10 Things My Husband And I Did To Lose 60 Pounds In Less Than 6 Months

This is a blog topic I haven’t covered much yet, but OMG, my husband is looking fly these days! I love that I can tell he feels great, too. Together, since January 1, we have lost a combined total of more than 60 pounds; He is around 40 pounds lost; I am at 23 pounds.

I’ve already been through the roller coaster that is gaining and losing weight thanks to pregnancy, but this was new for him. He decided at the end of last year that he was ready for change in 2015. I was so taken with his enthusiasm, I decided to jump on board with him to shed my baby weight once and for all and commit to making our entire house healthier.

Back in 2009, at the peak of our weight gain. I was a size 14 here, and am now a size 6/8.

Everyone has been asking us what we’ve been doing, and honestly, it’s nothing crazy. We haven’t deprived our bodies of carbs or sugar or taken on some insane workout program. All we’ve done? Tracked what we consume, get our portions under control, and move more.

Here’s what has worked for us:

• Tracking calories. Calorie counting sounds daunting, and it is at first, but I urge you to do it for a week, regardless if you want to lose weight. Not only does it help you determine where you can make healthier choices, but it also is great for learning portion control. My Fitness Pal rocks and is a free app that is SO easy to use.
• Set realistic goals! Start by trying to lose 5 or 10 pounds over a few months, or just losing inches around your waist. Going from eating a ton of junk to ALL healthy and trying to lose 50 pounds is a bit extreme and you will likely burn out quickly…and be hangry 😉
• Easy swaps. We couldn’t possibly cut cheese out completely, so we have switched to 2% milk cheese and get the thin sliced stuff to make portion control easier. We use more mustard and less mayo, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, plain popcorn and not chips. These switches can add up big time in the calorie department.
• No sugary beverages. We’ll still use an occasional pop for mixed drinks, but I have nixed my habit. It was hard to kick the can, but so needed. When I feel a craving hit {especially during summer!}, I will reach for an Absopure Cap10 sparkling water, which give me the carbonation without the empty calories. 
• Nix the snacking. We used to have a lot of processed junk hanging around the house and would snack at night once the kids were in bed. Now, when we need a snack, we choose wisely. A light string cheese, a banana, Smart Pop popcorn or a hand full of nuts are our go-to items. Not having garbage in the house makes it easy to make the right choice.
• Practice the 80/20 rule. We try to eat right 80 percent of the time, and leave 20 percent to indulge. {I cannot function without a little coffee creamer and chocolate in my day, and my husband could never do without a beer while he’s grilling.} It’s all about moderation.
• Less carbs. We do have occasional pasta, bread and cookies, but way less. They just have too many calories and not enough health benefits, so now those things are just an occasional treat.
• Less meat. This was a big one for my husband. When we do have meat, it’s mostly chicken and fish…Lots and lots of fish. I have learned some new recipes and absolutely love it now!
• We buy a lot of produce. I absolutely hate to toss unused produce, so I find I will eat it if it’s filling up the fridge and I need to make room for something else.
• We move. Our kids help keep us active, but we also try to make time for ourselves to stay fit. My husband trained for a half marathon a few years ago and was disappointed the scale didn’t move. It has been proven exercise doesn’t help with weight loss. BUT, for us, exercise definitely helps in the energy department. We love using our Fitbits to ensure we get our daily 10,000 steps needed just to be healthy.

A big reason these changes have worked for us? We were mentally ready. Weight loss just doesn’t happen unless you are ready for it and can discipline yourself. I wasn’t ready until kids entered the picture and I knew I needed to get my butt in gear so I would have more energy.

Us currently. A nice, welcome change with healthy BMIs and TONS more energy!

Our kids have been a huge motivator. They see us eating healthy and taking care of ourselves and want to copy us. They eat salad, stretch with us, and ‘run.’ They think it’s cool to be healthy. As long as we keep this up, I think our work here is done 😉

Thankful my husband and I can keep each other in check and learn together in this journey to better health.

Because, I have to say…I am much happier in the photo on the right 😉

If you’ve experienced big weight loss, what worked best for you?