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Natalie lost 90 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Natalie.  This mother of 5 lost 90 pounds with a low carb diet and lots of exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

Natalie mom weight loss

“Hello, I want to share my weight lost story with you all. I started my weight loss journey on June 8 2012. I was 376 pounds at my highest weight. I had no clue I was that big then. One day I was looking at myself and it hit me…”Man, I am big.”. I stopped eating junk food, fried food, starches and stuck to a strict diet of only eggs, meat, cheese and vegetables. I also workout everyday. The grand total of weight I’ve lost so far is 90 pounds.  I’m still working on it and I have a long way to go but I know I will get there.

My 5 children are my motivation.  I started working out 2 times a day now that I am no longer working.  I just spend my days working out.  My advice: Watch your food intake, work out as much as possible and cut out all sugars, breads and fried foods. I was amazed when I lost 25 lbs the first month just by not eating those things. It took 8 months to get the weight off.  I hit a plateau and it slowed down.  When this happens you have to kick it up and work harder.  The key to it all is to never stop working out.”

What is the Keto Diet?

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low carb fishThe ketogenic diet, better known as the “keto” diet, is a diet that was originally developed to help people with difficult to control epilepsy (specifically, children with epilepsy). It is a high-fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet. Here’s why it has been recommended for epilepsy: Carbohydrates are important for brain function, usually in the form of glucose. If there are very few carbohydrates in the diet, the liver is forced to do something different to make up for it. The liver converts the fat into fatty acids and a substance known as ketone. Ketone bodies replace the glucose, and are used in the brain instead. Apparently, this state of elevated ketone levels (known as ketosis), actually helps to reduce how often seizures occur in epileptics (not a cure all but it has worked for some people).

Before the keto diet, the original diet for children with epilepsy gave children enough protein for body growth, proper development, and any repairs that may have been necessary. The diet also had just enough calories to help maintain appropriate weight for the child’s age. This adaptation threw in the fats at a 4:1 ratio so that the body can be forced into ketosis. This is achieved by excluding high-carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, grains and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods high in fat such as cream and butter. Full-fat dairy is an incredibly important part of the Keto diet.

If you’ve understood everything that I’ve talked about, you can understand how the Keto diet could be adapted for fat-burning. It’s actually become an popular way for bodybuilders and weight loss enthusiasts alike to lose excess fat and tone up. The low carb fashion of the diet is what draws most people to it, especially because it would seem counter-intuitive to eat a high fat diet in order to lose fat (even though the body needs fat too.)

Basically, the understanding that those who are trying to lose weight have about the diet is that your body isn’t really consuming carbohydrates at all, and so the body will “mistake” fat for carbohydrates. So that means that, instead of burning those carbohydrates for energy, you’re now burning the fat for energy instead. As we talked about above, your body will start burning the fat into Ketone bodies, and in the end the fat is assumed to develop into healthy energy.

This also reduces the insulin production in your body. When your insulin production is at almost zero, the amount of Glucagon is increased greatly. At this point in the keto diet, your body’s fat burning ability is kicked in to high gear and fat storage is slowed or halted.

So what can you eat on the Keto diet? Here’s a basic list of ideas.

Vegetables:

  • Broccoli
  • Celery
  • Asparagus
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Cucumbers

Meats and Dairy:

  • Pork
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Fish (especially fatty fish like salmon and swordfish).
  • Ham
  • Cheese
  • Butter
  • Mayo

Other foods:

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Nuts
  • Peanut Butter
  • Eggs
  • Whey Protein

As with any diet that goes to extremes, there are some things that you will need to watch out for. First off, your body stores a lot of carbohydrates to start with and if you don’t exercise much, you can get through a day without a lot of carbs. The problem comes in when you’re active and you aren’t eating a lot of carbs. You’re going to burn a lot of those carbs, and you’re going to burn all of your glycogen stores. Here’s the problem: glycogen holds up to four times its weight in water. So yes, not only are you starving, you’re also dehydrated, and you won’t be able to have enough energy to do anything because fat burns more slowly than carbs do. As with any weight loss plan, you should talk to a doctor about all the risk before even considering a plan like this.  There are a lot of low carb plans out there for you to choose from, so consider all the options if you want to go low carb.

The HCG Diet: What Is It and How Does It Work?

