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Ajima Jackson

20 Pound Difference: Shaunte lost 23 pounds

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What a difference 20 pounds can make.  Shaunte’s success story is just an example of how much change and greater wellness can come from losing 20+ pounds.

Shaunte before and after

What was your motivation?
“My motivation was my son who suffers from sickle cell disease. He has to lead a very healthy lifestyle to suppress symptoms of a crisis. I wanted to stop getting fast food for dinner and get him more fruits and vegetables. I was also motivated by my Varsity girls soccer team where I’m the head coach. I wanted to eat healthier and live healthier to be an example that says that they could do what I do, not just do what I say.”

How did you change your eating habits?
“I stated having a meal replacement shake for breakfast and lunch. I also eat 3 healthy protein snacks a day and a well balanced dinner of healthy carbs, protein and vegetables.”

What did your workout routines look like?
“I get up every morning a 4 am for cardio. I worked out in the afternoons doing the “100 workouts” with my soccer team.”

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
“My starting weight was 216 pounds and my current weight is 193 pounds.”

How long did your transformation take?
“6 weeks.”

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?
“Make sure that you are mentally ready to stay the path. Cut away the obvious food no-no’s and be committed to some real constructive “Me” time. Life will still go on while on your weight loss journey, so be careful not to emotionally eat during a trial. It will pass and you will still want to reach your weight loss goal.”

Shaunte has also gotten results with waist training, like one of our fav weight loss success stories.

Lacey lost 50 pounds

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Update August 2016 – Lacey shared her story with us back in 2014. She wrote in recently to let us know that she’s still going strong, despite ups and downs along the way. She’s lost an additional 25+ pounds.

When my weight loss story was featured back in 2014, I had loss 50 pounds and everything was going really great for me. Then, all of a sudden my weight release came to a stand still and I faced a weight loss plateau! I was very devastated when I plateaued and it lasted for 9 months. I had to find a solution to break through, so I got with me a trainer at the gym that I attend. He really gave me a run down on how to break the plateau.

I started to up my water intake to a gallon a day. I also began making sure I didn’t go over my daily calorie goal. I began lifting more weights and doing more intense workouts. I workout at least 4 times a week.  Today, I meal prep my food for the week every Sunday night. I refuse to go back to unhealthy eating habits.

By the grace of God and with hard work and dedication, I broke through plateau. When I started my journey back in 2013, I weighed 257 pounds. As of today, I have loss of 75-80 pounds total. I am working on becoming a fitness coach and I hope that my story encourages someone to NEVER GIVE UP! I also have more fitness tips on my Instagram page. Follow me: @laceyfitness

lacey before and after

March 2014 – Featured Weight Loss Story of the Day: Lacey lost 50 pounds.  After dealing with the effects of hyperthyroidism, such as weight gain, this proud mom took steps to change her eating habits and exercise to lose weight.  Read her story and check out her before and after photos:

“Hello everyone, my name is Lacey Donald.  I am 27 years of age and from Tupelo,MS. A few years ago I had three children and then my life became really busy after being a busy mom.  I was working, going back to school to become a paralegal, and after I had my third child I found out that I had a condition called hyperthyroidism. This condition makes a person lose and gain weight, so after my body started gaining the weight I had to put it to a stop.

My weight loss journey started last Febuary 2013. My first step was joining a gym, then finding a right diet plan online that works for me.  I stopped drinking sodas, used portion control, and started doing a detox. When I changed my eating habits, I started portioning out everything that I eat.  I also limit fried foods and use olive oil.  I now eat more fruits & veggies, and water. My workout routines are full blast cardio, squats, lifting weights, zumba, and situps. I workout at least four times a week.

This has been a long journey for me. I started off being 257 pounds and as of today I am 207 pounds. I noticed the changes in my body after a month and the weight just started falling off the more I stayed focused on having a new healthier lifestyle. My advice to others is to stay focused, stay motivated, and do not give up. When losing weight, know that it is a process and it doesn’t happen overnight.  Just stick with it and watch the weight come off. You will be happy with the new you.”

