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Jessica lost 26 pounds in 3 months

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Weight Loss Story: Jessica lost 26 pounds in 3 months.  This proud soldier and mom dealt depression and the trials that come with divorce, which contributed to her weight gain.  After a photo wake up call, she changed her daily habits and wants others to know that ” it’s never to late to late to pick yourself up again.”  Check out her story…

jessica before and after

Hi My name is Jessica and I love your page. I follow BWLW for a daily dose of motivation. All the stories are truly inspiring! I wanted to submit my story because I am very proud of the progress that I’ve made and want to share with you and all my fellow sisters.

For at least a year, I’ve struggled with my weight. My weight gain was mainly due to stress but the fact that I kept the weight on was due to depression. I was going through so much everyday, being that I was newly divorced and in a constant struggle with my ex over our son. Times were indeed hard. I knew I had put on weight but it didn’t seem like I could do anything about it. I found out I was deploying and then the thought of leaving my son started really weighing heavy on me.  I’ve never been a heavy person but somehow the weight just came on. I wasn’t doing anything except feeling sorry for myself.

I started my weight loss journey after a fellow soldier took some pictures of me walking back to my barracks. When she showed me the pictures, she said “You’re almost busting out of that uniform.” She didn’t know that I was already internally depressed about my weight, but in any case she helped me. That was a wake up call and I made a decision that day to start getting fit and stop being depressed.

My weight was 201 pounds the first time I stepped on a scale and it was very depressing. I’m 5’7″ tall  and felt so depressed about my weight that my self-esteem plummeted. I didn’t feel beautiful or even remotely attractive. I also felt like a horrible soldier. I let myself get to a point where I had to squeeze into my uniform and couldn’t pass a PT Test. I’m a U.S. soldier we are supposed to be fit physically and mentally. At that time, I was neither.

Well, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and started working out. I cut out ALL fried foods and limited myself with the amounts of bread I eat. I also started substituting the heavy meals I was having for breakfast and lunch with fruits and a meal replacement shake instead. For dinner, I eat veggies and lean protein only, such as chicken breast, turkey, and fish. I started making a journal log of all the foods I ate everyday in order to hold myself accountable. I also increased my water intake to about a gallon of water a day. I only drink water, never anything else (no juice or soda or flavored water). It keeps me hydrated for my workouts.

I have grown to love running. It not only helps clear my mind and ease my stress, but it is a great fat burning, cardio workout. I’m not a heavy weight lifter, but I do lift small amounts of weight to help tone my arms. On April 2nd 2015, I weighed in at 201 pounds and as of today I weigh 175 pounds. I lost 26 lbs in 3 months.

I also want to say that I did suffer a hip injury in May. I couldn’t workout for three weeks but I kept up with my diet and thankfully didn’t put on any weight without exercise. That made me realize that weight loss is highly dependent on what you eat.

I want people to know that no matter how low and depressed you may feel it’s never to late to late to pick yourself up again. Life is truly about learning how to dance in the rain.  I’ve never felt more confident and proud of myself for overcoming my own negative thoughts!

Instagram: @I__am__jess

Mindy lost 25 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Mindy lost 25 pounds.  This proud mom has faced a number of challenges and obstacles on her weight loss journey and she has not given up.  She has thrived and is on a mission to be the most healthy mom she can be.  She is still on her journey, but she shared her story with us…

mindy before and after

I am 31 years old, a wife of 7 years and Mom to a beautiful 20 month old girl! Me and my husband tried to have a child for 4 years before I got pregnant. When I got married 7 years ago, I was at my goal weight of 180 pounds and felt like a million bucks! Of course, real life set in and major changes went on in my life after that.

I moved across country from Boston to California and a year after that my mother passed away. I was devastated, fell into a deep depression and gained 50 lbs in less than a year. In 2012, I after being told I may never get pregnant I focused 100% on getting healthy and changing my sedentary lifestyle. I lost 60lbs and joyfully got pregnant! My pregnancy was far from a breeze, going on bed rest at 5 1/2 months due to going into pre-term labor. You can only imagine how much weight I gained (35-40 lbs). I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to take insulin. Once I delivered, I lost about 20 lbs and felt great then the stress of being a working mom set in and I packed on the pounds putting me at a whopping 255 pounds.

