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Transformation: Michelle Gabriella lost 46 pounds

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Update Dec 2015 – Michelle has lost over 50 pounds! She shared her progress since August: Since I was featured on Black Women Losing Weight, I have been continuing my path to become a Fitness Model. I’m tracking my entire journey on the road there, week by week on my Instagram: @Fitmelle. I post food ideas, videos of me working out and audio motivation that has helped me. I lift 5 days per week, rotating muscle groups, along with small bursts of HIIT for cardio. I have obtained visible abs since my last update and have turned most of my body into lean muscle. My diet is super clean, meaning I eat real food and I don’t eat processed food or fast food/processed sugar. I only drink water or fruit infused water. My goal is to be able to show on social media (IG) exactly how to sculpt the body and lose fat at the same time, without the need of pills, surgery, waist trainers…etc. This can all be done naturally by consuming the proper foods and doing the proper training consistently.

michelle before and after

August 2015 – Awesome Transformation: Michelle Gabriella lost 46 pounds and gained 9 pounds of muscle on her weight lifting journey.  She shared her story and her awesome transformation photos with us. Check it out…

michelle before and after
21 Weeks of Weight Training

I started my weight lifting journey 21 weeks ago. I’ve lost pounds of fat and have gained tons of muscle. My boyfriend inspired me to look at the fitness lifestyle. 3 years ago, I lost 50 pounds solely from cardio and I gained it all back. I was uneducated about how to obtain the look I desired. Hated to cook because I was lazy. I also ate tons of refined sugar, fast food and MSG. Once I decided that I was tired of looking the way I did, tired of feeling unattractive, in that moment I realized that I want to change my life for him. He was worth living longer for and I was ready to get control. He taught me about weight training and how it is a longer progress but would give me the look I desired.

I started by cleaning up my diet and having 6-8 small meals a day to increase my metabolism (2 hour increments). I cut out all fast food, anything in the middle of the grocery store, all juices and all high sugar drinks. I don’t drink my calories, so I consume only WATER. I work out 5 days per week doing 20 min of strength training and weights, along with 15 min of HIIT for cardio. I love the fit life and have a long journey to completely sculpt and tone my body. I plan to accomplish this over the next year and provide weekly posts on Sunday’s of my changes.

I’m 5’9″ tall and I weighed over 200 in my beginning photo. I do not wish to share my current weight because it’s still being “written”.  My advice for others is to start paying attention to what the food industry is doing to give us health issues due to the cheap cost of food. Please use Google. It’s a great resource to learn about what to eat, how to workout, etc. Lastly, don’t give up on your health or your self respect. Be the strong women/men you were meant to be. Greatness!

Check out more information about her journey on Instagram: @Fitmelle

michelle transformation
13 Weeks
michelle weight loss story
18 Weeks

Kisha lost 69 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Kisha lost 69 pounds. This proud mom was tired of battling her weight and dealing with a number of health issues, such as asthma. She committed to change and her commitment shows.  Here is what she shared about losing the weight…

kisha before and after

Hello, my name is Kisha and I want to share my weight loss success story. Hopefully, it will inspire others who are battling with weight loss. I was dealing with a lot of health issues, including really bad asthma. Getting healthy was my goal, because I was scared of dying and leaving my children without a mother. I knew that I had to make a very serious lifestyle change.

I started off on my journey on March 11, 2014 weighing 236 pounds. My current weight is 167 pounds and I’m still going strong. I’m 5’6″ tall. I’m very proud of my weight loss and I hope to motivate others.

I lost the weight by having 2 smoothies, 2 snacks and a sensible dinner each day and by not going over 1200 calories a day. I also changed my eating habits by cutting out beef and pork completely. Today, I only eat small portions, never overeating, and I cut out candy and chips which were my downfall in the past.

I work out 5 days a week. I do 2 days of walking for no less than a hour and on the other 3 days I weight train for a hour and do elliptical 30 minutes to an hour.

My advice to others is to never give up. Start off with baby steps and work your way up. If you fall off track, pick yourself up and keep it moving.  Also, find a workout buddy so that you have someone to keep you motivated.

