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Anielyse lost 20 pounds

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Off to a great start: Anielyse lost 20 pounds in 4 months. She got serious about obesity and living a long life last year. Check out what she shared with us about how she’s doing it.

anielyse weight loss story

I started working out in high school, but I didn’t get serious with it until last year when someone very close to me died of obesity. She meant a lot to me. The day she passed, I told myself that I have to get serious about my health so that I can be able to enjoy life. I want to be there for as long as I can for my future kids. It has taken me about 4 months to lose 20 pounds.  (height: 5’5″)

I ate five small meals a day. I stopped eating bread and starchy foods. Also, I started to base my meals around more proteins and vegetables.

I go to the gym about 4-5 times a week. I do a half hour of cardio and 45 minutes weight training per session.

I would tell anyone trying to lose weight to love yourself, accept change, and stay persistent!

Instagram: @_.anniegirl._

Dara lost 39 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story: Dara lost 39 pounds. This busy mom and wife woke up one day and decided that enough was enough. She attributes her success to adopting healthy eating habits. Here is what she shared with us about how she did it.

dara before and after

My name is Dara M. and I recently lost 39 pounds. I just woke up one day and decided enough was enough! I went to see a wellness specialist who encouraged me to lose weight as opposed to doing laser treatment to lose inches. I was in denial at first, because I thought that my “thickness” just needed toning …NOT! The specialist I saw talked me into doing the HCG diet [very low calorie plan] followed by going Paleo to keep the weight off. That meant no grains, dairy, sugar, white starch or legumes. I ONLY drink room temp water, green tea or lemon water with stevia. I eat frequent small meals and start my day with protein as opposed to cereal. I DO NOT tolerate any fried foods and I try to eat as organic as possible.

I work out, but probably not as often as I should. Since cutting out the dairy my excruciating knee pain is gone! I went from not being able to climb stairs to doing 150 squats in one day! I take spin class too because it burns alot of calories (300-1000 in 30 min to 1 hour session). When I can’t get a full work out in, I climb stairs like crazy! I lift weights, climb stairs and do squats at least 2 times weekly. I work a lot and have a very busy husband and children, so when I’m at work I lunge around the office.

I lost 25 pounds very quickly with the HCG plan and the other 14 I attribute to my paleo lifestyle. I was a size 16 and now I wear a size 8! My starting weight was 194 pounds and I currently weigh 158 pounds (I fluctuate between 155 lbs and 160 lbs). I mostly attribute my weight loss to healthy eating! More sleep, plenty of protein and water helps me keep the weight off.

Best advice I can give to others is to be spontaneous about losing weight. Don’t wait til next week because next week never comes. Do it now!

I’m so glad I woke up! I feel healthier than ever before!  I have a SERIOUS body crush on Serena Williams and I am very close to my goal of having a similar physique. She motivates me!

dara weight loss story

Nelly lost over 90 pounds

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Update Feb 2019: We have been following Nelly’s journey since March 2016 and we love watching her progress. She still going STRONG and recently posted this photo in our FB group. @phatt_2fit

Nelly before and after

Transformation of the Day: Nelly lost over 90 pounds. This mom of four was tired of trying and failing. She knew that she had to make her health a priority to avoid a history of family illness and lose the pounds. Here is what she shared with us about the actions she took to shed the pounds.

nelly weight loss before and after

Hello, my name is Nelly and I am a mother of four.  I stand about 5’6″ tall and my heaviest weight was 271 pounds. I started my weight loss journey in April 2011. In the past, I’ve tried many times to commit to diet and exercise, only to fail and gain back twice as much weight.

I gained the majority of my weight after giving birth to a set of twins. Of course, as a parent, we put all our needs second to those of our families and sometimes we forget about ourselves. Hypertension and high cholesterol are both common for both sides of my family, so I wanted to take charge of my life before getting any bad news from my doctor. I decided to focus on my needs and my health.

I finally decided to start all over again with my trainers doing group training. (with ICanFitness) I gave group training a try for about two years and I enjoyed it. From there, I learned how to eat right and exercise regularly, 5-6 times a week.

Now, I have lost over 90+ pounds. It’s been a long journey but the results are worth it. I’m still at it and I’m hoping that one day I can help others transform their bodies as well.

