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Nicole lost 31 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Nicole.  She’s lost 31 pounds and gives the glory to God.  She was motivated to be as healthy as possible at 40 years old.  Here is what she shared about how she’d lost the weight:

Nicole weight loss photosWhat was your motivation?
My motivation was that I didn’t want to be unhealthy at age 40. I realize that people go through major changes at 40 and health issues start to appear around this age because of years of unhealthy living. I became overweight after my second child (9 years ago), and couldn’t seem to get it off. I tried everything and became frustrated with the whole weight loss effort. I allowed myself to eat anything I wanted and ballooned to my highest weight ever, including pregnancy.

How did you change your eating habits?
Diets didn’t work for me. I just didn’t have the will-power. I took it to God. I know that sounds cliche, but it’s and He is who helped me be successful after years of failure. He gave me a plan and strength to do it. I eliminated sweets, (my weakness), sodas, fried foods, sweet tea (I’m from the south. I could be hooked up to an IV with it…lol). However, I only eliminated it during the weekdays. On the weekends, I allowed myself to splurge a little. Because I did well all week, I didn’t over-do it but I didn’t deny myself in the weekends. I think that was the key. I didn’t deprive myself. I wanted to lose 40 at 40, to be fit, fabulous, and forty! So, by the time I’m 41, I want to be at my best health and weight! I’m loving 40 and the transformation I can see!

What did your workout routines look like?
I actually didn’t include working out until 9 months into losing weight. I hate working out and still do. I don’t get the warm and fuzzy feeling from working out. I find it a chore. Lol, but when I started to see the weight drop, it gave me some motivation to start walking in the mornings. I would walk a track, about 3 miles a day, 6 days a week. Then, in the evenings, I started Hip-Hop Abs. I did have someone that made me walk in the mornings and they wouldn’t let me slide, even though I wanted to most mornings. My daughter motivated me in the evenings because she liked to work out with the video too. Soon, I plan to get a personal trainer to help with toning and defining the weight loss.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My highest weight was 245. I am currently 214, I think, because I only weigh once a month. Weighing every week would frustrate me, because some weeks women actually gain weight. I can now wear clothes I haven’t worn in years! And that is how I can determine the weight loss.

How long did your transformation take?
I started in July 2012. My dad got very sick and died during this time and that set me back a bit. I lost a little motivation for a while, but I got back on track. But, it honestly isn’t about the time frame, as long as I get it done. The race isn’t given to the swift….but the one who endures to the end!

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?
Find what motivates you. It’s different for everyone. What works for one, may not work for another.

Nicole weight loss success story

Ashley lost 130 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Today’s weight loss success story: Ashley lost 130 pounds with gastric weight reduction surgery, changing her eating habits and exercise.  Here is what she shared about losing the weight:

Ashley before and after

“My motivation was myself! I was tired of being so fat and I couldn’t wear nice clothes and heels.  Also, I wanted a healthy life. I decided to have gastric bypass weight loss surgery. I got it on December 5, 2011. It was the best decision I’ve ever made because in the past I tried dieting, diet pills, exercising, etc. After the surgery, I completely changed my eating habits and I exercise all the time. It has given me energy and a new outlook on life. In a year, I lost 100 pounds.  My current weight is 185 today.  I’ve lost a total of 130 and I just celebrated my 2 year anniversary for my surgery!!! My advice to others is if you need that extra push then get the surgery but make sure you’ve really tried everything. AND remember nothing happens overnight.  It takes hard work and dedication.”

Debra lost 50 pounds

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debra before and after

Update Jan 2017:  I was featured the end of November and I am still at it. I’ve still been doing the meal plan with Terry Starks and working out at LB’s Circuit Training. It’s been 16 weeks now and here’s what I’m looking like.

I have lost 21 pounds… woohoo! I started the plan with Terry at 142 pounds and I now weigh 121 pounds. Since November of 2016, I have lost 7 pounds but dropped over 10 inches. I try not to focus too much on the number on the scale, because that can discourage you. I focus more on how my clothes are fitting and how I look in the mirror.

My words of advice would be to change things up. I thought I had the answers. I was meal prepping and working out, but yet my body wasn’t changing. It wasn’t until I reached out to Terry Starks and tried his plan that I got the true change I desired. Even though I was meal prepping, my food choices were not getting me where I wanted to be. I was so afraid of paying money for a plan that wouldn’t work, but I did my research and it is paying off. I haven’t been this small in my adult years and it has taken me to another level in my fitness. To see all hardwork I am putting in at LB’s paying off is amazing. Our health takes some investing… time and money! We are worth every cent we put into it!