I knew I was overweight but somewhere along the line I lost interest in myself and my health. As a registered nurse you can imagine how disappointed in myself I was. I would set out to lose the extra pounds and be great for a month or so. Then I’d revert back to my old unhealthy ways once I didn’t see results immediately. The moment where I said enough is enough was when I was sitting in the doctors office 16 months postpartum at 255 pounds and was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Fyi: my Mom died from complications of diabetes. I knew then I needed to change my life for good!

I began working out 3 times a week and have since lost 25 pounds. It has been a long hard road and I am nowhere close to the end of my weight loss journey, but I am proud of how far I have come. I still want to loose about 55 lbs and I believe that I can do it. I have become a Beachbody coach because I feel it will help me in my journey and in turn I can help someone else. Losing weight is the most difficult thing I have done but I know the pay off is going to be worth it. My main driving force is my daughter! She deserves a healthy mom and I’m going to give her that! Follow me on Instagram: @fitdva

Farrah lost 27 pounds going Paleo

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Farrah lost 27 pounds going Paleo, meal planning and exercising regularly.  Her story should serve as inspiration to anyone who’s lost weight, gained the weight back and been able to get back on track with weight loss and health goals despite major obstacles.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

farrah before and after

Hello, I’m Farrah. I recently recommitted my life to getting healthy and staying that way. After losing 48 lbs a couple of years ago, I ended up regaining 42 lbs. After gaining my weight back, I suffered from deep depression and health complications that lead me to be hospitalized. After getting out of the hospital, I vowed to take back my health and to lose the weight and to keep it off. I’ve been able to accomplish my 27 pound weight loss by sticking to a predominantly Paleo way of eating, and going to the gym 4-6 days a week. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m proud that I’m a lot closer than I was only a few short months ago. My transformation started in September 2014 and I really noticed results in February and March of this year.

In terms of my Paleo diet, it really entailed me cutting out processed foods, simple carbs, and dairy. It works really well for me and I don’t really feel as if I’m deprived of things because I’ve found lots of recipes where I can make chic-chip cookies, brownies, and pies, but the ingredients are so much cleaner.

In regards to my workouts, before my hip injury I tried to do cardio for 45 minutes everyday. Sometimes it would be the elliptical, the treadmill, or the row machine. I then would to weight training or HIIT workouts at least 4 times a week. I tried to maintain a workout schedule of 5-6 days a week.

My advice to others that are starting their weight loss journey is what works for me, and that is be organized and set goals. I like to sit down on Fridays or Saturday mornings and write out my meal schedule, what my breakfast, lunch, dinners, and snacks will be. That way I can grocery shop better and if I feel tempted to pick something up at the market that’s not on the list I have more discipline to say no, and find a way to work it in next week if I really want too. I like to plan my workouts as well. I find that if I don’t I won’t push myself as hard or I’ll just do a light routine instead of the hardcore one I need to do. I would also say don’t judge yourself by what others are doing. I know that personally I’m always comparing myself to others and it’s just not a good idea to do so. You are not them and your body functions differently than theirs. Just do the best YOU can do and see what your body will do for you. Be patient, stay consistent, and you’ll see your body change.

If anyone would like to, they can follow my journey on Instagram at @FlabtoFab0687
Thank you for hearing my story. I truly love the BWLW instagram page and website, I am inspired daily by it!

Melinda lost 26 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Melinda lost 26 pounds, going from a size 12 to a size 4. She has reshaped her body with weight lifting and healthy eating.  Read what she shared with us about her journey…

melinda before and after

Hello, I just wanted the share my journey with you. My name is Melinda Cecil and I started my weight loss journey on January 18, 2013. I’m 5’4″ tall and I weighed 178 pounds wearing a size 12/large. I woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and simply wanted to look better naked..lol!! My goal was to just get my weight down to 145 pounds and I did that in 6 months by eating healthier and working out everyday. I would walk for 3 miles in 45 minutes until I was able to run. I started weight lifting and fell in love with the weights. I stopped eat so much junk food and I don’t drink pop, juice or Kool-aid anymore, just water. I’ve stopped eating red meat for about a year now. Now, I work out 6 days a week.

