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Tamilla lost 68 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tamilla lost 68 pounds.  She shared her transformation photos with us and a few words about her weight loss journey so far. Losing weight helped her deal with pre-diabetes and high blood pressure.

Tamilla weight loss story

“Hi, my name is Tamilla. I started my weight loss journey because of health issues. I had high blood pressure and was taking medication daily. I was also borderline diabetic. I changed my eating habits by cutting out fried foods and junk food. I try to keep my overall calories and carbs down. I stay away from red meat and choose healthy snacks like fruit. I’ve learned that it takes a lot of discipline and everything doesn’t work for everybody. Now, I only eat poultry and seafood with plenty of fruits and veggies.

I exercise 3 to 4 times a week. I do a variety of exercises, mainly cardio. Soon, I will start strength training. My starting weight in January 2013 was 238 pounds and I am currently 170 pounds (My height is 5’2″). My blood pressure has improved and I’m no longer on medication. I’m no longer borderline diabetic either. My advice to others who want to lose weight is that you have to want it for yourself.”

Instagram: @MZ_TSWHITLEY

Hannah lost 63 pounds

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Update May 2016 – Check out Hannah’s awesome update photo. We featured her story back in 2014.

hannah before and after

July 2014 – Weight Loss Story of the Day: Hannah lost 63 pounds. This sista from the UK wrote in and shared her weight loss success story in great detail. She transformed her body and her health with consistent exercise and a very clean eating plan. Her story shows that you have to come out of your comfort zone to change your lifestyle.  Here is her story…

Hannah weight loss story

My name is Hannah Davies and I’m 24 years old. My weight has always fluctuated with my emotions and my relationships, never to empower myself until now. I must admit I was never really happy. I was a teenage mom, living in shared housing when I met my partner and felt complete and comfortable.  A mixture of depression and unemployment after university was a recipe for disaster. I grew from being 150 lbs in 2010 to 210 lbs in 2012. From a size 10 to a size 18, I gained 3 dress sizes! I believe that a combination of poor diet, exercise and lack of knowledge and self worth was my greatest downfall.

In June 2012 my family and I went to Poland to celebrate the marriage of my Uncle. The BEFORE picture you see was taken whilst in Poland. This picture was my looking glass, my realization that if I didn’t change my lifestyle now my weight would just increase.  I lost 5 lbs whilst away due to the amount of exercise the family did. This was the start. Upon returning to England I tried fad diets where all you had were meal replacements but found these were short term effects and no example to be setting my son. From there I joined my local gym and took the exercise classes. I found great enjoyment in yoga and Pilates. Although joining the classes was hard as I felt like the biggest person in the class, I drew strength from my partner at the time (who is a bodybuilder). He reminded me that “everyone starts somewhere” and that “Nothing in life comes free”. I started to surround myself with like minded people, enjoyed my classes more and Googled for healthier ways of living. I ate six small meals a day which were weighed on a food scale.

  • Meal one spinach omelette 2 egg whites and one yoke
  • Meal two chicken or turkey and asparagus or broccoli
  • Meal three protein shake, small amount of almonds or natural almond butter (like peanut butter but found in health stores)
  • Meal four fish with broccoli or sweet potato
  • Meal five almond butter
  • Meal six protein shake.

I had a cheat meal/day once a week but this did lead to a yoyo effect of loosing weight in the week and gaining on the cheat day. I find now that if I want a treat I will have it as this is now a lifestyle not a diet. I’ll be honest I found it incredibly difficult to eat so much and of a such limited types of food. I always ensured there was at least a gap of an hour between eating and going to the gym which usually happened after meal four. Always had meal five and six straight after the gym to ensure my muscles got the protein they needed to repair and replenish for the next day.

Although the optimum time to exercise is the morning being a mother this was not possible. I would always warm up with 5 minutes on a cardio machine, then train the group of muscle for that day whether it be arms, back, shoulders, chest or legs and then finish with 20-25 minutes of fast walking on a incline. Although the optimum duration to burn fat is when your heart rate is high (40-45 minutes) I felt bored staying in the gym for that long. I found that by December 2013 I had gone down to 165 lbs but then stopped loosing weight and felt as hard as I tried I couldn’t loose anymore! My job as much as I love it, is predominantly stationary this was also a contributing factor.

I split from my partner of four years in 2014 and decided it was time to do something for myself. Since July 2014 I have gone back to a diet similar to this, gained a training partner and started running, something I haven’t attempted since i was a teenager. I completed the Race for Life in 24 minutes and entered a half marathon. My goal is to run the London marathon and be on stage in a body building completion September 2015. My goal in the next few years is to start kickboxing and dancing again. That is something that I always enjoyed but never felt confident to participate in when I was my larger self. I want to go on stage not to win, but to stand there feeling empowered and proud knowing that anyone can do anything no matter where they started, if they believe, chase the knowledge and have the courage to change their outlook on life.

