Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for exercise routine

exercise routine

Kerry Washington Tells Self Magazine Her Exercise Secrets

by Leave a Comment

Graceful and Gorgeous! Kerry Washington looks amazing on the September 2015 cover of Self Magazine.  Her daughter, Isabelle, is 17 months old and this 38 year old mom has clearly won the baby weight battle that so many women struggle with. However, she makes it clear that she is not chasing some past version of herself or trying to get her pre-baby body back. About her body, she says, “It’s the site of a miracle now. I don’t want to be pre-miracle.”

It’s a great article, so be sure to pick up this issue for the full story and check out the video below for more info as well. (Magazine sales help encourage major publishers to put more Black Women on their covers 🙂 ).  So, what’s Kerry’s secret weapon for fitness?  Pilates!

“There are a lot of forms of exercise where you have to leave yourself out of the room while you force yourself to do this thing,” she explains. “With pilates, I get to bring my true self. I cry, I laugh. I get to go: Where is my body today? What do I need today? How can I take care of myself and push myself past my comfort zone? How can I be both loving and challenging?”

Kerry is no stranger to movement and exercise.  The Scandal star traveled to India after college and studied yoga. In the article, she talks about how she makes a point to exercise very early in the morning to make time for her child and her husband.  She says, “I try to get it in so I can be back with my kid early. I have to take care of myself in order to live life the way I want to. It’s important to have rest days.”

I’m so excited to share this becuz I’ve been a fan of @selfmagazine for a LONG time. Guess who’s on the September cover…

A photo posted by Kerry Washington (@kerrywashington) on

BWLW Full Body Burn Workout

by 2 Comments

Let’s mix it up with this full body workout. I’ve included videos of the moves below so that you can see proper form. I suggest 30 seconds rest between exercises…but rest more if you need to.  Break up the moves as you need to.  For example, if you can’t do 12 pushups in a row, do 2 sets of 6.

Do this workout 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. Do not attempt if you have injuries that could be irritated, knee issues or back issues without talking to your doctor first. This is a circuit workout so you can do one round or repeat several times to make it a full workout.

30 Jumping Jacks
30 Squats
12 Pushups
24 Calf Raises
24 Lunges (12 ea. leg)
30 Jumping Jacks
12 Pushups
30 Squats
10 Leg Raises
12 Fire Hydrants
60 Seconds Plank

*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.

full body burn

Work Those Abs Workout

by Leave a Comment

Time to WORK your abs. I’ve included videos of the moves below so that you can see proper form. I suggest 30 seconds rest between exercises…but rest more if you need to.  Break up the moves as you need to.  For example, if you can’t do 30 crunches in a row, do 3 sets of 10.

Do this workout at your own pace and avoid any moves that would irritate old injuries.*  Don’t attempt if you’ve recently had abdominal surgery or a c-section without talking to your doctor first. This is a circuit workout so you can do one round or repeat several times to make it a full workout.

60 Seconds Walk/Run in Place
30 Crunches
15 Leg Raises
10 V-Ups
20 Bicycle Crunches
20 Flutter Kicks
15 Vertical Leg Crunches
60 Seconds Walk/Run in Place

*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.

work those abs workout

Booty Blast Workout

by Leave a Comment

Check out our new Booty Blast Workout.  If you are able*, you can do this workout at home or in the gym with minimal equipment.  The High Knees and jump squats will help keep you in cardio mode while the squats, donkey kicks and lunges work those butt muscles.  I would suggest you start with one time through the circuit and work up to 3 total rotations of the circuit for a full workout over time.  Rest when you need to between the moves and between the rotations, because you know your body (30-60 seconds for recovery would be my suggestion, but ultimately you know your needs). Work at your own pace. Modify or replace exercises if you need to. I’ve posted videos of most the moves, just in case you aren’t familiar with them.booty blast workout

*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.

For the moves you may not be as familiar with…

How to do Fire Hydrants

How to do Walking Lunges

How to do Donkey Kicks

How to do Sumo Squats

How to do High Knees

How to do a Squat Jump

Sophia lost 104 pounds

by 1 Comment

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sophia lost 104 pounds. She believes that weight loss should be a lifestyle change, not a phase you go through temporarily. After being diagnosed with diabetes, she committed herself to changing her eating habits and working out regularly.  Read more about her journey…

Sophia before and after

What motivated you?
My motivation was being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 17 years old. What inspired me was my son and seeing him grow. I’m a proud single mom who losing weight. I was also motivated by the compliments that I received from my family and friends during my weight loss journey.

