Black Weight Loss Success

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

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Groupon Deals for Healthy Meals 8/15/2016

by Leave a Comment

I just wanted to share these great deals from Groupon that could help you with your eating goals.

$149.99 ($268.99) – 4 Week Diet Meal Plan from Diet Chef
www.groupon.com/deals/gg-4-week-diet-meal-plan-from-diet-chef-3

$9.99 ($26.99) The Hungry Girl Diet 4 Week Meal Planner
www.groupon.com/deals/gg-the-hungry-girl-diet-4-week-meal-planner

$39 ($69) – One or Two Weeks of Delivery of Subscription Cook-at-Home Meals for Two or Four from HelloFresh (Up to 57% Off) – Search under “Food & Drink” to see if this deal is available in your area.
www.groupon.com/deals/hellofresh-18-washington-dc – Washington, DC
www.groupon.com/deals/hellofresh-18-atlanta – Atlanta, GA
https://www.groupon.com/deals/hellofresh-18-chicago – Chicago, IL

4, 7, or 14 Paleo Meals with Delivery Included from Paleo Diet Delivered (Up to 51% Off) – Los Angeles, CA
www.groupon.com/deals/paleo-diet-delivered-5

Here are some other great deals…

powered_by_groupon

Affiliate Links: When you make a purchase via these links, we could receive compensation. That’s how we keep the lights on. 🙂

Famendy lost almost 30 pounds in 3 months

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Story: Famendy has lost almost 30 pounds in 3 months.  She found a program and trainers who taught her how to count macros and helped her find a workout plan that worked. Here is what she shared with us about her journey.

famendy before and after

I never thought to step on the scale and see how much it read. Over time, I’d gained 50lbs and didn’t even realize it. After my father passed, away food just became my comfort. I stop watching what I was eating and the pounds just snuck up on me, like a thief in the night. I wasn’t happy when I looked in the mirror. Eventually, I stopped thinking that I was just getting thick when reality I was getting fat. I decided to take action and change my bad habits and be a better fit me.

I couldn’t do any crash diets because the weight would just boomerang right back. I ended up finding @skipfitness and at first I loved the program. It seemed to good to be true. I had to work out 2-3 times a week, lifting weights only. I ate whatever I wanted as long as it fit my macros and I didn’t have to do cardio. I really can’t explain why, but my weight started coming down quickly and I got comfortable. Then, I went right back to my old ways. I was following the instructions from Skip and his wife Bebe in the beginning, but after the initial weeks, I wasn’t taking it serious anymore.

That’s until  I had a wake up call from @bebeskipfitness about not quitting and selling myself short. I got right back on the program and I’m proud to say that after only 3 months I’m down close to 30lbs and I eat whatever I want. Yes, I really do eat whatever I want as long as it fits the guidelines they gave me in my macronutrient intake for the week. Now, I work out 3 times a week for just an hour. I work with @bebeskipfitness exclusively and my results have been phenomenal. Everyday, I look in the mirror and my smile and confidence are getting bigger. Meeting Skip and his wife has really put my life in a great direction to succeed mentally and physically.

Instagram: @belle_r3v3
www.skipfitness.com

Petrece lost 52 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Petrece lost 52 pounds.  She worked to turn her life around and escape depression and feeling overwhelmed. Wanting to be healthier and more comfortable in her skin, she took action with clean eating and exercise.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

petrece weight loss

In February 2014, I was suffering from extreme depression due to life, my weight and just feeling overwhelmed. One day, I had a conversation with a friend of mine and I asked what do you see when you look at me. They said someone who is “settling”. That response forever changed me.

The very next day I changed my entire life around. I was motivated to drop my weight and regain control of my life. At 5’2″ tall I weighed 200 pounds, so you can only imagine how uncomfortable in my skin I felt.

The very first thing I did was get rid of all the junk and processed food I had in my house. I also stopped drinking liquor and I gave up the one thing I love most: SODA. From that day forward, I started eating clean and working out five times a week. I did a lot of yoga and a whole lot of cardio (running stairs, jump roping, etc.) I also fell in love with bike riding.

By August 2014, I started seeing myself transform not only physically but mentally as well. I lost a total of 52 pounds and got my confidence back. I reached one year on my journey in Feb of 2015 and haven’t stopped yet. I found myself again. I’m no longer scared to look in the mirror and that is a priceless feeling, even more rewarding than my weight loss. My advice to others would be to stay focused, trust the process and results will come. Just believe in yourself and don’t give up.

