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Before and After Photos

Tane’ lost 75 pounds in 7 months

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Update April 2015: Tane’ sent in an update about how much progress she’s made since December. “Hi! I wanted to update you on my progress. Since my last post, I have lost an additional 25 lbs! Making my grand total weight loss 100 lbs since having my son! I am so happy and to celebrate my loss. I also celebrated my birthday in Miami this past weekend. I just turned 30 years old and never looked better! When the days get hard, just keep going! I am so happy I did! I am switching gears from focusing on cardio to focusing more on heavy weights. I have lost the weight, now I want to work on reshaping my body and muscle definition!”

Tane before and after

Dec 2014: Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tane’ lost 75 pounds in 7 months.  Her motivation was her new born son and wanting to be around for generations to come.  She changed her eating habits and found a workout routine that worked for her.  She shared with us about her journey…

carmelhoneyb
Updated photo- April 2015

I gave birth in March 2014. Meeting my son for the first time inspired me to be around to see my grandchildren. I’ve been struggling with weight my entire life, but my weight at this time was the heaviest I had ever been. In May 2014, I began my weight loss efforts. I stopped eating fast food are cut back my carbohydrates. I also began to work out 5-6 days per week. I started off with walking and working out on the elliptical machine. I also started the Couch to 5K running program.

I began my journey at 280 pounds. I am now 205 pounds (height 5’7”). I have lost 75 lbs in 7 months. My best advice to others would be, its all about how bad you want it. The only way to lose weight is to sacrifice. Sacrifice that slice of cake, or in my case that slice of bread, and it will pay off. Sacrifice watching TV for exercise. Soon it won’t be a sacrifice, it will become something you enjoy and a new lifestyle. I still have another 30-40 lbs to go and I WILL get there!

Instagram: @carmelhoneyb  (old IG Acct)

Tane weight loss

Jennifer lost 77 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Jennifer lost 77 pounds.  After facing the possibility of having diabetes and heart problems, she decided that it was time for a serious life change.  Today, she is smaller than she was in high school.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey…

Jennifer weight loss

I started my weight loss journey on February 8th of this year. This was the day that my doctor had told me that I weighed 290 pounds and that I was at risk of diabetes and heart problems. Immediately following that visit, I decided to do something about it. For nine months, I have been working out, changing my eating habits, and taking multivitamins. So, I received big surprise on my last 2 week weigh in. In high school, I used to weigh 220 and I found out that my current weight has bypassed that number. I am now 213 and wearing a size XL in clothes. I went from 290 on February 8th to 213 pounds (height: 5’4″) in November 2014. I’m very thankful to see this change.

I’m on a 1760 calorie lifestyle change, and most of my snacks are organic. I’ve had to change practically everything in my diet: I only drink almond milk, no red meat, no soda and I eat more fruits and veggies. I drink protein shakes after my workout. I also eat on a 4 hr schedule, trying not eat past 7 pm, unless necessary. I workout 4 times a week, 3 of them with a personal trainer.  My advice to others is to not diet, but do a lifestyle change. It is much healthier. I have my own fitness page, Jennifer’s weight loss journey, for anybody who wants to follow what I’m doing or to ask questions.

Instagram: @fitqueen_jen29

Jennifer before and after

Erika lost 35 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day:  Erika lost 35 pounds. She took her time, worked exercise into her daily routine and embraced meal planning.  Her hard work has truly paid off.  Here is what she shared about her journey…

Erika before and after

My name is Erika Hodge-Hardy. I lost a total of 35 pounds by exercising and eating healthy. I started exercising outdoors with my home daycare children. Whatever they did, I did too. I participated in baseball, track, and basketball games with the children. I decided to not just watch them swing and play at the playground. I took my energy to another level. Also, I decided to ditch all the processed foods. I began eating more vegetables and fruits and became a big fan of making smoothies when I first started my healthy eating journey.  Later on, I began to eat six meals a day and snack on healthy nuts between meals. I am currently maintaining my weight by doing strength training. I am enjoying the results because it is toning my body, but I still get to keep my curves. I do cardio twice a week and strength training three days a week.

I am constantly reading and enlightening myself by looking at the BWLW Facebook page and other fitness sites such as Shape Magazine. The most challenging thing about maintaining weight loss is meal planning. I set aside time out of my busy schedule of running a home daycare to meal plan. I cook most of my foods on the weekends or late nights. Also, I began to gain weight after I got married. My husband were always going on dates and enjoying eat others company. We still date, but we monitor the choice of meals. We are more health conscious.

I am currently 35 years old. My goal is to live a healthy lifestyle and I plan to never go back. Now I weigh 190 pounds. I went from 225 lbs to 190 lbs (5’6″ tall). I started this journey in June 2012 and ended June 2014. My favorite quote is anything is possible with God.

Brianna lost 120 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Brianna lost 120 pounds.  She made simple changes to her eating habits and embraced regular exercise to see major weight loss.  She shared how she did it…

Brianna weight loss story

I started my journey in May 2013. Here I am, a year and 7 months later and 120 pounds later. If anyone would have told me that this would be or that it was even possible, I would have laughed.

