Ajima Jackson

Transformation of the Day: Tiffany lost 59 pounds in 9 months, going from a size 24 to a size 16. This single mother of 3 was determined to find greater health and greater happiness. She figured out what works for her in terms of eating and exercise. Check out how she changed her lifestyle to get results.

I’m Tiffany and I wanted to share my continuing weight loss story. I tried Jenny Craig a few years ago. I started the program at 250 pounds and ended at 200 pounds about 5 months. However, I fell off of the program when I lost my grandmother. While dealing with the loss, I gained back all of my weight, plus an additional 50 pounds.

I was living in Memphis, at the time, and was very unhappy and struggling financially with the task of feeding my 3 kids. I made the decision in July of 2015 that I wanted to move back to my hometown of Indianapolis to allow my children to experience a better life. I was presented with an even better job opportunity there.

Well, they say happiness affects your weight. I moved to Indianapolis in August 2015, weighing 300 pounds at 5 feet tall. Today, I weigh 241 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 24 to a size 16, and I’m still going. Today, I’m no longer struggling with anxiety and depression on a daily basis. I am no longer taking meds for being borderline diabetic either. I’ve still got a ways to go and I’m still a work in progress. I’m a single mother of 3 who is changing her life daily and hoping to inspire others.

Eating Habits: First, I changed my eating habits by cutting out chips, which I’m a big fan of, as well as alcohol. I’m a big wine drinker. I was drinking wine about 4 days a week and now I only drink it one day durning the weekends. I drink water only now and I try not to count the ounces. I just sip as much as I can all day and on the weekends. I keep a gallon of it with me at all times. I still eat the foods I like, but in moderation. I used to eat fast food everyday. I went from eating 3 sandwiches and fries from McDonald’s in 1 sitting to now where I hardly eat fast food at all. If I do eat it, I make healthier choices, like wraps and salads. I’ve also become a fan of snacking on hummus with organic rice chips.

Exercise: I started out with an hour of cardio 3 days a week. Now, I do an hour of cardio 4 or 5 days a week and I’ve added weight training.

Advice: The advice I have for others is once you make the decision to change, stick with it. If you mess up, it’s ok, because you can jump right back into it. The pounds weren’t put on overnight, so they wont come off overnight. Also, having a tool, such as a step or exercise tracker, will help motivate you to get your exercise in. At least, it does for me.

Weight Loss Journey: Michelle lost 175 pounds. She was inspired by seeing how health impacted parents and motivated by encouragement from her husband and kids. She opted to have weight loss surgery, but she also had to adopt healthy habits to for lasting results. Check out what she shared with us.

What was your motivation?
My motivation was my husband and children. They encouraged me by telling me that I could do it. I was also motivated after seeing both of my parents go through serious medical conditions that we’re life threatening.

How did you change your eating habits?
I had to adhere to my tool. I had gastric sleeve weight loss surgery. My sleeve would only allow me to eat a certain amount. I also understood that my children had to be taught the correct way to eat, because I never was taught. In the beginning, I stopped drinking sodas. Then, I stopped eating all white foods (sugar, bread, etc). I incorporated more water, vegetables and fruits in my daily diet.

What did your workout routine look like?
I danced every day. I workout at least 3 times a week, just by dancing. I didnt have a DVD program or a specific dance routine. I just dance to music I love, like Prince, T.I., Michael Jackson, etc.

Starting and Current Weight
My starting weight was 329 pounds and my current weight is 154-159 pounds. My height is 5 feet tall. It took 1 1/2 years to get to my current weight after surgery.

What advice do you have for others who want to change their lifestyle and lose weight?
Your mindset has to be on point. Also, if you don’t have a good support system and mindset it, will not work!

YouTube: michellelocke1975
Instagram: @mrslocke_

Transformation of the Day: Jeannette lost 49 pounds. After being diagnosed with high blood pressure and pre-diabetes, this loving mom of 4 decided to seek out expert help to get her health under control. She shared with us how she modified her eating habits and exercised to create a healthier lifestyle.