Nov 2016 – Debra not only has maintained her success, but she’s continued to transform her body. Now she’s working with the Diet Doctor, Terry Starks and getting amazing results. We shared her story more than 3 years ago and how she’s sharing an update.

debra before and after
The pic on the left is what my body looked like when I started Terry’s plan. The pic on the right was after 7 weeks on his plan. Completely transformed.

I actually injured myself when I ran a half marathon in September of 2015. So, my workouts had to change. Having to change from my “go to” workout of running was extremely challenging. I continued to meal prep, but I wasn’t really losing any weight. My body had plateaued. Feeling frustrated with no results, I found a gym here in Toledo called LB’s Circuit Training and started working out there. I started to see some changes but my body structure wasn’t changing the way I wanted it to.

Then I remembered Terry Starks helped a few people I knew and I thought, “What do I have to lose.” Changing my meal plan and prep with the help of Terry has completely transformed my body. I am losing body fat while gaining muscle. I now combine Terry’s meal plan and LB’s Circuit Training and my results have been unbelievable to me in such a short time.

What I have learned most on this journey is that if you want change to happen, you have to change! You have to be willing to change up things, despite how uncomfortable it may be. We get so use to the way things are, that change is difficult and no one wants to do it. We must realize that it’s a must if you want to get to that next level of fitness. Remember 80/20… 80% is what you eat and 20% is exercise. You will never be able to out work a bad diet. Your body will not change without changing your eating habits. I haven’t been this lean since my early 20’s and using Terry Starks meal plan has made the difference. Body fat down and lean muscle mass up. Instagram: @liloleme_dee

debra weight loss

2013 – We featured Debra’s story back in February (more information in the original post) and she recently sent in an update to let us know that she is down a total of 50 pounds.  She has also embraced strength training. Here is what she had to say and her updated photos:

Debra weight loss story

“I was featured earlier part of this year and I am still going strong. I love your daily posting of progress pictures and it continues to keep me encouraged. I have found a new love and that is weight training. I am not a heavy lifter but I have found that my body is responding well to the new training. I have lost an additional 10 pounds since my feature and I am not done yet. I am wanting to build more muscle. I use to be afraid that I would look all bulking from weight lifting, however, I have found that is the furthest from the truth. Weight training has changed my life and my body. Still a work in progress and loving every minute of it. Two years of slow and steady weight loss!!!”

Debra weight loss photos Debra weight loss photos

Karynthia lost 67 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Proud mom of 3 Karynthia lost 67 pounds this year.  She did it with the support of her boys and by creating a weight loss plan that works for her.  She shared with us in depth about what it took to lose the weight:

Karynthia weight loss

“Hi my name is Karynthia Irvin. I’m a 32 year old mom of 3. On March 18, 2013, I weighed in at 281lbs. I decided that yet again I would try and diet. I had tried this diet thing so many times before. Like a relationship, it was on again off again. But this time it was finally it!! This time it would be a lifestyle change instead of a diet. So, it began. I started simple, nothing major, just took away sodas and flavored drinks. Which was pretty easy since I wasn’t big on sodas. Then I had to slowly and gradually bring my sweet tooth food down completely. Yes, I had a melt down at one point. So, I decided not to deprive myself of things I loved to eat. In the past I tried cutting back cold turkey. Not such a good idea. It forced me to eat more because I was trying to satisfy my cravings for what I really wanted. Now I have limited my intake using portion control. I substitute my sweet tooth snacks with fruits, 100 calorie packs, and various light health snacks. Junk food? As a mother of 3 yes, I guess I can say that my pantry is junk food heaven. However, I have learned that if I don’t buy it I won’t eat it. Of course my boys weren’t trying to understand my method. So, I decided that my urges and temptations would settle.

Meal planning? Boy, was that a journey. What I learned was that it didn’t have to be as complicated as everyone made it seem. Dieting is very costly. And with a family, it’s hard to cook separate meals, even so to be tempted with food. So, I still cook my usual foods, just give and take on ingredients and cooking methods and substituting certain foods that I normally would not eat. And of coarse eating way smaller portions than normal. See, this keeps me from falling back or I guess for a lack of better words keep me from relapsing. I can finally say it works for me, so why stop doing what works.