Eating Habits: Once my thinking started to change, I began to change a lot of other things, such as my eating habits. I stopped having soft drinks, juice and eating fast foods. Then, I cut out rice and foods that are high in sodium and starch. I also stop eating late. 6pm-7pm was my cut off time. I try my best to drink a gallon of water a day.

Exercise: My workout routines are usually made up of activities that I enjoy doing; spinning, running 5ks, obstacle racing, weight lifting and boot camps.

Advice for others who want to lose weight: My advice to those who are looking to making lifestyle changes is to never give up! Fight for what you believe in and stick to it. Nobody said it would be easy, but if you are consistent you will eventually WIN.

Instagram: @phatt_2fit

Nelly before and after

nelly before and afterFebruary 2018: “I’ve been on this journey for a few years now, and I must say it’s been a roller coaster ride. However, I’ve made a few small changes and it’s been helping me not only shed a few pounds but tone as well. We lose weight and we gain weight, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to correct your mistakes.

Things happen. Life happens. We’re human. You got this. We got this. #progressnotprofection

Nelly weight loss story

April 2017: I’ve kept up the same exercise routine, but added a few other workouts. My workouts consist of training 5-6 times a week. I Spin 3 times a week for cardio and do several outdoor workouts as well. I also incorporated boxing once a week. I try to stay active as much as possible and enjoy trying new things to avoid a plateau. On the other days, I lift weights.

My eating habits could be a lot better, but I try my best to eat as clean as possible five to six days a week. I try to eat at least six times a day, including my snacks. I also avoid the bad carbs as much as possible. Chicken, fish and veggies work best for me.

What I have learned during this journey is to never give up and never quit! There will be good days along with the bad days. It can get frustrating during this journey. You have to remain positive, keep the faith, work hard and your results will show. What stands out the most to me is being able to keep up with the younger crew, lol. I love the energy, the drive and seeing my body change through years. Know that any thing is possible if you put your mind into it.

Michele lost 60 pounds

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Update May 2016 – Michele lost 15 more pounds.

michele weight loss

“Since my feature, I’ve lost more weight for a total of 60 pounds gone in 10 months. I still have the same workout regiment. 6 days a week I do lots of cardio and lifting. I attribute most of my success to eating real food and as little processed food as possible. I think the reason I’m still losing weight is because I never gave up. I never quit on myself and I never stopped putting myself first. I don’t make excuses and I work very hard.

I have one cheat meal a week and I eat a lot of protein (eggs and chicken). I also drink 6-7 bottles of water a day and I eat raw veggies to maximize my nutrient intake. Bottomline, I love myself. so I take care of myself. If someone is looking for some encouragement or accountability, inbox me. We got this!”

March 2016 – Real Food Transformation: Michele lost 45 pounds. This mom was inspired by watching several great food documentaries that changed her mind about eating highly processed foods. She is dedicated to eating real, whole foods and working out regularly. Here is what she shared with us about her journey.

michele weight loss story

My name is Michele. I’ve lost 42 pounds so far and I’m NOT DONE! I stumbled across documentaries like FedUp, Hungry for Change, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (1 and 2) and Food Matters. Those movies have changed my life. I now drink only water and I hit the gym 6 days a week. I have 5 beautiful kids and I plan on being around for a long time for all of them.

My motivation was myself. When I woke up one day and wasn’t happy with myself, that’s I knew I had to do something different. If you want something you’ve never had (health), you’ve got to do something you’ve never done (i.e. drink water, exercise, etc.)

Once I saw those documentaries, I realized I needed to eat REAL FOOD. I’m talking about food that God put on this earth for us to eat. So, if it’s made in a lab, I don’t eat it (or try not to). If it comes in a bag, can or has a commercial, I don’t eat it. I also learned about superfoods, like spiriulina, chia seeds, flaxseeds, kale, goji berries etc.

I started off by hitting the gym 6 days a week. I found great exercise classes I love. I schedule my workouts every week and I show up. I put in the work, I swear and I cry, but I get it done.

My starting weight was 207 pounds and my current is 162 pounds. My transformation isn’t over, but I have lost 45 pounds in 7 months (since Aug 2015). I’m nowhere near done with my journey. My height is 5’1″.

I highly encourage anyone wanting to love themselves more to start with the documentaries that I mentioned above. They completely changed my life by showing me exactly what real food is. I eat REAL FOOD! Believe in yourself, encourage yourself and don’t cheat yourself. You got this!

