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MEET THE KROCKS: We are a married couple who started on a life-changing whole food, plant-based weight loss journey in June 2018. To date, we have lost over 290 pounds combined and we aren’t done yet! Read Our Story
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There are things we all know we NEED to change or should work on, but sometimes you just aren’t ready. People ask us a lot about the “last straw” that made us decide to start our weight loss journey (well, Brian likes to call it our weight loss “adventure”). In today’s video, we discuss what inspired us to finally start losing weight.
Deciding to embark on such a major lifestyle change can be overwhelming. For us, we needed to make a BIG change all at once instead of several small changes over time, but that approach might not work for everyone. Each person has to carve out their own path. It can’t be forced on them – THEY have to be ready for the change.
We had a shift in our mindsets that allowed us to be open to change, and then we found information that gave us the tools we needed to actually make it happen. The stars aligned and we were finally able to do it – but only after years of trying to reach that point and falling short.
Watch the video to hear us discuss what our “last straw” was and more!
If you are new to us, learn more about our journey adventure here:
YouTube Playlist (all of our videos in order they were posted)
How We Got Started On Our Whole Food, Plant-Based Weight Loss Journey
How We Lost 270 Pounds (The “Secret” To Our Weight Loss)
One Year Weigh-In: WFPB Weight Loss Update + Non-Scale Victories
Q&A: Ten Personal Questions With The Krocks
Q&A: Our 290 Pound Weight Loss Journey
What We Eat In A Day For Weight Loss
Our Weekly Salad Prep Guide
We would love to hear about the final straw that kicked off YOUR weight loss adventure! Leave a comment below!
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Presto!: How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical TalesEat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss
Great video! You guys are inspiring. My boyfriend and I have had many “final straws” over the years and we’ve both lost and then regained weight, but this time the catalyst was a combination of desperation, a weight loss challenge with friends and…your videos! I will admit I wasn’t 100% on board at first because it sounded kinda crazy, especially the potato-only part, but we both had immediate results and that was great motivation for me. Since June, we’ve lost about 55 lbs. between us and we still have a ways to go, but I believe this will be the kind of lifestyle change that sticks. Now our friends say that WE are inspiring. One of them even made Brian’s yummy vegan chili and it was a hit! Thank you for sharing your adventure. 😁
Wow Jodie! Thanks for sharing that 🙂 Great job on the weight loss and inspiring others!
My final straw came in July, 2017, when test results showed the first stages of kidney failure. I had been a Type 1 diabetic at that time for nearly 57 years and struggled with retinopathy, neuropathy, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and rheumatoid arthritis–not to mention being morbidly obese. Then someone told me about a video with these two guys from Mastering Diabetes, and I learned about how a whole food plant based lifestyle could help me. Now, over 2 years later, my life has drastically improved. I’ve lost over 80 pounds, I’m off all blood pressure and cholesterol medications, my kidneys are stabilized, and my arthritis is in remission. Having said all that, let me take a minute to thank you two for the wonderful work you’re doing! My wife and I thoroughly enjoy all your videos, and love that you are real, caring people. Keep up this great adventure!
Thank you for sharing Christopher! And for the kind words! Great job turning your life around – it’s definitely not an easy thing to do!
I loved your “Final Straw” vid!
Awesome info for starting a new “Adventure”! I’ve started & failed many times in my life, but starting my new Adventure now seems diff. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks Glinda! We’ll be rooting for you ❤️
I’m hoping that last Sunday was my “last straw” but after so many years of yoyo dieting, I no longer trust myself so who knows. I reacted (completely unlike myself) and said something to a stranger that I immediately regretted. I realized that it was just due to my own frustration and self hatred. That shook me. I thought “Oh my god, who AM I? This is NOT who I am!”
I spent the remainder of the day and the next 3 days in tears off and on all day. Yesterday I didn’t cry. Today I am again.
