Please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
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 300 pounds combined and we aren’t done yet! Read Our Story
Follow our Journey:
YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER
I said I’d never let myself get to this point, but here we are again. In some ways, it feels like we are starting over. At one point, Brian and I had lost over 335 pounds combined, but the past few months have taken a toll on us. I honestly don’t even know what I weigh right now. EDIT: Halfway through writing this blog, I stepped on the scale. Oh boy.
2020 has been a rough year for many, but it actually started out on a pretty good note for me. Even after the pandemic hit and we started working from home in March, I was in a good place mentally and ready to make the best of the situation we were in.
After a few months of being at home, I ended up getting furloughed from my job and honestly, I was excited at the thought of not having to work for the first time in 15+ years. I had wanted a break for so long, and I was determined to use this as an opportunity to better myself.
Unfortunately, some time around July, I kind of lost myself. After hitting my lowest weight as an adult, I let myself slip back into old eating habits and gained a few pounds back. I shrugged it off and kept trying to get back on track. I would do really well for a few days, even a week sometimes, but then I’d crave the comfort of those old foods in these uncertain times.
Now it’s almost December, and I’m still struggling. To this day. I keep pushing off the inevitable and digging myself deeper into depression and anxiety in the process. But I’m ready for a fresh start. And I’m not waiting until 2021 for that start. I’m ready NOW.
Brian and I sat down and thought of some steps we could follow to make this process easier, and we thought we’d share them with you. We’ve done this so many times before, and we’ve learned so much in the process. We know how to set ourselves up for success, but even with that knowledge, going through the motions is still a battle. We hope you’ll join us and follow along as we start the next chapter of our adventure.
NOTE: We are not doctors or nutrition experts. You should consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet. READ MORE >
Check out the video to see us discuss the steps we’ve outlined below.
Step 1: Start Today (Not Tomorrow)
The first step may be obvious, but it can also be the most difficult. Quite simply… you need to START.
In the past, we have set a date in the future when we would start the process of losing weight. Usually it was at least at week or so away because that felt less intimidating. We would always allow extra time to use up all of the “bad” food in our refrigerator and fit in one (or two) last “hurrah” meals before we got really strict with our diet. Those meals turned into days, which turned into weeks, months, etc. You get the point.
From our experience, the best day to start is always TODAY… not tomorrow. Why? Tomorrow never comes. Okay, it does, but then there is always another “tomorrow” to push it off to. Even today as I type this, I’m thinking… well… maybe one last “bad” meal today and then we can start tomorrow. Guess what? I said the same thing yesterday. And the day before… and the day before. Once again… you get the point.
Now for some good news. Starting doesn’t mean you need to be 100% perfect right out of the gate. Also, if you’ve gotten off track after doing really well previously (like us), don’t expect yourself to pick up right where you left off. I was really “in the zone” a few months ago. I was eating two meals a day with absolutely no snacking in between. I would love to get right back into that, but I’ve realized I need to be realistic and not set myself up for failure. It took time for me to get into that “zone” and if I try to make myself go right back into it, I’ll probably fail.
This leads us into the next step.
Step 2: Make A Plan
Once you’ve decided to start, you’ll need some kind of plan. Back when we first switched to a whole food, plant-based diet, we were trying to follow the “Six-Week Plan” guidelines as outlined on page 216 of the 2011 paperback edition of Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Whether you decide to go down this route or follow one of the other plant-based doctors, having some kind of structure in mind will keep you focused.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. When we were trying to follow the Eat To Live guidelines, we ended up eating pretty much the same thing every single day. If you go back and watch our very first What We Eat In A Day video, you can see what we ate pretty much every day at the beginning of our weight loss adventure. We alternated between Brian’s original chili recipe and our weird green or orange soup for lunch, but we pretty much always had the same breakfast and a giant salad for dinner.
Since that worked so well for us, I decided to print out the “Six-Week Plan” guidelines once again and hang them on our refrigerator. We also decided to go back to eating three meals a day for now.
When we both worked in an office, I liked to use the calendar on our refrigerator to plan out our lunches, but I stopped using it when we started working from home. I’ve decided to start using it again. You can check out the video where I talked about using the calendar and planning out our grocery lists here.
Once you know what you are going to eat, it’s time to cook!
Step 3: Batch Prep & Cook
We are always more likely to make good food choices when our refrigerator and freezer are stocked with healthy options. I usually pick one day a week to prep and chop veggies for salads and then another day for Brian to batch cook a giant pot of soup or chili. We made a video of our weekly salad prep process if you want to check it out here.