2 years ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and prediabetes. I was frustrated because I was unable to sleep comfortably at night and was always feeling tired. The urge to eat was constantly on my mind. I decided to go see a nutritionist and a diabetic specialist to see what I could do to get my health under control.

I started out at 217 pounds and with my new tools and information from the experts, I changed my eating habits and started to exercise. It took me one year to lose 50 pounds.

Here are three things that I did daily and I still do;

• Drink lots of water.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• High protein lifestyle.

I’m very comfortable where I am now. I no longer have high blood pressure or prediabetes. I have kept the weight off for two years now and at the age of 39, I feel better than ever. I started at 217 pounds and I have gotten down to 168. My goal is 150 pounds and I’m 5 foot 5 inches tall. I’ve been married for 13 years and I have 4 children. My children’s ages are 18, 19, 22 and 23. I want to encourage the next woman and let them know that they can do it.

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits one day at a time. I’m a person who really had an addiction to sweets. They had a mental hold on me. Because of that, I had to make sure that I already had my meals planned out daily. I started eating high-protein/low carb meals with vegetables and fresh fruits when I had a craving for sweets.

When I started my high protein lifestyle, I also cut back on fried meat. Baking and Grilling meat became the norm for me. I have eliminated almost all processed food from my diet. I started to eat lots of hard boiled eggs, salads, green veggies, carrots and bell peppers (my favorites). When I want something crunchy, I always keep cucumbers on deck for a late night snack.

How did exercise figure into your journey?
I started slowly working out at the gym, doing cardio at first. Then a trainer showed me how to strength training. I began lifting weights and that’s when I saw major changes in my body and the shape of my body. Exercising is extremely important for the mind, body and the soul. However, I still firmly believe that your eating must be under control to get the results that you want.

What is your advice for others who want to lose weight?
I would tell someone who is trying to lose weight to take it one day at a time. Accomplish the goal for that day. Also, find a good gym or a good support system, like a workout buddy, to help keep you accountable. I think a lot of times people take on too much, like weekly goals or monthly goals, and they set themselves up for failure.

Instagram: @Jeannetteferguson

Transformation of the Day: Stephanie lost 70 pounds. She didn’t want to be one of the moms who is unable to be active and keep up with their children. Making small, practical changes over time and figuring out what worked best for her schedule was key to her success. Check out what she shared with us.

Starting weight: 236 pounds
Current weight: 166 pounds
Height: 5’1″ 
How long did you transformation take?
I stated in November 2014 and I’m still going! 

What was my motivation? A few things really. My son definitely played a major role! In 2011, after having my first child, I realized how uncomfortable I felt about my weight. I also started to realize that I wanted to be healthy for him. I have a very busy, very active little boy, and I’d like to be able to keep up with him. I don’t want to be one of those moms that can’t race and chase after her kid. I want to get down and dirty with him. Getting adjusted to having a new baby and being a single mom at that, really didn’t give me a chance to jump into my weight release journey. Finally, after tipping in at 236 pounds, I got serious.

I stared with small changes that made a big difference! Avoiding fried foods, cutting back on pop, drinking more water, and trying not to eat after 8 or 9 PM. After a while I noticed it was working. I had dropped 14 pounds! That never happened for me in the past. Sure, I’d lose 5 or 6 lbs but never more than 10! I remember weighing in at a friends house, who was currently on a weight loss journey on her own. I went and brought a scale that day, because I was no longer afraid of owning a scale. I started realizing how much better I felt, and that while it is important to be here and healthy for him, I should be here for me too! The healthier and happier I am, that happinesss will make me a better mom to him.

