Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for diet and exercise

diet and exercise

Update: Tamiko lost 142 pounds

by 2 Comments

We got an update from Tamiko about her amazing weight loss transformation…

“Hello I wanted to give you an update to my story that you posted on 6/16/14. Today, I am finally at my goal weight of 135 pounds. I’ve lost an additional 10 lbs for a total weight loss of 142 lbs. I’ve lost more than half my body weight and I’m so proud of myself. My hard work has paid off!! I’d like to say to anyone that is struggling or just starting their journey that hard work pays off. Keep going! Don’t give up! It won’t be easy but it’s surely worth it. Now, I’m on to maintenance which I know is going to be hard also. Thank you so much for sharing my story and so many other inspiring stories!! You can follow my journey on Facebook: TamikoWeightLossJourney” – Read more about how she lost the weight.

Tamiko before and after

 

Chasity lost 50 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Chasity lost 50 pounds by going low carb and embracing exercise.

Chasity before and after

Hi my name is Chasity Nero from Richmond, Va. I went from 230 pounds to 180 pounds (height: 5’5″). I started my journey in February of last year.

What was your motivation? What inspired you?
I realized that I was 230 pounds and I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes (type 2).

How did you change your eating habits?
I did a low-carb lifestyle and started eating 5-6 small meals a day.  I cut out a lot of carbs and a lot of dairy.

What did your workout routines look like?
I started cycling 7 days a week for 30 minutes a day

How long did your transformation take?
It’s been 11 months and I’m still going.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Eat Low carb and have  5-6 small meals at day.  It worked for me.

Instagram: @ONLY 1PUDDIN_

Chasity weight loss

Latiana lost 20 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Latiana lost 20 pounds since Oct 2014.  At 5’3″ this petite mom dealt with serious weight gain from birth control after years of being slim.  When she got engaged and started trying on wedding dresses, she got the wakeup call she needed.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey…

Latianna before and after

What was your motivation?

Three things specifically inspired me, the first was I had been noticing that since the beginning of 2014, I began to slowly pick up weight. This is something that I NEVER had to endure as a person that had always been under a size 5, but once I started breast feeding the effects of the Implanon (birth control) in my arm began to start up with weight gain. My clothes started to fit differently and slowly but surely, I found myself buying bigger sizes than what was normal for me. I crept up from my size 5, to a 6, then those got too tight, so it was on to an 8, then those even got to tight, so, I had to purchase a few size 10s. My office did a Biggest Loser challenge in April 2014 and I stepped on the scale to see 143 (which isn’t bad for some), but for me and what I was use to I was SO embarrassed. I basically just donated my money to the challenge and never even attempted to work out OR even change my eating and cooking habits (cooking runs in the family but, so also does Diabetes & High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol). So, fast forward to September 12th when my honey proposes and now it gets serious because I KNOW I have to lose weight.  When I went to the bridal store, tried on dresses and they wouldn’t even zip in the back so they had to bring out other sizes, I was TOO TOO thru. I scheduled a Doctors appt for Septemer 30th and THIS IS THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR ME. The scale read 163 lbs. The doctor said, loose 1-2 lbs per week, that’s healthy weight loss and it’s bound to stay off this way. With that I began my mission of becoming and staying fit. Logging on to Black Weight Loss Success SEVERAL times per week was a HUGE inspiration.

How did you change your eating habits?

My eating habits changes began with me STOPPING the late night eating, not eating after 7:30pm, and if I ever happen to eat late it BETTER be a healthy choice (fruit). I cut out the fast food and fried foods. I’ve been drinking only water since I began. I meal prep (which is SO important) and I use portion control. I do give myself 1-2 treat meals per month, but it is Meal and not Treat DAY. I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (every day), with a few snacks in-between. If we go out to eat, I’ll only eat half the meal and save the rest for later. I fill up on a little water before eating. I just recently starting doing fusion water too. I cut out rice, pasta, fatty foods (like bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese), and started substituting these things for other stuff (i.e. avocado as a topping for my baked potatoes when I eat them). My treat meals are things like pasta (which is still in moderation), or a Rib Eye instead of a Sirloin. I tried to cheat with a meal last week at Jack n the Box (Chipolte Chicken Club), I craved it so bad as it’s a limited item that they have every now and then, but my body completely rejected it and the fries. I had to give the rest to my kids.