I feel beaten, let down and confused by the health and diet industry. I finally gave up on Weight Watchers after a lifetime of off and on membership. I finally had this thought…
“If Freestyle is so good then why isn’t Oprah at goal weight?” I’m over it.
I’ve been eating Vegan for 4 months and still have had no significant weight loss. This was my last hope. My adventure (like many) is a bit more complicated due to lack of support. I still cook two meals for dinner – one for him and one for me. He’s very clear that he has no intension of eating this way and I get it but I’m tired (mostly emotionally).
At this point I feel that all that’s left to do is to simply to be constantly hungry and starve the weight off. It’s the only thing I haven’t tried. I’ll let you know.
Thank you, thank you for all your videos. You two bring so much information and inspiration to us. Bless you.
Don’t give up Shirley!! We are actually posting a video this week where we will ask people who don’t have support like we do to share any tips they have, so maybe there will be some good ideas in the comments there. Keep us posted on how your “adventure” goes. I totally understand being tired emotionally. None of this is easy, but it is worth the struggle in the end. Thanks for sharing with us ❤️
Thank you, Jessica. I’ll look for that video for sure. I remember watching the video (I think it was the 1 year after the potatoes), one. You both said how you couldn’t have done it without the other and my heart sank because I kneew I was on my own.
You both have so much to be proud of. What a great job you’ve done! Thank you both again for putting so much of your hearts and souls into helping others try to make some kind of sense out of eating. As you well know, everybody has a miricle diet and every one of them are the key. So confusing. Big hugs to you both.
Hi Shirley,
I wanted to say that you and I are in a similar boat. I’ve yet to convince the husband to give it a try. And I decided that I needed to just to it for myself. I also had to cook two meals last night — one for me and one for him. Although I’ve decided I will not cook all the unhealthy of years past all the time. I also won’t make him eat all the veggie meals either. Although, he has now gone up another size, 5xl, in less than a year. And yesterday I decided it was finally time for me to just begin my adventure. So while I was trying to convince him we needed a change I was making some recipes from here and other places that were whole food plant based. He liked some of them but is just not ready. I feel like I can no longer wait for him to be ready and I need to just do. So I’ve experimented for months of vegan meals here and there. And I been down a disturbing anoxia path in my youth and now I no longer want that. So I don’t think I need to starve myself and I really hope you don’t either. It could cost you more unhappiness health wise in the long run. I wanted to make changes that would be healthier for my body and I’m really hoping it comes with an added benefit of some weight loss. I decided to try a Mary’s mini. I wanted to kick start a healthy lifestyle. I really feel for you as I feel we r both in a similar situation. Know that you are not alone. Keep your head up and stay positive. Good luck to u.
Hi Vanesa, This went into my junk mail so I just found it (and hopefully fixed that problem).
Thank you so much for your really nice reply. I does help to know that others are going through similar challenges.
I think the thing that is the most upsetting for me (regarding weight loss) is simply the confusion over what to do. What is the public suppose to think when Weight Watchers is the right way lose weight but so is High Carb and Paleo and Keto and Vegan and Jenny Craig and on and on. There’s gluten-free and Dairy-free. There are pills and drinks and maybe my very favorite diet advise ever, “Move more, eat less”. Such great advice. Why didn’t I think of that!
I’m still not sure whether I’ll be able to do this or not. I’m certainly not interested in “white knuckling” a diet anymore and what I’m going through now is definitely white-knuckling. I’m feeling a distance happening in my (almost 47 year) marriage and it’s making me extremely uncomfortable. My husband has Parkinson’s and I feel like this is the time that we need to pull together, not apart. I really wish there were an answer that worked for the both of us.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for your reply and send a big cyber hug and well wishes to you while you navigate these waters as well. Thank again.
Since reading “Presto” I find that when I start to slip and de-adventure my choices, listening to Penn Jilette on audible reallu helps. You and your husband are my favorite tour guides on this adventure. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you for watching and following along!
