Black Weight Loss Success

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

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Ajima Jackson

Tina has lost 130 Pounds!

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BWLW Facebook member Tina has lost 130 pounds!!! Show her some love for sharing her transformation story with us.

She says, “Due to being an intorvert and going through some things as a child, I became an emotional eater. Even though frailty is not a family trait, I was an overweight child, who became an obese teenager and adult. Throughout the years, I obsessed about losing weight, through logical and radical means. I, not intentionally, realized it’s about life changes. I let my body talk to me. My body lets me know it craves fruits and veggies, and not a lot of carbs. or soda I gave up fried foods, with the exception of boneless buffalo wings. lol. About 5 yrs ago, just by giving up bread and limiting fried foods, I lost 50lbs in a semester, going from a size 28 to 24. Since last July, I’ve lost maybe another 80lbs. I feel great!! I am still a work in progress, but I am so elated by the progress that has been made. To anyone that feels discouraged, start small. The small things add up over time. Even if you, in your eyes, backslide, no need to punish yourself. As long as you’re here breathing, you can always get back on track. I went from only being able to walk for 12 mins to be able to walk/jog for 2hrs. Keep pushing and keep smiling. Thank you BWLW for your site and testimonials. You are changing people’s lives.” Thank you, Tina for helping us to inspire others to release the weight!

For more great photos, visit out online community at blackwomenlosingweight.com

Day 10 – September Smoothie Challenge – Add Juice

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I woke up bright and early on Day 10.  My mission: making fresh veggie juice. I’m combining my 2 smoothies a day with juicing to boost my weight loss efforts and increase my detox this month. I’m excited. I was really, really inspired after watching “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead“. It struck a cord with me.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s all about the power of juice fasting and eating nutrient rich foods.  You can watch it for Free online.  I had a smoothie with fresh carrot juice in it in the morning, fresh juice at work during the day and a smoothie for dinner.  I also had some healthy snacks.  I plan to add more juice this month.  Here are some recipes that incorporate fresh juice.

Today’s Recipes:

Green and Blue
Juice:  Put this in your juicer – This juice will be your base
6 carrots
6 celery stalks
2 apples
1 med to large cucumber

Smoothie ingredients:

  • fresh veggie/apple juice you just made
  • 2 bananas
  • 1/cup of frozen blueberries
  • 2 handfuls of cut, pre-washed kale
  • Add 1/4 to 1/2 cups of water if needed.

Orangey Punchy Smoothie

  • freshly squeezed orange juice,
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
  • 1 cup of water

Carrot, Pineapple, Mango Smoothie

  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
  • 1 cup plain soymilk
  • 1/2 of freshly made carrot juice
  • 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (no sugar added)
  • 1 tsp honey

Angel has lost 50 pounds!

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Angel has gone from 230 to 180 and is still working toward her goal of 150!

She says, “I started in 2010 I wt 230 wasn’t motivated at all till I started taking pictures of myself and I would be disappointed…at that moment I decided to jo

in a gym…I exercise six days a week doing a lot of classes such as spinning boot camp and step aerobics…I also had a trainer that help me tone up two days a week…I stop drinking soda eating out ate six to seven small meals a day….I lost the weight slow took me a year to lose fifty pounds…but I maintained till now…now I’m setting myself a new goal and want to get to a wt of 150…there was no surgery diet pills or fad diets just strict discipline and motivation….” Yay!! Thank you so much for sharing your transformation, Angel!

Norma has lost 20 pounds by juice fasting

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Let’s celebrate 20 pounds down since 7/31 with Norma.  She looks amazing.
She says, “I currently lost a total of 20lbs so far, my starting weight was 173 on 7/31 when I started the “FAT SICK AND NEARLY DEAD” juice fast by joe cross and I have 8lbs left to go to get to my goal weight of 145lbs. I walk for an 1 hour a day or more except weekends and I do some exercises at home such as squats, light weights, jumping jacks and push ups. I have been a vegetarian for about 5 years now and by doing this juice fast I will transition myself to a vegan/ raw food lifestyle.” I believe in the power of raw food too, Norma. Congrats!
For more great before and after photos, visit www.blackwomenlosingweight.com

Balance Beauty and Wellness Priorities

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Today’s Inspiration | For many ladies, the time and money connected to beautification is not an afterthought, it’s a priority. That might not be you. You may have a great balance of beauty priorities and health priorities. So if it doesn’t apply, ignore the next part.

If it is you, consider this. If you can get your hair done consistently, then you can put at least that much effort into reaching your wellness goals. The same goes for shopping for that cute outfit for a special event or getting your nails and brows done. Shopping for makeup from MAC, the right moisturizer or for your favorite perfume are all examples as well. All of these things take 30 min to and hour or two of your time on average, right? You’re willing to spend money on stuff like this, so I’m sure you’re willing to spend money on some workout DVDs or some fresh veggies and fruit. Put your priorities into perspective. Make adjustments if you need to. Your health and wellness is just as important, if not more.