Instagram: @petrece_chantel

Naftal lost 152 pounds

by 5 Comments

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Naftal lost 152 pounds. After being told that she had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, she knew she had to change her life to change her health.  Here is what she shared with us about what she did to lose the weight.

natal before and after

On March 31, 2012 at the age of 42, I was told by a doctor at a free clinic (I was an uninsured grad student) that I had Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I’d come to the clinic that day because I’d had a period that lasted 16 days and was heavier than I’d ever experienced. The doctor told me that was related to my obesity and insulin resistance. She put me on several medications, something which I’ve never been a big fan of. Also, my father had just recently had issues with his heart. I felt like, we couldn’t both be sick. I was supposed to be helping him get better and I couldn’t do that if I was sick myself. So, after that doctor visit, everything pretty much crystallized for me that I had to change things.

Early on, I went cold turkey. I cut all the carbs that didn’t come from non-starchy vegetables and some fruits. I also cut out all processed foods. I basically ate a lot of steamed or sauteed veggies, chicken, fish, some eggs/cheese (real, not processed), nuts and fruit. For the first few months, if I didn’t prepare it myself, I didn’t eat it. And my rule about drinks was if it wasn’t water or sugar free tea, I wasn’t drinking it lol.

Honestly, my workouts have not been super strenuous. I do a lot of walking, some zumba, and I’ve recently taken up tai chi. Because I have a large hernia in my stomach that I’m not in a position to get repaired currently, I try not to do much to aggravate my abdominals.

My starting wight was 316 pounds. I currently weigh 164 lbs. I’m 4’11” and a half tall. I went from size 24-26 to a current size 12. I’d like to lose another 8 lbs, but it has gotten much harder to lose pounds, so we’ll see lol. I started in March 2012 and I’m still on my journey. I lost the first 90 or so pounds in a year, but it has taken the last 2 years to lose the 60 additional pounds.

My advice for others;

1. Don’t look to far ahead into the future. When I first started, the day I left the doctor’s office, I didn’t have enough confidence in myself that I would even lose 5 pounds, let alone 150+ pounds. All I could say to myself was “Let’s see if I can get through the rest of this day with no cookies or candy. Let’s see if I can make just though today.” and I did! The next day I did the same thing, and so on, and so on…

2. Don’t beat yourself up when you have inevitable setbacks. When I would slip up or fall off the food wagon, I ultimately knew that I had the tools in my mind to get positive results. So, I just shook off the slip ups and got back on track the same day. Every day is another chance to get it right!

3. For me, my motivation was being diagnosed with diabetes. The thought of shooting myself with insulin and pricking my fingers with needles, and possibly losing limbs, was enough for me to get my mind together to change.

But motivation is a very personal thing. And just because you feel like something SHOULD motivate you doesn’t mean it will. Be true to your feelings and release the guilt, and begin to continuously contemplate what is REALLY important to you in your life. Eventually, I believe that your true motivation will reveal itself to you. What that motivation is and when it will be revealed is different for every individual.

Instagram: @Naffy70
Youtube channel: cocoapeach

May 2015 Challenge: Paleo and Push-ups Challenge

by 65 Comments

It’s time for our May 2015 Challenge!  If you are participating, I want you to leave a comment below and tell us why.  

May Challenge

Eating Goal: Your goal will be to go Paleo with your eating for a minimum of 14 Days.  You can follow the simple guidelines we provide below or pick an actual book/guide to help you  (examples below).  We will start on May 6th so that you have time for grocery shopping and meal planning.

Exercise Goal: Your exercise goal will be 10 push-ups for beginners, 20 for intermediate level exercisers and 30 push-ups for more advanced people who’ve been working out regularly and have more arm strength. That’s push-ups in a row. You will be committing to doing (or try to do) push-ups at least every other day so that you can reach our group goal by the end of the month…or go way beyond it.  On days where you don’t do push-ups, we suggest you do the exercise listed on the calendar for that day (2-3 sets). Download the Calendar.

Going Paleo for 14 Days – Starting April 6th

Suggested Guides 
for Going Paleo
Join our May DietBet
and Lose to Win $$dietbet article (affiliate links above)

What should you eat? – This simple list is just meant to serve as an example of the types of foods you could be eating during your 14 days of Paleo. These are not the ONLY foods you’ll be eating and how much you actually limit beans, grains, dairy and processed foods is ultimately up to you. For a more detailed list, print out this Paleo foods list from the book “Practical Paleo“.

