Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for Ajima Jackson

Ajima Jackson

Reanna lost 54 pounds

by 2 Comments


Weight Loss Story: Reanna lost 54 pounds. This mom of 3 was diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes at 33 years old. She knew that she had to live a healthier life for herself and for her children. She shared with us what she did to lose the pounds.

reanna

On August 25, 2014, my boss gave me a birthday luncheon and I took a picture holding my birthday cake. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at or whom I was looking at. The following Friday, I went to the doctor for my annual check up and weighed in at 192 pounds with High Blood Pressure and Diabetes. At that moment I knew that things had to change. I was only 33 years old and there was no way I was about to deal with those health issues at a young age. I’m also the mother of a 15 year old, a 14 year old and a 11 year old. That day was the day that I decided to make changes to live a healthier life for not only myself, but my children as well.

I began by walking, doing home fitness DVDs and eating clean. I changed my eating habits by going low to no carbs. I completely stopped eating pork and beef too. I worked out 4 to 5 days a week and learned that cardio was my best friend.

I noticed that the weight was beginning to fall off. I started to love what I was seeing and who I was seeing. My current weight is 138 pounds (I’m 5ft tall). I went from a size 14 to a size 4 within 14 weeks. I no longer do I have high blood pressure and I’m no longer a diabetic. My only advice is that people must want it to achieve it.

Instagram: @reannaej_lynn

reanna before and after

Damilola lost 62 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Damilola lost 62 pounds. Our Nigerian sista got two wakeup calls that many of us are familiar with, unflattering photos and a doctor’s warning to lose weight for our health. This mom of 2 changed her eating habits, worked out regularly and has gotten results! Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

damilola before and after

I’m a sister from Nigeria and a mother of 2. I lost a total of 28kg within the course of 5 months by simply changing my lifestyle. I knew that I couldn’t continue carrying the extra pounds and I was motivated by a visit to the doctor’s office. I couldn’t walk well due to having too much weight on my 5′ 1.8″ tall body. My doctor said that I had to loose some weight. On my way home, I stopped at my sister’s house to have a piece of her birthday cake. I couldn’t ask that the pictures from that day be deleted, so I was faced with the truth. I didn’t like what I looked like. These two things motivated me to get started.

After thorough research, I started with portion control and a week later, I moved on to a high protein/low carb diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. I also drank a lot of water. I had green tea, ginger, garlic and cut down on salt and seasoning. My workouts started with jogging round my residential area for an hour everyday, 7 days a week, with very few rest days. I later changed my workout plan to 6 days of cardio and strength training. Using the My Fitness Pal app on my phone has helped me to track my calorie intake and I don’t eat more than 1200 calories a day. I can’t go a day without logging my workout and meals on MFP. This app has really helped me. Google and Instagram are my very good friends when I’m looking for options of meal preparation and workouts. (Shout out to Lakeitha Duncan).

My starting weight was 93kg and I’m presently 65kg (205 pounds to 143 pounds). My transformation took five months, although there were weeks I found myself on a plateau and I didn’t loose a pound. I cried sometimes, as this was quite frustrating, but my goals kept me going. I kept telling myself “Dammie you are doing it”. I started on my weight loss journey in April 2015 . The first picture was me in 2009, second was February 2015 and the last one was taken September 2015.

Instagram: @dammie_suregirl

Bridget lost 22 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Story: Bridget lost 22.5 pounds. She wrote in to share her recent success after using a prescription diet aid. Determined to live a more active life and be there for her children, she sought out the help she needed and is starting strong on her journey…

bridget before and after

My name is Bridget Harris and so far I’ve lost 22.5 pounds. I started my journey at 256 pounds and now I weigh 233.5 pounds. I have tried almost every diet known to man with no real success. I joined Weight Watchers at least 3 different times, but each time I stopped going, the weight came right back. I don’t think I was serious about losing weight at that time.

It wasn’t until my 2 daughters, ages 7 and 5, began to get curious about death that I realized I could actually die and leave them motherless from being so unhealthy. By this time, I had also been diagnosed with diabetes and was so tired after work that it was all I could do NOT to crawl into bed. I’d tried modifying my diet and exercising but it didn’t help because I would revert back to my old habits often.

I decided to go see a doctor and he prescribed me Phentermine, a prescription diet aid. I’ve only been taking it for a couple of months, but the way I look and feel now has inspired me to make better food choices. I no longer reach for sweets like I used to. I no longer pile my plate full of food or go back for seconds. I’m content with my saucer full of food, because I know that now I can play with my girls. Now, I don’t want to crawl in the bed and stay forever. Now, I don’t feel self-conscious about the way my clothes fit.

