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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sabrina lost 45 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Sabrina lost 45 pounds.  She found a weight loss program that worked for her and worked it.  This proud mom also included her kids when working out for more motivation.  Read her story below.

Sabrina before and after

“I was slowly letting myself go. I was so wrapped up in everyone else I didn’t realize I had packed on so many pounds. My friend told me about a Beachbody program that uses martial arts to help shape your body. I was interested because I’m a ninja at heart. I bought Les Mills Combat and kind of half way did it. I wasn’t motivated. Then one night I put the DVD in and my boys joined me. I felt like I had to push harder because I wanted to set a good example. I didn’t really lose any weight during round one because I wasn’t dedicated to the program or the nutrition guide. I finished and was like I really want a t-shirt but I want to earn it. I started over and committed to the program and the nutrition guide. I added their nutritional shakes to my routine and worked out with the boys. I found myself pushing harder and really reshaping my body. Finally, I stepped on the scale and didn’t quickly get off.  That’s when I found out that in 120 days I’d gone from 215 pounds down to 170.

Sabrina weight lossWorking out with the kids really helped me step up my game but also finding a challenge group full of people doing the same workout as me helped me stay accountable. I recommend getting into a group of people with similar goals who are doing similar things on their journey and being an active member. It really helps you and others stay on track. I loved getting fighting fit so much I decided to pay it forward and become a coach myself.”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds. She changed her eating habits so that she could have more energy to exercise.  Then she kicked her workouts up to full speed and lost the pounds.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

KhadijahMay2

“When I started my journey I weighted 268 pounds. At this weight I began to notice a lack of energy and increased laziness. I was always the girl to love sports and weight lifting. However, I knew to be a little better than I was, some of the weight had to disappear. Being a better me and living longer than my mom and grandma served as great motivation for me. It also helps a lot that I have a super energetic one year old niece.

I went from eating junk and gunk to being a lean, mean, protein machine. From candy and fast food with lots of grease to eggs, chicken and tons of greens. It is safe to say lettuce is now my favorite food.  I knew with extra work on my nutrition that my energy levels would increase and I was back at the weights in no time. I also began running one to two miles every day and going to the gym 3x a week to lift weight and work on abs.

After all of this hard work (about 3 months worth), I can proudly say that I now weigh 222 pounds. 46 pounds gone and at least 30 lbs more to go.Never give up in yourself. If you do others will began to give up on you too. It’s not easy at first because it’s different, but we are made to overcome the challenges that are put in front of us. We determine our destiny. So, Come on ladies! Eat clean and start your transformation. And remember that abs are made in the kitchen. “

Green Smoothie Recipes for January

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If you have been following along with our Facebook page, you’ve seen that I’ve posted a new green smoothie recipe each day for our January 14 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse. If you missed any of them, here is the information to access all of the smoothie recipes we’ve featured.

TGBTS Smoothie (no Banana)

The Popeye Green Smoothie
2 cups of spinach
1 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp peanut butter
1 cup strawberries
2 tbsp almonds
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup water
optional: 1 tsp honey or other natural sweetener to taste
Instructions: place in a blender and blend till the greens are broken down. Add water if it’s too thick.

Raspberry Kale Green Smoothie

Video: Green Smoothie Recipe from My Natural Sistas

“Quick Pick Me Up” from Simple Green Smoothies
2 Servings
2 cups spinach
2 cups water
1/2 grapefruit, no rind
2 oranges, peeled
1 cup pineapple
1/2 avocado – remove the dark rind, use the inside
Put in a blender and blend. Add a few ice cubes if you like a frosty smoothie.

Sweet & Delicious Green Smoothie

Creamy Kale Smoothie from Vegalicious
Ingredients
1. 2 cups water
2. 2 bananas
3. 1 cup fresh/frozen blueberries
4. 2 tbsp hemp seeds
5. 2 tbsp dulse flakes
6. 1 bunch of kale, remove thicker part of the stem
7. 2 cups fresh/frozen strawberries
8. 2 tbsp raw honey, if needed for sweetness
Blend ingredients 1-6 until smooth, then add ingredients 7-8 and blend. Enjoy!

Collard Green Smoothie from Fully Raw
Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups of stemmed collard greens
1 1/2 cups mango (fresh or frozen)
1 cup green grapes
Combine in a blender and blend. Add water slowly to reach desired consistency.

Tart Apple Smoothie

Lola Berry Smoothie

Kale Margarita Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie (with Oats & Greens!)

