Husband, wife lose 135 pounds together: Their secrets for staying on track on vacation

By Katie Kindelan

Shandra and Gerald Redwine have lost a combined 135 pounds over the past four years.

Their secret?

“We are a team,” Gerald Redwine told “GMA.” “So for me it was [to] support my wife and support my family, so it’s easy, honestly.”

#transformationtuesday and the only thing that hasn’t changed is our love. ???? . . . . #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #beforeandafter #beforeandafterweightloss #weightlossmotivation #fattofit #igfitfam #igfitness #keto #ketoweightloss #livefit #naturalweightloss #extremeweightloss #losermentality #shanfitclub #100poundclub #goals #fitspo #motivation #fitnessmotivation #transform #goals #bodypositive #determination #inspire #weddinggown

A post shared by Shandra Redwine (@losermentality) on May 22, 2018 at 4:15am PDT

The Michigan couple’s weight loss journey began when they decided to start a family.

“I said, ‘I need to lose weight first,’” Shandra Redwine recalled. “I was at least 100 pounds overweight.”

Shandra Redwine started by going to the gym every day for one month. She was joined by her husband and they next focused on improving their nutrition.

“I joined Weight Watchers for a couple months and learned how to eat and saw even greater success with that,” she said. “So we just kept rolling with it.”

Shandra Redwine lost 60 pounds in nine months. She managed to maintain her new weight after she had the couple’s two sons, now ages 1 and 4.

Mother’s Day had me thinking about my goals as a mom and goals for our family. Deciding to start a family was the main catalyst for my weightloss in the first place. I wanted to raise my children to be healthy and active and I knew that I was in no place to do that. Not to mention the risks involved with getting pregnant at 260 lbs. I had lost 60 lbs before we even decided to try for our first and maintained around the 200 lb mark through both of my pregnancies. This time last year, my youngest was 6 months old and I finally set out to finish what I’d started. This mother’s Day weekend I ran my 2nd 10k this month and I’m down a total of 110lbs. Being healthy and active means that I can not only lead my children by example but also show them that anything is possible with determination and persistence. Being able to chase them around, go on nature hikes, and comfortably play at the beach is the best gift I ever gave them and myself. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommas out there!! . . . . #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #beforeandafter #beforeandafterweightloss #weightlossmotivation #fattofit #igfitfam #igfitness #keto #ketoweightloss #livefit #naturalweightloss #extremeweightloss #losermentality #shanfitclub #100poundclub #goals #fitspo #motivation #fitnessmotivation #transform #goals #bodypositive #determination #inspire #believe #obesetobeast

A post shared by Shandra Redwine (@losermentality) on May 14, 2018 at 6:57am PDT

She’s since lost an additional 55 pounds and Gerald Redwine has lost 25 pounds total.

ABC

Shandra and Gerald Redwine have lost a combined 135 pounds over the past four years.

With summer in full swing, the couple revealed how they have kept off the weight even while enjoying vacation.

Down 135 lbs collectively, vacation ain’t what it used to be!! Vacation used to be an excuse to eat any and everything I wanted. It was nothing to follow up a box of Mac N Cheese (to myself) with my mom’s famous zucchini cake and chocolate covered scotcheroos. It also meant wearing a swimsuit in front people and spending a lot of time pondering a way to get from the water to my towel without anyone looking. It also meant strategically planning my spot on the rowboat so my 260 lbs didn’t throw off the balance. . . This year I indulged in a few treats and carbs but don’t go overboard, I went for morning runs and I wore my swimsuit the whole time and FELT GREAT. It still blows my mind how much different my life was just a few years ago..just last year even. I will never take the little things for granted and I’ll never go back to that unhealthy place. . . Say something nice to yourself right now, set a small goal for the week and then crush it! Happy Sunday my loves! . . . . . #shanfitclub #vacation #weightloss #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #relationshipgoals #couplegoals #fattofit #obesetobeast #ketoweightloss #keto #ketodiet #beforeandafter #beforeandafterweightloss #naturalweightloss #100poundsdown #weightlossmotivation #weightlossinspiration

A post shared by Shandra Redwine (@losermentality) on Jun 24, 2018 at 6:08pm PDT

Here are their three tips, in their own words.

Tip 1. Stay near a kitchen

It gives you the ability of knowing that at least a good percentage of your meals are going to be on track with what your intentions are.

Tip 2. Preplan your meals, including snacks

Just like any normal busy week at home, while on vacation we plan our meals and snacks ahead of time and prep for meals as much possible. This means making sure each meal has healthy meats and protein as well as veggies.

Courtesy Shandra and Gerald Redwine

Shandra and Gerald Redwine pose with their two sons.

We always make sure we have some grilled chicken or pre-prepped snacks and salads so that we never have to make a bad choice. We buy all of our favorite snacks [and] put them in little baggies or containers.

Tip 3. Stay active

For us, that means taking our running shoes along with us on vacation. We alternate going on our own or we take the kiddos in the jogger. We always try to stay active with them and do lots of family "adventures and exploring" as well as swimming, playing ball, etc.

Bonus tip

We allow ourselves to have a few treats here and there, depending on the situation. We might have s'mores by the bonfire or mom's special vacation treats, but just one and not all day and definitely not all week.