Black Weight Loss Success

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Ajima Jackson

Keisha lost 90 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Keisha lost 90 pounds by changing her eating habits, following the Daniel Fast with her church, exercising regularly and going Vegan.  She gives God ALL the glory for her transformation.

From 1/11 to  3/29/13, I lost my 90 pounds by fasting, praying and hanging what I ate.  I also exercised. God is good!  My motivation was turning 40 years old! You hear all the time about how much harder it is to lose weight after that age and my father passed away at 40. He wasn’t very healthy. I made a commitment to myself that by the age of 40 I wanted to be under 200 pounds and I reached that goal 3 months after turning 40. I didn’t give up. It really is about Choices. Eat this not that.  Drink this not that. I started my own program 1/1/11 when my job did a biggest loser contest. I dropped 26 lbs in 3 months and WON! In January of 2012 my church did a Daniel Fast and I adopted that lifestyle for nearly a year.  I became vegan. I started exercising more, walking mostly. I drink about a gallon on water everyday. I count calories and I eat lots of fruits and veggies. No sodas, no alcohol, no processed white food – sugar, rice, bread, etc. I pray a lot and I fast often. To God Be The Glory!!

Keisha weight loss

Real Food Comes in a Brown Bag

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Here is some advice for Day 12 of our April Challenge!  In the quest to eat healthy, natural foods, lunch time can present the biggest challenge. Away from home, surrounded by vending machines and food carts, resolutions to stick to a healthy lifetyle can go out the door quicker than one can say “I’ll have fries with that.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. With some advanced planning and preparation, eating lunch at work or school can be both healthful and delicious. An added benefit, without the time spent driving to the nearest fast food restaurant, there will be extra time for a quick walk around the block or a run up a few flights of stairs. Not to mention the extra cash to buy that new pair of skinny jeans.

lunchtimeAssemble your equipment. Buy an insulated bag. Pick out one that is of adequate size for your needs. People who work 10 or 12 hour shifts will need a greater amount of food so make sure the bag will hold everything needed. Some come with containers and a thermos. Pick the one that best suits your needs and be sure to pick your favorite color or pattern. Eating is pleasurable, make it fun!

Have some staples that are always in the bag. Packages of nuts and dried fruit are handy and filling. If one has a desk, they can keep some supplies there, or in a car. The biggest reason for slip-ups is lack of preparation. Make it easy to eat healthy and you will be suprised how quickly your habits and tastes change.

Cook extra on the weekend to freeze in single portion servings. Here again, planning is the key to success. Having fresh vegetables cut up and bagged makes them easy and fast to pack. Hard boiled eggs and sliced meats provide protein. Assemble lunch ingredients the night before so a rushed morning won’t cause a noon trip to the taco stand “just this once”.

There are differences in lunch facilities at workplaces. Some have large lunchrooms with refrigerators and microwave ovens. Others are non existant. Workers, such as those sent out to job sites usually are on their own as to where to spend their noon break. Food safety is an important consideration in these circumstances. A cold pack can be put inside the insulated bag. Drinks can be frozen before packing. Vegetarian dishes and wraps are much less temperature sensitive than those made with meat and sauces. It is also a great way to increase fiber intake.

Experiment a little. Brown bagging it has come a long way since PB and J in your Care Bears Lunchbox (Sorry, I’m dating myself there). Skipping the fast food habit and replacing it with a balanced lunch will not only improve your figure and bank account, but you will have increased energy and be more alert for the remainder of the day.

Lequenta lost 81 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Lequenta lost 81 pounds by exercising and changing her eating habits.

After I had a add an accident in 2012, after my 31st birthday, I was placed on blood pressure pills and some other medication to try to get me to heal.  They put me on steroids which made me gain weight.  Then, just because I was doing different things at work and not eating the correct way I started to gain.  My friend Treesje took that before photo of me and I was just disgusted.  I was three hundred and seventy four pounds.  My current weight is 293 pounds.  My goal weight is to get to 215 pounds  I started working out.  I got a membership and asked what I can do.  I started working out 7 days a week for the first 2 months. I did not take a break.  After 2 months, I was strictly doing cardio.   I changed how I eat and I don’t look at it as a diet I look at it as a lifestyle.

Now, I work out 5 times a week.  I do cardio and then weight lifting. I no longer eat bread pasta and I stopped drinking milk.  I tried to drink a lot of water…a lot of water.  I have a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.   I eat fish and chicken, but not pork.  I’m always on the go and doing have something, because if I’m sitting down that’s going to allow the weight to sit on you.  My ultimate goal is to get off my blood pressure pills.

Lequenta weight loss

Bethany lost 64 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Bethany who has lost 64 pounds with the help of Weight Watches, portion control and regular exercise, including Zumba.

