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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Video: Kim has lost 84 pounds!

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Kim Rainey is today’s featured weight loss success story!  She has lost 84 pounds! No pills, no shots, no lose weight schemes.. just hardwork and dedication.

kim rainey

She says, “On this day 1 year ago, I made the first steps to change my life. My wight over the years had always went up and down(but mostly up). I had never had a problem with the way I looked even at my highest weight of 282lbs I still felt beautiful… the problem is that I was completely unhealthy. On this day i said NO MORE. I started walkind 3 days a week and started watching what I ate. The weight just started falling off and this motivated me even more! I got a personal trainer to help me target and tone. I also started doing Zumba which is my favorite cardio!  84 pounds down I am smaller than I was in high school. No pils, no surgery, no lose weight quick schemes… just constant determination and hard work. If I can do it , anyone can. I also have a youtube video for my weightloss journey!”

Obesity and African-American Women – I See Smoke

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Today’s Inspiration | I know that many people feel that government stats are just used to put more stigma on the black community. For example, stats that note the number of blacks in jail, the number of black male youth not in college, or a report that came out a few years back on black women and herpes. I know that when we hear these stats many times we dismiss them as negative and skewed. We

don’t believe the numbers, and in the face of institutional racism we all understand why. However, we know where truth lives in our own communities. We may not believe the exact numbers, but we also know that everything is not peachy keen in terms of health in the black community. Many of us doing quite well, but just like any other community, many of us have issues. I say all this because I want you to consider some widely quoted stats from the CDC and HHS.– African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. – About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.
– In 2010, African American women were 70% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.
– More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
– People who are overweight are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and LDL cholesterol — all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
– Deaths from heart disease and stroke are almost twice the rate for African Americans as compared to Whites.

These stats are high and your can argue with them. You can call them fiction, inflated, or an attack if you want. That’s not what matters. What matters is that there ARE African Americans who have health challenges that are directly related to their weight. What matters is that we look at ourselves and our families and consider whether we are dealing with obesity or if we are lying to ourselves. We have to determine for ourselves. No government report can define our health. No government stats can cure the effects of obesity. I take these stats as a alarm. I may not see fire, but if I see smoke…I know it’s time to move. I see smoke in terms of how weight and obesity is affecting our community. We don’t need stats to see that.

Is Obesity the New Normal

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You are not alone. The CDC says that more than a third of Americans are obese and another third are overweight. Only 30% of people in the U.S. can now be considered at a healthy weight. The question is: How long will you be part of this new “normal”?

I talk to a lot of Black Women about weight and weight loss.  One theme I hear all the time is that they “don’t want to be skinny” or “I don’t want to lose my curves”.  I totally understand that and I’m on board.  I love my body and I refuse to look at myself negatively because of the American beauty status quo and it’s obsession with “thinness”.  However, I do have a problem with obesity being seen as normal. It is not the case that all black women are overweight and unhealthy.  There are a lot of women, of various hues, that are larger than the standard bears would like but healthy and extremely well.  My issue is with those who are not.  My focus is on making sure that we as ourselves the hard truths.  My focus is on shining a light on the fact that many of us could improve our health and our lives by losing a few pounds and there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

I’m not ok with anything unhealthy becoming normal in the black community.  I want our normal to be health.

Try the The Semi-Vegetarian Jumpstart

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Sistas, everyone wants quick weight loss. Everyone always wants shortcuts when I give them the advice to eat clean and exercise. Well, let me give you a healthy “shortcut”. Take these suggestions and do them all together for 30 days. I call it “The Semi-Vegetarian Jumpstart”. It’s not for everyone, but you may be able to make some of these suggestions work for you.

  • Make 70% of your diet raw fruits and veggies.
  • Eat raw, un-roasted nuts and flax seed for fats
  • Only drink water, freshly made juice or smoothies and hot tea. Eliminate all soda and sugary beverages.
  • Don’t eat any dairy.
  • Don’t eat anything with processed sugar or corn syrup.
  • Only eat lean meats. Eat meat during only one meal per day.

The funny thing is that when I suggest this, people go crazy. What about protein? What about calcium? There are sources of protein other than meat. There are sources of calcium other than milk products. The real question is how much real, unprocessed food are you eating. What eating like this will do is give your body the vitamins, nutrients and fiber that it’s not getting from processed food. That will allow your body to release waste and cleanse. Go Semi-Vegetarian and see what it does for your health.

Of course, if you’ve gone to the doctor and have been told not to eat certain fruits and veggies, or if you have allergies or medical issues that prohibit you from eating this way, this is not for you. Don’t hurt yourself trying to lose weight. What I’m offering is advice and my opinion. You have to do your research and check in with your doctor to find a plan that works for your individual health needs.