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Kristy lost 65 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Kristy lost 65 pounds. Back pain, swelling ankles and foot pain were a constant reminder that her health had to become a priority. She did her research and kicked off her journey with a 100 days of juicing and smoothies. Check out her story.

kristy before and after

My motivation was a healthier me. The older I got, the more important my health became, because I was having back pain, ankle swelling and foot pain. I realized that without health, nothing in life could fully be enjoyed. I have struggled with weight most of my life and I finally got tired of all the excuses I made for myself. I would lose weight and then gain it back because ultimately I hadn’t made a lifestyle change.

After doing extensive research and watching lots of health documentaries, I was convinced that I had to make a holistic lifestyle change and eat clean. My health coach, Jame,s has also been a huge supporter and encouragement to me through this process.

My journey has been on and off over the last couple of years, but I really got serious about getting my health together at the beginning of this year when I started my 100 day juice and smoothie challenge.

I committed to removing dairy out of my diet. I was already vegetarian, but decided it was time to go vegan. I cut out 80% of highly processed foods, cut out fast foods, and I only drink water. No juices in bottles or packaged/processed juice. I juice it myself. I also make sure that my meals are low salt due to high salt causing me to swell. I focus on low sugar intake as well, unless it comes from natural sources like fruits. My diet plan consists of intervals of eating vegan, raw vegan, juicing, drinking smoothies, and water fasting.

My workout routine consists of weight lifting and walking or jogging for 1-3 miles, 4 times a week. Over the summer, I joined a spin class and I’m currently looking into swimming classes.

I’ve lost 65 pounds. My goal weight is 150. I am 5’2″ tall. No weight loss surgery. All natural.

My advice to others would be to never give up. The journey of weight loss is often long, and frustrating, but there is hope.

Instagram: @KLLAMAR

Facebook: OneHealingMinistry

Surprising Ways to Lose Weight By Focusing on Food Quality

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calories arent equal

It’s about food quality, as well as quantity. Say goodbye to the old model of weight loss relying solely on calorie calculations and restriction. Be excited by some new news, you can “have your cake and eat it…” and lose weight too! Maintain and open mind and get ready for some surprises as we reveal that you can eat cake and lose weight!

Burning Calories

The current model for measuring energy, the calorie, is very outdated. Developed in the 1800’s a calorimeter is no more than a chamber for burning things in. Foods, and other energy rich substances such as fuel, are incinerated to see how much heat they give off. The amount of heat is measured in calories. The last time I checked, my digestive system is not a furnace, nowhere near! Yet, for over 100 years we have relied on the same old model – and where has it got us?

Using calories is an inaccurate way of calculating the full impact of food on your body – your beautiful biological being is not an oven! 400 calories of refined sugar laden sweets is very different to 400 calories of avocado! Sadly, the calorie model doesn’t take into account usefulness of the foods we eat, toxicity of the food or other negative impacts on the body. Specifically when losing weight it is our hormones which require the closest attention.

Some hormones, such as insulin, drive us to put on weight. Other hormones, such as glucagon, help the body to burn fat and lose weight. Our body can either use carbohydrates as fuel OR fats, but (this is really important….) it cannot use both at the same time!

So if you are eating carbs (especially refined carbs like sweets/cakes/bread/white pasta) your body will likely be producing lots of insulin and you will go into fat STORING mode to deal with excess blood sugar. If you are eating protein and fats (plus some low carb fruits and vegetables) you will be in more of a fat BURNING mode. It is one or the other, burning OR storing, not both. Makes sense really, think of it like a suitcase, are you packing or unpacking?

(Note: I’m talking about a normal metabolism. If you don’t have a normal metabolism due to things like type 1 diabetes, hormone imbalances, insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome… that’s another story. Always talk to your doctor about your unique case)

We need a new model!

So, you can see the old model of calories really doesn’t fully support us (highlighted by the epidemic levels of obesity) and sadly the standard US food pyramid is no better (and mainly due to food industry lobbying it’s woefully inadequate) as a guide for what we should be eating.*

New models for measuring food healthfulness based on the biological responses of our body are needed to help dieters and healthy eaters make the best choices. One such solution is the new SANE approach which looks at the impact of foods from a hormonal and satiety perspective. Advertised as ‘Dieting 2.0’ this model is certainly an improvement on the current calorie counting method but it still relies on us learning a lot about specific foods. What is needed is some simple guidelines we can easily understand and adopt!

