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eating for weight loss

Rachel lost 103 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Rachel lost 103 pounds going from 300 to 197 by changing her eating habits and exercising regularly.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hello, my name is Rachel and I started my weight loss journey/lifestyle change in March of 2010. My starting weight was 300 LBS. It just seemed like when I looked at food, I would gain a pound. The bigger I got, the worst I felt physically and mentally.  I realized it was me and I had an obsession with eating. One day, I decided that if I didn’t change my way of eating, that I would start to have serious health issues.  The thought was just uncomfortable since I had, at the time, a 4 year old daughter. I started out with eliminating pastries and other sweets, which was my biggest downfall. I focused on eating more fruits, vegetables, and smaller portions. It was too painful & exhausting for me at the beginning to workout. In 2011, after I had lost 50lbs, I started walking at work on my break and lunch time. Over time, my energy level had risen and in Jan. 2013 I started doing cardio daily and weights for body toning. I am still consistently exercising at least 5 days a week. As of June 2013, I am now at 197 pounds and still will forever continue living a healthy lifestyle, because this is my life. My family and friends give me the most encouragement & support which is very important and motivates me to keep going.

weight loss before and after photo

Renee lost 28 pounds

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Zumba Instructor Renee lost 28 pounds and has kept the weight off for 2 1/2 years.  Here is what she shared with us:

I’m Renee and married with 3 girls. I’m a Zumba instructor and took a look back at my photos from a decade ago and couldn’t believe the size I was. I lost 28 pounds and been maintaining for 2.5 years. It was important to be at a healthy weight because of the current diseases that are actively on the rise such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer due to the type of foods we eat. Diabetes also runs in my family with age. I had to take a stand to break that cycle.

McDonalds was banned from our household for over 8 years. I teach my children to incorporate vegetables with every meal (including breakfast – except cold/hot cereals…lol).

A little more detail about me: rallen.zumba.com/

Renee weight loss before and after

Fanta lost 165 pounds

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Update: Fanta is now down a total of 165 pounds.  Check out her updated photo below.

Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Fanta lost 118 pounds with daily exercise and planning meals.  She is now off diabetes medication. Here is what she shared with us:

Hello!! My name is Fanta. I use to weigh around 400 pounds.  I would like to share my story. My lifestyle change started about 1 1/2 years ago.  Refusing NOT to die, my Lifestyle change started 1/2011. My weight was 398 pounds. I was a type 2 Diabetic and on medication for High Blood Pressure .Refusing NOT to die, I joined an awesome group called Savannah Biggest Losers!! This group changed my life (tears)! With daily exerise (walking, jogging and working out at the gym) and a meal plan that consists of 3 small meals( baked, grilled, broiled or boiled) and 3 healthy 100 cal snacks daily. Refusing NOT to die, I’ve lost 118 pounds in 2 years. I NO longer have to take medicine for diabetes!! I love this new LIFESTLYE change.  It saved my life:)

My motivation came from my one and only son (9 years old) who is also on a weight loss journey. He was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure at 7 years old. What kind of Mother would I be if I kept on living an unhealthy lifestyle.  I had to make this change. He also lost 19 pounds :).  He always tells me to keep pushing at times when i  wanna give up. He is truely my Motivator:)

fight 4 fitness Fanta

fanta weight loss story before & after

Kimberly lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Blogger Kimberly lost 40 pounds and is Ms. Washington Plus America 2013.   She did it by working out, eating clean, journaling and using Weight Watcher’s new monitoring device.  Here is what she shared with us:

Kimberly weight lossI decided to enter a pageant this year which caused me to finally focus on me. I felt good and looked good! Since November 2012, I have lost 40 pounds and I have been crowned Ms. Washington Plus America 2013! I am not where I want to be, but truly not where I used to be. I work out 5 days a week, eat as clean as possible, take healthy supplements, laugh, sing, read blogs and check pages like Black Women Lose Weight.  I also keep my goal in front of me, which is to lose 128 pounds. Slow and Steady! I struggle but I always get back up!

I eat in moderation and as much broiled/baked chicken, fish, and shrimp as possible, unless I am dying for a steak. Lots of salads, fruits and water and I plan ahead by preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner so I have no excuse. I do at minimum 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, with altering upper and lower body weight training, 5 times a week. My motivation is that I want to be healthy, embrace healthier curves and model self care. My platform is kinship care: helping grandparents who are raising the children in their family to prevent the children from entering into the foster care system. I tell the caregivers all the time to take care of themselves so they will be around longer in life.  Frankly, I needed to take my own advice.

