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Nicole lost 55 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Nicole lost 55 pounds in 6 months. She felt like she let herself go before the age of 30 and wanted to get back to being fit and healthy. The biggest lesson she learned is that you have to eat to live, not live to eat. Check out her journey.

nicole before and after

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 270 pounds. My current weight is 215 pounds. My height is 5’5″.

When did you start your journey?
June 1st 2017.

What was your motivation?
My motivation for losing weight was the fact I had let myself go before the age of 30.

What inspired you when you wanted to give up?
The fact I used to be slim and fit. I wanted to go out and feel good about myself again, and that desire kept me inspired.

How did you change your eating habits?
I ate all my meals in healthy portion sizes. I let go of bread and fast food. The healthy foods I eat on a regular basis include broccoli, spinach, black or brown rice, mushrooms, red and green peppers and red onions. I try to eat a balance of both fish and chicken.

What did your workout routine look like?
My workout routine started with 30 minutes of exercise every single day for 30 days. I continue to workout everyday.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you have to eat to live, not live to eat. Therefore, food does not control me. I control what goes in my mouth and what doesn’t. I also learned that staying active is very important because our bodies were made to move. It is the only gift we can give ourselves while creating a healthy lifestyle.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Stay consistent and pray a lot with strong faith.

Instagram: @mzhiphop

Amy lost 34 pounds

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Amy lost 34 pounds. After the birth of her son, she gained a significant amount of weight. She has worked over the course of 10 months to become a fit and happier mom. Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

amy before and after

I’m a proud mom. After I had my son, I gained a lot of weight. Basically, I wasn’t happy and I wanted to change that.

Mentally, I had to prepare myself. My friend is a health fitness coach. She helped me with getting myself out my comfort zone and I started making some moves. I let go of the fast foods that I was eating on a regular basis, along with Coca-Cola. Then, I started using Herbalife protein shakes, which I love. Now, I eat baked meats and lots of green vegetables, like broccoli and green beans. I also eat bananas and strawberries. No rice, no bread and no pasta.

For the most part, I work out every day. I go to Fit Camp every other day and I also workout at the 24 hour fitness gym on the alternate days. I enjoy Zumba class as well.

Started at 205 pounds and now I’m down to 171 pounds at 5’2″ tall. I lost the weight within a 10 week time frame. I have more weight that I’d like to lose, but I know that I’m gonna get there in due time. Today, I’m a fit mom.

Advice: I would tell others that they CAN do it. Mentally, You have to say to yourself, “I can do it”. That’s what I did.

Instagram: @fitchix_85 @herbalifefitmom_85

Jennifer lost 60 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Jennifer lost 60.2 pounds. This young lady was battling with the pounds, depression and low self-esteem. She knew that she wanted to change her life and working out is a major part of her transformation. Check out what she shared with us about her journey…

jennifer before and after

What was your motivation? What inspired you?

I’ve been overweight most of my life and at my heaviest I weighed 260 pounds. I battled with depression and low self-esteem and knew I needed a change. I started doing Beachbody programs and joined an online support group. That really helped kick start my weight loss, but it was difficult for me to stay motivated to do the workouts alone. A close friend of mine told me about her friend who loss a significant amount of weight at the gym, so I joined and never looked back.

How did you change your eating habits?

I started working with a trainer and she discussed healthy eating habits with me and gave me an eating plan to follow. I cut out fried foods, soda, juice, and food from most fast food restaurants. I mainly eat meat, veggies, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.

What did your workout routines look like?

I work out 5 days a week, both in the morning and evenings. In Fit Training, we do a little of everything. It’s a mix of strength training, circuit training, and some cardio.

  • Mondays – 2 hours of cardio and 1 hour of Pilates in the a.m., then 1 hour of Fit Training in the evening.
  • Tuesdays – 3 hours of cardio in the evening.
  • Wednesdays – 2 hours of cardio in the a.m., then 1 hour of Fit Training in the evening.
  • Thursdays – 1 hour of Fit Training in the evening.
  • Fridays – 2 hours of cardio in the a.m.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?

Starting weight was 242.6 pounds.
Current weight is 182.4 pounds.
Height: I’m 5’41/2”.

How long did your transformation take?

Almost 9 months. I started March 23, 2015.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?

