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Jameelah lost 158 pounds

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Update 2017: Shout out to Jameelah. She shared her story with us in 2015 and she has kept the pounds off. Maintenance is the hard part.

Stripes 😎

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Jameelah lost 158 pounds. At 21 years old, this Alpha Kappa Alpha soror faced hypertension and weighed 333 pounds. Seeing an inspirational weight loss story gave her the wakeup call she needed. Now, she is sharing her story to inspire others. Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

Jameelah before and after

My name is Jameelah Meredith. In the picture on the left, I weighed 333 pounds. Now, I weigh 175 pounds. I am 5’7″ tall. I was motivated by a video of a man who was handicapped and overweight. He changed his life, lost weight and was able to walk on his own again. Seeing that video motivated me, because if he could change his life and become mobile again, I could do the same thing.

I stopped eating fast food, red meat and pork. I added more fruits and veggies into my diet, and completely cut out fried food. When I started my journey, I was working out 5 times a week! I was in the gym doing 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of lifting. Some days, I run outside for 1-3 miles daily. I also started doing outside activities, like running, climbing mountains and swimming. Currently, I work out 4-5 days a week.

I started my journey in 2013 and have lost over 150 pounds just by being more active and not being a couch potato. I was just 21 years old when I started and I knew that it would be best if I started to change at a young age. I feel much better and I’m so much healthier. Before this transformation, I had prehypertension. Now, I feel normal and I’m completely healthy. I feel so much better. I look better and I’m so happy that I decided to make a change.

My advice for someone looking to lose weight is just change your diet and become more active. Add veggies, fruits and lean meat to your diet. I cut out red meat and only ate chicken and turkey (I’m allergic to fish and seafood but those are good options as well.) I drank water only! If I wanted something other than water, I made a real fruit smoothie. I challenged myself some months with different diets also. Some months, I went without any meat at all or I cut out bread. I got to know my body and discovered what worked for me and what didn’t work for me. I did it all by myself without a trainer or anything. You just have to believe in yourself and just do it!

Instagram: @foreverxxi_1908

Sasha lost 40 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sasha lost 40 pounds.  Like so many college freshman woman she gained more than the “Freshman 15”.  She embraced a more plant-based diet and lots of exercise to drop the weight and get healthier.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

sasha before and after

Hey there, Here’s my before and after photo, on the left at 180 pounds and on the right at 140 pounds. My motivation to lose weight came after my freshman year of college. I’m a college girl at Oakwood University and I went from a size 6 to a size 11 in one semester. I had gained 40 lbs (due to excess take out and light night snacks). Initially, I thought I liked the weight gain (I go to school in Alabama and being thick is a thing out here) but then I realized I had no energy to do anything because I was always so tired and out of breath. I knew had to make a change.

That summer, I stuck to a mainly plant and fruit based diet (I’d have meat on occasion.. BBQ, dinners, etc). I also committed to drinking a gallon of water daily. My workouts were simple, but consistent. I exercised 5-6 days out of the week for no less than 30 minutes and during that workout I’d be sweating. I’d do anything that would make me sweat, ranging from running to dancing.

I’m 5’7″ tall so the weight loss was drastic. After 4 months, I was able to lose 30 lbs and I shed an extra 10 with the help of my personal trainer! A balanced diet (one where I eat more than I did at my heaviest weight) has helped me to keep off the pounds.

My advice for anyone trying to lose weight right now is, no matter how small of a step you make, a step in the right direction is still a step. Start small and set realistic goals, OR if you’re like me, start big and set dramatic goals. We are only as limited as we allow our minds to believe. We have power to make positive changes in our lives, utilize it! I have a fitness channel underway on YouTube called, “Sasha George Fit” where I will be sharing fitness and diet tips and regimes I have tried and found true. I have an introduction video up so check it out! I am open to all suggestions. Stay healthy!

Instagram: @sasha_g_i

Stormy lost 105 pounds

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Update Jan 2016: Stormy lost 21 more pounds for a total of 126 pounds gone. Read what she recently shared on Instagram and what she shared with us back in April about how she lost the weight.

stormy before and after

“Sometimes I get really bogged down when my progress slows down. Starting graduate school last semester forced me to alter my time commitments and unfortunately my weight loss slowed down pretty much to a halt. I was depressed, I was anxious, I was disappointed in myself and thought I had failed at living this healthy lifestyle. Times like those really bring me down. Until one day, I was looking for a picture and ran across the picture to the left and didn’t even realize it was me.

