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Erika lost 35 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day:  Erika lost 35 pounds. She took her time, worked exercise into her daily routine and embraced meal planning.  Her hard work has truly paid off.  Here is what she shared about her journey…

Erika before and after

My name is Erika Hodge-Hardy. I lost a total of 35 pounds by exercising and eating healthy. I started exercising outdoors with my home daycare children. Whatever they did, I did too. I participated in baseball, track, and basketball games with the children. I decided to not just watch them swing and play at the playground. I took my energy to another level. Also, I decided to ditch all the processed foods. I began eating more vegetables and fruits and became a big fan of making smoothies when I first started my healthy eating journey.  Later on, I began to eat six meals a day and snack on healthy nuts between meals. I am currently maintaining my weight by doing strength training. I am enjoying the results because it is toning my body, but I still get to keep my curves. I do cardio twice a week and strength training three days a week.

I am constantly reading and enlightening myself by looking at the BWLW Facebook page and other fitness sites such as Shape Magazine. The most challenging thing about maintaining weight loss is meal planning. I set aside time out of my busy schedule of running a home daycare to meal plan. I cook most of my foods on the weekends or late nights. Also, I began to gain weight after I got married. My husband were always going on dates and enjoying eat others company. We still date, but we monitor the choice of meals. We are more health conscious.

I am currently 35 years old. My goal is to live a healthy lifestyle and I plan to never go back. Now I weigh 190 pounds. I went from 225 lbs to 190 lbs (5’6″ tall). I started this journey in June 2012 and ended June 2014. My favorite quote is anything is possible with God.

Angela lost 34 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Angela lost 34 pounds since June 2014. She has worked hard to embrace exercise, change her eating habits and she’d participated in our monthly challenges for inspiration.  We are proud of this BWLW sista!  Read more about her journey…

Angela before and after

My name is Angela. I started this weight loss journey in June of this year. Prior to this journey I have attempted it several times with no success.my main motivation is my health. I have high blood pressure and while at a routine doctor visit I found out that my cholesterol was high, which was kinda disturbing to me. (it’s normal now) I also had a fear of being diagnosed with diabetes, which runs in my family on both sides along with high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. At this point I knew I had to make a change.

Another motivation is my accountability partner Tony Franklin. He helped me with a meal plan, which wasn’t hard for me to adjust to. He also motivates me by pushing me and reminding me that I can every time that I say I can’t. Last but not least the Black Women Losing Weight Facebook page has really been an inspiration to me.

I changed my eating habits by giving up certain foods and replacing them with healthier choices. I also had to learn portion control and self control. I’ve always fixed my plates with more than a serving of everything and because of how I was raised to eat all of my food, I always felt that I had to eat everything on my plate, even if I am good and full. I stopped eating fried foods, rice, pasta, sweets, bread, fast food and drinking sodas and juices. My meals now consist of baked chicken, fish, turkey, fruits and vegetables. I have 3 healthy meals, 3 healthy snacks everyday and drink lots of water. I don’t eat anything after 8 p.m.

For exercise, I started out just walking 2 miles a day, then it gradually increased to 6 miles a day. I participated in the July challenge with BWLW. I don’t walk as much now. My workout varies from day to day depending upon whatever my accountability partner schedules. but our main goal is to burn fat and build muscle. My starting weight was 268 lbs. My current weight is 234 lbs. I am still progressing. My advice to others is you must have a made up mind. Once your mind is made up you need to work on changes that will fit your new lifestyle because not everything works for everybody. Be determined and consistent. Don’t let nothing or nobody stop you. If you get off track just get back on. Remember that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you and just never give up.

Instagram: @adennard72

Angela weight loss story

Precious lost 30 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Precious has lost 30 pounds since August 2014.  After a serious medical emergency, she accepted the wake up call and decided to get healthy and change her lifestyle.  Her story is a reminder that we should not wait until a health issue knocks us down to change our habits and embrace wellness.  Here is what she shared with us…

Precious before and after

In August of 2014, I had a serious wake up call. I was so sick it felt like I was dying. I was rushed to the hospital and my blood pressure was 264/156. It felt like my head was going to explode. My blood pressure was so high that my body started to bruise. I was stroking out and the doctors were pumping me up with all types of medicine to try and get my pressure down. 