I’m slowly working exercise back into my daily routine. I’m also hoping to lose 64 total total by next summer and I know i can do it. It’s very hard but I’m determined to stick around as long as I can for my babies….the big ones, ages 22 and 18, and the little ones.

Brittany lost 100 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Brittany lost 100 pounds. Struggling with her weight since childhood, she was determined to overcome self-consciousness and insecurity and live her best life. Determined and focused, she learned to love exercise, began eating clean and changed her mindset. Here is what she shared with us about how she did it…

brittany before and after

I’ve always struggled with losing weight. After countless years of quick diet fads and half-hearted attempts, I finally decided that enough was enough! I wanted it and I was determined to get it! I started out by walking every morning, then jogging and eventually exercise became therapeutic for me! It was something I no longer had to force myself to do. My body yearned for it! Now, I’m more passionate than ever! Working out, eating clean, and consistency is what got me here, but also changing my mindset was probably the most important factor in this entire journey. NOTHING is impossible. You can do ANYTHING you put you mind to! Change your mind, change your life!

My motivation came from my childhood insecurity about always being overweight. I felt that it was that “something” that was holding me back. I was always, “Beautiful, BUT…”, and I no longer wanted to have that nagging, self-conscious thought! I wanted to become great; my best self! From there my journey began. It has been a struggle, on and off since about 2011. It wasn’t until about 2013 that I began to really take it seriously! I just became fed up with starting over! I knew it was now or never! So that’s how my mental AND physical journey began. My starting weight was 245 pounds and my current weight is 145 pounds. I am 5’1″ tall.

I started out by walking on the levee around my neighborhood about 5 days a week. I was going through a break up, so I poured all my energy into my workouts. I started out at 3-4 miles a day. As my endurance increased, I started jogging more and also joined the gym. MOST importantly, I changed up my eating habits. I became more conscious about my veggie, calorie and water intake and truly started paying attention to what I was putting in my body. I cut pork out of my diet (over a year) and fast foods. I do have my weaknesses (pizza lol), but when I crave those things I always try to make a healthier variation. I can make a mean cauliflower crusted veggie pizza! Even if I don’t make a healthier version, the key is moderation. One tip, don’t deprive yourselves! Enjoy your journey!

The key to weight loss is mental resilience. ~ YOU ARE WORTH IT! Never give up!

Instagram: @Chocolat3_High

 

Corrin lost 68 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Story: Corrin lost 68 pounds. One day, she just decided that enough was enough. She focused on her happiness and getting healthy. Here is what she shared with us…

Corrin before and after

I just woke up one day and said no more. I was focusing on everyone else life and I forgot about me and my happiness. From that day on its been about me and my goals.

What did you stop or start eating?
I stopped eating fast food and red meat. Now, I eat more veggies and more fish.

What did your workout routines look like?
I work out 4 times a week, twice a day! I do lots of Zumba classes and weight lifting

What was your starting weight? 308 pounds
What is your current weight? 240 pounds
What is your height? 5’6″
How long did your transformation take? 8 months so far.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
It’s a mind body and soul experience. Focus on being healthy and the body of your dreams will come.

Instagram: @corrinaleesehair

Corrin weight loss story

Arika lost 42 pounds

by 2 Comments

Update 2016 – Shout out to Arika! This 37 year old is still going strong on her weight release journey. Starting weight: 267.4 pounds Current Weight: 217.4 pounds. That’s 8 more pounds down for a total of 50 pounds gone.

arika update before and after

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Arika lost 42 pounds. She was tired of being tired and not living a full life with her children and husband. After seeing a success story we posted, she reached out to the young lady featured to get connected with the great online training program she used. Now, she has the nutrition and fitness guidance she needed, along with lots of support.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey.

Arika before and after

Starting Weight: 267.4lbs
Current Weight: 225
Total Weight Loss: 42.4lbs
Total Inches Loss: 42.5
Height: 5’5
Representing: Indiana
How Long?: Since June 2015

What was your motivation?
I was tired of being tired and not living a full life. I was not able to do the things that I enjoyed because my weight literally weighed me down, physically, mentally and spiritually. I wanted to be able to enjoy doing activities with my children and husband. I was tired of being ill for what seemed like all of the time. Parts of my life were spiraling out of control and I know that was not God’s plan for me. I knew that I had too much purpose to fulfill to let carrying extra weight and fat stop me. It was time to make a change; for me and for my family. I wanted to inspire someone else and let them know if I can do it, so can you!