Instagram: @mrzkay_losing2win

kisha weight loss

Natalie lost 45 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Natalie lost 45 pounds.  Determined to break the chains of a family history of illness, this petite powerhouse took action to change her life.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

natalie before and after

The picture on the right is from February 2014 and the one on the left was taken in June 2015. I started this journey weighing 218 pounds and I now weigh 173 pounds… and counting (height: 4’11”). I’ve always been on the thicker side, but it wasn’t until I heard 218 lbs from my doctor that I made the choice to do something. Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure runs in my family, but I am determined to break that cycle. In the picture on the left I had a lot going on personaly, but the gym became my stress reliever. Now, I eat healthy, work out at least three times a week and I feel great!

I started out with a personal trainer, EazyWork Fitness, and he put me to work! He had me doing all types of things, from weight training to cardio, three times a week for an hour. I continue to work out and I challenge myself monthly to stay healthy and work out. I never thought I could run, do push ups and lift weights, but I am able to do that now.

I also had to address my eating habits, which was hard to do but I just kept thinking of my son and how I want to be here for him. I changed by no longer eating fast food and by not buying junk food. I also learned how to cook more meals at home, used less salt and I didn’t fry anything. In addition, I stopped eating meat for 3 months.

The bodies that we have aren’t our own. They belong to God, so we must take care of the temples he has given us. I’m thankful that I started this journey and I continue to move forward toward living a long healthy life. Weight loss isn’t so much about the physical, but it is more about the mental. How you think about weight loss, you mentality, will be your outcome. I want women to know that this isn’t a gift to everyone else, it’s for and about you.

My mission is to help other women live BOLD in all things. My Instagram is @LiveBold4Christ and my blog is www.LiveBold4Christ.wordpress.com  Thank you!

Tabreeka lost 100 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tabreeka lost 100 pounds. After years of yo-yo dieting, she found a weight loss program and a coach that helped her release the weight.  She realized that being held accountable for her goals was missing piece of the puzzle.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey… (We updated the post from 86 pounds to 100 pounds gone because we got confirmation from Tabreeka today. Photo below.)

tabreeka

Hi, my name is Tabreeka. Being a “big girl” has always been a part of my life. I have tried losing the weight so many times before and I always ended up yo-yo dieting everytime. I would start then stop, either getting frustrated by how slow the weight was coming off or going back to old eating habits. I never realized that I needed accountability and that this truly is a lifestyle change. My inspiration came from seeing Coach Wiltrina Jones featured on BWLW. I joined her Facebook group Team IUTBU and watched what they were doing from March to November. I saw Deborah Harvin shrink down to a size 6. After that, I said enough was enough. I was not going to turn 30 weighing 261 pounds. I joined IUTBU, started the meal plans and it’s history from there. I was skeptical when I started because of all my many other failed attempts, but little did I know being held accountable by someone other than myself was the piece of my weight loss journey that I was missing all along. My mental state was where it needed to be and I was tired of being fat. However, I just needed structure and to be held accountable.

I started eating off by eating according to the meal plans written by Coach Wiltrina. At first I thought these meal plans were going to be couscous, sprouts, salads…your typical diet foods. However, I was surprised when I saw burgers, steak, ribs, and plenty other foods that I wouldn’t expect to eat while losing weight in a million years. I have cut out fried foods. I bake, grill, or sautée my meats and veggies. I have sweets occasionally and eat treat meals when included in the plan. I learned from my many years of failure that when you cheat you’re only cheating yourself.

For exercise, 4-5 times a week I run 3-4 miles. I attend FitOneStudio, where they have bootcamp classes. I’m also on a exercise plan written by Coach Wiltrina that includes weight lifting, strength training, and cardio.

I started this journey at 261 pounds. I am now an amazing 161 pounds (height 5″4″). I have been on this journey since November 24, 2014. I’m still amazed myself at my progress.