I’m still in the process of building a better me. Over 2 years later, I now weigh 152 pounds and wear a size 4/small. I feel fabulous and healthy! The advice I’d give to anyone who wants to lose weight is; eat healthy, workout, and stay focused! It gets hard sometimes, but don’t give up! My Instagram is @Mrsrome1

melinda weight loss

Jennifer lost 25 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Jennifer lost 25 pounds and went from a size 22 to a size 16.  She was inspired to change her life so that she would live a full life and be here to see her sons thrive.  Here is what she shared with us about how she lost the weight…

jennifer before and after

My name is Jennifer Mathis from Vaiden, Ms. I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. At my heaviest, I weighed 245 pounds. Currently, I weigh 220 pounds (height: 5’6″ tall), but I’ve also lost numerous inches. I went from a size 22w to a size 16 from July 2014 to February of 2015. I still have a long way to go with my weight, but I am extremely happy about my progress thus far!

I work out 4 to 5 days per week. My workouts consist of at least 1 hour of cardio, whether it’s SPIN CLASS or the treadmill at 15% incline. I have also incorporated weight training at least 3 times per week.
My diet consists of high fiber, like bran and vegetables. To be honest, I am still a work in progress when it comes to my diet, but I am making conscious decisions when it pertains to my diet. I grew up in Mississippi. My mother taught her daughters how to cook and how to cook WELL! I have had to learn how to streamline my recipes and still make them tasty!

My motivation is my family, I want to be here to see my boys become young men and begin their families.
I want to be here for them. I want to meet my daughter in laws and grandchildren when that time comes.

My advice? Consistency. Stay at it, even when you don’t see results! Hold yourself accountable and surround yourself with people of like mind. After a few weeks, you’re not going to want to miss a gym session!

jennifer weight loss

Liza lost 27 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Liza lost 27 pounds.  After years of sugar addiction and unhealthy eating, she decided to change her lifestyle and embrace healthy eating.  This Blogger is now ready to slip into that wedding dress this summer and has shared her journey online to inspire others.  Check out her story and video…

liza before and after

Hi, I wanted to share my weight loss success! I lost 27 lbs in 3 months after years of struggling with a sugar addiction. During my 3 month weight loss journey, I did not have sugar or meat. My motivation came from my relationship with God. I knew that i needed to be healthier because I was heavily addicted to sugar but just could not get it together. Through prayer, he changed the way I saw myself, he changed the way I took care of myself and as a result I started this journey. My faith also helped me to keep at it.

Every single time I did not feel like going running or wanted to just eat out of boredom or whatever other emotion, I reminded myself that I was given a spirit of love, power and of self-control. It definitely was not easy but it was so worth it. I feel so much healthier and am so motivated to stay fit as I am getting married this summer! My workouts consisted of running, salsa dancing and yoga. I ran 3-4 times with the Nike app for about 20-30 mins. My starting weight was: 164lbs/74kg and my weight now is 136lbs/62kg. My height is 5’7″.

My advice is that if I can do it, you can do it too. I used to eat big bags of chocolate daily. I used to hate running but I was able to overcome! Pray and believe that God is with you and that you can do anything you set your mind too! Be strong Sis.

My blog is thedutchnatural.com and I am sharing my weight loss journey on YouTube as well. Thanks for the inspiration. I love the BWLW page!  Instagram: @thedutchnatural

liza weight loss

Alahaundra lost 27 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Instagram diva Alahaundra lost 27 pounds, down from 369lbs.  She is in the early stages of her weight loss journey, but she’s not waiting to celebrate her progress as she shares her journey with the world.  Here is what she shared with us…

alahaundra weight loss story

Hello, my name is Alahaundra, I’m 26 years old, 5’5″ 1/2 tall and I’m currently down 27 lbs from my highest weight of 369 pounds. Like many of your followers, I am a mother to two beautiful children who motivate me daily!!! After the birth of my son in 2010, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and even so I didn’t fully take it seriously. It wasn’t until not long ago that I started to have migraines, rapid heart beats, dizziness and swelling that started to raise my awareness and concern.