I started my journey by cutting out sugar and now I don’t drink anything but water. I don’t eat fried foods, but I do eat A LOT of chicken because you can cook it so many ways besides fried. LOL! I count calories daily using A Calorie Counter. I also try to work out everyday doing a mixture of cardio and weight lifting. I started my weight loss journey weighing 355 pounds and now I’m down to 235 pounds (height: 5’5″).

My advice to others is just remember why you started. The wake up call for me was that I didn’t recognize myself. I felt like I had lost who I was and I needed to get her back. Hopefully my story can inspire someone and let them know that weight loss can be done the old fashioned, natural way. Thanks BWLW for sharing my story. Follow my journey on Instagram: @_brianna_simone

Brianna before and after

Renee lost 49 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Renee lost 49 pounds.  She is one of our favorite BWLW Instagramers who participate in our photo accountability challenges. She did the work to get off of high blood pressure medication and improve her health.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey so far…

renee gillens weight loss

My motivation to lose weight was to be healthy. Both my parents are diabetics and have high blood pressure among other illnesses. I am 46 years old and was diagnosed with high blood pressure 10 years ago. I was told by doctor that I would always need medication. Currently, I am on no meds and controlling my blood pressure with diet and exercise. I eat vegetables on a regular basis as well as fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. I rarely eat fried foods and limit processed foods. I’m still a work in progress. For exercise, I do high intensity training and weight training.

My start weight was 210 pounds 2 years ago. My current weight as of 10/1/14 was 161.5 pounds and my height is 5’5″. My goal weight is 145 pounds. I’ve been transforming my mind and body for 2 years consistently. The advice I would offer to others is keep going, 1 pound at a time. The transformation starts in the mind. See yourself being successful and you will. Train your mind.

Instagram: @mrs_gillens

Tatenda lost 62 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day:  Our African sista Tatenda lost 62 pounds. This petite diva’s emotional eating and not exercising resulted in weight gain. She also gained weight during pregnancy.  Feed up with the drama that can come with being overweight, she decided to change her lifestyle.  Here is what she shared with us…

Tee before and after

Hi, My name is Tatenda. I am a 30 year old woman with one daughter. About three years ago, I had some issues, got into a bad space and I gained 20kgs (44 pounds) because I did a lot of emotional eating. I was a total junk food addict and didn’t exercise. Then, I got pregnant and I gained another 24 Kg (53 pounds) and my total weight then was 112Kg (246 pounds) and I am a short woman. I looked and felt horrible. I gave birth to my baby last year and I felt terrible that I couldn’t fit all my old clothes. I also hated taking pictures because I looked too awful. I started wearing a size 42 (US size 12) yet I had always been a size 34/36 (US size 4/6) in the past.

I tried to go to the gym but after my caesarean birth I had developed a problem with my sciatica nerve so exercise caused terrible backache. I had to focus on my diet but it was very difficult because I was breastfeeding. For several months, I just did bits of walking, drank warm water with lemon juice each morning and over a period of a year I lost about 18kg (40 pounds). A friend of mine had a wedding about two months ago and I was her maid of honor. I thought I had really lost weight. However, when I saw my photos I was taken aback. I knew that I really had to get more serious and claim my body back. That’s when I decided to accelerate things a bit. I reduced my carbohydrate intake and completely cut out junk food, fast food and sugar from my diet. I also went on the 13 day metabolism diet. Exercise wise, I began to do a lot more power walking and in a space of two months I lost another 10kgs (22 pounds).

I have reached the halfway point to my desired weight goal. For almost a year, I had been trying to shed the weight after my caesarean birth but I wasn’t really serious. I gave myself excuses until I decided enough was enough I decided to make some changes and I am still going on! I have about 20kg more to lose to have a normal BMI and I believe I can do it and so can you!

Tee weight loss journey

Tiffany lost 84 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tiffany lost 84 pounds with weight loss surgery.  After being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol and severe asthma, she decided that gastric bypass wls was the best option to change her health.  Here is what she shared with us…

Tiff weight loss surgery

Hi! I am 28 years old and had been overweight my entire adulthood. After becoming very ill and being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol and severe asthma I knew that something had to change. I did my research and decided to have weight loss surgery. I had gastric bypass weight loss surgery on June 16, 2014. My highest weight was 295 pounds and today I am 211 pounds. I started out at a size 22 and I am a size 12/14 now. I am hoping that my story will inspire others to eat healthy. My surgery was simply a tool.

I developed a gluten sensitivity after the surgery and had to completely cut out breads all together. I now follow a gluten free diet and workout 4-5 days a week. I also had to cut out sugar and high fats because it makes me dump (after weight loss surgery some people experience undigested food passing through the digestive system – more info).  I work out 4-5 days a week and do a mix of cardio and strength training.  I am about 40 pounds from my surgeons goal of 170 pounds. My personal goal is 160 lbs! This surgery isn’t the easy way out. I have to work super hard. I want people to realize that you CAN do it. Trust me, it’s rough but if I can do it so can you!