Me? Not recognizing myself. That’s crazy, right? But true. I cried because I was so caught up on how I wasn’t to my weight loss goals… and I could have been there… and how I’m a failure… blah blah blah, that I forgot where I came from.  I forgot why I originally started this journey. To live longer. To live stronger. To live healthier. Never forget where you came from. Never forget your purpose. You can do this. I can do this.” @phatphitnessphanatic

 

April 2015: Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Stormy lost 105 pounds.  After graduating from college and the end of a long term relationship, she decided that it was time to focus on her health and happiness.  She used nutrition and exercise to transform her lifestyle. Here is what she shared with us…

stormy before and after

My name is Stormy Hill. I am 22 years and last July I made the decision to change my life after graduating from college with my bachelor’s degree in Design, Housing, and Merchandising. I also had a very bad breakup with my boyfriend of 6 years. I was tired of watching life just drift passed me as I struggled with my self identity. I had spent my entire adult life attached at the hip to my boyfriend at the time. I was ready to start making decisions for myself and enjoy my life and show the world who Stormy really was.

I started lifting weights, running, and began to eat well. I started my journey at 308 lbs and am currently 203 lbs (height: 5’6″). I have lost 105 pounds with nutrition and exercise alone! I have no goal weight because that puts a destination on my lifestyle. There is no destination. I have fallen in love with Gymmy (that’s my nickname for the gym, since I’m basically married to him. Haha!) and eating healthy.

I started eating 5-6 small meals a day instead of three or four big ones. I started following the food pyramid! I increased my fruit and vegetable intake, gave up fried foods and fast food. I started fueling my body instead of indulging! I also increased my water intake. Most recently I have stopped eating all added sugar. The only sugar I get is naturally from fruits.

I exercise about 5 days a week, twice a day. In the morning, I do a more comprehensive workout, target a certain muscle group. I mix that workout with plyometric exercises and end the whole workout with cardio. I try to run 1-2 miles at the end of every morning workout. Then, at night, I just do about 30 minutes of weight or resistance band training on the same muscle group as that morning. I rotate muscle groups daily to ensure my muscles are getting the rest they need!

My advice to other women wanting to lose weight is nothing is impossible. Sitting at 308 pounds, I thought I would be big forever. I thought that was just who I was. I thought it would be impossible to be fit and healthy, but it’s not and it is NEVER too late to change! Champions aren’t the ones who never fail, they are the ones who get back up! We all fail, we are human, but we must get back up! This is a lifestyle for me. This is me. This is Stormy. I have an Instagram! It’s @phatphitnessphanatic.

Brianna lost 52 pounds

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#transformationtuesday throwback 😜💪🏽❤

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Update Dec 2015: One year later, Brianna wrote in to update us on the progress of her weight release journey (original post from 2014 below).

Since my initial 52 lb weight loss, I have continued to live a healthy and active lifestyle! I still workout 5 times per week and eat clean. I am happy with my current weight and I’m currently focusing on building lean muscle and continuing to lead a fit life! I meal prep every week and love hiking, cycling, weight lifting and yoga. I continue to use @CarbsDontKillmyVibe accounts as a way to motivate and help others as they tackle their weight loss/fitness journey and I hope to expand the brand soon! My advice for anyone feeling discouraged or frustrated is to stay consistent and to keep working! It took several years for me to lose weight, but it was worth it. I have been able to keep it off by maintaining a consistent fitness routine and by eating clean. Positive lifestyle changes will equal positive results!

brianna before and after

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Brianna lost 52 pounds.  Her wakeup call came after the end of a relationship and after graduating with her Masters degree.  She decided to commit to a healthy lifestyle to avoid more weight gain and feeling horrible.  Now, she feels great and looks great.  Here is what she shared with us…

Brianna before and after

Motivation:
After breaking up with a boyfriend and graduating with my Masters degree in Social Work I took a look in the mirror and realized that I had gained 40lbs! I felt horrible, had low energy, was unhappy with how I looked and had extremely low self-esteem. I decided that I had two choices; either continue eating how I was and possibly get bigger or change my lifestyle and commit to living healthy.

Eating Habits:
Changing my eating habits was one of the hardest parts of my journey because I am a foodie! I love fast food and anything involving cheese and potatoes. I started searching the Internet for ways to revamp the foods I loved and slowly started replacing them with healthier options. For example I LOVE hamburgers and french fries. Instead of hitting a fast food place I would make myself a turkey burger, substitute the bun for lettuce, pile on the veggies and make sweet potato fries to go with it! Slowly but surely I was able to replace all of my unhealthy cravings with healthier options. I also began meal prepping and cooking my meals for the week ahead of time. This cut out the temptation to buy fast food and made life much easier for me. Revamping my eating habits was pivotal to my weight loss success.

Workouts:
I get bored doing the same workouts over and over so I try to change it up everyday! I LOVE outdoor workouts and often go hiking, bike riding, and running on the beach. If I workout in the gym I focus on different muscle groups each day, such as legs and glutes, upper body, etc. I am addicted to finding new and interesting workouts and love things like pole dancing, aerial yoga, bikram cycling and barre fitness. Changing up my routines keeps me challenged so I don’t get to comfortable.