As a child, I really didn’t eat vegetables but I’ve grown to enjoy more of a variety of fruits and vegetables and I try to incorporate them into every meal. I have also significantly increased my water intake to at least a gallon a day. I’ve always enjoyed water but never really made it a priority to drink because I would opt for tea or sugary sodas and juices. Before now, I lived a mundane, sedentary lifestyle whereas now I am active at least 30 minutes a day. I am currently using Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home DVDs (Walk Away the Pounds, Walk to the Hits with HIIT) and in the process of starting Beachbody home workout programs like Insanity for more of a challenge. I am still in the early stage of my weight release journey but I wanted to show those wanting to improve there life with better food choices and exercise that IT IS POSSIBLE, all you have to do is START!!!

Small changes lead to big changes. For example, I’m currently 35 days into eating no fast foods and not drinking soda- only water, green tea and green smoothies (from time to time). Give yourself the best quality of life because you deserve it!!! If you “mess up”, DON’T GIVE UP. Begin again right where you are. Don’t wait until the next day, next Monday or next month. You can choose a better choice with the next meal or workout. Be honest with yourself and be patient. Change is happening even if you don’t see it right now! I can be found on Facebook and instagram as Mother_Madam_Transformed. I’d love to inspire and motivate you.  Thank you @blackwomenlosingweight for all the hard work and dedication you put into inspiring ALL women!

Instagram: @mother_madam_transformed

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Aisa’s 3 Month Weight Loss Transformation

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Success Story: Natural Hair Diva Aisa of For Us Naturals shared her 3 month weight loss transformation with us.  She’s lost about 25 pounds and it shows.  Here is what she shared about her journey…

Asia weight loss transformation

My name is Aisa and I recently had a 3 month weight loss challenge. These are my results. Earlier this year, I was out of shape when my doctors gave me a Lupron shot to put me into menopause. They were trying to shrink my fibroids for an upcoming surgery. My hormones were all messed up and I just kept gaining weight. I weighed about 150 lbs while in the hospital after my surgery. I thought I should weigh less without the 5 fibroid tumors but that wasn’t the case. I lost about 12 lbs quickly over my recuperation time. I was however stuck at 138 for a long time. That was previously the most I ever weighed. Doctors cleared me to exercise on July 3rd. I started my fitness journey on my 1 year wedding anniversary (July 16th). I let my online  followers know about the challenge and even started a fitness channel on youtube specifically to show just fitness videos. I got a little stressed when I plateaued or my weight went up etc but I stuck with it and it paid off. I still am not where I want to be but I feel more comfortable in my skin again. I am currently adding a lot more weight lifting into my workouts. I’m a member of bodybuilding.com so I can find workouts etc. I am now wavering between 125-127 lbs with about 25% body fat. My goal is to get to 118 lbs with around 16% body fat.

As I mentioned before I have followers via my natural hair and health channel on youtubeyoutube.com/user/forusnaturals . My new fitness channel however is much smaller but I’m still proud of my progress. youtube.com/user/funfitness5000. I also post some fitness and food pics on Instagram: @Funfitness5000

As far as eating, I just started counting calories on My Fitness Pal and stayed near 1280 calories per day. I still ate stuff I wanted but maybe less on certain days. If I burn a ton of calories, I eat anything. My workouts were mostly outdoor activities. We were hiking in a popular canyon area of LA, but most times my hubby and I would walk/jog up and down some really steep hills in a close by neighborhood. It’s like the step machine on steroids, so you burn a ton of calories. Lol. I am 5’3″ (actually 5’2.5″) and was working out probably 4-6 days a week. My advice would be to just be active jog/run/climb. Get a heart rate monitor so you can see how many calories you’re burning. That is probably one of my greatest motivators (trying to burn more calories so I can eat more).

