Arlington Couple Loses Almost 250 Pounds to Live a Healthier Life for Their Family

If you’re struggling with your weight-loss resolutions, this story may be the inspiration you need.

An Arlington couple lost hundreds of pounds together and for all the right reasons.

Their "before" pictures show Kelli and Jason Taylor as all smiles, but they say what you can’t see is the physical and mental pain brought on by obesity.

"We got to a point where even just waking up in the morning and getting out of bed was painful for us," said Kelli Taylor.

"When you're really overweight, small, simple things are really, really difficult and leave you exhausted."

Today, the couple is a combined 250 lbs lighter.

They decided to undergo a life-changing transformation that started with a decision Jason made the day he was teaching his oldest son how to ride a bike.

"It was when we got Connor the bicycle first and he had training wheels. I thought about it and I was like, 'you know, eventually, he'll want those training wheels off and there's running that comes with that.' That was just kind of my focus from then on," Jason said.

With Kelli on board, the two underwent gastric bypass surgery three months apart at Methodist Mansfield.

After recovery, they started the strict diet required to make weight loss surgery successful but the key for them was doing it together.

"Having a family together, like husband, wife, do it around the same time really helps benefit each other. They kind of coach each other through everything," said weight loss surgeon Dr. Andrew Standerwick with Methodist Health System.

"We were able to encourage each other. We were able to change the habits together and as a family," said Kelli.

They are now two years in their new bodies, happy and healthy, and teaching healthy habits to their three children.

"Deciding to have a surgery to help me lose weight, went against everything that I believed in growing up, becoming a man, because I had failed to do it myself," said Jason. "If I had not wasted a lot of time with that struggle, I think it would have been better for me in the end."

"Don't let those mental barriers get in your way. If you're struggling to do things with your kids, if you can't have fun with your kids, if you can't run and teach them to ride bikes, do it to yourself to make it right and fix it and get that stuff out of your head," he added.

You can read more of their story here.