Tiffany before and after

A’Sian’s Mom Lost Over 100 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: A’Sian helped her mom Melissa to lose over 100 pounds and she is so proud of her mother.  I think that it’s a beautiful thing when we can encourage out loved ones to live healthier lives AND support them during their transition to new habits.

Asian mom weight loss

This isn’t my story, it’s my mother’s story. I am 23 years old and my mom has always been heavy set. She always ate at fast food restaurants (McDonalds was her favorite) and always cooked fried foods. She added a lot of salt to food, never worked out and always purchased sodas.

Right now, I am a junior in college. I would have been graduating in May 2015 but due to a tragic death in my family it delayed my acceptance into the nursing program at my school. So, I had to wait out the year in 2014. I decided to pick up a minor in nutrition. I always tried to convince my mom to start working out and eating better but she never listened. That’s until one day when I really told her the health risks she faced (that she was aware of already) by being overweight and by being African American. That was in May of this year!

Now, my mom works out every single day, she drinks only water and coffee occasionally at work. She works out with a personal trainer that holds group kickboxing classes.  You will find her walking at work in the mornings and during her break, as well as  using the elliptical at work. She eats vegetables, lean meats and doesn’t even add salt to her food. Her starting weight was close to 400 pounds, and now she has lost over 100 pounds just by changing the simple things. I know this is a long story but I am so glad I was able to help my mom change her life! She is full of life now and it proves that anything is possible! No, it wasn’t easy but she did it.  I am so proud of my mom!

Leslie lost 183 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day:  Leslie lost 183 pounds in 2 years and is really happy to be in “onderland”, down from 394 pounds.  She shared her before and after photos with us and some info about how she lost the pounds.

Leslie before and after

My name is Leslie Duncan and I have lost 183 pounds. I was 394 pounds and I currently weight 211 pounds. I’m losing the weight by eating low carb and working out 4 days a week. It has taken me 2 years to lose this weight. I’m working on losing 60 more to get to my goal weight of 150 pounds.

My motivation was that about 3 years ago, I was 394 pounds and had a serious medical issue.  There was fluid around my heart and I was very ill.  This situation is what lead me to change my life. I started to eat healthier and began walking 10 minutes a day. I now walk 5 to 7 miles a day and workout 4 times (lifting weights) a week. Being able to be healthy and enjoy my family is my main inspiration. I have learned to cook healthy, low carb meals and I drink mainly water and green tea. My life is completely different in the best way.

leslie weight loss Leslie before and after photos

70 pounds down: Tiffany lost 30 more pounds

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Update:  We shared Tiffany‘s journey back in January of this year. At that time she’d lost 40 pounds.  Now, she’s happy to share with us that with healthy eating and exercise she’s lost an additional 30 pounds, for a total of 70 pounds.  Check out what she shared with us about changing her lifestyle…

Tiffany weight loss story

I don’t know if I would call this a Before and After, but I’d rather call my journey a Before and During. I can honestly say that I have been overweight for majority of my life beginning at age 8. I’ve also been told that I carry my “weight well” or that I “don’t look the weight that I am” when in all actuality I was lying to myself the entire time. In 2011, after a long back and fourth of trying out several failed diets, diet pills and exercise regiments, I decided that I wanted to undergo Lap band surgery. Anyone who has contemplated getting any type of weightloss surgery knows that there are several different avenues that you just take before actually being approved for your surgery.

I was at my last step on the approval letter which was being evaluated by a licensed nutritionist for approximately six months. I went into it thinking “Great, I’m almost there.” but not knowing that meeting this nutritionist would ultimately kick off a new weight loss path that would not involve me undergoing weight loss surgery at all.

At my heaviest weight, I was 284 pounds with high blood pressure and on high cholesterol pills with a BMI of 42% (almost half) at 5ft 5in tall. I told myself that day it was time to stop hiding it or telling myself that it’s not that bad and committee to becoming a healthier version of myself. I started my workouts by going to the gym 5 days a week and walking in the treadmill for 30 minutes. As I felt myself getting stronger, I began to do circuit training which involved the treadmill, elliptical and stair stepper with 25 minutes of strength training included.

As far as what I eat, I try to fuel my body with a lot of protein, eat green leaf vegetables and drink plenty of water or only 100% juice. I will occasionally have carbohydrates, but I make sure that I do not overindulge and listen to my body when I am satisfied not full. I track all of my meals and workouts using the MyfitnessPal App.

Today, with the help of my nutritionist and dedication to the gym, I have managed to drop 70 lbs. By far this journey has been the furthest from being easy, but everyday I’m reminded and grateful of not only who I was but whom I’m becoming.

Remember that the “rabbit didn’t win the race, the turtle did” so just because your weight does not immediately come off in the time period that you want it to does not mean that you should quit. This entire journey should not be looked at as a diet but rather a lifestyle change. If you are truly ready to make that commitment to your health then I have no doubt that you will be successful.

Read more about Tiffany’s weight loss journey and see earlier photos…

Tiffany before and after