Karynthia weight loss storyExercise/workout? Yes, yes, most certainly one of my biggest challenges yet. I remember when working out was a “feel like” sort of thing. If I felt like doing it then I did. And if I didn’t feel like it, well lets just say I was on the bandwagon of “not” feeling like it often. I think my biggest challenge was not enough motivation and encouragement. Sometimes you get people on board with you and when they give up, your speed falls right behind them. So, I guess when I realized that others were not as serious as I was, I had to take another approach. Now I have to workout alone and push myself to go the exta mile. I had to finally say that I can do it, even if it was alone. Through it all I must say I maintained pretty well. I workout mostly 4-5 days/wk, sometimes twice a day. I started out low intensity. Never really going overboard. Just some walking here and there. Then picked up some Zumba and workout DVDs. While on youtube searching for workouts, I came across one of Keaira Lashae’s dance workout, which I must say the bulk of my workouts consisted of team lashae!! Hey, it was good enough for me. I started to add various routines in my own daily workouts. I also started implimenting jogging into my walking time. Yes, jogging!! After many years of dieting and exercise I can never say that I even came close to a sprint. Not even power walking. So for me to jog, was a very big accomplishment to me. Also, I’m adding additional workouts and routines to make it more challenging and push me just a little bit harder.

Motivation and encouragement? Well, as I stated before, there was little motivation from others. I must say if anyone motivated me, it was most definitely my 3 boys. No one encouraged and motivated me as much as them. Even watching me and getting involved made me turn it up a notch. I have my own personal cheer team. They kept me on my toes and never fell short of reminding me that it was time to workout, or if something was healthy or unhealthy. I didn’t need a personal trainer nor a nutritionist. I had 3 of the best in the business. For every new level of accomplishments, they would say, “Yay! Good job mommy!”. When I thought I couldn’t do it they assured me, “Mommy, you can do it!”. That pushed me a little bit harder. I know that without them, this journey would have been quite unsuccessful. I have learned to push pass my boundaries and go pass my comfort zones. I am so blessed to have come such a long way. I have now transformed my life and I’m on a journey to a healthier better me. Now, weighing over 60lbs lighter I can say I may not be perfect, but this new lifestyle is perfect for me. And yes, I put in the work. No diet pills/fads, no surgeries, and no fly by night weight loss quickies. I am still a work in progress and I will continue this journey one step at time. I pray that my journey is a blessing to someone and that it encourages others to keep pushing. May your journey be successful and remember prayer is key to from start to finish. I may not be where I want to be, but I am definitely not where I use to be. From 281 pounds to 214 pounds!!”

Kaynthia weight loss photos

Charnise lost 100 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Charnise wrote to us to share her weight loss surgery story.  This proud mom of 3 chose to have the gastric sleeve procedure and she is very happy with the results.  Here is what she shared with us:

Charnise weight loss photos

“My name is Charnise and I lost 100 pounds in 9 months. I had weight loss surgery in February 2013, and I can honestly said that was the best decision I’ve made for myself. After being married for 3 years and having 3 kids in 5 years, I let myself go. I was only 24 years old and I felt like I was 44. I was always tired, always had back pains, migraines, and asthma attacks. I knew it was time for a change.

I had gastric sleeve weight reduction surgery done. I’m on a low carb/high protein diet. I make sure I drink 100 oz. of a water a day and take my multivitamins. I do different workouts so that I don’t get bored and quit. I run/walk on the treadmill for 2-3 miles and do strength training on some days, and on the other days I do Zumba and workouts on YouTube at home.

Some people think that having weight loss surgery is the easy way out but that is not true. Not only is it a physical challenge but it’s also a mental challenge and emotional challenge. I battle my food addiction every day. It’s a battle everyday but it is definitely worth it. I feel good, I have much more energy and I love the person I see in the mirror. I feel my age now, I love the way my husband looks at me now and I really just love life.”

Lyndsi lost 104 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Proud mom Lyndsi lost 104 pounds the old fashioned way, by reducing her calories and working out.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Lyndsi weight loss photo

“Hello, My name is Lyndsi Steel. I’m mixed, black and white. I’ve lost 104 pounds all naturally, just by eating 1200-1500 calories a day, drinking 8 bottles of water, and working out 6 days a week. Also, I cut out  red meat.

Motivation: My motivation is my kids and my mamma.  My mother died from diabetes and high blood pressure! I didnt want to be next and leave my kids on this earth without me.

Changing my eating habits: I only ate 1200-1500 calories a day! No red meat, just chicken and fish. Portion control played a big roll!! Nothing drank nothing but bottles of water all day and ate lots of green leaft veggies. I eat breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack and dinner. I trained my body to eat at certain times; 7am breakfast, 10am snack, 12 noon lunch, 3pm snack, 6:30 super and nothing after 7:00 pm.

