Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Melinda lost 26 pounds, going from a size 12 to a size 4. She has reshaped her body with weight lifting and healthy eating. Read what she shared with us about her journey…
Hello, I just wanted the share my journey with you. My name is Melinda Cecil and I started my weight loss journey on January 18, 2013. I’m 5’4″ tall and I weighed 178 pounds wearing a size 12/large. I woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and simply wanted to look better naked..lol!! My goal was to just get my weight down to 145 pounds and I did that in 6 months by eating healthier and working out everyday. I would walk for 3 miles in 45 minutes until I was able to run. I started weight lifting and fell in love with the weights. I stopped eat so much junk food and I don’t drink pop, juice or Kool-aid anymore, just water. I’ve stopped eating red meat for about a year now. Now, I work out 6 days a week.
I’m still in the process of building a better me. Over 2 years later, I now weigh 152 pounds and wear a size 4/small. I feel fabulous and healthy! The advice I’d give to anyone who wants to lose weight is; eat healthy, workout, and stay focused! It gets hard sometimes, but don’t give up! My Instagram is @Mrsrome1
I began working out at D1 Sports Training. My son Brandon, 14 at the time, suggested I teach there. My response, “No Brandon, those people are too athletic there…But do you think I can do it? “ He said, “Yes Mama, I know you can!” I began my own program in 2010 at D1 Sports Training in Chattanooga; Donna’s D.I.V.A.s (determined individuals valuing activities) workout classes. I had several people that told me it wouldn’t work. “Black women won’t workout! Women don’t have time, they have families!” However, that was untrue. My first class had 65 women from all walks of life; mothers, wives, daughters, career women, blue collar. We all had one goal….to LIVE, to lose weight, and invest time for us. Through my mom’s encouragement, the trainers at D1, my son’s motivation, Donna’s D.I.V.A.s and realizing I’m worth it, I’ve lost almost 100lbs. I was a size 24 and now I’m a size 12! (height 5’11″). In April 2011, I WAS FEATURED IN EBONY MAGAZINE!! People ask me how long has it taken? I have decided to take things slow! There’s no rush because I don’t want to gain it back like before. I have lost 25lbs per year and have practiced maintaining it and then I go on to the next loss.
People have been eating products the come from soy beans, like soy milk and tofu for hundreds of years. That’s why it’s amazing to me that soy just may be one of the most controversial health foods in the world right now. Soy and products containing soy have become very popular in the US and are often toted as a healthy alternative to meat. Soy-based products such as infant formula are quite common and many food manufacturers use soy as a filler.
