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Ajima Jackson

Arletta lost 64 pounds

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Featured weight loss success story of the day: Arletta wrote in to us to share her journey to lose 64 pounds.  This 5’8″ beauty wanted to love what she saw in the mirror and get healthy.  Looks like she DID that!!  Here is her story:

Arletta weight loss story

“Hi my name is Arletta.  My mtarting weight was 282 pounds and I was wearing a size 22-24.  My current weight is 218 pounds and I’m wearing a size 14. I hated to see myself in the mirror. When I weighed 282 pounds, I would never look in the mirror.  If I happened to pass one and saw myself, I was in disgust and I told myself I looked horrible. I did not have low self esteem or didn’t care about what anybody else thought but I was just unhappy with what my body looked like. I would get invited to go on trips out of town with my girlfriends but I would decline the offer because I’m was too embarrassed.  I knew that we would have to share the hotel room and bathroom therefore I would have to change in front of them. Thankfully, I did not have any health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure but if I kept eating the way I was eating I was sure to acquire either one or both.

I changed my eating habits. I started drinking diet drinks instead of the ones full of sugar.  I was exercising, going to boot camp fitness classes, cutting out bread, eating sensible portions meals, riding my bike 2 miles a day week and allowing myself 1 cheat day on the weekend eating anything that I wanted. My weight dropped down to 198 pounds. Eventually I stopped exercising and eating sensibly and my weight went up to 231 pounds. Since June 2013, I have been riding my bike 2 miles a day and eating healthier meals, weighing in at 218. Being 5’8″, I would only like to lose an additional 25 pounds. I am a work in progress.  I was then and I am now.  My goal is to keep it off. Ladies don’t give up! Oh yeah, the mirror and I are quite fond of each now!”

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #1: Frozen is your Friend

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buy frozen foodsIt’s day 1 of our October 2013 Challenge.  Each day I will share a tip for weight loss on a budget!  My first tip, frozen food is your friend.  If you are budget conscious, the frozen isle holds a lot of possibility for you.  Here are some reasons why.

Foods that are out of season – Frozen foods are great because you can access out of season foods like mango or peaches all year around from sources where the foods are in season.  Variety is key when losing weight so you want to have access to all of your favorite healthy options as much as possible.

100% Main Ingredient – You want to look at the ingredient list on the package and see ONE ingredient as much as possible.  No fillers, no preservatives is Ideal!!

Look for Flash Freezing – Foods that are flash frozen may have better taste because they were frozen quickly and all the flavor and nutrients are sealed in.

Steam-in-bag– There are tons of steam-in-bag options in the frozen section that will help you to make healthy meals quickly.  This is a big issue for those who a used to “fast food”.  We are talking pasta dishes, vegetables, meat dishes, etc with the help of your trusty microwave.  (Or…You can also buy a traditional steamer and you don’t even need the bag.)

Buy generic – Go for the store brand or generic brands for the lowest prices in most cases.  This is not clothing or shoes…labels are less important.

Buy in bulk – If you have a separate freezer, consider buying frozen items in bulk.  Just remember, frozen foods DO have an expiration date.   A good tip is to use masking tape and a permanent marker to label foods in the freezer so that you see the expiration dates clearly.

Healthy Frozen Meals – I get asked about healthy frozen diet meals all the time.  While I don’t usually recommend them because of high sodium content, many brands have scaled back on sodium and preservatives.  If you don’t have time to cook your meals and you can find ones with quality, healthy ingredients for a good price or on sale…go for it.  Just make sure that you READ the nutrition label and are aware of what is really in the meal.

List of foods to consider buying in the frozen isle:

  • Mango
  • Peaches
  • Berries (various)
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Corn
  • Peas
  • Edemame
  • Fish
  • Shredded potatoes
  • Chicken breast in bulk
  • Bell Peppers
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Squash
  • Veggie Burgers
  • Vegetarian Options
  • Green Beans
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cherries

Keita lost 100 pounds and is still going

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Featured story of the day: Keita lost 100 pounds and is still on a mission to lose more.  She changed her eating habits, counted calories, and exercised regularly.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi! I want to share my story. In August 2012 I ruptured a disk in my back and needed surgery. I was told that weigh loss would help me possibly avoid surgery. I’ve lost 100 pounds since November 2012 with a lot of prayer, healthy choices and daily exercise. I cut my calories down to 1200 a day and I go to the gym 5 days a week. I spend 35 mins on the elliptical and 25 mins on different weight machines. God told me it was time and that if I did what I could, he would do the rest. 10 months later, here I am. My starting weight was around 374 pounds.  My current weight is 270 pounds.