…Almost forgot! I wear an active link device provided by Weight Watchers. It monitors all my movement and gives me a report weekly. I can’t say I follow their program because counting points doesn’t work for me but knowing my activity level and journaling does.  Check out her blog: biggirlcurves.blogspot.com

kimberly weight loss

Tenisha lost 50 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tenisha who lost 50 pounds by cutting out carbs.  Here is what she shared with us:

I lost 50 pounds cutting back on carbs.  I have tried everything in the world to lose weight and I finally found something that works. I have been counting carbs and I really haven’t had time to exercise because of school, work and maintaining a family! I just wanted to share my story with other busy women who want to be healthier but do not have time to exercise. My motivation: My health and my self esteem.  My weight loss journey has taken about six months.

Tenisha weight loss before and after

Lauren lost 94 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Lauren lost 94 pounds.  She was scheduled for weight loss surgery but lost 50 pounds before her surgery date with Weight Watchers and changing her eating habits.  She went on to lose more after adding exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

My journey of ACTUAL weight loss started Labor Day weekend 2011 on a whim. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired AND fat. I, on that whim, joined Weight Watchers Online.

My journey mentally started before I joined Weight Watchers. I was all primed to have weight loss surgery. I had gone to all the initial appointments. I had been to the all of the pre surgery appointments (psychiatrist, sleep study, primary care to get a letter of medical necessity, blood work, cardiology, gastroenterology, nutritionist and radiology). In my mind, I was going to have gastric sleeve surgery January 2012.

I had no idea how I was going to make Weight Watchers and weight loss happen but I was going to try. I have always given everything 100%, even eating so I was going to give losing 100%, too. I slowly explored the website. By slowly, continuing to make the same food AND measuring WWs taught me to make better food choices. I began to see the weight come off. I ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, even making them fresh myself.

I had done all the pre surgery work for my gastric sleeve surgeon and gone back to set a date. He said you are doing well, let push your next appointment with me out 6 weeks which I did. By the time, that 6 weeks rolled around I cancelled that appointment, too. By January 2012, I had dropped 50lbs and was ready to start exercising. I joined LA Fitness and started with a personal trainer 1x weekly.

It is now April 2013; 17 months later; 94 lbs down. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a 12/14. My shoe size has even gone from a 9 ½-10 to an 8 ½-9. I have lost at least 25 inches as of December 2012. And I am not finished yet. I am 12 lbs from my original goal and may tack another 20lbs on to that. And I am doing the C25K program with Black Girls Run starting this spring and hope to run my first 5k in June. I am also trying to quit smoking. And the thing that I am most proud of is that I am an inspiration to others!!!! I move more than I ever thought I would!!!! I work out at work. I go to the gym. I go to a group workout session on Saturdays in Camden, NJ with a GREAT trainer called Team Poke. I have done Zumba. All I want to do is move!!!!! My next “moving” is paint balling and rock wall climbing!!!!! This has been such an adventure. I have learned so much about myself and I continue to learn!!!!!

So the developments since I originally wrote this. I have, as of June 1st , have given up meat. I am learning to cook without meat. It is very interesting and exciting. I am now on the ecigarette. I’m closer to 100 lbs but I have more energy. My skin is clearer (switched to all natural products)!!!! I’m enjoying this experience and it is soooo empowering.

Lauren weight loss before and after

Ashley lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Blogger Ashley lost 40 pounds with MyFitnessPal, clean eating, exercise and the Couch to 5K running program.  She says that she decided that if she made healthy choices for her body the weight loss would come naturally.  Here are the details of her weight loss journey that she shared with us:

I began my most recent weight loss attempt last September when the scale hit 184.6 pounds, but I have been trying to lose weight since I was little girl. My highest weight ever was 216.4 pounds when I was in middle school. I was obese and miserable.  the summer before high school I started going to Weight Watchers and got down to the 160s. My weight started to yo-yo after that. I would let my weight get up into the 180’s then decide I needed to go on a diet again and get back somewhere between 150 and 160. I never managed to make it to my goal weight, but I also never let myself leave Onederland again (the 100s).

Fast forward to my first year of law school. I was stressed out and eating badly but I let myself believe I hadn’t gained that much weight. I kept telling myself that fiction right up until I was too big for all my favorite dresses and I had to buy size 18 jeans because none of my old ones fit anymore. In late August I decided to find out how much damage I had done during my first year of law school so I ordered a bathroom scale for my apartment. When I stepped on it for the first time I was horrified. I was dangerously close to 190 pounds. I decided it was time to get to work and reach a healthy weight once and for all.