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HCG diet planHave you ever heard of HCG or the HCG diet?  It’s been one of the top diet crazes around in the last few years and some people swear by it.  Others think it could cause health issues or that it’s just a fad.  I thought that I’d give you some background info so that you can make your own choice.

What is HCG?  HCG, the abbreviation for human chorionic gonadotropin, is actually found in a woman’s urine during pregnancy. When this was discovered in 1927, it started the journey to the first modern pregnancy tests. To this day, pregnancy tests still use HCG as a determining factor for pregnancy.

But there was something else really interesting about HCG that was discovered as well. Apparently, the substance makes sure that developing fetuses get exactly what they need to grow, no matter what mom has been eating or how much mom eats. The HCG is produced early in the cycle. The fact that women gain weight in areas like the thighs, buttocks, and stomach is impacted by HCG. Once pregnant, these fatty areas make HCG and get it to the baby; that way, if a woman doesn’t get the food she needs during pregnancy, the fat in her body makes sure that the baby is fed properly. HCG levels peak at 14 weeks of pregnancy. It also helps with genital development within the womb as well.

So how in the world does this even relate to a diet and losing weight? About a decade later, a doctor was doing research on the use of HCG in boys who were having issues with hormone imbalance in adolescence. This doctor, A.T.W Simeons, noticed that these boys were losing weight by eating much less and without struggling with hunger. This made him have an interest in using HCG as a diet aid, and in the 1950’s he published a paper talking about its uses; he even developed a regimen to use alongside HCG injections.

Here’s what a typical 26 day cycle of the HCG diet looks like.

  • 23 of the days require daily HCG doses, either with drops or injections.
  • Calories are reduced to 500 calories per day after the third day of HCG doses.
  • Your diet needs to be high in protein, low in starches, carbohydrates, and high fat foods.
  • Diary, sugar, and alcohol are not permitted while on the HCG diet; if you “cheat” on the diet, you need to fast for 24 hours by drinking water and eating six apples, nothing more.

Sometimes, the HCG diet lasts up to 43 days (with 40 daily injections or drop doses), but the treatment will cease after a patient has lost 40 pounds before the agreed on time has passed. The last three days of the cycle are without injections so that the HCG is totally extracted from the body before a normal diet is started again. The diet can last no longer than 40 days, because there seems to be some sort of immunity to the drug that develops after that period of time.  So, basically, your body is able to deal with the super low calories because of the affects of the HCG.  Super low calories for 30-40 days…you lose weight (That’s in most cases.  Not a given or fact because each person is unique).

As you could imagine, there are a number of people who are opposed to the HCG diet for a number of different reasons. First off, the hormone can cause a number of different issues, including headaches, blood clots, constipation, depression, and breast enlargement. Women on the HCG diet have complained about feeling like they are pregnant (which seems like an obvious side effect, since it only occurs naturally during pregnancy). There are a number of issues that can come from that as well.

Another, obviously, dangerous part of the HCG diet is that ridiculously low calorie intake. 500 calories does almost nothing for your body. Even if you are trying to lose weight, it is recommended that you eat somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day minimum and 1,500 to 1800 minimum if your are exercising. 500 calories doesn’t even touch that. So obviously, you really don’t have the ability to do anything strenuous in terms of working out because you’ll have no energy to do it with. Another issue is that, after restricting your calories that much, you’re likely to gain weight back more quickly when you resume normal eating. Recently, I’ve seen more Homeopathic HCG plans with 1000 calories as the suggested calories per day, which is much better but still very low if you are exercising.

Ultimately, you have to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision.

Note: The FDA has banned over the counter Real HCG products marketed as weight loss aids and they are illegal.  You shouldn’t be able to find much on the market with real HCG in it right now, therefore the herbs, ingredients, etc in these products varies.  You have to be very careful because you could be allergic to the ingredients or they could be harmful to you. The bottom-line is that the “HCG” drops or shots could be harmless for you but harmful for someone else and vice versa…like any diet pill or aid.  BE CAREFUL! If you decide to try a plan like this, talk with your doctor first.

Dr. Oz Show – Weight-Loss Controversy: HCG Diet, Pt 1.

Does the HCG diet work — and is it safe?

 

Mary J. Blige Looks Amazing in a Bikini on the Cover of Shape

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Mary J Blige Shape Magazine
Mary J. Blige Cover – All Rights Reserved DON FLOOD/SHAPE MAGAZINE

Oh My Goodness.  I must add the R&B queen Mary J. Blige to my list of Ab Divas after seeing the new Shape Magazine cover featuring her for their December Issue.  WOW!!  Do you see those abs!  Fitspiration!

In the article, she talks about her new holiday album and how she is committed to not over doing it with holiday temptations.  She also says that she has embraced running for cardio and tries to get in 6 to 8 miles per week. She has even learned to swim for exercise.

They also talked with her about how she has been sober for 1 year and 3 months.  I think that is always a blessing when stars like Mary talk about their struggles with substance abuse.  Someone needs to hear that and understand that they are not alone.

ON Eating Habits, she says: “Diet, of course, plays a central role in how she looks and especially how she feels. She cut out sugar for three weeks before her cover shoot and sticks to a gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb diet most of the time.” – Shape Magazine.  Click here to read the full article.

Now my one slight issue:  Where are her tattoos? The one on her right arm and on her right leg are missing.  You can see them in photos here.

Never-the-less, make sure that you buy this magazine when you see it on the rack.  We have to let the publishing industry know that we want to see more fit and healthy black women featured on their covers.

 

Martine lost 181 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Martine lost 181 pounds.  This proud nurse went from 321 pounds down to 140 by exploring all of the options available to her and seeking out professional advice from experts. A high protein, low carb lifestyle and much prayer worked for her as well as raw vegan eating.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey (video below):

Martine weight loss photos

“Hello, I love your site but I did not want to submit my story & photos until I had arrived to my goal… My friends however convinced me to submit my story. My name is Martine & I am a registered nurse. I’ve been overweight for most of my life, but yet was very active until I went to college. I was 18 & that year I gained about 60 lbs as I was not eating the healthy foods I normally ate at my parents’s house. Soon, in approximately a year’s time, I was morbidly obese & found myself being over 300 lbs. I was devastated, felt helpless but soon I decided to change my life. Over the next 10 yrs I studied health & tried every diet out there. I was gaining & losing all the time but at some point I actually did lose 100 lbs by doing a high protein no carb diet. I sustained that for 2 yrs until I went to nursing school. There I found myself stressed beyond measure and while I invested much in taking care of my health, my body resisted me.  Eventually I gave in, gaining approx 60 lbs. When I finished nursing school I was then stressed with passing the nursing board exam & gained another 20 pounds. Then I got stressed due to finding a job and moving to Texas and gained more weight, until I was over 300 pounds again.

At some point while I lived in Texas my health started crumbling and I knew it was a life or death moment. I had only 2 choices: fight or flight. I determined to seek out & use every intervention known to man. I began working hard & I sought specialist doctors & dietitians to help me out. I followed their plans. It was a major challenge and life style change. I was given a choreographed, very specific program on portions to eat, types of foods to eat, how to eat (ex: chewing time), how & when to drink, amounts of meals per day, higher in protein, lower in carbs. I also heavily focused on putting the right nutrition in my body. I followed the program hard core. I went from 321 pounds to 140 pounds in approx 13-16 months. That’s a total of about 180 lbs in a year & 1/2!!!!

Work outs: I did walking around my neighborhood and workplace lightly. This was not the focus in my program. At first, I had very little energies as I went from a super high calorie diet to low calories, from high carbs to almost no carbs. So, I did light activities. I also noticed that the more I worked out the less I lost & the more I refrained the more I lost. Something else I did is: I prayed A Lot. I am a Christian and for me there are times when I was met with discouragements or plateaus. I would pray & say “Lord please put me under x amount of lbs… or please give me another 5 lb loss.” As I lost weight, I rewarded myself every 3 months with a brand new wardrobe. I actually ate in restaurants w/ friends all the time, but I’d order healthy salmon. soups, or salads. Today, I am eating a raw fruits & vegetable diet, which has tremendously blessed my health. I also add 2 Premier protein shakes a day. I have tremendous amounts of energy, am alert, & am very optimistic. My advice to people wanting to lose weight is to first accept themselves & love themselves bc God loves them & has a great purpose in life for them.  I’d also suggest they seek out help. Don’t try to do it all by your selves. Join support groups. I lost weight with many of my friends, so I was not alone. I would advise to look into every program that can work. Depending on how heavy one is, no intervention is off limits as long as one is monitored by professionals. Be optimistic & celebrate every pound off. God bless.”