I was admitted to the hospital and stayed for 4 days. The crash cart stayed outside my door because the doctor feared I was going to go into cardiac arrest. During my stay, I had to sleep with a Cpap machine because without it, my oxygen levels dropped down to 60. I knew it was time for a change. The doctor told me if I had not gone to the hospital when I did, I would have had a stroke. I knew it was time for me to get my health in order. 

Now, I wake up every morning at 5:30am and jog on my treadmill. I’m a vegetarian but I was still eating junk food, so I completely cut it from my diet. Now, I am watching what I eat, exercising regularly, drinking more water and I’ve removed sodium and processed food from my diet. To date, I have lost 30 pounds. I still have 30 more pounds to go but I am on my way! This is a lifestyle change.

Denise lost 34 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Denise lost 34 pounds. After years of insecurity, depression, negative comments from others and fearing that her weight would contribute to illness, Denise decided that it was time to change!!  She is still on her weight loss journey, but she wanted to share her progress with us…

Denise weight loss story

Hi my name is Denise (IG: lovedeealways) and I’d like to share my progress thus far. Feelings of depression and insecurities consumed me for many years. I listened to all the mean hurtful, hateful things people said about my size instead of embracing the beautiful person I knew I was. I decided to change my life not only because I wanted to feel more secure but because I wanted to be healthy. I’ve seen people in my family live their lives on medication due to diabetes, high blood pressure etc. I’m excited to continue this journey! I’m down 34 lbs, with aspirations to lose another 51 lbs.

I’ve always struggled with my weight since I was a little girl. I went back and forth with fad diets, diet pills and even trying to starve myself. I lost weight and as I started to gain it went out of control. I hated taking pictures, hated looking in the mirror or going out. Yes, I’m a introverted person BUT some of it was attributed to my weight. I was once told “You are a beautiful girl but the first thing people are going to see if that you are FAT.” Surprisingly that wasn’t my breaking point because I’ve heard so many horrible things before. My real breaking point was when I found out someone had the nastiest things to say about me and it really hurt me because I never knew the person thought or felt this way. Not that I cared so much about this person BUT it did hurt. At that point I felt the need to prove a point! Besides, I wasn’t happy with myself anyway. I felt beautiful on the inside, however no matter what people told me I didn’t feel the same on the outside.

I started off by cutting out one unhealthy thing every week. Then, I tried to stop eating processed sugar by eating less of it and instead eating more fruit to supplement the sweet. I pushed myself to wake up early every morning to workout (mainly cardo at the time). Slowly but surly the weight started to decrease. I went from 235 lbs to 201 lbs. I’ve fallen and have got back up again. It’s all a process and to stay motivated I make sure to follow a lot of other people on the same path as me. I also think about my health. I don’t want to follow the in the foot steps of my parents and be on medication for the rest of my life.

denise before and after

Keisha lost 31 pounds

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Success Story of the Day: Keisha lost 31 pounds. Having been a personal trainer for six years, this fitness diva knew what to do to stay fit and healthy.  However, she experienced weight gain due to a physical illness and had to work to change her lifestyle around and reclaim her health.  Now she’s ready to start helping women train again.

Keisha before and after

What was your motivation? 
Of course my health was a motivating factor and was always slim for most my life. I was a personal trainer for six years 2002-2008, but was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2009. I gained a lot of weight from the meds. As soon as I found a good specialist who was willing to work with me, I was able to get back to the diva I was before. I was certified with the American Council on Exercise from 2002-2008, but will re-certify under the American College of Sports Medicine this go round by the new year. I’m super excited about this initiative. Once I re-certify, I’ll provide one on one training to women throughout NYC as I did previously.

What inspired you? 
Being someone who loves fitness it was easy to do.

How did you change your eating habits?
Slowly. I needed to create a plan that was realistic, but disciplined. I started by cutting out drinking alcohol and eating fast food, instead eating more protein and veggies. I don’t eat red meat (beef and pork). I also usually don’t eat after 7:30pm and on evenings when I need a little extra I usually satiate those urges with two cups of microwave popcorn. My water consumption is standard 6-8 glasses a day. I eat there meals a day each with some form of protein incorporated in each meal. My two snacks which can range from some form of fruit or oatmeal. Because of my inflammation, my husband adds turmeric to my food and I will drink ginger root tea which helps with the inflammation and any digestive issues associated with the rheumatoid arthritis.