Sophia weight lossHow did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits by using proper portion control. I started with that first and then I started with healthier choices. I stop cooking with a lot of grease as well. To tell you the truth, I still eat pizza, fried chicken, steak, mashed potatoes, etc…but I eat those rarely and in reasonable portions. Ultimately, what worked for me was portion control and less greasy food with as much exercise as I can do.

How did exercise figure into your weight loss journey?
I joined a gym and I use to go every day after work, straight from work to the gym. I made a it a ritual so that there was no work without gym time.

How long did your transition take?
In 2003, my heaviest weight was 290 pounds after I gave birth. From there I got down to 230 in 2010. Even though it has taken time for the weight to come down I never gained it back. Now it’s December 2014 and I am 186 pounds. I am almost to my goal weight 170-180 (maybe a little bit lower but I will be ok with that). If you look at it from 290 to 186 it’s a huge difference. I feel just like I look, GOOD!!! Lol

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
The advice that I have for others is find your motivation first. It could be a spouse, your children, yourself or that diagnosis from the doctor. Next, find a routine you can follow and stick with because losing weight should not be hard or sad. Losing weight should fit in your schedule and everything that you do already. In my case, I throw my gym clothes in my car and go to the gym after I leave the office. I use to tell people that I get off at 7pm  instead of 5pm  because technically that’s when I’m free. Most importantly, don’t make it a temporary thing make it a lifetime thing. Exercise and eating right should not be a phase you’re going through. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Instagram: @Ms_thickness33167

Sophia before and after

8 Time Saving Workout Tips

by 1 Comment

tips workout save timeOne of the most common excuses you hear when it comes to not exercising is, “I just don’t have the time”. In reality, the average person has enough time to get some exercise during the week. In fact, the typical American spends around 3 hours a day in front of a television…so there is free time available to be turned into workout time for most people. If you’re committed to improving your health through exercise but are a super busy person, don’t fret. There are a few different tips and tricks you can use to not only find more time to exercise but also to help your workout go by more quickly.

  • Opt Out of a Gym and Work Out at Home

Probably one of the most common tips would be to avoid the gym altogether and workout at home. With the huge number of DVDs and online resources for at-home workouts, regardless of what you’re interested in you’ll be able to find something that will be just as challenging as any class. Going to a gym has many benefits but saving you time may not be one of them.  By the Way, you can also save some money with this tip.

  • If You Choose to Workout at a Gym, Go When It Isn’t Busy

Some people enjoy the whole atmosphere of a gym or maybe they participate in some training, weight lifting for example, that they don’t have the equipment for at home. If this is you, try to hit the gym at times when it isn’t likely to be busy. Depending on your work schedule, you could go during lunch or even at night. If your gym really is just plain busy, you might want to try another one.

  • Stretch Before Heading to the Gym

Here is one tip that many people don’t consider. We all know warming up is important and shouldn’t be skipped. Stretching and warming up before going into the gym means you can get straight to the machines. This is especially helpful if you frequent a particularly busy gym.  Parking a block or two away from your gym also can kick start your warm up time if you walk briskly.

  • Sneak In Workouts In Your Office

A typical 40-hour workweek for most people involves a whole lot of sitting at a desk. Too much sitting has proven to lead to serious health problems and greatly decrease longevity. An office seems like an unlikely place to get a workout but don’t be fooled. Aside from going on a walk during your break, there are other ways to sneak in workouts.

Here is a link to 33 different ways to get your heart pumping when confined to an office. If you are worried about a bad reaction from your boss, here are a few ideas for more subtle ways to get some exercise. As a bonus, not only do these little in-office exercises cut down on your workout time but they also boost productivity at work.

  • Buy Workout Gear That Doubles as Casual Wear

Whether you have to run back to the office, have errands to run or promised to catch up with a friend at lunch, dingy sweatpants and your old holey t-shirt pretty much guarantee you’ll have to spend time changing your clothes in the locker room at your gym. Rather than dealing with this, invest is a great sports bra and some pants and shirts that look cute. Of course you’ll want to change your outfit if you get super sweaty, so this tip is great if you just got your heart pumping a bit and will be home in a few hours to shower anyways.

  • Keep an Organized Gym Bag

Locker rooms in gyms can be chaotic. Having an organized bag means you’ll know where everything is and you’ll save precious time searching through a duffel for something as simple as a headband. Make sure necessities like your perfume and deodorant are in an easily accessible pocket. If you have something to do after your workout you’ll want to have a makeup kit to either touchup or completely redo your face after you’ve showered.

  • Take a short shower depending on how hard you worked out.

Unless you are a clean freak or completed a seriously sweaty workout, you can really save time by taking shorter showers at the gym. An easy to moderate workout that gets you hot doesn’t usually require a full, long shower. Also, make sure you have a clinical strength deodorant, a great smelling fragrance and a dry shampoo if you are worried about sweaty hair.

Washing your hair can really be a time killer for women with relaxed hair as you can’t usually just wash and go very quickly. Instead put your hair up out of your face in a cute updo and use a headband. After the workout take it down and use some dry shampoo to freshen up your do (dry shampoo works for natural and relaxed hair).

  • Choose a More Intense (and Effective) Training Regimen

Sometimes the easiest and sometimes least obvious way to save time on workout out is to change how you are exercising. An hour on a treadmill might be effective, but there are shorter workouts that can be just as effective. That fast jogging on a treadmill could actually be ineffective compared to a high-intensity (HIIT) 20 or 30 minute workout.

High-intensity exercise regimens include supersets, circuit training and multitasking. Here are a few resources for workouts that are short on time but serious when it comes to results

Working out doesn’t require hours of your time every day. It’s recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. Even for the busiest person that should be completely doable. Don’t forget that working out at home can really save time. If you haven’t tried it yet, invest in some equipment and give it a go. You just might prefer it over the gym.

Sheryl lost 134 pounds in 3 years

by 8 Comments

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Sheryl lost 134 pounds in 3 years. This petite beauty went from a size 22 to a size 8 with a serious commitment to exercise and health eating.  Find out how she lost the weight…

Sheryl weight loss

Hello my name Sheryl Hampton. I lost 134 pounds in three years. I was diagnosed with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol. That’s three of the most deadly illness among Black people. My thoughts were it’s always been easy to take care of my family and friends. I said to myself “OH LORD!! How can I take care of me”. I tried a 2 week free trial at a local gym. (Snap Fitness). I was pleasantly surprised. I had gone for my check up and found out that I lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks. I was Flabbergasted. So, I joined the gym. During my first year, I worked out 7 days a week, 2 times a day (5:30 AM every morning. 5:30 PM every evening). I used the treadmill and elliptical machine doing 60 minutes for each workout, morning and evening for the whole year. In my second year, I implemented Zumba class 2 times a week for 8 months while maintaining my routine from the first year. I changed my eating habits by cutting out fast foods, fried foods, pasta, white rice, white bread, sodas, ice cream, cookies, potato chips and by not eating late at night. My new eating habits consisted of eating brown rice, brown bread, plenty of veggies and salads.  I also ate baked and grilled chicken, fish, turkey, tuna, fruit, and plenty of water.  I did a lemon and water detox once a month for seven days.

I started to plateau for awhile. That’s when your body has gotten use of a routine. So, I started going to a Boot Camp session for 3 months. I started seeing results again. I had gone from a size 22 to a size 12 by the second year.  For my Diabetes, I had gone from taking Insulin to taking a half pill once a day. My blood pressure was stable and I no longer required meds for Cholesterol. I approached my third year still maintaining my workout schedule from the first and second year. However, I started walking on the track 3 days a week while still working out at the gym and doing Zumba. I soon began running 6 miles a day. I was also doing the boot camp workout I learned, which consisted of 200 jumping jacks, Running in place for 2 minutes, 25 Squats with a ball, 50 Obliques, 50 Standing Crunches, 50 Butterfly Squats, 25 lunges each leg 25 and Heel toe.

This has been truly a change of lifestyle. I started at 271.8 pounds at a height of 5’1″. I now weigh 137 pounds. My dress size is an 8 today. I am still in the process of losing another 10 pounds and my goal is to be totally off of medicine. My advice to those who are trying to lose weight is that it can be done. Your dream can be reached. Take an inventory of your life ,the people who love you and the people you love for motivation. I am living a healthy, confident life now and I love it.  It’s funny…I started out having pictures of Janet Jackson and Lisa Ray as my example.  I had pictures of mega stars then and I now have pictures of me. I’m so glad Black Woman Losing weight has this platform for us to share our journeys. It has truly been a pleasure to know we are not alone.

