Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

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Nakia lost 43 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Nakia lost 43 pounds with regular exercise, the Insanity program and by eliminating a number of things from her diet.   Here is what she shared with us:

Hi! Tomorrow is my one year anniversary and I would like to share my journey on your page.

I started my “get fit” lifestyle change journey on July 2, 2012. I was blessed to see a picture of Nakeisha of Fit 4 Life Sisters’s transformation and it motivated me instantly. I started that day with eliminating soda, sweets, fried and processed foods from my diet. I only drink water daily anywhere from 80-100 ozs. I began Insanity and was able to complete the first 6 weeks. I later joined the gym where I started the Arc trainer and treadmill. I eventually added weights for toning and running on the treadmill. This year I have accomplished finishing the whole Insanity program and I am now able to run at least 4 miles outdoors in 45 minutes. I’m 43 pounds down and feeling FITABULOUS!! My beginning weight was 220 pounds I am currently 177 pounds. My goal weight is to be between 155-160 lbs!! Yes, I am still under construction and will be for the rest of my life as this is a lifestyle change and not a temporary progress. Keep your head up sisters and keep pressing forward we all can accomplish our goals and dreams!!! I am a FIT4LIFESISTER!!!

Nakia weight loss before and after

Lanea lost 54 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Lanea.  She lost 54 pounds going from 299 to 245 pounds by changing her eating habits and exercise.  She has a supportive spouse and wants to live a long life with her loved ones.  Here is what she shared with us:

I knew it was time for me start changing my life when I weighed myself and the scale read 299 lbs. I’ve never been small, but 299 pounds was unacceptable. I decided that my New Years resolution would be to lose weight and to stick with it. I wanted to be around to watch my son grow up, have more children and enjoy my life with my loved ones. Once the new year came, I cleaned out the fridge and started replacing foods with fresh fruit and vegetables. I started bringing my lunch to work, packing it with yogurt and eating fruit or Healthy Choice microwaveable meals-instead of processed lunch meat sandwiches and chips. I started replacing my snacks with 100 calorie snacks like granola bars and a lot of Special K products. Being that my job requires me to sit and take incoming calls, I started to incorporate walking more, and exercise videos available on on demand. Just recently, I started the apple cider vinegar detox regime, and honestly I’m feeling really good. At my largest size, I was wearing anywhere between a size 22-24 on pants. The first thing that I’ve purchased since I started my weight loss journey was the dress I’m wearing in my after shot and its a size 16! That last time I was in a size 16, I was in high school! So needless to say I’m very excited and even more motivated now to continue on this journey. My husband Nick has been my biggest supporter. He keeps me going on the days when I want to give in to bad food decisions. Even though he loved me when I was bigger. He has been my biggest fan and he makes me feel so good about my progress thus far. I’m weighing in at 245 pounds now and my ultimate goal is to get down to 160 lbs. I celebrate my 10 lbs milestones. Celebrating my 10lb milestones and keeping my overall goal in sight is what keeps my going!

Lanea weight loss before and after

Rachel lost 103 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Rachel lost 103 pounds going from 300 to 197 by changing her eating habits and exercising regularly.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hello, my name is Rachel and I started my weight loss journey/lifestyle change in March of 2010. My starting weight was 300 LBS. It just seemed like when I looked at food, I would gain a pound. The bigger I got, the worst I felt physically and mentally.  I realized it was me and I had an obsession with eating. One day, I decided that if I didn’t change my way of eating, that I would start to have serious health issues.  The thought was just uncomfortable since I had, at the time, a 4 year old daughter. I started out with eliminating pastries and other sweets, which was my biggest downfall. I focused on eating more fruits, vegetables, and smaller portions. It was too painful & exhausting for me at the beginning to workout. In 2011, after I had lost 50lbs, I started walking at work on my break and lunch time. Over time, my energy level had risen and in Jan. 2013 I started doing cardio daily and weights for body toning. I am still consistently exercising at least 5 days a week. As of June 2013, I am now at 197 pounds and still will forever continue living a healthy lifestyle, because this is my life. My family and friends give me the most encouragement & support which is very important and motivates me to keep going.