What did your workout routines look like?
I do cardio six days a week for 40-45 mins and weight training two days a week for 40 mins.

What was your starting weight? 
180 pounds

What is your current weight? 
149 pounds and I’m still going. My goal weight is 140 pounds.  (height: 5’6″)

How long did your transformation take?
8 months

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
You have to have Patience and Determination.

Instagram: @keikeiskloset

Shawnessy lost 30 pounds

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Update Feb 2016: Shawna wrote in to let us know that she’s lost 16 more pounds. “I’m 19 now! From June 2015-Feb 2016, I’ve lost a total of 46 pounds by eating right and exercising. I’m still going. I lost the extra weight by sticking to my diet and going to the gym three times a week!”

shawna weight loss story

Sept 2014 – Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Shawnessy (aka Shawna) lost 30 pounds. She wants to lose weight to inspire her family and let them know that they too can do it.  This petite lady is not done with her journey, but she wanted to share her success so far.  That’s right ladies, you should celebrate, even before you reach your ultimate goal.

Shawna weight loss

My name is Shawnessy and I’m 18 years old. I started my weight loss journey at 208 pounds at 5’2″.  So far, I’m down a total of 30 pounds at 178 pounds. I got so depressed because of my weight, and was physically sick. I’ve attempted so many times to lose weight but never succeeded in the past. This time I promised myself that I would NEVER give up. I thought about how sexy I would be and how comfortable I would be with myself. I’m aiming for 50-70 pounds total but this is me so far!

My motivation was just being able to feel healthy and happy, and to show my mom and others in my family that desperately wanted to lose weight that it was achievable! I changed my eating habits drastically. I literally ate no bread, no sugar or anything that was processed carbs. It was very hard. I ate lean meats with lots of vegetables and WATER!! Water was such a big part of my weight loss. Eliminating sugary drinks and replacing them with water helped me lose so much weight. For exercise, I did lots of Zumba and flirty girl fitness workouts, as well as lots of jogging and swimming! It took me like 2 weeks to start seeing results. My main advice to people is that it can happen with time. You just have to stay positive and keep going!

Instagram: @Realshawnamarie

Tiffany lost 35 pounds

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Tiffany has lost 35 pounds since March and she it today’s featured weight loss success story.  This proud mom and student embraced running, got the help of a trainer and learned how to change her eating habits to avoid a family history of diabetes and heart problems.  She is getting healthy for her and her children as well as inspiring others.  Here is what she told us about her weight loss journey:

tiffany weight loss photos

Hello Everyone, I’m Tiffany and I am beyond thrilled and honored to be chosen to share my story!! This site has helped me believe that weight loss is possible and I hope to inspire others with my journey as well. I began my weight loss journey with real determination and a will to change in March 2014. At the time, I had moved to another state and was having curve balls thrown at me from different directions. I was told that I may become pre-diabetic which is not a shock to me as my father and grandparents have diabetes and heart problems. I wanted to break that chain and become healthy for myself and my children.

I am 5’3″ and started this journey weighing 219 pounds with a BMI of 38.8. I now weigh in at 184 and have lost a total of 35 pounds so far and now have a BMI of 32.6. With weight training, I have gained lean muscle and lost pounds of fat. I have also lost a total of 7 inches from my waist and plan to waist train soon. I am hoping to lose an additional 24 pounds to weigh in at 160 pounds. I love having curves so at that point would only like to continue weight training to tighten and tone my body.

What did I do to change my eating habits? I began to eat less carbs that are like rice and breads, and more whole carbs like fruits and vegetables. I love salads, so I started to incorporate more of them into my meals daily. I also began drinking a protein shake every day after my lunch workout at the gym. I had issues with my eating habits initially because I am one of the people that did not eat enough. I would eat only lunch and snacks and neglect breakfast and dinner at times.  To cure this, I began to meal prep to make sure I had my breakfast, snacks, and lunch. I still have an occasional Twix or Snickers, which are my favorites, but I do this only as a treat and try my best not to overindulge.

What did I do in terms of exercise? I began running 1-2 miles every morning prior to work and saw a little weight dropping but was impatient and ready for real results. So, I hired a personal trainer in April 2014 and have noticed great results thus far. I work with my trainer weekly doing resistance training and heavy weight lifting. I recommend weight training along with cardio as you will see great results!! I love working my legs and glutes and the feel that doing so spurs on the weight loss in other areas. Currently, I run 1.7 miles to the gym, workout for about 30 to 45 minutes then run back to work. I do this during the weekdays and rest on the weekend or may jog on Saturday with my children. I also do P90X,  synergistics, planks, mountain climbers, stair stepper, body weight exercises, and array of abdominal exercises to strengthen my core. I even use my kids as weights when working out at home! One of the best exercise moves I know is SQUATS!! I love doing squats, lunges, and step-ups as they are helping to tone my legs, thighs, and behind.

My advice to others: The best advice I can offer is to try not to get discouraged during this process. I have noticed that I have my ups and downs when it comes to my perception of my body and how I feel about doing better with my diet and/or exercise. I am learning not to take things so personal and go with the flow. I sometimes feel as though I am slacking when I need a rest day and start to feel down as if I am quitting on myself. I must realize that as much as I wear an “S on my chest” daily with being a mom, having a significant other, being an employee and a student; that I must chill out from time to time. I also must warn you bout something I call “fat girl syndrome.”

Now, this is a self proclaimed issue I have diagnosed myself with. There are days when I do not see what is actually present when I look at myself in the mirror. This was not a problem I had prior to starting this weight loss journey, if anything I was more comfortable than I am now. Now, I find myself finding problems that I want to be resolved immediately or in the very near future. Please know that patience is the key and a virtue that times I or you may not wish to exhibit. It is necessary to enjoy the process and the rewards of losing the weight the right way. Just know that no fad or crazy diet is going to give you long term results. Stay motivated and ask God to help you along the way. I know this works as I have just come out of a depressing period where I prayed for help because no one saw what I saw in the mirror nor understood where I was coming from.The only thing I could do is pray during this time. I wanted to be honest in this respect because many will only write about the joys of the results and none of the negative emotions you may encounter. Just keep your head up and know that this journey will be one of your best! Please follow me on Instagram @TreasuredTiffany for more information and photos during my journey. Thank you and God bless!

Tiffany before and after

Update: Besha lost 74 pounds

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Update 12/15 – Besha just celebrated her 2 year weight loss journey anniversary. She’s lost 74 pounds, down from 267 pounds. (read the original post below for more information on how she lost the weight)

 74lbs lost! I’ve been maintaining the weight for a year. I do weight training 4 days a week and cardio once a week. I’ve also been meal prepping, eating mostly grilled chicken and veggies. I’ve stayed motivated by the comments I hear and inspiration that others get by watching my journey. My 2 year anniversary is January 2nd.

besha weight loss story

10/14 – Besha is now down a total of 61 pounds. That’s 24 more pounds since July! Amazing!

besha before and after

July 2014 – Proud mom Besha lost 37 pounds since the beginning of the year. She was motivated by her daughter and by wanting to avoid chronic health issues. She shared with us how she lost the weight:

Besha before and after

I have lost 37 pounds since January 2nd. I am giving myself until January 2, 2015 to see what my complete transformation will look like. I work out with a personal trainer 3 times a week, doing weights, cardio and I’m eating health.

Motivation: I just kept looking at myself saying that I don’t want to end up with health problems like people in my family.  They are dealing with high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Also my daughter was my motivation.  I wanted to be able to run with her and play basketball with her.

Eating habits: I changed them cold turkey.  I went 40 days without eating any meats. I was hard on myself. Once I started back eating meat, it was chicken and seafood only. I’m a Pesco-pollo vegetarian (a vegetarian who eats chicken and fish only).

Starting weight was 267 pounds and my current weight is 230 pounds. My height is 5’6″ tall.

My advice: Your body will not go where your mind doesn’t let it. Discipline yourself. Be hard on yourself and put your mind to it

Thank you! I been looking for a group like this.

