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eating habits

Roslynd lost 135 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Roslynd lost 135 pounds in a little over a year with Wii Fit, Jillian Michaels DVDs and changing her eating habits.

“Hello! It took me a little over a year to loose 135 pounds. I started out working out with the Wii Fit and then over on to Jillian Michaels who have me the motivation to really push through my workouts.  My Mom was also part of my motivation.  She got me started with Jillian Michaels DVD workouts.  Then, I started power walking. I now power walk/jog 5 1/2 miles. I worked out 7 days a week in the beginning.  Now I’m down to about 4-5 day per week. I changed the way I ate.  I eat smaller meals, about 5-6 smaller meals per day.  I also eat a lot of whole grains, nuts and veggies.  I cut pork and red meat out of my diet. I eat lots of chicken and fish.  High protein diet!  Really, it’s just portion control. Oh…and I used the My Fitness Pal app. I’m now in the process of getting a personal trainer to build muscle.”

roslynd weight loss

Valaria lost 60 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Valaria who lost 60 pounds with the help of bootcamp classes and changing her eating habits.

I just hit my 60 pound goal as of today by eating right, taking bootcamp class and having a great healthy support system and accountibility partners. I am excited about continuing my healthy journey and I have fifteen more pounds to my goal.  I plan to start toning within the next month with a personal trainer.

My motivation at the beginning was inconsistent but when I became serious I was unstoppable. I changed my eating habits to fish, chicken and veggies.  I drank more water and got more rest. My workout routine is a mixture of cardio, light weights and bootcamp drills for four days out of the week.

Valaria weight loss

 

Ciera lost 93 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Zeta Phi Beta soror Ciera lost 93 pounds.  She has battled an eating disorder and Rheumatoid Arthritis and come out the other side with greater health and fitness.

“I’ve always struggled with weight in high school I battled eating disorders in order to stay on cheerleading and to remain smaller. I battled in college and surpassed the freshmen 15. Up until last year, I Yo Yo dieted. I finally took back my life joined a gym, got a trainer and took on a new lifestyle not a DIET. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and told if I didn’t lose weight I could lose my ability to walk unassisted at the age of 30. I took my back my life and lost close to 100 lbs. I worked hard and didn’t give up even when I fell off. I went from a size 24 to a 13! I still work out and still dropping pounds I want to let women know they can do it !! It’s not about the Looks its about our health and longevity. I feel better at 30 then I did at 20!!!

I have lost 93lbs to date. I first started working out 30 mins a day everyday then went to an hour workout 6 days a week.   Then I changed to 2 hour workout 5 days a week. I had a trainer for 4 mos who motivated me to do intense cardio and strength training. During the winter months, I did Zumba classes and danced a lot which is my favorite hobby.   Dancing helped tone more then anything. Eating – I ate small meals through out the day for example
Breakfast – a protein shake and granola
Am snack – peanut butter granola bar
Lunch – small chicken salad with fat free dressing NO croutons
Pm snack – a slice of cheese usually I would get Kraft block of cheddar cheese
Dinner Fish And some sort of green veggie no bread and I only ate brown rice once a week
Dessert – sugar free pudding

I still adhere to this each week but have found many new recipes.  I don’t eat pork and beef, however I will eat a slice of bacon here and there. My system can’t handle a steak, I noticed after 6 months beef free.  I drink iced coffee but use Splenda and low fat creamer. It’s better to make my own rather then purchase from Starbucks because it can be loaded with unseen sugar.”

Ciera weight lossUpdate 7/5 : Zeta Soror Ciera was featured in April ( www.blackweightlosssuccess.com/ciera-lost-93-pounds ) and she sent us an update: “I want to say thank you to your members and my Sorors within your group! I shared my story back in April and I have stayed focused and have lost an additional 25 pounds, Bringing my weight loss to 118 lbs in over a year ! I have just started my own Curvy Diva Bootcamp to help women tone and feel better about our curves!!! And thank you for all you do!!”

 

Tameka lost 95 pounds

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Tameka lost 95 pounds going from 339 pounds to 224 pounds.  She has the help of a dedicated personal trainer, changed her eating habits and as a result of her efforts she has run 5 races.

“Hello my name is Tameka. I started my weight loss journey in November 2010. I participate in a very intense workout 5-6 times a week, plus running and eating healthy. I have been with my personal trainer Meoshia Smith-Bogins for 2 years. Since then, I’ve started my weight loss journey and I have lost a total of 95 pounds. My trainer runs a hardcore class that guarantees the results in the end. My highest weight was 339 pounds and I am now 244 pounds. Since starting I have also participated in 5 races with the Detroit Free Press Marathon being my biggest race. I completed the half marathon. I have 45 pounds to go and I am not stopping because I am determined and motivated. Stayed tuned as my goal weight is to be 199 pounds.

I increased my meals. I eat 5-6 times a day for example. I bake all of my meat and I don’t eat pork.  Breakfast: banana, turkey bacon, 2 boiled eggs & 16oz water. Snack: fruit salad. Lunch: baked chicken, veggies & 240z water. Snack: banana. Snack: fruit salad. Dinner: grilled ground chicken patties, grilled red and green peppers and 16oz soy light chocolate milk. I prepare my meals at home and only eat something fried once a month. I only eat sweets once a month if that. I eat like this everyday.”

tameka weight loss

 

Michelle lost 75 pounds

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Michelle lost 75 pounds by changing her eating habits  and exercising.  She looks great!  She says, “Hi, I live in Indianapolis, In. I have recently loss 75 lbs. my goal is 100 lbs. I actually have changed my eating habits. I have cut out all fried foods, sweets, and pop. I work out at the gym 3 times a week & I walk t least 6 miles a day 5 times a week. Thank you for hearing my story.”  Thank you for sharing it, Michelle.

Michelle weight loss

Lequenta lost 81 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Lequenta lost 81 pounds by exercising and changing her eating habits.

After I had a add an accident in 2012, after my 31st birthday, I was placed on blood pressure pills and some other medication to try to get me to heal.  They put me on steroids which made me gain weight.  Then, just because I was doing different things at work and not eating the correct way I started to gain.  My friend Treesje took that before photo of me and I was just disgusted.  I was three hundred and seventy four pounds.  My current weight is 293 pounds.  My goal weight is to get to 215 pounds  I started working out.  I got a membership and asked what I can do.  I started working out 7 days a week for the first 2 months. I did not take a break.  After 2 months, I was strictly doing cardio.   I changed how I eat and I don’t look at it as a diet I look at it as a lifestyle.

Now, I work out 5 times a week.  I do cardio and then weight lifting. I no longer eat bread pasta and I stopped drinking milk.  I tried to drink a lot of water…a lot of water.  I have a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.   I eat fish and chicken, but not pork.  I’m always on the go and doing have something, because if I’m sitting down that’s going to allow the weight to sit on you.  My ultimate goal is to get off my blood pressure pills.

Lequenta weight loss

Nia lost 106 pounds and kept it off for 7 years

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Nia who lost 106 pounds and has kept it off for seven years.

Starting weight: 237
Currently: 131

“I started off with about 20 minutes a day on the treadmill, walking. I could hardly breathe after 20 minutes, so that was my limit. After a while, I was able to do a “brisk walk” for 30 minutes.  After I got my “wind”, I was able to run for an hour (who knew)!!!

I drank A LOT of water, which not only hydrated me, but killed cravings during the day. I have to honestly say that I didn’t change much of what I ate, just the AMOUNT (portion control)! I still ate burgers and fried foods (and I still do), because I knew I would crave them eventually, and I didn’t want to shock my system.  It keeps me from overindulging when I do have these foods.

Thankfully, I now have better portion control, and by drinking water, and exercise, I’ve been able to keep it off for 7 years!”

nia weight loss

Sajata lost 99 pounds

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Sajata lost 99 pounds by changing her eating habits, walking and drinking lots of water.  She went from 269 pounds to 170 pounds.

“I cut back a lot on bread, pasta, rice, chips, and soda. I started drinking lots of water and eating my favorite veggies.  I also baked my meats. Walking was my main goal. I was motivated by putting my “fat pic” on the fridge.  The other motivation was that my health was at stake because diabetes runs in my family. It took me about a year and a half to get to my goal. I was 269 pounds. Now I’m 170 pounds :)”

sajata weight loss

Ramona lost 84 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Ramona lost 84 pounds and is working to let other women know that “Movement is Medicine”.

Ramona M. Gaines 41 of Philadelphia PA

Height 4’11”

Beginning weight: 323 pounds
Present weight: 239 pounds

Dress size before losing weight: 26
Current dress size: 16-18

“It took me 11 months to reach my current weight.  Factors that caused my weight gain were; emotional eating, lack of exercise, an injury, poor diet and timing of eating due to work schedule

My turning point came when my daughter paid for my gym membership with her money from her 16th birthday. That is what really did it for me. Other deciding factors were hypertension, shortness of breath and chest pains.

I loss the weight doing a variety of things; seeing a Psychologist, physical therapy, Dr. Fisher’s medical weight loss program, changing my eating habits, going to the gym and joined the running group, Black Girls Run.

I got rid of sugars, white flour, white rice and cooking oil. I began to cook with olive oil, brown rice, and brown pastas. I brought in more multi-grains, fish, chicken, turkey, and more fresh vegetables and fruit. I also increased my water intake up to a gallon of water a day.

I began walking and jogging, lifting weights at gym and using step machine and stationary bike at gym. I was so grateful for the new lease on life that God had given me that I founded a weight loss support group for women called Movement IS Medicine, and even wrote an anthology with sixteen women entitled Movement IS Medicine. I believe in wholeness and wellness, which includes mind, body, soul and spirit. Weight loss does not just include how and what you eat but also why you are eating what you eat. If you really examine it you will then begin to see what is really eating you and deal with the root of the matter.  Movement IS Medicine!”

ramona weight loss story

Lana lost 62 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Proud Alpha Kappa Alpha soror Lana lost 62 pounds with SmartLipo, Weight Watchers, exercise and changing her diet. Here is her story:

“I have struggled with losing weight for about 8 years. I tried waking, working out and even Jenny Craig, Nutri- System, Atkins Diet to name a few. I had SmartLipo on my stomach in June 2012. I was 210 and was depressed because I had hit that 200 mark. I had to do something so I decided to do this. The results were phenomenal. Most of my weight was in my stomach and when I had that done I saw significant results.”

What did you do in terms of changing your eating habits and exercise to lose weight?

“I used portion control such as measuring my food. I also followed the Weight Watchers plan. My exercise regime was walking at least 3 times a week at the park or on my treadmill when I couldn’t make it to the park. I would fast pace walk 4-5 times. On the treadmill, I would do 30 min.  I don’ t diet now, I watch my calories and portion control. I also walk to help keep the weight off. I now weigh 148 and I love it. I have lost 62 pounds. I feel so good about my health and weight now!!”

Lana before and after photos