Aisa before and after Aisa weight loss

Ebony lost 30 pounds

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ebonejuly15updateUpdate July 2015: I have been on my fitness journey for two years now. I’ve been maintaining my weight loss by continuing to eating clean and by working out at least five times a week. I have been so blown away by my progress that I decided to start Naturalqueenfitness! A movement based out of long beach and los angeles. I get women together to get fit the fun and natural way!  I want for them to represent as the fitness queens that they are! Together we inspire, motivate, and empower! We do different meetups from zumba to twerk class. This lifestyle is for life! I have lost 30 pounds and feel fitness has changed me overall. Mentally and physically. I am so grateful to have found fitness and im loving my journey!!!
For schedule: www.meetup.com/natural-queen-fitness

ebony lost 31 poundsUpdate Feb 2015 – Ebony’s lost a few more pounds since Nov 2014: “I’ve been on my journey for a year and a half now. Starting weight: 201lbs, current weight: 170lbs. I owe it to consistency, clean eating, working out 5-6 days a week and lots of water! Thank u for sharing my story!!”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Ebony lost 27 pounds and learned the most important rule of weight loss: You can’t expect to lose weight without changing your eating habits.  Her motivation was that she wanted to avoid a family history of illness and be here to see generations to come.  She is still on her journey, but wanted to share her success…

Ebony before and after

Hello my name is Ebony and I started my fitness journey in August of 2012. My motivation for wanting to workout and get healthy was my family history of diseases. Everything from diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. I did not want that to be my story. I plan on being here for a long time to see my daughter grow and to maybe one day see my granchildren and great grandchildren grow. On top of the fact that I was over 200 lbs. It was then that I said I’m going to make a change.

In the beginning, it wasn’t the exercise I had a problem with, it was eating clean. I would workout and still eat anything that I wanted. I lost the first ten pounds fast but then noticed a plateau. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t losing weight anymore and then I looked at the way I ate. You cannot expect to lose weight and still eat any way you want. So, I had to switch up my eating habits. I cut out all junk foods and processed foods. I stopped eating out and cooked more. I started eating more fruits and vegetables, incorporated green smoothies into my diet and cut out all sodas and juices. I drink strictly water with all meals as well.

I workout 5-6 days a week for at least an hour or more depending on what I’m doing. I like to switch up my workouts so I don’t get bored with the same thing. I hike, bike, walk, run, stairs, as well as workout in the gym with weights and fitness classes. Anything to get my workout in!

My starting weight was 201 lbs and my current weight is 174 lbs. I am 5’7″. I still not where I wanna be but I’m getting there! The advice I would give to others who are trying to lose weight would be to do it naturally! No supplements, no waist trainers, etc. Just clean eating and exercise really works!! Also, drink lots of water!! Water is so important and one of the keys to losng weight. Drink at least half of your body weight. Lastly…dont give up!! You can do it!! Thanks for sharing my story!! 
Please follow my fitness page and see my journey! @Naturalqueenfitness

Ebony weight loss journey

Robin lost 25 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Robin lost 25 pounds. Here story is a classic example of losing weight, gaining it back and then recommitting to find victory over the pounds.  Read what she shared with us about how she got back on track with her weight loss goals.

Robin weight loss success story
After and Before

Hi my name is Robin! I started my weight release journey August 2011. I was motivated to lose weight after discovering that I had a few health issues. That’s when I received a reality check. I first started out by cutting out beef, pork, pop and juice. During that first year, I lost 20 pounds. However, by 2012 I was miserable. I gave up because I felt like I was on a strict diet and it was too much for me. I gained back 10 pounds. In August 2013, I decided to take a workout class with my friends and I couldn’t keep up with everyone. Deep down inside, I felt embarrassed and sad. I knew it was time to get back to my weight loss journey. I started out by measuring my food (I wasn’t measuring my food at first). I also included more fiber in my diet. Now, I eat 3-4 small meals a day, drink lots of water each day and I have 2 cheat days every month. The only time I drink pop or juice is if I have a craving for it (every blue moon). My workouts consist of jogging/walking, workout dvds and going to the gym. My starting weight was 221 pounds and my current weight is 196 pounds (height: 5’8″). I still want to lose 51 more pounds to reach my goal weight of 145. My advice to others who want to lose weight is take your time, go at your own pace and listen to your body. Continue to stay positive and happy. God bless!