My Workouts: I love to dance so i did Hip Hop abs and Zumba mainly. I work out for at least an hour a day, if not more, monday-saturday.

Weight: My starting weight was 320 pounds and my current weight is 216 pounds.

How long did it take?: 1 year. I was loosing 4-6 pounds a week at first than it slowed up.

My advice to others:  I advise people to keep on keeping on. Even if you have a rough day start fresh the next day. Allow yourself at least one cheat day. No matter how much you move, every little bit helps. When I first started I could only do 15-20 minute of a workout dvd!!  Also, look nice while you are working out.  Reward yourself with a new hot workout outfit!”

April lost 102 pounds

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We featured April‘s weight loss story a little over a year ago when she was down 70 pounds.  She wrote in recently to update us with her progress and she has lost 102 pounds total.  Here is what she shared:

April Weight Loss Update

“I’ve been on my weight loss journey going on 2 years this coming March. When I started, I weighed in at 272 pounds and a size 22 in pants. I always have been between a size 16, 18, or 20 since High School. However, I had gotten up to my biggest size (22) and that’s when reality set in. I was very uncomfortable when trying to fit in my jeans. I couldn’t fit anymore! So, I made up my mind that I had to do something about my weight. I started changing the way I eat.  I began eating lots of salads, baked and grilled fish, chicken, tuna, salmon & lots of fruits and veggies!! I can’t forget…Water! It’s so important and your body needs it! I started working out going to the gym, doing boot camp, boxing, Zumba, water aerobics & walking. I even joined Weight Watchers, which was Great! They helped me a lot. It was about a month when I got back in my jeans, and they were too big. I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy. Within the first 4 months I loss 40 pounds, I kept going, went from a size 22 to a size 11/12 & 272 pounds down to 170 pounds. I have loss 32 pounds and lots of inches since my original post. I did hit a big time plateau, but I didn’t let that stop me.

I’m still in the gym doing more toning & strength training. A total of 102 pounds gone bye bye ;). No, it was not all easy, you have to put in hard work!! You will have times when you struggle & have victories!! You will have ups and downs, but it’s up to you how long you are going to stay there! Get back up and get back at it!!! I have devolved a passion for this. I believe it’s my calling and that God wants me to help others to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. I have inspired & motivated so many people all over the world..my family, friends & coworkers, men & women..to lose weight, eat better and stay active since being on my weight loss journey. I also started a small business of my own called Health Living WITH APRIL, making and selling my Healthy Salads to friends, family, coworkers and anybody that wants to eat healthy!!! I deliver to Hair Salons, Day Cares, Doctor Offices and other local business in the area. You can just call me “healthy salads on wheels” lol. Stay encouraged BWLW! Never give up! Believe me you can do it too!!!! My FB page is also called Healthy Living WITH APRIL where I inspire, motivate, encourage, share my weight loss journey & progress. Thank you Black Women Losing Weight! I will continue to update you with my progress. Love your page!! I look forward to seeing more success stories!!! God Bless:) God Is Good! I’m So Thankful!!!”

April weight loss photos

Donesha lost 81 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Donesha lost 81 pounds.  She has shared a great amount of detail about her weight loss journey and talks about how family illness impacted her decision to get healthy.  Her is what she had to say:

Donesha weight loss photos

My name is Donesha Bolden and I am a 33 year old educator in Atlanta, Georgia. I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and later moved to Alabama where I finished high school. I attended Alabama State University for 1 &1/2 years and later transferred to Troy University (Dothan Campus) where I graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education.

I relocated to North Carolina and started my first teaching job. I was very comfortable living in North Carolina until my mother was diagnosed with cancer and was given a time frame to live. At the time I was attending North Carolina Central University working on my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction so I would travel over 600 miles back and forth to help my family care for my mother.

Life was hard but I was making the best of a bad situation. I had joined the local YMCA and started taking part in Zumba and high impact aerobic classes. I started gradually losing weight. I was weighing 220 pounds and I had gotten down to 190 pounds. Nutrition was not a part of my workout plan at the time and I was just kind of going through the motions. My plans were to finish school and move to Atlanta so that I could be closer to my mother but she didn’t live long enough for that to happen.

A year after my mother passed I made the move to Atlanta without a job or any prospects. I was living with my aunt in Alabama and spending nights with my best friend in Atlanta when I was able to search for a job. I was away from the gym all summer and didn’t take notice to the fact that I was gaining all of the weight I had worked so hard to get rid of. I would eat out most of the time because I wasn’t in one place long enough to try to prepare a meal. Life had gotten to me and it was getting the best of my health.

School had started in Atlanta and I still didn’t have a job but that didn’t stop me. I had a nephew to care for so there was no such thing as quitting! I had been raising Nehemiah since he was 5 years old. A week after school started I was asked to interview for a job in Bankhead and I was hired. At that point I was weighing 215 pounds and so much into fashion that I didn’t see my weight climbing out of control. I would dress for my size and never really paid much attention to how out of shape I was until my nephew wanted me to be active with him outside and I struggled with that task. I was wearing 5 inch heels daily to work and later had severe knee and back problems.

At the age of 37 my cousin was found dead in her bed one morning by her 3 children and two days later my grandfather lost his battle with prostate cancer. It was a year later that my aunt found out that her daughter had died from hypertension. When I was working on my undergraduate degree my uncle fell dead in church of a heart attack. Last year my cousin age 36 started her battle with breast cancer and WON but my aunt lost her battle to lung cancer. Several of my aunts have diabetes and or high blood pressure as well as my younger sister and at that point I decided that enough was enough!

My coworker placed a flyer in my box that gave educators a special on joining her sister Tissilli Rogers IFBB Pro Boot Camp and that was the turning point of my life. I was located in Decatur at the time but I worked all day in Atlanta, drove home, cared for my nephew and then drove back to Atlanta to train with Tiss. My nephew was my motivation and support because he would attend all of the workout sessions with me weekly. I was HALFWAY determined to lose the weight but I was not fully committed to the lifestyle.

I was attending the workouts but I was not changing my lifestyle outside of the gym as Tiss had suggested. I would lose 3 pounds here and 5 pounds there but it wasn’t consistent. Thinking about the illnesses that had attacked my family and wanting to be around to raise my nephew I started to get serious about training with Tiss. In October 2011 I allowed Tiss to take the most embarrassing photos of me and place me on her detox. I felt bad when I saw the photos of how I looked when she was assessing me and knew that it was time to “Train 4 My LIFE!”

I gave Tiss 110% inside the gym and decided to start doing insanity outside of the gym. I completed the insanity 60 day program & worked with Tiss at the same time and I lost 30 pounds. I was really feeling great about myself but I had set a goal of 160 pounds and I wasn’t there just yet. Tiss set a weight goal of 150 for me, ten pounds lighter than my goal.

There were days that I wanted to give up but I focused on why I started and that kept me going. The only piece I was missing was the nutrition and I was stubborn and didn’t want to change my diet at all. I was working overtime on my cardio and I was getting results but I knew that if I wanted real results I had to change the way I was eating. I learned the hard way that you can’t out exercise a bad diet. I started following meal plans designed by Tiss especially for me and I started to see RESULTS!! My family as well as my coworkers was excited about my accomplishments.

I was still focused on the goal that I had set for myself so I kept working. In November of 2012 I reached my goal of 160 pounds & on March 6, 2013 I achieved my trainer’s goal for me of 150 pounds. Today I am 139 pounds and enjoying LIFE!! I have honestly never felt better and I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything in the world.

My newfound love is running and I look forward to participating in local races soon. I work out every morning Mon-Fri at 5:30 am, after work on Mon, Wed & Fri on my own. I train with Tiss’s Show Ready group on Tue/Thur. I am trying new healthy dishes every day and working to eat clean 90% of the time.

I truly LOVE working out & I love encouraging others though my Facebook & Instagram: @training4mylife People have really connected with me through instagram and want to know how I can help them start their journey. Obesity is a deadly disease on the rise and if I can prevent it by sharing my journey then I do that proudly. I don’t have time to exercise I MAKE time to exercise. It’s a pleasure to see people write me & say that I inspired them to make that healthy change! I figure this is just the beginning and I’m ready for the things to come. I hope my story inspires someone & encourages them to stay on track!

