borderline diabetic

Sibyl lost 106 pounds

June 11, 2016 by Ajima Jackson 1 Comment

Great Transformation: Sibyl lost 106 pounds. A cancer diagnosis sealed the deal for her in terms of committing to creating a healthier life. She was also borderline diabetic and weighed 363 pounds. Check out her story.

sibyl before and after

What was your motivation?
For years, I have been trying to lose weight and keep it off. A diagnosis of cancer sealed the deal for me. I have had to lose weight to live. Many people encouraged me to change my life over the years, but now it’s real for me. A year ago, I was a borderline diabetic with an A1c reading of 6.4. My latest results came back normal at 5.6!

How did you change your eating habits?
For the most part, I stopped eating meat, except for fish, but I occasionally have chicken. I have done stints as a Vegan but I’m not fully committed to a vegan lifestyle yet. I really cut my intake of fast foods. When I resist the urge to go to a drive-through and grab something, and I think about what I’m eating instead, there is a remarkable difference. I try hard not to drink my calories unintentionally. I know when I’m having something like a smoothie that those are calories spent purposefully.

My doctor put me on a 1500 calorie plan. I combined this with Weight Watchers, a program that has provided me the most success. I am also one of Dr. Ian Smith’s pioneers in the SHRED program which worked very well for me. I also had to increase my vegetable intake. Now I’m relying more on fresh fruit and things like hummus for snacks. It’s challenging everyday, but I have to remember how much better I feel being smaller and healthier.

What did your workout routines look like?
I try to work out at least three times a week, but I’m still recovering from cancer. I try to walk at least a mile each day. I will start weight training soon.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 363 pounds. Currently, I weigh between 257 and 260 pounds. My height is 5’8″. I was declared cancer free on June 1st! Glory be to God!

How long did your transformation take?
It started in July 2015. I’ve kept 80 pounds off for more than 8 months. I have another 60 or so pounds to go.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Don’t give up and don’t get discouraged. The weight didn’t come on overnight and it won’t come off overnight. Eat to live and don’t live to eat.

sibyl weight loss

Nzingha lost 69 pounds

January 29, 2016 by Ajima Jackson Leave a Comment

Transformation of the Day: Nzingha lost 69 pounds. Her wakeup call came when she was diagnosed as borderline diabetic. After losing her father to diabetes, she did not want to face the same health issues. She transformed her life with healthy eating and exercise. Now, she’s a vegan. Check out what she shared with us…

nzingha before and after

Hello my name is Nzingha Sankofa. I am vegan and fitness/health lover. Three years ago, my weight was 214 pounds and today my weight is 145 pounds. I am 5’5″ tall. I have been transforming for 3 years. I changed my lifestyle and added exercise to it along with healthy eating habits. I made this change because I went to the doctor for my annual check up and she said I was boarderline diabetic. My father died from diabetes, and I was not about to let the same happen to me.

I starting reading books on ways to counter act diabetes and what foods are good and bad. I also got books that have stretched my mind, because ultimately it was mind over matter that changed my life. I focused on my body. I saw what food helped me have energy and what food caused my body pain. I took small steps in changing my eating habits and exercising. My sibling supported me and workout with me. They are also vegans, so they helped me transition to a vegan.

I changed my eating habits by first cutting out soda and juices. Then, I stopped eating after 7 pm. I took the time to observe my body and how the changes were working. I decided to stop eating meat and dairy and I became a vegan. Now I mainly eat whole foods, greens, fruit and vegetables. I also started working out everyday for a minimum of 30 minutes. I did circuit workouts, strength training, cardio and abs.

My advice to other women: Learn your body. Figure out what works for it and what doesn’t work for it. Always believe in yourself and know that you are in control of your results. Feed your self positive thoughts and feed your body foods that are good for it, not what the media tells you is good.

I am proud of myself and I wanted to share my story with all my sisters that are in the struggle and who continue to struggle for a better health, like me. Know that you have the power to create your reality and that you are doing it!

Instagram: @Queensoulflower86

nzingha vegan weight loss

Trinette lost 43 pounds

November 27, 2015 by Ajima Jackson Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Story: Trinette lost 43 pounds. Her wake up call came when she was told that she was borderline for diabetes. This mom of 3 began walking, doing Zumba and changing her eating habits. Her hard work shows. Here is what she shared with us about her journey.

My name is Trinette Simpson. I’m 42 years old and I have 3 children ages 16, 8 and 4. I’ve been battling my weight all my life. The wake up call for me came in May this year when I was told I’m a borderline diabetic. I watched my dad and other relatives suffer with diabetes. I told myself, “Oh, not me.” I have enough going on already.

I began working out by doing Zumba 4 days a week (one hour each class) and walking. I started eating right, cutting out soda and junk food (I may still eat a lil sometimes..lol). I drank lots of water and started eating more baked food, more fruit and more vegetables.

