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Before and After Photos

Diedre lost 57 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Diedre lost 57 pounds.  This 5″5″ mother of 3 embraced healthy eating and committed to regular exercise to change her lifestyle.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

DiedreMay14

“My name is Diedre Wiggins. I’m a 41 year old mother of three. My weight loss journey started in October of 2010. My starting weight was 267 pounds and I am only 5 foot, 5 inches tall. When I begin my journey, I was only walking and counting calories. Later, I started working out with weights and going to exercise classes. I began clean eating and changing a lot of my eating habits. Now, I’m gluten free and dairy free.

It has been a long journey and I’m still going. My lowest weight was 185 pounds and my current weight is 210 pounds. My goal weight is 150 pounds.

I have lost and gained this weight several times in the past 4 years, but I finally think I found the right eating plan. I believe that I can stick to clean eating along with doing DVD workouts from Shaun T and Fitness Blender (on YouTube).  I work out on a regular basis, at least five to six times a week. I think I finally figured it out and hopefully this weight to stay off. I still have a ways to go and I will keep you updated.

You can find me on Instagram @diedre_goddess
YouTube: Diedregoddess
Facebook @diedre.reline.

DiedreMay142

Update: Muriel lost 70 pounds

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2014 – Muriel sent in a great update.  When we featured her story back in September 2013, she’d lost 36 pounds.  She has lost 34 more pounds since then.  Read about how she lost the weight and check out her before and after photos below.

“UPDATE: Hi everyone! I am so pleased to share my progress since I was last featured on BWLW. I have lost a total of 70 lbs. I continued with working out at home using Jillian Michaels DVDs and stuck to a healthy, lifestyle changing diet. I also received 2 responses from Jillian Michael’s on Twitter. That was the best feeling ever! In November 2013, I ran my first half marathon. Then on Feb 1st, I ran my first 15K. On April 5th, I ran my first 10K, in which I placed 2nd overall for the females and 1st in my age category. I am truly thankful and blessed beyond measure. The best advice that I can give to women trying and wanting to lose weight is, NEVER give up! Put God first in everything you do, and I will guarantee that you will be successful. Always trust and believe. God Bless”

Learn more about how she lost the weight in the original post about her journey from September.

Muriel weight loss Muriel weight loss

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 40 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 40 pounds.  She was inspired to lose weight and get health by the passing of her dear father.  This 5’3″ petite diva embraced the low carb lifestyle and exercise.  Read her story below to learn more:

DawnMay14

“I started the Atkins Diet many times before, but never had this much success.  I have lost 40 pounds…this diet works for me. My motivation was that my father died of cancer last April and I was on a mission to become healthy. I was 38 years old never did drugs a day in my life! My drug of choice was food. No smoking, no drinking. I could not understand why God would take the only person who ever loved me my whole life! My mother never raised me. She too had died years earlier from AIDS. She was a heroin addict.

I was on a mission. I started at my highest weight ever, 347 pounds at 5’3″ tall. I started working out every day. The first day was hell. I kept telling myself you can make it! I started out walking one mile a day for three days a week. My husband would walk with me every morning. Later, I started going to the gym and doing the treadmill.

Eating wise, I followed the Atkins plan.  I just had meat, eggs, salad and vegetables. Every morning. I take omega fish oil 3,000 mg. I have 3 pills every morning and 1 multi vitamin. I also drink lots of water. I’ve been on this weight loss journey for 1 year as of this April 2014. I started gaining weight back to the tune of 15 pounds. It’s been two weeks to this date, 4/9/14, that started again with the plan and I’ve I lost 11 pounds. My goal is to lose 100 pounds. Thank you for reading!”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Cheryl lost 48 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Cheryl lost 48 pounds.  Faced with high blood pressure, daily headaches and the possibility of diabetes, she decided it was time for a lifestyle change.  Read her story below to find out what to change her life and lose the pounds:

Cheryl weight loss story

“Hi my name is Cheryl Staton and I am 43 years old. I got married in 2012. I was also going through early menopause and I suffered from daily headaches. A doctor visit made me realize how I was slowly killing myself. I had high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic. At 248 lbs, I hit rock bottom. I stopped drinking pop, beer and eating mindlessly. I started walking and paying attention to the calories I consumed. I prayed because I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I bought a Nutribullet blender and prepared breakfast smoothies everyday. Ate lean meats and drank lots of water. The weight started coming off and I started feeling better. I now weight 200 pounds. My goal weight range is 160-170 pounds. I believe that once you decide that a healthier you is a happier you, making better choices is the answer. I want to be happy, healthy and feel comfortable in my own skin. With God and determination, I won’t stop. This is a lifestyle! Thank you & never give up!” Instagram: @mrssassy1212

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds. She changed her eating habits so that she could have more energy to exercise.  Then she kicked her workouts up to full speed and lost the pounds.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

KhadijahMay2

“When I started my journey I weighted 268 pounds. At this weight I began to notice a lack of energy and increased laziness. I was always the girl to love sports and weight lifting. However, I knew to be a little better than I was, some of the weight had to disappear. Being a better me and living longer than my mom and grandma served as great motivation for me. It also helps a lot that I have a super energetic one year old niece.

