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Update: Latoria lost 105 pounds

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Update Feb 2018: Tori‘s transformation story has been inspiring us since 2013. She lost 110 pounds and has worked to keep the weight off off by focusing on nutrition and exercise. In 2017, she became a spinning instructor. Check out her awesome journey.

Tori before and after

Hey everybody! So many great things happened in 2017! I did run my 1st Marathon (26.2miles) in January 2017. It was by far the hardest fitness challenge of my life! The weather wasn’t great, it rained and was really cold, but I powered through and received my medal. I was able to maintain my weight for a few months for most of the time because I had trained so hard.

Last summer, I did something I had planned on doing for a while: I became a spinning instructor. Now I get to teach, motivate, and inspire others every week. I put on about 10 pounds during the holidays, which doesn’t normally happen to me, but it did. With proper nutrition, Iwas able to go back to my normal weight of 170 pounds.

Life is all about learning how to balance everything out. This is what I tell the people I meet who are looking to lose weight. It takes time to learn your body and find out what works for you. You can workout seven days a week, but if your nutrition isn’t on point, you won’t get tye results your looking for. Nutrition is key.

My goal for Summer 2018 is to become a Certified Personal Trainer so thatI can help people on their journey. To inspiring, motivating and encouraging people is apart of who I am. I love helping others reach their goals. When I tell people that I lost 110lbs – ALL NATURALLY – and now I’m instructing classes every week, it’s an amazing feeling… and I love every minute of it.
I’m on Instagram as @get_fit_tory and Facebook as @Getfittory.
Stay motivated, and continue on the course!

Oct 2013 – Featured weight loss story of the day: Latoria lost 84 pounds and found a love for exercise that includes 5k runs, Zumba and weight lifting.  Here is what she shared with us about how she changed her lifestyle to lose weight, as well as photos below:

“Hi, My name is Latoria and I am a black women losing weight. After giving birth to my son 4 years ago, my starting weight was 266 pounds and I was wearing size 20w in jeans. I now weight 182 pounds and wear a size 10/12. I love spinning and running 5ks. I have an amazing group of trainers who are showing me how to train effectively. Also, I am excited about my 1st Half Marathon that I will be running in December 2013 at the Official Biggest Loser Run/Walk series in Panama City Beach, Fl. I ran my first 5k last year.

As far as my eating habits, I stopped eating fast food and cooked healthier meals in the kitchen. I cut out fried foods and used portion control with all my food, all the way down to salad dressings. I included more vegetables in my meals. For example, I just started eating broccoli last year as well as spinach… lol.

My husband brought me an elliptical machine and I used it for 30 minutes everyday when I felt uncomfortable going to the gym at 220 pounds. I fell in love with spinning at my local gym, taking classes 4-5 times a week along with other class routines, like Zumba. I discovered through my personal trainer how much weight lifting is beneficial. Also, I plan on becoming a certified instructor in January 2014.

My advice for others is to educate yourself about eating healthy. For support, keep a positive group of people who have the same goals in mind about getting healthy and fit. Take small steps toward your goals. For example, eat brown rice instead of white rice and cut out sugary drinks. Before you sit down to eat, ask yourself “Is this a healthy meal or could it be changed to a better, healthy meal.” Thank you so very much for this opportunity. I never knew I could do this until I tried and put forth the effort. I hope my story will inspire black women everywhere who think they can’t do it!”

Instagram: @get_fit_tory

Latoria weight loss photos Latoria weight loss

Check out her previous updates

Dec 2016: Tori has been inspiring us with her story since 2013. She lost 105 pounds and has maintained her success for more than a year. She is a busy mom, wife and professional who has learned to balance all of the demands on her time and found the strength to never give up. Check out what she’s shared with us about how she released the weight.

tori weight loss update

“I just wanted give an update on my weight loss journey. Well, it’s been a few years since I lost 105 pounds. With consistency and hard work, I have been able to maintain and make some improvements a long the way. What has helped me continue this journey was making it a lifestyle change and working to make healthy food choices everyday. This year, I FINALLY challenged myself and registered for a Full Marathon (running 26.2miles). This is something that I have wanted to do for years, but I never felt like I was ready mentally and physically. This is the year of No Excuses, so in February 2017 I will be checking a marathon off my fitness list.

