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Bridgetta lost 44 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Bridgetta.  She lost 44 pounds and went from a size 20 to a size 11/12.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

Bridgetta weight loss story

“My motivation came from within as far as losing weight goes. I could no longer fit into any of my clothes and I felt depressed. I drove by the gym for weeks before I muscled up the nerve to go inside and finally join. It was the best decision I EVER made! I changed my eating habits from junk food, Little Debbies, McDonald’s, etc. to green, leafy veggies, proteins, water, fruit, and less red meat! My workouts consist of an hour of any cardio (my favorite is the elliptical trainer) and then working a specific area of my body.  I work a different area of the body each day of the week, seven days a week. My starting weight was 240 pounds & my current weight is 196 pounds! I started out as a size 20 & am now a solid size 11/12! I couldn’t be happier. It took me a year and 9 months to get to the size I am. My advice to all the other beautiful African American women out there or anyone else trying to lose weight is to not give up! It takes time and hard work, but it is so worth it!”

Bridgetta weight loss photos
Bridgetta weight loss story

Cheryl lost 40 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Cheryl.  She lost 40 pounds and was able to improve her pre-diabetes diagnosis.  Here is what she shared with us:

Cheryl weight loss story

“My name is Cheryl Miller and I am 42 years old. I started my journey last October (2012) while weighing 262 pounds. I was placed on medication for hypertension and was using a Cpap machine.  I was also diagnosed as being pre-diabetic. I didn’t love myself and felt miserable. I walked in a gym for the first time to change my life. Now, I have a personal trainer,  work out 5 days a week at the gym and do cardio on the weekends. My diet changed from carbs and fried foods to eating mostly chicken, fish and veggies. 40 pounds later, I weigh 224 pounds. I feel wonderful. My blood sugar went from 162 to 112 and my A1C from 6.5 to 5.8 because of my new lifestyle. My goal is to be the healthiest I can be and be medication free in 2014. I want women to see my story and become inspired to improve their lifestyle. Thank you for taking the time to view my story.  I can be found on Facebook and Instagram @sassy_fit_girl”

Cheryl before and after photos

Carmen lost 80 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Carmen lost 80 pounds.  She committed herself to getting healthy and losing weight and has provided the full details of her weight loss journey.  She gives God all the Glory for helping her to commit to a new lifestyle.  Here is what she shared with us:

Carmen weight loss photos

Oct 30th: Wow, what a difference a year can make! Today, I am celebrating my one year anniversary of my weight lost journey. My pain is my power, my power is my purpose, and my purpose is my Praise. What was meant to demolish me only polished me. Live, Laugh and I LOVE being a LOSER OF 80 pounds!”

How I did it: 1. God 2. Diet 3. Gym 4. Sleep 5. Vitamins 6. Journaling

What was your motivation?

My pain is my power, my power is my purpose, and my purpose is my Praise. What was meant to demolish me only polished me. Live, Laugh and I LOVE being a LOSER OF 80 pounds!  When I looked in the mirror I didn’t like what I was seeing.  After a couple of stressful situations in my life one day I just had a light bulb moment and made up in my mind that I was going to lose weight because I wanted to be healthy, feel and look better.  First, I asked God to help me with my weight lost through prayer.  I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.  I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle because you cannot catch health but you can catch health related diseases such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular.  I eliminated stress and stressful people from my life.

How did you change your eating habits?

My diet is focused on portion control with a minimum of 50 grams of protein daily.  Example for breakfast I eat the following: a boil egg white, piece of cheddar cheese, 16 ounces of veggie/fruit juice that I make: beet, kale, ginger, pineapple and carrots, snack protein shake, lunch cup of salad with a small can of tuna, snack yogurt, dinner salad/steamed vegetables with grilled steak, fish or chicken.  I drink half of body weight in water.  For example, I weigh 145 pounds so I drink at least 73 ounces of water daily.  I eat and drink three (3) hours before I go to bed, I have a bedtime and I get 8 hours of sleep daily.  I also take the following vitamins daily: Iron, B12, Calcium with Vitamin D and Women’s multiple all from the $1 store.  When I eat out, I order a salad as my appetizer and eat an appetizer as my main entrée or only have an entrée that I eat half of.