What did your workout routines look like?

My workout routines started with me taking EVERY break at work to walk and spending time during my lunch to walk as well. Going to the gym and getting on the step climber was the absolute BEST because of how many calories you burn. I slowly began jump roping, and I just started kickboxing this past Saturday (which is already kicking my butt), with classes being 5days a week. I am not going to the gym at this time. At home while watching my favorite shows I’ll lift my 5 lb weighs during commercials. After this month long kickboxing class is over, I’m jumping into Zumba and Pole Dancing for exercise.

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

I went from 163lbs down to 143lbs and I still have 20 more pounds to go before I’m back down to the size I was last year with me being 5’3’’. One of the things I did was buy my wedding gown to small (in the size I was before I started gaining the weight and the size I was 2 kids ago), it’s pushing me to loose the weight, I’m almost there guys!!!! I look forward to coming back on and sharing my updates.

How long did your transformation take?  What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?

I began my journey October 3rd 2014. I’m sure that if I was still going to the gym as much as I was when I initially started it would be all off by now but, I wanted it to be a complete lifestyle change and not just a little quickie things that I would later gain the weight back. The advice I give is Faith is dead without the work. It sounds hard but, once you start, you’ll get to the point where you don’t want to stop.

As a mom of 5 this change effected my entire household, even with my mate because they miss all that extra good cooking I use to do, which I can still do but it’s just going to be a healthier options. I don’t plan to go back to eating unclean. I feel SO much better, my skin is clearer and it feels good to motivate family, friends, & coworkers. I set goals for myself, and after accomplishing them, then I give myself a treat. You can treat yourself, just make sure you’ve earned it, which you can do so with a good workout in the morning to earn burn some calories.

Stick with it. You can do it!! Just start, stopping thinking, I don’t have the money, it’s too expensive, I need a gym membership, I don’t get paid until so and so day. Those are all the excuses I made for myself. Stop the excuses!! You can start NOW!!

  • Start with water only (cutting out all other drinks)
  • STOP eating after a certain time
  • Oven fry instead of using grease
  • Meal prep with what you have
  • Use portion control.
  • Walk around while your clothes are in the washer or dryer for exercise. I give myself challenges like that all the time.

LatiannaJan15blog

Tashauna lost 81 pounds

by 2 Comments

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Tashauna lost 81 pounds.  She decided that enough was enough and started meal planning, using portion control and working out 6 days a week to get results.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

Tashauna before and after

Hi my name is Tashauna I have followed your page since the beginning of my journey. Even though I never felt fat the scale said differently. In June of 2014, I weighed in at my highest weight of 254 pounds and I decided that enough is enough. I had gotten to the point where I couldn’t fit into any of my clothes and couldn’t breathe walking up one flight of stairs.

I cut out all sodas, juices, sweets, bread, rice, and pasta. I also meal prepped, used portion control and only ate food I prepared. I only used Mrs.Dash seasoning for cooking and baked or broiled EVERYTHING. I know it sounds drastic but it WORKED!! I ate at least 5 meals a day with lots of protein!!! At first, working out wasn’t easy but I kept at it and eventually I was working out at least 6 days a week doing at least an hour of cardio. I never enlisted a trainer or anything of that sort. I was kinda my own motivation. I wanted to be BETTER!

While the journey hasn’t been easy, with prayer and determination I did it! Now, my current weight is 173 pounds. I’ve lost 81 pounds. I hope to lose another 13 pounds and enlist the help of a trainer. I lost most of my weight within the first four months which kept me motivated!

For any woman trying I encourage you to take it day by day, love yourself, and stay focused. Don’t get discouraged, just keep going. Drink lots of water and stay focused! Last but not least, be patient, trust the process and enjoy falling madly in love with yourself! I know I did!!