  • Eat a variety of meat
  • Eat a variety of fish
  • Eat vegetables – no limits
  • Eat fruit – Unlimited, but you may want to cut back at little on high sugar foods like banana, peaches and mangos and eat more low glycemic index fruits (apples, berries).
  • Eat nuts and seeds
  • Eat natural oils

What is Paleo?: Paleo is a popular eating plan that has a focus on eating “real”, unprocessed foods that our primal forefathers and foremothers would have had access to. The concept is that you will be eating foods that your “ancestors” may have secured by hunting and gathering. You can eat foods such as fish, lean meat, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. On this plan, you will not eat foods that are made by modern means of production such as processed foods/oils/sugars, grains and dairy.  Many people on the Paleo plan also stay away from legumes (beans and peanuts) but that is up to you.  The focus is on foods that are specifically made for the human body to burn fat, recognized by the body as food more than as chemicals or toxins and that help you to have optimal energy.  Vegetarian or Vegan? You can still try Paleo by cutting back on grains (bread, rice, etc).  Check out our article on Paleo for even more info.

Here are some benefits that you may encounter from eating this way:

  • Identify food intolerances or allergies – #1 benefit
  • Removes most trans-fat and processed sugars from your diet
  • Healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil
  • More stable blood sugar
  • Reduced allergies, especially for those with issues with dairy and wheat products
  • Weight loss due to cutting out a lot of junk and processed foods
  • Clearer skin
  • Less inflammation
  • Eating more nutrient dense foods

How does Paleo help people lose weight? – Paleo is an elimination diet.  Basically, people lose weight from not eating processed foods, carbs from grains and beans, as well as calories and fats in dairy (such as ice cream and whole milk).

How can Paleo improve your health? – Many people have found that by eliminating chemicals, additives, dairy, grains and other foods that are restricted that they feel better overall. Some people have realized they have gluten issues or lactose intolerance.  We’ve all heard about people who’ve seen improved health by avoiding wheat gluten or dairy, so this is not a new concept.  As you try Paleo for 14 days, we want you to focus on how going Paleo impacts you in terms of health, as well as weight.  If you are concerned about not have calcium due to reducing dairy, I suggest that you take a multi-vitamin with vitamin D and calcium during the 14 days.

So, for 14 days, we will say no to… Here is a detailed list of foods to avoid.

  • Highly processed foods of all kinds – Fast food, fried food, frozen dinners, soda, commercial juice, etc.
  • Grains – Wheat products, rice, bread, crackers, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rye,
  • Dairy – Milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, half and half, etc.
  • Beans
  • Added sugar/Processed sugar
  • Processed oils – Trans-fat, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, margarine, corn oil, etc.  Cook with olive oil or coconut oil.  Many Paleo lovers also use real butter.

Foods to limit

  • Peanuts and peanut butter
  • Potatoes and Yams – High sugar/high glycemic index

Pushup Challenge – Click here to download our push-up tracking calendar (PDF).  By the end of the month, the goal is to be able to do 10-35 push-ups in a row with good form, depending on your level of fitness.

May Pushup calendar

Can’t do a real push-up right now?  Not even one? You are NOT alone.  Doing push-ups is not easy when you haven’t done them regularly or built up the upper body strength needed, but we want to help you change that.  For some, the goal will be to do modified push-ups instead of regular pushups. If those are challenging for you, it’s still a challenge.  It’s all about your level of fitness.  If you go from being able to do 5 modified push-ups to doing 1 full push-up…that’s progress.

How to Participate: You will commit to doing push-ups every other day or at least 3 days a week to build up strength.  Each Saturday you will record your personal best on your copy of our workout calendar.  On the days that you don’t do push-ups, add the exercise of the day to your regular workout. Make sure that you take at least one rest day per week.

Muscles used when doing push-ups

  • Shoulders (Deltoids)
  • Chest (Pectorals)
  • Back of the Upper Arm (Triceps)

How TO Videos – Regular pushups and Modified Push-ups

Additional Exercise Demo Videos from April

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we may receive compensation as a percentage of the purchase.

6 Top Vegetarian Sources of Protein

by 1 Comment

Protein is an incredibly important aspect of a healthy diet. Many people get their daily protein needs met with meat but for vegetarians and vegans it can be difficult to get enough if you don’t realize that you can get enough protein from a variety of plant-based sources.

Protein is the nutrient responsible for many body functions from repairing tissue and muscle to producing enzymes and hormones in the body. It really is the building blocks of your skeletal and muscular system. When you don’t eat enough protein, things begin to happen to your body. Some of these symptom include:

  • Lethargy
  • Weakness
  • Not seeing results from exercise
  • Hair and nails are brittle and break easily
  • Muscles losing tone or feeling flabby

How Much Protein Do You Need?

Before you start eating a bunch of protein you need to know how much protein you really need in your diet. How much protein you need is based on factors such as age, weight and activity level. It is typically noted that the average woman who isn’t very active only needs 46-55 grams of protein per day. This may actually be incorrect. Rather than relying on a baseline recommendation you can calculate exactly how much you need with some simple math.

A woman who is at a healthy weight but doesn’t exercise heavily or lift weights often only needs 0.36 to 0.60 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are pregnant or very active, take your bodyweight and divide it by 2.2. The result will be your bodyweight in kilograms. You will then multiply this number by 1.3 if you are pregnant or active or 1.8 if you are very active and/or a weight lifter. That number would be a good amount of grams of protein to start with.  Your needs would of course change with weight loss, weight training, illness, etc.

Example for an active woman who weighs 200 pounds: 200 lbs / 2.2 = 90.9 – 90.9 x 1.8 = 163 grams of protein per day.

There are many ways vegetarians can get protein into their diets.  Protein isn’t just something that is important for bodybuilders. The average woman doesn’t consumer enough protein, and this can be especially difficult for those trying to go vegetarian or vegan while working out. Figure out how much protein you need for your body and try out some of these 6 vegetarian protein sources. You might just find that you feel better than ever and have increased energy.

Showing Love: Valentine’s Day Giveaways

by Leave a Comment

We want to send out some Valentine’s Day love to the BWLW sisterhood this month with these giveaways.  Winners will be selected on Feb 14th by random selection.

DietBet Bonus Stakes: Two participants in our February DietBet will be selected at random to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (via email).

dietbet

fun fit water bottleInstagram Hashtag Bonus: We are giving away a Sipping Schedule Motivational Water Bottle from Fun Fitness in Transit. We will select at random one Instagram user who has posted using our official hashtag, #BWLWFeb, between Feb 6 and Feb 13 as the winner.  Instagram pages must be public so that we can find the posts.

Valentine’s Day Bonus: We will select two people from our email list (randomly) to receive a $25 Amazon gift card (via email).

Winners will be notified via DietBet profile, Instagram post or email (depending on the bonus) by 11:59pm Feb 15th EST. An email address and/or physical address will be required to receive the gift.

Join our February DietBet Today 

Read the Full February Challenge Details and Tips on our Blog

South African Success: Zoey lost 57 pounds

by 1 Comment

Black women all around the world are getting healthy and losing the pounds. Let’s show some love to Zoey from South Africa!  She lost 57 pounds with regular exercise and healthy eating habits.   Read her story to find out the details of how she did it! Zoey before and after photos Hi, My weight loss started when I was doing a 4 month course. That was last year in May. We were doing physical training three times a week. My weight when I started was 105 kg (231 pounds). At the end of the course i was 95 kg (209 pounds). However, I relaxed and did not exercise anymore.  On Dec 6, 2013 I decided to register with the gym and I haven’t stopped since then. I even join their classes; spinning class which starts 5:30 in the morning till 6:30 and a 30 minute abs classes. I workout 3 times a week at the gym, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 1 day for spinning 2 days I would do cardio and strength, including abs. Now, I  jog when I get a chance on the weekends, do TaeBo, skip rope and use an ab wheel.  Today, I just bought 10 kg (22 lb) sets of dumbbells.  I’ve invested a lot in home equipment like a skipping rope, an exercise ball, ab wheel and women’s health dvds.  I’m currently going to the fitness house (gym) 3 times a week and I’ve joined endurance class which is spinning. When I started working out again at the gym I was 98.5 kg (217 pounds) and my body fat was 43%. The last time I checked my body fat it was 32%. I’m not sure what my percentage is now because when I want to check it the machines are always offline. My current weight now is 79kg (174 pounds). My height is 5’5″. My motivation to want to lose weight was because of my health.  I’m a diagnosed asthmatic, so I would struggle with breathing and easily get tired.  As a person who works in the medical field, I knew that if I didn’t do anything about it I would not live long enough to see my 3 beautiful baby girls group. My Eating Habits: I’ve cut all junk food like fried chips and soda drinks. I avoid eating too many carbohydrates and sugary stuff. My meals For breakfast I always have high fiber cereals, with fat free milk or plain yogurt. Mid day – Fruits, nuts, raisins Lunch – I can chose to eat my Low go bread which is also high in fiber with no sugar or salt added with peanut butter and boiled eggs Dinner – Brown rice, 2 servings of veggies with grilled meat (chicken, turkey or fish). Sometimes sweet potatoes with any meat or High fiber spaghetti Don’t forget the greek salad as well. The discipline that is most important is food portion control. You can use food scale or just a palm of your own hand. It works.  Also, eat before 6pm in the evening and try not to stress a lot as you know stressing too much decreases ones digestive system. For those who want to lose weight, I suggest you start a motivating routine and set a realistic goal. Find a weight loss partner or group, this will help you cut down a mental strain by sharing what you going through with someone. Start an exercise log because writing down your progress makes everything concrete. Find an old photo where you look good and post it on your fridge. That will remind you how you used to look and see that what you want to be is attainable is motivating. Lastly but not least, set up a reward, think positively, pace yourself, keep it fresh and have fun.

Use the HALT method before eating the wrong things

by Leave a Comment

Before eating something you know you shouldn’t or going on a food binge, H.A.L.T!  Take some time and think about whether you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired.  Checking your emotions and feelings is key so that you aren’t engaging in emotional eating. Here is a great checklist.

[No longer available]

Pros and Cons of Liquid Diets

by Leave a Comment

liquid dietsIt can be hard to tell what to think about liquid diets. They are both promoted as one of the best ways to rapidly lose weight and criticized for the very same reason. There are two basic types of liquid diets available; store bought and medically supervised. Each of them has their pros and cons. Deciding which will be best for you requires that you understand why a liquid diet works, and how it can backfire as well.

What is a liquid diet?

A liquid diet is a way of radically reducing caloric intake by only consuming foods in a liquid form. This can take the appearance of using powdered or pre-mixed shakes, pureeing foods or restricting your food intake to soups and store bought/prescribed drinks. Due to the lack of solid shape foods, liquid diets mostly reduce calories through eliminating processed carbohydrates, meat and fiber sources.

How well do they work?

The results for a liquid diet are nearly the same whether you are choosing a store bought, over the counter system or using a medically supervised program. With both, there is rapid weight loss due to the sudden caloric restriction. Major weight loss occurs within the first 3 months of a liquid weight loss diet program and then will reach a plateau where the loss is not as great. This is why doctors often prescribed a medically supervised liquid weight loss diet before surgery or to help those who are morbidly obese quickly leave dangerous levels of obesity before assuming a more controlled regular program of diet and exercise. The problem with all liquid diets, store bought or medically supervised, is that there can be a rebound effect. Liquid diets can place the body into a starvation mode which forces the body to transform stored fat into ketones which it can then use as fuel to provide glucose for metabolic activity. If your body experiences starvation mode for too long, it slows the metabolism down. This means that you can stop losing weight even while on a liquid diet. Many people also rapidly regain the lost weight when they go off the diet because it is too restrictive and the body will generate cravings and appetite to promote consumption of food to avoid starvation again.

Pros and cons of medically supervised liquid diets

A medically supervised liquid diet means that you are working with your doctor and nutritionist to make sure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients to sustain your health. Your doctor will also monitor any associated conditions you may have and keep a close watch on your blood sugar levels. Even with a medically supervised liquid diet there is a high risk of malnutrition. In the long term, liquid diets of any kind cannot provide the body with all the carbohydrates, fats and proteins it needs to function well. The main bonus of a medically supervised liquid diet is you have professionals making sure you are getting what you need and who can let you know when it is time to stop. The major drawback of a medically supervised diet is the cost. You can expect to pay quite a bit for the visits and diet supplies. Not all insurances will cover these programs.

Pros and cons of store bought liquid diets

Store bought liquid diets can often provide as much vitamin, mineral and nutritional content as any liquid provided in a medically supervised program. By carefully reading the nutrition information on the package, you can make sure that you are getting the best value for your money. These diets are significantly cheaper than a medically supervised one. The major drawback of a store bought diet is that they may also contain high levels of sugar and other preservatives that are not healthy for you. Some of these drinks are just sugar, synthetic vitamins and protein powder. You also lack the behavioral, one on one support that you would get in a medically supervised program, as well as any monitoring of any associated medical conditions.

Which should you choose?

Due to the cons of liquid diets, I would not recommend them for most people unless they were doing is for a medical reason.  The incidence of gaining the weight back once you start eating solids again is too great for me to suggest it for the average person wanting to lose weight long term.  I would instead suggest a juice fast or smoothie fast for 7-28 days with the understanding that you are detoxing the body and that you’d have to have go on from there to clean eating, low carb eating, low fat vegan eating or make some other substantial change in your lifestyle when it comes to eating to see long term weight loss.

The only way to know which liquid diet is right for you is to talk to your doctor. This form of rapid weight loss dieting may not be beneficial for everyone. Your doctor can help monitor your health if you choose to go on a store bought liquid diet, or they can provide recommendations to a nutritionist for a medically supervised program.