As of today 07/24/14, I am proud to say I weigh 147 lbs and recently bought my first 8/10 dress. I’m not skinny and wouldn’t want to be. I’m muscular and healthy, which is all I ever wanted. I walk away from my journey knowing that true strength and happiness comes from within and not reliant on others. I would wish you luck in your journey but instead I shall wish you strength and happiness.

Instagram: @Papaya_Mittoo

Marquita lost over 60 pounds

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Marquita lost 61.8 pounds over the course of the past year.  This proud teacher found a weight loss plan that worked for her and her busy schedule. Check out what she had to say about losing the weight.

Marquita weight loss

What was your motivation?
My motivation was wanting to the lose the weight for me.  I was tired of being overweight and once I decided that I was going to do it for me it all clicked. I wanted to avoid any medical issues that are associated with being overweight.  I also did not enjoy the fact that I was lacking the energy to simple things. I have lost a total of 61.8 pounds and I’m still working to lose at least 50 more.

How did you change your eating habits? 
I changed my habits by joining Weight Watchers and watching what I eat. I also used portion control and stayed away from a lot of sweets and sodas. I was never a big eater, but just enjoyed sodas and sweets. I did not want to do the surgery thing and find it very rewarding not having to use that option to lose weight.

What did your workout routines look like?
I’m a teacher and have a extremely busy schedule but I try to do a lot of walking and drink lots of water. These things have helped. Working out at 3 times a week helps to keep me from gaining the weight back. I have even tried some weight lifting classes and Zumba.

How long did your transformation take?
I have struggled with my weight most of my life but I started this weight loss journey over the past year. It was easy in the beginning but then I was unable to lose weight for a while. I continued the plan and eventually started losing the weight again. Weight watchers really helped me stay motivated, gave me tips and the constant encouragement from others. I love showing off the before and after pictures…they motivate me!

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Just keep trying because the best is yet to come with Gods help! You have to accept the challenge of doing it for you and it will become easy. Always celebrate the small victories because they lead to bigger ones.

Instagram: @love2smile06

Marquita before and after photos

Lakeisha lost 64 pounds

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Update September 2017: Check out this update from Lakeisha. She’s kept the weight off for more than 2 years.

lakeisha before and after

What has worked in terms of eating habits?
Before I knew anything about nutrition, I gave up fried foods, sodas and watched my portions. When I’m hungry, I drink black coffee or eat a slice of pickle. I also drink plenty of water. I love alkaline water (I encourage people to do their research on alkaline water).

I gained some of the weight back while dealing a death and stress. Meal prepping helped me out a lot this time. Now, I’m back stronger than ever.

What have you been doing to maintain your success in terms of exercise? 
I started doing 2 hours of cardio. After two weeks of this, I’ll stop and go back into my normal routine… leg day, arms etc. I workout 6 to 7 days a week.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
I don’t care how much you workout, you cannot eat whatever you want… lol.

At this point, would you offer any new or different advice to women who want to lose weight?
Stay focused and don’t compare your success to others. Also, sometimes you have to switch up your routine when you don’t see results. Never give up on your journey. We all get off track but that’s what makes us fight harder.

lakeisha before and after

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Lakeisha lost 64 pounds and went from a size 24 to a size 14. This proud mom of 2 is now a fitness fanatic.  Here is what she shared with us about losing the pounds: KeishaJuly3blog My name is Lakeisha Thomas and I’m from Mississippi.  I’m a 34 year old mother of 2 (Tia 14 yrs old and CJ 6 years old). I’m also a nurse aid and a production tech at Nissan. When I first started my weight lost journey I weighted 254 pounds. I was shocked. I never cared about my weight until one day when my doctor told me I was obese. So, I started working out at home in my bedroom. I went from a size 24 to a size 14. I want to enjoy my kids and see them grow up.  Now, fitness is my life, my passion, my everything. This is why I love what I do, why I’m so passionate and why I share with others everything I do to stay fitt. I’m a #fitmom and I love my 2 children with all my heart.  Instagram: @KeishaaBeast

How did you change your eating habits? Chewing gum and drinking coffee has helped me out a lot on my journey. I started drinking plenty of water and cut out the sodas. I continue to eat what I always ate but in smaller portions. I work the night shift so that was a struggle as well. I’m not gonna lie, I fail daily but I never gave up. If I ate chips, ice cream, etc, I didn’t quit. I just went harder in the gym.