What inspired you to start your weight loss journey?

I saw a lady by the name of Faye Tomlin featured on Black Women Losing Weight and something about her story touched me and struck a chord in my spirit. I looked into the program that helped her “Fitness on Fire” Online Training Program, reached out to Faye and it all took off from there. She directed me to contact NutritionistGuru and my life just changed after that.

How did you change your eating habits?

I make sure that I eat complete and nourishing meals throughout the day along with healthy snacks in between meals and lots of water. I eliminated junk foods that would weigh me down and sap my energy. I stopped drinking pop, sugar loaded juices and lattes. I no longer eat red meat, pork, white bread and white flour, junk and sweets. I drink water and on occasion orange juice, especially this time of year because of the changing seasons. I want to make sure I am getting my vitamin C. I now eat foods that are healthy and beneficial to my body, foods that fuel my body. Veggies, fruit, chicken, turkey, fish and sources of protein.

What did your workout consist of?
60 minutes of fat blasting 5-6 days a week

How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey at the beginning of June 2015. I have diligently worked on my nutrition that entire time, but there were a few times that I had to pause on my workouts due to a sinus infection and because of an injury not related to working out.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Just do it! One step at a time. Make sure that you have the proper, strong support system in place. For me, that was the “Fitness on Fire” Online Training team, which consist of NutritionistGuru and my coach and trainer “King of the Fire“, the members of the program, and of course my biggest supporters were my family and friends. It is a journey and some days may be more challenging than others, but keep pressing forward – one step at a time – one day at a time. There will be some days where you do not see your own progress, yet the change is in fact happening. It is important to be positive, consistent and focused and before you even begin, make up in your mind that you are going to be successful. Make up your mind that nothing is going to stop you and you will WIN! My personal motto is Philippians 4:14, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Why did the “Fitness on Fire” Online Training Program work for you vs other programs you’ve tried before?
My nutritionist and trainer are dedicated, I’m talking 24/7. They are dedicated, supportive, extremely knowledgable, non-judgemental, encouraging and together they have put together a plan that in my opinion is “fail proof”. They take the guess work out of losing fat, getting fit and they guide you along the path to success. They’ve created the plan and YOU put in the work.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Arika.ealy
www.facebook.com/fitnessonfirenewyork/

Instagram: @fitness_on_fire

Arika weight loss story

Toylice lost 50 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Story: Toylice lost 50 pounds. She was inspired by the stories of others who’ve lost weight and now she’s also found success on her journey.

toylike before and after

I lost 50 pounds. I was motivated to lose weight because of my low self-esteem and depression. I was really inspired by anybody who was losing weight and eating right. I changed my eating habits by eating veggies, more fruit and drinking more water. I cut out all sugars, bread and didn’t drink any soda at all. I also downsized my portions. My workout routine is to exercise everyday, whether it was walking or running. My starting weight was over 200 pounds and my current weight is 150 pounds. I’m 5’8″ tall so my weight evens out.

7 Ways to Love Yourself More

by 2 Comments

beyoutifulA lot of people struggle with feeling like they genuinely really love themselves. Yes, many people tend to view their flaws or defects over their positive characteristics most of the time. When is the last time you looked in the mirror, looked directly into your own eyes, and said, “I love you!?” When is the last time you sat down and really took inventory of the things you love about yourself?

It’s common to want to feel loved and appreciated by others. It makes us feel good. This is why so many people do things that perhaps they shouldn’t do in order to vie for attention and love. They may cave into peer pressure or do things that they are not really comfortable doing in order to feel accepted and loved. Some call it “people pleasing”, which essentially means you do a lot of things to try to please others so that you feel better about yourself. This is just one example.

What about the love you have for yourself? Do you ever stop to think about your self-worth? Do you feel worthy of love? Do you think you really love yourself and think that you deserve the best?

Self-worth

Self-worth is the way you feel about yourself. What are you worth to you? Do you feel like you are doing the best that you can in life? Or do you dislike a lot of things about yourself? If you struggle with self-worth, you will probably have a difficult time receiving compliments. When someone says, “You look gorgeous!” you will play it off and sort of feel bad inside- like there’s no way on earth you could look so good! Or you will not take good care of yourself because you don’t think you deserve to be cared for.

There are various factors that impact self worth. Some people struggle with self-worth because of trauma or abuse that happened to them as children or things that have occurred as adults. For example, a child that was verbally or sexually abused as a child might struggle with self-worth. A man who has left a string of broken relationships might not be able to love himself well. Regardless of why you struggle with low self-worth, there are things you can do to increase your love of self.

