Let show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Karen who has lost 30 pounds. She was motivated by a diagnosis of diabetes. Here is what she shared with us:
I changed my eating habits. I stopped eating pork. Now I eat chicken, fish and less beef. I also eat a lot of vegetables and have cut down on sweets. I don’t drink soda, only water or sweet tea. I walk 2 – 3 miles, 3 days a week and I workout two days a week. In addition, I trained myself to eat small portions so now I get full fast with less food. My motivation was my doctor telling me I have diabetes and I might have to take insulin. She said that if I lose the weight, I can over come diabetes. Being overweight, you start having high blood pressure and diabetes. I didn’t want that for myself. I’m 41 years old and I feel that the older you get the harder it’s is to get the weight off. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and for having a page for us. When I see your page, it encourages me even more.
I gained my weight due to depression and I used food as a support system especially when no one was there. Ten years later, I was over 100 pounds heavier and had numerous of health problems. I was tired of being sick physically and mentally. I knew the weight was keeping me me down both ways as well. So, I researched getting the gastric bypass weight loss surgery done. I found out my insurance paid for it in full. It took me a year to do what I had to do to get approved, but it happened. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. No quick fixes here! It was the best decision for me in the end. It very hard because I never would have known what my journey was really going to be until I went through it myself. I finally accepted my new lifestyle and said goodbye to my bad habits. I got up, ate healthy and worked out 3 – 5 days a week. I did both strength training and cardio. I was careful about not putting too much pressure on myself because I never wanted to hate what I was doing to get healthy. I worked hard everyday to both eat right and workout. I also had to also change my thinking patterns because that is what controlled my eating habits. I used working out as a stress reliever and it has helped me to be more positive. It still is an everyday struggle but I work day to day (sometimes minute to minute) to continue working hard.
New moms should make it a habit of ensuring they stay hydrated throughout the day. By drinking plenty of water, mothers can keep their energy up and distinguish between hunger cravings and thirst. When one is thirsty, they commonly mistake it for being hungry. By drinking plenty of water, new moms will keep their appetite in check. New moms should have a big glass of water first thing when they first wake up, and they should carry a water bottle with them throughout the day. This also can be beneficial with nursing mothers.