Emotionally Satisfying Food

We eat food to nourish ourselves but also for many other reasons, including emotional comfort and social cohesion. If you are feeling bored and uninspired by your food it is more likely that you will rebel against your healthy wishes and end up cheating with something more exciting – a bit like an affair!

The trick is to make your food taste amazing and healthy – let’s call it healthy decadent! Fortunately this is easily done, with a bit of creativity, visual appeal, combing tastes and textures and adding healthy fats. Here are 3 quick tips to REALLY enjoy your food and meet your emotional needs along with your nutritional ones!

1. Find out what you like

This may sound obvious but many people do not take the time to experiment with foods to find out what is personally satisfying. Do you like hot and spicy, crunchy, saucy or something else? Do you like just one type of food at once or lots of things to try? The internet is so full of recipes to consider that you will for sure find the foods that are healthy AND satisfying. Try using the word ‘healthy’ along with your favorite recipes in a google search and see what you can find. Many successful dieters have taken the time to experiment with food substitutions to create healthy alternatives that still hit the spot and they have kindly put them online for you to try too! What would tickle your taste buds?

2. Make it look amazing

Cooking with love and creating visual appeal is important; a plate which looks like it was slopped out by a sub-standard high school canteen will not send the right messages to your mind or belly. You are important – communicate this to yourself through the food you prepare. Arranging things nicely on a plate, adding a single flower for decoration, preparing a variety of dips, taking time to eat sat at the table, lighting a candle – these are all relatively simple things you can do which just take a couple of minutes and will reinforce the idea that you are worth honoring and taking the time over. How will you pimp up your plate?

3. Add healthy fats

Yet another lie spread by the food (and diet) industry is that fat is bad. This is not true: some fats are bad – mainly processed oils, margarines and intensively farmed animal fats. But there is one extra safe, and very delicious, fat. Coconut oil is an amazing addition to your diet – it protects the brain, prevents neurodegenerative disease, encourages weight loss and even helps to improve your mood and mental function.** It is typically solid at room temperature but melts really easily; it is good for cooking and adding to sauces and many other dishes.

When you add fat back you increase the flavor via, recently discovered, special receptors on the tongue. Healthy fats like those in coconut, avocado and unheated virgin olive oil are biologically and evolutionary beneficial, this is why our body and brain responds positively to them. Unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t know the food industry would get their hands on this concept and create processed fanken-fats which cause us physical and emotional damage.

Low Carbohydrate – Less Insulin

Low Carb eating isn’t for everyone, but it works for many people. Foods which are low in carbohydrates do not stimulate insulin the way high carb foods do. When there is no insulin in your blood your body can switch to fat burning mode – this is why the Atkins diet is so successful. If you want to lose weight and burn fat you need to reduce sweet and starchy foods (including artificial sweeteners if you want to cut out chemicals and toxins. Stevia is an option if it’s not over processed) and limit the higher-sugar fruits and vegetables. Instead opt for greener vegetables and less sweet fruits – like cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon and some varieties of apples and melon. Swap your potatoes for sweet potatoes and cut out pasta and bread.

When you do eat carbohydrates combine them with fats and proteins to slow digestion and reduce peaks in insulin production. You do not need carbs with every meal, eat what you find satisfying not what you think you should eat. Make your choices based on what feels right to you. How do you feel after a light lunch of a protein filled salad then a fruity and nutty snack later compared to a single meal of a heavy bowl of pasta?

Cheeky Chocolate Saucy Salad

Try this as an example, cook a handful of dates in a little hot water (a little more than half a cup) and stir until they ‘melt’. Add two to three couple of heaped teaspoons of coconut oil, add roughly half a cup of raw cacao powder…. In just a few minutes you have made a delicious, healthy, guilt free “dark chocolate” sauce! Tastes amazing, especially smothered over a less exciting fruit salad, and you know it is all fresh and good-for-you ingredients. (Here is a similar recipe with more details) The fiber in the dates plus the coconut fat slow down digestion reducing insulin levels too. Put some cut up fruit in a lovely bowl, drizzle on the sauce add a flower or mint leaf for decoration. Then sit somewhere special and enjoy this decadent healthy treat.