weight loss before and after photo

Blanche lost 48 pounds

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Today’s weight loss before and after story: Blanche lost 48 pounds with My Fitness Pal, Zumba, Body Pump classes and running.  Here is what she shared with us:

I gained the a weight from being pregnant and it never came off! I was very sad about not being able to wear my former clothes. One day, I said only I can change it. I used My Fitness Pal and ran three times a week. I also took Zumba classes at Fitness Connection!  I’ve lost about 48 pounds and I don’t want to gain it back.

My motivation to lose weight came from the clothes in my closet that I could not wear anymore. It was very painful to see my size 10 jeans in the closet and wear a size 14. My emotions were all over the place!  Then, a friend told me about Black Girls RUN! I joined the group but was always to nervous to run with them. I worked at it a little on my own. I started running two miles on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Then, I’d run like four miles on Saturday. I would participate in Body Pump led by Chelle Thompson at Fitness Connection. My family and friends were very supportive! Now, I do group runs, 5Ks,and even completed my first half marathon! Diet wise, I started out using the My Fitness Pal app which was helpful. Now, I just follow portion control, stop when I feel full, and drink water. It has been an amazing journey. I’m now smaller than my pre pregnancy weight!
Blanche weight loss before and after

Fanta lost 165 pounds

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Update: Fanta is now down a total of 165 pounds.  Check out her updated photo below.

Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Fanta lost 118 pounds with daily exercise and planning meals.  She is now off diabetes medication. Here is what she shared with us:

Hello!! My name is Fanta. I use to weigh around 400 pounds.  I would like to share my story. My lifestyle change started about 1 1/2 years ago.  Refusing NOT to die, my Lifestyle change started 1/2011. My weight was 398 pounds. I was a type 2 Diabetic and on medication for High Blood Pressure .Refusing NOT to die, I joined an awesome group called Savannah Biggest Losers!! This group changed my life (tears)! With daily exerise (walking, jogging and working out at the gym) and a meal plan that consists of 3 small meals( baked, grilled, broiled or boiled) and 3 healthy 100 cal snacks daily. Refusing NOT to die, I’ve lost 118 pounds in 2 years. I NO longer have to take medicine for diabetes!! I love this new LIFESTLYE change.  It saved my life:)

My motivation came from my one and only son (9 years old) who is also on a weight loss journey. He was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure at 7 years old. What kind of Mother would I be if I kept on living an unhealthy lifestyle.  I had to make this change. He also lost 19 pounds :).  He always tells me to keep pushing at times when i  wanna give up. He is truely my Motivator:)

fight 4 fitness Fanta

fanta weight loss story before & after

Beverly lost 110 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight Love to Beverly.  She lost 110 pounds with low carb eating and exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi, My name is Beverly and I started my journey a Year ago. I have lost 110 pounds and counting. I weighed 250 pounds and now I am down to 140 pounds.  I cannot believe it myself.  I have to pinch myself to see if it is me!  No weight loss surgery. My diet consists of a low carb diet, Naked smoothies and no sodas. I went from 4 or 5 diet Pepsi’s a day to no Sodas at all. I am a Social Worker here in New York and to get my exercise I go up and down Subway-stairs and do a lot of walking. I have not reached my ideal weight but I am pressing forward. I have battled my weight since my High School years and now I have entered into a Lifestyle change. I am loosing weight  to be totally free from all medicines. My inspiration came from My SIS Laura Whitaker (Teamfit page), and most of all checking out the stories and tips from Black Women Losing Weight! Thank You for The Page and Inspiration!

Beverly weight loss before and after

Kimberly lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Blogger Kimberly lost 40 pounds and is Ms. Washington Plus America 2013.   She did it by working out, eating clean, journaling and using Weight Watcher’s new monitoring device.  Here is what she shared with us:

Kimberly weight lossI decided to enter a pageant this year which caused me to finally focus on me. I felt good and looked good! Since November 2012, I have lost 40 pounds and I have been crowned Ms. Washington Plus America 2013! I am not where I want to be, but truly not where I used to be. I work out 5 days a week, eat as clean as possible, take healthy supplements, laugh, sing, read blogs and check pages like Black Women Lose Weight.  I also keep my goal in front of me, which is to lose 128 pounds. Slow and Steady! I struggle but I always get back up!

I eat in moderation and as much broiled/baked chicken, fish, and shrimp as possible, unless I am dying for a steak. Lots of salads, fruits and water and I plan ahead by preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner so I have no excuse. I do at minimum 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, with altering upper and lower body weight training, 5 times a week. My motivation is that I want to be healthy, embrace healthier curves and model self care. My platform is kinship care: helping grandparents who are raising the children in their family to prevent the children from entering into the foster care system. I tell the caregivers all the time to take care of themselves so they will be around longer in life.  Frankly, I needed to take my own advice.

…Almost forgot! I wear an active link device provided by Weight Watchers. It monitors all my movement and gives me a report weekly. I can’t say I follow their program because counting points doesn’t work for me but knowing my activity level and journaling does.  Check out her blog: biggirlcurves.blogspot.com

kimberly weight loss

Tenisha lost 50 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tenisha who lost 50 pounds by cutting out carbs.  Here is what she shared with us:

I lost 50 pounds cutting back on carbs.  I have tried everything in the world to lose weight and I finally found something that works. I have been counting carbs and I really haven’t had time to exercise because of school, work and maintaining a family! I just wanted to share my story with other busy women who want to be healthier but do not have time to exercise. My motivation: My health and my self esteem.  My weight loss journey has taken about six months.

Tenisha weight loss before and after

Lauren lost 94 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Lauren lost 94 pounds.  She was scheduled for weight loss surgery but lost 50 pounds before her surgery date with Weight Watchers and changing her eating habits.  She went on to lose more after adding exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

My journey of ACTUAL weight loss started Labor Day weekend 2011 on a whim. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired AND fat. I, on that whim, joined Weight Watchers Online.

My journey mentally started before I joined Weight Watchers. I was all primed to have weight loss surgery. I had gone to all the initial appointments. I had been to the all of the pre surgery appointments (psychiatrist, sleep study, primary care to get a letter of medical necessity, blood work, cardiology, gastroenterology, nutritionist and radiology). In my mind, I was going to have gastric sleeve surgery January 2012.

I had no idea how I was going to make Weight Watchers and weight loss happen but I was going to try. I have always given everything 100%, even eating so I was going to give losing 100%, too. I slowly explored the website. By slowly, continuing to make the same food AND measuring WWs taught me to make better food choices. I began to see the weight come off. I ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, even making them fresh myself.

I had done all the pre surgery work for my gastric sleeve surgeon and gone back to set a date. He said you are doing well, let push your next appointment with me out 6 weeks which I did. By the time, that 6 weeks rolled around I cancelled that appointment, too. By January 2012, I had dropped 50lbs and was ready to start exercising. I joined LA Fitness and started with a personal trainer 1x weekly.

It is now April 2013; 17 months later; 94 lbs down. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a 12/14. My shoe size has even gone from a 9 ½-10 to an 8 ½-9. I have lost at least 25 inches as of December 2012. And I am not finished yet. I am 12 lbs from my original goal and may tack another 20lbs on to that. And I am doing the C25K program with Black Girls Run starting this spring and hope to run my first 5k in June. I am also trying to quit smoking. And the thing that I am most proud of is that I am an inspiration to others!!!! I move more than I ever thought I would!!!! I work out at work. I go to the gym. I go to a group workout session on Saturdays in Camden, NJ with a GREAT trainer called Team Poke. I have done Zumba. All I want to do is move!!!!! My next “moving” is paint balling and rock wall climbing!!!!! This has been such an adventure. I have learned so much about myself and I continue to learn!!!!!