I went from eating junk and gunk to being a lean, mean, protein machine. From candy and fast food with lots of grease to eggs, chicken and tons of greens. It is safe to say lettuce is now my favorite food.  I knew with extra work on my nutrition that my energy levels would increase and I was back at the weights in no time. I also began running one to two miles every day and going to the gym 3x a week to lift weight and work on abs.

After all of this hard work (about 3 months worth), I can proudly say that I now weigh 222 pounds. 46 pounds gone and at least 30 lbs more to go.Never give up in yourself. If you do others will began to give up on you too. It’s not easy at first because it’s different, but we are made to overcome the challenges that are put in front of us. We determine our destiny. So, Come on ladies! Eat clean and start your transformation. And remember that abs are made in the kitchen. “

Brittany lost 42 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Brittany lost 42 pounds.  This college student started and stopped her weight loss journey over the years, but she re-committed to losing the pounds in 2013.  She created her own weight loss plan and was consistent.  Read her story and find out what she did to achieve her goals:

Brittany weight loss

Hello, my name is Brittany and I am 22 years old. When I started college in 2010, I floated between accepting my body but wanting to lose weight. I started going to the gym and tried to eat healthy, but instead I decided to sleep in and eat junk food. In 2011, I went to Macy’s to buy some jeans and I couldn’t fit anything. Without paying my jeans size any mind, I had gotten up to a size 17/19 but I barely could fit those size jeans. All I could do is cry. I brought a scale that day and weighed myself. The number I got shocked me, I was 228 pounds. I never thought I would see a number that high on the scale. I started working out again, eating right and got down to 211 pounds, but fell right back into the same stage of sleeping all the time and eating junk food all day. I ended up gaining all the weight back. So, in January 2012, I decided to restart again and convinced myself this would be the last time. I ended up quitting in November 2012 after I had reached 198 pounds.

I realized it was time to stop blaming others and accept that I was the reason that I kept failing. I restarted back at 228 pounds in September 2013 and now I’m down to 186 pounds. I have so much more energy in me. I went from a size 17/19 to where I am at now, which is a size 13/14. I’m so proud of myself and I feel that accepting my faults and keeping myself on track has helped me out so much. I track my food and exercises with My Fitness Pal and I plan eating better and exercising into my school and work schedule. I typically workout 3 to 5 days a week and that involves cardio and weight training. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy but this is my life.  I was tired of living with excuses.

I’m not perfect and I have some bad days but one thing I will not do is deprive and restrict myself from the things I want to eat. Consistency is my key and I believe that moderation is my best friend and it keeps me sane.  When you are ready to change, you will. You have to find what works for you! Stop looking at others for motivation and motivate yourself to do better.

Brittany before and after Brittany before and after

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Jamila lost 42 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Jamila lost 42 pounds.  This mother of 3 from Oakland, CA realized that after 2 years she still hadn’t lost the baby weight from her last pregnancy.  She got serious about exercise and changed her daily eating habits to reach her goals.  Read her story below to find out what steps she took to transform her body:

Jamila before and after

“Greetings! My name is Jamila and I am a 32 year old mother of three from Oakland, CA. I would like to submit my weight loss story to the page because there is a huge problem with obesity here in Oakland. I am so happy so see more and more Black women out here making changes for a healthier lifestyle. I was motivated to lose weight after giving birth to my last baby, whom weighed 11 pounds! After 2 years, I still could not lose the weight and finally I decided that enough was enough. Due to finances. I could only work out with a trainer two days a week. I recorded these workouts on my phone to help me remember the techniques and exercises. I also supplemented with kickboxing and yoga. I recently began with another trainer who introduced me to heavier lifting as well as interval sprints, which help so much. I alternate between heavy and light arm leg and core days. I also do lots of jumping rope, which has helped my endurance for the sprints.

My diet changed in many ways. I cut out all breads and processed foods and stuck to only oatmeal, fruit, egg whites, turkey patties, brown and black rice, wild fish, and any vegetables I wanted. If I had to have a ‘cheat’ ,meal, I made sure it only was a serving size of my daughters toddler bowls. I also drank my weight in ounces of water daily and green tea, which helped with my stubborn belly fat. My starting weight was 220 pounds and my current weight is 178 pounds. Each picture was taken 3 months apart over a nine month period.

