The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.
It’s time to Check-in for week 3 of our March Weight Release Challenge. Visit our online community, www.blackwomenlosingweight.com (post a status there or a blog post) or leave a comment below and let us know how you did with the Challenge Goals this week.
Success Story Update: Towanna gave us an update on her weight loss and she is still going strong. This 53 year old grandma of 2 went from a size 24 to a size 10 in the past. She’s faced a medical setback but is encouraged about losing more weight and staying healthy. Everyone has ups and downs, but it’s how you deal with them that will determine your ultimate success. Here is what she had to say about her journey…
I was featured in 2013, but I’m still on this amazing journey. I eat healthy and walk everyday. I’m off of all medications. My goal is to loose 25 more pounds.
I had a set back due to arthritis in both knees and I’m at a size 14, but I don’t let that stop me. I’ve learned with weight loss that you have to focus on healthy eating and exercise. I also have learned not to put a time limit on when to lose weight.
The adjustment I’ve made since 2013 is riding the stationary bike instead of using the treadmill, because of the arthritis. I walk everyday. I start each morning with a green smoothie, followed by a healthy lunch and dinner. I would tell everyone to take little steps in the beginning, then do more each day.
~Original Post ~
Today’s weight loss success story: Towanna lost 68 pounds. She is in it for the long haul and has been losing weight by making small changes over time.
My name is Towanna. I’m a 51. I’m a grandmother of 2. I’m still on this amazing journey. I am not giving up!! My heaviest was 245 pounds. In the 2nd pic I’m 190 pounds and in the last pic I’m 177 pounds. I have 20 more pounds to go. Started my journey Aug 2009. I went from a size 24 to a 10. I walked and used the treadmill for exercise. I gave up sugar and soda. I recently gained 17 pounds back, but I’m not giving up. Prayer, meditation and journaling keeps me Focused.
Today’s weight loss story: Stephanie lost 30 pounds. She did it by changing her eating habits, doing workout programs (P90x, Zumba, Turbo Fire) and running.
“My name is Stephanie and I started my weight loss program on November 2012. Starting weight was 230 pounds. I’m currently down 30 pounds by doing P90x, Zumba, Turbo Fire and running. I’m not done by far and cant wait to see more changes. In terms of eating to lose weight, I changed my eating habits by eating more veggies, fruits and lots of water. I also completely cut out fried foods and started to bake more food. I also switched from hamburger meat to turkey. Thank you to my Family and Friends who have been by my side on this exciting new journey.. WE CAN DO THIS!!!!! MOTIVATION!!!!! :)”
Today’s featured weight loss story: Kashina lost 100 pounds with low carb eating, clean eating and exercise. She now runs more than 4 miles per day.
“I started my lifestyle change back in December 2011. I was around 270 maybe even 280 pounds. I’m not sure because I didn’t have a scale at the time. It had been a year since I had my baby and I hadn’t lost anything but my baby bump. I had no energy and my husband was pretty much doing everything around the house because it was just so much work to get off my big butt! I was miserable and hated my reflection in the mirror. One day my husband picked up a book and an old picture of me from when we first started dating fell out of it. I was at least 80 pounds thinner in that picture and that very day I decided I needed to get back to that size.
I’ve never been “skinny”, I’m 5’9″ and have a very large bone structure. I’m often mistaken for a Pacific Islander. My original diet plan was to get on a high protein, low carb diet and not to buy a scale for a while. I didn’t want to get stuck on a number. I know that weighing yourself daily can either encourage or discourage you. I felt that it might discourage me because I had a lot of weight to lose and wanted to lose it fast. To guage my progress I had a size 14 pants in the closet (I was wearing a 20), and I would try them on periodically to see how they fit. At first I couldn’t get them past my thighs. It took about 6 months of eating low carb for me to feel that I had got back to the size I was before the baby. Once I was there, I realized how overweight I still was. I still hadn’t stepped on a scale, and when I did I was still over 220lbs which I knew I didn’t want to be.
I started to get more energy and started doing a lot more around the house. I then decided that I needed to exercise. I started riding an exercise bike, but couldn’t really keep up with it because it hurt my butt and couldn’t really keep my baby away from the spinning wheel, so I decided I would start running. My first day I ran around my block which when I mapped it was .75 miles. I felt I could go further so I mapped out a mile and started running that daily. It started getting easier. Now I’m up to 4 miles a day. I just ran in my first 8K race 2 weeks ago and I was so happy that I had the stamina to run the full race without walking.