FB: Tashauna Nicole Adams
Instagram: @ttsthetruth

Update: JaLisa lost 75 pounds

by 4 Comments

maxiupdatesept15blog9/2015: Wanted to share with you my gains! March 2015 to September 2015! I got my butt back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

jalisa before and after

5/2015: “Update!! I fixed my saggy breast. After losing all the weight, I fought hard to gain muscle and naturally lift my chest. I must say, patience is a virtue.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

jalisa before and after

Update 2/20/15: Hey There! I just want to update you and other ladies on this journey that I have created a page on Facebook called Wine Fine Fitness to help keep ladies inspired on their journey. Since the end of 2014, I have lost an additional 20 lbs bringing me to 125 lbs, down from 200 lbs. They say those last pounds are hard to get off but I kicked their butt and I’m happy to say I finally can begin to maintain my weight loss! My page has a lot of motivation, workouts and exercises to help keep myself and others lifted. After so many responses, from other women I have inspired, I decided to create this page for all of us! Thank you, Black Women Losing Weight for being a huge part in keeping me up lifted with all the success stories, meal ideas, etc. Thank you! – JaLisa “Maxi” Maxwell Wine Fine Fitness www.winefinefit.com

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: JaLisa aka. Maxi lost 55 pounds, with 50 pounds of that weight lost in 6 months.  She had her husband’s support as she did lots of exercise and cleaned up her eating habits.

MaxiJan152blog

Hello, My name is JaLisa Maxwell. My newly found husband (of 2 years) and the pain that kept occurring in my knees and legs (1 of 99 problems) has inspired me to lose weight and keep it off. My eating habits have completely changed. What I cooked for my husband, I no longer ate, and started eating only lean meats with tons of vegetables and fruits. His meals consisted mainly of chicken, pork, and beef (including any and every way it can possibly be cooked) macaroni and cheese, white/yellow rices, mash potatoes. I realized that I could not eat what he ate if I wanted to lose pounds, and I wanted to lose weight very bad! So, I cut those things out of my eating routine and cooked separate meals. 

When I first started my journey a year ago this month, I mostly ran up to 15 miles a week (3 miles a day). He ran with me every step of the way, which helped me stay focused and motivated on my goal. I wanted to reach 150 lbs by my birthday in August and I did! I lost 50 pounds in 6 months! My starting weight was exactly 200 lbs and I’m 5’3″ tall. After my Birthday passed, I started to do more than just run. I went to the gym at least 3 times a week, working only with weights and strength training.  I didnt workout on the treadmills or ellipticals because I wanted to tone, because everything was sagging and I was petrified. 

At the end of 2014, I weighed 145 lbs. My body was more toned and there is no more sagging. I went from a size 16 to currently a size 8. My advice for others: if you really want to lose weight, you must motivate yourself. You might not be lucky enough to have someone with you every step of the way like my husband, but I still had to make a commitment to myself to workout. He couldn’t do it for me. Stay on track, focus on your goal daily, and don’t worry if it feels like your doing everything right and the weight isn’t going anywhere, it takes time! As time passes, one day you’re going to wake up, get dressed and all of your clothes are going to be getting bigger and bigger on you. Then you got good problems!! I constantly post on my Facebook page, helping my closest friends achieve their dreams of living healthier lives. My hope is that my story helps someone.

MaxiJan15blog

Monique lost 31 pounds

by 3 Comments

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Monique lost 31 pounds.  This young mother of two girls is determined to be a healthy example for them.  She has made fitness part of her day to day lifestyle and embraced healthy eating.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

monique before and after

My name is Monique. I have been following your Instagram page for a while. The stories have truly inspired me!  On May 11th, 2014, I was completely fed up with having no energy and dealing with aches and pains. I was at my heaviest weight of 213 pounds (Height: 5’7 3/4″). Being a 25 year old mother, I knew that it was the extra weight I was carrying around that was causing these problems. My motivation is my daughters. I want to have energy  to run and play with them and set a healthy example for them that will last a lifetime

To date, I’m down 30 pounds at 182 pounds, thru healthy eating and exercise. My journey so far has taken 6 months and I’m still going strong."</p Fitness is part of my everyday life. This journey is far from over but it has moved me to help others. I started a Facebook page to help encourage other women to take control of their health.