Lacey before and after Lacey weight loss story

Erica lost 60 pounds

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Featured Weight Loss Success Story: Erica lost 60 pounds and is now Super Fit.  After a terrible ankle injury, she was told by a doctor that her ability to exercise would be hindered and that motivated her to get fit and healthy.  She is now inspiring others to do the same.  Here is what she share about how she lost the weight:

Erica Beachbody Before and After

My name is Erica Stepteau,  I’ve been married almost 11 years with no children. I currently reside in Atlanta, GA. I recently completed Masters Degree in Business Management & Leadership.

I was 150lbs for a very long time until I had a terrible ankle injury. This injury resulted in 5 screws and 1 plate. During recovery time I gained approximately 25lbs. I was in physical therapy for 6 months and it took me almost 8 months to walk again without any assistance. My Orthopedic Surgeon explained to me that I may not be able to participate in any strenuous activities for the rest of my life because how bad I the bones were broken in the ankle. That was my wakeup call! I don’t know what came over me, I went crazy and started to eat healthier and worked out like a mad woman!

My weight loss journey began June 2010 at 174 pounds. I returned for my 2 year checkup appointment 45 pounds lighter, ran a half marathon (13.1 miles), and completed multiple Beachbody fitness programs. I successfully achieved final weight goal of 114lbs in May 2012!

I have always been pretty active, but I had a lot of work to do to improve my eating habits. MyFitnessPal was a great tool for me at the beginning of my journey in tracking food I was consuming throughout the day. The first month of logging foods really shocked me. I didn’t know I consumed so much carbs and sugar. I started researching ideas on how to eat better without completely omitting things I love: cake/pizza/breads. For example, I make homemade pizzas loaded with veggies instead of meats, soda cakes topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. I had to tweak recipes and minimize portion sizes, but overall I didn’t take away too many items. In addition, planning was a key factor in my success; Every meal for the week was planned, documented and stored. I left no room for error or excuses to consume something that I knew wasn’t accounted for.

As I learned portion control and nutrition balance, I began to be less scrutinizing on planning meals. The biggest nutrition trick which help me turn my body into a fat-burning furnace was eating every 2hours totaling to 6 small meals a day. My body is still trained like this even while maintaining current weight; I never let my body get hungry.

Erica Fit4LifeThree tips I have for a person who is trying to reach the same goal:

1.Write down your goal and why you want to achieve it (Copy this and place on mirror, refrigerator, and desk at work)
2.Plan, Plan, Plan. Nutrition and Fitness-Leave very little room for error and excuses.
3.Find a support group or like-mined people to help inspire one another.

My weight loss journey allowed me to find my passion in helping others. Two years ago I created a Facebook Group page, Fit4Life, to help others achieve their health and fitness goals using some of the very same principles I’ve used in my journey. This group started off with 39 people and as of today there are 171 members apart of this group. I share daily tips, recipes, create workout videos, and facilitate monthly challenges. In addition, I am working towards being a certified Health Coach and Fitness Professional so that I can began a new career path in the Health and Wellness industry. I live, breathe, and think about nutrition and fitness. I am so glad I experienced that ankle injury because It allowed me to find myself in many ways. I didn’t know how ambitious I was until I lost the weight and also this path has allowed me to meet so many people so that I can help them achieve their goals as well!!!”

Instagram: @Fit4Life_Coaching

Update: Carmen is down 130 pounds

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Today’s featured story:  We featured  Carmen’s weight loss success story back in Dec 2012 and she sent in an update.  She’d lost 92 pounds when we first met her and now she’s down a total of 130 pounds.  I love it that she is still going strong with her weight loss.  Read the original story for more info on how she lost the weight. 

Check out all her progress photos and weight loss inspiration on Instagram: ilift4life1

130 pounds lost!