Follow my daily journey on Instagram: @_leigh_michele

(You can watch many of the documentaries that Michele mentioned on Neflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. You can watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Vimeo for free.)

Chiquita lost 57 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Chiquita lost 57 pounds and has gone from a size 14/16 to a size 4. In 2013, she made the decision to be fitter and healthier by her 40th birthday, later that year. Her commitment to working out hard and eating clean has led to an amazing transformation over the last 3 years. Check out what she shared with us.

chiquita before and after

My name is Chiquita B. and my journey started on March of 2013. 2013 was the year that I was turning 40 and I just wasnt happy with my weight or how I looked in my clothes. Prior to March, I had been going to the gym with my husband but my eating habits never changed and therefore I saw no results. I discussed my displeasure about my weight with my husband. Although he said he loved me as I was, he also said he wanted me to be healthy and happy so that we could grow old together. He wanted me to be around for as long as I can. After that talk with my husband, I had finally reached my sick and tired point. I decided that for my 40th birthday, in June, I was going to lose weight for myself and be 40 fit and fabulous.

In the beginning, my only goal was to be a size 10 or 12 because that was all I knew. My starting weight was 187 pounds and my pant size ranged between 14 and 16. My height is 5’1″. I contacted a local trainer by the name of Maria Jones and set up a 1-on-1 training. On March 11, 2013, I met with Maria who weighed me and asked me my goals. I only met with my trainer Maria Jones once a week, but she would give me tips on what do at the gym and an education on eating clean.

Eating Habits: I went from having steak at least once a week to I no longer eating red meat. Now, I drink anywhere from 67 oz to a gallon of water each day. Through much research and reading, I found healthy alternatives to my favorite foods. I typically eat 6 small meals each day and workout at the gym a minimum of 4 days a week.

Exercise Routine: I started with a lot of cardio. Once the weight started coming off I started weight training. My workouts would consist power walking on my lunch break at work for an hour and then after work I went to the gym or to the track. If went to the track, I would walk/run until I was able to run 1 full lap. Once I was able to run a full lap, each time I set a goal to run more each time until I was able to run a mile, then 2 miles and so on. When I went to the gym for cardio, I would do the stepper or elliptical machines as well as jumping rope and taking bootcamp classes. After about 2 months of intense cardio, I started adding in weight training with lots of squats and lunges for my legs and butts.

By my 40th birthday (in June 2013), I was down to a size 8. As of today, I’m currently a size 4 and weigh 130 pounds. This journey that began with me wanting to lose some weight, get back into my size 12 and feel healthy has now turned into my passion. I now have a group on facebook called Healthy, Fit & Fabulous where I post healthy recipes, workouts and daily motivation. I also teach a workout class 1 day a week at Body by Maria.

I encourage those on a weight lost journey to set goals for themselves. Once you reach your goal, set another. Always challenge yourself to do better. If you run for 5 minutes straight, then next time run for 6 minutes straight. Stay away from the scale and measure your progress through pictures and your clothing. There will be good days and bad days, but never lose your focus. If you fall, it’s not about how you fall but if and how you recover.

Instagram: @ynvkita_fitchic

NaTasha lost 63 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: NaTasha lost 63 pounds and has gone from a size 22 to a size 14. This proud mom and talented singer wanted to be more active for her daughter. She felt like she was slowly killing herself by not taking care of herself, so she decided to change. Here is what she share with us about her journey…

natasha weight loss story

Hi, my name is NaTasha and I have always struggled with my weight. I have suffered from asthma as a child and uterine fibroids in my early 20s up to now. All of the different medications I’ve taken have been a negative factor in me maintaining a healthy weight. I even had several myomectomy surgeries to remove my fibroids, but unfortunately they continue to come back.

Being an overweight African-American woman puts me at higher risk for them returning but that wasn’t enough for me to change my bad eating habits. My motivation truly came from my daughter, who is 3 years old. She was and still is my main motivation. No matter how she is feeling, she is always ready to run, jump, dance, sing. She truly is just a living example of pure joy.

I became real sluggish and lacked the strength to keep up with her whenever she wanted to dance, go to the park and do any physical activity. I still did as much as I could, but I knew I was letting her down by not being able to spend more of the necessary quality time in the areas that she loved. Watching a movie and coloring wasn’t enough. I needed to move with her and I couldn’t do much. I was slowly killing myself by not taking care of myself.