To change my eating habits, I started tracking my meals and I discovered I was overeating (pasta, cereal, etc.). I stopped drinking soda, coffee and juice and increased my water intake. I strive to eat 5-6 small meals a day, made up of fruits, veggies and lean protein using lots of creativity.

For exercise, I’m walking and jogging, as well as using weights and resistance bands for toning.  YouTube exercise videos and good old dancing are great workouts too. I currently workout 3-5 times a week.

The hardest part is starting. Fitness was never part of my life but I knew the day I started it would help improve my quality of life! As a mother of two who works full time, I say that if I can you can. No matter how much you stumble, push forward because change will happen!

Facebook.com/monique.yvette.75

Instagram: @mocurlygirl424 inactive

Ashlie lost 55 pounds

by 4 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Ashlie lost 55 pounds.  This breast cancer survivor is a true overcomer and I’m inspired by her story.  She battled surgery, chemo, meds, early menopause and sugar addiction, but has reached victory with faith and determination.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

Ashlie before and after

Hi, my name is Ashlie K Lowe.  I’m 28 years old and I would like to share my weight loss/healthy living journey. One year ago I was 200 pounds. Today I am 55 lbs lighter, standing at 145 lbs! At age 24, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which including having to go through Surgery, Chemo, and a 5 year med regimen to control my estrogen, which puts me through menopause. The meds cause several side effects such as weight gain, fatigue and joint pain. Over the past 4 years, I have gained about 50 lbs and as of last year, I was determined to lose it all.

My motivation to lose weight was a combination of couple things. A) I started getting asked if I was pregnant. B) My Pastor led our church on a 21 day fast which was called the “Unlock” Fast and that is really what catapulted my journey. In obedience of that, God began to reveal to me the importance of living and eating healthy and taking more control over my health. Being a cancer survivor, especially at such a young age, I realized there was so much more I could do to take responsibility in living an active healthy life, despite the side effects of the medications I’m on.

Prior to last year, I ate fast food every day several times a day, fried foods, snacks (cookies, cakes, candies, etc) all day everyday, I was use to eating absolutely no vegetables and very little fruits, but I did have tons of pops, juices and barely any water. I was addicted to sugar so much so that I would eat spoonfuls of plain sugar. Starting in 2014, my eating habits changed to no red meat, no fried foods, no fast foods, no pop. Only 100% fruit juice, minimal sweets, veggies/fruits everyday, and at least 1/2 gallon of water everyday. I literally had to pray and ask God to help change my taste buds and increase my appetite for healthy foods. I hated the taste of anything healthy. Now, I crave healthy foods. (Yes God still answers prayers )

I worked out on average 3 days a week, focusing on upper body one day, lower body the next and overall cardio the 3rd. During the summer I walked at least 2 miles everyday.

Overall, despite the challenges that came along with the medicinal side effects, I was a still able to make progress and meet my goal by the grace of God. If I can do it, anybody can do it. Set a goal, create a plan/strategy, choose to commit, have accountability, measure yourself against yourself and not other people, and don’t give up. The best you is waiting on the inside, waiting to emerge!

Instagram: @ashlieklowe
FB inspiration page: www.facebook.com/thoughtsofagrowingwoman

Latonya lost 74 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Latonya lost 47 pounds and has gone from a from a size 22/24 to a size 12/14.  With some willpower and the help of a great trainer, she was also able to get off of some serious medication and become a fitness addict. Here is her Transformation Story…

Latonya before and after

I started my weight loss journey in 2009. My weight of 260 pounds exceeded well above what I wanted to be, especially since I was an athletic person. I could not believe that I had allowed myself to get that big. Of course, I was eating any and everything I wanted until I got tired of what I looked like.

I enlisted the help of fitness guru, Alice Sims, a trainer at Success Athletic Training, to help me to get back on track. I knew that once she got involved with my weight loss process there was no turning back. She had my best interest at heart and knew exactly what I needed to do.

