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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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We just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary, so I thought it would be a great time to reflect on our relationship and discuss how weight loss has impacted our marriage. Check out the video to hear us discuss this and more!
We met via MySpace back in December 2006 and after chatting online for several weeks, we decided to meet in-person on January 16, 2007. I chose this gazebo in Webster Groves, MO as our meeting place, mainly because it was near a busy intersection and if Brian was going to murder me, at least we’d be in public. 🙂
Although we were just friends at the time, we ended up having a nice lunch at a romantic little place called Cyrano’s. We went next door to Euclid Records and had a nice little afternoon strolling around Webster Groves. We did take photos that day, so please enjoy some of the first photos we ever took of each other below.
What we didn’t know at the time is that later in June 2007, we would start dating. After that, we started celebrating the anniversary of our first in-person meeting every January 16th. We would get together and recreate the “date” we had the first time, including a stop at the gazebo, Cyrano’s and of course the record store! Here’s a look at our January 16th photos throughout the years:
Our January 16, 2010 meeting was a bit different. It was a cold day (as usual), but as I approached the gazebo, I saw Brian standing there with his guitar. He is a musician and has a lovely voice, but I was totally caught off guard. He sang me a song that he wrote for me and the final words of the song were “marry me.”
Of course I said yes and the rest is history!
We got married on November 5, 2011. I had lost a bunch of weight prior to our wedding. It was a beautiful and happy day.
Our marriage has been wonderful, but we’ve definitely had some challenging times. Throughout our 12+ year relationship, we have been there for each other, but also enabled each other to go down a path of unhealthy binge eating. Unfortunately, I put back on the weight I’d lost prior to the wedding (and then some).
We have lost and gained so many pounds together. We are each other’s biggest support, but we also used each other to justify continuing down a very unhealthy path for years.
We finally got fed up and decided to completely change our lifestyle back in June 2018. Since then, we started a YouTube channel as a way of sharing our story with the world in the hopes that it can help others see that they too can change!
I can honestly say that the past year of our marriage has been the best one yet. Now that we are on a healthy path together, we are so much happier as a couple. It feels great to accomplish something like this with your partner in life. I feel like we can achieve anything together.
Check out the video here to see us discuss our relationship and the impacts weight loss, creating a YouTube channel and more have had on our marriage.
We are extremely lucky to have each other on this adventure, but we know not everyone has a great support system. We would love it if you can please comment below and share your best advice for others who are on this path but might not have anyone there to support them!
I have been doing this journey (er… I mean adventure…) alone. Not having to deal with anyone else’s eating habits has been helpful, but since I adopted a wfpb diet (with no caffeine or alcohol) and lost the extra weight 2 years ago, I’ve been reluctant to eat out. Sure I can find salads, etc., but rarely is the food organic. I’m also trying to avoid certain types of oil and preservatives, so I feel best cooking at home. At first, my friends assumed I was on another crazy diet, but now they see it’s a lifestyle and sometimes ask for tips or recipes. Still… my greatest support has been online. My challenge now is finding like minded people IRL. I think I’m ready to date now that I’ve found my path to greater health, but of course the dating pool will be smaller because of my 2 non-negotiables: a wfpb diet (or close to it…) and a dog lover. And my reluctance to eat out at non-organic places doesn’t help either. Despite these issues, I feel as if I have been reborn and am starting a second chapter in my life just as I’m getting ready to transition into retirement from teaching. Thank you so much for all that you do. Your honesty and willingness to share have been inspirational to me. (My IG accounts are @kittyisvegan and @kssophie)
Thank you for sharing Kitty! Finding resources online definitely helped us out. We actually just went to a local plant based meeting yesterday. There are a bunch of groups all around, so maybe check it out and see if there is one near you: https://plantpurecommunities.org/plantpurepods/
Advice: I am a 71 year old female doing a plant strong eating plan alone. I find I do much better if I continue to watch a least one whole food eating video EVERY day. Staying connected is my solution.
Love this advice!! Thanks for sharing Diana!
Brian and Jessica,
a Friend sent me a Utube video of y’all….. My friend Grace knew I’d embarked on a vegan whole-food diet to lose weight… I know it’s “easier” than regular diets, ’cause I’d lost 30 pounds several years ago on such a plan (trying not to say ‘diet’)…. But, anyway, back on.
You all are an inspiration and I appreciate the site and the videos. I appreciate your realness – very much! I’ll keep looking and watching…! Paula Decatur (Atlanta), GA
Thank you Paula!
I just stumbled upon your page while looking for a recipe for smoky hummus. I M going to try your recipe fir sure but I’m so enthralled with your story. You two are amazing and inspiring.
Thank you Barbara!
