t eat it.
  • Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, and completely eliminate drinking calories. {I’d rather eat my calories than drink them, thank you!}
  • When you want something sweet, have a Hershey kiss or a small handful of chocolate chips. It’s a far better choice than a bowl of ice cream or several cookies.

EXERCISE

  • Ease into exercising…you don’t have to sign up for a 5K the first day. Start with walking, and then gradually move into jogging, if that’s something you want to try.
  • Plan out your exercise schedule each week so each of you can get in your workouts while the other is home with the kids. Just like with meal planning, exercise takes planning, too.
  • If you are able, join a gym where the kids can go to a play area while the two of you exercise. We love our local YMCA!
  • Find something you love doing. I take spin classes that are a rhythm-based ride, which have become addicting for me. I’ve never loved working out, yet I plan my schedule around my weekly spin classes because I feel encouraged by my instructor and challenged by the workouts.
  • You don’t have to spend a ton of money to exercise.  Walking or jogging in your neighborhood is free. Or purchase some DVD’s and dumbbells so you can workout at home when it’s convenient for you! {I highly recommend the Jillian Michaels Shred series.} 

I hope our story has been encouraging for you, regardless of where you are on your road to health. Sound off in the comments below and let us know your diet and exercise tips too! 

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Brittney F
Originally from Louisiana, Brittney has called Houston home for nearly all her life. Brittney graduated from Houston Baptist University where she was a member of Phi Mu and a four-year cheerleader. It didn’t take long after graduation for her to meet her husband Jeremy on the sand volleyball courts at Memorial Park. She jokes that when marrying Jeremy, she also married LSU because she tied the knot with the most passionate Tiger football fan. Many weekends in the fall, they can be found in the shadows of Tiger Stadium at their big family tailgating party. Brittney has a Master's Degree from LSU and works in secondary education as an administrator and a cheerleading coach. Brittney and Jeremy have three boys, Connor {Nov 2012}, Parker {Nov 2014}, and Ryan {May 2018}. Brittney is a big baby-making, food allergy fighting, NICU surviving mom. Though she grew up surrounded by hairbows, pom poms, and lots of pink, Brittney now embraces being a boy mom. She loves raising her three boys and learning all about superheroes, baseball, and the pain of stepping on a lego when barefoot. In her kid-free time she enjoys working on craft projects, getting lost in a good book, and watching Grey's Anatomy.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Great job, kids. You both look terrific. I spoke with June (Mimi to you) yesterday and she had huge praises for you and Jeremy and commented about how handsome her grandson is!!! Love to you both and to Connor and Parker. Aunt Ruthie

  2. Congratulations on feeling better and losing the weight that you set out to lose !
    At first I had to do a double take of your before photos to make sure they weren’t your after shots. You really look good in both ! It made me feel a little bad about myself because I look now how you look in your before shots which is a body image you thought worthy of change. I don’t feel bad about my body size, however, I am a new mom and prior to baby was a size 8 and have since crept up to a size 12. For the first time, I have a little weight loss on my mind, but not to the extreme !
    It would be nice if in your article you could share some substantial changes that you made that helped make a difference for you. Maybe meal substitute that really helped you (for example…instead of the queso you reached for the …..), or a routine that worked for you that may benefit others to try!!
    I will end with saying that I really think it’s great that you and your husband did this together! This is a great way to set an example for your family ♡♡

  3. Wow! Congratulations on all of your hard work! I really love the idea of easing into exercise. I think that’s what really kills a lot of people’s motivation – they jump into working out super hard every day when they first start, and are less likely to be able to sustain that level long-term.

    When I first started working out again after having my baby, I made it my goal to work out twice a week. After I had met that goal for several weeks in a row and it felt super sustainable, I bumped it up to three, then four. I did the same with my diet. My first goal was just to track everything that I ate, making no changes, just being aware. Then I started decreasing sugars, then increasing vegetables, etc. You can create a whole new lifestyle one step at a time!

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