My journey was not an easy one but I knew I would have to endure the good and the bad to get results. I started by making small goals so I would not feel overwhelmed or quit. My goals included reducing how often I ate at fast food restaurants, drinking more water versus sodas, portion control and exercising regularly. By following those consisted regimen/routines I began to see the weight continue to come off.

I was so involved that I began going to work out during my lunch break. Who says there is no time to work out? A year into my journey, I had an allergic reaction to the blood pressure medication that I had been on for years. I went to the doctor and because they were so pleased with my weight loss my doctor advised me that I could stay off blood pressure medications as long as I could maintain my pressure.

Four years later, I can still say I no longer take any medications at all because I made the choice to live a healthier lifestyle. Yes, it’s a lifestyle that I find addictive!

By far am not where I want to be but I am definitely no longer that unhealthy young lady. Today, I weigh 186 pounds which put me down 74 pounds. I went from a size 22/24 to a size 12/14. In my continued weight loss quest, I have stepped up my game by cutting out all meats except for fish. I have been going steady on this for the last 8 months now and I truly feel great! There were no short cuts for me just pure hard work! It’s all about the 3 D’s!! Dedication, Determination, Disciple! No Excuses!

Kim lost 115 pounds

by 4 Comments

Update: Kim lost 170 pounds over the course of 7 years.

Featured Weight Loss Success Story: Kim lost 115 pounds.  After being told that she had to lose weight in order to survive a much needed knee surgery, Kim made the decision to change her life. She did her research to find a way of eating that worked for her and took her fitness to a new level. As a result, her diabetes improved. Check out what she shared with us…

kim sugarfreeoreo weight loss

A year ago my doctor told me my knee was beyond repair and that I needed an artificial one if I was ever going to walk without pain again. He also told me that due to my morbid obesity he wouldn’t operate on me unless I lost weight, because I might die on the operating table if he did. I made a decision at that moment to change my life and take back control of it. I changed the way I ate and started to exercise. In the beginning I could barely finish a Richard Simmons video or bike one mile without being in pain and out of breath, but I kept at it. Over the course of the last year, not only have I increased my fitness level (per the surgery) but I’ve also lost 115 pounds (I am 5’10”). It took a lot of hard work, self control, trial and error, patting myself on the back and being my own cheerleader to accomplish this. I’ve since been able to get my new knee and am quickly rehabbing it and getting back into shape. I’ve gotten my diabetes under control and only take one third of the insulin I was taking a year ago. My blood sugar levels read as if I’m not a diabetic. I’m not done on my weightloss journey, but I am reflecting on how far I’ve come. I changed my life, I feel a new, I took control, and I am committed.

To change my eating habits I did a lot of research online about what a good caloric intake would be good for me and help me meet my goals. I also read a lot about differnt types of eating plans and tried to find one that would work for my busy lifestyle and diabetic limitations. Once I settled on a low carb, 1200 calorie diet, I picked a date that I would start my program. To get ready, I food shopped and got everything I would need for the week in order to stick to my plan. Then I looked around for recipes and the like. That Monday, I committed myself to my new way of eating and have stuck to it ever since. I also gave up soda, lattes, and alcohol, figuring the extra calories were not doing me any good. This was 13 months ago.

When I first started my program, for exercise I did Richard Simmons videos in my garage. I was not confident enough yet to go to the gym, and my activity level was so low that even finishing one of his videos was a challenge. After I’d lost about 40 pounds, I added in bike riding. This was huge for me because in the past everytime I’d tried to ride a bike, I couldnt even make it a mile. After losing some of the weight and getting my fitness level up with the videos, my first ride I did seven miles. The next one I did 15. After that I did 25 miles and was able to sustain doing rides of that length. After about 65 pounds gone, I started going to the gym and working out with a trainer. I was preparing for my knee surgery and needed to get my leg muscles as strong as possible for the recovery. We worked out together once a week for three months. After my surgery, I had to stop exercising for three months. I just recently started back up again and did a month of nothing but the exercise bike. Two weeks ago, I added in riding a real bike and this week I added strength training back.