What do your workout routines look like?

I joined a gym for $20 a month.  I signed up for the instructional classes to learn how to use the machines and received a written routine by a personal trainer.  My gym routine consists of 6 days per week 90-120 minutes work out.  I do a 5 minute cardio warm-up on the treadmill, 45 minutes of weights that I spend 5 minutes per machine that I alternate upper or lower body for 4 days and 2 days I do a circuit of weights and I finish my work out with 45 – 60 minutes on the treadmill and/or cross trainer.  Twice a month, I go hiking for 5 miles 5 hours and Pole Dancing for an hour.  Once a week I do Soul Line Dancing for 3 hours, Flat belly Work Out for 1 hour, Hip Hop Abs, and just for fun I do Hip Hop Dance on my son’s Wii along with a couple of dips and pull ups.

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

My starting weight was 223 pounds.  My current weight is 145.8 pounds. [80 pounds down over the course of the year.]

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

The main advice I have for others who want to lose weight is to educate themselves as much as possible about diet and exercise.  Secondly, understand that weight lost is a major lifestyle change.   My lifestyle changed with activities that included entertainment, traveling, hiking, DIY projects, knitting and soul line dancing are just a few to name.  Activities that did not include food but were physically focused.  I begin focusing on what I should eat and drink instead of focusing on what not to eat and drink.  I focused on my weight lost as a battle and a journey.  Third, keep a journal of your weight lost journey.  I picked up my pen and started a weight lost journal that I made a promised to myself to keep for one year.  The journey was so rewarding that I’m keeping the journal until the end of the year.  I also documented my weight lost resources as well in my journal.  I made up in mind that I was going to enjoy the journey no matter where I was at until I reached my goal which the journal helped me see my progress and was great motivation.  I understood that the weight lost was not going to come off fast because I didn’t put on the weight fast so I gave myself at least one year with a change in my diet and physical activity.  You cannot eat a whole pie in one sitting but if you eat a little piece at a time eventually you will eat the whole pie.  Remember anything is a cinch inch by inch and all things are possible through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.  Live, Laugh and Loving Weight Lost!

Amanda lost 90 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Amanda lost 90 pounds.  After years of yo yo dieting, she found a way to lose the weight and stop comfort eating.  She is very happy that her health has improved significantly.  Here is her weight loss story and her advice to others:

Amanda weight loss photos

“After the death of my father in August 2003, I started eating for comfort. I was 23 years old at the time, and I gained over 100 lbs throughout the next five years. Finally, On August 23, 2010, after years of yo-yo dieting, gym memberships and almost every weight loss trick known to man, I went to a personal trainer and said: “I’m ready.”  The trainer weighed me in on that day at 297 pounds.

I began to work ou 6 days a week with the trainer, doing 1-hour sessions which included cardio and weight training. My trainer also put me on a specialized meal plan that consists of meal replacement bars and shakes and low carb dinner (meat and vegetable only.). I also took vitamins and nutritional supplements. After three months of training and the personal meal plan, I lost my first 30 pounds, which was terrific.

I felt better about myself. I didn’t have the lower back pain issues that I had when I was 300 lbs. I also didn’t have the shortness of breath. My blood pressure was high at the beginning of August 2010, but by November 2010 it had come down significantly. I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. My blood pressure had decreased, and I was feeling amazing. I felt like I had received everything I needed from the personal trainer, so I continued the journey by myself.

For the next year, I worked out on my own at home in my living room. Yes, I did workout DVDs such as the Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels, Hip Hop Abs, and the most notable P90x. I continued to lose another 50 lbs in a year, all in the comfort of my home. Now, fast forward to the present 2013, and I’ve kept the weight off, and I still want to lose more. My total weight loss is 90 lbs. My current weight is 207 pounds.

I workout six days a week. I combine gym workouts and still do workout DVD’s as well. I use myfitnesspal.com to watch my calories. Most importantly I am committed to healthy living and feeling good. My primary motivation is to feel good. In the past, I hated not being able to walk for long periods of time and having lower back problems. I have to say to the readers, don’t give up! Again, I tried everything, but I believe when the time is right, the weight comes off. We have to hand in there and not give up!

