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MelissaRoshan lost 74 pounds

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Update 8/2014: MelissaRoshan noted that a lot of the weight gain she experienced had to do with emotional baggage. She shared a video with us about her journey.

Today’s weight loss before and after story: Model and makeup artist MelissaRoshan lost 74 pounds going from a size 10 to a size 2 with clean eating.  She no longer deals with symptoms of PCOS and insulin resistance.  Here is what she shared with us.

My story is that I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and insulin resistance. I was modeling in my earlier twenties, and by the time I was diagnosed with it, I had gained forty pounds. I lost my modeling contract and also self esteem. I felt rejected, and fell into depression. Despite the smile in my before pic I waa miserable and unhealthy. I couldn’t walk up the stairs without gasping for air and my cycles dissapeared. I got tagged in a photo on FB and did not realize how big I was. THAT was my wake up call. A friend introduced me to Eating Clean after I shared with her I was tired of being tired. That’s when I made my change. In a year, I lost 74 pounds by eating clean and Pilates/cardio. I also let a lot of painful issues go from a painful child-hood, chose forgiveness, and healing. That literally was 20 pounds right there! The weight came off, and I’ve kept it off since. The key for me was changing my mind so that my life could change. I got my modeling contract back, but most importantly my health. We can do anything we set our minds to, and one of my missions is to inspire women to live their healthiest life possible. If you’re already fit, then what’s the heart look like? There’s always room for self betterment.

MelissaRoshan weight loss story

2-Day Clean Eating Sample Menu

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Today, I wanted to give you a preview of our Clean Eating Ebook with this 2-Day Clean Eating Sample Menu. This sample will give you an idea of how you could be eating this month to support your weight loss efforts.  Each meal is approximately 1500-1700 calories by my judgement.  Of course, you can adjust as you need to.  For the items noted in purple, there is a recipe below.

Meal Day 1 Day 2
Breakfast  Granola 1/3 cup
Greek Yogurt 1 cup
Berries 1/2 cup
 Cold Whole grain Cereal 1cup
Skim Milk 1cup
1 med Banana (sliced and added to cereal
1 Hard Boiled Egg
Snack  1 med Apple & peanut butter 1tbsp 1 1/2 cup fresh vegetables cut up w/ yogurt dip
Lunch  3 oz sliced ham, 1 oz cheddar cheese, 2 slices tomato, 2 iceberg lettuce leaves and 1 tsp mustard on 1 whole-wheat pita 4 oz deli-fresh turkey breast slices on 2 brown rice cakes with 1 Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese wedge (as a spread)
1/2 cup Quinoa
Snack  Grapes (17)
1 String Cheese (low fat)
 5 whole grain crackers with low fat cheese (1oz)
1 cup fresh berries
Dinner  Pot roast 3 slices
1 cup Mashed potatoes
 Baked Fish 3oz
1 cup Steamed Broccoli
1 cup corn

Visit Calorie King or MyFitnessPal to put in the food values and determine calorie counts, if you’d like to know the actual calorie values.  Disclaimer: Please know that these meals are not based on specific nutrient ratios. It’s an example and is not tailored to your specific dietary needs. I am not a dietitian and I cannot possibly foresee what your personal dietary needs are. So use these menu suggestions wisely and appropriately. 

Recipes

Granola

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup Quick Oats
  • 1 Egg white
  • ¼ cup Almonds
  • 4 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Flax seed (ground)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
  2. Chop Almonds or pulse in food processor
  3. Mix all ingredients together in bowl
  4. Spread out on Non-stick cookie sheet
  5. Bake for 10 minutes (watching for even browning, don’t let it burn)
  6. Cool & Store in Refrigerator in air tight container

Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp your preferred spices (dill, oregano, rosemary)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together & serve as a dip or dressing on sandwiches

Quinoa

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Quinoa
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

  1. Bring water, chicken stock and quinoa to boil in a medium saucepan
  2. Reduce temperature to simmer and cover.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until water is absorbed.