I still eat fried food, but I don’t over indulge like before. I started eating more food but in smaller meals throughout the day. My problem in the past wast that I would get up and go until I felt hungry, not knowing that by that time I was actually thinking I was hungry, I was starving and running on nothing. I started having breakfast, lunch and dinner, with snacks in between. I learned to snack on the on the right kinds of snacks. I learn to fuel my body with the right things, and still managed to not deprive myself of things I loved, I just had them in moderation. I also did the Green Smoothie Cleanse (loved, loved, loved), as well as Beachbody’s 21 day Extreme Fix program! (I also run a Green Smoothie Challenge group on Facebook.)

When it comes to workouts, the gym doesn’t work for me because I don’t have the time to commit to it, and my son didn’t like the childcare there. I started taking him to the track and walking. Sometimes I’d jog, but mostly I’d walk. I also do home workout videos; 21 Day Extreme, Biggest Loser Home Challenge and Hip Hop Abs.

My advice for others: It’s hard, but its so worth it! You owe it to yourself and you deserve it too. Be the best possible version of yourself.

Instagram: @Findingabetterme88

Weight Loss Story: Bobby lost 24.6 pounds, gained 8 lbs of muscle and won an online transformation contest. Her body fat when from 35% to 22.7%. She is a mom of 3 who truly values family time and a nurse practitioner. Check out how this busy mom changed her life.

My name is Bobby M. I am a wife, mother of 3, and a full time nurse practitioner. During nursing school, I gained 30+ pounds and began to think that at my age (35) and with my family history of obesity this was just normal. I assumed that I’d reached the point of no return in regards to my weight.

I didn’t want to succumb to my families history of heart disease and diabetes. Being in the healthcare field, we tend to take care of others but not ourselves. I wanted to show not only myself, but my children and my patients that you need to put yourself first in order to be able to fully take care of others.

I started following workout blogs again, in particular Ashley Horner‘s Becoming Extraordinary Facebook page. I decided to enter her Transform You challenge on January 1st for extra motivation. After that, I went full throttle. I worked out 1-2 hours per day, 5-6 days per week and tried my hand at meal prepping. I also eliminated fried food and fast food! I focused on mainly lean ground beef, chuck steaks, chicken and pan seared tilapia with a veggie and sweet potatoes. I also drank two protein shakes per day. I usually consumed 5-6 meals per day. No snacks.

I started out simple and after 4 weeks I started getting more creative with my meal choices. I used My Fitness Pal to track my macros and I told everyone who would listen about my goals. I figured the more people I told the more they would keep me accountable.

Exercise wise, I started out opposite of what most people do. Because of a knee injury, I shied away from most cardio and focused on strength training. Then I slowly started attempting to trust my knee again and implemented more cardio, which included mostly running. Every now and then I’ll use the rower since I’m doing more of a crossfit type workout now, or the elliptical when my knee is bothering me.

I wasn’t willing to cut out going to my kids gymnastics, boxing and track meets, or helping with everyday after school stuff. So, I started going to bed at 9pm and waking up at 4am to hit the gym before work. It’s a routine that I still keep today. I also try not to get too stuck in my routine, because if I don’t get up I have to workout after work. This means that I miss out on quality time with my kids, which is motivation for me to make sure that doesn’t happen too often.

I ended up WINNING my transform you challenge in March 2016. Thanks to Ashley Horner, my family and I have $3,000 more in our pockets. This is all from me doing something I needed to do it the first place!

At this point, I weigh 129.4 pounds at 5’3. I started at 154 pounds in January of this year. For someone who thought they were at the point of no return, it took four months and taking some me time to shed 24.6 pounds and gain 8 pounds of lean muscle. I went from 35% to 22.7% body fat and I went from wearing large/extra large to small/extra small clothes. I am not where I want to be, but that’s only because a life of fitness and health has no stopping point. I am happy, healthier and I’ve learned to take time for myself which allows me more time for everything else.

>My advice to others is to never give up. I’ve had many “Day Ones”, but that only means I never quit. Once I decided I was truly going to make a change, I made a plan and that helped me stick with it. Also, meal prepping was a true game changer for me. With 3 very busy children, a husband and a full time job it makes my life so easy when I have food readily available. It also helps me not snack on what I’m making for the family when I have my own food close by and ready to go.

