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Kristin lost 20 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Kristin lost 20 pounds with the 21 Day Fix program, bootcamp, portion control and cleaning up her eating habits.  This mom of 3 is still on her journey, but she is sharing her progress to help inspire others.

kristin before and after

I wanted to share my story! I’m a busy mom of 3 and when I saw the scales tipping, I was embarrassed. I knew better. So, I started my exercise regimen and changed my eating habits! I’m not perfect and I have a little bit more I would like to loose, but, I’m doing it and I’m proud of myself!

The first picture was taken in Feb. 2015 and the last picture was taken on July 6, 2015. My motivation/inspiration was for myself but also my family. I knew that I could do better because I’m an able-bodied person, but wasn’t truly being accountable. I had a friend who participated in clean eating challenges on Facebook and I joined in. I was hooked! Clean eating can be good eating. After a while, I started noticing changes in my appearance. I also joined a 21 Day Fix challenge group and the rest was history! As a result, I’ve become a Beachbody Coach and have done countless rounds of the 21 Day Fix challenges. I also participate in an awesome boot camp class at my gym.

I am 5 feet tall and I’ve gone from 196 pounds to 176 pounds! I’m still on this journey! The key for me was clean eating and the portion control tools that come with the 21 Day Fix program. Even now, I use my containers as a way to measure my food! I also strive to exercise for at least 30 mins everyday. It’s taken 6 months but I’m no where near finished!

Instagram: @fitandjazzykris
Twitter: @ucme08

Tiffany lost 110 pounds

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Update May 2016 – Tiffany lost over 100 pounds and has maintained her weight loss long term. This month she appeared on the Dr. Oz show.

tiffany update weight loss

“I just wanted to update you on my progress but first thank you for all of the incredible work you do! You’re dedication to sharing these transformations is amazing! Your page keeps me motivated and accountable to keeping the weight off daily! So encouraging! You shared my weight loss story on your page months back. I got so much encouraging feedback from many of the women who have liked your page. It feels good to be able to inspire and motivate, while at the same time holding myself accountable. I have continued to maintain my weight, even though it has certainly been a challenge. I was, and still am an emotional eater, but through the dedication and daily motivation from pages like yours, I have done it. Since you have shared my story, I have had the honor of sharing my weightloss story in amazing ways! I was on the Today Show in the Joy Fit Club Segment with Joy Bauer. Just recently, I was able to share my story on the Dr. Oz Show (video)! I am so thankful for pages like yours and people like you who inspire and motivate with real life stories!”

Aug 2015 – Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Tiffany lost 110 pounds. After battling her weight for years, she reached a point where enough was enough. She focused on learning all about healthy eating, portion control and exercise.  Now, she is a personal trainer, fitness instructor and author.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

tiffany before and after

I had struggled with my weight my entire life. Once I got married, I weighed about 180 pounds. After about 3 years of marriage my weight skyrocketed to 250 pounds. I think I just started letting myself go. I ate whatever I wanted and was not active at all. I just kept making excuses for myself and ignoring the changes I was seeing in the mirror. I had not weighed myself in years. Then, they built a new fitness center in my community and my husband wanted to join. I joined too, but not because I wanted to. I just didn’t want to be left out of what he was doing. I decided to buy a scale. When I finally had enough courage to step on, I was shocked to see my weight. 250lbs! I was considered morbidly obese. How did this happen? I was mortified, depressed and so disappointed in myself. I decided that day to make a change.

tiffanyI slowly started to work out and instantly cut my calorie intake. After the 1st week I had lost 5 pounds! This was so motivating to me and I just kept going. Little by little I became more determined as I saw more progress. I constantly did research on how to burn calories and eat right. Eventually, I had lost 110 pounds! It took me about 8 months. I was very focused! My weight loss success story was featured in Oxygen Magazine. I wanted to help others who had struggled with their weight as well, so I became a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor. I love inspiring others with my story and hope to encourage anyone who feels like they cannot do it.


Tiffany’s Book

I changed my eating habits pretty much immediately. I instantly cut my calories down to about 1,000 a day, which I would not recommend. This was before I had done any research. Now, I would say only go down to about 1200 per day. Never the less, I got educated about the calories in food. I had never payed any attention to that before. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal App and literally logged my calories everyday! Every morsel of food was accounted for. When I look back on how I used to eat before my change, I realized I was consuming about 4,000 calories per day. No wonder I was overweight. The main trick that I learned was calories in, calories, out. I found out that as long as I burned more calories than I ate, I could still lose weight and eat whatever I wanted in the proper proportions. I learned all about serving sizes, ate about 1200 calories per day and had 1 cheat meal per week. When I hit a plateau, I actually took my calories up to about 1500 per day, and was able to continue losing. My go to fitness product now is definitely the Fit Bit! It helps me stay on track with calories I’ve burned per day and I still log my food in the app!

www.100lbslater.com

Twitter: @100lbslater

IG: @100lbslaterdotcom

tiffany weight loss

Alicia lost 42 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Alicia lost 42 pounds. Tired of increasing clothing sizes, hiding her stomach and a poor eating habits, she decided that enough was enough.  Making the decision to embrace healthy, balanced meals and exercise has helped her understand that weight loss can be easier than we make it out to be.  She shared her story and some great advice with us…

alicia before and after

Growing up as a young woman, I never really looked at myself as being ‘fat.’ I knew that I was overweight from the number on the scale and according to BMI, but when I looked in the mirror I didn’t see 180 pounds in front of me. It wasn’t until my sophomore of college that I really saw my weight getting out of hand. However, this still didn’t entirely motivate me to lose weight. My friends and I would go to the gym here and there, but I still had a poor diet. When I would go shopping, I realized that my clothing size kept going up and I really hated looking at my stomach. I was always finding ways to hide it. I then decided that enough was enough and I became fully dedicated to my weight loss journey in January of 2013.

I felt as if I’d made progress after 3 months of starting my weight loss journey. I couldn’t see the pounds coming off but I remember people telling me that I looked as if I had lost weight. I would lose 2 lbs here or 5 lbs there, but when I lost my first 30 pounds after starting out at 210 pounds, I was ecstatic. I was more focused than ever before and determined to make losing weight a lifestyle. Currently, I am weigh 168 pounds.

After a period of working out and eating healthy, I came to the conclusion that losing weight isn’t as hard as we make it seem. Anyone can lose weight but that really separates those who succeed from those who don’t is willpower. The ability to get back up after you’ve fallen and remaining dedicated to the process. This was one of the most challenging aspects of my journey that I had to deal with along with being persistent and self-motivated. We live in a world that continually bombards us with images and videos of unhealthy foods.  These things only help to increase the obesity epidemic in the world. One has to decide whether to give into that temptation or not to. In addition, when you’re on a budget you’re faced with the decision to buy a salad that’s costs about $7/$8 vs. a hamburger that goes for $1. Choosing to eat healthy and having the willpower to remain focused on one’s journey is really hard. This I found came with self-motivation, remembering why you started and making healthier food swaps.

alicia weight lossMy advice to others on their own fitness journey is to eat in moderation but know when to say No. One should incorporate cheat days and times where he or she is able to let loose a little and enjoy the journey without being so caught up on how many calories that donut has. At the end of the day, you can lose as much weight as you want, but if you still aren’t happy, then is it really worth it? I choose to live a life of happiness and the freedom to do whatever I want. More advice as it relates to diet and exercise:

1. Examine where you are now and where you want to be. What is your goal weight and how do you plan on achieving this? This initial step is very important as it will help to keep you on track. You’ll always want to go back here in hopes of remembering why you started.