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 chopped tomato
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 6 baby carrots, chopped
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary
  • salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Marinate roast in soy sauce and garlic at least 8 hours (in the fridge)
  2. Remove roast from marinade, reserving marinade in a container. Sprinkle roast with pepper, gently pressing pepper into roast. Combine reserved marinade, mushroom broth mixture, and tomato; stir well, and set aside.
  3. Place onion, carrot  in a 6-quart electric slow cooker; toss gently.
  4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast, browning well on all sides. Place roast over vegetables in slow cooker.  Pour tomato mixture over roast and vegetables. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1/2 hour.
  5. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 6 hours or until roast is tender. Place roast and vegetables on a serving platter; keep warm. Reserve liquid in slow cooker; increase to high-heat setting.
  6. Place flour in a small bowl. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture to liquid in slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.   Serve the resulting gravy with with the roast and vegetables.
  7. Save the leftovers for lunch.

Inspired by www.myrecipes.com/recipe/company-pot-roast-10000001535414

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 2 Medium potatoes
  • 3 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2c Skim Milk (may not have to use all)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Pinch sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Peel, then Boil potatoes
  2. Mash potatoes in a bowl with Greek yogurt & add milk gradually until correct consistency is achieved
  3. Add spices & mix until you reach the smoothness you desire

Baked Fish

Ingredients:

  • 1 fillet of white fish your choice about 3oz  (I suggest haddock, halibut, or whiting)
  • Canola oil spray
  • 1/8 tsp old bay seasoning
  • 2 pinches of dried rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350, Coat baking sheet with cooking spray
  2. Sprinkle seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper on fish along with some cooking spray
  3. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until fish flakes

Shantel lost 128 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before & after story: Shantel lost 128 pounds since May 2012 by exercising regularly and eating right.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi my name is Shantel and I wanted to share my weight loss journey. In May 2012, I finally decided to make a change. I was tired of being overweight and very unhappy. I started by walking everywhere, pushing my daughter in her stroller. I would walk at least a mile 5 to 6 days a week.  Then I added in Turbo Jam about 3 days a week. I ate smaller portions and made smarter food choices with substitutions like, baked instead of fried, mustard instead of mayo, lettuce wrap instead of bread. Over a year later and 128lbs lost, I now only drink water and my diet is 80% vegetables. I now work out 6 days a week and focus on weight training, HIIT, and tabata. This journey has been hard but with prayer, determination and hard work, I am losing the weight and improving my life. I can truely say I am happy!

Shantel weight loss story

Tiffany lost 43 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW Love to Tiffany who lost 43 pounds by going raw vegan.  Here is what she shared with us:

This past December, I passed a mirror and surprised myself. I thought, “surely I am not that big.” I decided to take a picture of myself. One turned two then ten. I just knew, if I kept snapping, I’d see the woman I thought I was. It never happened. I knew then I had to change. My son deserves a mother who is fit enough to play, and my students deserve a teacher healthy enough to instruct.

I began my weight loss journey on January 8, 2013. I stepped on the scale at an embarrassing 289 lbs. Over the last 7 months, I have lost 43 lbs. Currently, I weigh 246. Mostly, I credit my weight loss a change of my diet and exercise 4-6 times a week. I’ve found myfitnesspal, my gym membership, and Zumba to my success. The community and challenges I’ve found through Instagram and Black Women Losing Weight have been tremendous motivation to keep going.

I still have roughly 60 lbs to go before I reach my target weight.  In the beginning, I used Dr. Oz’s Flat Belly plan. I tried some of the shakes, but they didn’t work for me. Now I eat a 60-100% raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts a day, but currently, I am eating a 100% raw diet to detox. I also drink a gallon of water per day. Regardless of how this story ends, I am thrilled with my progress thus far.

