Today’s featured before and after comes from Lauren Forster Walls aka Vegan Radiance. She has lost pounds and transformed her health with a plant based vegan diet. I think her story is amazing and I’m happy to share it with you all. I really believe in a vegan and/or raw food diet and I’m in the process of going raw vegan myself.Here is her story:
Like so many, I’ve tried every weight loss plan that promised me I could lose pounds and inches…and quickly. I never was a huge junk food eater, but nevertheless, could never seem to get to a healthy weight after my last child was born in 1991. And now here I was in my latter 40’s and it was becoming about more than just my waistline, but my lifeline. I had already been prescribed high blood pressure medicine and lost a friend, my age, to a heart attack in June 2011, so I was desperate for an answer.
Memorial Day weekend 2011; my only goal was to grill some 1” thick steaks and relax, but the universe had other plans. I awoke and distinctly “heard” a voice say….”You need to stop eating meat.” I did not question it, but knew I would comply and seek guidance as to the next step. That night, after a meatless day, I searched my cable guide for any kind of food documentary that might offer some guidance. I found the movie, “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”. Little did I know that movie would change my entire life. The movie itself and Joe’s journey healing himself on a juice fast was inspiring and brought me to tears. I watched it twice before realizing there was a doctor in the movie, Dr. Fuhrman, giving Joe powerful information on nutritionally dense foods and the health connection. I did an internet search for Dr. Fuhrman and I tell you, it was like sun rays shot out of my computer when I found my way to what he calls NUTRITARIAN eating. I soon discovered he had a book, Eat to Live, which lays out a whole foods/plant based way of eating. I ordered it immediately, read it as fast as I could, went to Whole Foods on June 4, 2011—book in one hand, shopping cart in the other and the rest is history. I just followed exactly what he said in the book—Eat G-BOM*BS: Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms*, Berries, and Seeds http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/gombbs.aspx
Everything he lays out in the book is true. The weight came off effortlessly with no exercise. The food is delicious and satisfying. My blood pressure began resolving and within 11 weeks eating a whole foods/plant based way my doctor “un-prescribed” me from ALL high blood pressure medication. By October, I had shed 30 lbs; something I’d never been able to do my entire adult life. All of my allergies resolved, I have no pms symptoms anymore, no headaches, no gastrointestinal distress, no stiff achiness—I can jog and jump and move effortlessly, my painful feet went away, I did not take an aspirin or any kind of cold/flu medication for over a year and I was full on good food. My mind is clear and focused. It’s an absolutely amazing way of eating. I love that one can get started without having to buy special foods, weigh, measure, count points, pay membership fees, buy chemicals to sprinkle on, etc…Dr. Fuhrman makes the information to get started abundantly/easily available to all. I highly encourage folks to buy the book as it goes into detail which really helped me succeed.
I have been following Eat to Live for 1 year and 3 months now and I still love it every day! The weight has stayed off and I’m looking forward to even higher levels of health and wellness as I continue with a whole foods/plant based lifestyle.
She says, “I began my weight loss journey in November of 2011. After I had my baby I was in a horrible relationship and that caused me to think less of myself and eat. I ate to hide my feelings because I couldn’t express them. After I got out of my bad relationship I continued to eat because I became content with my eating habits and my weight because I didn’t think I could lose it. Then one day I saw myself naked and cried. And in that moment I decided that it was time for me to make a change for the better. A few days later I joined a weight loss clinic (Versalo Center) and weighed in at 303! I was shocked and put in my mind right then that I wasn’t healthy and I had to get the weight off of me immediately! After many months of eating right, cutting back from sweets and other junk food, I joined the gym and today I’m proud to say that I’m 75 lbs lighter! I want to lose 38 more lbs by next year and I’m more determined than ever to reach my goal. All in all, I never thought I could do it, but amazingly I Did!” YES you did, Miami! Awesome.
Caren has gone from 260 in Nov 2011 to 206 now!! She looks GREAT.
She says, “Hiii!!!, Im Green ( as they call me). Im so happy to be apart of this page. I needed the extra motivational push. Well, I was going through complete hell last year, and i was already big and i just ate my way thru for comfort . I decided that MY End , was not gonna be from this!!! I LOVE GOD!!! he is amazing. i was dieting no carbs, limited sugar ( 4g a day) , no fruit, no dairy……. and the best part I had NO CRAVINGS. I have been on plenty diets and workout regimens. But, this time I activated my FAITH, and included GOD:) I started in Nov. 2011 and lost 54lbs. by February 2012, start weight 260.6 and my weight now is 206. I’m still pushing my goal weight is 175. I walked only cause i had a knee issue. But know its completely healed. I drink 64oz. of alkaline water a day and it has helped me extremely. i used to get sick all the time not anymore.” https://www.facebook.com/carengrn
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Caren!