I’m looking forward to reaching my next weight loss goal by December 2013. I am working towards losing another 40 pounds by March 2014.”

 

Frema lost 45 pounds

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Weight loss success story of the day:  Frema has worked hard since June to lose 45 pounds.  She used clean eating and regular exercise to lose the weight.  She says that she is focused on being healthy and eating right…not losing weight.  Here is what she shared with us:

“I’ve been overweight my whole life. I have never been skinny.  All through high school I struggled with being one of the biggest girls at school.  My senior year I weighed 300 lbs. I decided to do something about it and ended up losing 60 pounds. However, when I came to college I gained all but 20 pounds back. So, on June 2nd of this year I decided to get back into shape and get to my goal weight of 180-160lbs.”

Frema weight loss photos

What was your motivation? 

“At first it was being the director of my school’s fashion show, but then it became about me as well as something to fulfill me spiritually. Being an inspiration to others sometimes will help me on my lazy days. I know so many people are watching and I try my best (in my means) to be a good role model for them.”

How did you change your eating habits?

“At first I started out with a low carb atkins style diet, which was okay but wasn’t always healthy (basically fried chicken, chicken nuggets and ribs were okay lol). After I got into the habit of going to the gym almost every day, I didn’t want to lose all the hard work that I had been doing by eating badly.  Also, I wanted to maximize my results at the gym. So, for the last three months I have just been eating clean, I don’t eat processed foods or drink sodas. If it’s in a can or box and I eat it, it probably only has three ingredients. I eat a lot of vegetables and drink a lot of water.  It just makes me feel a lot better eating this way.”

What did your workout routines look like? 

“I exercise 6 times a week, mostly weight lifting with 20 minutes of cardio.”

What was your starting weight?

“I started June 2nd of this year at 280 pounds.”

What is your current weight?

“I weigh 235 pounds”

How long did your transformation take?

“About 4, coming up on 5 months!!!”

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

“Eat clean. Tt is so much better than counting calories. Once clean food becomes your regular diet, then you are fine to eat the occasional slice of pizza or ice cream and not worry about gaining weight. I cheat all the time but I cheat healthy. I’ll make whole wheat desserts or frozen greek yogurt and sometimes even use sugar. Losing weight shouldn’t be the goal. Eating to fuel and nourish your body should! Working out, as well. Once you get out of the mind frame of “weight loss”, the scale doesn’t bother you. The hindered results don’t bother you. The accidental bench doesn’t send you into despair because you know that youre doing right by your body. Treat your body right and it will thank you in so many ways! I have plenty other tips on my instagram @fremasfitnessforum

Here is a video of her during her journey:

Melissa lost 157 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Melissa.  She has lost a total of 157 pounds.  Here is what she shared with us:

“Good Evening, my name is Melissa Thomas. I’m 44 years old. In 2009, I weighed 325 pounds. In 2011, I lost a total of 143 pounds. I now weigh 168 pounds, down 157 pounds total.  I went from a size 26 to a size 10.”

Weight Loss Motivation: “My sons and my health were the main motivation for my weight loss.”

What did you do to lose the weight?: “I changed my eating habits by eating breakfast. I wasn’t doing that at first. I also stopped eating pork and I eat a meal at least 6 times a day.  I started at Curves for a year, then I just worked out at the gym 3 days a week.  It took me 2 years to lose get to a healthy size.”

Your advice for others who want to lose weight: “The only advice I can give is “Stay motivated and focus”. It’s hard work but as long as you have determination it will be ok.”

Melissa weight loss story

6 Tips to help you find the best personal trainer

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personal trainerHiring a personal trainer isn’t just for pro-athletes and celebrities. Everyone can benefit from even 6 sessions with one. The cost is worth it because you will benefit in two ways. For one, a trainer can show you the exercises and routines to perform to reach your goals and show you how to do them properly so you do not injure yourself. Secondly, having a personal trainer can be one of the best ways to motivate yourself to stick with exercise and makes it more fun to do.