CarmenFeb14

Photo from Original post – 92 pounds down
carmenweightloss2

Autumn lost 78 pounds

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Featured Weight Loss Success Story: Delta Sigma Theta Soror Autumn lost 78 pounds.  This petite diva ended a lifetime of dealing with being overweight by committing to eating clean and exercising.  She went from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8.  Read her story and find out how she did it:

Autumn DST Soror

“My name is Autumn and for as long as I can remember I’ve been overweight. I can remember being in 4th grade and weighing over 100lbs. Although I was always overweight, I never realized just how much. After graduating from college in 2005, I became a probation officer and was faced with the challenge having to complete the police academy. I started going to the gym but didn’t change my diet. Over 3 years later, I was still working out, but I hadn’t lost any significant weight. One of my sorority sisters suggested we start a weight loss competition which made me actually put effort into my fitness journey. At my heaviest, I weighed around 235 pounds, which is a lot, especially on my 5’1” frame. I did great the first time and lost over 50 pounds but after going through losing my mom and getting married, I gained over of that weight half back.

At the end of 2012, I weighed 209 pounds and as of February 2014 I weight 157 pounds. At my heaviest I wore a size 18/20 in pants and now I wear a size 6/8. I’ve tried all types of things to help with my weight loss but what has worked the best is simply working out (4-6 days a week) and eating clean. I used to eat a lot of fast food, I didn’t eat vegetables and I drink a lot of juice. Now, I eat veggies daily, drink lot of water and stay away from processed foods. For the last few months I’ve used Fitness On Fire online boot camp, which helped me continue to reach my goals.

I would tell anyone to have patience, take it one day at a time and take lots of pictures. On those days when you are struggling with the journey, take a look back at those pictures to see just how far you have come.”

Instagram: @Autumn203

Temica lost 58 pounds

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Featured Weight Loss Story: Sigma Gamma Rho Soror Temica lost 58 pounds and helped her husband to lose 120 pounds as well.  She found a weight loss plan that worked for her, embraced healthy eating and worked out!  I see you, Soror!  Here is what she shared with us about her journey:

Temica

“My name is Temica Gross and 15 months ago I weighed 248lbs. I now weigh 190lbs for a preset weigh loss of 58lbs. I’m 32 years old, wife and mother of 1 and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.”

What was my motivation?
“I have been heavy my entire life. I can’t ever remember being under 200lbs for longer than a few months. In Oct 2012 I ordered fast food for lunch while at work and as I was eating, the grease from my sandwich was dripping down my arm. It was a disgusting wake up call. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and instantly became embarrassed at my weight. I signed up for Weight Watchers within minutes and that was the beginning of my weight loss journey.’

How did you change your eating habits?
“My eating habits changed drastically. I began to prep my meals for the week ahead of time and incorporated “clean eating” for my entire family. I was now eating more fruits and vegetables with every meal and every snack instead of unhealthy options such as chips and chocolate. I also removed meat from my diet and consumed mostly fish and vegan protein. As a result, my husband also lost 120 pounds and our 2 year old son chooses dried cranberries and almonds over cookies!”

sgrhomeekWhat did your workout routine look like?
“Each morning I would workout for 30 minutes a day with a DVD (Insanity, Walk away the pounds, Zumba) and again for an additional 30 minutes when I came home from work. I was too shy to sign up for a gym membership so working at home was all I did in the beginning. After 6 months,I had lost close to 30 lbs and I thought I needed a new challenge and signed up for my first 5K! My only goal at the time was to NOT stop running and to NOT come in last place…. I crushed both!  I was so excited when I finished that I signed up for another the very next month!!”

What advice do I have for others?
“There is a plan out there for everyone. Do not get discouraged if one doesn’t work for you. Find what’s best for you and stick with it. But please remember, this is a lifetime commitment. Strive for long term goals and not a short/fast turnaround and you will succeed.  Best of luck to you all!!!”

Instagram: @BeatbyMeek

Temica before and after

 

Veronica lost 110 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Veronica.  After giving birth, she is now down 110 pounds.  This mom of 3 wanted to be an inspiration to her 7 year old who was being teased in school for being bigger than the other kids.  Her story shows that you CAN lose the baby weight.

Veronica post baby weight loss

“I just wanted to share my story with you guys!!! I went from 280 pounds to 170 pounds. That’s 110 lbs lost. I did this by eating cleaner and becoming more active. I hit the gym 6 days a week and enjoy different activities when I’m there, like spin class, weight training and cardio.