I have also learned a few lessons about myself on this journey and have learned how to handle these lessons. For example: One of the hardest things I had to content with was finding balance. I had to find a schedule that would work for not only myself, but for my family as well. Being a mother, a wife, and having a full time job makes it harder, but not impossible. Once I created a schedule, it allowed me to plan ahead and make sure that I am able to get my workouts in and prep healthy meals.

The best advice I have to give is what I tell myself daily… “Never Give Up!” No matter what obstacles come your way. You may feel like your journey is moving at a slower pace and that’s okay. You’ve just got to keep pushing! My goal is to help inspire, encourage and motivate others. You can do this! Follow my marathon training on Instagram: @get_fit_tory.  I am nervous, but determined to end this chapter and become a marathoner.

2015: “I’ve lost 105lbs. As a wife and mother of 2 kids, it’s hard to find time for yourself and make sure that we also take care of ourselves so that we can be around to take care of family. Since my weight loss story was posted, I’ve ran 8 half marathons and countless 5k runs. Since last year, I’ve started doing CrossFit. I’ve had my first CrossFit competition and my team placed 11th out of 25 teams. I’m looking forward to the future and looking to see what else I can do. My goal is to motivate and inspire others to let them know that it’s possible.”

latoria weight loss story

Vanessa lost 30 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Vanessa lost 30 pounds by changing her eating habits and exercising. Here is what she shared with us about losing the pounds:

“I’m so inspired by the women I see. I have a 20 yr timeline of 5 pics showing my weight gain and loss, which includes breast reduction surgery this past March. I went from teetering into size 18 down to a size 12!!!”

timeline Vanessa weight loss

What was your motivation? 
“My motivation was to be healthy for myself. I did not want to gain any more weight as I was already 220 pounds at 5’3″ (on a good day) I was teetering on a size 18 and for ME, that was my turning point. I bought new sneakers and cute workout gear to match. I figured if I’m going to be doing it, I may as well look and feel good doing it.”

How did you change your eating habits?
“I stopped eating processed foods and ate more raw fruits and veggies and fish. I hadn’t eaten pork in 20+ years. I stopped eating beef 4 years ago, but the next step was chicken and turkey…which I did COLD TURKEY. I then started juicing 4 times a day for 30 days to shock my body into submission. I have since returned to eating chicken, but not on a daily basis.”

What did your workout routines look like? 
“I workout with a personal trainer 4-5 times a week. I get up at 4:50 am to be to the gym at 5:30. Some days we do high intensity cardio and strength training, other days we lift free weights. On the weekends, we go to our local parks or mountains and walk/trot/run …steps, benches, trees to pull up on…doing exercises in between stretches.”

What was your starting weight? 
“My starting weight was 220 pounds.”

What is your current weight? 
“My current weight is 190 pounds and my goal weight is to be 180!!”

How long did your transformation take?
“I started in July 2011, but because I didn’t know what I was doing, the weight wasn’t coming off. I was in a vicious cycle of going to the gym in the evening. I was tired and not working up a good sweat, but I was going!! Once I invested in a personal trainer and he CHALLENGED me all the time (who doesn’t love a good challenge), I began to shed more and more weight. From Nov. 2012 to now is when I shed 25 of the 30 lbs I lost. Even with all of that, I still had to have breast reduction surgery, which only took off 3lbs, but that was a definite change in my physique.”

Vanessa weight loss story

Diana lost 120 pounds

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Weight loss story of the day: Diana lost 120 pounds.  Her turning point was when she almost hit 350 pounds.  She has gone from 340 to 22o in 14 months.  Here are the details of her transformation that she shared with us:

“Hello. My name is Diana. My Instagram name is @findinghealthydiana”

What was your motivation?