Kieba lost 42 pounds in 7 months

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Kieba.  She wrote in to let us know how she lost 42 pounds in 7 months time.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

“I lost 42 pounds in 7 months. My wake up call was looking in the mirror and seeing someone I hated after eating Wendy’s and Popeye’s in the same day. I lost all confidence and sex appeal.  2 years after the birth of my daughter I couldn’t say “I just had a baby” anymore. I was sick of being overweight and not being able to wear certain things. I got too dependent on girdles and was watching myself getting bigger and bigger. I decided to make a change.  I began working out at the gym 3 times a week, doing cardio machines for 1 hr and strength/weight training for a toner body for 30 minutes.  I also started eating healthier and using portion control (that is the key).  I would eat 3 boiled egg whites with 2 slices of baked turkey bacon for breakfast.  Fruits are a must all day; grapes,apples, plums, banana, etc I still eat what I love but in smaller controlled portions and I eat 3 main meals a day with snacks in between.

I now go to the gym 5 times a week and continue my eating routine. It is definitely a journey which takes discipline and dedication but it will all pay off in the end. I still have 10-15 pounds to go to have my dream body but I will continue to work hard until I reach my goal. I started at 215 pounds and now I’m 173 pounds.”

Keiba weight loss photo

 

Catrice lost over 120 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Catrice lost over 120 pounds and now she helps other to reach their fitness and weight loss goals.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss story:

catrice weight loss photos

“Catrice’s weight battle began at the early part of life and continued until her teenage years. Food was and has always been a very intricate part of her upbringing and overall culture. Although growing up in a community where diversity was a part of everyday life, Catrice still managed to adopt the culture of overindulging in food due to lack of knowledge and resources in her home.

Celebrations that most Americans participate in became excuses for family and friends to over indulge in unhealthy and fatty foods. With a mixture of family celebrations, birthday parties get together and church functions, the pounds packed on, and the self-esteem and self-confidence and Catrice’s overall self-identity declined. The battle of weight loss began during the early teenage years, the on again off again workouts and the desperate challenge of attempting to lose weight became the norm. After high school and no success of weight loss in sight, Catrice often found herself giving into temptation and the pounds packed on in a major way.

Like most overweight individuals, Catrice attempted different ways to lose weight; some methods that she used would be considered life threatening by health professionals past and present day. As a teenager, Catrice did everything from borderline starvation, utilizing women’s laxatives from the dollar store to even bulimia. From time to time, a workout was thrown in by wearing sweats and a trash bag to sweat the fat off of her body; “this method will surely work because effort was put in to this workout” she often hoped. It seemed like all hope was diminished as she found herself embracing her new found size and weight. At the age of 17, Catrice graduated from High School and weighed 235 pounds. Soon Catrice found herself drinking, partying, smoking cigarettes and over indulging in extremely fatty foods. Because of the area that she hung out in, the newly legal young lady found herself in a bottomless pit of being well overweight and dangerously depressed. The pounds packed on.

Her need for a positive change was apparent in her behavior and was needed to even save her life. While working as a supervisor of an Assisted Living Community, one of Catrice’s co-workers suggested that she attend a local gym with her before work one day. Fascinated of the idea, Catrice obliged only to hit the scale to discover that her weight went from a manageable 238 to a whopping 310. Depressed at the mere thought of this weight, Catrice began to join and attend the gym a few days a week and change her diet (Which would be the biggest challenge of them all). By tackling this task she would have to change her diet, count calories and adopt a new workout routine; all of this is was completely new for her because of never playing any sports in school.  Her initial goal; lose 15 pounds.  Catrice stuck with her workouts, eating schedule and regimen and in the first few months of working out she lost 20 pounds. Present day, Catrice has lost over 120 pounds! Catrice has become your average Gym Rat with no plans of stopping in sight. In addition, she is the Founder and CEO of The Fitness Matchmaker and the Weekend Workout Mentoring Program, this program assist newcomers of the fitness & weight loss scene to feel free and comfortable about the weight loss process. Catrice prides herself on being a enthusiasts of fitness and one who enjoys seeing others achieved their desired fitness goals.

With her network of fitness professionals, gym affiliates and amazing personal trainers, Catrice is dedicated to assisting those who are looking for the perfect “Fitness match” for you! The Weekend Workout Mentoring Program also is a grassroots program that encourages one to get started in the process,  empowers those who are determined to stick with it and uplift those who may have fallen away to get back on track. Catrice works as an avid fitness enthusiast in and outside of her  gym to assist newcomers to weight loss in staying focused on their desired fitness endeavors and not to lose sight even if they don’t see tangible weight loss within their desired time frame.

Although she has lost over 120 pounds, Catrice is currently working on losing additional weight and building lean muscle. Look out for progression pictures in the future!!!”

Email: Fitnessmatchmaker@gmail.com

Website: http://fitnessmatchmaker.wix.com/fitnessmatchmaker