For more great before and afters, visit www.blackwomenlosingweight.com
Online Community Member Kiluni Skye has transformed her health and her body and gone from 224 lbs to 179 pounds since June. She has posted a number of photos from her journey on blackwomenlosingweight.com.
She says, “I started my official weight loss journey on June 16, 2012 and at that time I weighed in at 224 pounds! I used my biggest fear “Insecurity” as my motivation for losing weight. For the most part of my life I was always small and never weighed no more than 140 lbs. But overtime and after having two kids, my weight began to stick to me and I simply ignored it. And before I knew it, I had reached 235 lbs within 2-3 years (2009-2012). Once looking at myself in the mirror became a nightmare, I decided that once and for all it was time for me to regain control of my life and my overall health. One day I went into my kitchen and had a meltdown; I cried and frantically threw everything out. And for once I felt a sense of “Power & Control” again! I was tired of people asking me what happened and if I was pregnant. At the beginning of May, 2012 I changed the way I ate & exercised 30 minutes a day and managed to go from 235 to 224 by the middle of June. On June 16, 2012 I officially joined a weight loss clinic and began my journey to become a “Refined Me” on June 17, 2012. And 91 days later, I’m now 179 lbs and happier than ever! Though my weight lost journey has just begun, I’ve lost a total of 56 lbs and I refuse to give up on my goal to reach 160 or less by February of next year.” Great job, Skye!!!!!
Fitness Powerhouse Dreama Davidson has gone from 215 lbs TO 165 lbs. She is EXTRA fit!!
She says, “My workout regime consists of resistant training/heavy cardio…Weight and power lifting and a lot stretching. I work out 5 days a week with 2 resting days spread out. (on occasion I might do just cardio on a rest day). I switch my workouts up every four weeks so my body rarely gets use to any given routine. The stepmill and bike are my best friends!! Lol That’s when I see the weight really fall off.
I prepare my meals at the beginning of each week and drink a gallon of water a day. Snacks include almonds, berries and egg whites. At first this whole transformation was to book more lucrative production work in film and overseas. Now my fitness is my life and has proven to make me a more happier and positive person. If anyone ever needs or will need my help I make to always stop and give some type of advice because i can remember where I started. And you need all the encouragement you can get. 😉 Once again I am truly honored that you want to feature my journey. It means way more then you know.”Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Dreama!
She says, “This weekend will mark my 1 year BGR/Fit-iversary. A year ago I decided to focus on me. After spending my 40th birthday in the hospital with chest pains and shortness of breath, I decided I had to do something. My only goal was to just feel better. Thanks to my girl Shelia, I started out with Black Girls RUN! a week after my birthday. That first Saturday I thought I was going to DIE! LOL We did both Main and Acosta bridges! But I continued to come out to BGR 3 days a week. I then picked up Zumba, Boot Camp or whatever groupon/coupon deal I could find. At first I did not change my eating habits. I would exercise 3-4 days a week but I still ate whatever I wanted. I dropped about 20lbs doing this. February 2012 I decided to do a juice fast. I stopped eating and juiced only for about a week. I then incorporated eating 5-6 small meals daily. I eliminated beef, pork and most wheat from my diet while adding in more veggies and fruit. I keep track of my calories eaten and burned through My Fitness Pal. I now exercise 6 days a week and I have lost 70lbs. Consistency is my key. I never gave up. I did not make excuses why I couldn’t exercise. Over the past year I have not stopped. I cannot stop….I WILL NOT STOP. Why???? Because I am worth it! ♥” You are an inspiration, Pamela!!!! Thank you so much for sharing with us.
“My inital lost of 100 pounds was changing my diet and exercising. I had to lose that weight the before they would consider surgery and then it took a little time for my insurance to apporive it and all the other technicalities I had to go through to get approval for the bariatric doctor to do the surgery. I had tried for years and went through the big weight lost only to gain it all back plus. I was frustrated and my mother was asking my general practitioner to please recommend me for something because she and my dad were worried that I would pass before either of them. I had not other issues except diabeties and the excessive weight but that would eventually lead to the other problems of high blood pressure and other complications that diabeities could cause. I had been diabetic for over 20 years. I was finally approved for weight loss surgery in October/November 2008 and had my surgery 4 days before Christmas.