I noticed after one fun, exciting day for her I was drained. I didn’t realize how bad I had gotten until I got footage back from a production I was in and I didn’t recognize myself. My daughter on the other hand recognized me. She told me that my costume was too tight and I needed to give it away to charity. That was my “ah ha “moment and I vowed to change no matter how hard it would be. Now, my daughter is my regular workout partner rain or shine and continues to keep me motivated.

I changed my eating habits by becoming cognizant and accountable for my choices. In order to do this, I started counting my calories using MyFitnessPal. By inputting all of my meals, I was now aware of the damage and held myself responsible to not make the same mistakes over and over gain. Counting calories required me to make small changes by cutting out sodas, juice and sweet iced tea. NO MORE wasting my calories by drinking them. I always drank large amounts of water so increasing my intake of it was no issue. I replaced my daily drinking of two bottles of ginger ale to water, water and more water.

I then stopped snacking. My snacking use to consist of chips, chocolate bars, sugary ice cups, cookies, Cheetos and more junk. I would take daily trips to the local dollar store and purchase boxes of movie theatre candy that I would eat in one day. I completely cut that out. As a matter of fact, I stopped going to the store until I knew that I could resist buying anymore candy. You would be surprised how much sugar is in a handful of M&Ms. I stopped with fast food and going out to eat unless I could verify that the health content of the food was beneficial for me. I stopped eating late at night, roughly an hour and 30 minutes before bed. The only exception is if I was working late and if I did it eat late it had to be something packed with protein (egg, nonfat Greek yogurt, lean meat) with vegetables.

I made sure that I ate breakfast; skipping meals would cause me to over eat. I also started increasing my vegetable intake and made sure I had a serving with each meal (breakfast, lunch dinner- in between snacks). I decreased my carbs and eliminated fried foods, except for once a week. I have one major cheat meal or item (French fries) a week because depriving yourself will cause you to over indulge. After a while your body and mind will not want to cheat, but if you must have just 1 meal and not a whole day. If you do anymore than that, you will regret it (trust me). Also, I recently started replacing a meal with a green smoothie and that is usually before or after my workouts.

After 6 years on my job, I finally started to consistently get up and take my breaks at work. I used them for walking. I started off with a daily goal of 5,000 steps and moved it up to 6, 000. Then, I increased my goal to 10,000 and I gradually continue to increase my steps. I also increase my distance, as well as my speed. I continue to challenge myself and avoid boredom. At home, I would work out 5-6 days a week using the app DailyBurn. This helps me with cardio and strength through HIIT workouts. Sometimes, I will do two workouts because I am energized and excited that I could keep up. Now, I have incorporated at least 15 minutes of dancing after my work out with The Fitness Marshall’s videos on YouTube and 2-3 days of weight training.

I weighed in today and I am down 63 lbs, having gone from 282 pounds to 219 pounds and from size 22W to size 14. I am 5’7″ tall. My transformation has taken about 5 1/2 months, I started on Labor Day Monday, September 7, 2015, after the weekend when I had my last plate of BBQ, and I am still going.

Advice for others: Take baby steps. Rome was not built in one day, so pace yourself. Set realistic goals that will challenge you but not discourage you. Never base your journey on someone else because everyone is different. Believe in yourself. You can do more than you really give yourself credit for. If you aren’t ready, then get ready because you’re only wasting time. Don’t tell anyone your weight loss, dieting, exercising goals. It becomes discouraging when you progression is slow and all eyes are on you. Instead, let them tell you they see change and then fill them in. Finally, this is your life and it is up to you to live it.

natasha before and after

Patrice lost 65 pounds

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Amazing Transformation: Patrice lost 65 pounds. She realized that she was moving slower, feeling tired all the time and breathing heavy while simply relaxing on the couch. It was time to change her eating habits and get active. Check out what she shared about shedding the pounds over the last 2 years.

patrice weight loss story

My name is Patrice B. and I’m from Detroit, MI. I moved to Austin, TX two years ago. Austin is a very active city. There are so many places to run and trails to walk. I see motivation everyday. I’d been wanting to lose weight and decided to actively give it another try in October 2015.