Start now! Don’t put it off any longer. Be patient, set realistic goals for yourself, and find a workout that you enjoy. Make sure you take plenty of pictures. I honestly didn’t realize how much I had loss until I went back and looked at my old pics. Also, don’t give up on you. Surround yourself with positive people that will uplift you on your journey to become a better you.

Instagram: @jsparks_88

jennifer weight loss

7 Ways to Love Yourself More

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beyoutifulA lot of people struggle with feeling like they genuinely really love themselves. Yes, many people tend to view their flaws or defects over their positive characteristics most of the time. When is the last time you looked in the mirror, looked directly into your own eyes, and said, “I love you!?” When is the last time you sat down and really took inventory of the things you love about yourself?

It’s common to want to feel loved and appreciated by others. It makes us feel good. This is why so many people do things that perhaps they shouldn’t do in order to vie for attention and love. They may cave into peer pressure or do things that they are not really comfortable doing in order to feel accepted and loved. Some call it “people pleasing”, which essentially means you do a lot of things to try to please others so that you feel better about yourself. This is just one example.

What about the love you have for yourself? Do you ever stop to think about your self-worth? Do you feel worthy of love? Do you think you really love yourself and think that you deserve the best?

Self-worth

Self-worth is the way you feel about yourself. What are you worth to you? Do you feel like you are doing the best that you can in life? Or do you dislike a lot of things about yourself? If you struggle with self-worth, you will probably have a difficult time receiving compliments. When someone says, “You look gorgeous!” you will play it off and sort of feel bad inside- like there’s no way on earth you could look so good! Or you will not take good care of yourself because you don’t think you deserve to be cared for.

There are various factors that impact self worth. Some people struggle with self-worth because of trauma or abuse that happened to them as children or things that have occurred as adults. For example, a child that was verbally or sexually abused as a child might struggle with self-worth. A man who has left a string of broken relationships might not be able to love himself well. Regardless of why you struggle with low self-worth, there are things you can do to increase your love of self.

Begin a new journey

It’s time to begin a new journey; a journey of falling in love with yourself. A journey of letting the past go and creating a future that you love. We can’t change the past. We can’t go back and change everything, but we can take positive action going forward.

Start with a simple step: Take a deep breath, look at yourself in the mirror, and just say it: “I love you!” You might feel a little silly the first couple of times, but you will get used to it and I bet you will start to feel better about yourself as well. You may not believe it at first, because if you truly don’t love yourself, it’s not true. However, that is where truth can heal you. Feel the feeling of untruth and think about how that makes you feel. If you can face the fact that you aren’t loving yourself, you can find the strength to find out WHY.

Here are 7 ways you can love yourself more:

1. Write down positive affirmations and speak them out loud. Here are a few examples:

  • I am a beautiful inside and out.
  • I love me!
  • I am worthy of love and happiness.
  • I am always working on improving myself.
  • I always try to be a blessing to myself and others.
  • I have accomplished some great things in life.
  • People love me!
  • I am very lovable.
  • I am confident and happy.
  • I’m working to create the life I want.

2. Spend some time with just YOU. Yes, take some time to delight in yourself. Take yourself on a date. Watch a movie. Take a day off and spend it doing something you love. Walk through the park. Meditate. Sit in nature and listen to the birds. Get your nails or hair done. Learn to enjoy your very own presence and you’ll certainly be loving yourself more and more by doing so.

3. Write yourself a poem post it on your bathroom mirror or put in on an index card and carry it around. Create a love poem for yourself on your mirror. You can also write it on an index card and put it in your purse/bad. Write about the things you love about YOU. Read it every time you go into the bathroom or before every meal. Smile, knowing that you are worthy and full of love.

4. Feed your soul. Read an inspiring book. Watch a motivational movie. Attend worship service. Attend a powerful seminar. Feed your soul good things regularly.

5. Become more fit and healthy. Loving yourself is not about losing weight to reach some ideal size. It’s about wanting to be your best you, and that means being as fit and healthy as you can be. Eat more healthy foods and find an exercise routine that works for you. Just like a mother feeds her child nutritious foods out of love, so you can feed yourself the same out of love.

6. Practice self-care. Take care of yourself. Get to bed at a reasonable hour. Set boundaries with others and keep them. Don’t compromise your morals, your beliefs or your dreams. See to it that YOU are taken care of.