For me, chopping veggies can actually be quite cathartic. I like to put on some good music and get into the zone. It feels really good to have a fully stocked refrigerator ready to go for the week.
Step 4: Be Active (Mentally & Physically)
When you are switching to a new way of eating, if you’re anything like us, food will constantly be on your mind. We find that staying active both mentally and physically helps to distract us from thinking about eating.
This one is especially important during these times. After being cooped up in our apartment for months, we’ve had to find new ways to stay active and keep ourselves entertained. I recently started getting into jigsaw puzzles, which challenges me mentally and also gives me a sense of accomplishment. Brian prefers to play video games. We also decided to make time to watch a different Christmas movie together at the end of each night through the rest of the year.
When I say being “active” physically, that does not mean you need a complicated exercise regiment. We get asked a LOT if we work out, and we always say no. During weight loss mode, we actually prefer to keep the exercise to a minimum, but we do enjoy going for walks to get some fresh air and a change of scenery.
Whether it’s taking up a new hobby or just going outside for a walk, finding things to enjoy that don’t revolve around food or eating really helps prevent us from binge eating or snacking out of boredom.
Step 5: Have Fun!
This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet, so you’re going to be in this for the long haul. Don’t take things too seriously… try to lighten up and have some fun! The more enjoyable this process is, the more likely you are to stick with it.
Even though we do a lot of planning and prepping to stay on track, we always find little ways to make it fun. Whether it be trying out a new fruit we’ve never had before or attempting to make our own almond milk for the first time, there are so many new things to learn and enjoy along the way.
There’s a reason Brian calls this an “adventure” and not a journey. We hope that we can help make your adventure just a little bit easier by sharing ours with you!
MORE INFORMATION
If you are looking for more information about our weight loss “adventure” or following a whole food, plant-based diet, please check out these videos:
15 Minute Recap: Exactly How We Lost 335+ Pounds On A Plant-Based Diet
How We Lost 270 Pounds: Our Whole Food Plant Based Weight Loss Journey
Q&A Session: Our 290 Pound Weight Loss Journey
Q&A: Weight Loss Update, Loose Skin, Advice on Going Plant-Based + More!
Top Ten Tips For Switching To A Whole Food, Plant-Based Vegan Diet
Q&A with The Krocks: “Cheat” Foods, Fasting, Stress Eating, Going Organic, Children + More!
Featured Products:
PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to purchase any products through these links, we receive a small commission from each sale at NO extra cost to you. All proceeds go back into making more content!
Check out our Amazon Page to see more of our favorite products!
Eat to Live (by Dr. Joel Fuhrman)
So, Jessica, exactly when did you tap into my brain to discover what I needed to hear on this very day? Must be one of your super powers.
Perfect words. Perfect timing. Now I just need to make a plan that works for me. Unfortunately, I can’t/won’t eat the same thing for days. A couple meals, yes, but then I’m done. What I can/will do is make a list of things I really like and cycle through them. And freeze leftovers (I had Brian’s chili in my freezer a LONG time because it’s only me eating it and only for a day or two, so…but how nice to have something yummy to pull out every now and then).
So if you tap into my brain again you’ll find me rooting you on. Thanks for all you two do to help us on our own adventures.
I am right there with you. Since about March I have completely gone off the wagon and have gained 30lbs. It was the 1stvtime in my life I actually felt good (while eating a wfpb diet) I don’t understand why I ever stopped. But I know that I NEED to get back on track and I also woke up this morning and said that’s it! I’m done! I’m getting back on! You can do this! We can do this!!
Thank you for your sincere honesty!
I, too, have decided “yep, not gonna wait until January! The unconscious eating stops here!” I’be meal prepped and I’m ready! Nov. 30, 2020 game on!!!!
You both are an inspiration!
Thank you ! I know you will give yourself grace! I have found when a change happens we need time to readjust to the new equilibrium!
I had the opportunity to work from home and boy oh boy. Thought it would be easy and I could really take care of myself
Nope !
I am fortunate that I can go into work , so I choose that as it is better on my well-being and I stay more health conscious!
Thanks again
Thanks for your encouragement and being real. I, too, want to reset and get back to basics. Friend has suggested we start walking together again, but we are going to start slow and not overdo it. We are both 80 yrs. old.
Thanks so much for your honesty and candor. I have been improving my diet for a year now. I’ve kept 30 pounds off but realize it could have been so much more. I’m right with you guys on getting back on track. It’s so hard! I’m such a foodie! But your post has encouraged me. I can do it! Thanks for that, good luck to you as well.