I would also suggest starting slow and working your way up. The way I did things can be intimidating, but what I did may not work for others. Use my story as inspiration to develop the plan that works for YOU.
Instagram: @beefit2016

Weight Loss Story: Syreeta lost 64 pounds. Wanting relief from chronic pain, this awesome mom found success with green smoothies, cardio and accountability. Check out her story.

I’m Syreeta. Last year in April, I decided to make a change. My heaviest weight was 379 pounds. Carrying all that weight around was tough. My body ached daily from being overweight and I was constantly in pain. At that point, I knew that I really needed to do something. Everyday is a challenge, but I push through. To date I have lost 64 pounds. (height: 5’7″)

I started the 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith. Those 10 days were the jumpstart I needed. I lost 22 pounds during those 10 days. I began telling myself that I could stick to a healthier lifestyle. The fact that my son needed me around was motivating. I also wanted to be around as long as I could be.

I changed my eating habits and started working out. After the smoothie cleanse, I still had a green smoothie everyday as one of my meal replacements. I cut out fried foods and sweets. I’m currently on a low carb, high fat meal plan.

I worked out 5 days a week in the beginning. I did cardio on my own 3 days a week and worked with a trainer for 2 days. Today, I still do cardio 3 days a week.

My advice to others would be to have someone or something that can hold you accountable. I used my instagram (@chocolatechyc) as a way to hold myself accountable. I would tell others to stay focused, because you will have good days and bad days. I would also tell them to trust the process.

Transformation of the Day: Arlette lost 51 pounds. This powerlifting diva has two World champion titles and 3 European champion titles. Even though she’s been training for 10 years, she was carrying extra pounds. Last year, she made the decision to give up her excuses and take control of her weight and wellness. Check out how she did it.

Starting weight : 242 lbs ( 110kg)
Current weight 190.96 LBS ( 86.8 kg)
Height: 5ft 6inches
How long did your transformation take? 13 months

What a shock it was when I realized I was up to 112 kg (246.9 pounds) on March 2015. At the time, that explained why I would be out of breath after walking more than 20 minutes or after taking up stairs. Despite being overweight, I had been doing weight training for 10 years. I’ve been competing in powerlifting on high level since August 2013 for Ireland. I currently hold two World champion titles and 3 European champion titles. My bodyweight has never been an issue when it comes to competing in sports, contrary to what people who don’t know may think. However, I was lying to myself and telling myself I was okay. I just thought that one day I would be able to lose weight. After 7 years of failing to get down to a healthy weight, I had given up. March 2015 was a turning point for me and the first thing I decided to do was; A) stop fooling myself and B) have no more excuses.

I stopped eating the following: take away/take out, pastries, white pasta, white bread and white rice. I went to the gym the that I first joined when I moved to Ireland back in 2007. My trainer gave me a nutrition plan which was high in protein and fats. It worked beautifully for me because my body reacts really well to healthy fats and protein. The meals were simple to prepare and nutritious.

• Breakfast : egg yolk, 1/2 avocado and a tea spoon of peanut butter
• Lunch : 2 full avocados with lemon and herbs and 100g of salmon
• Diner : Duck confit and 50g cream cheese
• Post and pre workout supplements : Protein powder with coconut water, peanut butter and spirulina juice.

I lost 10kg (22 lbs) effortlessly on that nutrition plan. I used it for 6 months and it never felt difficult. The best thing is that I always felt full. The healthy fats and protein have the benefit of making you full quick. By August, I was finally down to 99kg (217.8 lbs) and under 100kg ( 220 lbs). I was very happy with that. I went back doing my powerlifting training in July/August with my other coach.

My primary goal was to break the 90kg barrier (198 lbs) by Christmas 2015. That was a very ambitious goal, but it kept me focused during the holiday season and new year’s eve celebrations. Although I had fun and ate good food, I was reasonable.