What did your workout routines look like? I started doing the Black Girls Workout Too & Billy Blank Exercise DVDs. I did a thousand sit up a day and started going to the gym 6 or 7 days a week. I also did HIIT workout that I found online (just do a Google search…there are tons of workouts). I did like a thousand ab exercises every night and every morning. Now, I’m doing like 500 abs exercises, 3 days out of a week.

What is your height? What is your current weight? I’m 5’7 and I weight 190 pounds. My goal weight is 175 pounds.

How long did your transformation take? I started in 2003 when I weighted 254.  I dropped down 54 pounds in one month (no lie). I just worked out that whole month. However, it was very unhealthy because I stopped eating as well. I was drinking one soda a day and eating cabbage greens. Since then, I have been on and off my journey.  So in 2012, I decided that I wanted to tone so I went harder and changed my lifestyle.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight? If you mess up along the way, don’t quit. Just keep going.  I’ve basically been tsame size since 2003 I just drop inches phuck yo scale…it didn’t take you 5 days to gain the weight so it’s not gonna take you 14 days to lose it. Keisha weight loss story

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Angela lost 66 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Angela lost 66 pounds.  This proud mom of two was motivated to lose weight after trying to enlist. She set a goal to get healthy and there was no stopping her.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Angela weight loss story

My name is Angela and I’m a single mother of 2. A couple of years ago I decided I want to try enlisting in the Army, when I walked in the recruiters office and stepped on the scale weighing in at 260 pounds I became very driven. At that moment, I decided to take my life back. I began my journey back in 2012. It took me about 6 months. Once I set my mind on a goal, there is no stopping. I’ve always been so solid that I never realized exactly how big I had gotten over the years. I totally changed everything about my eating and began walking in the beginning. It was a slow walk that changed to a brisk walk and now it’s a jog/run. By the time I knew it, I had gotten down to 194 lbs.  Once I really got serious, I started baking not frying and staying away from too many sweets. I drink nothing but water now and eat lots of fruits & veggies. I actually don’t like many veggies so to make things a little easier on me I juice them lol.

Now I’m working towards my personal training certification, hosting fit camps, and even train a few clients. I’ve gone from this really thick stallion to a fit stallion.  My goal is 170 pounds and I will reach my goal. My advice would be to set a small goal/challenge first something like no bread or sweets for 2 weeks or even a gallon of water a day… After that goal is met set new ones push yourself to the limit if you have someone like a teammate that’ll help to encourage you both.  Patience is everything. JUST KEEP GOING…

Instagram: @richcutfitness

Angela before and after pictures

Chanel lost 62 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Chanel lost 62 pounds by changing her habits and committing to a new lifestyle.   Read her story to find out what she did to lose the pounds:

Chanel weight loss

“Hello, my name is Chanel. When I first started working out I was 262 lbs. I have now lost 62 lbs . Over the last 5 months, I have worked out 4-5 days a week. I do squats, 45mins on the elliptical, leg lifts, kickboxing and weights. I eat in correct portion sizes. I only drink water and the different health juices that I make. I no longer eat sweets. I have made this a lifestyle. My goal weight loss is 80-90 lbs, so I’m almost there.

My motivation to lose the weight was so I could be healthy and feel better. I was having knee issues and I have always been told if you lose some weight the pain will probably go away. I just was never motivated to do so until I prayed about it and set goals. Then I just started doing it. My cousin who it’s a trainer started working with me and I did that for about two months then I just took what he taught me and started on my own. I want to live long and not die due to being overweight when that’s something can choose to do that may help me live a long happy life. My body is a temple for the Lord and I need to take care of it. For me this is a lifestyle change. I will continue to workout and stay fit. No more excuse. I love the skin I’m in.

Thanks for letting me share my story. To everyone you can do it as long as you put your mind to it and pray. Determination and will power is the key. Stop making excuses and join us in our weight loss. Become a healthier and fitter you.”