Begin a new journey

It’s time to begin a new journey; a journey of falling in love with yourself. A journey of letting the past go and creating a future that you love. We can’t change the past. We can’t go back and change everything, but we can take positive action going forward.

Start with a simple step: Take a deep breath, look at yourself in the mirror, and just say it: “I love you!” You might feel a little silly the first couple of times, but you will get used to it and I bet you will start to feel better about yourself as well. You may not believe it at first, because if you truly don’t love yourself, it’s not true. However, that is where truth can heal you. Feel the feeling of untruth and think about how that makes you feel. If you can face the fact that you aren’t loving yourself, you can find the strength to find out WHY.

Here are 7 ways you can love yourself more:

1. Write down positive affirmations and speak them out loud. Here are a few examples:

  • I am a beautiful inside and out.
  • I love me!
  • I am worthy of love and happiness.
  • I am always working on improving myself.
  • I always try to be a blessing to myself and others.
  • I have accomplished some great things in life.
  • People love me!
  • I am very lovable.
  • I am confident and happy.
  • I’m working to create the life I want.

2. Spend some time with just YOU. Yes, take some time to delight in yourself. Take yourself on a date. Watch a movie. Take a day off and spend it doing something you love. Walk through the park. Meditate. Sit in nature and listen to the birds. Get your nails or hair done. Learn to enjoy your very own presence and you’ll certainly be loving yourself more and more by doing so.

3. Write yourself a poem post it on your bathroom mirror or put in on an index card and carry it around. Create a love poem for yourself on your mirror. You can also write it on an index card and put it in your purse/bad. Write about the things you love about YOU. Read it every time you go into the bathroom or before every meal. Smile, knowing that you are worthy and full of love.

4. Feed your soul. Read an inspiring book. Watch a motivational movie. Attend worship service. Attend a powerful seminar. Feed your soul good things regularly.

5. Become more fit and healthy. Loving yourself is not about losing weight to reach some ideal size. It’s about wanting to be your best you, and that means being as fit and healthy as you can be. Eat more healthy foods and find an exercise routine that works for you. Just like a mother feeds her child nutritious foods out of love, so you can feed yourself the same out of love.

6. Practice self-care. Take care of yourself. Get to bed at a reasonable hour. Set boundaries with others and keep them. Don’t compromise your morals, your beliefs or your dreams. See to it that YOU are taken care of.

7. Reach out to others. Yes, giving to others can make us feel better about ourselves. The more you come to love yourself, the more inclined you will be to share the love with others in a healthy way.

Be proud of who you are and the areas that you’re not thrilled with, work on them. Create a plan to do something different for those areas. For example, if you have been moody around the house and taking your stress out on the family, make a decision to find the root of your stress and moodiness and deal with it. You will change by taking action. As you focus on changing, you will not only change, but also come to love yourself abundantly!

After all, you are worthy!

Ropafadzo lost 103 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Ropafadzo lost 103 pounds, going from 297 lbs to 194 lbs.  Our sister from Zimbabwe started with raw vegan eating for 2 weeks and then moved on to make more changes to her eating and exercise habits as she did more research.  Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

Ropafadzo before and after

It started off as a joke. I never noticed that I was this big until it was already too late. Imagine hitting 135kg (297.6 pounds). I am sure I even weighed more than that. There’s only one way to be fat…. JUNK FOOD, PROCESSED FOODS, FAST FOODS, FIZZY DRINKS, AND NOT BEING ACTIVE.

Before I gained weight I was never skinny. Maybe my skinniest was a size 38. I was always the bigger one. However, I played sports so I always managed to maintain my body to around a 38/40 size (UK). Then it happened. I stopped basketball and boom, I hit 135kg. I didn’t realize it until I went to South Africa to do some shopping and I couldn’t find anything that I could fit me. In the end, I didn’t even use the shopping money.

So, I decided that this was too much. It motivated me to lose weight. People had tried to tell me in the past that I was big, but my excuse was that I am big boned and it’s a family thing. (Yah, right! Everyone has an excuse. Very silly ones in most cases). I went on the Internet and researched about losing weight. All I found were articles talking about vegetables, water and fruits. I was like, won’t kill me so let me try this. Though what I was doing was too drastic, but it worked.  I spent 2 weeks living on fruits and vegetables and 10kg were gone (22 pounds). I felt so excited.