7. Reach out to others. Yes, giving to others can make us feel better about ourselves. The more you come to love yourself, the more inclined you will be to share the love with others in a healthy way.

Be proud of who you are and the areas that you’re not thrilled with, work on them. Create a plan to do something different for those areas. For example, if you have been moody around the house and taking your stress out on the family, make a decision to find the root of your stress and moodiness and deal with it. You will change by taking action. As you focus on changing, you will not only change, but also come to love yourself abundantly!

After all, you are worthy!

Sharon lost over 80 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation: Sharon lost over 80 pounds and has gone from a size 28 to a size 18.  All her life she was the “cute, fat girl” and now she is healthy and fit.  She’s faced a number of obstacles and the loss of her mother to cancer, but with the love and support of her husband she has taken action and changed her life.  Here is what she shared with us…

sharon weight loss story

This is a lifetime! All my life, I was the cute, fat girl (or big Sharon behind my back). My mom and dad had me on so many diets as a child, from Weight Watchers, to Nutri-system, to Jenny Craig and the blue diet pills. I all ways said, “God don’t make junk.” I loved my big, beautiful 380 pound self most of my life. Also, due to an injury from 2003, I walk with a limp.

In 2006, my mom had a 2nd go with cancer and she went to glory. This got me thinking about my weight and health.  Also, with the new career I was after, I did not want to be an unhealthy hair artist on stage. From 2006 to 2007, I started my journey and lost only 25 pounds. Then, I went to Jamaica with two girl friends and thought I was doing something!

In 2007, my friend, next door neighbor and soul mate Walter finally came home after being away in Montana for 18 years. He was a health nut from way back. He told me that if I was serious about wanting to lose weight he would help me.  It started off as a joke and every couple weeks he would tell me something to change and take out my diet.  As I started making healthier choices, my gallbladder shut down and I ended up in the emergency room.  When Walter asked the doctor what the cure was, he said surgery or cut out heavy fats.  After we did some research, I decided to let the gallstones pass, keep my gallbladder and live a healthier lifestyle.

With that being said, one thing I don’t do is step on a scale often. I went from a size 28 to a size 18, and now I’m moving into a size 16 with no girdle. Walter and I got married on 2-14-2010 and he truly is my rock.  He is also a personal trainer, NPC top ranked bodybuilder and soon to be pro. Most importantly he is a different type of trainer.  He works with you where you are and builds you up as you progress on your journey.

What working for me;
  • Chicken, fish, sirloin and brown egg whites
  • Raw or steamed veggies
  • Fruit (in the am only)
  • Brown rice
  • Working out at least 2-4 days week
  • I did not take fat burners until I lost 80 pounds.
I stopped eating fast food, butter, fried food or drinking soda of any kind. If I’m on vacation of out and about, I may do fast food but it’s all about choice. Examples of my meals;
  • Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1yoke and grapefruit
  • Snack: Almond snack pack
  • Lunch: Cod fish, brown rice and big green salad
  • Snack: Veggies and fruits
  • Dinner: Chicken, red potato and broccoli or asparagus.

Also, when I lost 80 pounds, I went through a detox for ten days with no meat. I was in tears on some days but when you realize fat is toxic you just want to keep going.  My meal plans did cost, so if you are serious you gotta have a good nutritionist. Walter is the first one I’ve worked with that didn’t just put a 300 plus pound lady on 1200 to 1500 calorie diet and say you gotta starve to do it.  He taught me that I was starving my body. He showed me that if I would just feed it healthy food, my body would not hold on to the weight but release it.

In the beginning at 300 plus pounds, my workouts started like this: 5 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on elliptical and exercises for my midsection. Today, I try to workout 3 days a week at the gym and walk daily. Here is my leg workout;

  • Warm up 10 minutes on bike
  • Ab workout for 10 minutes
  • Leg press: 3 sets of 25, starting at 100 pounds and adding 20 each set.
  • The next two machines I call “innees and outees”; 3 sets of 50 reps, start with 30 pounds for weight and increase 10 pounds each set
  • 3 sets of 50 calf raises
My trainer/nutritionist adjusts my workouts weekly and we enjoy living a healthy lifestyle when it comes to food, but nothing is wrong with an occasional cheat meal and wine.  I’m a work in progress, because I never thought I would be a thick fit chick.  I don’t want to be skinny. I still want my curves and butt, but want to be healthy and happy. I’m also still in shock that I’m doing it.  Here’s to the rest of my healthy life! I feel better at 42 years old then I did at 22. I’m honest and real and still have a size 22 in my closet. It may seem hard at first but if I can do it anyone can.