2. Understand that losing weight does not happen overnight. What you put in is what you get out. I’ve seen so many people say they’re going to lose weight but the next time I see them, but they’re eating something that’s not reflective of what their goal is. Losing weight is all in what you eat: 80% diet, 20% exercise. You can’t expect to lose weight after you’ve spent a great amount of time in the gym if right after that you go for a hamburger and fries. Instead choose a lean meat, any cruciferous vegetable, and a complex carb that will keep you satiated and won’t spike your insulin levels.

3. Implement a good exercise routine into your daily regimen. Along with a clean diet and loads of water, 10-20 mins of cardio preferably High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and resistance training will help one to lose fat while building muscle. Incorporating these three things along with a good amount of sleep and rest into one’s weight loss journey will help tremendously in shedding that excess body fat.

If you need more motivation or personal advice, please feel free to email at: aliciafitsique@gmail.com and follow me on my social media accounts at:
Instagram: @aliciacandiece @myownfitsique  New Instagram: @mindbody180
Facebook: Mind Body 180
Website: www.myownfitsique.com

Whitney lost 52 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Whitney lost 52 pounds. Her success is a tribute to her father who passed away very young from stomach cancer. She’s worked hard to change her lifestyle and it shows.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey…

whitney before and after

I am 52.8lbs down as of right now. I started my journey in September 2014. Growing up, I was very small and active. I gained a lot of weight during college and from then on. I was tired of depression, anger, low self-esteem and fear! I had always been told by old love interests that I was too big or got asked when was I going to lose weight.

My biological dad died very, very young of stomach cancer and my grandpa had heart disease. Some of my other family members also struggle with diabetes and other diseases/health issues. Knowing all of this, one day I decided to just get up and do something.

Well, thanks to Weight Watchers, my husband, friends, mom and my leader, I have conquered everything that I have ever dreamed of! I still have 50 pounds to go but I know that I’ll get there!

First, I stopped eating junk food and fast food completely and focused on whole grains, protein, veggies and fruit. My workout routines at first were no exercise at all. I couldn’t walk for 5 minutes without having extreme back pain and being out of breath. My starting weight was 243 pounds. My current weight is 190.2 pounds and I am 5’2″ tall. I was 18/20 and now I fit into most medium shirts and 12/13 pants  It’s a beautiful journey that I’m on.

My advice to others: Do what will work long term and learn to love what your body can do, despite the number on the scale. Non scale victories are better sometimes than changing numbers on a scale. Never give up! If you can think it, you can do it. One day you will wake up and it will just feel right!

I just want to add that a big part of getting healthy was to make my dad proud. He died when I was 4 years old and I never got to meet him. I am adopted, but it was from health complications. I just wanted to make him proud too by doing this.

Instagram: @wwdoingthisthang92

Jessica lost 20 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Jessica lost 20 pounds between March and June by making fitness part of her lifestyle and changing her eating habits. Here is what she shared with us…

jessica before and after

My name is Jessica. I’m 5’3″ tall and I currently weight 169 pounds. When I started my fitness journey on March 10th, 2015 I weighed 189 pounds. I made fitness part of my lifestyle.

I’ve been struggling with my weight since middle school. I was 4’9″ tall and I weighed 198 pounds at the age of 13. From high school until now, my weight always fluctuated but I was mainly on the heavy side. I’m from a military family and all my siblings are into fitness except me. I got tired of being the only one out of shape. I couldn’t keep up with them when it came to anything that was active because I wasn’t as fit as they were. It bothered me until I decided to turn all of that negativity into positivity.

My family is my motivation. I changed my eating habits by adding veggies to every meal I ate. I ate in the correct portion sizes so I wouldn’t overindulge with my food. The old me ate till she was full, which I learned isn’t the way to go. When I first started exercising, I worked out 5 days a week. Three days intense and two days light. After a month of consistency, I decided to change my work out routine. I now do an intense workout 4 days a week. I might choose one day to do moderate at times. I do cardio as a warm up for 10-15 mins. Then, I’ll do my weight training or plyometrics.