Mango Kiwi Avocado Smoothie

Anti-Bloating Green Smoothie

Strawberry Banana Flax Green Smoothie

Mardi Gras Smoothie
Yield: 2 Servings
Ingredients:

yellow/gold layer:
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 large banana
1/2 cup ice cubes
2 tsp agave syrup
4-6 dashes turmeric (for color)

purple layer:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

green layer:
1/3 cup baby spinach
1 large kiwi, peeled (a chilled kiwi works best)
1 green sweet pear
3/4 cup water
1 dash cayenne
pinch of fresh ginger, peeled/chopped (optional)

Directions:
You will need to blend each layer separately – a high speed blender like a Vitamix works best.
Start with the yellow layer. Blend. Pour into a glass and set aside in freezer until ready for it.
Then blend the green layer (no blender rinsing needed). Pour and set aside.
Lastly, blend the purple layer.
Pour the purple layer into your serving glass first.
Followed by the green layer. Pour slowly.
Yellow to top it off.
You may have some extra of the yellow layer. Drink as you please!
Serve!

5 Superfoods That You Should Be Eating

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Superfoods have been in the news lately and can be found listed in many diet plans. The obvious conclusion from their nickname is that these foods can somehow provide more nutritional benefits than the average fruit or vegetable. What makes something a “superfood” isn’t that it contains an unusually high level of any one beneficial nutrient, but that is contains a combination of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, proteins or fibers that allow it to work independently of other foods to provide the body with nutrition. Many foods that may contain one of more beneficial elements require an additional food of a different type to be consumed at the same time in order for the body to be able to use what is eaten.

superfoodsHere are 5 top superfoods that can fit into most ways of eating (except some low carb plans), including vegan or vegetarian. Each of them offers a high powered source of balanced nutrition that can help your body repair and sustain its health.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are not only rich in fiber, nutrients, vitamins and minerals but they are versatile. You can make them into fries, bake them, make dessert with them and serve them boiled. Their distinctive and slight sweet flavor tends to discourage the usual assault of salt, butter and creams that undo many a healthy foods potential.

Blueberries

Blueberries typically are usually on the superfood list, not because they are better than other types of berries, but because they are generally easier to find in a store. Like all berries, blueberries are rich in phytochemicals, vitamins and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is what gives you that full feeling and is also the type of fiber the body needs to promote healthy digestive functioning. There have been many studies done that suggest a strong link between phytochemicals and cognitive functioning. Blueberries are easy to add to the diet to replace sugars and sweeteners on morning cereals and as a treat at the end of the day instead of a caloric and sugary dessert.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money

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family healthy food save moneyToday’s tip for weight loss on a budget: Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money. One of the main issues I hear from mothers is that they have to be able to feed their whole families while changing to healthier eating habits.  Many people think that eating quality food has to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you are strategic and do your research about deals, sales and pricing.

Here are my tips:

  • Focus on Healthy Staples in Bulk: Whole wheat pasta, healthy low-sugar cereal, oatmeal, beans, whole grain rice, chicken breast and yogurt.  These are just some of the foods that you can buy in bulk.  Focus on things that you know your family eats a lot of that will not spoil quickly and can be stored in bulk.
  • Create Family Staple Foods: Think about what cheap things you can use as the base for meals.  Example: Canned tuna, beans, rice, sweet potatoes, romaine lettuce, lean pork, ground turkey.  You want to look for cheap, healthy ingredients that have a lot of versatility and can be used in a variety of ways in terms of the recipes you make for your family.
  • Sacrifice Variety for Health and Cost: Create a set of 10-15 dinner meals that you know your family will eat (meals your kids will eat, especially) and cook those meals regularly.  Make this list the basis of most of your dinners. Prepare a new or different healthy meal selection, that’s not on the list, at least 4 times a month.  This will help you to control cost, save time and know exactly what nutrition your family is getting.  You can do the same with other meals, like breakfast.
  • Don’t Buy Junk Food – NO brainer.  Junk food that is full of empty calories and has little nutritional value is not worth the money or inches on your waistline.  In addition, your kids need quality food for their health and development.
  • Freeze Leftovers –  Leftover meals and portions should be saved for later.  If you think that you may not get to the food for a few days, freeze it to avoid spoilage.
  • Make a Grocery List and Stick to IT – When you are shopping with kids, you can end up with a lot of unplanned items in your cart.  If you go to the grocery store while you are hungry or craving junk, you could also end up with some unplanned items.  A shopping list can help serve as a reminder of what you committed to buying and of what you have allotted in your budget for groceries.  It’s not a guarantee, but it’s better than not having a plan.

Tabaitha lost 53 pounds

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Today’s featured success story: Tabaitha lost 53 pounds and she’s kept the weight off since 2011.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Hi! I want to be a inspiration to the ladies to keep going! My name is Tabaitha and I’m 53 pounds down and counting.

My motivation for losing the weight is I wanted to feel like myself again after gaining over 80 pounds while pregnant with my daughter.