5 Tips For Staying Motivated To Achieve Your Fitness Goals

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fitness goals tipsSure, we all want to be healthy and fit, but the desire is not the difficult part. It’s keeping the motivation to actually do so that can be very hard! Most of us want to live healthier and more active lives, so we tend to set goals in these areas, but oftentimes we lose motivation or simply give up and don’t reach those goals. Life may get busy, we may get sick or frustrated, or laziness sets in and we decide that achieving our fitness goals is too much of a hassle. It sounds easy enough in theory and in the beginning, but the practical application is not always so easy.

If you’ve struggled in the area of motivation when it comes to workouts, please say amen [here].

Exercising regularly sounds simple enough, but the truth is that it takes a firm commitment and plenty of self-discipline to achieve this part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s easy to make some sort of resolution to get into shape and lose a few pounds, but too often within a couple of weeks we are right back into our bad habits. Then we beat ourselves up for not sticking with it. I’m sure you are aware that plenty of people make New Year’s resolutions or Monday Morning resolutions to get and stay into shape and within a couple of weeks they fall back into their old routines. It’s a dreaded cycle, but the good news is that it CAN be broken!

So, moving forward and assuming that YOU want to get (and stay) in shape, Here is the question: How can you stay motivated to achieve your fitness goals?

  • Make a list of your fitness goals.

It is important to write down your fitness goals and put them somewhere that you can view them on a daily basis. It’s easy to forget your goals, so be sure that you take a look at them often. You can even write down the reasons why you have these goals to serve as a reminder for the days when you don’t really feel like working out. Ideas;

  • Download motivational images and post them in your office and on your social media profiles.
  • Write your goals down on an index card and carry it around with you.  Read it 3-4 times a day, especially before workouts.
  • Post sticky notes on your fridge, at the office, or in the bathroom to serve as reminders of your goal to become healthy.
  • Become educated on the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Knowledge is a wonderful tool that can act as a change agent in our lives. Learn about healthy habits and how exercise benefits physical and mental health. Read encouraging and motivational books that will keep you motivated to keep up the good work. Listen to positive audios and watch inspirational videos on how you can live your best life NOW! Don’t wait around and hope that you’ll get motivated; take action! When you are proactive in your life, things happen. You attract what you think about, so revamp your thought life when it comes to living an abundant, healthy life.

  • Make small changes over time.

Don’t expect to become a health and fitness guru in a week or two. Don’t expect your body to transform in a week or two. Introduce bits and pieces of lifestyle change and various exercises into your life over time. One week you may try to burpees instead of pushups and the next week you may want to add 20 more minutes of exercise to your routine. Maybe one week you can walk four days a week instead of three and the next week incorporate a group activity like yoga or tennis with a friend. Think of your healthy lifestyle as progress; not perfection. It’s those who take small steps consistently that cover more ground than those that take large steps once in a while. Remember that.

  • Visualize success.

See yourself healthy and fit, even if you aren’t feeling like it. Close your eyes and envision eating healthy foods and moving forward in your fitness goals. Daydream about you standing straight, shoulders back, chin up, healthy and fit. (Like a superhero) Visualizing success helps cause your thought patterns to change from negative or neutral to positive, and helps keep one motivated to achieve goals. Yes, utilize creative visualization to see yourself living a kick butt, healthy, fit life!

  • Create a vision board.
  • Find some fitness experts/success stories who inspire you and learn about their journey.
  • Find positive affirmations, prayers and meditations online that inspire you.
  • Get a fitness buddy.

Sometimes all it takes is getting a family member, friend, or acquaintance to commit to getting and staying in shape with you. Call it an accountability partner, because you can be accountable to each other and keep each other motivated. You can work out together or separate, but be sure to check in with one another often (daily or at least weekly). Don’t be afraid to extend tough love, as you both are making a firm commitment to doing what you say you’re going to do.  If you can’t find someone who you know to commit to, you may find a partner online with social media or on sites like MyFitnessPal.com or Sparkpeople.com

Listen, you CAN stay motivated on a daily basis to work toward attaining your fitness goals. As you progress on your fitness journey, you’ll most likely realize that the lessons about commitment and pushing yourself you are learning flow over into other areas of your life too! Qualities like discipline, perseverance, accountability, etc. are quite helpful in other areas, such as your career, parenting children, relationships, and more. Pretty amazing, huh?