My advice to people who want to lose weight is to never give up. It won’t be easy but you only have one body so treat it right. Not only will you look good, but you will feel amazing. There will be times you’ll fall off but you have to get right back up. Don’t beat yourself up and remember everything takes time. Everyone’s body type is different, so if you don’t see yourself losing weight as quick as another person that’s okay. Just keep going.

My instagram is @CLASSY_JESSII

Shaunda lost 83 pounds with surgery

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Update June 2016 – Shaunda lost 83 pounds with gastric sleeve weight loss surgery and lots of hard work. She’s kept the weight off for almost a year. We asked her to share the biggest lesson she’s learned since August.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to enjoy every step of your journey. I’ve learned to celebrate every victory, scale or non-scale, because everyday I’m becoming a better person than I was the day before. Don’t waste time comparing yourself to others. Focus on you and loving yourself more everyday.” IG: @4thaloveof_vsg33

shaunda before and after

Aug 2015 – Weight Loss Story of the Day: Shaunda lost 83 pounds with surgery. This petite mom of 3 made the decision to have weight loss surgery after trying many different diet plans.  The negative opinions of others delayed her choice so she wants to encourage others to make the choice that is ultimately best for them. Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey…

shaunda before and after

As a small child, I was very thin and had no weight issues. As soon as I hit puberty all of that changed. I seem to go from kids’s clothing to a size 12 overnight! I never really thought much about it in junior high school as I did not see myself as “fat”. I was praised by others as being “thick and shapely”. When I began high school that is when I began to get self conscious about my weight and began to try dieting.

After I tried a few diets and they all failed, I convinced myself that I looked good, so there was no need to change what I was doing. I finished high school weighing close to 200lbs and soon after gave birth to my first child. Although I did lose all of my baby weight initially, my weight soon went past 200lbs. Fours years later, I gave birth to my second daughter and then four years after I had my son. After the birth of my son in 2011 my weight was at almost 240 pounds! At this time, I began to try every diet on the market to which I would lose a few pounds and then gain it all back plus more.

In 2013, my coworker began the process for bariatric surgery. I had thought about going this route once before but then talked myself out of it due to the negative opinions that others may have had about the procedure. My coworker had her procedure and it was very successful. Her results inspired me so much that I began the process myself. I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG/sleeve) procedure done in November 2014. My weight at the time of surgery was 263 pounds. Now, I weight 180 pounds (height 5’2″).

This was the best decision that I could have made for myself. My life quality has changed dramatically and I couldn’t be happier with my appearance now. My eating habits were changed by the bariatric surgery as well. My serving sizes for most foods are equivalent to the serving sizes of a small child instead of an adult. My diet is based on high protein/low carbs. My workouts consist of 1 hour of walking/power walking three times a week and 45 mins of strength training three times a week.

This surgery truly saved my life. I document my progress publicly on my Instagram page, @4thaloveof_vsg33 [updated IG]. By sharing my story with the world I am able to not only keep myself accountable but also inspire others on their weight loss journey’s. My message to all of the ladies out there is to make to decision to do what’s best for you and don’t worry about what anyone else has to say about it. Live YOUR life for YOURSELF!

shaunda weight loss

Move it Side to Side Workout Circuit

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This workout is designed with moves that make you shift your weight and move your body side to side. I’ve included videos of the moves below so that you can see proper form. I suggest 20-30 seconds rest between exercises…but rest more if you need to.  Break up the moves and modify the moves if you need to.  For example, if you can’t do 20 pushups in a row, do 2 sets of 10.

This is a circuit workout, so you can do one round or repeat several times (2-4 times) to make it a full workout or just add one round to your normal workout. Do this circuit at your own pace and avoid any moves that would irritate old injuries.* Don’t attempt if you are pregnant or have recently had surgery.