“I’m a nurse. My motivation was being able to go to work and set a positive example for my patients. I was severely overweight and felt like a Hippocrit telling them to live a healthy lifestyle when I wasn’t.  The moment I wanted to change my lifestyle is when I almost hit 350 pounds. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to leave the house.”

How did you change your eating habits?

“I changed my eating habits by first eliminating sodas and junk foods. I drank at least 70 mL of water a day and had and ate around 1800 calories per day. I cut back on red meats; I would only eat them once a week. I ate 3 large meals a day and 2 snacks. My snacks were fruits and my large meals consisted of a meat and a veggie. I only ate starches 2 times per week.”

What did your workout routines look like?

“I lost weight by exercising least 3 days a week.  I would do 60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, or arc trainer. I would do an hour of weight training once a week.”

What was your starting weight?

“My starting weight was 340 pounds. What is your current weight? My current weight is 220.”

How long did your transformation take?

“My transformation took around 14 months. I hit a plateau and gained a few pounds back. It has been a total of 3 years since I began my journey.”

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?

“My advice would be to hang in there. It’s a long process and it takes hard work, determination, and dedication. Find a picture of yourself that you absolutely hate and pull it out whenever you’re not motivated to go to the gym or want to eat an unhealthy meal. This helped me when I wanted to give up. Take it one day at a time, and eventually you will see all the hard work was worth it.”

Diana weight loss photos

You can really see the difference with this pair of pants.

Diana weight loss photos

Arresha lost 176 pounds with the REALIZE® Band

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Arresha!  She lost 176 pounds with weight loss surgery.  That is almost half of her original body weight.  She had the REALIZE® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss:

“My name is Arresha.  I am a army retired spouse with 4 small children at 31 years young.  I started this weight loss journey on November 14th 2011. I was 343 pounds and had been that way for a few years before. Nothing was helping. I was depressed was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. I decided I needed to do something about it for me, for my children and my husband.  I was really overweight.

So, I had weightloss surgery.  I got the REALIZE® Adjustable Gastric Band. My doctor told me I would only lose 70 pounds in 3 years, but the band is truely only a too. You have to put in work, be motivated and dedicated. I had to change my eating habits to 6 small meals a day. I can’t eat bread or drink soda.  I hardly have caffeine and only eat lean meats. I walk for exercise and do sports with my children. My life has changed tremendously. After having 3 girls (less than 2 years apart for 2 of them and the other child 3-4 years apart) it was rough. All my pregnancies were high risk because of my weight. I also had high blood pressure and was unable to play with my kids because I was so tired all the time. Now I can run without being tired.  I have energy and I feel blessed to have gone from 343 lbs to 167 lbs. It truly has been a journey!  My advice: the band or weight loss surgery is only a tool. Tou have to be motivated and dedicated to lose weight. You are forced to change your eating habits with surgery but don’t get discouraged.  Just keep going. It’s a long journey.  Stick with it and the results will be awesome.”

Arresha weight loss surgery

Tonya lost 56 pounds

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Check out Tonya’s weight loss story and show her some love.  She lost 56 pounds with regular exercise, clean eating and drinking green smoothies.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

“My name is Tonya and I’ve lost 56 pounds. My weight loss journey began in 2011, I was 230 pounds. I started walking a few days out the week, but I didn’t see any results until 2012. That was when I decided to change my eating habits. I started eating clean and thanks to the help of BWLW, I started making green smoothies which I consumed for breakfast and lunch. I drink 100 oz. of water per day.  I changed my eating habits by not eating fast food or drinking soda’s however, I still eat regular food.  I just eat in smaller portions now.

For exercise, I walk 3-5 miles, 4 times a week.  I started doing Zumba three times a week and taking a weight lifting class for toning. During this process, I was working out two times per day. I am now just down to walking. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was insulin dependent for 2 years. I’ve gradually made my way to the pills. I went and had my blood rechecked recently and I no longer have diabetes anymore. I have lost a total of 56 pounds.  My goal is to lose 40 more pounds. Thank you so much for letting me share!”