Chanel weight loss

Kindra lost 61 pounds

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Update Aug 2015: Kindra wrote in to let us know that she’s lost 13 more pounds for a total of 74 pounds gone. “I was featured a while ago and I just wanted to give a quick update. I’ve lost another 13 pounds and more inches off my waist and arms and legs. This journey is far from over, but I’m loving every moment of it, working hard and seeing results. I have enclosed another picture that shows where I started from to where I am now. Thank you again for the motivation. Your website keeps me motivated daily, with the women you feature and the women who are active on your page.”

kindra before and after

March 2014 – Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Kindra lost 61 pounds.  At 300+ pounds, she was motivated to change the way she felt about herself and her weight while competing in a workplace weight loss program.  She provided a lot of detail about her weight loss journey:

KindraMar14

What was your motivation?
My Motivation was that I was tired of dealing with back problems and having headaches all the time. I was tired of going to stores and shopping and having to get a bigger size each and every time I went to the store. My motivation was not liking how I looked in the mirror. My motivation was not liking who I was becoming, a depressed overeater and a  young woman with no self esteem. My final pity party came when I joined The Biggest Loser contest they were doing for Health and Fitness at work. We had to weigh-in and when I got on the scale and saw my weight was 300+ pounds. I knew it was time for a change. I remember I cried all night long when I went home. I said to myself no more pity and feeling sorry for myself. It was time for me to make a change and take a stand for my life. The Biggest Loser contest was my stepping stone. I went on to not only complete the program I also won the contest. That is how I knew anything was possible I just had to believe in me. 

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits by cutting out fried foods. I took out white bread and I also gave up sodas. I used the app My Fitness Pal to keep track of the calories that I was in taking. I made sure to eat clean. I ate a lot of fruit and veggies. Ton’s of salads , fish and chicken. Water became my best friend. 

What did your workout routine look like ?
I started out with a personal trainer and would go to the gym 4  days a week but eventually a personal trainer became very expensive. I then asked him for advice and I was able to workout on my own . I still continued to go to the gym 4 days a week. I did a lot of cardio which helped me loose the majority of my weight. The treadmill as well as the elliptical became my best friends. I would do one or the other for an hour then I would go and do some weight lifting as well as stomach crunches. 

What was your starting weight? 346 pounds

What is your current weight? 285 pounds

How long did your transformation take?  It took me 1 year and a half.

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?
Just believe in yourself and anything is possible as long as you believe. Also, be patient. We did not gain this weight overnight so it is not going to disappear overnight. Just know all of those sweat and tears are going to pay off in the end.

Alana lost 65 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Proud mom Alana lost 65 pounds.  She credits Zumba and eating more healthy food.  She is now a Zumba instructor and helps others to dance off the pounds.  Here is her story:

Alana before and after

“My journey has been an up and down battle dealing with my weight. Not that I couldn’t lose it but maintaining was the hardest part. I would lose the weight, and then I gain it back. We all know the story… I am currently a licensed Zumba Instructor and Zumba has been the biggest solution to my weight lost. I loved working out but being a single mom I was not able to get to the gym as often or to do anything outside work and motherhood; especially having a newborn. I was so tired that the weight sneaked up on me. How many know that it takes that one snapshot (picture) to say, “I need to do something about this”? This is a HOTTT Mess. (LOL) My eating habits were horrible. It was not the fact that I ate unhealthy foods but wasn’t eating enough. Yes, you can gain weight by eating only one meal a day to where your body starts to hold on to the fat. Not good… this makes it difficult to lose weight.

I started taking Zumba as a student in 2012 and saw the weight drop off (Inches at first which is most important). I love to dance, so this was the best solution for me; dance-off the weight. Yes!!!! I also changed my eating habits and began drinking more water. Water does the body good, Ladies. I was so into my classes that I use to ad-lib on the steps to where my fellow Zumbians would say, “You should be teaching this class”. The thought came across my mind and one of my Zumba instructors mentioned that I should be teaching. I pushed that thought to the side for months until my sister said, “Go get your license”. In June of 2013, I became a licensed instructor and as of February 2014, I can say that I am 65 pounds lighter. I started doing Zumba 3 times a week and lifted weights to tone. I also wore wrist weights in my Zumba classes to tone my arms. Then, once I started teaching, I went from 3 days to 5 days a week. I got so into it that I started making videos for my students that couldn’t make it to class to do at home. Fitness shouldn’t only be done in the gym. If I didn’t go to the gym, I turned on the radio and danced around the house to where I got my daughter became involved in being healthy. Get your children involved in being healthy at an early age. Healthy children normally become weight conscious adults. Once you make your mind up that you want a change, it can happen. I did it and so can you.”
www.Facebook.com/AlanaLSanders
www.Facebook.com/GetPulsedFitness (Workout Videos)

LaKita lost 69 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: LaKita lost 69 pounds.  She was inspired by the loss of her mom to commit herself to getting healthy.  Her success is a wonderful tribute to her mom.  Here is what she shared with us:

LaKita weight loss

“I was motivated to lose weight because I wanted to become healthier. My mother passed from a heart attack in 2007 at the age of 43 and her weight played a big part in her health issues. I was determined to “get right”.