My ultimate goal was to compete under 90kg for the National Powerlifting Championship in single lifts at the end of January 2016. After months of hard work, I finally made my dreams come true. Not only did I weigh in at 89.4 kg (196.68 LBS), but I won in my age and weight category in the Bench press event. I lifted 65 & 67.5kg (143.3 lbs and 148.8 lbs). During the European Championship in Italy in September 2015, I lifted the same number at 100kg ( 220 lbs) body weight. These accomplishments were the result of my determination hard work and off course the support I received from my trainers, family and friends. I make sure to surround myself of positive loving people.

Next, I completed a 12 weeks body transformation program named Amazing 12, from end of January 2016 to mid April. I managed to get myself down to a size 14. The program was really tough. I would do sprinting and jogging 5 mornings a week, and weight training Monday thru Friday evenings for 60 to 90 minutes. I had to keep a food diary which would be checked by my coach every 2 weeks. The hard work really paid off. My work colleagues, family and friends saw my body transforming in front of their eyes.

I haven’t finished my weight loss journey yet. I intend to get down to a size 8/10 by March 2017 and compete in bodybuilding in the bikini category. Currently, I do 60 mins weight training sessions 4 to 5 times a week in the evenings after work and 30 to 60 mins cardio session 2 to 3 times a week. It could be running, walking and recently I’ve been roller skating. I also do very long walks, up to 4 hours, 2 weekends a month. I live along the beach and love to walk from the beach to the city centre.

Advice 1: Baby Steps
A lot of my colleagues and friends ask me advice about weight loss. I always tell them to start getting rid of at least one food which they know is bad for them and stick to it for at least 3 to 4 weeks. Then, keep going. After 4 weeks, they can write off one more food which is bad for them and repeat until they manage gradually to get rid of the foods which helped them gain weight in the first place.

Advice 2 : 80%/20% Rule
I eat as clean Monday thru Friday and then have treats on the wee ends. The way I eat is no longer a diet, it’s a lifestyle for me, and feels so easy now. 80% of the time, I eat clean food and 20 % of the time I have treats.

Advice 3 : Meal Plan
I cook my foods for the week on Sundays and plan out what I will eat for the whole week. It helps me avoid eating out and makes my life easy. Since I train 4 to 5 times a week, I don’t have time to cook every evening.

Facebook : www.facebook.com/pages/The-beauty-of-Weightlifting/318029301701953
Twitter: @ArletteBomahou
Instagram: @thebeautyandthebar @arlette_fitover40
Blog: thebeautyandthebar.wordpress.com/blog/
Youtube Channel

Weight Loss Journey: Tia lost 42 pounds. She was sad, depressed and dealing with acid reflux daily. This former sugar addict found success by going vegan and exercising. Read all about her journey.

I started my journey last August when I saw the picture of myself on the right. I did not like it! I was sad and depressed. I felt unhealthy and had chronic acid reflux everyday. I knew that above all I was a sugar addict. Back then, I would rather have sugar vs. food. I decided that I needed to be healthy and not just lose weight. I was 40 years old and my bikini days are numbered, so my mental approach had to change!

I decided that I wanted to live and I didnt want to be unhealthy! The Vegan lifestyle just sorta walked into my life. Eating vegan changed my life. My highest weight was 225 pounds and now I weigh 183 pounds (height: 5’5″). My goal weight is 155 pounds! I feel awesome! I now longer have acid reflux. I also have tons of energy and my grocery shopping is so easy! I love my new life, and I’m hoping to inspire and help save a few lives with my story.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started eating vegan. That means lots of quinoia, vegetables, fruits and nothing processed!

What did your workout routine look like?
I worked out 5 days a weeks, alternating between cycling classes, weight lifting and cardio. My workouts took 45 minutes.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Your journey is your journey. You have to make the choice to live! That is what motivated me! I didn’t want to be diagnosed with something and be forced to make a change! I wanted it to be my idea! Now, I know that I have to nourish my body. My body needs me to be healthy so it can function like it should!