I’ve struggled with my weight going up and down for the past ten years. My heaviest weight was 340 pounds in July 2014. I lost 30 pounds between July 2014 and Oct. 2015. I was walking and catching the bus so that made a difference, but I wasn’t eating very healthy. I hadn’t really actively changed my diet, until I noticed that I was moving slow and feeling tired all the time. Stairs were a nightmare on my knees and I heard myself breathing heavy even while sitting on the couch relaxing. I was tired of looking and feeling bad, so I joined a gym and made some lifestyle changes.

In the beginning, I cut out soft drinks, fried foods and OREOS. I started to pay attention to my mood and how I felt when I wanted ice cream and cookies the most. I am an emotional eater so when I felt upset or depressed I would work out instead of crying into a pint of ice cream.

I try to see my doctor once every two months, because at one point I had high cholesterol and I know that hypertension runs in my family. Also, one of my fears was having diabetes. My doctor recommended that I speak with a nutritionist.

Now, I incorporate leafy greens, lots of fruits and vegetables, and lean meat into my meals. I’ve cut down on my bread and sugar intake and that has made a HUGE difference. I can’t get enough water and I drink it all day. Also, I haven’t eaten pork in almost two years and I don’t fry ANYTHING. I also eat slowly, chew my food and I stop eating when I’m full. Portion control is EVERYTHING.

I like the Bothouse Farms drinks with the 8 servings of fruits and vegetables. I drink one or two of those everyday and I feel full. I take multi-vitamins now along with Biotin and I feel AMAZING.

I’ve lost an additional 35 pounds between Oct. 2015 and Feb. 2016. I recently celebrated my 33rd birthday. I was wearing a size 26 dress when I received my Bachelors in July 2014. Today, I can fit an 18/20 top and a 22 size dress and jeans.

I would like to encourage other women to NEVER give up on yourself. I’ve started over and over again, making excuses along the way. If you want to make a difference on your weight loss journey, then try something different than you’ve done before and commit to it. I use to feel embarrassed about going to workout classes, because I thought I was “too big” to be dancing, and everyone would watch me and laugh. WRONG.

Today, I work out 3 to 4 days a week. I do one hour on the treadmill or elliptical and one night of ZUMBA. I love it! This is only the beginning. I’m just getting started.

Here are my weights and dates:

  • July 2014, I weighed 340 pounds and then I had a long pause. I lost 30 pounds between July 2014 and Oct. 2015.
  • In October 2015, I said 30 pounds is not enough. I weigh 310 pounds.
  • Today, I weigh 275 and I am 5’10” tall.

Instagram: @missbrownsugah

Nikki lost 37 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Nikki lost 37 pounds. This proud wife and mom of 3 wanted to avoid a family history of weight-related illnesses and ensure that she could be an active part of her family’s busy lives. Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

nikki weight loss story

Hello, my name is Nikki D. I am a 40 years old wife and mother of 3 children. My motivation to lose weight began when I repeatedly saw too many of my family members suffer from obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. I was deathly afraid of following that same path. It could inevitably result in me prematurely leaving my husband and/or children. I didn’t want to risk not being able to be an active part of my busy family’s lives, so I became proactive.

I have always been inspired by The Biggest Loser, fitness magazines and anyone who has had some sucess on their weight loss journey. That inspiration encouraged me to not give up and to continue making small changes toward a healthier lifestyle over the years.

My eating habits have evolved over time. I’ve counted calories. I was a vegetarian for 3 years. I’ve also followed a clean eating plan, food elimination, the whole 90 plan, Paleo…you name it. However, over the last year a combination of portion control, eating 5-6 meals a day, carb cycling, keeping my fat intake at a minimum and the elimination of sugar has all worked in my favor. I typically use a food scale everyday and the My Fitness Pal app to document my daily food intake to help me stay on the right track. I incorporate vegetables in 4-5 meals daily. The healthy carbs that I consume are mainly from fruits, sweet potatoes and whole grains.

In the past, I’ve always enjoyed High Intensity Intereval Training (HIIT). However, I’ve done Crossfit 4-5 times a week for a little over a year now. I’ve had the most sucess only after incorporating Crossfit workouts and have seen sustainable results.

I am 5’3″ tall and my starting weight was 231 pounds, which was my heaviest weight. My current weight is 194 pounds. It took me a total of 14 months to loss 37 pounds. This is only the beginning, as I plan to continue on this journey until I reach my goal weight of 165 lbs.