Tonya weight loss photos

 

Lisa lost 119 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Lisa lost 119 pounds over the course of 3 years. After facing Hurricane Katrina and while caring for a loved one, she found the direction to lose the pounds and get healthy.  Here is what she shared with us:

“While scrolling on Facebook I saw your page and wanted to share my story. I’m from New Orleans and after Hurricane Katrina let myself go. I gained 302 pounds.  After praying for direction, I began rebuilding my life. I began to eat healthy with portion control, walked in the park, utilized the park exercise equipment being assisted by my husband and twerking (New Orleans Bounce Dancing).  I’m So Proud Of Me! I’m healthy, feeling great and left my other half behind. Hope to inspire others. Kisses

My eating habits changed with portion control, lots of proteins, veggies & 2 carbohydrates a day. Breakfast: oatmeal w/bananas & strawberries, scrambled egg whites omelet with spinach & 1/2oz low fat cheese. Snacks are basically a beverage (hot or cold tea), fruit juice or protein bar. Lunch is when I eat my heaviest meal.  For lunch I do leftovers dinner at times.  I have meat, veggies, no carbs or 1/3c of pasta, rice or even 1 slice of wheat bread. Dinner is a light soup and salad combo dish or everything in one main meal (pasta, meat, veggies or rice with meat & veggies). I’ve Been Using a FREE android Weight Watchers app that assists with portion control.

I started to do one hour of floor exercise just to get some cardio in everyday because walking was out of the question then.  After losing a few pounds, I began walking slow in my neighborhood.  After awhile, my pace picked up and then my encouragement, my husband/trainer Stephen Carter started to workout with me 4 times a week.  I do walking, running stairs, hiking, MMA Fighting/Boxing Bag workout, strengthening, conditioning, squats, sit ups, crunches and  yoga for breathing toning.  I twerk dance, which is vigorous bounce dancing, five times a week for 10 minutes and once on saturdays for an hour. I moved home 5 years ago after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina to take care of a sick love one which put LIFE in a different perspective for me, It was a must for me to get healthy because it was the first thing to do in order to take care of someone else. I started at 302.7 pounds. I weighed myself while taking my love one to the doctor. Recently, I weighed myself and I’m a Fabulous 183.5 pounds. I Know I’m Voluptuous.  It runs in the Family. My Transformation took me 3 years, yet, IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. My goal weight was 195 pounds but I surpassed that now my mission is to maintain my weight loss.”

Lisa weight loss photos

LaTanya lost 140 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Latanya wrote in to us to share her story.  She had gastric bypass surgery and has lost 140 pounds.  Here is what she shared about losing the pounds and changing her lifestyle:

“Hello my name Latanya.  My starting weight was 380 pounds. I have been on every diet known to man. On December 23, 2011, I had gastric bypass weight loss surgery. With diet and exercise, I have lost a total of 140 pounds today. I have learned that this way of healthy living is now my lifestyle.

My motivation for my weight loss was health reasons. My doctor told me that I needed to start taking high blood pressure medication. I knew in my heart that I didn’t want to be on medication for the rest of my life. I joined the local YMCA in my town.  It took a total of one year for me to lose 140 pounds. I have changed my eating habits by not bringing junk food into my house. I workout six day a week to stay heathy. I also belong to plus size social club where I am the wellness coordinator.  There, I share healthy ideas and workout to my sisters, but not in a pushy way.”

Latanya weight loss photos

La’Silya lost 137 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: La’Silya lost 137 pounds.  She wrote to us to share the simple changes she made in terms of exercise and healthy eating to lose the weight.  Check out her story:

“My name is La’Silya. I wanted to share my story to help others in my same situation. On Easter 2012, My sister and I took some pictures at church and when I saw them I was so ashamed. I probably was 290 pounds then and at my highest weight I was 322 pounds. From that moment on I made up in my mind to do something about it so that I could be healthier and look & feel better about myself.  For exercise, I walked everyday and also used the Biggest Loser workout videos. I decided to start eating a healthier diet and started to drink tons of water. I completely stopped eating sweets, drinking McDonald’s sweet tea (which was my favorite) and I stopped drinking sodas, including diet sodas.