My motivation was my babies. I have 3 boys and my 7 year old is being teased at school for being heavier then the rest of the kids. I started my journey to let him know that he doesn’t have to stay “chunky”, as they call him. I started drinking water and cut out all sweets and sugars. I eat a clean, lean diet. I also hit the gym almost everyday if possible. I do cardio 3 days a week and strength training with a group. We do the group thing to stay motivated and focused on our goals. Constructive criticism is given when needed and it only makes us push harder. It took me a year to get most of my weight off. My advice to other is that you can do it. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE with God on your side and the will power to do so.”

Veronica before and after

Cookie lost 70 pounds

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Cookie Miller on Dr. Oz

Update Dec 2017: Back in 2014, Cookie Miller shared her amazing transformation story with us. She became a personal trainer and continues to inspire the masses online. Today, Dec 6th, you may have seen her on the Dr. Oz Show. She wrote to tell us that the show is looking for a new trainer to join the team and Cookie is in the RUNNING as a finalist! Let’s support this sista.

There will be two winners and voting can be done here:
www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-oz-show-trainer-competition-voting-form
Voting is available thru this Sunday, December 10th at midnight EST. Let’s show her some love.

Check out this post for more information about how she lost the weight.

Instagram: @CookieMiller
Facebook.com/CookieMiller
Twitter.com/CookieMillerFIT

Cookie Miller

Update: Cookie is now a personal trainer and you can check out her Youtube channel! More info: Helping Others to Succeed: Congrats to Cookie

Feb 2014 – Weight Loss Story of the Day: Cookie lost 70 pounds. She embraced running and training for 5k runs.  She also found out that she was suffering from a common skin condition that cleared up as she lost weight and got healthy.  Here is what she  shared with us:

Cookie weight loss

Feb 23, 2014: “Exactly one year and one day ago, I began a journey that would completely change my life and who I am as a person. I made a goal to train for a 5K run, get fit, and lose weight! I ran my first 5K in honor of my grandmother. Since then, I have run 4/5 more 5Ks, completed a #MightyMudDash and completed a 5 mile #SpartanSprint.

In the process of all of this, I have lost nearly 70 pounds and I’m not done yet! I am training for the #SpartanBeast (10-12 miles) and I will run with my mom for her first 5K this fall. The purpose of sharing my photos is to encourage anyone who wants to lose weight. I want to encourage anyone who is struggling with consistency, food addiction and any other mental blocks causing them to lose faith.

Losing the weight was always a goal, but to look in the mirror now and hardly recognize myself is almost unreal. Many people have asked me for tips and I always tell them to pray! Without God, I know I wouldn’t have come this far, because Lord knows I’ve had to pray myself through many workouts (and still do to this day)! Now that I am a year in and 70 pounds down, I realize that this journey never ends. Being fit IS my lifestyle. Eating well IS my lifestyle and I am glad about that. NEVER give up!

SKIN CHANGE:

Let me preface this by saying that neither of these pictures are filtered and I do not wear makeup. Meaning, I do not apply powder, base or whatever else to my face. I only use eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner and lip gloss. I literally do not know how to apply makeup (sad, I know). The point is the changes you see in my skin including skin color, dark leathery spots, dry/ashy spots etc. are a direct affect of the changes in my weight. I wanted to post this as a warning to those who may be experiencing weight gain and changes in their skin. I urge to visit your doctor as these changes in your skin are a only a sign of things to come. After having pretty “normal” skin (aside from eczema on my arms) all of my life, it wasn’t until I became extremely obese that I saw this change in my skin. I would have breakouts on my cheeks, eyelids, all around my neck and basically anywhere where there was a crease. My skin had stretched so much that it hurt to wash or try to exfoliate it. When I went to the doctor, I found out that I was pre-diabetic and that the changes in my skin were due to the weight gain.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, breast cancer, heart disease and so on ALL run in my family as in many other Black families. Many of these are preventative with a healthy lifestyle. I encourage you all to take care of yourselves and to pay attention to the signs such as changes in your skin.”