I’ve gone from 232 pounds to 189 pounds. 43 pounds so far. I just wanna say that when you put your mind to it, you can do anything.

My advice: You have to stay dedicated and stick with your plan. If you slip up, don’t stop. Just continue on. I promise the results are real and you will love them. My family sees my before and after photos and they say, “I didn’t know you were that big.” I tell them, “Yes and I did something about it.” Thanks for your FB page. I love it! #inspiration

Quovella lost 71 pounds

April 16, 2015 by Ajima Jackson 1 Comment

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Quovella lost 71 pounds. Motivated by loss of her dear sister and learning that she was borderline diabetic, she decided that it was time for a change. Here is what she shared with us about her weight release journey…

quovella before and after

What was your motivation?
Several situations motivated me:
1. The death of my sister was so devastating I needed to do something positive with my time to release my mind from the pain and depression that I was feeling and going through due to her passing away. My sister and I discussed me losing weight while she was alive, so I’d waited long enough. I decided it was time to do it. No more procrastinating.
2. I went to the doctor and he told me that I was on the borderline diabetic and to get on the scale. It read 300 lbs. I said it is time for me to do something about this state I’m in.
3. I also witnessed several of my friends pass away from heart attacks and strokes, and to be honest I feared that it would be me if I didn’t lose the weight soon.

I inspired me by believing I can do all things with the help and strength of God. I was determine to LIVE!!
I also was inspired to do it naturally and discipline myself to say no to food or eating it in moderation.

How did you change your eating habits?

My eating habits were changed to smaller portions and I prepared my meals everyday. I made healthier meals, making sure to get lots of veggies and protein. My intake of water increased as well. So that I won’t be hungry, I prepared 4 small healthy meals daily and ate every 4 hours. I also carried healthy snacks along with me such, as almonds and fruit.

Stopped eating after 6pm. If I was hungry, I ate fruit or yogurt.
Stopped eating FAST FOOD. If I did go out to eat, I paid close attention to the low calories meals and that’s what I ordered.
Stopped eating fried food, sweets and starches such as potatoes. I also stopped eating white bread and rice (major NO’S).
I started eating more salads and veggies everyday.

What did your workout routine look like?

My workout routine consisted of starting off in the beginning of everyday with cardio for at least 30 minutes. I gradually moved to 45 minutes and then 1 hour, doing 2miles daily.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?

My starting weight was 300lbs. My current weight is 229 lbs. My height is 5’2″.

How long did it your transformation take?

My transformation took 1 year and a half.

What advice do I have for others that want to lose weight?

My advice: Don’t put it off let any longer. Your tomorrow starts today. Stay focused, ignore negativity and stay consistent with a made up mind. Be determined and don’t give up, even when you don’t see immediate results. It’s a process. If you fall off a day or two, don’t get discouraged. Just get back on track. DO IT FOR YOU AND BELIEVE YOU CAN. KEEP PUSHING EVEN AFTER YOU REACH YOUR GOAL.

Jasmyn lost 48 pounds

March 3, 2015 by Ajima Jackson 1 Comment

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Jasmyn lost 48 pounds. This 5 foot tall diva wanted to avoid major health issues and was inspired by the stories of others to change her life. She is still on her journey, but she wanted to share her progress with us…

jasmyn before and after

I started at 323 lbs back in July of 2014. I felt horrible about myself! I started to get really bad chest pain and that’s when I knew I had to lose some weight! I’m currently 275 lbs (5 feet tall). Still have a long way to go, but I’m grateful to have gotten this far.

I think you page in general made me realize that I’m no different then people you guys feature! I’m just like them and if they can do it, so can I! I’m Puerto Rican, so my Culture is big on rice and fried food! I love it I still do, but I knew that if I kept eating these foods in excess I was gonna have Major Health Problems. My doctor told me that I was borderline diabetic! I didn’t want that for myself.

So, I changed the way I ate. I ate more vegetables and baked ALL my meats and fish. I occasionally will have something fried, for instance I love Empanadas (it’s fried dough with Hamburger or chicken inside). It’s awesome on cheat days, so I usually go for one of those, lol. I started working out by walking for 30 minutes everyday and was down 15 lbs in my 1st Month. Later, I started doing Zumba classes and now I’m doing the T25 program. It’s something a bit harder, but I’m loving my results! ANYONE CAN DO THIS!

She is sharing her journey on Instagram: @Jazz402

Tamilla lost 68 pounds

August 1, 2014 by Ajima Jackson 1 Comment

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tamilla lost 68 pounds. She shared her transformation photos with us and a few words about her weight loss journey so far. Losing weight helped her deal with pre-diabetes and high blood pressure.