I love your videos and recipes! Also i would love the hot chocolate recipe. 😃
It is coming out later today 🙂 !
Thank you so much for sharing. I ran across your videos on YouTube and was inspired by your healthy cooking at first. I am the mother of six children and struggle to feed everyone healthy and frugally. Your video today struck a chord deep within me. I discovered YouTube because I’m pretty much bed-bound these days because of a head injury. Everyday is a struggle to move and talk. Your courage to call it an adventure and not a journey and that by one small step I can make changes to get better is incredibly encouraging to me You have blessed me and I am sure countless others. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing Jennifer ❤️ We really appreciate the kind words!
Mine wasn’t so much of a last straw but a fork in the road where I turned left instead of right. I had started to gain weight and was also getting tired of meat but kept eating it because I “knew” it was healthy. I then retired where I had time to read books. I chose a new book from the library called “Eat to Live” by Dr. Fuhrman. The book made a lot of sense and so I told my neighbor about it and she said, ” You might be interested in seeing this film called Forks Over Knives.” So I went over to her house and watched it. All the questions I had in the beginning of the film were answered by the end and that very day I changed my way of eating and have loved all the wonderful flavors of my new foods ever since. I realize now that I knew nothing about nutrition and how food affects our arteries so I read books about WFPB nutrition and look at blogs daily. Years ago, my mom suffered from a series of strokes that left her bedridden for two years in a nursing home. Before this, she had been a vibrant woman who could do it all. I don’t want this to happen to me and I now have the tools to prevent it.
It sounds like everything fell into place at the right time! Thank you for sharing!
My mom has been unhealthy ever since I can remember. I am not exaggerating when I tell you she takes somewhere between 15-20 piles a day. I always said to myself, that I would ever get to that point. But sure enough, at my annual physical last year, I was diagnosed with diabetes and high cholesterol. Both of which I was prescribed medicine for. I changed my way of eating that very day and haven’t looked back. I am now off both insulin and cholesterol medication. I love your You Tube channel. Yours and other plant based channels is what reminds me each day what I need to do to stay healthy. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing Jolette. I am glad to hear you were able to make a change. ❤️
Thank you so much for the videos. You both are such and inspiration. My final straw moment was last March 2018. I had the book FOK, and never put the connection together until I watched the documentary. After watching it, I found the book and started that day. I lost 30 lbs quickly, but didn’t track how long. I have been cheating on myself all year and now I feel I need to overhaul my small habits that keep me stuck. I know that this is the only way to eat, after so attempts to lose weight and become heart attack proof. I followed up with Chef AJ and Dr Esselstyn’s book. I recently discovered your YouTube channel, and patiently wait for the latest tips. I love that you go into great detail, it helps. Thank you so much and keep the videos coming.
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoy the detail 🙂 Sometimes I think I get carried away with details 😀
It’s crazy that this video popped up today because I was just thinking to myself that’s it! I hate all pictures of me and I am never going to be the best me until I conquer loving myself and doing things that better me before I completely destroy me! As we ate pizza last night I was like ugh this is just not good and why do we keep eating this crap? My husband and I gained a lot more weight when we got together and we are both at our biggest weighing about 700 combined. I have been ready to start whole food plant based for months now and started incorporating a few healthier things and lost a few lbs but I am beyond ready to go all in. My husband doesn’t support giving up meat so I am not sure how well this will go but I won’t give up trying to get him on board. I feel like if I show him how eating better (non-meat)and more food could help then maybe he would jump on the plant train!! Alcohol is also an issue in our lives and I am trying to quit the cycle but it seems to be an addiction my husband can’t stop. But today I decided enough is enough and I want more and a better life. So if he wants to get out of our depressed routine he is gonna need to follow my lead because I am moving up in the world! My adventure starts today and again I am so happy this post came up today it’s exactly what I needed!! Thank you for sharing your adventure with the world! You have made a difference in mine and I love all your recipes and videos so please don’t ever stop!!!