A metabolic scan which measures your overall body composition determined that a healthy weight for my body type and frame should be between 167 lbs – 175 lbs, but no higher than 175 lbs. This number seems realistic and attainable to me, so that’s what I’m determined to reach. More inportant than losing 37 lbs, I’ve lost tons of fat and gained muscle, strength and confidence.

My advice to anyone wanting to lose weight is to just start somewhere and do what you can, even if it isn’t much. Stay focused on the end goal. You don’t have to see the entire staircase before you take a step. Journal both your food and workout routine. This is how you will begin to understand how your body responds to both diet and exercise. Remember that this is a very personal journey, there are no one size fits all programs. Set realistic goals and plan ahead. Also, stay encouraged because sustainable weight loss is not a sprint, it’s more like a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race. You can find diet & exercise motivation and tips on my Facebook page Why “Weight” Health & Wellness Support Group.

Cre lost 85 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Cre lost 85 pounds. After the birth of her child, she found herself overeating, being lazy and dealing with a lot of stress and emotions. When a cousin uploaded an unflattering photo of her to social media, that was her wakeup call. She could no longer stand being tired all the time and limited by her weight gain. It was time for a change. Here is how she took action…

Cre weight loss

My name is Cre. Before gaining any weight my average weight was around 140-150 pounds max at a height of 5’4″. I had a child, began to overeat and became extremely lazy. Not to mention all of the emotions and stress I was going through at the time. I ended up at a total of 260 pounds! My wake up call was when I saw a picture (above) of myself that my cousin uploaded on social media where I had food in my hand! It got to the point where I was always feeling tired and I was unable to do certain things without stopping and that was the last straw.

weight loss success storyAfter that, I tried everything to lose the weight. From skipping meals to even trying to eat nothing but water and bread (or crackers), but nothing worked!  My good friend finally introduced me to Herbalife Nutrition. I also decided to get more active and eat better. I completely cut out fried foods and pork. Pork is highly limited with my diet and has been since 2013. The digestive system of the pig alone should convince others to do the same. I avoid white bread, white rice, fast food meals, pasta, salty foods and most sweets and candy. Of course, the urge is there to eat certain things, but I rarely let that interfere with my routine. I try to be reasonable with myself and allow at least one cheat meal every other week but only if the cravings exist.

When I first started my journey, I did nothing but cardio. I practically lived on the treadmill and cycling bike at least 1-2hours a day. Once I lost most of my weight, I noticed that the weight started coming off in the wrong areas, so I added in weight lifting and strength training. Today, I balance out cardio and weight lifting to tone the body and build muscle. I try to train a different area of the body each day with light reps for the minor areas. I run 15-30 minutes before and after my workouts to get an even balance with weight lifting on full body days. Leg days are my absolute favorite days and I’m incorporating in weighted routines to continue to strengthen my core and slim the waist line. Instagram is the best place ever to get new exercise routines!

I ended up losing a total of 85 pounds within eight months to a year with the changes I made. I’m currently rocking 175 lbs and most don’t believe I weigh that much.

I have completely kept the weight off since July of 2015. I now eat 5-6 times a day and workout 5-6 times a week. I love meal prepping and I’ve become more active by doing so. I have a shake for breakfast and eat a healthy serving of fruit, yogurt, granola, or vegetable packs as my following snack. The top foods that I eat for lunch and dinner preps are ground turkey, baked chicken, broccoli, black beans and grains and practically any vegetable steam pack I can find. Mrs. Dash is the perfect seasoning for flavor. I recently added brown rice bowls to my meals to try something a bit different. I try to eat every 2-3 hours to keep my energy high and mind focused. I drink as much water as I can through out the day and also add in teas and fruit & aloe detoxes for a regular digestive system.

I wouldn’t change this experience for anything. I love motivating others and telling them the good things about building healthier habits and how I started at my rock bottom. I share my story for other women who just can’t seem to find a solution that best fits them and their body types. I am not done yet. I have so much more toning to go and I am ready to take on 2016!  If I can do it, anyone can!

The main thing I try to tell others who want to lose weight is that you really have to want it for yourself. We all have to start somewhere but we all have to start. We have to want a change for ourselves and always push to be nothing but great. It’s in us to be great.