Ready for your cake?

Chocolate sauce isn’t the only healthy trick you can play on yourself. Raw cakes are just as delicious as the baked varieties but rely on careful combinations of fresh fruit, nuts and healthy fats to craft delicious and satisfying treats. Also guilt free these cakes really can help weight loss as they provide an alternative to the shop bought sugar-filled processed options and instead fill you with healthful ingredients. They do contain carbohydrate and should be eaten, and enjoyed in moderation but for days when you feel like giving in, try an emergency raw cake instead! Dieting doesn’t have to be painful, with some careful research, experimentation and planning you can adopt healthy eating patterns which are satisfying on all levels.

 

References:

*
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/18/usda-nutritional-guidelines.aspx

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/29/934261/-

http://healthwyze.org/reports/164-the-perversion-of-the-food-pyramid

http://www.realfitnessblog.com/2008/11/07/the-food-pyramid-conspiracy/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8375951

**
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4247320/

https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

Ropafadzo lost 103 pounds

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Ropafadzo lost 103 pounds, going from 297 lbs to 194 lbs.  Our sister from Zimbabwe started with raw vegan eating for 2 weeks and then moved on to make more changes to her eating and exercise habits as she did more research.  Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

Ropafadzo before and after

It started off as a joke. I never noticed that I was this big until it was already too late. Imagine hitting 135kg (297.6 pounds). I am sure I even weighed more than that. There’s only one way to be fat…. JUNK FOOD, PROCESSED FOODS, FAST FOODS, FIZZY DRINKS, AND NOT BEING ACTIVE.

Before I gained weight I was never skinny. Maybe my skinniest was a size 38. I was always the bigger one. However, I played sports so I always managed to maintain my body to around a 38/40 size (UK). Then it happened. I stopped basketball and boom, I hit 135kg. I didn’t realize it until I went to South Africa to do some shopping and I couldn’t find anything that I could fit me. In the end, I didn’t even use the shopping money.

So, I decided that this was too much. It motivated me to lose weight. People had tried to tell me in the past that I was big, but my excuse was that I am big boned and it’s a family thing. (Yah, right! Everyone has an excuse. Very silly ones in most cases). I went on the Internet and researched about losing weight. All I found were articles talking about vegetables, water and fruits. I was like, won’t kill me so let me try this. Though what I was doing was too drastic, but it worked.  I spent 2 weeks living on fruits and vegetables and 10kg were gone (22 pounds). I felt so excited.

I decided to read more about weight loss and about best ways to do it that are not harmful. I found information about being active (i.e. 30 minutes of exercise a day, using stairs instead of an elevator, walking more often than driving, etc.). I also found information about eating smaller potions, eating more frequently (like 4 to 6 times a day) and eating more vegetables and fruits (4 to 6 potions – eating 2 different fruits and 4 potions of vegetables). Drinking a lot of water e.g like one liter for every 25kg of weight was also a common tip.

I started to change my habits bit by bit. The most difficult part for me was and is still the food. Exercise I’m fine with, but the problem is that to lose weight and maintain the loss is 80% what u eat and 20% exercise. However, I never gave up. Weight loss is a journey. You will get stuck, you will gain and you will lose, but all you need to do is believe in yourself. Love who you are. Chose an exercise that you enjoy and it won’t hurt. You need to tell yourself that you are not fat, you just have fat. Stop calling yourself fat first, then change ur ways.

1st step – Check what you eat first and see if it’s good or bad. I did and realised I was eating a lot of junk food.

2nd step – Correct what’s wrong with your diet. I totally erased fast foods, junk food and starch. I did it drastically, which is not recommended, but I did it. I started by eating only vegetables and fruits and drinking water. No fizzy drinks, nothing sugary and in 2 and 1/2 weeks I had lost 10kg.

3rd step – I checked my exercise routine. Before, I was just stationary, like a copse. Correct yourself if you are like that. I started with what I could manage and that was a stepping stone. Don’t do too much. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits. Rome wasn’t built in one day. I started with running.