So the developments since I originally wrote this. I have, as of June 1st , have given up meat. I am learning to cook without meat. It is very interesting and exciting. I am now on the ecigarette. I’m closer to 100 lbs but I have more energy. My skin is clearer (switched to all natural products)!!!! I’m enjoying this experience and it is soooo empowering.

Lauren weight loss before and after

Ashley lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Blogger Ashley lost 40 pounds with MyFitnessPal, clean eating, exercise and the Couch to 5K running program.  She says that she decided that if she made healthy choices for her body the weight loss would come naturally.  Here are the details of her weight loss journey that she shared with us:

I began my most recent weight loss attempt last September when the scale hit 184.6 pounds, but I have been trying to lose weight since I was little girl. My highest weight ever was 216.4 pounds when I was in middle school. I was obese and miserable.  the summer before high school I started going to Weight Watchers and got down to the 160s. My weight started to yo-yo after that. I would let my weight get up into the 180’s then decide I needed to go on a diet again and get back somewhere between 150 and 160. I never managed to make it to my goal weight, but I also never let myself leave Onederland again (the 100s).

Fast forward to my first year of law school. I was stressed out and eating badly but I let myself believe I hadn’t gained that much weight. I kept telling myself that fiction right up until I was too big for all my favorite dresses and I had to buy size 18 jeans because none of my old ones fit anymore. In late August I decided to find out how much damage I had done during my first year of law school so I ordered a bathroom scale for my apartment. When I stepped on it for the first time I was horrified. I was dangerously close to 190 pounds. I decided it was time to get to work and reach a healthy weight once and for all.

What was your motivation?
The first time I lost a large amount of weight, I did it because I wanted to be thin like the other girls in my school. This time when I decided to lose the weight, I did it for myself. I decided that I wanted to be healthy and fit. I wanted to live a better life than I had been living. I wanted to be happy.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started by counting calories and tracking what I ate in MyFitnessPal. At first I ate a lot of Lean Cuisine and other diet foods, but as I started doing more research about weight loss and eating healthy.  I realized that eating primarily frozen and processed meals wasn’t a healthy way to lose weight even if I was staying within my calorie budget. I slowly started to ease into clean eating. First, I gave up soda and learned to like water. I started trying new fruits and vegetables. I started cooking more. Eventually, I found clean replacements for the processed foods I loved. I started eating Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars instead of the peanut butter cookies I used to get at Subway as a treat. I started making my own pizzas with healthy ingredients instead of buying Lean Cuisine ones. I started doing most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s where I could find healthier, less processed foods than I could get at a regular store. As I made these changes, I started to feel better. I started focusing more on getting healthy than losing weight. Somewhere along the way I decided that if I made healthy choices for my body the weight loss would come naturally. So far, that approach has worked fairly well.

What did your workout routines look like?
When I started losing weight, I was really out of shape. My first forays into the gym involved setting the treadmill at an incline and walking for an hour at a time five or six times per week. I would see the other gym-goers running on the treadmills next to me and wish I could be like them, but at that point I didn’t think I would ever be able to run. Sometime in October, I came across the Couch to 5k program online. It was supposed to help you ease into running with interval training where you run for a minute or so then recover by walking for a couple of minutes. Eventually the running intervals get longer and the walking intervals get shorter until you are either running thirty minutes at a time or 5k (3.1 miles). I didn’t follow the program exactly, but I was able to run for twenty to thirty minutes at a time by the end of December and was running 3 miles several times a week by the end of January. The more active I became, the more active I wanted to be.  I started venturing to local parks and greenways and found that I love hiking.

What is your current weight? How long did your transformation take?
At my last weigh-in my weight was 145.4, but I’m not done losing weight. My current goal is to weigh between 130 and 135, but I mainly want to get toned up. My transformation up to this point has taken 10 months. I am still a work in progress, so you will have to read the rest of my journey on my blog: downsizingashley.blogspot.com/.

ashley weight loss before and after