I chose healthier choices such as baked chicken, turkey or fish.  I also eat a lots of veggies and fruit. I am 185 pounds currently and would like to loose about 40 more. I am proud of myself because I tried so many times before and would give up so quickly. I had a lot of encouragement along the way and it helped so much. It feels good to be told that I am an inspiration to others. I love being able to help others feel good about themselves :)”

LaSilya weight loss photos

 

Marnita lost 130 pounds

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Weight loss success story of the day: Marnita lost 130 pounds.  She is 51 years old and a proud grandmother of six.  Here is what she shared with us about how she lost the weight:

My name is; Marnita E Nichols, 51 years old. Mother of 3 daughters and 6 grandsons.

This is my story:
I have always been big boned, but I was not overweight until after the birth of my second child. That’s when I noticed that the pounds started to pile on. However, I didn’t become morbidly obese until my mid 30’s. As I reflect back I believe it was a combination of a lot of things that contributed to my weight gain. Like the average individual, I was dealing with life and all its problems, i.e., family, financial hardships, career, etc. I believe that food became a source of comfort for me. Food doesn’t talk back it allows you to just be yourself. Honestly, I don’t think it really every hit me what I was doing to myself. I think the only time I realized it was when I would go shopping for clothes or my husband would buy me a new outfit and he would have to take it back and get a larger size because the one he bought didn’t fit. All of a sudden I begin to realize that I was getting bigger. But ask me did it really matter. I would just not shop for myself and when I did I always got “black”.

Finally, about 2 1/2 years ago I went in for a physical for work and was informed that I had High Blood Pressure. Both my top and bottom numbers were triple digits. The doctor wanted to hospitalize me immediately but I refused. I asked her what was plan B, she responded, by telling me I had to lose weight and get on blood pressure meds. So that’s exactly what I did. I begin watching what I ate very carefully and taking my medication as prescribed. Little by little I started to lose the weight. I incorporated exercise in January of this year. Today, I have lost approximately 130 lbs. I did it by eating clean. I don’t eat pork or red meats.  I also exercise 5-7 times per week.

As I previously indicated, I am big boned so I can carry more weight and appear thinner. Truth is, I’m still over weight just no longer morbidly obese. I have 40 lbs. more to go and after that weight loss maintenance.

I want you all to know that it has not been easy. I have come to realize that I am a food addict just like the drug addict. I enjoy food and sometimes still overextend my limits. However, what I have learned through this journey is that my health matters more to me and when I find myself wanting to over indulge I am more aware of my triggers. I have more self-discipline and lots of self-talks. I keep it in the frontal part of my brain at all times because I never want to get to the place again where my health is compromised because of food. To God be the glory for giving me the courage to make healthy life-style changes.

Check her out on Facebook: “Beat the Bulge Let’s Get Healthy”

Marnita weight loss story

Tambra lost 33 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tambra.  This proud army wife and mom of 3 shared with us how she lost 33 pounds with exercise, juicing and changing her eating habits.  Here is what she shared:

“Hello, My name is Tambra. I’m a 29 year old stay at home Army wife and mother of three. I’ve been struggling with weight issues since I had my first son in 2006. I got up to 190 pounds and maintained 180 pounds for five years. I gave birth twice within a span of eleven months to my youngest children.  Soon after having my one year old daughter, my husband got deployed.

I decided that it was time for a change. I didn’t want my daughter to grow up thinking that it was okay to be unhealthy.  I was also tired of feeling out of shape and sluggish all the time. I now workout five days a week, doing weight lifting and cardio.  I’ve changed my eating habits and I work out with a personal trainer three times a week.

I went from eating 3 very large meals a day. I would fry food several times a week and I was addicted to sugar. I changed to eating 4-5 small meals a day and I rarely (if ever) eat fried food. Every couple of weeks, I juice for a few days and that helps to reset my body.

I haven’t seen my husband in close to a year. He will be home in December 2013. When he left, ten months ago, I was 190 pounds , today I weigh in at 157 pounds. I still have a ways to go, but I have decided to make this a total lifestyle change and not just a temporary fix.”

Tambra weight loss story