If you think the cost of a personal trainer is too much, sit down and go through your expenses. Look at how much you spend on foods and wellness items as a result of ill health, catching a cold, loss of work due to sick days and general misbehavior on your free time. Chances are the cost of working out with a personal trainer will wind up saving you money because being fit reduces illness, gives you more energy and encourages healthier living choices that can benefit your budget.

Not all personal trainers are going to be a good match for you and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training to guarantee results. It does take time and effort to find the best personal trainer for your goals. Here are 6 tips to save you time in finding the best one for you.

Tip # 1 – Make sure they are certified

They don’t have to have a full out degree in sports medicine or physical education, but the many trainers are certified by a nationally recognized agency. That said, you can also find highly qualified ones at your local gym who have completed that gym’s proprietary training program. The point is you want someone who is qualified and who has credentials you can verify. There can be a risk for injury in training and you don’t want to be someone’s learning experience.

Tip # 2 – Make sure they ask the right questions

Good trainers will ask about your fitness goals. The best personal trainers will ask you questions about your current fitness levels, past experience and involvements with sports and fitness routines, current goals and most importantly, your medical history past and present. Knowing your medical history is essential to being able to construct a fitness routine that builds your strength, stamina and overall health. If you aren’t asked about your history, don’t go any further with that trainer.

Tip # 3 – Ask for Recommendations

Ask your friends who they use as their trainer. You should also look around your local gym and find someone who is in the kind of shape you want to be and ask who they used. You will get a lot of good feedback, not just about local trainers, but often about working out and healthy living that you can start making part of your routine as you continue your search for a trainer.

Tip # 4 – Schedule an assessment

An assessment is very different from “trying out” a training session. During the assessment, the trainer should be asking you questions about your history and goals, and performing baseline fitness tests to measure your strength, endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular levels. Some trainers will charge for an assessment as they tend to last longer than a typical training session and some will not. Many gyms will offer them for free as a way of promoting the trainers associated with the facility. Even if you wind up not going with the trainer that performed the assessment, you will have that much more knowledge about your goals and fitness level to help your find a better match.

Tip # 5 – A trial period

Don’t sign on for life with a new trainer; arrange a trial period with them. Setting a time frame like 90-days is a good way to get used to the trainer, the routines and to see results. At the end of the 90-days, another assessment should be performed and the decision made then if you are going to continue on.  Don’t be pressured into signing up for some long term deal.

Tip # 6 – The blind leading the blind

This last tip is one of the most important. Take a look at the trainer and ask yourself if they live the life they are selling. If your trainer has chronic injuries or inflammation associated with over training, has bad habits and promotes them or is a walking poster child for steroids then you should consider these issues as you make your choice.  Ideally, you want to be trained by someone who has the type of health and fitness you want for yourself so that you have a synergy with them and you click.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #8: Cancel the Gym Membership You Don’t Use

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Hi Ladies, Here is your weight loss on a budget tip for day 8 of our October Challenge.

Tip #8 – Cancel that Gym Membership that You Don’t Use.  This one is a no brainer, Ladies.  This also extends to any exercise classes, yoga classes or personal training sessions that you’ve signed up for and are paying a recurring fee for (monthly for example).  Cut out the cost of any services you aren’t using.  Sure, you might decide to go back to the gym or get serious about your form when doing “downward dog” at some point, but until you make that decision, don’t waste the money.

Instead, invest in some workout DVDs you can exercise at home or check out the exercise section on the OnDemand section of your cable box/dish for workout videos.   Even more cost effective, you can find free videos online or walk in your neighborhood.  You don’t have to go to the gym or a fitness center to lose weight.  Those are great, if you can afford to pay the fees, but if you can’t there are still options.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip

Tanisha lost 24 pounds

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Tanisha wrote to us to share that she has lost 24 pounds.  It just goes to show that you don’t have to have tremendous weight loss to be excited about getting healthier and having greater wellness.

