Before I decided to change my life and start the Thrive Challenge, I had health problems because of my weight. I was hospitalized for several days, and because of my high weight, a doctor recommended I get bariatric surgery. But when I met with my nutritionist, she told me, “I know that you can do this. I know that you can reach that goal without medical help.”
Whenever I went through the human resources area at work, I saw the Thrive Challenge book. So after my health scare, I decided to download the Thrive app and start my own Challenge. The first day, I copied down almost all the Microsteps, picked my favorites, and did them with a lot of motivation and focus.
My very first step was to change my diet and start exercising.
One of my favorite Microsteps is to create a short list of go-to healthy meals I can prep in advance. I cook my meals for the week according to a balanced diet so that, even if I get delayed, my meals are already made and I don’t eat something that isn’t nutritious. I also started exercising three or four times a week and I’m taking more than 6,000 steps every day. Above all, I try to drink at least two more glasses of water than I would normally drink. Now I drink about three liters of water every day.
With my new lifestyle, my thinking has changed for the better.
My journey has positively affected my family. Now, they’re not concerned that I may have health problems. Since I’m preparing my own food, I can save money to fulfill my dream of having my own home. I may have chosen the Thrive Challenge to lose weight, but it has changed many things in my life.
Having so many friends and co-workers supporting me every day keeps me going.
They have watched over me during the whole process. They have been there with me, hand-in-hand, giving their support and saying nice things. Thanks to Walmart and Thrive, I feel that I have a second family that helps me fulfill my purpose and reach my goal.
I have lost about 110 pounds, and I did it on my own.
It is very difficult to lose weight, and that is why many people turn to alternatives to do it fast. I learned to change my lifestyle, because at the end of the day, I can make a change in my physique — but if it is not in my mind, I will go back to the same thing.
That’s where the Thrive Challenge has helped me a lot. It helped me realize that it’s not about just one change, and it’s not about a challenge or winning something; instead, it teaches you how to maintain a good lifestyle in whatever you decide to do — whether it’s losing weight, financial management, or other areas. The Thrive Challenge teaches you to maintain a daily routine so you can succeed.
— Johanna Santos, Walmart Supercenter ##2346, Toa Baja, PR; $5K Winner