My best advice for others is just sharing the things that worked for me. Accountability and positive reenforcement have been critical to my success. I use an app (My Fitness Pal) to log my food and exercise. This way I know how to plan out my day so that I don’t go over my calories. It also helps me make better food choices by seeing caloric values and being able to pick the lesser calorie foods. The app was probably the most important tool I had. I also told all my friends I was going to work on changing my life. I told them my goals and asked them to make sure when we did social things that they were not centered around food. Lastly, because I have a lot of weight to lose, I made smaller reachable goals to track my progress. Instead of saying I have to lose 150 pounds, I said my first goal is 1o pounds, my second is 20, my third is 35 and so on. At each goal I treated myself to things like a mani/pedi, a new piece of exercise equipment, or new clothes. I also celebrated non scale goals, like being able to fit in seats I couldn’t fit into before, being able to buy clothes in the straight size section instead of plus size and every time I tightened my belt up a notch. All these things were victories and I made sure to share them and pat myself on the back for them. I’ve lost 115 pounds so far, and want to lose another 45-50. I feel very confident I can make it happen.

Instagram: @sugarfreeoreo

Paula lost 110 pounds

by 5 Comments

Success Story of the Day: Paula lost 110 pounds. She lost the weight and has kept it off for a few years with consistent exercise, portion control and low carb eating.  Check out the details that she shared with us about her journey.

Paula weight loss story

I’ve lost 110 lbs (5’5″), going from a size 18/2X down to a size 4/XS. I started working out of 1-2 hours Mon-Fri and completely changed my eating habits, using diets here and there strictly as motivation. I’m 27 years old, but I started my journey as a Junior in college in 2009. It took me almost a year to lose the weight and so far I’ve managed to keep it off. I don’t have any kids and was heavy my entire life. I just finally got serious about my life.

The advice I would give to others is to look at it as a lifestyle change and not a diet. Also, what works for me is to simply eat more protein and less of everything else! I have better portion control now and I eat on smaller plates to make me visually feel as if I’m eating a large meal.When I feel hungry, I first drink 2 glasses of water and if I’m still hungry, then I’ll eat. This is a way I “test” myself to see if I’m truly hungry, or not. I did try several diets, and some worked…but I only did that as motivation because seeing the scale move made me feel accomplished!! I also would get rid of the clothes that were too big, because saving them was really a way of saying that one day I would gain the weight back and wear them again. Diet wise, I did SlimFast, Atkins, Weight Watchers and the Grapefruit Diet just to name a few.

Currently, I mainly watch my portions and I eat 5 small meals per day. I also don’t deprive myself when I have a craving. If I’m craving cookies, for example, I will grab a few (1-3) and break it into small pieces. Usually after eating a few pieces, I feel bad for eating unhealthy and I won’t even finish them. I’m a big snacker, so I snack on healthier foods like cheese strings, almonds, fresh fruit and etc.

Protein can cause you to gain weight, if you aren’t cutting back on everything else. Sometimes, I replace an entire meal with a protein shake. I use a medical grade protein made by Unjury because it has less sugar, calories and carbs. My breakfast is normally all protein (eggs and a breakfast meat). My lunch and dinner are normally about 6oz of a lean meat, 2 green leafy vegetables and if I have room I’ll have a starch. I don’t count carbs/calories but if an item has a sugar free or low sodium version, I’ll get it because that normally means less carbs/calories.

I used to do at least 5 days at the gym with 1 hour of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairclimber, Zumba, hip hop dance etc) and 1 hour of weights. With the weights, I’ll do squats, arm curls, leg press, chest press, and etc. I now try to workout 5  days a week for 30-45 min (cardio and weights still) because I don’t want to keep losing weight.

My Instagram name is @ReeziRee. I never show my old photos because it’s a hard reminder of a place I never want to revisit.  However, I just posted my picture on Instagram because I was inspired by someone you follow. Thanks for sharing my story and I hope to inspire more black women.

Paula before and after