Sheryl before and after

Sherie lost 50 pounds

by 3 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Zeta Phi Beta Soror Sherie lost 50 pounds. Through hearing some harsh words from her doctor, Sherie got a wake up call.  She changed her lifestyle and took her health into her own hands.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Sherie weight loss

 

My motivation was having high blood pressure and being called overweight by my doctor. My doctors comments hurt me and helped me at the same time, because those words motivated me to get healthy.  I’ve learned that I am a self motivator. I didn’t have a personal trainer so I had to take this journey into my own hands.

To change my eating habits, I gave up sodas, sweets, chips, fried food, and fast food. I also started drinking more water, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and reduced my calorie intake to 1200 calories a day. My exercise routine consisted of cardio (running, treadmill, elliptical), core exercises, Zumba class and cycling.  I exercise 4 times a week.

My starting weight was 220 pounds. (I am 5″4″.) My current weight is 170 pounds. It took about 14 months for this weight loss transformation. The advice I have for others who want to lose weight: you can do it once you’ve made up in your mind that you want to be healthy.

 

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 110 pounds

by 4 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 110 pounds.  She made the decision that changing her lifestyle and eating habits was worth it so that she could be the person she wanted to be.  Read more about her weight loss journey:

DawnJune14blog

“Hello, my name is Dawn. This is me two year ago at 320 pounds and then me today at 210 pounds. I was really depressed and stressed out. I decided to leave everything alone, focus on myself and the weight started to come off. I also joined the gym with my cousin and our children, until she got sick. When I went to the gym I started with the treadmill and did an hour on that. From there I used the bike and my cousin and I went together in one of the step dance routine classes. I worked out when I could, doing a lot of cardio. I walked a lot too. Everyone noticed how small I started to get.

I left a lot of the junk foods alone and tried to cook a meal every day. No more restaurant foods at all. I really did not do anything special, except for avoiding lot of junk food that I was eating once a day and having coffee in the morning. I work at a night job (third shift), so there really was not any room for me to change anything. One main thing I did was stop eating late at work everyday at restaurants and getting all those greasy foods. I ate before 7pm and was fine for the rest of the night.

I never knew that I was that big until I looked at some old pictures. I made the change not because of health reasons but also because I wanted to for myself. I did it because I was tired of being depressed and not living like I wanted to.  I’m hoping every one can see this so that they to can get inspired to enjoy life like I’m doing. I have bad knees and losing weight will help with that too. I could move when I was 320 pounds but now I really can get around with more energy. I’m not done yet, I got a couple more pounds to go. Who ever reads this, just remember to love yourself first and things will fall into place.

Instagram: @mz_shay42  Twitter: @allboutme40

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Krysty lost 44 pounds

by 2 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Krysty lost 44 pounds.  In less than a year, she has transformed her body by working out consistently, counting calories and eating the things she loves in moderation.  Read all about her weight loss journey: krysty before and afterWeight Loss Story of the Day: Krysty lost 44 pounds.  In less than a year, she has transformed her body by working our consistently, counting calories and eating the things she loves in moderation.  Read all about her weight loss journey: My name is Krysty. I am 5’6″ and my starting size and weight was 16/244 pounds. I was hanging out with friends on a boat cruise when the picture on the right was taken and I didn’t recognize her. That next weekend I went to the gym and signed up for training and haven’t looked back. I had a trainer who set up weight lifting plans for me each week. Couldn’t have done it without him. I worked out 3-5 days a week. I keep changing my workout to keep my body guessing. I do weight training, cardio, bootcamp, kickboxing, yoga, and Zumba. When I started I didn’t change my diet and soon I plateaued. So then I began counting calories and substituting. I cut back on calories, but not necessarily what I was eating. I used a tracker to make sure I stayed at 1800 calories on days I worked out and 1500 on days that I didn’t. I would have the fried chicken or burger but with a side salad instead of fries or mash potatoes. I eventually cut out sweets and juices to cut down on my sugar intake and I think that took my fitness to the next level. My typical breakfast is oatmeal or granola with fruit or eggs and peanut butter. My lunch is usually a salad with tuna or chicken a vinegarette dressing and my dinner is usually fish and veggies or beef and veggies. I snack all day on veggies,  kale chips or pretzels with peanut butter.   I am currently 200 pounds and between a size 8 and 10. I joined the gym August 19, 2013 and I am still a work in progress. My advice is you can’t do it for others, it has to be a fire inside of you. It won’t be easy, and I have had many stumbles but I didn’t stop and I continue to keep trying. All is possible with enough faith and motivation.

Instagram: @Koolkrysbchi