TiffanyAug13

 

 

Jonquil lost 59 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after: Nurse, college student and single mother Jonquil lost 59 pounds with diet and exercise. She knew that she needed to get healthy.  Here is what she shared with us:

Jonquil weight loss storyI was a fast food junkie and always on the go. My motivation came from a bet with my boyfriend. Whoever got to their goal the fastest won. I jumped on the bet right away because he and I are very competitive. I had to learn how to cook healthy foods and make them suitable to substitute fast food. I began to see change and so did my peers. I learned to love to eat healthy, especially on the go. I work out 5 days a week. I do 3 days of jogging and 2 days at the gym. My starting weight was 236 pounds and I am now 177 pounds. I’ve began my lifestyle change in November 2012. It’s been 8 months. I realized that dieting alone will not give me my permanent results, a lifestyle change was what I needed. I love working out now. The key to weightloss in my opinion is acknowledging your bad habits and knowing it will take time to adjust them. After I acknowledged my bad habits, I slowly learned to live without them. To this day, I fail and get back up, but I am successful with weight loss because I continue to get back up. I use weight training, whey protein, and cardio. I love my figure,  so I focus on squats and abdominal exercises, and jogging.  It works!  Eating habits: no fried foods, just baked and raw fruits and veggies. I suffer from acne and once I changed my diet, it has significantly decreased my acne.

Jonquil weight loss story

Evony lost 60 pounds

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Let’s show Evony some love.  She lost 60 pounds.  At 25 years old, she was on high blood pressure meds, now she has lost the weight by changing her eating habits and exercising.  Here is what she shared with us:

I would like to share my weight loss story. I was only 25 years old when I started taking high blood pressure pills while pregnant with my 2nd child. I made no time to exercise or at all. I was very unhappy with my health. Finally at age 27, I did something about it. In January of 2013, I was 286 pounds and currently I am 226 pounds. I was a size 24.  Now, I’m down to a size 18!  I’m glad to say that I lost the weight and I’m off my blood pressure pills by making healthier food choices and exercise.  For exercise, I walked on the track for 3 to 5 miles, 4 times out the week. I also don’t eat fried foods or sweets.  I eat mostly chicken and turkey.

Evony weight loss before and after

Rachelle lost 27 pounds

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Breast Cancer Survivor Rachelle lost 27 pounds and 2 dress sizes by cutting calories, eating fat burning foods, using MyFitnessPal and walking.  Let’s show her some BWLW Love.  Here is what she shared with us:

First, I would like to say that I love your site and you are, in part, the reason I decided to start my weight loss journey. I am a Breast Cancer survivor.  After chemotherapy, I gained a lot of weight. This was mostly due to poor eating habits, but I also struggled with my self image. A week before my 36th birthday, I decided I was going to lose the 30 pounds I had put on once and for all. Everything was starting to fit tight and I refused to buy bigger clothes. I knew that dieting was not going to work.  I would have to make some life style changes if I wanted to shed the pounds and keep them off.  So, I said good bye to fast food, fried foods, sweets and soda. I did some research online and found 15 fat burning foods on Women’s Health Magazine’s site and incorporated them into my diet. I tried to include as many as possible in every meal and snack. I found that preparing my own food worked best for me because I knew exactly what I was eating. I cut my calorie intake to 1200 a day and started drinking 64 oz of water every day. I tracked my progress with the app MyFitnessPal. I did that for the first month and lost on average about 2 lbs. per week! I couldn’t believe it was really this simple. At the beginning of the 2nd month, I started walking twice a day on my 15 minute breaks at work. I walked a little under 2 miles per day. In 3 months I went from 220 lbs. to 193 lbs, down 27 lbs. and 2 pants sizes!