4th step –  You need to change up your routine of exercise. If you stick to one thing your body will get used to that. Do stuff like swimming, Zumba, skipping, running, jogging, power walking, stair climbing, yoga and dancing. Don’t isolate the body and say I just wanna lose my tummy because your body is not isolated.

amazon affiliate

5th step – You need to know your blood type because whatever you eat should at least be linked to your blood type. People are not the same and what works for me won’t work for you. When I discovered my blood type I started changing a lot based on what I learned. I realized I needed to work extra hard and realised meat would help me lose weight.

Consistency is the key. The problem we usually have is that we want quick fixes and that only works for a while but when you go back to eating regularly you will gain more weight than you had lost initially because your body will store the fat for future use. Eat well balanced meals, rich in vegetables and you won’t go wrong. After all has been said and done, it all comes back to consistency and determination. Love who you are right now and it will be easy to achieve what you want.

So, my journey was more focused on exercising rather than eating well in the early first days. I did eat well but in most cases I still ate some bad foods. I was exercising 2 times a day. For me, my strength is in running, so I would run in the morning and go to the gym in the evening. Started off with 2 km now I can do 42 km non stop. I love running and stairs, so I do between 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes of running 3/4 times a week. I do 30 minutes stairs and 20 minutes weights at least once a week. I get needed rest and mix up the types of workouts I’m doing. I also do a lot of sprinting, especially hillsprints and most of my runs are on hilly roads. I aim for 1 hour of exercise a day, but I range from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Instagram: @ropababe

Ropafadzo Ropafadzo weight loss

Ashley lost 125 pounds

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Have you ever just looked back on your life and felt pure gratitude? This photo of Andrew and I popped up on my Facebook memories today and I was so full of thanks. Thanks for growth, thanks for life, thanks for my husband who's loved me since I was fifteen years old, thanks for my daughter, thanks for enlightenment, thanks for inspiration, thanks for love, thanks for LIFE! We've come such a long way in five years @rawmuscle. I'm so grateful and excited for more growth, more opportunity, and especially more love. Thanks for being my everything! ETA. This is the last week to sign up for the June workshop! If interested shoot me an email or follow the link in my bio. #rawandradiant #radiantmommy #mondaymotivation #weightloss #rawvegan #washandgo #veganfood #vegankids #veganmom #fitness #fit #momlife #eatclean #healthy #plantfood

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Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Ashley lost 125 pounds by embracing a Raw Vegan lifestyle. Her husband joined her and he lost 85 pounds by eating a raw, plant-based diet as well. Now, she is sharing her journey with us and inspiring others to consider the plant-based life with ebooks, cleansing programs and coaching on her website, Raw and Radiant.

ashley before and after

About three years ago, I was beginning to look for ways to lose weight yet again. This time it was for my sister’s upcoming wedding and unlike previous attempts to shed the weight, I decided to do what I do best; research. I studied nutrition, human biology, disease, and how these things were related. What I found was absolutely mind-blowing. I found people who were reversing disease, losing weight, and gaining energy by solely eating raw fruit, vegetables, and leafy greens. So, instead of following advice from doctors who were telling me restrict calories, eat meat, and to take a popular weight-loss drug phentermine, I did the exact opposite. I went 100% raw vegan overnight and it changed my life.

ashely and husband weight loss

I ended up losing about 125 pounds in little less than a year. My husband then followed suit about 5 months after I did and lost approximately 85 pounds. Thriving on a plant-based diet. I dived into studying the nutrient make-up of different foods, live food recipes, and so much more. Although I was shedding weight, it became about way more than the size of the pants that kept falling off of me and more about the entire health status of my physical body. The longer I ate living foods and gave up the standard American diet, the more I experienced euphoria, glowing skin, an increased amount of energy. I realized that foods should not be processed, altered, or heated in any way and that nature provides our food in its perfect form ready to eat.

ashley people magazineI follow a raw, plant-based lifestyle so my meals consists mostly of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, smoothies and fresh pressed juices. A typical day for me starts with lemon water followed by a green juice which is loaded with raw vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. For lunch I always eat fruit until I’m satisfied, dinner is usually a really large salad with a lot of different types of vegetables and different green leaves or it could be a raw vegan meal such as zuchinni pasta or raw pizza!