Instagram: @Besha_TheBoss

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Adreana lost 30 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Adreana lost 30 pounds. I think there is an important message in her story about how we sometimes let our weight stop us from going after our dreams.  Weight loss is not just about what you do (eating/exercise), it’s about changing your attitude about your life and your health.  Here is what she shared with us about the ups and downs of weight loss and finding success:

adreana healthy brown girl

I’ve been on a diet since the 4th grade, it seems like. I’ve tried tons of programs and fad diets and honestly, I lacked consistency. I wanted the get slim quick fix and there wasn’t one. Weight has stopped me from really going after the career I wanted (music). Instead of being the “artist”, I transitioned into just being a songwriter. I wrote and published a children’s book but, didn’t want to go out and promote it because of my weight…really?! I stopped dating and went into a shell. As a web developer, I just sat in my house and worked and didn’t allow anyone to really see me. It didn’t help that my mother had become ill and that also contributed to weight gain due to stress and hiding because she didn’t want to be seen either. I recently turned 30 years old and I realized that I’m in what should be “the best years of my life”! I decided to make the rest of my life, the best of my life. I’m getting this weight off of me and getting my life back. I have a lot to offer and I want the world to know!

So, starting off at about 220 pounds (I’m 5’2″), I researched and decided to do a juice detox. I lost 21 pounds in 29 days in June of 2013. I gained all of it back by November. I didn’t continue to eat healthy but, it did teach me that I had it in me to do. Around January of this year I decided to get back to it.  Unfortunately I got into a stressful situation that caused me to lose 22 pounds in an unhealthy manner (pretty much not eating). When that happened I was actually upset. People would think I’d be happy about the weight loss but, I knew that losing weight due to stress is not good. I turned things around by getting the stress off of me, eating healthy, and running. I’ve recently started working with a trainer as well. I’m currently 190 pounds and looking to be around 130 to 140 pounds.

My main goal is to inspire others during this transition. I’m excited to be going through it and I feel stronger everyday. I’ve also started a bi-monthly fitcamp where I get women and young girls together to play fitness games, workout, meditate, talk, and eat some healthy foods. I want everyone to know that they can do it. You have to fight for your life. It’s a literal GET UP AND FIGHT type of battle! When you want it bad enough, you’ll have the ammunition to go through this war!!

To see more about her journey…

facebook.com/healthybrowngirl
Instagram:@healthybgirl
www.healthybrowngirl.com

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Barbara lost 37 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Barbara lost 37 pounds.  I LOVE it when families support each other on this weight loss journey. Barbara’s story is a great example of that. Her daughter was a major contributor to her success story.  Here is what she shared with us: Barbara before and after Hello, my name is Barbara and I am on a journey to get fit. My journey began last year after I had surgery on my shoulder. My daughter, Anyika had started a Boot camp Fitness Class and thought the stretching exercises would help me. I am 5 ft tall and was weighing almost 170 pounds. I had gained up to 177 but I lost 10 lbs after my surgery. After working out for a few months, I learned I was type II diabetic and I panicked. By then my daughter, Anyika, got her Zumba certification. I started working out with her class and lost 25 lbs. I did her class 2 to 3 days a week if my back wasn’t hurting really bad. She always modified my workouts. I have been on all type of diets and exercise but with her class, meal planning and fitness tips, I have maintained my weight loss for over a year now.

I stopped binge eating and I always ate in the afternoon with no breakfast. Before, I had pancakes with fruit and lots of syrup with bacon, eggs and hash brown, pork chops, fried chicken for dinner. Now, its oatmeal with no sugar and fruit. I have a smoothie, veggies or fruit for snack or lunch and salmon, tuna or baked chicken for dinner with salad and lots of water. I juice a lot with Anyikas recipes. When the doctor said I was type 2 diabetic, I cut down on the sweets a lot. I learned to eat in small portions, with 3 to 4 meals a day including snacks of fruit or veggies.

I don’t have to take my high blood pressure pills anymore and I feel a lot better. My blood pressure was always high but now its normal. I have back problems but the stretching helps. My daughter has changed my life and my way of thinking. I am down to 140 pounds and I’m still counting down the pounds on this weight loss journey. My daughter Anyika’s class is called Zumba with A. Hunt Barbara weight loss success