I stopped eating fast food, used Pam cooking spray instead of butter and switched to diet sodas.  I also made sure that I ate 5 serving of veggies and at least 2 servings of lean protein per day and cut out majority of the bread.  If I do eat bread, it’s the Sara Lee 45 cal a slice honey wheat.  My biggest thing was counting calories. I used Myfitnesspal to track all my food and exercise.

Keita weight loss story

 

Maleka and her husband Eric lost a combined 300 pounds together!

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Weight loss success story of the day: Maleka and her husband Eric lost a combined 300 pounds together!  After suffering tremendous loss, including Hurricane Katrina and it’s aftermath, this New Orleans couple took their health and wellness into their own hands.  Here is what they shared with us about their victory and how they have been lead to help others (video below as well):

eric maleka betterchoices

“Our weight loss journey began in 2006…

My husband and I are from New Orleans. If you know New Orleans, then you know the essence of New Orleans…FOOD! We absolutely LOVE TO EAT!! At no time prior to or after Hurricane Katrina did we realize our eating habits and weight were out of control. We did not have any diagnosed health issues, we never saw ourselves as being unhealthy or being obese. It’s funny how we walk around unaware of our true selves. It wasn’t until after a life changing experience in 2006, that we decided to change our life.

After coming down with a sore throat, my husband went the doctor’s office. Of course with any typical doctor’s visit, they need to take the basic vitals. At the point in which they needed to take my husbands weight, the medical scale could not read it. The nurses made sly remarks about the scale; they couldn’t figure out why the scale was not working…so they gathered other nurses and to my husband’s surprise, he became the butt of their jokes. He heard them laughing at him. The truth is, my husband’s weight exceeded what the medical scale could measure. At that moment, he weighed 400 lbs!

When he came home, I could see how terribly angry he was. I asked him to tell me what happened. He proceeded to tell me about his experience. He was angry. To my surprise, he was not angry with the nurses, he was angry with himself for allowing his weight to get out of control.

I, myself, weighed in at 276 lbs! I recall the day I asked Eric what was HE going to do about it. In the beginning, I resisted the idea of change. I knew change was needed but I was afraid. I was afraid of the unknown; afraid of change because I did not know what that change was going to look like. The first thing I thought about was all the things we could no longer have.

My husband sat me down and told me “If you don’t take time out for you, then who will? You take time out for me, the kids, your clients, family, & everybody else…you are the only person who can make time for you.” He told me he wanted us to take this journey together. He wanted us to be healthy and be around for our boys.  He wanted us to live healthier.

That was my “A-HA” moment! That day, we got a few things we would need to begin working out at home. I found a few exercise DVD’s and we mapped out a walking route. We started reading so many books on health, nutrition, and exercise. We faithfully tuned in to Dr. Oz on the Oprah Show and watched Celebrity Fit Club. We learned and reinforced so many things! We found healthier ways to fix our favorite foods, we committed to working out 5-6 days a week. Usually, we would do 30 minutes of cardio before bringing the boys to school and we would walk 2.5 miles. Eventually, we began running those 2.5 miles, incorporating strength training, pilates, & outside activity with our boys. Yard work became a new perspective on fitness…a great way to exercise without the traditional concept of working out.

As a couple, we cherished our workout time together. It truly strengthened our relationship. It had been such a rough time because Eric had recently lost his mother to colon cancer. We lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, and while our families returned to their homes, we remained relocated for 2 years.

As of July 2007, just shy of one year, Eric lost over 150lbs and I lost half my size, losing 138lbs! Fast forward to today, 7 years later, and we have not only maintained our new lifestyle but we are teaching, motivating, and empowering others to make BetterChoices and change their own lives.

In 2011, we were thrilled to be 2 of 100 guests appearing on Oprah’s Weight Loss Finale Show! It was an amazing experience and everyone who participated was truly a reflection of what is possible when you make up your mind to change your life! We had no idea how that moment would change the course of our lives into something so much bigger than ourselves. After the show, we were bombarded with questions. We spent a lot of time providing answers, offering tips, support, and motivation. The more we offered, the more we spoke, the more we told our story, the more people would email and want to connect with us.