My advice for others: Believe in yourself. If I can do it, anyone can. I was always told I couldn’t lose the weight because I was “big-boned”. For that reason, I thought that was my destiny to be a big girl. I was captive in all that weight. Losing it was the best thing that could’ve happen to me. Now, I feel like I have a new outlook on life. You have to step out of your comfort zone. It will never happen in that place. Being uncomfortable is what brought me change and happiness. Always remember this is an ongoing fight. Use determination, motivation, and remember where you came from because that is important.

tabreeka scale 100 pounds

tabreeka before and after

Jaianne lost 82 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Jaianne lost 82 pounds. Two years ago, she decided that enough was enough. It was time to be happier and healthier.  She took action by working out at home and changing her eating habits.  Now, she is sharing her results with us…

jaianne before and after

Starting weight: 257 pounds
Current weight: 175 pounds
I started my journey in May of 2013.

I’ve lost 82 pounds. Two years ago, I knew I wasn’t happy. Not just with my looks but with myself in general. I decided then I was going to make some changes in my life. I started to become healthier by surrounding myself with people who motivated me and helped me. I set goals for myself, took action and became happier.

I first joined Beachbody that summer and with help of my coach at the time I was able to change my eating habits. I cut out eating fast food and changed to eating more veggies and protein. I workout 5 to 6 times a week doing various at home workouts like Turbo Fire. I barely go to the gym, but I do have a gym membership. I also do walking, running and yoga. I’ve lost weight but my journey hasn’t ended yet. I’m happy to say that I haven’t gone back to the way I was and I won’t go back.

I just wanted to share my progress with you all. No matter what current state you are, you can become happy with yourself. You just need to make some changes. You need to believe in yourself and know that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. I am a living proof of that. Am I done? No, but I am very happy with the progress I have made over the years. As you can see in my pictures, you can achieve what ever you put your mind too. #livehappylivehealthy I hope this motivates YOU to change.

Instagram: @livehappylivehealthy1

Audrey lost 70 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Audrey lost 70 pounds.  This proud mom of three saw her health declining and was afraid of not being able to see her daughters thrive in the future.  She saw her cousin lose weight with an online coach and decided to try the program.  Now, she’s won a recent transformation contest held by her coach. Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

audrey weight loss

What was your motivation? What inspired you?
I have three amazing daughters. As my weight continued to increase, my health continued to decline (high blood pressure, arthritis, bad knees, bad back). My daughter Jada joked that she would soon be pushing me in a wheelchair. I was terrified that I would not be around to see what wonderful things they would do very far into the future. Not to mention, I felt that I had so much more to offer in this world, yet was squandering my blessings. Also, I was inspired by seeing the outstanding progress my cousin Deborah Harvin had made in her own health journey (Deborah lost 113 pounds). That roused me from my self-induced coma.

How did you change your eating habits? What did you stop or start eating?
Thanks to my coach Wiltrina Jones, owner of I Use to Be U, I started eating six clean meals a day. I stopped eating a lot of fast food, restaurant food, processed food, and junk. I started eating a variety of easily accessible healthy and fresh foods.

What did your workout routines look like?
I did weight training and cardio. I attended boot camp for comradery and variety. I lifted free weights, worked out with a weight vest. I also did body weight exercises, like burpees, pushups, squats and lunges.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
When I first started losing weight in February 2014, I weighed 255 pounds. In September, that’s when I started with IUTBU and I weighed 239 pounds. Now I weigh at 185 pounds. My height is 5’ 8”.

How long did your transformation take?
I started trying to lose weight in February 2014. However, I didn’t get serious until September 2014. So, about 15 months, all together.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Take the time to value yourself. It is so easy to get caught up with work, home, family and everything else. I know that I focused on everything else to avoid dealing with me, my issues and my problems. Do it for you.

Eboni lost 56 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Eboni lost 56 pounds in 6 months.  This petite mom was inspired by her daughter as they both wanted to be healthier and more fit. With calorie counting, portion control and regular exercise, she’s gotten the victory!  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

eboni before and after

I am from Madison, Alabama and I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my adult life.  Once my daughter came to me professing her desire to be healthy and fit for her first year of college, this was the perfect opportunity for us to work as a team to achieve this goal,

I was an emotional eater and have a weakness that most people can relate to: I love fried food and bread.  High blood pressure sent me to the hospital many times and overcoming my bad eating habits and losing weight was not just about me, but it’s for the benefit of my daughter as well.  There’s a saying, “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” 

I changed my eating habits by using portion control. I also don’t eat fried food and I make sure that I have plenty of veggies each day. I try not to exceed 1200 calories a day. For exercise, I work out 3 to 4 times a week. I had to find something that I loved to do, which is dancing. I will put my heels on and go for it.

I have gone from a size 22-24 to a size 14. I have lost a total of 56 pounds and plenty of inches. My height is 5’2 1/2″. I have been fully committed to this transformation for 6 months.

My advice to others: You can do all things through Christ. The first step is to take the first step. I never thought that I would be on this health kick, but I can’t give up. So, with that being said, love where you are now first before you can move to the next step.

Instagram: @BrownSugga5201

Tiffany lost 110 pounds

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Update May 2016 – Tiffany lost over 100 pounds and has maintained her weight loss long term. This month she appeared on the Dr. Oz show.

tiffany update weight loss

“I just wanted to update you on my progress but first thank you for all of the incredible work you do! You’re dedication to sharing these transformations is amazing! Your page keeps me motivated and accountable to keeping the weight off daily! So encouraging! You shared my weight loss story on your page months back. I got so much encouraging feedback from many of the women who have liked your page. It feels good to be able to inspire and motivate, while at the same time holding myself accountable. I have continued to maintain my weight, even though it has certainly been a challenge. I was, and still am an emotional eater, but through the dedication and daily motivation from pages like yours, I have done it. Since you have shared my story, I have had the honor of sharing my weightloss story in amazing ways! I was on the Today Show in the Joy Fit Club Segment with Joy Bauer. Just recently, I was able to share my story on the Dr. Oz Show (video)! I am so thankful for pages like yours and people like you who inspire and motivate with real life stories!”

Aug 2015 – Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Tiffany lost 110 pounds. After battling her weight for years, she reached a point where enough was enough. She focused on learning all about healthy eating, portion control and exercise.  Now, she is a personal trainer, fitness instructor and author.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

tiffany before and after

I had struggled with my weight my entire life. Once I got married, I weighed about 180 pounds. After about 3 years of marriage my weight skyrocketed to 250 pounds. I think I just started letting myself go. I ate whatever I wanted and was not active at all. I just kept making excuses for myself and ignoring the changes I was seeing in the mirror. I had not weighed myself in years. Then, they built a new fitness center in my community and my husband wanted to join. I joined too, but not because I wanted to. I just didn’t want to be left out of what he was doing. I decided to buy a scale. When I finally had enough courage to step on, I was shocked to see my weight. 250lbs! I was considered morbidly obese. How did this happen? I was mortified, depressed and so disappointed in myself. I decided that day to make a change.

tiffanyI slowly started to work out and instantly cut my calorie intake. After the 1st week I had lost 5 pounds! This was so motivating to me and I just kept going. Little by little I became more determined as I saw more progress. I constantly did research on how to burn calories and eat right. Eventually, I had lost 110 pounds! It took me about 8 months. I was very focused! My weight loss success story was featured in Oxygen Magazine. I wanted to help others who had struggled with their weight as well, so I became a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor. I love inspiring others with my story and hope to encourage anyone who feels like they cannot do it.