My journey began on August 16, 2013 and I’ve gone from 245 pounds to 176 pounds. I used my fitness pal to track all the calories I took in. I completely changed my diet and began to eat clean in addition to working out. I cut out all fried foods , soda, salt, juice, anything white and sweets. I rarely eat out. I committed to meal planning every week so I would know exactly what I could and could not eat. Before I decided I wanted to lose weight, I researched clean eating and read stories of other women who lost weight.  I don’t have any cheat days and I lost 69 pounds in approx. five months.

In terms of exercise, I did walking intervals on the treadmill until I could run. I also do squats, leg raises and crunches. I did an hour of cardio 5-6 times a week and strength exercises 3 times a week.  On the days I can’t make it to the gym, I do the workout DVD “black girls workout too”.

The best advice I can give is to be persistent! I would also suggest setting realistic goals and have a mindset of determination.”

Instagram: @lovelakita

LaKita before and after

 

Ah’ree lost 62 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Ah’ree lost 62 pounds.  She used Weight Watchers to start and eventually learned how to use various tactics, many that we promote at BWLW, to more effectively lose the pounds.  Here are her before and after photos and the details that she shared from her journey:

Ah'ree weight loss

“Hi my name is Ah’ree and I wanted to submit my story.  First of all, let me say that I have been tremendously inspired by your page. It is one tool in my arsenal of weight loss techniques.

I was inspired to lose weight after I had my second child, Fall 2012. The pregnancy was hard on my body. Weeks after the birth, I could barely stand up right for longer than 20 minutes. My core/back was so weak. Then a friend posted a pic of me on Facebook and I was so embarrassed at how I looked. I didn’t cry though. I got ANGRY and decided “NO MORE”!

As a kid I had always been active, running, playing soccer, and dancing. I wanted to get back to what I was before “the freshman 15”, years of bad eating, and apathy took its toll. I had the knowledge and the tools to lose weight so there was no excuse.

I started out doing Weight Watchers and had a satisfying amount of success. The weight really started coming off when I added exercise into the mix. I did a combo of different things, P90x, TurboFire, etc. I also like to roller skate. Eventually I let go of WW and started using a phone app My Fitness Pal to keep track of my calories. I also make an excel sheet planning all my meals and snacks for the week.

I dont deny myself anything. If I want to eat something I will have it, but I eat ONLY the portion listed. I eat clean 85% of the time. Nothing processed. canned, fried, or “fast”. Packaged snacks are only healthy alternatives and I find them at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. I only eat things with ingredients I can read or identify. I try to weigh everything I eat. I’m very mindful. For instance, if I know Im going out with friends on friday, I will save my “cheats” for that day. I don’t drink my calories. No juices, sodas, etc. If I’m craving some juice, I do a 3 parts water, 1 part juice. I drink green smoothies everyday as well, with kale, spinach and various fruits. I eat a ton of fresh fruit and veggies and use recipes to find creative ways to cook my family’s food. Everybody is on the “team fit” bandwagon in my house. They eat what I eat and support my the healthy substitutions in place of junk food. Doing the weekly meal plan and meticulously keeping track of what I eat helps A LOT!! Many of us have no clue how much and what we are actually eating. I make recipes with fresh ingredients. I now have to grocery shop once a week instead of once a month, but that’s the price you pay for fresh food.

Initially I was happy with working out only 3-4 times a week. About 2 months ago I hit a pound plateau so I begin adding weights to my repertoire. I do cardio 5 times a week for a MINIMUM of 25 minutes. I lift weights 3 times a week. On Sat or Sun I do a 40 minute Barre or Pilates routine. I take one day a week off. No matter what, I exercise AT LEAST 5 days a week.

The most frustrating part of this journey is the slowness of change and the illusion that progress isn’t happening when you don’t see that scale changing. However, its worth it because I feel SO MUCH BETTER. I have tons of energy, I sleep better and my mood is better in general.

I started this journey Nov. 2012, at 250 lbs. Now at Feb. 2014, I am 188lbs. Thats a total loss of 62lbs. I do want to lose 10-15 more but currently I am not weighing myself as I am more focused on toning and strengthening. I am just now starting to see little muscles peaking through the surface and I love it!

Remember ladies, Slow and steady wins the race! MAKE YOUR FITNESS YOUR PRIORITY. It has to be a LIFESTYLE CHANGE or you will surely gain back. Dont let all the hard work go to waste. Focus, speak it, claim it and YOU WILL SUCCEEED!!!! BE ENCOURAGED!!!”

Check her out on Instagram: @doverider

Ah'ree before and after