That same year, we officially launched BetterChoices. We created BetterChoices with a very specific mission: to teach, motivate, and inspire individuals, couples and families to change their lives, one betterchoice at a time. What we learned was our 300 lbs weight loss was not a reflection of a diet or quick fix. It was a result of making betterchoices which empowered us to create a healthier LIFEstyle. BetterChoices is about change. Change is easy. It’s the choice to change that makes us uncomforatble. Our goal is to help you understand the “how” & “why” the “what” you already know makes sense. Our website, www.betterchoices.co is an online resource offering healthy lifestyle tips, food facts, motivation, videos, recipes, various health & fitness blogs, and so much more.

Fast forward to present day, we have published our first cookbook! Let’s Cook! The BetterChoices Healthy Lifestyle Cookbook is a healthy lifestyle guide created to teach individuals and families on how enjoy the foods you love and learn how to prepare them healthy. In addition, we provide a how-to guide that teaches you how to jumpstart the process of creating a new, healthier lifestyle. It’s called helping you to reconstruct your normal. These small tipping points, simple things we’ve learned over the years, which empowered us to change our lives, lose over 300lbs, & enjoy the foods we love for over 8 years & counting!!!

As we look back, it amazes us that my husband wore a size 60/4XL & at my heaviest, I wore size 22/24W…It has been an amazing journey! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, for us, our picture is worth AT LEAST 300lbs!!!!”

Thanks so much for allowing us to share!
Visit us at www.betterchoices.co
Facebook/Twitter/YouTube/Instagram/Pinterest: betterchoicesco

Muriel lost 36 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Muriel.  She lost the weight by working out via DVD with Jillian Michaels and changing her eating habits.  She wrote in to share her story with us:

“Hi my name is Muriel Merritt. I would love to share my story. I started May 1, 2013 on my weight loss journey. In the beginning, I weighed 220 pounds.  Now, I’m 184 pounds. So far, I have lost 36 pounds.

My motivation to lose weight was the encouragement of friends and family. Also, I wanted to do something special for me for my birthday (11/28/13). I had to change my eating habits if I wanted the weight to come off. I work in a grocery store, so I stopped going to the bakery and Deli for snack time.  Instead, I started to utilize the Produce Department. I used Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred workout DVD and in the first month and lost 13 pounds. It consisted of three 6 min circuits; strength training, cardio, and abs. This DVD started the transformation of my body and changed my life. My transformation took 4 months. I started my weight loss journey 5/1/13 and lost the weight by 9/1/13. This is only the beginning.”

Muriel weight loss photos

 

Belinda lost 65 pounds

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Featured weight loss success story: Belinda lost 65 pounds.  She embraced running, vegetarianism and juicing as part of her weight loss and health plan.  Here is what she shared with us:

“A few years before my before picture was taken, I visited my doctor for a regular check up and she said ” If you do not lose weight now, by age 40 you will be a diabetic.”  I heard her but I was not really listening.  My aha moment happened in a dressing room when I could not fit my normal size 14.  I broke down crying. The first thing I did when I got home that evening was get on the scale.  I was 205 pounds and standing at only 5’4″ tall.  OH MY GOD. I made up in my mind that I would not let that number on the scale control me and that I would begin to make life changing decisions and I did.  I started my journey in 2009.  I started walking a mile a day, then two miles, then three for a few months, then I added running. By 2011, I was running up to 3 miles a day, 5 days a week.  Then in 2012, I decided to become a vegetarian, so I have been eating a plant based diet along with drinking green smoothies. In 2013, I found out about juicing, so I bought the Jack Lalanne juicer.  Now, I drink at least two juices a day? My weight in the before photo was 205 pounds.  My current weight is 140 pounds. It took a few years for me to lose the weight slow and steady I would say. I was motivated to get healthy because I was tired of being tired. My advice to anyone that is struggling with losing weight is to join a support group or get a partner to commit to this life change with you. My motto: ‘Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip’ – Arnold H. Glasgow”

Belinda weight loss photos

Ten Great Before & After Stories in September 2013

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September was a great month for Black Women Losing Weight and Black Weight Loss Success. We were nominated for Best New Web Site and Best Health Blog by Black Web Blog Awards thanks to all of you (yay!). We also had a good number of women contribute incredible success stories about their weight loss battles by eating clean and by doing regular exercises like walking and Zumba. If you want to tell us your story click here for instructions on how to be featured on the site. The best way to send in your info is via Facebook inbox.  Please go to the Facebook fan page and click on the Message button messageBtn in the top right hand corner of the Facebook page to send us your info.

Please be sure to click on the number buttons or the next buttons at the bottom of the page in order to proceed to the next weight loss story.