You’ve got this! I totally believe in you.

Malecia lost 47 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Malecia lost 47 pounds and went from a size 16 to a size 4/6.  This proud single mom was determined to be there for her son and to avoid diabetes. She has transformed herself and is now working to help others do the same.  She wrote and shared with us about her weight loss journey…

malecia before and after

My name is Malecia Yancy and after fears of type 2 diabetes I was inspired to live a healthier lifestyle for my son. I started with cardio and proper nutrition. I also researched what my body needs vs. what my body wants. I’m 5’0″ tall and now 1 year later, 47 pounds and over 80 inches are gone! (Transformation took 7 months.) I have now joined the fitness movement to start my own business in helping others create healthy lifestyles.

My motivation was my son. Being a single mom of a 2 year old, I was constantly tired trying to keep up with him and stay active. I went to the doctor one day and they wanted to run tests for diabetes. I was afraid and immediately thought to myself, if something happens to me what happens with my son.

I received information from a nutritionist on healthy eating, making lifestyle changes and learned about the right foods to eat to boost my energy. I immediately cut out sodas, bread, pasta and made sure that I ate 6 small meals a day. Four of those meals included a full serving of fruits and/or vegetables.

My employer has a gym, so I immediately requested access. I started on the elliptical and could barely do 5 minutes without dying. Now, I can be on the elliptical for an hour (usually watching my soap operas) to get the extra burn. Of course, I knew that I needed to start sculpting, so I began to lift weights and fell in love with seeing my muscles grow and my body transform.

I was at 183 pounds when I started and 1 year later I now weigh 136 pounds. My weight loss slowed down as I got closer to my current weight, but my pants size was still decreasing. I went from a size 16 to a size 4/6!

The advice that I would give to others who want to lose weight is to get active, get moving and never give up. Your life is worth it. While it is a lifestyle change, it is one change you won’t regret.

I have started my own fitness group, Fab & Fit with Malecia, become a licensed aerobics instructor and have produced and released a workout video with more in the making. Fabandfitwithmalecia.webs.com is my website.

Instagram: @MTS_711
www.facebook.com/Malecia.Fab

malecia weight loss

Chantel lost 69 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Chantel lost 69 pounds. Having lost weight in the past and seeing her weight fluctuate, she knew what to do to lose the pounds but was refusing to do it.  Now, she has not only lost the weight with healthy eating and exercise, but wants to help others to transform their bodies too.  Here is what she shared with us about releasing the weight…

chantel before and after

Hello! My name is Chantel Simms. I have lost 69 pounds (224 lbs to 155 lbs)! I have always gone up and down in my weight. I have always came up with several excuses as to why it wasn’t a good time to focus on doing something about it. However, in Sept. 2013 I decided to do something about it! (I also want to add that this is my 2nd time around loosing a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise. I lost 90 lbs in my early 20’s) I know what to do, but I was just refusing to do it!

chantelI have a few Personal Trainer friends in my life that have educated me throughout the years on this fitness and lifestyle change thing. Now, I am hoping to inspire, motivate, encourage some others as well. It’s possible people! YOU can do it, BUT only YOU!

Currently, I weight train 4 times a week and do 2 long days of cardio (45 min to 1 hour). I have taken up running/jogging as my cardio of choice and I love it! I have completed six 5k’s and my first 10k in April of this year! I eat 5 to 6 small meals a day and try to eat pretty clean MOST days of the week. Eating is a work in progress for me cause I am most certainly a foodie! Lol

I stopped eating processed foods and foods that contained a lot of sugar! I started meal prepping and eating more fruits and veggies, more protein and complex carbs such as sweet potatoes and brown rice. I eat chicken breast, egg whites, ground turkey and lots of fish! I do not eat red meat or pork, but that’s only by choice. I grill, bake or broil all my meats. I allow myself one to two cheat meals a week. I love to cook healthy meals for my family as well! I try to post my meals via my Facebook and Instagram pages. I also love finding new healthy recipes to try!

