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    After losing 175 pounds together, Brian and Erin LeBlanc are    enjoying their shrinking bodies and bulging wallets.  
    Shes still a carboholic, while he enjoys ice cream, but the    Edmonton, Alberta, couple shed weight by eliminating most fast    food, focusing on portion sizes and becoming passionate about    exercise. They're saving money in the process.  
    Were happier than weve ever been, Brian, 30, told TODAY.    Making the changes that we have has really allowed us to live    life to the fullest.  
      Erin and Brian LeBlanc often went out to eat before they      started their weight-loss plan.    
    He weighed 250 pounds when he decided to slim down two years    ago. Erin, 31, joined his effort one year ago, topping the    scale at 190 pounds. Hes since lost half his body weight and    Erin has shed 50 pounds.  
    They did it by no longer going out to eat, minimizing alcohol    consumption, and changing their grocery shopping habits  steps    that also allowed them to save more than $500 a month, they    said.  
      Brian has lost 125 pounds, half his body weight, and Erin has      lost 50 pounds. At Brian's heaviest, this belt would not fit      around his waist and now, it can hold both Brian and Erin.    
    Here's their advice for weight-loss success:  
    The LeBlancs say one of the most powerful things they did was    buy a food scale and weigh everything they ate. The scale    should have a golden aura around it because its so magical,    Erin said.  
    Once you start measuring and weighing what youre eating, its    shocking how much you can underestimate what youre actually    eating, she noted.  
    For me, it was just portion control, he added.  
    The couples basic motto is: calories in, calories out. You    have a certain amount of calories in the day to work with, and    you have to balance what you eat with how much you burn,    otherwise youll gain weight.  
    After previous false starts, Brian believes this weight-loss    plan stuck because he and his wife took the time every day to    log and measure everything they were eating. Brian has been    logging his calories for more than 640 days.  
    The couple used the MyFitnessPal app to figure out their    caloric needs: During the weight-loss phase, they both ate    about 1,300 calories a day. To maintain, Brian is now up to    2,200 calories and Erin tries to eat no more than 1,800.  
    For more inspirational stories, check out our My Weight-Loss Journey page  
    Erin describes herself as a carboholic who loves cereal and    pizza, so cutting out carbs was out of the question. The couple    still enjoys ice cream and potato chips, but in sensible    portions.  
    Denying yourself those things that you really enjoy can be    really problematic. In our experience, its been a recipe for    disaster, Brian said. We still eat food that we enjoy; we    just eat less of it.  
    When it comes to ice cream, theyll have half the serving    listed on the label  or about a quarter of a cup of ice cream.    Theyll add half a slice of cake for a dessert thats about    200-250 calories.  
    Instead of having a whole Big Mac meal at McDonalds, Erin now    enjoys a kid-size Happy Meal once in a while.  
    RELATED: After relying on comfort food, woman loses 100    pounds by remembering 3 easy tips  
    Brian tried running in 2015 and really liked it. Running clears    his head, helps him deal with stress and makes him feel better,    he said.  
    Erin? Not so much. I am not a runner, I dont get that    runners high, she said. She even has a T-shirt with the    slogan: I hate running. But she loves lifting weights,    finding it rewarding and empowering.  
    The key lesson: Find an activity you like, look forward to and    get satisfaction out of.  
    The couple eased off fast food slowly to make that change more    manageable. Brian started running small distances and counting    his steps; he now runs half marathons. Erin began going to the    gym twice a week; she now goes almost every day. Pacing    yourself is important, they say.  
    Go for very small, slow changes that built up over a long    period of time to be sustainable, they advised.  
    The LeBlancs used to buy enough fruits and vegetables for a    week or two and had the best intentions to eat those healthy    foods, but would then get bored and go out and eat fast food    instead. Erin estimates about 50 percent of their food would    get thrown out, which is insane.  
    They now go to the grocery store two to three times a week and    buy what they are going to eat in the next couple of days for    maximum freshness and zero food waste.  
    Brian and Erin both grew up in places where food was a big part    of the culture, with big, big servings for everyone. Their    family still practices that food philosophy and its been    difficult for some of their relatives to adjust to the couples    new lifestyle.  
    When we go to visit, well say no, we just dont want to eat    all that food, Erin said. Were not going to eat a giant    plate of food just to make other people happy.  
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Couple loses 175 pounds together: Their 7 lessons for weight-loss success - Today.com