The Ibarras of San Jose are so busy, it's no wonder that eating well and exercising didn't fit into their schedules.
Jose, 46, is a pastor at a local church and has a full-time job as a facilities supervisor for a commercial custodial company.
His wife, Doris, 45, is a human resources manager for the same company, and she runs the church's sound booth. Their children, Jocelyn, 20, and Joseph, 16, also wear multiple hats, including juggling school and church responsibilities.
They skipped breakfast, grabbed fast-food meals while dashing between activities and rarely made time to exercise. That whirlwind way of life took a toll. A few years ago, Jose had a mild heart attack.
He also struggles with high blood pressure and high cholesterol and is borderline diabetic. He has had battles with gout. In January, he was carrying 299 pounds on his 5-foot-6 frame. He says he was so busy that he relied on fast-food meals, and "I didn't do any exercise whatsoever."
Doris adds: "My husband and I have many poor eating habits that are being passed on to our children. We love to eat, and we love sweets."
Who has the time?
Trying to turn those habits around seemed "overwhelming," she says. So the Ibarras volunteered to participate in this year's Family Fitness Challenge, an initiative to help families across the country get more active -- and lose weight. The project is being produced in partnership with USA WEEKEND Magazine and the TV show The Doctors.
More than 400 families applied to take part in the challenge. Six were chosen, including the Ibarras, and they were paired with a fitness expert from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a registered dietitian from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The Ibarras wanted to find time to exercise but didn't think they could squeeze it into their packed schedule. Then Doris had an epiphany: She suggested they walk briskly for a half-hour around the church before the Wednesday night service.
On Sundays, Jose is also teaching church members at New Beginnings Christian Church one new exercise a week, such as squats and planks. And right after the service, he is playing basketball with a group of guys.
"The whole congregation is cheering us on in this challenge," Jose says. "We created a Facebook page where we are sharing the information on menus we put together for meals at home and the calorie counts on fast-food meals. This is especially important in a Hispanic congregation, where we like all those rich foods."
Other activities they're doing:
Jose walks the dog for 30 minutes a day. "I'm working on getting to the point where I can run again."
Doris is taking a 15-minute walk after lunch and then does 15 minutes of strength training at night. "I'm breaking it up . I really don't enjoy it, and I'm not very coordinated. My goal is to find some form of exercise that I can do well and enjoy."
Jocelyn says: "I love working out. I go to the nearest school and run the track or walk the dogs around it. On the weekends, my dad and I will go to the beach. I'll run a mile or two, and he'll walk a mile."
Joseph says: "I work out almost every day. I work out with weights and a medicine ball. Afterward, I run on the treadmill for 30 minutes."
The Ibarras "are taking their family time and turning it into fitness time," says fitness instructor Liana Tobin, an ACSM member and a certified strength and conditioning coach.
'If it was good, I ate it'
The family also is working with registered dietitian Judith Rodriguez, a past president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "People can achieve healthy eating with small sustained changes." Among her tips:
Have grab-and-go breakfasts on hand, such as hard-boiled eggs, small bags of cereal, or fruit and nuts, to eat on the way to work. Says Doris: "I would say breakfast has become our new favorite meal."
Work together to prepare more quick meals at home and dine out less. "We create a menu for the week so we have all the ingredients for the meals," Doris says. Adds Jose: "Our kids are helping out with cooking. We cut up vegetables on the weekend, and they last for the week."
Select lower-calorie options -- about 600 calories a meal -- at fast-food restaurants, and read the labels on grocery store foods. "I never read the calorie count before -- if it was good, I ate it," Jose says.
So far, the family has lost almost 40 pounds in a month and 2 inches each off the waist . Jose dropped 9 pounds; Doris, 7 pounds; Jocelyn, 11 pounds; and Joseph, 10 pounds.
"This challenge has helped us realize that poor eating habits can be reformed one new change at a time," Doris says, "and yes, you can squeeze in exercise in your day for five minutes here or 15 minutes there."
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