Erika Thomas' has a routine that she follows every day.
News anchor Erika Thomas has developed a healthy routine over the past years. Her weight loss journey is something that inspired many of her followers on social media. She wakes up at around 7 AM to exercise and do important things as a mother.
At around 1:30 in the afternoon, she arrives at work and prepares for live newscasts for 5NEWS, the CBS TV affiliate that covers Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. She goes home in the evening, sleeps, and does her routine again the next day.
Erika has been very dedicated when it comes to her career. Anyone who thinks newscasting is a glamorous career filled with teleprompters, makeup, and cameras should spend a day with her. Her hard work brought her recognition, including earning Edward R. Murrow Award and an Emmy.
Erika Thomas' Weight Loss Tricks
The main keys to Erika’s successful weight loss:
- She does intermittent fasting
- She has been a vegetarian for more than two decades
- She cut down on added sugar in her diet
- She exercises every morning, particularly running
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Erika Thomas established a Facebook Page to help other people with their weight loss journey.
The prominent newscaster is known for more than just her reports. Her Facebook page, Erika’s Essential Encouragement, has become a well-loved forum for hundreds of people who support one another as they struggle to lose weight.
Erika has personally experienced weight loss struggles. She battled with anorexia as a teenager and obesity as an adult. She decided to commit to a healthier lifestyle in 2019, roughly a year after the birth of her second son, Knox. She created a Facebook page and invited individuals to walk with her.
“I formed the support group that I needed and didn’t have in my life,” Erika says via AY Magazine.
The goal was to create an environment for inspiration, support, and encouragement where individuals would feel accepted in whatever stage of life they were in. It doesn’t matter whether she ended up with 5 or 500 members.
Erika learned about intermittent fasting—an eating habit incorporating pre-planned rounds of eating and fasting—through her social media group. Individuals can pick the fasting period that is most effective for them.
By fasting for 20 hours each day and eating within a four-hour window, she lost 60 pounds in nine months. Moreover, she has given up added sugars from her diet and has been a vegetarian for over two decades.
Erika Thomas reveals how intermittent fasting helped her in her weight loss journey.
In one of the podcast episodes of Ryan McGuire’s The Pursuit of Happiness, Erika shared her inspiring journey of how she struggled and overcame anorexia and how intermittent fasting changed her life. She has lost over 100 pounds by following this particular diet plan.
The episode details how she began fasting, the hardships she went through, and the things she did to stick with her lifestyle change. Additionally, Erika shares how she managed to incorporate cheat days into her diet and how she can still exercise despite her schedule.
She has completely changed her mindset, which is necessary for someone to shed over 100 pounds. In the podcast episode, the news anchor also shared the recipes that she follows to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Erika Thomas continues to document her progress, thanks to intermittent fasting and cutting down on sugar.
In October 2020, Erika posted how she lost 15.3 pounds in 30 days on her Facebook Page, 5NEWS Erika Thomas. She wrote, “I am so proud of myself (and you know what, that’s okay)! I made the commitment on September 1st to do ‘no added sugar’ for a whole month.”
The news anchor continues, “I stuck with it, along with intermittent fasting (18:6 to 21:3, depending on the day) and walking 20,000+ steps a day (see chart below). And it paid off!”
Erika also revealed that she was at her “lowest weight in 3.5 years” and lower than when she started at 5NEWS. Along with the post, she shared a photo of what she did and what she followed in order to achieve her weight loss.
“P.S. I have a special group here on Facebook focused on health & wellness. If you want to join our October weight loss challenge, search “Erika’s Essential Encouragement” and request to join! 3,300+ members are here to support you!” She wrote, ending the posts.
Erika Thomas' life as a mother and wife.
Erika and her family relocated to Arkansas in 2017 after receiving a job offer from 5NEWS. They initially lived in the Fort Smith region for two years. In 2019, after the new television studio in Springdale was finished, they moved to Northwest Arkansas.
Although Erika puts a lot of effort into her work, she does not focus solely on it. Her family always comes first in her life. She prefers working in the evenings since it allows her to start the day at home with her husband Dan and their two young sons, Axl and Knox.
“Dan is a stay-at-home dad with the boys, and that makes a huge difference,” Erika shares. “He is my ultimate support system and rock. We wouldn’t be able to function as a family the way we do with our current schedule without him being here. I’m so grateful for him.”
The news anchor is proud of her beautiful partnership with her husband. Meanwhile, she shares that she loves living in Arkansas. The relocation allows them to visit extended family immediately. She also admitted that she prefers to leave the snow behind.
“I’m OK with not having a foot of snow for a few months of the year,” Erika laughs. “The people here are so kind, and both NWA and the River Valley regions are beautiful. We’ve been able to expand our family, settle in and start to feel like we can make this our home.”