I had gastric bypass surgery. It has almost been 4 years and the doctor told me that after 18 months I would continue to lose but not as rapid. At almost 2 years I decided I would crank up my exercise routine which was nothing more at the time them trying to walk more than normal. Parking my car a little farther in the lot. Walking to the other building to eat in the cafeteria instead of my desk. I moved up to water aerobics 3 times a week and now I have added a little weight lifting for toning and walking about an extra miles everyday. I still have issues with learning to walk correctly and I have pain in my knees if I walk too much but my muscles are getting stronger and that issue has almost been alleviated.
I have lost over 220 pounds total. I know I am not where I need to be and I am at a serious plateau right now, in fact I have gained a little back. I did get rid of all my medications and now I am taking lots of vitamins and I must eat a lot of protein so I still have a challenge because I must eat better and eat the right things. So weight loss surgery does not make it much easier. You can still gain your weight back with one slip or eating the wrong foods. I am finding thatout each time I reach a plateau. I just have an internal tool that help me control my weight. It still can be defeated and you have to have the right mindset to accomplish this.
Once I saw the result, I was determined that I would never go back. I have changed my whole attitude and I am reminded everyday that I have done a good job and I look so much better. I never thought I looked so bad until I saw I could lose the weight and I could look a lot better. I learned a lesson from just thee weight loss. We learn to live with where we are and then we just stop trying and live how we have become. May not make any sense but until you succedd in losing the weight and feel how different you are you will never understand where you been and how you can accomplish your goals. Never give up no matter what. As I have said my struggle was not to lose the weight but to maintain what I have accomplished and that will be a lifelong struggle. I did not gain the weight over night and I knew I would not lose the weight over night but the losing is not the issue. The keeping it off is my real goal!
Let me stop here since I could go on forever but I just want to emphasis that just becuse I had weight loss surgery doesn’t make my struggle any easier that anyone else losing weight. Since I am almost 55 and have been overweight my entire life, I did not want to let my weight issues take over my life anymore. I tried the weight loss from the very beginning but it was not working and as I got older it worked even less. So there is my stroy in a nutshell but it is not the end. Thanks for all your encouragement because also without it and from many others, I probably would not have gotten as far as I have today. Thanks for all you have done for ladies like us. You are such an inspiration. Keep up the good work!.”
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Tracey!
BWLW Facebook member Tina has lost 130 pounds!!! Show her some love for sharing her transformation story with us.
She says, “Due to being an intorvert and going through some things as a child, I became an emotional eater. Even though frailty is not a family trait, I was an overweight child, who became an obese teenager and adult. Throughout the years, I obsessed about losing weight, through logical and radical means. I, not intentionally, realized it’s about life changes. I let my body talk to me. My body lets me know it craves fruits and veggies, and not a lot of carbs. or soda I gave up fried foods, with the exception of boneless buffalo wings. lol. About 5 yrs ago, just by giving up bread and limiting fried foods, I lost 50lbs in a semester, going from a size 28 to 24. Since last July, I’ve lost maybe another 80lbs. I feel great!! I am still a work in progress, but I am so elated by the progress that has been made. To anyone that feels discouraged, start small. The small things add up over time. Even if you, in your eyes, backslide, no need to punish yourself. As long as you’re here breathing, you can always get back on track. I went from only being able to walk for 12 mins to be able to walk/jog for 2hrs. Keep pushing and keep smiling. Thank you BWLW for your site and testimonials. You are changing people’s lives.” Thank you, Tina for helping us to inspire others to release the weight!
Angel has gone from 230 to 180 and is still working toward her goal of 150!
She says, “I started in 2010 I wt 230 wasn’t motivated at all till I started taking pictures of myself and I would be disappointed…at that moment I decided to jo
in a gym…I exercise six days a week doing a lot of classes such as spinning boot camp and step aerobics…I also had a trainer that help me tone up two days a week…I stop drinking soda eating out ate six to seven small meals a day….I lost the weight slow took me a year to lose fifty pounds…but I maintained till now…now I’m setting myself a new goal and want to get to a wt of 150…there was no surgery diet pills or fad diets just strict discipline and motivation….” Yay!! Thank you so much for sharing your transformation, Angel!
She says, “I started my weight loss journey feb 3, 2012 @ that time I weighed in at 235 pounds ! I am now at the current weight of 190 pounds and my goal weight is 150 or less by the summer of next year !!! My motivation for losing the weight is I got tired of other people talking about me and killing my self esteem in my face , asking me if I was pregnant and I haven’t had a baby in almost eight years and that was just the beginning !!! I take up to nine classes a week cardio combined with strength training, try to eat as heathy as possible , drink lots of water and snack on health treats !!! If I can do it anyone can do it and I am trying motivate everyone that reads this to try it and keep going until you succeed !!!! love you all” Much love to you too, Toi.
Here is her story:
