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lifestyle change

LaQuita lost 65 pounds

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Proud mom LaQuita lost 65 pounds and found Kale to be a great superfood. Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

“I am a mother of 5 and a wife. My motivation was my children! I wanted to get healthy for them to ensure I will be around for them. And be able to stay active with them. I changed my eating but I also stayed realistic! I cut out dark soda completely. If I just had to have soda, I would drink Sprite and dilute it with water. I drank 8 glasses of water a day. Kale was my best friend during my life change! Kale is a super food that helps with digestion and a natural fat burner. I ate kale twice a day! For breakfast, I would steam and add olive oil along with a boiled egg and a protein drink. For lunch, I would saute the kale along with fresh veggies! For dinner, I ate whatever I wanted. My trick for dinner was using a cake size saucer plate! Anything I ate had to fit on that plate, and I’d have either water or green tea to drink. Occasionally, I would even partake in a glass of red wine. I also exercised 3 times out of the week. I did planks and 100 squats a day. I would walk 1 of the 3 days for 3 hours. I wouldn’t power walk or jog, I just turned on Pandora and walked! Also, I small trick I learned is after you shower at night, while in a steamed filled restroom, drink a bottle of water with fresh squeezed lemon. For whatever reason, doing that kept the fat burning at night while I slept. I started at 195 pounds, now I’m down to 130 pounds! The best advice I could possibly give is never consider your transformation a diet it is a life change! Keep it simple and realistic! Stay postivive and most all know your are investing and reassuring your existence! Set small goals for yourself! Starving yourself is the absolute worst thing you can do. Remember its not what you eat that plays the part its how much you eat. The cake size saucer helped a lot with portion control. Water really is your best friend it helps detox the body! Wishing everyone good luck on your life change. I am always available for support or to answer questions.”

LaQuita weight loss

Take Back the Temple: Sarah lost 27 pounds

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Sarah shared with us how she has lost 27 pounds on journey to take back and take care of her temple by embracing a healthy lifestyle.  She is on a mission and feeling the difference already. Here is what she shared:

“From before in May 2010 weighing in at 304 lbs to now at 277 lbs and well on my way! Rather than looking at it as a “diet” or even to say “healthier lifestyle”. I am calling it a journey of taking back to take care of GOD’S temple. At first I was a little apprenhensive to submit my story because I thought my pounds loss thus far were so small compared to others. And to still look at photos of me, I really don’t see a physical difference just yet in these photos, but I definitely do FEEL a difference. However, I decided to submit it anyway to show that I am on my way! And because I am very proud of how far I’ve come. I am taking back with lots of prayer for wisdom as to what I put into my mouth and my eating habits are changing just by that. I am drinking lots and lots of water (once a day I will add a couple of tablespoons of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar in my water). I have a library of Leslie Sansone’s walking DVD’s that I use 4 times a week and they are between 30 to 45 minutes depending on if I do 2 or 3 mile walks. I also do a series of upper and lower body exercise with weights for strength training twice a week. My focus and motivation is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”.

I have a more to go to get to where I need to be physically, but…I am certainly not where I use to be. And I can do all things through CHRIST who gives me strength. I am glad to be a part of Black Women Losing Weight and to see all who are on this journey. I am encouraged to see all of the success stories coming from our black women who are taking back. I plan to submit again in a few months with an update on my progress. GOD bless you all! And keep taking back to take care of GOD’S temple.”

Sarah before and after photos

Vee lost 58 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Vee.  She lost 58 pounds and created a weight loss plan that works for her which includes clean eating and food prep.  Here is what she shared about her lifestyle change:

Vee before and after

“Hi My Name is Vee and this is MY Life Change!”

What was your motivation? “I completely was tired of being fat. I couldn’t walk stairs and I wanted to be able to everyday things that my weight was hindering me from doing.”

How did you change your eating habits? “I started by fasting for 3 weeks (I ate only RAW fruit and veggies), now I eat extremely clean. No processed foods and small portions. I pack my food for when I’m away from the house and now I go by this motto called “Eat Inside The bag” So, I don’t eat anything outside of my lunch bag to make sure I stay on track. No Sugars, Carbs, or Late night snacking. I also do a weekly food prep to help me throughout the week.”

What did your workout routines look like? “I started by walking. Then, I joined a local boot camp class, and I also have a personal trainer. However, to help me reach my ultimate goals, I work out on my own at 5am in the morning and I then train in the evenings. I try to not take more than 2 days off from my exercise regimen.”

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight? “I started at 315 pounds and I’m currently at 257 pounds.”

How long did your transformation take? “It took me 1 year. (I’m not finished)”

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight? “You are doing well no matter where you are on your journey. Don’t count the pounds, count your progress. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else Standards. And there is NO SUCH THING as you are not doing something hard enough. You will see progress at your own rate! And yes you will “Show” them, just like I did.”

Rene lost 36 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Rene’.  She’s lost 36 pounds in 5 months.  She has changed her lifestyle to avoid high blood pressure.  Doing a raw vegan detox and exercising were part of her journey.  Here is more info:

“My name is Rene’ and my journey to lose weight began June 2013. From June-Oct,  I have loss 36 pounds and counting!! I have a history of high blood pressure and stroke in my family. My doctor told me I was “lucky” not to be on any medicines as a black female with my family history. He said to continue living medication free I needed to lose weight. A good friend/coworker did a complete lifestyle change and she was a big inspiration to me. I started with a 10 day raw food detox. Since the detox, I decided to remove red meat, fried foods, & pork from my diet. I never considered this a diet, it was a lifestyle change to healthy living!! My husband, children, sister and friends have been a HUGE support in my new healthy lifestyle!!!

Exercise wise, I started out walking because that’s all I felt I could do. Now, I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. My advice to others is: no matter where you start, just start. If you fall off, get back up. If the weight doesn’t move as fast as you would like, don’t get discouraged!! And by all means, don’t be a scale watcher. You may lose pounds but there are times when you’re losing inches. NEVER call it a diet because if you choose to have a “small” treat you can do it guilt free!! Thank you for allowing to share! Blessings to you!!”

Rene weight loss success

Sheila lost 43 pounds

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Featured weight loss story of the day: Sheila lost 43 pounds in 6 months.  She embraced regular exercise and made healthy changes to her eating to make getting healthy and lifestyle change her focus.  She also got help for chronic pain.  Here is what she shared with us:

Sheila weight loss story

 

What was your motivation?
My main motivation was to get healthy and maintain good health.

How did you change your eating habits?
I loaded up on complex carbohydrates and limited my intake of simple carbohydrates. I stopped eating processed foods and began eating more whole wheat/grains, legumes and vegetables. I only drank water and I stopped drinking sodas and beverages that had high fructose corn syrup. I only use extra virgin olive oil when preparing my meals. I stopped eating red meat, mainly because my acupuncturist said it’s very harsh on our digestive system.

What did your workout routines look like?
My workout routines consisted of 60 minutes of Zumba® 3-4 days a week.

What was your starting weight?
My starting weight was 209 lbs.

What is your current weight?
My current weight is 166 lbs.

How long did your transformation take?
My transformation took 6 Months.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Firstly, get healthy and lose the weight for yourself and begin when you are absolutely ready.
It will be difficult but DON’T GIVE UP!  Lastly and more importantly, do not consider it as a diet, rather consider it as a lifestyle change.

My weight loss story:
My story began about three years ago.  I worked from home eight to nine hours a day; five days a week.  I started to experience pain in my right shoulder/arm. Initially, it started as a dull, aching pain which was more of a discomfort to me. It then progressively developed into a sharp, painful, shooting and debilitating sensation to the point where my husband and I thought it would benefit me to seek treatment from a physical therapist/chiropractor. I found a local Spine and Rehabilitation center that provided Chiropractic/Physical Therapy treatments. I made an appointment and I was advised to come twice a week for several months. They did a comprehensive analysis of my neck, electrical stimulation and “spinal manipulations”.  Unfortunately, I did not get relief from any of these treatments, so I felt I had to try some type of exercise that would not only give me the relief I desperately needed but one that would effectively help me lose a considerable amount of weight.  I had heard of dance fitness program called Zumba® and how much fun, effective and exhilarating it was. I found a local studio that offered Zumba® which was very convenient and affordable. My goal was to get healthy because I truly believed my weight and lack of exercise was the cause of my pain and suffering. Toward the end of 2009, I began Zumba® and I went 3-4 times a week. The classes lasted an hour and I felt energized after every class! I purchased a scale and maintained a spreadsheet where I kept a log of my exercises and everything I consumed (food/beverages). I made a promise to myself that I would lose at least 40 lbs by my Birthday, October 21, 2011. In April of 2010, I weighed in at 209 lbs (size 16) and by my Birthday (as promised) I lost 40 lbs and weighed in at 169 lbs (size 10). In the process of losing the unwanted weight by doing Zumba®, the debilitating pain I felt in my right shoulder/arm was GONE! I have been able to maintain my weight loss and I am working on losing an additional 8-10 lbs. Amazingly, I am still pain free! I thank my husband for his tremendous support and I thank God for giving me the strength, the willpower and the belief I needed to have in myself which gave  me the confidence necessary to successfully execute and complete the goal I set for myself.  And finally, a big thanks to the amazing and wonderful Zumba® instructors who continue to inspire me!

 

 

Beatrice lost 84 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss story: Beatrice lost 84 pounds by working out and eating right.  She was inspired by her brother’s weight loss and decided to lose the weight after a wakeup call from her doctor.  Here is what she shared with us:

Beatrice weight loss story

“Hi, I would like to share my story. My name is Beatrice.  Exactly one year ago I started my weight loss journey. I went from 268 pounds to 184 pounds and from a size 24 to a size 10.  I did it by working out and eating right. I would love to be an inspiration to others.

My motivation was hearing the doctor tell me that I gained 40 pounds in five months. I couldn’t believe how that happened and was ashamed at myself. Also, my brother lost about 130 pounds and he motivated me.  I was also motived by being able to button a size 22 pants.

I stopped eating salt, fast food and processed sugar.  For exercise, I began walking around the park and playing tennis 4-5 times a week for the first 3 months. I lost 36 pounds.  Then, I joined a workout group at church where we do intense cardio classes 4 days a week.  The people there are so motivating.  Also, I lift weights at home and still play tennis during the day.

My advice to others is to have encouraging, motivating people around you. Keep a food journal so that you can monitor what you eat and how much you eat.  Also, drink lots of water and eat lots of protein. It’s hard work but at least you can say that you did it the right way and you will learn how to keep the weight off for good. It’s not just for the moment but it’s a lifestyle change.”

T’Ericka lost 50 pounds

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Featured before and after story: T’Ericka lost 50 pounds and found her true self.  After struggling with weight loss and low self esteem since childhood, she was able to make lifestyle changes that are about more than just losing pounds.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey: T'Ericka weight loss photos “Many people have been asking and inboxing me about my weight loss and the question that stood out to me most was ‘Why I did it and what motivated me to stay on track?’. So, here is my story: Growing up I’ve always been the chunky girl. I LOVED to eat (I still do lol) but then I didnt know how bad it was until I started started getting teased EVERYDAY for my weight. Tt bothered me but I always kept it in.  I turned 12 and I was into modeling so my mom took me to a nearby agency, only to hear from the lady that I was very pretty but too big to be a model for her. That crushed me and from that point on I had the lowest self esteem. I ate myself into being unhealthy. I used to ask God to make me skinny (lol) so that people could like me (smh). In school I always wanted to do different things but instead I put myself in the background because I thought everyone would be judging me on my weight. I really disliked who I was!! I always thought the world only welcomed skinny people!! Then I got older and wanted to make changes so I lost weight the fast way. Then I started dating my guy and gained it all back, which put me in my lowest self esteem EVER!! (I tried not to show it but I truly gave up on myself) I didn’t go out much. I didn’t take some opportunities because I was really in a BATTLE with myself! I was unhealthy physically and mentally! However, last year I had enough. I wanted to be at my full potential. I wanted to start a journey that would be a lifestyle change for me. It wasn’t just about losing weight, it was also about gaining who I knew God wanted me to be! I ate better and really started getting my business together. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week for an hour. I do cardio (40 mins) and weight training(20 mins)! I’ve added lots of fruits and green vegetables to my plate and cut out a lot of red meat (I eat red meat occasionally). I rarely go to fast food restaurants because that once was my weakness! Im just really enjoying this lifestyle change. I feel great! I wanted to be the best T’Ericka Tifany-Joy Mullen There was!! I WANTED THIS FOR ME!!! That’s why this 50 pound weight loss means so much to me! It makes me feel accomplished! I feel like I graduated from who I was and walked across the stage to who I always knew I had the potential of being!! I not only burned away some pounds but I burned my past hurts, my low self esteem, etc. I am still a work in progress but I refuse to go back to who I was physically and MENTALLY. This Journey wasn’t just about weight loss it was about gaining me back!! God Bless!