Right now, I weigh 180 and wear a size 10 pants. I’ve lost 100 pounds, but I still want to lose about 25 to 30 more. In addition to running I bought a weight bench a weight set and various other pieces of fitness equipment. I try to work a different muscle group every day. My goal has changed so much since I got started. I went from just wanting to get back into my size 14 pants, to wanting to get as fit as I possible can. I realized that I don’t just want to look good in clothes, I want to look good nude too! That’s where the weight training comes in. I really want to have nicely toned muscles. I’ve had to adjust my eating to continue weight loss. Now I don’t just eat low carb/high protein, but I eat clean which means no processed foods. I also eat 5 or 6 small meals a day with 25-30g of protein in each meal. I’m so much happier now that I’ve started to take care of my body and I realized that loving the skin you’re in doesn’t mean just accepting yourself the way you are, but loving yourself enough to do the very best you can for yourself which means feeding yourself the healthiest foods, exercising and getting enough rest.”
Today’s weight loss success story: Zumba Instructor Ceci lost 45 pounds with Zumba, clean eating and weight lifting.
“Hi,my name is Ceci aka Zumba Ceci. Last summer I was fed up wth my unhealthy life style and decided that I needed a change. I started doing Zumba(as my cardio choice) weight lifting and eating Clean while drinking plenty of water. Within 6 months, I lost a total of 45lbs! I started out at 180lbs and I am now 135lbs. I haven’t been this size in 10 years…since I was in high school! I went from a size 12/14 to a size 3/4. My weight loss journey and lifestyle change has now changed my life. I became a Zumba fitness instructor and a clean eating enthusiast! I now try to share with all women ways to get the bodies they deserve and desire through the love of health and fitness. I really hope that you help me spread that love by featuring my story. Thank you,and God bless!”
Today’s weight loss success story: Alicia lost 72 pounds by walking and watching her portions.
Before (in the dress) and After in the Jeans (photo below). I lost the weight by watching my portions. I love my sweets,. Istill eat them, only in moderation now. Exercise? just walking mainly. I actually started walking as a stress reliever, and the end result was the weight started coming off. The more I walked as I saw results. I went from a size 24 to a size 12. It took a year and a half..for the weight loss…best side effect I ever experienced in my life. Every now and then i did do Zumba. I drank water, water,water!! 72 lbs lighter.
I do include more veggies and I now eat a lot of baked chicken and fish. I watch my portions and if need be (if I am having something I know I have no will power) I will reach for a salad plate or saucer.
Since we are not eating out during our March Challenge I wanted to give you some breakfast options. No donuts, no egg McMuffins, no fancy coffee drinks? Yes, I’m sure you are looking for some tasty yet healthy breakfast options. Here are some ideas I suggest:
Proteins
Fiber rich foods
Recipe Sources
Today’s featured weight loss success story: Petra lost 40 pounds by eating clean nutrition and exercising.
“I want to submit my “transformation” pictures. I have released 40lbs over the past 2 yrs and never gained any back. No yo-yoing, just clean nutrition and EXERCISE! NO SUCH THING AS A SNACK! every time I put something in my mouth it was a balanced meal ( protein, fiber, good fats ie 2oz chicken breast, 6 almonds 1/2 pear would be a ” snack”. Vegan protein shakes post workout. Only water & herbal teas. Omega-3 supplements & multi vitamin. Gym 5-7 times a week. ZUMBA, kettle bells, TRX training & battle ropes.”
Today’s weight loss success story: Nikkia lost 52 pounds by using MyFitnessPal and embracing plant-based eating.
“My name is Nikkia and I have been on a weight loss yoyo. A couple years ago, I joined Weight Watchers and started going to meetings and such. I would do good for a couple months and maybe lose 20 pounds but then i would fall back into old ways. During this time I became vegetarian and it seemed like I gained even more weight because I migrated to cheese more. Even though I worked out some I blew up to a size 18 and 256 pounds. I knew I had to do something. My coworker told me about an app called MyFitnessPal. It helps you track calories and workout activity. It was the best thing ever and it works for me. Now I am at 204 pounds and have lost a total of 52 pounds so far and counting! I am now as of 2 weeks ago a full blown vegan, so we shall see where that takes me.”
Today’s featured weight loss success story: Charlotte lost 35 pounds. These photos only represent part of her overall weight loss. She started at 309 pounds and is now 229.
“It has been a long journey, starting almost six years. I gained 80 lbs with my pregnancy. I don’t have pics from back then, but I do have comparison pics of my recent weight loss. These pics show a 35 pound difference in one year, but in total over 6 years I’ve loss 80 pounds. It was God that helped me. I honestly couldn’t tell you how I did this, because it was not,my own strength. I had a severe food addiction. I exercised and ate differently. PRAYED HARD and this is me today.
309 was my higest weight, but those more recent pics of me are at 265. I am currently 229. I looked in the mirror didn’t like what I saw. So since I love to dance, I put on my Gucci Mann station and danced for an hour 5-6 days a week. It made me feel sexy and I dropped the unneeded pounds. I ONLY DRINK WATER. I eat an abundant amount of fruits and vegetables and I cut back on desserts. I eat meat but it’s more like turkey chops, shrimp, fish and on occasion I have pork beef, and chicken. I’m not done yet, but I would love to update you this summer..God Bless!”