I changed my eating habits by eliminating white sugar, sodas, friend foods & breads. I replaced them with baked or broiled lean meats and lots of green veggies on the side.

My starting weight was 213 pounds and my current weight is 160 pounds.

My workout routines consisted of 45 min of cardio, 5-6 days a week and light strength training.   I did a mix or the elliptical and the treadmill. When I would use the treadmill I would set the incline high to make me really work but I would power walk. I’m still not to the point where I’m running yet but I’m working on it. When I use the elliptical I up the cross ramp a little too. You just want to constantly challenge your body. Every week go up a notch in speed, weights or reps.

My transformation started off slow with me losing 23 lbs in 2010 over the course of 4 months and then took off in 2011 with me losing 30 lbs in 2 months

My advice to the ladies is to be consistent with your workouts and nutrition. Nutrition is the most important part. Drink lots of water and stay positive! I’m not done with my journey I’m losing my last pounds and getting lean & toned. Just keep going  🙂Tabaitha weight loss photos

Tabaitha weight loss story

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #26: Use Free Weight Loss and Fitness Apps

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Mobile apps are part of our daily lives.  Today for our Weight Loss on a Budget Tip for day 26, we want to encourage you to try some great, free weight loss and fitness focused apps. Tip #26: Use Free Weight Loss and Fitness Apps.

weight loss apps

My Fitness Pal – This is a calorie counter app, online community and database that contains the nutritional information for million foods. This app can really help you stay on track with your eating. Hundreds of BWLW members are on the site so check out this list of their usernames.  It’s FREE

Nike Training Club – This app from Nike gives you access to over 10o workouts at the click of a button.  It includes some great High Intensity Interval Training routines to help you burn calories.  You can set up goals and you’re rewarded for your progress.  It’s like a personal trainer in your pocket because there is a cool audio feature that talks to your to help you stay motivated during your workout.  Very user friendly.  It’s FREE.

Loseit – Track calories, workouts and your overall weight loss progress with this app.  You can keep track of macronutrients, sleep patterns and even your blood pressure so you see a great snapshot of your health as you work on your overall wellness.  My favorite part of this FREE app is the bar code scanning.  It saves me a lot of time when I’m logging what I’ve eaten (protein powders, dairy, etc).

Fooducate – If you want to really know what’s in your food and get some help with making food decisions based on nutrition, get this FREE app.  It will open your eyes.  Their site says that “Fooducate’s scientific algorithms grade each product and provide simple, concise explanations. Grading system developed by scientists, dietitians and concerned parents.”  They emphasize REAL, unprocessed foods.

 

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #18: Make Shopping List Before Going to the Grocery Store

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Today’s Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #18 – Make an Actual Shopping List.  We have all heard the old expression, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  Well, that saying rings true when it comes to eating for weight loss.  Chances are that the majority of what you are eating are foods that you have prepared for yourself.  I talking about homemade, healthy recipes and and healthy convenience foods like, yogurt, whole wheat cereal or low sodium soup.  You can save money and stay on track with your weight loss goals by making a list before heading to the grocery store.  It requires willpower, but you can do it!

  • With a shopping list you will better be able to avoid the negative foods that would contribute to weight gain.
  • With a list you will know what foods your need to buy in accordance with what you plan to eat for the week and what recipes you will be making.
  • If you assess what you have at home and what you need to buy before your regular weekly trip to the store, you will make less trips to the grocery store during the week, saving gas…thus saving money.
  • A list will help you void overbuying or buying the things you don’t need.  Save money $$$
  • Don’t worry about the brand names, just get the foods on your list.  Ingredients should be your focus, so as long as the food label nutrition info shows that the food is healthy the brand name is secondary.  Not buying brand names can save you $$$.
  • Compare prices.  You may have one brand on your list, but another brand is on sale.  Embrace your options.
  • Avoid impulse purchases and being lured into buying things you don’t need based on sales and special offer displays.
  • After making your list, look at the website for the store you are going to and look for deals on the items you plan to buy.  You can of course look at your coupons as well, if you are “couponing”.
  • Don’t shop when you are hungry or having strong cravings because you’ll be more likely to divert from your list.
  • There are some good list building, meal planning and family focused apps out there that allow you to manage your list on your phone.  Fooducate is one example of this.

If you need help putting a list together, we’ve got shopping lists that you can take to the store with you as a part of our Free Meal Plans.  Check out our 4 week plans.  One is for vegetarians and the other is just clean eating.

shopping list

Home Delivery Diet Food Companies – Pros and Cons

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diet food delivery mealsIt seems that with weight loss plans like Nutrisystem® or The Fresh Diet® we have been bombarded by the value that delivery diet meals can give us. They are convenient and face it, in today’s world, who doesn’t want fresh low calorie meals they don’t have to worry about preparing? They are popular in America because many of us feel we don’t have time to cook meals to specific calorie counts, especially when we have to take care of the house and cook for a family, which can be a challenge in and of itself. However, we understand that every family dynamic is unique so I’ve have taken the time to give you some pros and cons of these programs so you can make an educated choice.