“I’m still amazed at the change that losing 64 poundss has made in my life.   I still have a way to go because I’m not done yet. Anyone who really knows me knows that my confidence has always been high, but when I get to my goal…BABY, THEY GOIN HAVE TO POP ME TO STOP ME. LOL

#focused  #still loving wht I see whn I look n the mirror  #teamweightloss

I’m doing Weight Watchers to help with portion control.  I go to the gym 3 to 4 days per week to do cardio and weight lifting.  I go to Zumba class on my off days from the gym. I’m 32 yrs old and I have yet to marry and have children which is something that I want for my future. So, my motivation is knowing that I want to be healthy and be able to play with my future children and take care of them. I’ve been on this journey for almost two years with still a long way to go, but I’m loving the changes I’ve seen so far and the way I feel now.”

Bethany weight loss

 

Updated: Sherlonda lost 139 pounds

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Update December 2013 – Sherlonda wrote in to share that her total weight loss is now 139 pounds.  Her abs are SHOWING and she has muscles! YESSSSS, Diva!  She did that!  Here is what she shared with us about her body and lifestyle transformation:

“Hi my name is Sherlonda Tyrus and you featured me back in April 2013. I wanted to send an update to my journey. I started my journey November, 2011, the day before Thanksgiving. I was 325 pounds and I was tired. My daughter who was a senior in high school, was my motivation when I started my journey. She wanted to lose weight for prom. So we started attending jcjonesbootcamp.com, my 4 daughters and I, at 5:30 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was finally tired of being unhealthy and out of shape. I had to do it for myself this time. Determination, commitment to self, and no looking back has brought me this far. Although my daughters don’t get up in the mornings with me anymore, I still go 5 days a week. I’m almost at my goal but still have lots of work to do. It’s not easy but can be done one change at a time. It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet or fad. This is my new life. You won’t find time…you have to make it. I lost the weight by changing my diet. I stopped eating fast food and started cooking at home. I eat meals every 3-4 hours. No pop or other drinks, just water, water, and water.”

Sherlonda weight loss transformation Sherlonda weight loss photos

Original Post – April 2013

Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Sherlonda lost 98 pounds. “I started my journey November, 2011. I am 227 now but I was 325 lbs. and I was tired. My daughter who was a senior in high school, was my motivation when I started my journey. She wanted to lose weight for prom. So we started Bootcamp, my 4 daughters and I. 530am in the mornings Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was finally tired of being unhealthy and out of shape. I had to do it for myself this time. Determination, commitment to self, and no looking back has brought me this far. Although my daughters don’t get up in the mornings with me anymore I still go 5 days a week. I’m almost at my goal but still have lots of work to do. It’s not easy but can be done one change at a time. It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet or fad this is my new life. You won’t find time you have to make it. And I lost the weight by changing my diet. I stop eating fast food and started cooking at home. Eating every 3-4 hours. No pop or other drinks water, water, and water.” Sherlonda weight loss

7 Ways to Get Your Kids to Drink Less Sugar

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Ladies, now that you are working to eat healthy, one of the things you are likely avoiding is sugar laden drinks.  I’m talking about soda, commercial juice (processed and pasteurized or from concentrate), milk-based sweet drinks and anything with added processed sugar or artificial sugar.  If you have kids, you know that drinks marketed to and loved by kids also have a ton of sugar.  Since it is Day 11 of our real food challenge for April, I want to challenge you to consider how you can remove the sugary drinks from your child’s diet as well as yours as we focus on real food this month.

Sugary drinks add an unnecessarily excessive amount of sugar to a child’s diet. The added sugar and calories that go along with it can impact the child’s health in numerous ways. The child who consumes a lot of sugar is at risk for obesity  and tooth decay. The child is probably also being deprived of nutrients because he/she has filled up on the sugar calories, not vitamins, fiber, etc. 7 Ways to Get Your Kids to Drink Less Sugar

Eliminating the high-sugar drinks is going to be difficult, but it does not have to be done instantly. The child’s body is accustomed to the regular sugar intake and should be weaned off of the sugar in a steady manner. This way the child will not suffer from severe energy crashes or headaches associated with the sudden lack of caffeine and sugar.

Plus, the child will probably not be too excited at the thought of never drinking his/her favorite soda or juice. Instead of completely eliminating the sugary drinks, take these seven steps to help your child become healthier while slowly eliminating the sugar.