I have been featured on numerous media outlets, including People Magazine’s Half Their Size Issue (2014).

Instagram: @rawandradiant
Facebook: RawandRadiant
rawandradiant.com – Check out Ashley’s 21 Day Radiant Cleanse

Keyrah lost 100 pounds

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Shout out to Keyrah. She is still going strong and spreading the Vegan love. She’s gone from 288 pounds to 161 pounds.

It’s Meatless Motivational Monday💪🏽🌱💕 . 🗣Can I please have your attention for a moment? 🤗 #LongPostAlert . I know that for those people on the fence and not really sure if they’re ready to be Vegan any Little post has the potential to push them closer to this lifestyle or make them dive completely in. With that said I’m here to plant a little seed and I pray it reaches who it is intended for. I was in your shoes. I wanted to be vegan but didn’t know how or if I would be able to. But I had no choice. As a mom or 2 princesses I had to live what I wanted them to learn. I was scared at 288 lbs and suffering daily from migraines which was a symptom of my PTSD, anxiety and depression. I honestly thought I was “stuck” feeling like that. I would have to choose between being scared and sad or being medicated. Both sounded sucky to me. So I decided after lots of sleepless nights googling, stalking vegan accounts, scrolling through IG and FB to put my big girl panties on and just do it! So 🤷🏾‍♀️I did it! On March 1, 2015 I started my plant based lifestyle by detoxing and incorporating daily exercise and meditation. 10 months later I was 100 lbs lighter💪🏽🌱 and I have not taken ANY medication since I started. Because I was able to completely change my thoughts I was able to change my life and how PTSD, anxiety and depression affects me. I’m not living a sad miserable life or on any medication. I now honestly know what if feels like to feel great even when things aren’t “perfect”. But My biggest most noticeable change has been my 127 pound weight loss that I’ve been able to also maintain for 2 years. This has been by far the best decision I’ve ever made for myself and my children. I went from never wanting to go up to my kids school and embarrass them to being the “cool mom” And most requested chaperone🤦🏾‍♀️ I’ve learned to just get through each moment and I’ll never fail. Whether it’s for health or mental conditioning and clarity I encourage you to try a plant based diet🤗🌱 . 🌟💭🌟💭🌟💭🌟💭🌟💭🌟💭🌟💭🌟 #blackvegan #vegan #natural #vegang #weightloss #weightlossstory #weightlossjourney #whatveganseat #transformation #dreadstagram #dreadlocks #fitfam #igfitness

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keyrah vegan weight loss
Update 2016 – Keyrah is now down 100 lbs! Congrats! #Vegan

Aug 2015 – Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Keyrah lost 76 pounds.  After feeling uncomfortable and self conscious about being overweight, she was determined to change.  Embracing plant-based eating, she was able to break up with unhealthy eating habits and change her lifestyle.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey…

keyrah before and after

My name is Keyrah and I started my journey on March 1, 2015 at 288 pounds. To be honest, before then my weight was on my mind about 90% of the time. I was always scared someone would take a picture of me and tag me in it. I constantly pulled my pants up or pulled my shirt down. I was extremely uncomfortable and didn’t feel like I was “suppose” to be overweight. In the privacy of my own room I would literally day dream about being fit. I would think about walking around without being self conscious, or being able to tie my shoes without taking a break. Things that are easy for many become hardcore task when you’re overweight.

I was determined to make my life a little easier. The day before I started my weight loss journey I got on my knees and prayed. Now, when I say I prayed I mean I gave everything in me. I asked for willpower, strength and determination. I also cried because I knew I was giving up my “best friend”: processed food. So, I made the decision to be vegan. The first 10 days, I decided to detox eating raw foods (fruits and veggies) and a gallon of water daily. The first 3 days were the hardest, I craved EVERYTHING that I knew I couldn’t eat. By day 4, it was smooth sailing with no turning back. I felt so good! Like seriously, before I started I suffered from migraines and anxiety and I have not experienced ANY migraines or anxiety since then. By day 7, I was starting to understand my body. I wasn’t hungry because when my body was ready to eat I ate, the only difference is that I ate things that fueled my body.