Connect with Cookie on Instagram: @cookiemiller

Cookie before and after Cookie Miller

Side Note from BWLW: Ladies, the skin condition that Cookie was dealing with is more common than you may think. Many people suffer with a condition called Acanthosis Nigricans.  It causes a darkening and thickening of the skin, breakouts, etc… and it’s related to insulin resistance  Many black women deal with this condition, including myself.  Here is some additional information. Talk to your dermatologist about your skin.  There are a number of skin conditions that affect overweight people and those dealing with diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Brynn lost 65 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Brynn for her 65 pound weight loss victory.  After being diagnosed with some very serious health issues, including being in a 2 day coma, she has changed her lifestyle and lost weight.  Here is what she shared about her journey:

“Hello my name is Brynn Thompson and I would like to share my story. I was a fit girl until after high school. I moved out, ate junk and put on 80 pounds in one year to my tiny 145 pound frame. Shortly there after, I was rushed to the hospital where I slipped into a coma for two days.  Later I found out that I had type 2 diabetes, but instead of getting healthy I got worse and ended up at 260 pounds. I’m only 5’3”. For years I yo-yo’d with my weight until last year when I was diagnosed with Pseudotumor cerebri, a condition in which the pressure inside the skull is increased. The brain is affected in a way that the condition appears to be — but is not — a tumor but is just as bad because it never goes away. This diagnosis happened last October.  Since then, I’ve stared eating right and working out.  I work out four to five times a week doing Zumba, running and lifting weights. I follow the American Diabetic Association’s 1200 calorie diet. I also cut out soda and alcohol.  I’m down to 195 pounds and dropping. I knew if I did nothing I would not be around much longer for my wife and son, if I can do it anyone can!”

Brynn before and after

brynn weight loss

Delisa lost 32 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Delisa lost 32 pounds.  Instead of a gym membership, she joined a flag football team and a boot camp for exercise.  She changed her eating habits as well.  Find out the details of her weight loss journey:

Delisa before and afterAt my heaviest, I was 197 pounds which was in March of 2013. I then knew that I had to do something about it. I knew I was lazy but if I put myself in something fun it would help me reach my goal. I joined a flag football team! I also ate better, drank lots of water and the weight just fell off. Now, since the season is over, I knew I had to keep busy so I joined a bootcamp and I’m sticking with it! I lost my first 5 pounds in July 2013 and I am now 165 pounds as of February 2014! I have made it a lifestyle and I now try to encourage others on their weight lost journey as well on my Instagram: @iamdelisa and my Facebook page.

What I did with regard to eating: I counted calories first. I ate to live and I didn’t live to eat, which is still a challenge. A lot of salad was eaten and a lot of chicken with veggies (they were the largest amount on the plate) and little to no carbs. If I ate carbs, healthy carbs were ok like oatmeal for breakfast, fruit, whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes. I drank only water, no soda, sweet tea or juice for a long time. As far as exercise, since I was on the football team and we conditioned for the season. I did a lot of running and a lot of cardio. I hated running but I would run a lap then walk a lap. The routines and routes we did consisted of running, stopping catching the ball and running again. Basically lots and lots of cardio. I have yet to have a gym membership. I don’t use equipment, I just run or use my body weight to strength train and gain muscle. I sometimes may use a medicine ball or 8 pound weights to add something new to my workout but for the most part cardio, cardio, cardio.

I just want to share a little motivation to let you guys know that this journey is hard as hell and everyday I wake up with my challenge of food! However, I never gave up! I tried and failed many more times than I succeeded, but the fact is I never gave up! I tried diet pills, the Atkins diet and the only thing that truly worked was changing my diet and exercising! You can do it! If nobody believes in you, I do because I did it and I’m still going! I feel better about myself! I have a new found confidence that I’ve never had before! As much as sometimes I really have to drag myself to the gym, I still go! So, please don’t give up just keep going! It’s not going to be easy and it’s gonna take time but just don’t give up! #workout #healthyeatting #loveyourself #healthyandfit

Delisa weight loss story