Chéf Florine lost 53 pounds over 6 years.

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Chef Florine is sharing her transition from 2006 to 2012.  Slow and steady wins the race, right Sistas?!?!

She says, ” I started off at 270 now i weigh 217. I had a regular diet. Of course more like a lifestyle change. Eating habits changed and also working out as well. No gimmick diet either lol. I went from eating whatever to counting calories on the hour everyday. lol it was a huge challenge but i was determined. Im 217 today and i cant even remember the last time i weight this much. I used to work out everyday but now i workout at least 3-4 times a week. I go to the gym or i stay home and work on my insanity workout. This was life changing for me because everything i was used to doing i flipped and did the opposite… and thank you so much for replying i appreciate it. Anyway this story of mine could help others would be heart-touching!” You are touching hearts, Ms Chef!!!!! Thank you for sharing with us.

For more great before and afters, visit www.blackwomenlosingweight.com

You have to HELP Yourself, Sista

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Help YOURSELF! There are tons of free websites out there with detailed weight loss info, like Sparkpeople.com, Myfitnesspal.com, and MayoClinic.com. There are thousands of books on losing weight. There is an amazing amount of information out there that can help you to lose weight if you want to. Here are the top 5 problems I see:

  • People feel overwhelmed by starting the process and knowing what to do so they never start.
  • People don’t want to do the work and do the research for themselves. They want someone else to give them a plan that works for them.
  • People don’t want to try a plan unless they think it will work. When it doesn’t work the are discouraged and feel like failures. (Not every plan works for everyone or they may not be able to stick with the plan)
  • People want quick results.
  • People are unaware of their medical problems or don’t face the fact that their medical issues are hindering their weight loss (thus weight loss may be slower for them).
How do you overcome these issues?
  • Don’t look for quick results.
  • Realize that your weight loss journey will be unique to you. You may not get the results that someone else gets doing the same thing.
  • Any effort you make to improve your health is worth trying. Small changes can add up long term.
  • Do your research and come up with a plan that works for you. You need a healthy plan that creates weight loss results that you can maintain over time. Strive for permanent weight loss, not quick results that you will gain right back. You won’t know what works if you never try.

You don’t have to weight for someone else to show you the way. Start helping yourself today.

Courtney lost 210 pounds over 5 years!

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I’m so happy to share Courtney’s story with you, Ladies. She lost 210 pounds over 5 years.

She says,”Hi Ladies, I decided to share my journey for those that have been in this battle for a long time and are possibly feeling discouraged. My before pictures are from March 2001. I was 23 years old, 400+ lbs and facing death by obesity. I chose Weight Watchers as my weapon in the battle and managed to lose 210 lbs in 5 years. The road got rocky after my initial success and I spent the next few years fighting a rebound gain and spinning my wheels.

Fast forward to May 2012. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis) and it turned my world upside down. After research and recommendations, I decided to experiment with the Paleo diet and see if it made a difference with my pain level and joint inflammation. My “experiment” has turned into a new way of life. I have lost 47 lbs in the last 4 months and more importantly, my pain has decreased tremendously. I still have a few bad days with RA, but life has definitely improved. Embracing the concept of whole foods and eliminating processed junk has been a godsend. I stay active with spin class, outdoor cycling and regular visits with my friend Gym. 🙂 I am also blessed with a support system that keeps me on track and offers unwavering encouragement.

So…what am I trying to say? STICK WITH IT. Even if I never lose another pound from today, going back to my “before” is simply not an option. Embrace a lifestyle change and love yourself now…don’t wait to reach your goal weight/size to appreciate your hard work. :)” AMAZING job, Courtney!!

Black Women, Don’t be Afraid to Lose that Booty

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Today’s Inspiration | Don’t be afraid to lose that booty, Sistas! It’s not going anywhere. If you look at photos of black women from centuries back, the booty is there. If you look at sista’s on the mother continent who don’t eat a westernized diet, the booty is there. There are thousands of black women who have lost weight, but not the booty. Don’t let the fear of losing your God given curves stop you from losing the weight. God gave them to you and nothing can take your divine beauty from you. It’s more than just your figure.

“Glorious Glutes” by MyJunkyTrunk
Much love to MyJunkyTrunk for sharing this image with us!
PS: Ladies, strength training and squats are your friends in terms of tightening and firming the booty.  Don’t worry about losing it if you’ve got it or getting a new one if you’ve never had it.  You can have a nice backside no matter how much of how little you’ve been blessed with.