After the detox I continued with a plant based diet, drinking 1 gallon daily and exercising at least 30 min a day which is what is still currently do. I now weigh 212 pounds and I’m 5’9″. That’s 76 lbs gone… Forever! Now, I can jog, run, do a cartwheel (go figure), and I can tie my shoes without getting winded. OMG, I swear this feeling is by far one of the best! I want everyone to know that this is possible without surgery or supplements. You, my friend, can do it too!

I document my journey on Instagram. If you would like to follow you can find me @HeyKeyrah. I really appreciate you reading my story. Now, let’s get moving!

keyrah weight loss story

Sabrina lost 60 pounds and embraced Raw Veganism

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Update June 2015: Sabrina sent in an update.  She’s lost 100 pounds. “I have consistently maintained my vegan and vegetarian regimen. I love to juice as well and/or make smoothies. I have learned to eat smarter and make it a sustainable lifestyle. I also do a mix of strength training, cardio, martial arts and recently incorporated belly dance. I just find every reason to stay active whether in the gym two to three times a day or even yard work. My mantra is: NO EXCUSES!”

sabrina before and after

Sabrina wrote in to share her 3 year+ weight loss journey.  She’s lost 60 pounds and found that a vegetarian/raw vegan lifestyle works for her, along with strength training. Here is what she shared with us about her journey:

Sabrina weight loss story

I love my results and you all are an inspiration. I am still on my journey. I have been a vegetarian for over 3 years and now eat 80% raw.

What was your motivation?
My motivation was the sickness I saw in my family. I saw myself going down that very same path. People are not dying of old age anymore but of disease.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started dealing with my relationship with food in 2010. I focused on the emotional aspect of it all. It was like a full blown divorce. I cried when I deprived my emotions and didn’t eat. I was going cray – cray. Really!  I said to myself, “Sabrina, Food ain’t that good. You can’t eat to the point of unhealthiness.” Then at that moment, I knew once I believed that, I would be fine. Here is a quick glimpse of my journey with food;
1.) No red meat
2.) Turkey, Chicken, Fish Only
3.) Chicken & Fish Only
4.) Fish Only
5.) Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw

I am comfortable with these changes. I challenge myself with straight juicing on occasion and going full vegan or raw vegan. This is my journey. Yours maybe different, but we may have the same goal in mind. Do what works for you. That is the true secret to long term weight loss! If you can’t do it short term what makes you think you will be able to do it long term.

What did your workout routines look like?
I LIFT weights! Women do not want to lift weights because they think it will make them look like a man. Not so. Lifting builds muscle and burns fat while you sleep.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
I do not focus on weight loss per say but overall transformation deduction in BMI (fat loss) and build muscle. The scale lies especially when you lift weights you lean out. That being said, I have lost a total of 60 pounds.

How long did your transformation take?
I am still on my journey but started this lifestyle change in 2010.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Be consistent, have intensity and integrity! Stay off that scale it will discourage you. Keep making improvements daily for it is a lifestyle change not a short term one. I would say eat and exercise according to your lifestyle. (i.e … you cannot have a lot of carbs if all you do is sit all day … turns to fat)

6 Thanksgiving Desserts for Dieters

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The holidays are a time when you want to indulge and have fun but if you are on a weight loss journey that can be difficult when it comes to eating.  There is so much temptation around, but you don’t have to give in and eat something that will be a step off the healthy eating wagon. Here are 6 dessert ideas that you can make and give yourself a healthy, regret-free treat during the Thanksgiving season.

CorePower Pumpkin Mousse
Photo: CorePower

1. FitFork recently did a guest post for CorePower protein powder and created an awesome recipe for CorePower Pumpkin Mousse.

2. Eating Well’s Indoor Smores are just 98 calories per serving.

3. Missing your aunt’s peach cobbler?  Check out this low fat version of the classic posted by a Spark People member.

4. Check out FitDay for a Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie recipe that you can make and take to your holiday gatherings to share the low cal love.  279 calories per serving.