Martine weight loss story

Janelle lost nearly 100 pounds

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Let’s show some love to proud mom Janelle.  She has lost approximately 100 pounds since June 2012 with calorie counting and by eating low carb.  She wrote in to share her photos and story with us:

Janelle weight loss photos

” I Wanted to share my progress with the group. I’ve released nearly 100 pounds, going from 315 pounds and now I weight 220 pounds. I cut out carbs & became more active with my children! They are the best lil calorie burners I know of. Lol!

I started my weight loss journey in June 2012. I originally started by counting calories on a mobile app called FatSecret and then graduated to the omission of carbs. The common name for the plan I follow is the 12 day diet. I eat 3 meals per day until I am full and have a cup of ruby red grapefruit juice with each meal. If I am feeling hungry between meals, I eat 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter or cinnamon toasted almonds.  I also consume a gallon of water each day. I have lost 100 pounds and gone from a size 26/28 to a thick size 16. My exercise regime includes playing with my children, walking, and swimming. I keep active because of my little ones. I have 3 children, ages 10 and under. They are my motivation, I plan on living to see them grow, create families of their own and then some!”

 

3 Reasons to Go Gluten-Free

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gluten freeMany people today are starting realize that they have gluten intolerance and that their bodies do better without wheat and grain products that contain gluten.  Some have even be diagnosed with a disorder known as celiac disease, which involves an inability to digest gluten.  In addition, many people have adapted the “gluten free” diet and are using it’s principles to improve their weight loss plan.

Even though going gluten-free is not a “miracle diet,” it can actually help you a lot in your weight loss efforts. Here are some of the ways that going gluten free can help.

By eliminating gluten, you automatically reduce your carbohydrate intake, especially highly processed, simple carbs.

One thing that many people don’t realize is that, by going gluten free, you end up going low-carbohydrate as well. Why is this? Well, because the most common source of gluten is wheat, and wheat is at the core of many starchy or highly processed products, which make up the typical American diet. That means you will be eliminating breads, pastas, baked sweets, cereals, and a number of other foods that are processed with wheat.

Why does going low-carb help? A low-carb diet encourages your body to burn fat as you exercise, because it will want to store what little carbohydrates that you have for energy use later on. You need to have some carbohydrates, because they help with vital bodily functions, but reducing them can really help to jump-start your weight loss plan. You don’t want to totally eliminate carbohydrates, like some people do, but instead go low-carbohydrate and have some of an energy store to work with.

Of course, you have to do this intelligently; there are plenty of options out there for people who are gluten-free that have the same amount of carbohydrates (rice bread, for example), so it won’t really make much of a difference. Eat foods like veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and lean meats instead. Make sure that, however you go gluten-free, that the options that you are eating are not processed foods. They won’t help your weight loss efforts either.

By going gluten-free, you help to reduce inflammation in your body.

This is an interesting fact that many people don’t realize. Gluten itself (not carbohydrates, but the actual compound gluten) actually sets an immune response in some people, which may cause you to have issues with inflammation in different parts of the body, including your digestive system. As mentioned above, Celiac disease is one of the things that can happen as a result of this gluten inflammation, but there is a growing number of people in the population who are merely gluten sensitive, but are completely unaware of the sensitivity.

The inflammation usually occurs in the digestive system, as previously mentioned. This can cause a number of issues, including a lack of an ability to absorb nutrients and irritation of the bowels. It can also cause constipation in extreme cases. Even if you are not sensitive to gluten, eliminating gluten from your diet may help encourage this nutrient absorption, which will encourage overall weight loss. Overall, eliminating (or, at least, reducing) gluten from the diet could actually be a good thing, even if you are not sensitive to it at all. There is still research to be done on this topic, but there is speculation and information that you may want to research for yourself to find out if it may improve your health.

By going gluten-free, you may find that you have more energy. This is currently only speculation, based on some things that researchers have seen in studies. If you are eliminating gluten, which means that you are eliminating carbohydrates, why would it help you to have more energy? There are a few reasons that this may be the case. First, because you won’t feel “bloated” or “ill” due to the digestive system issues we just talked about. Another reason that this may be the case is because many foods that have gluten are processed and full of sugar, and it has been shown that the amount of processed food that you eat may affect how much energy you have overall.  If your blood sugar levels and not constantly in flux, you will have a more consistent energy level thus feeling less tired.