Rachelle weight loss story

Bri lost 73 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Bri lost 73 pounds.  She was able to lose weight in a healthy way, eat right during pregnancy and deal with a diagnosis of Lupus.  Here is what she shared with us:

My weight loss story! I went from 216 pounds to now 143 pounds in less than a year, after giving birth to 3 children!  After getting pregnant with my second child and giving birth in 2010, I found myself weighing 216 pounds and wearing a size 14/16 in clothes. I struggled with my self esteem and my weight for the next 3 years. Was never quite able to lose it, no matter what I tried! Pills, shakes, bars they wouldnt work! Finally in 2012, I said enough is enough!  I changed my diet and started avidly exercising. I went from eating EVERYTHING I wanted and snacks galore to eating smaller meals and less carbs. I did 75 crunches a night and 110 squats. I walked 2 miles a day and drank A LOT of Water and 100% juice.  I also cut down my sugar intake and No snacks! Fruits! After losing 20 lbs in February, I found out that I was 5 months pregnant with my now 1 year old daughter. I still ate right, exercised and everything throughout my pregnancy. Then, I became very ill and bed ridden around May 2012. I still perservered through my eating. I was then diagnosed with Lupus and told that I could no longer exercise. However, I prayed and asked God to get me through it and he did. I gave birth to my daughter July 3rd 2012 and was 180 pounds. I got a personal trainer and kept on my diet.  Here I stand a year later at 143 pounds and healthy! I battle my Lupus like a good soldier and continue to eat right and exercise!

Bri weight loss story

Brittney lost 40 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Brittney who lost 40 pounds in the last year.  She started walking and then jogging.  She also started juicing and worked to change her eating habits. Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Hi! I’ve been really serious about losing weight for the last year. After getting married, having 4 beautiful children receiving my Master’s of Education degree, I had gained 80 pounds. I got to the point where I got tired of buying clothes and having to return them because they were too small. I felt smaller on the inside, but it didn’t reflect on the outside? After setting my mind on being a better, healthier me I started to walk 3 miles, 3-4 times a week. Within 6 months, I started jogging a little, but increased my total workout to 4 miles. In the last 3 months, I have started jogging 3 miles and walking 1 of those miles. I even broke my treadmill from using it so much.

I have  cut back on my portion intake.  Instead of eating my entire meal when we dine out, I save half for lunch the next day or I choose healthier options of the menu. I juice regularly, drink a gallon of water a day and take full advantage of a fresh fruit salad everyday. I even participate in BWLW monthly exercise challenges. I have successfully lost 40+ pounds and I am working toward the next 40! Thank you for the motivation and encouragement.

Brittney weight loss pictures

Sylvia lost 56 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Sylvia lost 56 pounds using My Fitness Pal as a calorie counter, running, aerobics and strength training.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Sylvia and I am from Atlanta, GA.  I have struggled with my weight for years. But during graduate school I was stressed and in an unhealthy relationship which started the weight gain spiral.  In 2009, my mother passed away and I lived across the country from my family. Needless to say getting and staying motivated was tough.

I had the goal of losing weight for years but this year something finally clicked. I weigh in every week and post my results on a door that I walk by everyday. I also created a “thinspiration” wall of quotes, pictures and weight count down chart; essentially its a vision board. I use the My Fitness Pal app to track my food and a calendar to track my workouts. In addition, once a month I post my weight loss progress on Facebook.  For me, all of these tools together have helped with my accountability.

Eating habits – I use a calorie counter (My Fitness Pal). I try to stick to a 1500 calorie diet. A food scale, measuring cups, sandwich and snack bags are your best friends. You will be amazed at what a “true portion” once you start using them. I did try juicing (one meal) for two weeks until I got to a point where I liked fruits and vegetables. I don’t believe in restricting foods because it makes you binge. Everything in moderation.

Exercise – I started running in 2010 but I became a runner in 2011. I joined Black Girls Run-Atlanta and they helped me train for races. I started with a 5k, got hooked, and now I run half marathons. I also like cardio kickboxing and step classes. Additionally, I lift weights at the gym. If you really want to see results, lift heavy weights and read body building articles. Strength training is what truly changes the shape of your body.

In 2009, I was 240 pounds. Now, I weigh 184 pound. A 56 pound weight loss over the course of four years. I try to encourage people not to worry about how long it takes. Just know that with time and hard work, you will achieve your goals.

Sylvia weight loss success