Oh this hurts! I’m right there with you. Please don’t go back down that road. You know where it leads…I’m really honestly upset and hoping you will rise up!! For your sake (and mine), do what you know is right. I so appreciate you for who you are. You have given so much of yourselves to encourage others. I hope something we say will motivate you to go forth into the future with strength for the journey!! Please take care. 🤙🏻❤️
We are with you! About 2 years ago I hit my highest weight of 326. With the encouragement of an uncle of mine I got hold of “The Eat Clean Diet” by Tosca Reno and started eating a lot more whole foods. As a result, I lost about 60 lbs. I was doing great… then the pandemic hit and I regressed to my old comfort foods.
About three weeks ago I stepped on the scale to find that I had gained back about 40 of the pounds I had previously lost. My wife and I knew we needed to make a change. We had been watching your YouTube channel for a while now and decided we needed to give whole foods plant based a real try. We committed to doing this for at least 90 days to see how we feel and then reevaluate.
After three weeks, I have dropped about 15 lbs. and I am feeling great! I am really beginning to love eating this way. I still struggle with old cravings of course, and I have no idea if I will keep doing this long term… but so far, so good! Thank you guys for your candor, and for sharing the adventure with us!
Hi Jessica! I could write and write and write about why I relate so much to what you’re going through. But, since this is your webpage, I’ll just say I’m in the exact same place as you. I’m so filled with gratitude that you and Brian chose to share this part of your adventure rather than vanish, fix everything, and pop back just as fabulous as before you left! Someone once told me, “If you’re struggling with your food when you’re in a supportive environment, where you can share what you’re going through, think how bad it would be without it.” That really stuck with me. I’ve always been “in the wind” when I’ve put myself on a pedestal and fallen off. I forget no one else put me there. I was the only one who expected perfection. Now I’m just isolating myself to maintain a facade no one ever believed!
Anyhoo, I’m joining you today! Thank you for reaching out because it helps you and the people you reach out to! We already know we can do this and how good it feels. We just have to walk through the early discomfort of fighting the inner King or Queen Baby we gave temporary run of the house again.
Kelly
Jessica, I re-gained 50 lbs since the start of Covid, I felt shame, remorse and was so angry with myself. I realized I couldn’t begin again with this mindset, so I had to work on forgiving myself, nurturing myself and talking to my inner self like I was a sweet child of 3 years old again, I wouldn’t belittle, shame or scream in rage at at a 3 year old, right, I hope not. SO PLEASE JESSICA don’t quit You Tube thats just the shame part, wanting you to hide away to not be judged, no one here following you and Brian (unless they are sadly buried in such denial) would judge because we have ALL had our own SLIPS….the deal is we are HUMAN and we slip sometimes, I have tons of times. Here is your quote from the blog; “This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet, so you’re going to be in this for the long haul.”‘ Thinking this and knowing this doesn’t really help. I have seen so many ppl lose a lot of weight only to reach their goal weight and something is triggered deep in the subconscious that says; Yay I am done eating that way, I finished the DIET/Lifestyle and I can go back to what I was eating before. I found a program called Psych-K, found a practioner in my area, and went to see her for a one hour session to Quit Smoking. I had been trying for years, probably like 10-20 times a month to quit on my own and using different aids (like Homeopathy, which is wonderful for so many things, and was great for the physical cravings but didn’t do a thing for the psychological/subconscious part, and Hypnosis which worked for a little while maybe a week or so) but this Psych-K worked for me because it goes straight into the subconscious mind. I have been smoke free for a year, not one cheat, not one puff, etc. which is amazing for me!! AND it totally blew my mind, because in my past smoking life…I have been a cheater, it’s the little dickens on my shoulder saying come on just have two puffs it won’t stop you from being a non-smoker. Now I did have an aid to help with becoming smoke-free and that was using the patches, my Practioner made sure I had a Plan to assist with the Pscyh-K. Anyway didn’t mean to have this be soooo long but can you guess where I am with this lengthy note?
Doing Psych-K to release the need I feel I have for sweets, and salty snacks. My Psych-K lady is helping me to uncover the triggers, tweak the words I say in my daily affirmation, because so far it hasn’t worked great for me YET, these last two addictions are the ones I have had since age 4, but I had to BEGIN to eat Healthy again and you TWO HELPED ME SO SO MUCH!! Jessica SELF-LOVE is the most important thing you can do for you. Wishing you Both May Blessings!!
I always appreciate how honest you are about the process. What I find so daunting is the sheer amount of food prep! It feels like a lot, but I also recognize it as a really key action. Good luck!