My advice to others is to take charge today! Don’t wait another moment to get healthy. There are so many sistas battling food addictions and weight struggles and it is killing so many of us. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and as long as you have the support and are willing, Anything is possible! If you can think it, you can do it.  Hopefully my story can be used as a testimony to show that Black women are strong and resilient and can overcome and achieve anything. I see it everyday with the women featured on this page.”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Rashard lost 93 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Rashard lost 93 pounds. She fell in love with Zumba on her weight loss journey and is now an instructor in Pearland, TX.  Read her story below to find out the details of her journey.

Rashard before and after

“I was overweight all through high school and college. When my doctor told me that I had gained nine pounds in a matter of months, enough was enough. She gave me some diet pills, but they made me feel awful. I pitched them in the trash and bought a gym membership instead. I started with kickboxing, then moved on to step aerobics 5-6 days weekly. Then I started hearing about Zumba. I tried a class and immediately went home to sign up for the licensing workshop. I started eating smaller portions, drinking more water, and adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. As time has passed, I’ve learned about meal prep and weight training. I am now a certified group fitness instructor teaching Zumba, BodyPump and Nightclub Cardio. I started at 248 pounds and am currently at 155 pounds. It took about two years to loose all of the weight. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m pleased with my results so far.

My advice would be to TRUST THE PROCESS! Don’t measure your success solely by the numbers on the scale. Your measurements and how your clothes fit are great indicators of progress. Also, don’t be afraid of the weights. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns, even at rest.”

FB: facebook.com/ZumbaWithRashard
Instagram: @boquifa

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sonya lost 28 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sonya lost 28 pounds. This mother of two created her own weight loss plan to lose the weight.  She worked out, embraced eating in moderation and used a mobile app to lose the pounds.  Find out more about her journey below:

Sonya before and after

“My name is Sonya Brown. I’m 27 years old and the mother of two children. My motivation to change came simply from not liking what I saw in the mirror. Before, my eating habits consisted of pretty much whatever I wanted without limits and absolutely no exercise. In 2011, I weighed 185 lbs. I started to become more aware of what I ate. I cut out fruit drinks and sodas. From 2012-mid-2013, I weighed 178lbs. It was then that I decided to start working out. I failed after trying to do at home workouts and follow diet plans. In November 2013, I began walking in the park. I wouldn’t join a gym until I stuck to this workout for at least a month. After a month I joined a gym; doing mostly cardio (30 minutes a day) and some strength training. I still ate what I wanted within moderation. I cut out sodas and fruit juices. I started eating more fruits, more vegetables and used the My Fitness Pal app to track calories. It took me 6 months to lose 28 lbs. I’m still in the process of losing. My goal is to reach a healthy BMI and maintain my weight loss. My advice to others is to find what works for you. I had to create my own weight loss plan.”

Sonya before and afterSonya before and after

 

Weight Loss Story of the Day: LaShanda lost 90 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: LaShanda lost 90 pounds.  Facing extremely serious illness and health concerns, LaShanda tools steps to change her eating and get healthier.  Read her story and check out her before and after photos:

LaShanda before and after

I have fluid on the brain and spine because of being overweight. It is called Pseudotumor Cerebri. MOST overweight women don’t even know they have it, but a lot have this condition and are not aware. Symptoms: headache, tightness in the spine/skull, numbing of appendages, very bad adema, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, very bad menstrual bleeding /pain, ear ringing, lost of strength, nails turn yellow, light sensitive, muscle tightness, blurry vision or losing vision, losing hair and laughing/sneezing causes them migraines.  Along with Chiari Malformations Type 1 (brain to big for my skull), I was almost lost my vision, lost mobility from the chest down and my organs were shutting down.

I finally I asked God to help me get the healthy body that I was given before. I went to the doctor. My starting was 287 lbs Aug of 2013. Now, I am 197 lbs as of March 2014. I am still at this plateau but planning on moving pass it soon and losing more weight.

My doctor put me back on my water pills 1000 mg Diamox (for fluid) & phentermine 37.5 (appetite suppressant) to give me a jump metabolism & curb appetite. I was on a 1200 cal intake until April 2014. Now, I am on a 1400 calorie plan. I got off phentermine in March, a month earlier. I’m still on Diamox until my next appointment.

This is what my lifestyle is made of. I make green smoothies in my Vitamix.  I don’t eat no white sugar or flour (honey &maple syrup).  Gluten-free/gmo free foods are 90% of my eating, I drink green tea with lemon/honey/water 24-7.  I also cut back on meat. For exercise, I use the XBOX Kinect (Zumba core) for 45-60 minutes, 6 times a week. I also do UFC fighting, weight truing, jogging and walking. My goal is to get to 150’s by the end of July 2014. On Monday April 28 2014, I am going semi-vegan, but I will still eat cheese and a little butter. Oh, did I mention water water water & more water.  Drinking water is key.

My best advice is: Don’t procrastinate. Addiction is in your mind. You have the willpower in your mind. Focus on God and your Goal. Everything will fall in place. It takes 21 days to reprogram your mind set.

LaShanda weight loss

LaShanda weight loss