Instagram: @Cre_Mahone18
Cre's weight loss story

Lisa lost 190 pounds

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Amazing Transformation: Lisa lost 190 pounds. She reached 380 pounds and realized that she hadn’t taken the time to notice what was going on with her body. After dealing with knee issues, breathing issues and being diagnosed with arthritis, she knew it was time to start making some changes. Check out what she shared with us…

lisa weight loss story

Hi! My name is Lisa. Getting out of the shower one morning, I caught sight of my nakedness in the door mirror. I don’t understand how I got up to 380 pounds without noticing (height: 5’11”). It was like I saw myself for the first time. I had a doctors appointment that day for problems with my knees. During the visit, my physician diagnosed me with arthritis and recommended that I lose 10-15 pounds. After my appointment, I took my daughter out to eat and we raced the short distance from the exit to my car. By the time we made it, I could not breathe! I went home that night and decided that I didn’t want to weigh 380 lbs anymore. My entire day had shown me something I had not wanted to see, let alone accept: That I was obese!

I decided that night, while everyone was asleep, I danced for 30 minutes. Well, 30 minutes was a bit much for my first time and I just decided to stop when I couldn’t breathe. The next night I did the same thing, in a room no bigger than a large closet. Going forward,  I did dance cardio 7 days a week for a minimum of 30-40 minutes. I alternated between different styles of dance. I learned how to dance “dancehall reggae” and for one week all of my cardio would be Dancehall. Then I would watch belly dancing videos and that week would be Belly cardio. During the first 3 months, I lost 30 pounds dancing 4 times a week and recognizing when I was full.

I also began to use portion control when it came to meal times. My eating habits were deplorable. I used to overeat. If one porkchop satisfied my hunger, I would still eat another one to satisfy my taste buds. At a buffet, my plates (I usually ate 3), were overflowing with LOADS OF UNHEALTHY CARBS. The first things I cut out of my diet were cakes, cookies, donuts and white bread. I ate 3 times a day with very little snacking in between. Now, I’m doing something I never thought I could do. I’m eating raw vegetables. I used to hate them. When you begin to feed your body what it needs, healthy food becomes addicting.

My goal was just to lose weight. I did not know getting healthy would feel so good! I read everything I could about exercising and how our metabolism works. That first year, I lost 112 pounds and the rest, as they say, was history. I went on this way for a year and I lost an enormous amount of weight, but I wasn’t happy. I had loose jiggly skin from losing weight too fast. I felt like being satisfied with my body was out of reach. I ended up gaining weight again.

I got fed up again and decided that I would still dance 7 days a week, but this time around I would only eat twice a day. Within 5 months, I went from 250 to 165 and I became sick. I started having heart palpitations and I felt run down all of the time. I was pushing my body past its limits by not giving it enough fuel to perform like I was demanding it to do. The doctor said I was “an anorexic that liked to eat”. After they released me from the hospital, I was so stressed out that I began to pick up cookies again. My weight went back up to 229 pounds. Then one day, I decided that there had to be a better way to achieve my goal. I started researching how your body responds to exercise and which methods worked for specific goals.

I discovered that just losing weight wasn’t enough. I began incorporating weight training into my regime, learned about proper dieting, incorporating lots of natural fresh foods. I also reduced my cardio to 4 times per week. I went back to what I did in the beginning and reinstituted the weekly dance challenges. The results were astonishing. Now, I’m training for my first figure competition!

I cannot believe how far I’ve come or how much I’ve learned about my body, determination, and commitment. Looking at the before and after picture, sometimes it’s still hard for me to believe that I will be a certified “Cize” dance coach in March. At 380 lbs, I could barely walk without pain. Now I jump, run, lift, and dance like there’s no tomorrow. For the first time since becoming an adult, I am happy with my body. I’m still not a finished project, I am a work in progress. I have enjoyed learning about myself on this journey. The most important thing I’ve learned so far, is there are no quick fixes. It takes consistency and education of how your body responds to food and exercise. It also takes you battling mental demons that tell you the pie will make you feel better.

The one thing I would want anyone to take away from my story is that it doesn’t matter what you do. What matters is that you do “something” consistently. This is not an easy journey, but it is worth it. In three years, I went from 380 pounds down to a very healthy 190 pounds. I can’t ever imagine being back there again. Fit feels fantastic!

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lisa before weight loss