#10 Loretta lost 109 pounds

Loretta lost 109 pounds.  She put together her own healthy, effective weight loss and exercise plan.  She has even helped a friend lose 43 pounds since April.  She’s proof that if you do your research and consistently follow a weight loss regime that works for you, weight loss will come.  Here is what she shared with us.
Loretta's weight loss story

What is Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery?

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gastricsleeveWith gastric sleeve weight loss surgery, the stomach is reshaped to create a narrow, tube-like “sleeve,” rather than its original gourd-like shape. This reshaping helps to reduce the size of the stomach and allows you to feel fuller faster.  It also changes the amount of food that it is possible for you to eat at any given time because there is little expansion room available to accommodate overeating.

Who is it for?

Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery is no longer considered an investigational or experimental procedure. It is a widely accepted procedure for patients who cannot tolerate other forms of weight loss surgery, such as lap banding, stomach stapling or gastric bypass. Typically, these patients have health conditions that would make the other procedures more dangerous, or are too morbidly obese to tolerate the surgery. Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery is easier to tolerate because it is done laproscopically through small incisions.

Special Considerations

Many doctors will require that a patient enter therapy or a weight management clinic before being considered for the surgery. A common requirement is that the patient takes off 10 to 20-percent of the weight themselves through diet and exercise before the surgery will be scheduled. There are two reasons for these special considerations. The first is that weight loss from the gastric sleeve procedure is much slower than with other procedures, yet the diet is more restrictive. This can cause a great deal of emotional stress. The second consideration is that without being able to maintain the proper diet, the weight will return but not usually before causing complications for you.

The other consideration that is different for all is whether insurance will cover it.  Each person is different and not all insurance plans will even consider paying for the procedure.

What to expect with Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery is an inpatient procedure and takes about an hour to perform. The average stay in the hospital after the surgery is two to three days and it can take about six weeks after that before you are considered fully recovered. While you are recovering you will have to take great care with how you move so as not to strain or herniate yourself in the area that had the surgery. You will also have to play strict attention to what you are eating. Most people follow a very strict liquid diet to keep their nutrition up but avoid putting solid foods into their stomach until it heals. After your stomach has healed, the diet can be very restrictive in amounts and types as well to promote weight loss.  Following doctor’s orders is a must!

The Risks of Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

While the gastric sleeve is considered by doctors to be a safe procedure, no invasive procedure is 100% safe. There are risks involved with gastric sleeve weight loss surgery that can occur during the surgery, and after. The main risks while in surgery include:

  • Infection
  • Perforation of stomach or intestines
  • Adverse reaction to Anesthesia
  • Bleeding
  • Cardiac Arrest
  • Blood Clot
  • Pulmonary Issues

After you have had the surgery performed there are several other possible risks. Some of them can develop into life threatening conditions.

  • Surgery related complications post surgery
  • Liver and Kidney failure
  • Stroke
  • Hypertension
  • Hepatitis
  • Depression
  • Social anxiety disorders
  • Eating disorders

Talk to your doctor about any increased risk they perceive for you. Family history, current support systems and overall health will play a huge role in determining the risk level and deciding what are the best steps to take to keep you safe.

Keeping the Weight Off after Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss Surgery

Unfortunately, many people gain the weight they lost back within the first two years following gastric sleeve weight loss surgery. The problem does not lie in the gastric sleeve being ineffective, but in the aftercare planning for continuing the weight loss. No weight loss surgery is going to change your dietary or wellness habits that contributed to the weight gain in the first place. Unless you commit to a serious program of transforming your relationship with food, exercise habits and self-care habits you can easily gain back everything. One thing that will help is to follow the dietary restrictions you will be discharged with after the gastric sleeve weight loss surgery. Then immediately start to keep a food journal in which you track your diet, lifestyle habits and weight change. By getting in the habit of taking charge of your life, you can get the weight off and keep it off.

5 Reasons You Should Start a Food Journal for Weight Loss

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food journal benefitsMany experts and nutritionists encourage people to keep a food journal when they are trying to lose weight. There are so many tools out there like FitBit, My Fitness Pal and the Lose It app to use as mobile or online food journals.  Unfortunately, most people understand this to mean keeping obsessive count of calories and using the journal to prove how they lack any self-control in keeping to health eating habits. However, a food journal can be one of the most positive tools for change in your life in terms of your daily diet and other areas like stress eating. You will be surprised to learn how much of your actions and reactions in daily life are food centered or affect your eating. The more you begin to pay attention to the details of your eating habits, the better you will be able to understand your motivations and stressors that affect emotional eating.  You will also see the things you need to stop eating.  The following are 5 reasons you should start a food journal for weight loss.