What was your motivation?
The first time I lost a large amount of weight, I did it because I wanted to be thin like the other girls in my school. This time when I decided to lose the weight, I did it for myself. I decided that I wanted to be healthy and fit. I wanted to live a better life than I had been living. I wanted to be happy.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started by counting calories and tracking what I ate in MyFitnessPal. At first I ate a lot of Lean Cuisine and other diet foods, but as I started doing more research about weight loss and eating healthy.  I realized that eating primarily frozen and processed meals wasn’t a healthy way to lose weight even if I was staying within my calorie budget. I slowly started to ease into clean eating. First, I gave up soda and learned to like water. I started trying new fruits and vegetables. I started cooking more. Eventually, I found clean replacements for the processed foods I loved. I started eating Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars instead of the peanut butter cookies I used to get at Subway as a treat. I started making my own pizzas with healthy ingredients instead of buying Lean Cuisine ones. I started doing most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s where I could find healthier, less processed foods than I could get at a regular store. As I made these changes, I started to feel better. I started focusing more on getting healthy than losing weight. Somewhere along the way I decided that if I made healthy choices for my body the weight loss would come naturally. So far, that approach has worked fairly well.

What did your workout routines look like?
When I started losing weight, I was really out of shape. My first forays into the gym involved setting the treadmill at an incline and walking for an hour at a time five or six times per week. I would see the other gym-goers running on the treadmills next to me and wish I could be like them, but at that point I didn’t think I would ever be able to run. Sometime in October, I came across the Couch to 5k program online. It was supposed to help you ease into running with interval training where you run for a minute or so then recover by walking for a couple of minutes. Eventually the running intervals get longer and the walking intervals get shorter until you are either running thirty minutes at a time or 5k (3.1 miles). I didn’t follow the program exactly, but I was able to run for twenty to thirty minutes at a time by the end of December and was running 3 miles several times a week by the end of January. The more active I became, the more active I wanted to be.  I started venturing to local parks and greenways and found that I love hiking.

What is your current weight? How long did your transformation take?
At my last weigh-in my weight was 145.4, but I’m not done losing weight. My current goal is to weigh between 130 and 135, but I mainly want to get toned up. My transformation up to this point has taken 10 months. I am still a work in progress, so you will have to read the rest of my journey on my blog: downsizingashley.blogspot.com/.

ashley weight loss before and after

Shelby lost 100 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after:  My Sigma Gamma Rho soror Shelby lost 100 pounds with a low carb lifestyle and consistent exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

Ladies, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all how inspiring you all are to me and to share my story! Over the years, I gained and lost A LOT of weight but, on 12/27/2002, I decided to try my hand at a low carb lifestyle and CONSISTENT exercise.  Thank God, those were the changes that allowed me to change FOR GOOD! I’ve been able to keep the excess weight off (pic on the left was taken in the summer of ’02 and the one on the right was at a sorority (ΣΓΡ) conference in April of this year) through continued commitment to my low carb lifestyle and MOVING MY BODY. Many of us are proof that we can do this for life, not just as a “quick fix” or for a special occasion.  I thank you all for being next to me on this journey!!

I lost 100 lbs (120 total but gained 20 after having thyroid surgery…boooo!) and my motivation was to improve my health and no longer feel like a prisoner in my body! High blood pressure, insulin resistance/pre-diabetes and asthma were controlling my life and I felt like someone much older than my actual age! For exercise, I’ve done everything from aerobics classes to Zumba to every DVD program you can imagine. At the moment, I’ll be wrapping up my first round of Insanity next week and I plan to start Les Mills Combat on June 2nd!!

Shelby weight loss before and after

Nikia lost 150 pounds

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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 storyHello! 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.

Nikia weight loss before and after

Caroline lost 31 pounds

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Caroline lost 31 pounds and she still has her curves.  This diva credits healthy eating choices and patience as being key to her weight loss.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi Black Women Losing Weight!  My name is Caroline.   I lost 31 pounds going from 193 lbs to 162 lbs from October 2012 to now.  I lost the weight by eating smaller portioned meals and picking up some healthier eating habits.  I did very little exercise because I could not keep up with it.  I was also very patient and waited to see the weight come off.  I feel Amazing and I look fabulous.  My motivation was to be healthier & sexier  and for my clothes to fit better.  This Sunday is my birthday so I am celebrating my weight lost success.  Your Facebook page also taught me to be patient.  Thanks so much ladies…and I promise to keep the weight off.

caroline weight loss before and after