60 Seconds of Skaters
20 Side to Side Squats
30 Bicycle Crunches (15 ea. leg)
20 Walking Lunges (10 ea. leg)
60 Seconds of High Knees
20 Squats with a Punch
20 Flutter Kicks
30 Kneeling Side Leg Lifts (15 each leg)
60 Seconds of Skaters

*Disclaimer: Before starting any exercise program, please consult with your doctor. We cannot be held responsible for any injuries resulting from attempting this exercise routine. If you have injuries that could be worsened, are pregnant, have knee issues, or are suffering neck and back pain, you should speak with a professional trainer about what workouts would be best for you. Do not attempt if you have current injuries, past surgeries or other physical issues/health issues that could be affected by exercise. Don’t forget to stretch before and after working out to avoid injuries.

Move it side to side workout

Body Weight Burn Workout Circuit

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This workout is designed to let you use your own bodyweight as resistance. I’ve included videos of the moves below so that you can see proper form. I suggest 30-45 seconds rest between exercises…but rest more if you need to.  Break up the moves and modify the moves if you need to.  For example, if you can’t do 10 pushups in a row, do 2 sets of 5.

This is a circuit workout, so you can do one round or repeat several times (2-3) to make it a full workout or just add one round to your normal workout. Do this circuit at your own pace and avoid any moves that would irritate old injuries.* Don’t attempt if you are pregnant or have recently had surgery.

60 Seconds Run or Walk in Place
10 Pushups
30 Squats
60 Seconds Run or Walk in Place
30 Calf Raises
16 Mountain Climbers
60 Seconds Run or Walk in Place
30 Second Plank with leg lift (15 seconds ea. leg)
24 Side Lunges (12 ea. leg)

body weight burn circuit

*Disclaimer: Before starting any exercise program, please consult with your doctor. We cannot be held responsible for any injuries resulting from attempting this exercise routine. If you have injuries that could be worsened, are pregnant, have knee issues, or are suffering neck and back pain, you should speak with a professional trainer about what workouts would be best for you. Do not attempt if you have current injuries, past surgeries or other physical issues/health issues that could be affected by exercise. Don’t forget to stretch before and after working out to avoid injuries.

Natasha lost 25 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Let’s show some love to Natasha! She’s lost 25 pounds on her weight loss journey so far and is sharing her success with us. Her goal is to lose 60 pounds and bring down her cholesterol. 

natasha before and after

I have lost over 25 lbs since last year and I am still working on my healthier lifestyle change. My goal is to lose over 60 lbs all together and to decrease my high cholesterol. For the last few years, having high cholesterol has been an issue, so it was one of my main reasons for making a change. Also, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, congestive heart failure and gout all run in my family.

Currently, I meet with my doctor once a month for a wellness check-in. Last year, I participated in a 6 month pre-diabetes monthly workshop which provided nutrition and wellness education to assist in the prevention of diabetes. Additionally, I joined a “Couch to 5k” training group, excercised with my friends and family and participated in a variety of classes such as Spin Cycle, in-door rowing, yoga and boot camp. I also participated in two different 5k races. My new diet has been eating low carb/high healthy fats, with lots of vegetables, berries, some fruits, lots of protein and ton of water.

My advice for others is that you don’t have to join any expensive gyms or buy expensive foods to lose the weight. You can start by exercising at home with aerobic classes online. Run/walk your stairs, walk at your neighborhood or local parks, walk the mall, and just be active. Get a dog…best walking partner ever!! You can learn new easy recipes online if you don’t like cooking, like myself. I actually prefer cooking more now and take my own lunches to work. Most importantly, you don’t need to celebrate every occasion or holidays with heavy fattening foods. Lastly, love yourself and take care of your body because you only get one!

natasha weight loss

Brooklynn lost 54 pounds

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Update 2016: Shout out to Brooklynn! She is a proud Class of 2016 high school grad and she’s lost an additional 15 pounds for a total of 69 pounds gone.