Pros for home diet food delivery services

  • Convenience: This is of course the number one pro and the first most important reason people buy into these plans. They are nutritional “no brainers and at your door for the week, as long as you choose. This has another hidden benefit which is purely psychological and that is—when you have something you don’t have to think about—your brain thinks it’s easy and you become accustomed to it.
  • Cuts shopping time: If you are cooking for a family, then with these plans you are shopping for one less person and that can add up to a lot. Add in snacks that you will avoid and that’s even more savings.  You have your neat and tidy menu all tied up for the week and you can stay on track with your eating plan! That means less time in the supermarket and if you are single—you’ve got it made in the shade!
  • Cooking time is cut in half: Or eliminated altogether depending on your home dynamic. You can have more time to yourself and spend less time on the utilitarian activities.
  • Variety: You will appreciate the variety in the meal options you have access to, especially when you don’t have to do the cooking.
  • Nutrition info: All the nutrition info is available to you ahead of time so that you can pick  the foods that work with your weight loss goals.

Cons of home diet food delivery

  • Not planet friendly: There is a lot of potential tree killing that can go into all that packaging and if it is all meant to be microwaved—you may lose weight but you may also lose nutrients in the midst.
  • Cost: A lot of these services are not light on the wallet. The cost can be a few hundred a month that you didn’t count on.  It’s not affordable for everyone, but you really do have to compare the cost to your current food costs to know for sure.  You may find out that you could save some money with prepared meals.
  • What’s inside? You MUST take a look at the nutrition label for any prepackaged or pre-prepared food because many are full of preservatives and flavorings as well as artificial colors.  A lot of these meal delivery plans do strive to keep their ingredients natural and healthy, so there are options.
  • How focused on nutrition are they really? They may only be focused on calorie count and portion instead of having any nutritional value—again—read the label.
  • Schedule: For some companies, drop off times my not be convenient. You don’t want to be stuck in traffic or working overtime just to come home to a bunch of expensive rotten food waiting at the door.
  • Habit: When you stop the diet—you may have become too accustomed to the packaged stuff and run right on off the plan into junk food land. Prepare yourself for what you will do for meals after you stop using a plan like this so your weight doesn’t rebound.

Bottomline: If you wish to try the packaged variety of diet plan, make sure you do your research.  Not all diet meal delivery plans are created equal. One great way to decide if a plan is for you is to see if you can do one month as a trial, taste the food and read the labels. You should go to see the diet delivery plan specialist in person if there is a store near you. This is because you can generally get a taste-test there, like at a Jenny Craig®. If you do it online then choose one with a minimum time limit or minimum purchase. If it doesn’t work for you then you haven’t been contracted into a long-term affair.

Rachelle lost 136 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Rachelle lost 136 pounds going from 340 to 204 pounds.  She embraced exercise and eating healthy.  Now she is an inspiration to those around her who have seen her progress.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

My name is Rachelle and I’ve been losing weight for about 7 months now.  I started in February.  That’s when I began working out hard with a personal trainer (BO) and she was AWESOME.  Then I started doing the techniques that she taught me when I could no longer afford her services. I started taking core classes, and spinning classes 3 days a week. I also did lunges, squats, crunches, push ups and other arm exercises to build a little muscle and to tone up my body the best way I knew how.

I started eating healthy. I stopped eating fast food, stopped drinking sodas and I did 3 day liquid fasts once a month. Don’t get me wrong I did treat myself once a month but I’ve learned not to treat myself with food.  Instead treat myself to something else. I was at my highest weight, which was about 340 pounds and now I’m at 204 pounds. So, I’ve lost over 100 pounds it feels so good to see that I motivate my family and friends, and how individuals are asking me how to get started.  They just don’t know that while I’m motivating them they are motivating me to keep going and to never see that 340 pound girl that I used to be. My advice for others is just to keep going and never give up.  It’s hard and you might have your off days but the next day is a brand new day. Just start over and make sure you are doing it for YOU and nobody else.

I’ve also downloaded an app called couch to 5k and that got me running, step by step, and now I don’t want to stop. This has truly been a journey for me and I’m proud of what I have done and keeping this weight off.  I’m inspired to help and motivate other individuals to get on the right path so I’m trying to go back to school to study nutrition, get my bachelor’s, and become a dietitian.  You guys will see me soon because I’m motivated to travel the world and let my story be heard. I am a living witness that no matter how heavy you are you have to start from somewhere and you CAN do it!!!!!!

Rachelle weight loss story