Tiffany’s Book

I changed my eating habits pretty much immediately. I instantly cut my calories down to about 1,000 a day, which I would not recommend. This was before I had done any research. Now, I would say only go down to about 1200 per day. Never the less, I got educated about the calories in food. I had never payed any attention to that before. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal App and literally logged my calories everyday! Every morsel of food was accounted for. When I look back on how I used to eat before my change, I realized I was consuming about 4,000 calories per day. No wonder I was overweight. The main trick that I learned was calories in, calories, out. I found out that as long as I burned more calories than I ate, I could still lose weight and eat whatever I wanted in the proper proportions. I learned all about serving sizes, ate about 1200 calories per day and had 1 cheat meal per week. When I hit a plateau, I actually took my calories up to about 1500 per day, and was able to continue losing. My go to fitness product now is definitely the Fit Bit! It helps me stay on track with calories I’ve burned per day and I still log my food in the app!

www.100lbslater.com

Twitter: @100lbslater

IG: @100lbslaterdotcom

tiffany weight loss

Alicia lost 67 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Alicia lost 67 pounds.  After being diagnosed with pre-hypertension, it was time for a lifestyle change to improve her health. Check out what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

alicia before and after
The first pic is from my sister’s wedding in 2011!

I wanted to share my story with you ladies in hopes of inspiring other women to be their very best, and to recognize their greatness (at all sizes)! My motivation to lose weight was improving my health. I was diagnosed with Pre-hypertension when I was 25 years old. I also suffered from constant, chronic fatigue due to the excessive weight I was carrying.

alicia weight lossNow, I drink nearly a gallon of water per day. I stopped eating McDonalds, and most fast foods, honestly. I believe in eating at least one cheat meal per week to create balance, but McDonalds is never on the menu! In my younger years, I was a Minute Maid Juice addict and could easily drink a half a gallon of Grape Punch Minute Maid in one day. Minute Maid has been replaced with bottled water and flavored water.

Despite being a graduate counseling student, and working full-time, I work out at least 4 days a week. My transformation took nearly two years, because I honestly lost focus on several occasions. I’m 5’7″ tall and my highest weight was 254 pounds. I currently weigh 187 pounds. I mix cardio with strength training, and I do a High Intensity Interval Training class once a week at my gym.

My advice to others who want to lose weight is to stay motivated and know that you are doing this for YOU! Health is more than physical, it’s mental as well. Always make sure your goals are your own and that you practice loving yourself during each step of your journey. Find healthier foods that you truly enjoy! I’ve always loved chocolate, so I discovered that Weight Watchers makes delicious, low-fat ice cream sandwiches that I eat when I’m tempted to grab some red velvet cake. However, every once in awhile, I do have a slice of red velvet cake because it’s important to not be afraid of food. Food is not the enemy, but we must all learn how to create balance in our lives, and not over indulge. I realize over-eating and over-indulging is truly where my weight gain came from, not one slice of red velvet cake. Also, be sure to create a goal that’s healthy for your body type. All women were not meant to be a size 3, and that’s perfectly fine. I’m a size 12, and I have excellent cholesterol and blood pressure!

Chelle lost 120 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Chelle lost 120 pounds, going from a size 24 to a size 14. After being diagnosed with diabetes, she began her weight loss journey.  She lost the weight and has kept the weight off for a few years.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey.

chelle

I’m a 31 year old from Saint Louis, MO. My motivation: I didn’t want my weight to be a reason that I was no longer on this earth. I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 19. At the time, I was informed by my doctor that I needed to get my weight down in order to get my diabetes under control. I started to eat healthier, watch my portions and I did more walking than any other exercise. I’m not a gym type of woman, but I will definitely walk a few blocks and stay busy. I walked to hours before and after work each day. I also cut out all the unhealthy, fried food and started eating more fruits and baked foods.

I’m 5’2″ tall and I started off in a size 24. Now I wear a size 14. I’ve gone from 290 pounds to 170 pounds. I know that it is possible if you just have faith and push yourself. My transformation took 2 years. I started at 19 years old, however I never stood strong with my efforts until about 5 years ago. I put my mind to it and stuck with my plan and mission.

I encourage all women to get their health in order. As I get older, I began to see that being healthy plays off in a major way in your life. My advice to others would be that you have to want to do it for yourself and want a healthier longer life I’ve struggled with diabetes for years and I don’t wish this illness on anyone. It can get ruff at times but don’t give up until you are content where you’re at.

Instagram: @Dtgetnobetta

chelle before and after