Tamilla weight loss story

“Hi, my name is Tamilla. I started my weight loss journey because of health issues. I had high blood pressure and was taking medication daily. I was also borderline diabetic. I changed my eating habits by cutting out fried foods and junk food. I try to keep my overall calories and carbs down. I stay away from red meat and choose healthy snacks like fruit. I’ve learned that it takes a lot of discipline and everything doesn’t work for everybody. Now, I only eat poultry and seafood with plenty of fruits and veggies.

I exercise 3 to 4 times a week. I do a variety of exercises, mainly cardio. Soon, I will start strength training. My starting weight in January 2013 was 238 pounds and I am currently 170 pounds (My height is 5’2″). My blood pressure has improved and I’m no longer on medication. I’m no longer borderline diabetic either. My advice to others who want to lose weight is that you have to want it for yourself.”

Instagram: @MZ_TSWHITLEY

Pebbles lost 54 pounds

July 25, 2013 by Ajima Jackson 4 Comments

Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Pebbles lost 54 pounds. Her weight loss and fitness journey was featured on the Dr. Oz Show (Dec 2012). Now, she teaches others about mental as well as physical fitness. Here is what she shared with us:

Hi, I’m Pebbles Armwood. I am just a regular woman who at times gets busy, overwhelmed, and engulfed in everyday life. Around this time last year, I weighted 234 pounds and my doctor told me I was borderline diabetic. I knew at that very moment that I needed a change in my life. It’s one thing to be born with a health condition, because you’re not in control of that. However, to allow myself to become sick from something that I have control over is different. At any cost, if I can avoid, stop, and prevent any type of disease that’s what I will do. I knew that exercising was a must, so I had fun doing different fitness routines. I used dancing, walking, weight training, intervals, group workouts, etc. The key is that I had fun with my mental, emotional, and physical fitness. It took me 10 months to lose over 54 pounds. Today, I am 180 pounds and still working on it. My message is simple, “It’s about mental fitness.. the physical part will follow.” I believe perception is reality which can make things hard, impossible, and unachievable for ourselves. Once I stopped playing the victim role, the sky was limitless. I soon realized that losing weight was a lifestyle change and not a fad. It’s all about small easy steps that will create big change. I had no idea losing weight would turn into purpose. I was a guest on The “Dr. Oz” Show after sharing my story. I now help others reach their goals thorough my blog, radio interviews, and one on one sessions. I also inform people about juicing for health. I now have a business called Pebbles Armwood Presents Mental Fitness. I do speaking events sharing my 3 Easy Steps To Mental Fitness.

“I love to dance, so I would go to the gym just do a lot of cardio because there was a lot of fat I needed to burn,” Armwood said. “I did cardio, I did elliptical, I did intervals, I did weight lifting. I love lifting weights. I could probably bench-press more than a lot of men. I would dance at home. I would go running, I would go jogging. I would do my own little made-up boot camp. Armwood also made changes to her diet, working in more parsley and lemongrass green tea into her diet, and into smoothies each morning before hitting the gym, both tips she learned from the show.” – Patch.com

Pebbles weight loss story

Nikia lost 150 pounds

June 25, 2013 by Ajima Jackson 9 Comments

Today’s weight loss before and after story: Nikia lost 150 pounds. She started at 389 pounds and lost the weight by working out religiously and changing her eating habits. After being told she had a 10% chance of having a child, she is a proud mom. Here is what she shared with us:

nikia weight loss story Hello! My name is Nikia Dejoie and I wanted to share my journey with you all. In 2003, at only 22 I finally got on a scale…and to my surprise it read 389 pounds. I was blown away. Already boarderline diabetic, I was taking high blood pressure medicine and was in the worst physical shape possible. I was also informed that due to my weight, I had a hormone malfunction which put me in the 90% chance of never conceiving a child category. I took control of my life and decided that I wanted better. I then began to workout religiously, I completely changed my eating habits, and in about 1 year and a half I was down to 178 pounds in 2005. Over the years I celebrated this new found person i had become, I lived life like I had never lived before, met the man of my dreams, I fell in love, I got married, i started a new career, and in 2011 (shortly after I got married)…I became PREGNANT. (Yippee) With everything happening so fast and life being so good, of course I gained about 80 pounds back. After celebrating a good friend’s birthday in January 2013 she posted pictures on Facebook. I almost screamed when I saw myself. I was becoming that person AGAIN that I had buried in 2003. I started my change immediately. I worked out 5 days a week for 1 and 1/2 hours, I eliminated all fried foods, soda, pork, starch, and beef. On June 2 2013, I was down 52 pounds! I am still on this new lifestyle change and I still have a long road ahead of me to maintain this. I plan to stick with it and provide support to any and everyone on this road to a healthier life… Here are a few photos. Anyone can follow my journey on Nikki’s Makeup Lounge on Facebook or missmakeup_artist on instagram.