Weight:
When I started my weight loss journey I weighed 187lbs. Currently I weigh 135lbs. I have lost over 50 pounds and shed a lot of inches. I am 5’6″ tall. It took me 2 years to lose 50lbs. The first year of my journey I lost 30lbs and the second year I lost 20lbs. Currently, my focus is on building muscle and increasing my endurance!

I recently started an Instagram page called @CARBSDONTKILLMYVIBE where I share my workout routines and general tips and advice for people starting their journey to a healthier life. My suggestion for anyone interested in losing weight is to find something that works for you and to stick with it! Everyone’s body responds differently to different things. What works for me may not work for you. Find activities you enjoy, get active, and eat healthy balanced meals! If you are consistent your body will respond.

FB page: facebook.com/carbsdontkillmyvibe

Brianna weight loss

Asjane’ lost 30 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Asjane’ lost 30 pounds. This young lady made a commitment to herself and did the work to change her lifestyle and reach her weight loss goal.  Here is what she shared with us…

Asjane before and after

When I was younger I was always picked on because of my weight and for having a little sister that was skinny. I told myself that before my senior year of college I was going to make a change, so I gained the courage and lost 25 pounds. I can now say that I am in a better place in my life now and it all started with my weight loss.

My motivation was honestly the fact that I didn’t want to be uncomfortable in my body anymore. I was inspired by the women on your site (Black Weight Loss Success) actually lol. I changed my eating habits by cutting out all fried food and by drinking nothing but water. My starting weight was 195 pounds and I am now 165 pounds (my height is 5’4″) I’ve been going through my transformation since July of this year. 

The advice that I would give anybody going through this journey is to not give up because it takes time.  Also, only do it for you. My instagram is @_prettyfitgirl

Asjane weight loss story

A’Sian’s Mom Lost Over 100 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: A’Sian helped her mom Melissa to lose over 100 pounds and she is so proud of her mother.  I think that it’s a beautiful thing when we can encourage out loved ones to live healthier lives AND support them during their transition to new habits.

Asian mom weight loss

This isn’t my story, it’s my mother’s story. I am 23 years old and my mom has always been heavy set. She always ate at fast food restaurants (McDonalds was her favorite) and always cooked fried foods. She added a lot of salt to food, never worked out and always purchased sodas.

Right now, I am a junior in college. I would have been graduating in May 2015 but due to a tragic death in my family it delayed my acceptance into the nursing program at my school. So, I had to wait out the year in 2014. I decided to pick up a minor in nutrition. I always tried to convince my mom to start working out and eating better but she never listened. That’s until one day when I really told her the health risks she faced (that she was aware of already) by being overweight and by being African American. That was in May of this year!

Now, my mom works out every single day, she drinks only water and coffee occasionally at work. She works out with a personal trainer that holds group kickboxing classes.  You will find her walking at work in the mornings and during her break, as well as  using the elliptical at work. She eats vegetables, lean meats and doesn’t even add salt to her food. Her starting weight was close to 400 pounds, and now she has lost over 100 pounds just by changing the simple things. I know this is a long story but I am so glad I was able to help my mom change her life! She is full of life now and it proves that anything is possible! No, it wasn’t easy but she did it.  I am so proud of my mom!

Update: Keiasha maintained her weight loss

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Update: Keiasha 30 pounds and has kept the weight off.  She went from 185 lbs to 155 lbs. We featured her story back in September 2013 before she left for college. She dealt with college weight gain, like a lot of women do, and was still able to maintain her weight loss.  Check out her updated story below: (Click here for the original post about her journey for more info)

Keiasha weight loss

Hello, my name is Keiasha Lumpkins. I was featured on the BWLW site before, but I have continued my journey.  I want to let you know that you can keep going and that I’ve got goals that will be met. After the last time I was featured I went through a depressed stage and I end up gaining weight when I went to college.  That’s when I realized that I shouldn’t bury myself in food. I’ve included some updated photos.

Previously when I was featured I was 17 years old.  Now, I am 19 and in college. It is a struggle to maintain my progress in college and make sure that I am healthy in the process. I have maintained my weight by eating right and exercising consistently. My weight was 160 pounds and now I am 155 pounds. My goal weight is 145 pounds.

I have done somethings differently. I do weight training now and have a lean diet. I want to start having more definition since I lost the weight. I eventually want to run in the Philadelphia Broad Street run and finish!