  1. Trade one sugary drink a day to a healthier option. Perhaps the new drink can be water, fat-free milk, or calcium-fortified juice.  Try to find naturally sweetened options to transition your child to.  After a week or two, increase the healthier drinks to twice a day. Try to make the sugary drink only available once a day.
  2. Refer to soda and high-sugared drinks as a treat for special occasions. Perhaps make the drink available once a week now.
  3. When drinking soda or sugary juice, reduce the serving size the child drinks. A child does not need to drink a large bottle or super-sized soda. Instead make the serving size 6-12 ounces or less.
  4. Keep water easily available. Also, make it more alluring to children by adding a squirt of fresh lemon or orange. Let them experiment with flavors and make their water unique and fun.
  5. Significantly reduce the amount of soda that is bought. If water and low-calorie drinks are readily available and no soda is in the house, then children will have no choice but to drink the healthier options.
  6. Lead by example. A child learns by what they witness their parents and loved ones doing. If a parent wants his/her child to drink healthier, then he/she should also make healthy beverage choices.
  7. Praise the child for making healthy choices. Perhaps a small reward is in order, like a small toy or downloading a game they like to play on your iPad.  🙂

Eliminating high-sugared drinks from a child’s diet is not a simple overnight success. It will take time, but it is worth the effort. The child will be healthier, feel healthier, and learn that there are healthier options available.

Nia lost 106 pounds and kept it off for 7 years

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Nia who lost 106 pounds and has kept it off for seven years.

Starting weight: 237
Currently: 131

“I started off with about 20 minutes a day on the treadmill, walking. I could hardly breathe after 20 minutes, so that was my limit. After a while, I was able to do a “brisk walk” for 30 minutes.  After I got my “wind”, I was able to run for an hour (who knew)!!!

I drank A LOT of water, which not only hydrated me, but killed cravings during the day. I have to honestly say that I didn’t change much of what I ate, just the AMOUNT (portion control)! I still ate burgers and fried foods (and I still do), because I knew I would crave them eventually, and I didn’t want to shock my system.  It keeps me from overindulging when I do have these foods.

Thankfully, I now have better portion control, and by drinking water, and exercise, I’ve been able to keep it off for 7 years!”

nia weight loss

Dee lost 91 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Dee lost 90 pounds by running and changing her diet.  She recently ran her first half marathon and has quit smoking.  Here transformation below represents  March 19, 2012 to March 19, 2013.

“One year ago today, I began my fitness journey. I began to work out, then made changes to my diet by removing fast foods, sugar, breads, pastas, and rices. Then I began running, 60 seconds at a time, in July of 2012. To lose weight, I used clean eating and I started the “Couch 2 5k” program to learn how to run. I began running with “black girls run” as well.  Since then I have run over 15 races including numerous 5ks, a 10k, an 11.6k and this month [March] I am running my first Half Marathon which is 13.1 miles! I currently run 3 days,and 3 days I do strength training plus some other cardio like Zumba class or Cycle class.

As of today, I am down 90LBS!!!! I am down from 249 pounds to 158 pounds.  I’ve gone from a size 18 to a loose size 8 (I think a size 6 really) .

Bonus: No one knew I was a closet smoker. I was an overweight smoker and now I’m running 6, 7, 8 miles several times a week! As of today I’ve been smoke free for 30 days!!

Ladies, you can do ANYTHING you put your mind and faith to!”

dee weight loss

Sajata lost 99 pounds

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Sajata lost 99 pounds by changing her eating habits, walking and drinking lots of water.  She went from 269 pounds to 170 pounds.

“I cut back a lot on bread, pasta, rice, chips, and soda. I started drinking lots of water and eating my favorite veggies.  I also baked my meats. Walking was my main goal. I was motivated by putting my “fat pic” on the fridge.  The other motivation was that my health was at stake because diabetes runs in my family. It took me about a year and a half to get to my goal. I was 269 pounds. Now I’m 170 pounds :)”

sajata weight loss

Ramona lost 84 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Ramona lost 84 pounds and is working to let other women know that “Movement is Medicine”.

Ramona M. Gaines 41 of Philadelphia PA

Height 4’11”

Beginning weight: 323 pounds
Present weight: 239 pounds

Dress size before losing weight: 26
Current dress size: 16-18

“It took me 11 months to reach my current weight.  Factors that caused my weight gain were; emotional eating, lack of exercise, an injury, poor diet and timing of eating due to work schedule

My turning point came when my daughter paid for my gym membership with her money from her 16th birthday. That is what really did it for me. Other deciding factors were hypertension, shortness of breath and chest pains.

I loss the weight doing a variety of things; seeing a Psychologist, physical therapy, Dr. Fisher’s medical weight loss program, changing my eating habits, going to the gym and joined the running group, Black Girls Run.

I got rid of sugars, white flour, white rice and cooking oil. I began to cook with olive oil, brown rice, and brown pastas. I brought in more multi-grains, fish, chicken, turkey, and more fresh vegetables and fruit. I also increased my water intake up to a gallon of water a day.

I began walking and jogging, lifting weights at gym and using step machine and stationary bike at gym. I was so grateful for the new lease on life that God had given me that I founded a weight loss support group for women called Movement IS Medicine, and even wrote an anthology with sixteen women entitled Movement IS Medicine. I believe in wholeness and wellness, which includes mind, body, soul and spirit. Weight loss does not just include how and what you eat but also why you are eating what you eat. If you really examine it you will then begin to see what is really eating you and deal with the root of the matter.  Movement IS Medicine!”

ramona weight loss story