Tanisha weight loss photos

“Hi, my name is Tanisha and I am emailing you because I was asked to share my weight losa story. I will make my story very short and simple because I found out that  for me losing weight was very simple!! I told myself these 3 things;

  • It’s not gonna happen over night
  • Do Your weight loss plan and not anybody else’s and…
  • Congratulations keep up the good work!!

After I had my third son I weighed 184 lbs.  I just recently weighed myself yesterday and I am down to 160 pounds!!!!! I feel sexy and I look great!!!! I was size 14 and just this weekend I wore a size 11 out to eat with my family!!!”

What did you do in terms of exercise?

“I started by going to the gym almost everyday if I could. Once I saw the weight falling off, I became addicted to the gym!!!! On the days I couldn’t go I would go walk for 45 minutes on my hour lunch break.I try to go to the gym at least twice a week, and if I cant get to the gym then me and 3 boys would go walking when the sun went down and that turned into our “family walk time”. I also do 100 crunches every night before bed.”

How did you change your eating habits?

“I started limiting certain foods, not starving myself.  I had fast food once a wk (sometimes I cheated) but I paid for it. I needed help with my appetite so my doctor started me out on a prescription drug which really helps. Another thing I did was substituting my french fries for a vegetable.  I also drank lots and lots of water. The only soda I drink, if I DO drink a soda, is caffeine free Sprite. If I want something sweet after I eat, I go for a “bite size” candy.  If I don’t have a bite size candy bar, then I only eat half. Lol.

I don’t call this a diet anymore since I’ve been doing it for 3 yrs, I call it a “getting healthy to see my grandkids” plan. I call it the “doing something good for ME for a change” plan. I call it the “because I love me some me” plan.  True enough, I have crazy, busy days but I always say to myself “I didn’t do all this work to go back to the way I was”. My tip to anyone trying to loose weight is to get on a plan that fits YOU. Make no excuses for yourself. Last but not least,  if you don’t like something about yourself know that only YOU can change it!!!”

Aundra lost 45 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Aundra lost 45 pounds by working out and eating clean.  She went from being afraid to sweat her hair out to loving a tough workout where she is pouring sweat.  Here is what she shared about her weight release journey:

“I stepped on the scale one day and saw the number 206.5. It was then that I decided I really needed to straighten up and fly right about making a lifestyle change. I had tried tons of “diets” and meal delivery plans to lose weight quickly. I’d always lose 10 lbs and gain it right back plus some. I soon realized that I had to change my overall thinking about fitness and eating. I was the girl who hated gyms and exercise. I worried about sweating out my hair not realizing that the key to helping you burn calories is to SWEAT. I set a goal last year (2012) to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday and let almost EVERYONE know so that I would be held accountable. I’ve since lost an overall total of 45 lbs, now weighing in at 161 since beginning my weight loss journey through clean eating and lots of exercise. Clean eating isn’t as difficult as it first appears and now that my body has adjusted. I no longer crave the artificial things that I consumed before. It took me a year and half to achieve this progress. I have a personal trainer that I work out with 3 times a week. The focus with him is full body, abs, endurance and resistance training. I’ve also incorporated boxing and hip hop dance into my workout routine. You have to find what you love and run with it. As of now, I don’t feel like I’ve worked out if I’m not drenched in sweat at the end. I’ve eliminated the word “diet” from my vocabulary because this is truly a lifetime effort. In the end, I feel as though I’m just a regular girl who finally decided to get serious about fitness with the focus on being lifetime fine,

Could you tell us more about what you did to change your eating habits?

As far as clean eating, I eliminated all processed and fast foods as well as sodas and juice. I drank half my body weight in water daily. My diet consisted mainly of broiled, baked or grilled fish, chicken or turkey. I ate lots of green vegetables such as spinach (raw and cooked), kale, broccoli and asparagus. I incorporated protein as often as possible to give me a feeling of fullness by eating foods such as greek yogurt, almonds (which I included in snack packs of apples and carrots), string cheese and boiled eggs for breakfast. I learned to eat 5 small meals a day which kept me from feeling hungry or eating just because I was bored.
How long did your transformation take?
I started my weight loss journey in May 2012 and reached my goal weight in July 2013.
Aundra weight loss