What I have learned is that you have to be ready mentally before anything. I have made many changes this year. The first one was going natural with my hair and embracing who I am as a young girl. I realized that sometimes your goal is going to be different then someone else’s. I eventually want to start my own workout program and become an athletic trainer. I want to help others because I had help down this road and want to continue. I just went to remind other young people, and older ones as well, that you can do anything you put your mind to. No matter who puts you down, to every set back there is a comeback and God’s plans are working in your favor.

Keiasha weight loss success story

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Aliyah lost 66 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Aliyah lost 66 pounds.  Like many of us she gained a lot of weight in college and took steps after graduation to change her lifestyle, lose weight and reach her wellness goals.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey: msupshurJuly14blog My name is Aliyah, I’m 26 years old. I just realized how much weight I lost and I couldn’t be more proud of myself! I lost a total of 66 lbs over 18 months. After graduating college, I realized I had gained a freshmen 50+ instead of a freshmen 15. I did high intense cardio classes (Tae Bo, Insanity, Kickboxing & Step Interval) four times a week.  I also stopped eating after 8pm on weeknights. Although I wasn’t consistent through the entire 18 months, I am more than happy about my results thus far! I was 250 lbs and I now weigh 184 lbs (5’4″). My goal weight is 175 pounds!!! I can’t believe how close I am!!!!!!! My motivation: Well, someone asked if I had a baby since college since I had gained so much weight. I have no children so that was like my “end all to be all” moment. I HAD to make a change immediately!  I didn’t diet, I made a lifestyle change. I only made changes that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.

  • I stopped eating after 8pm
  • I love carbs so cutting them out was unrealistic. Instead, I eat whole wheat instead of white. Brown rice instead of white rice…etc..
  • Eating breakfast EVERYDAY!
  • Drinking water first thing in the morning. Drinking MORE water! 2 liters/day at LEAST!…and that’s on a bad day. On a normal day I’m shooting for 3 liters.

My advice to others would be to STAY CONSISTENT! Don’t stop. EVER!!!! This is a LIFESTYLE change!

Instagram @msupshur UpshurJuly2blog

Chelsea lost 45 pounds

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Featured Weight Loss Story: Chelsea lost 45 pounds.  This petite college Junior started her weight loss journey in 2012 and is now 10 pounds away from her goal.  Slow and steady wins the race!!  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

Chelsea's weight loss story

“Hello, my name is Chelsea Watson. I am 21 years old and a Junior at Berea College. I started my weight lost journey on September 24, 2012. On that faithful day, I weighed-in at 198 pounds at 5’2″. Now, I weight 155 pounds! When I started I wore a size XL shirt and a size 13 to 15 pants. Now, I wear a size Small shirt and a size 7 to 9 pants.

I started my weight loss journey because I was tired of being unhealthy and feeling terrible. My journey started with Shaun T’s Insanity workout video and that really inspired me to continue. Now, I go to the gym 4-6 times a week doing various activities ranging from running on the treadmill for 3 to 12 miles or weight-lifting. It is currently training season for my 5th half marathon.

My eating and drinking habits changed over time too. I started drinking water (yes, I said it I STARTED DRINKING WATER) to the point now that’s all I drink. I incorporated vegetables in my diet.  For example, for every lunch I like to eat a huge spinach salad with turkey. Also, I’m a huge fan of egg whites!

Losing weight is tough so it’s important to have a strong mindset. Before I started, it took me a long time just to accomplish this step. Due to my mental strength, I able to push through the tough workout and achieve my plan to lose weight!”

Instagram: @chelw327

Akilah lost 20 pounds

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Proud mom Akilah lost 20 pounds and stopped turning to food for comfort.  Here is what she shared about her weight release journey:

Akilah weight loss photos

“I was sent to college in 2011 with a partial volleyball scholarship and everyone was so excited that I was going to be in college. But, right in the middle of the season, I found out that I was PREGNANT!

Pregnancy is supposed to be a joyful time right?? Well, for me in the beginning it wasn’t and I became so consumed with food! Food was my comfort and now I can honestly say, I had a problem!

After, I had my gorgeous baby in May, I looked at her innocent beautiful face and made the decision “I need to get back on track”, so we went on a walk every morning and I lost 10 pounds.  Once her father proposed to me (July), we moved with him and I started Cosmetology school.  The only food places around that area that I could afford were fried food places, so I gained all of the weight back, placing me at 220 pounds.

Fast forward a year, I have graduated cosmetology school and now am a Make Up Artist.  I wanted to start a Youtube channel but HATED how I looked on camera! So, I set a goal to lose at least 15 pounds before I started, I did body by vi, worked out 3-4 days a week (mostly cardio), cut out sodas, juices, and white carbs, and kept myself active and lost 20 pounds! Now, I’ll be also putting my weight loss journey on my YouTube channel too! I am so happy now!! I am currently an even 200, and have lost 20 lbs in 4 months!”