I LOVE your videos they are so uplifting and make me happy. After having two beautiful girls I developed an under active thyroid, and I am a foodie so I was doomed. I have lost and gained so many times, each time feeling like a failure when I gained weight .I have tried all the diets and could never keep the weight off. For Me the last straw was being 329 pounds and EVERYTHING was a huge chore like just taking a shower, I needed a “break”, huffing and puffing after I was finished. I discovered intermittent fasting, its not for everyone,but I like it. Now I need to eat more veggies and your videos are so inspiring! Thank you so much! I am watching and liking ALL your videos on YouTube
Thank you Holly! We really appreciate you watching us ❤️
I love how you two are REAL and your love for each other shows. I am going to commit to following you two plus Heather and Tim Kaufman. I have tried so many other peoples recipes only to be disappointed and you guus jist put it oit there and make it easy! Currently my husband is not on board..but I pray he will join me! Thanks again!
Thank you Deborah! We appreciate it!
You two are so great, very inspirational!!
I’m started the Mary’s mini today…😬
I’m doing this alone… so no support system….
So what I’ve been doing is … rewatching your videos. It helps…
I’d like watching your videos…. looking forward to seeing more!
Hi Cindy! Thanks for watching. Sorry this comment is SOO delayed. Hope you are doing well.
Hi there, I enjoy your videos very much. I would like to watch all of your videos in order. Is there a way to do that by date? I need to drop about 40 lbs and I have had gastric bypass18 years ago. So it worked for a while. I lost 135 lbs in 2002. Gained 50 lbs back. I need to work at this. Do you walk, or ride stationary bikes. Oh, and I had a double knee replacement in 2016 that didn’t help my weight since I’m not moving much and mostly walk with a cane. I need to buy those books you mentioned in the potato video.
Thanks, you guys are an inspiration.
Jane
Hello! You can use this link to watch all of our videos in date order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5doO2sIbrGhrLBuW3TwhVV-nMs7YBjj0
I love you two. You are so inspirational and your happiness shows as well as your love for each other. I am so happy you have found success in your new healthier lifestyle and am grateful for your videos with recipes that also inspire. Thank you so much. God bless.
You both are an inspiration. I was told by my cardiologist that I need to go Vegan if I want to live. I’m 70 and have heart disease and weigh 238 lbs. I’m going to do the potato thing and see if that helps. I love the recipes that you share. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your life story, just randomly ran over one of your video and kept watching more wanting to hear from your real life experience that’s very inspirational and being so transparent sure helps too.. thank you again great work site motivates me
Thank you! We appreciate the feedback 🙂 We try to keep it “real” as possible!
I started following you guys earlier this year during my transition to a plant based diet. I am not 100% plant based because I still have the occasional egg and fish. Your videos and blogs inspire me and really have been beneficial to improve my cooking and mental well being.
As you say sometimes it if difficult to change food choices if you have a family and are cooking for them different meals to yours, so I decided that my family would go on my adventure too, at least when meal are cooked and eaten within our household. My family includes my husband (we also were married in 2011!) and my young children aged 2 and 6. They have adapted really well to the food I cook and don’t miss meat at all!
I have no desire to change to a non plant based diet (or at least close enough to it – as mentioned above I still have some egg and fish occasionally), but I also wish lose some weight too (55pounds).
Thanks for inspiring and supporting people like me as for as the other side globe from where you are!
Bernardette (from the Island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea)
Hello Bernardette! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I am glad to hear that your family has adapted along with you! Wow, all the way from Malta… it is so crazy to hear from people all over the world. Thank you for following along with our adventure and we wish you great success on your own 🙂
Hi to you both,
I’ve been watching you two for around a couple months. I found this video and found it very touching. I’m a tad older than you two at 55. My husband passed away on 3-5-20, totally unexpected. I’m doing this diet on my own. Here is what I did, hopefully you won’t think it too weird. I have left notes around my house from my husband telling me how proud he is of me for doing this for myself. There are lists of reminders of what I need to be doing. Last note is on my nightstand. It tells me that today was a winner for me and to take a moment to say how thankful I am, even though things are still pretty sad at times.
I have 2 questions:
One, have you told your story of how Peef came into your lives? I am dying to know that one. I am an Eeyore kinda girl, lol.
Two, what brand of toaster do you have? I am digging it and couldn’t see the brand.
Blessings to you both, live long and prosper.
PS: thank you Brian for sharing your music. I have listened to some and found some peace when I’ve needed it.
Hi! Here’s the video ALL about Peef if you haven’t seen it yet: https://youtu.be/My0_sbvjU3Q
Our toaster is one that we got as a wedding present over 10 years ago and I don’t believe they make it anymore – the brand is either KitchenAid or Cuisinart!