brooklynn before and after

“I have actually lost an additional 15 pounds since my story was featured last year and I am still running regularly! I am signed up for my first 5k which takes place in September. One thing I have noticed is that as I get closer to my ideal weight, it has become harder to lose as quickly. Now, the next goal I want to achieve is to match my eating habits with my exercise routine. In all honesty, I feel my eating habits are what is holding me back from reaching my ultimate goal. Hopefully, with the right research and a change in mindset, I can overcome the obstacle. That being said, I am thankful for how far I have come.”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Brooklynn lost 54 pounds. After gaining weight due to epilepsy medication in elementary school, this young lady faced additional weight gain and bullying going into middle school.  She decided in 8th grade to change lifestyle and focus on what would make her happy.  She’s now about to enter her senior year of high school and we applaud her for making a healthy lifestyle change at such a young age.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

brooklynn weight loss

Hi, my name is Brooklynn Grace and this is my weight loss story. My family has a history of obesity, and when I developed epilepsy in the third grade, it wasn’t hard for the medicine I was placed on to help me gain 30+ pounds that year. I was taken off of the medicine because of the increased weight gain; however, my weight continued to increase over a period of time. When I was in seventh grade, my highest weight was 252.8 pounds. I was teased by one girl at school and I would even have times where I felt as if my own mom wasn’t supportive of me because she was always harping on my weight. I didn’t love myself and I felt like if I continued, I would never reach my goal in life of being and actress and performing one day in my favorite Broadway musical, The Lion King. That’s when I decided to make a change. Not for my mom, or the girl who would tease me, but for myself.

At the beginning of my eighth grade year I began doing Zumba in my basement, I lost ten pounds by the end of the school year. My freshman year of high school I joined my school’s color guard and continued doing that plus Zumba for the duration of my freshman and sophomore year. There would be moments where I would stop and start again but I refused to let myself go back to where I was. I sing in my school’s choir, play violin in my school’s orchestra, participate in my school’s theatre program, volunteer in the children’s department at my church, and participate in other numerous programs that keep my schedule busy and hardly leave any room for exercise, but I managed to pull through.

I started cutting back on a lot of sweets. That was my primary issue because I always have had a sweet tooth. I created a more balanced system as far as when I would eat them compared to when I would work out. For example if I went to a party or family gathering and had too much cake, I would add an extra 30 minutes to my workout routine. I also stopped drinking pop and that has made a tremendous difference in my health as well. My initial workout plan was 3 days a week for 2 hours in the evening. The first 30-45 minutes I would use the Just Dance game on the Sweat it Out mode because I found the routines fun and they got my heart rate going. After that, I would do the Zumba program for an hour which kept my energy up and I increased the intensity of the videos as time moved on, and finally I would do just some added strength training I began with basic sit-ups and eventually moved on to other exercises such as squats, scissors, lunges, and push-ups.

Currently, because of marching band, I do not have to do Zumba as often since we exercise at practice. However every morning that I do not have practice, I do some strengthening exercises, go to my local park and I run/walk 2 miles in 2 minute increments using the Couch 2 5k app. One of my goals is to be able to run a marathon by the time I graduate next year.

Now that I’m almost a senior in high school, I am happy to say that I weigh 198 pounds, but I’m far from reaching my goal. I may not be there yet but I’m closer than I was in seventh grade. I’m happier and more confident. Weight loss is hard especially as a teenager, but I keep going so that I can be and inspiration to myself and to others. I am seventeen years old and I am proud to say that I have lost 54.8 lbs and counting. (height: 5’6″)

My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight is that losing weight is like riding a roller coaster. There are ups and downs, but you got on the ride for a reason and you don’t want to get back in the waiting line. So, just keep going and remember to enjoy the ride. If there has been anything I’ve learned it’s that losing weight can be fun, you just have to find what’s best for you.

Instagram: @brooklynn_priscilla