I decided to read more about weight loss and about best ways to do it that are not harmful. I found information about being active (i.e. 30 minutes of exercise a day, using stairs instead of an elevator, walking more often than driving, etc.). I also found information about eating smaller potions, eating more frequently (like 4 to 6 times a day) and eating more vegetables and fruits (4 to 6 potions – eating 2 different fruits and 4 potions of vegetables). Drinking a lot of water e.g like one liter for every 25kg of weight was also a common tip.

I started to change my habits bit by bit. The most difficult part for me was and is still the food. Exercise I’m fine with, but the problem is that to lose weight and maintain the loss is 80% what u eat and 20% exercise. However, I never gave up. Weight loss is a journey. You will get stuck, you will gain and you will lose, but all you need to do is believe in yourself. Love who you are. Chose an exercise that you enjoy and it won’t hurt. You need to tell yourself that you are not fat, you just have fat. Stop calling yourself fat first, then change ur ways.

1st step – Check what you eat first and see if it’s good or bad. I did and realised I was eating a lot of junk food.

2nd step – Correct what’s wrong with your diet. I totally erased fast foods, junk food and starch. I did it drastically, which is not recommended, but I did it. I started by eating only vegetables and fruits and drinking water. No fizzy drinks, nothing sugary and in 2 and 1/2 weeks I had lost 10kg.

3rd step – I checked my exercise routine. Before, I was just stationary, like a copse. Correct yourself if you are like that. I started with what I could manage and that was a stepping stone. Don’t do too much. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits. Rome wasn’t built in one day. I started with running.

4th step –  You need to change up your routine of exercise. If you stick to one thing your body will get used to that. Do stuff like swimming, Zumba, skipping, running, jogging, power walking, stair climbing, yoga and dancing. Don’t isolate the body and say I just wanna lose my tummy because your body is not isolated.

amazon affiliate

5th step – You need to know your blood type because whatever you eat should at least be linked to your blood type. People are not the same and what works for me won’t work for you. When I discovered my blood type I started changing a lot based on what I learned. I realized I needed to work extra hard and realised meat would help me lose weight.

Consistency is the key. The problem we usually have is that we want quick fixes and that only works for a while but when you go back to eating regularly you will gain more weight than you had lost initially because your body will store the fat for future use. Eat well balanced meals, rich in vegetables and you won’t go wrong. After all has been said and done, it all comes back to consistency and determination. Love who you are right now and it will be easy to achieve what you want.

So, my journey was more focused on exercising rather than eating well in the early first days. I did eat well but in most cases I still ate some bad foods. I was exercising 2 times a day. For me, my strength is in running, so I would run in the morning and go to the gym in the evening. Started off with 2 km now I can do 42 km non stop. I love running and stairs, so I do between 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes of running 3/4 times a week. I do 30 minutes stairs and 20 minutes weights at least once a week. I get needed rest and mix up the types of workouts I’m doing. I also do a lot of sprinting, especially hillsprints and most of my runs are on hilly roads. I aim for 1 hour of exercise a day, but I range from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Instagram: @ropababe

Ropafadzo Ropafadzo weight loss

Keshia lost 95 pounds

by 2 Comments

Weight Loss Story: Keshia lost 95 pounds.  She started out at 378 pounds and was inspired by her daughter to start her journey. She embraced portion control and is working with a personal trainer. Her hard work has paid off and now her awesome story can serve as inspiration of others. Here is what she shared with us…

keshia before and after

I started out at 378 pounds. My knees were swollen and it was hard to walk. I have never told anyone but I was very depressed. I decided to change my life by getting a personal trainer and changing my eating habits. I am now down 95 pounds and I plan to continue this rigid plan until I am healthier. I have been on this journey for 9 months.

My inspiration for losing weight was my 4 year old daughter. One day at the park she was sliding down the slide and I said I’m coming up. My daughter looked down and said, “Mommy, you’re to big you might hurt yourself.” Although I laughed in front of the other parents, I was dying inside.

I stopped eating excessively and started eating portion sizes a month later. I begin to research how to lose weight without starving myself. I cut out sodas and replaced them and my meals with a protein shake or bar. My trainer has me working out 3 days a week but he really wants me there 5 days a week. I can’t afford 5 days a week right now though.

My current weight is 283. I am 5’11” tall so I look a lot smaller than what I actually am. My goal weight is 190 pounds and I know that I will be there in time. It has taken 1 year and 2 months to get where I am now. The only advice I can give is that once you start your journey you have to remember that you are starting it for you! Regardless of what others may say, fight through it! Even if you have to fight alone! Thank you for sharing my story. I hope to inspire someone.

Instagram: @Kbazemore_78

keshia weight loss