I starting documenting my journey via social media as my own way of holding myself accountable and to also motivate and inspire others. If I can do it, YOU can do it too! I am a goal setter, digger and achiever. I set NEW goals all the time. Advice: Be YOUR own FIT YOU! Don’t compare yourself to others! What works for others may not work best for you! Get to know yourself & YOUR body. Get a trainer/coach/mentor. Don’t believe everything you see, read, or hear…do YOUR own research as well.

I love my new fit life so much that I have decided to further educate myself to help others who want to enjoy this wonderful life as too! I am currently studying to become a Certified Health Coach through American Council on Exercise (ACE)! I’m so very excited! #futurecertifiedhealthcoach

Please follow me through my fit life journey on IG & Twitter @fitnthickbabe and like my fb page http://www.facebook.com/fitnthickbabe Share it w/someone you know who could use a little motivation! Also, I just recently launched the start of my new Fit N Thick Babe apparel line. If you are fit (YOUR “fit” not anyone else’s), focused, & fabulous then you are a Fit N Thick babe also! Get your t-shirt & display your fabulous self!

chantel weight loss

Sheena lost 87 pounds

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Update: More than 2 years later, Sheena is still going strong.

Before & now #LittleBlackDress 💙 I’m not done yet #TransformationTuesday

A post shared by 📷 Sheenas Lifestyle Change 👆 (@determined2satisfied) on

Instagram: @determined2satisfied

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Sheena lost 87.2 pounds.  After years of starting and quoting diets she decided to recommit to her goals and was inspired by the stories of others online to change her life.  She has chronicled her inspiring journey on Instagram and now she’s sharing with us about how she lost the weight…

Sheena before and after

START Determined: END Satisfied! It started off about wanting to lose 100 pounds before I graduated with my MBA but it is so much more than that. I’ve learned that the only way be successful losing weight is to make it a LIFESTYLE change. No crazy DIETS just eating better, working out and staying motivated. It took me a long time and many failed attempts but I’m more determined than ever and enjoying this journey. It’s crazy how much can change in such a short period of time. One decision to lose weight has the power to change your entire life. People ask me how I started and how did I lose the weight?

My story sounds like so many others, I’ve been overweight my who life. I don’t really remember a time which I wasn’t the chubby/big/fat whatever you want to label it girl. As a child I got made fun of a little but not really to my face. It was more of me feeling others got chosen over me because of my weight. I’ve always had a lot of friends and even though I would have preferred to be smaller I still loved myself. My weight issues probably bothered me more inside then I let it show to the world. I tried so many DIETS and QUIT that eventually I embraced the cute big girl look. I went to college, worked, partied and traveled. I usually didn’t let my weight stop me. I tried some more DIETS during and after college but quit those too. I had my son in 2011 and I believe I was back to weighing the same 225 pounds soon after, so I can’t use the “I gained weight with the baby” excuse. Lol

When 2013 came around, I weighed in at 248 pounds and I knew if I didn’t do something soon I might hit 300 pounds. I followed an account on Instagram for months with such inspirational post (@mbfitsupportsu ) I found a whole world of people on Instagram documenting their weight loss journeys. I watched real people, shrink in a matter of months. I watched them post recipes, workouts, tips and motivational quotes. It was December 2013 and my Fall semester of Graduate school was coming to an end. I remember how much trouble I was having earlier that semester and thinking wow you really turned it around at the end. Then I asked myself why is it that no matter how hard school gets, I complete it. I might cry, be mad or whatever, but the work gets done no matter how crazy work or life gets. I told myself that I needed to look at going to the gym as school and eating right as my homework. If all those regular girls on Instagram can do it then why couldn’t I? Finally after almost a year of watching other people transform their bodies I opened up my own Instagram journey account @sheenafitzai, now @startdetermined__endsatisfied. On December 11th 2013, I weighed in at 255.6 pounds.

When I first started, I made small changes. A normal day drinking wise for me before my journey started would be maybe some OJ in the morning, a bottle of grape soda for lunch and maybe some coffee with lots of sugar and milk. I didn’t really drink a lot during the day but whatever I did drink something it wasn’t water. So when I started my journey I decided to drink WATER only. I stopped eating out as much and changed what I ordered when I did eat out. I could eat out more than once a day, usually I would order something for lunch at work and buy something for dinner. Vegetables and fruits weren’t really part of my diet, so I started eating more vegetable and fruits. Making a green smoothie in the morning made it easier for me to get my servings of veggies/fruit in.