Reason # 1 – Keeping Track

A common saying is that weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise. A better way at looking at it is wellness is 60% diet, 25% exercise and 15% self-care habits. A self-care habits include things like how much sleep you get and how regular it is, what you do for fun and social activities and things that affect your mental health. All of these things will influence your ability to keep to a healthy eating and exercise plan. In your food journal, track the foods you eat and their calories, but also keep track of your exercises, moods and self-care habits. The goal is to create a food journal for weight loss that also provides you with insight to your whole life.

Reason # 2 – Understanding Habits

Review your food journal every week and look for patterns. If you see that you easily keep to your healthy habits for most of the week, good for you.  Most people will find opportunities to change for the good. Chances are you will discover that you are becoming unbalanced in another area of your life or dealing with social or work stresses that cause you too seek relief from through food.  It can also be that social events make make it easy to abandon to your diet disciplines. A night out with friends can mean bar food or dinner at a buffet which never makes weight loss easy. Figure out what is surrounding the choice you make to not stick to your diet goals.  Habits = What you do daily = lifestyle.

Reason # 3 –Changing the Habit

To make a food journal effective for weight loss, you have to take your understanding about what influences your choices not to follow your diet and work to change your habits. The key to this is to start small. One of the best things to try is the 20 minute rule. Wherever you are, and whoever you are with, the rule is that you get to eat what is on your plate but then you have to wait 20 minutes before having anything else. It takes 20 minutes for the body to register that it is full, so give yourself time. Another good habit to get into is to check out the menu for where you are going to go eat online first. Pick some healthier choices so you have them in mind before you get there. It will be easier to stick to your diet when you are hungry if you have already made a decision about food choices when you are not.

Reason # 4 – Discover What You Don’t Eat

Another good reason to start a food journal for weight loss is it will reveal what you don’t eat. People can overemphasize calorie counting and miss the fact that they are nutritionally deprived. One of the leading culprits of this are the 100 calorie snack packages. They make for easy recording in your journal and can help you maintain your calorie goal, but look at what they contain to see if there is enough nutrition in it. Make it a goal for the next week to add in more calories from the foods that are missing to bring more balance into your diet. Focus on fiber, vitamins and nutrients like protein.

Reason # 5 – Creating Positive Power

The most powerful reason to start a food journal for weight loss is that losing weight is a long and difficult road. While you may see rapid and visible loss in the beginning, as you begin to get down to the fats that are harder to shed, keeping up your motivation can be hard. Use your food journal to create positive reinforcement by showing yourself all the times you make right choices, and how far you have come.

Tsitsi lost 75 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tsitsi lost 75 pounds over the course of 2 years after giving birth to her 2nd baby.  This should give some hope to ladies out there who are still dealing with baby weight, months or years after the birth.  Here is her story:

“Hi im Tsitsi!  I’m a mom to 2 preschoolers, 31 years old and lost 75lbs /34kg!!  After my 6 week post natal checkup,  l was shocked how the scale recorded the 200s (227 pounds) when l had already delivered my 2nd baby (a 7 pounder). l couldn’t fit anything in my closet months after the birth as l kept eating unhealthy.  In denial about my weight and my “I just had a baby” excuse! Finally l read about the 10 000 steps a day challenge and with only $10 for the cost of a pedometer, l started my weight loss journey. l realised l couldnt jump or run yet but l walked, power walked actually, and aimed for 10 000 steps! I lost 10lbs and was motivated to continue. My diet was low carb, high protein.  For carbs, I did 60% veggie, 40% fruit.  I drank 64oz water minimum.  l did buy a juicer after my coworker advised me.  How l adored her green juices! Waking up an hour before family gave me time to tackle Taebo by Billy Blanks, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, crunches, triceps dips and more. I liked how my body was toning and melting fat.  Eventually my friend asked me to try Insanity and April to May 2013 I did. I got past the plateau.  I got 4 inches off tummy, 9 pounds fell off and l felt great!. Today I’m 152 pounds, very confident, workout 5 days and run 10ks 3 days a week.  I also do weightlifting, Zumba, Core Conditioning, T25 and I’m planning another round of Insanity then P90x.  l will have abs that show by the time my son turns 3 in April. It’s been 2 years of slow and steady work but l did it.  I credit eating clean mostly.  On days l feel low, Zumba and Playing Tennis does it for me. Thank You for reading!!”

Tsitsi post baby weight loss