6 Essential Habits for Losing Weight and Keeping it Off

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healthy habits weight lossLosing weight is really difficult to start with, but on top of that we all want to keep the weight off for good. There are healthy habits you can adopt NOW in order to increase your chances of keeping the weight off long term. Here are 6 tips that can help.

1. Don’t call what you’re doing a “diet.” This will set you up for failure immediately. Diets are quick, short term solutions for weight loss that usually are not permanent. If you are looking for permanent, long term weight loss, you need to think about it as a lifestyle change. Diets aren’t bad; they can help kick your metabolism into gear so that you can lose weight more easily. But a diet isn’t going to give you long-term success; changes in your lifestyle and food choices will.

2. Set weight loss goals. Goals are one of the most important parts of the weight loss process. The problem is, too many people say “I want to lose x number of pounds.” That is great but sometimes it’s not enough in terms of goal setting. Instead, start making your lifestyle changes gradually and make several mini-goals at a time. Sure, you can say that you want to lose 100 lbs, but it may be easier to stay motivated if you say you want to lose 10 pounds in the next 6 weeks or that you want to be able to walk a mile in addition to losing weight.

3. Reward yourself. …but please don’t make the mistake of rewarding yourself with food. If you can create rewards that are encouraging, but don’t involve messing up your lifestyle changes, they can be really good motivators. Effective rewards are desirable, timely, and contingent on meeting a particular goal. Use several smaller rewards for smaller goals, too. For example, if you went through a month of walking for 30 minutes every day, you can reward yourself with a haircut or a trip to the spa.

4. Figure out why you gained weight in the first place. Your Big WHY! – This is one of the hardest parts of maintaining long-term weight loss, but you do have to do some self evaluation. Why did you start overeating in the first place? What happened that made you want to overeat? Was there a life event/trauma? Were you struggling with a hormonal imbalance like PMS or a chemical imbalance that caused mood issues? Do you have a health issue? What happened to make you start neglecting your diet? Once you figure that out, you need to take steps that help you deal with those issues effectively later on. This will help you prevent similar issues in the future.

5. Understand portion sizes. If you understand how portion sizes are supposed to work, you’re going to be better off. We have an issue in the United States where we fill our plates to overflowing, and you really can’t do this. Even healthy foods can be bad if your portions are too big. A good rule to go by is the “fist rule.” A serving of healthy food is about the size of your fist; the smaller you are the smaller your fist is, and the smaller your portions will be. Keeping a food diary can help control your potions too.

6. Follow the 80/20 rule. You don’t have to be perfect all of the time, trust me. The key is balance and moderation. It’s going to take a lot of effort to maintain this lifestyle, so it’s okay to slack every once in awhile. If you live by healthy habits 80% of the time, slacking a little for the other 20% is okay (as long as you don’t go absolutely crazy and ruin what you did all week). Give yourself a treat on the weekend after being “good” all week.

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:

Lawanna lost 97 pounds

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Lawanna lost 97 pounds and is now a personal trainer and nutritionist.  She shared with us about the lifestyle changes she made to lose the pounds.  Check it out:

“Hey everyone!!  My name is Wanna. I just want to show everybody that it can be done. My weight loss journey has been a great learning experience.  I’ve lost almost 100 pounds and I’m still losing (just a little bit more).  I’ve gone from a size 20 to a size 8.  I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 14 years now, and have been a personal trainer/nutritionist for the past 2 years.  I eat 5-6 small meals a day.  I love to motivate and inspire others to join me in losing unwanted pounds.  If I can do it, so can you.

My motivation is the fact that high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer run in my family.  Also, watching my clothes get too big motivates me as well.  The fact that I’m a personal trainer and nutritionist….it comes with the territory. I’ve been a vegetarian for 13 years, so my meals consist on fruit, veggies, whole grains and tons of water. I workout 5-6 days a week doing toning and about 40-60 minutes of cardio…sometimes twice a day.  I love the gym, but I prefer to be outside, so I hit the park sometimes just to change it up.  At my heaviest, I was 252 pounds.  I’m currently 155 pounds, down from a size 20.  My weight loss journey started in 2006.  I went from a size 20 to a size 16 in the first 3 months.  Then I dropped down to a 13/14 and stayed there until 2012.  I joined a gym after I finished getting my certification.  I went from a 13/14 to a 7/8 between March 2012 and now.  Also, P90X and The Biggest Loser were very instrumental on my weight loss journey”

Lawanna weight loss