As with any diet and exercise program, make sure that you talk to your doctor before you go gluten free. They can give you suggestions on diet, exercise, and other factors that may be related to your weight loss goals, and he or she can help you in case something goes awry in the process.

Tanya lost 80 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Tanya who has lost 80 pounds.  This petite 5 foot tall lady was dealing with polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance and high blood pressure.  Weight loss surgery worked for her.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Hi my name is Tanya and I just wanted to share part of my weight loss journey. My highest recorded weight was 301 pounds at 5 feet tall. I suffered from pcos (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which causes one to be insulin resistant, along with a slew of other problems. I also was suffering from high blood pressure. While in school, preparing to be a medical assistant, I noticed I was eating more, moving less and tiring easy.  I was opting for the elevator from the first floor to the second floor. Not liking this feeling or the way I looked, I was motivated to do something…but what? I had already failed at every diet under the sun so I decided to talk to the surgeon who had previously removed my gallbladder and have gastric bypass surgery.

On 12/18/12 my surgery was performed. Now, almost 10 months later, I’m down 80 pounds. I eat dramatically different now; low carb, low fat and very small portions. I also workout five times a week. Recently, I added strength training to my exercise program. It’s not a quick fix.  Surgery is not a easy way out.  There are plenty of days when I want to give up but I don’t want to go back to high blood pressure.  My blood pressure  has been great since the day after surgery. I also don’t want to trade my size 18 jeans back in for size 28. God has blessed me. I have none of the bad side affects associated with gastric bypass surgery. Even though I suffer from severe depression and bipolar disorder, for the most part I’m happy knowing that I’m on the right track to a healthier me.

Tanya weight loss story

Amanda lost 90 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Amanda lost 90 pounds.  After years of yo yo dieting, she found a way to lose the weight and stop comfort eating.  She is very happy that her health has improved significantly.  Here is her weight loss story and her advice to others:

Amanda weight loss photos

“After the death of my father in August 2003, I started eating for comfort. I was 23 years old at the time, and I gained over 100 lbs throughout the next five years. Finally, On August 23, 2010, after years of yo-yo dieting, gym memberships and almost every weight loss trick known to man, I went to a personal trainer and said: “I’m ready.”  The trainer weighed me in on that day at 297 pounds.

I began to work ou 6 days a week with the trainer, doing 1-hour sessions which included cardio and weight training. My trainer also put me on a specialized meal plan that consists of meal replacement bars and shakes and low carb dinner (meat and vegetable only.). I also took vitamins and nutritional supplements. After three months of training and the personal meal plan, I lost my first 30 pounds, which was terrific.

I felt better about myself. I didn’t have the lower back pain issues that I had when I was 300 lbs. I also didn’t have the shortness of breath. My blood pressure was high at the beginning of August 2010, but by November 2010 it had come down significantly. I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. My blood pressure had decreased, and I was feeling amazing. I felt like I had received everything I needed from the personal trainer, so I continued the journey by myself.

For the next year, I worked out on my own at home in my living room. Yes, I did workout DVDs such as the Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels, Hip Hop Abs, and the most notable P90x. I continued to lose another 50 lbs in a year, all in the comfort of my home. Now, fast forward to the present 2013, and I’ve kept the weight off, and I still want to lose more. My total weight loss is 90 lbs. My current weight is 207 pounds.

I workout six days a week. I combine gym workouts and still do workout DVD’s as well. I use myfitnesspal.com to watch my calories. Most importantly I am committed to healthy living and feeling good. My primary motivation is to feel good. In the past, I hated not being able to walk for long periods of time and having lower back problems. I have to say to the readers, don’t give up! Again, I tried everything, but I believe when the time is right, the weight comes off. We have to hand in there and not give up!

I’m looking forward to reaching my next weight loss goal by December 2013. I am working towards losing another 40 pounds by March 2014.”

 

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #21: Look for Free Weight Loss Related Offers Online

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free offers weight loss relatedWeight Loss on a Budget Tip #21: Look for Free Weight Loss Related Offers Online!  That’s right!  If you are willing to do the work you can find lots of offers for free stuff online that can help you with your weight loss efforts.  Here are just a few examples (some are limited time offers):

Free Meal Plans:

Sites where you can find offers for free stuff:

Take your time and do your research.  Check out the websites for your favorite brands and plan how to buy them.