I worked out at home and used guest passes at different gyms before I actually joined Synergy. I would go to the gym walk a mile and go home. Doesn’t sound like much now but it was a lot for me at the time. So many times in the past I joined a gym or workout program then never went back. I wanted to commit to working out before joining anything this time. The more I went, the harder I pushed myself.  In the beginning of my journey, I mostly went on the Elliptical and Treadmill but also did 30 day challenges I found online that focused on different parts of the body. An example would be a 30 day squat challenge or plank challenge. I also tried different classes at the gym, like PoundFit, Zumba, Kickboxing basically anything they offered. I even went to a Cross Fit class, swimming classes at a different gym and bootcamp classes. Anything to keep me motivated. I tried to do something everyday even if it was only 20 minutes. I also took walks on my lunch breaks. I posted pictures and documented my journey on Instagram for motivation and support.

My last weigh-in was 11-14-14 at 168.4 pounds. I am down 87.2 pounds and fighting to hit 100 pounds by my year mark by December 11 2014 (I’m 5’1″). Now I’m proving myself wrong. If I can do this, I’m telling you so can you. Make this Lifestyle change a priority and the results will come.

My advice: This journey is 100% mental; you should embrace the journey. Commit to a Lifestyle Change not a DIET. Take it slow and do your research. Just because someone does it one way doesn’t mean that’s how you have to. Take the things you see and make them work for you. Meal prep things that work for you; meals you will eat. Keep an open mind and try new things. Start cooking your own meals and find ways to make the unhealthy meals healthier. Be reasonable when setting goals. Don’t compare your day 1 with someones day 300. You are amazing and if you put your mind to it you can do it :). I used to make a lot of excuses, I used to say the one thing I couldn’t do was lose weight .

Sheena weight loss transformation

RECAP:
Embrace the journey #thinkpositive
Try to change the way you think!!
Do your own research!!
Find out what works for you!!!
Use all your resources. (IG, YouTube, Pinterest, MyFitnessPal, countless apps)
Change things slowly!
Don’t be too hard on yourself!!
Take lots of pictures/videos.
Make goals other than losing pounds.
Believe you can do this!!
When in doubt, Drink more WATER!
Wake up with Determination & go to bed with SATISFACTION!

Update: Torrie lost 65 pounds

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We got an update from Torrie! When we featured her back in Nov 2013, she’s lost 41 pounds.  Almost a year later she’s down a total of 65 pounds.  Check out her update.

Torrie before and after

Hello, My Name is Torrie Jackson. I’m currently 37 years old and I’m from Michigan. You did a story on me last year and I wanted to follow up. I have been continuing on my weight lost journey and I’ve now lost a total of 60 pounds. When I first started the process in early 2012, I was 230 pounds. I’m really proud to say that I have reached my goal weight of 165. I’m feeling great each day and just trying my best to stay fit my walking and bike riding. I’m also entering my first 5k this year, the Fifth Third Bank Turkey Trot 2014 in Detroit, MI on Thanksgiving Day. 

Living a healthy lifestyle may mean something different from one person to the next. For me, health is defined by living a disease-free life. Living healthy is important to because I want to be around to play with my son who is currently age 5. Focusing on a healthy lifestyle not only improves my quality of life it may even add years as well. Besides, when you are physically fit, it gets reflected on your face, so you look attractive and start feeling good about yourself.

Good health has a positive effect on the productivity even as an employee and that is why we need to take good care of your health, both in the workplace as well as at home. I feel more energetic, my mind and body is free from work pressure and mental stress. I’m also able to handle the daily tasks at workplace with a positive attitude, focused more on the positives and not bothered much about the negatives. Most importantly, at the end of the day, I can sleep well feel stress free. Being mindful of my diet, and physical activity and stress level allows me to effectively balance all aspects of my life and might increase my life span.

Thank You to Black Women Losing Weight because you have helped with keeping me motivated.
-Torrie Jackson

Find out more about how Torrie began her weight loss journey and the steps she took.