5. Taste of Home’s Mock Strawberry Cheesecake Tart clocks in at 137 calories per serving, but gives you that great cheesecake taste.

6. Yahoo posted an awesome Raw Vegan Apple Pie recipe.  Perfect for all my vegans and vegetarians who want to share a treat that everyone will love.

Looking for more ideas for eating healthy during the holidays? You will find tons of recipes on Pinterest.

Rene lost 36 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Rene’.  She’s lost 36 pounds in 5 months.  She has changed her lifestyle to avoid high blood pressure.  Doing a raw vegan detox and exercising were part of her journey.  Here is more info:

“My name is Rene’ and my journey to lose weight began June 2013. From June-Oct,  I have loss 36 pounds and counting!! I have a history of high blood pressure and stroke in my family. My doctor told me I was “lucky” not to be on any medicines as a black female with my family history. He said to continue living medication free I needed to lose weight. A good friend/coworker did a complete lifestyle change and she was a big inspiration to me. I started with a 10 day raw food detox. Since the detox, I decided to remove red meat, fried foods, & pork from my diet. I never considered this a diet, it was a lifestyle change to healthy living!! My husband, children, sister and friends have been a HUGE support in my new healthy lifestyle!!!

Exercise wise, I started out walking because that’s all I felt I could do. Now, I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. My advice to others is: no matter where you start, just start. If you fall off, get back up. If the weight doesn’t move as fast as you would like, don’t get discouraged!! And by all means, don’t be a scale watcher. You may lose pounds but there are times when you’re losing inches. NEVER call it a diet because if you choose to have a “small” treat you can do it guilt free!! Thank you for allowing to share! Blessings to you!!”

Rene weight loss success

Chemese lost weight by juicing and going vegan

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Update Dec 2015: It’s been a little over 2 years and Chemese is still going strong and maintaining her weight loss. Her starting weight was 305 lbs. She’s been a vegan for 3 years and no longer tracks her weight via a scale. Also, she let us know that she just started another 100 day smoothie/juicing cleanse and is chronicling her progress via video on Youtube.

cheese before and after

Hello again, My name is Chemese and I was featured on your website back in September of 2013. This has been an amazing learning journey about myself, fitness, and health. This journey has also taught me that changes possible and it’s okay to think outside the box. I became vegan and I did not even like vegetables. This year, I get to celebrate my 3rd year as a vegan and my weight lost anniversary on December 12. I’m so excited! I have had some ups and downs but I haven’t been out of cheese weight losscontrol. I’m loving the skin I’m in and I’m still not weighing myself. It’s been so freeing not getting on a scale. I remember how I use to beat myself up over the number on the scale. Now, I’m not about that life. That number isn’t important to me. I’m also still juicing and making smoothies. Over these past years I have successfully completed 30, 60 and 100 day juice/smoothie cleanses. Currently, I’m doing another 100 day juice/smoothie cleanse. If you take anything from my journey I hope that it’s “Change is Possible”. I know my journey doesn’t end here. I truly hope that my journey inspires others. Posting on social media has helped keep me accountable, so you can find me at:

Instagram: @chemese
Twitter: @chemese
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/chemese/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheChemeseProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/thechemeseproject

Sept 2013 – Featured Weight Loss Story of the Day: Chemese lost weight by juicing, working out and going vegan.  Her starting weight was around 305, but she doesn’t know how much weight she lost because she doesn’t use the scale as a measurement anymore.  However, you can really SEE the difference in her photos.  Here is what she shared with us:

“My name is Chemese and I currently reside in Abilene, Texas. Some how, I really let myself go. I was obese, out of shape, very unhealthy (as you can see from my pictures on the left). I realized that I just had to change, because I love myself too much. The best way to do that was by becoming a Vegan. My journey began on December 15, 2012 when I decided that I was going to give it all that I could give and lose weight. I knew I didn’t want to try another fad diet. I needed to change my lifestyle for good, so thats exactly what I did.

I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables. I make smoothies and fresh juices. I also workout for 2 hours everyday. As for numbers, my starting weight was 305+ pounds . I don’t know how much weight I have lost though simply because that number isn’t important to me anymore. What is more important is that I have gained control over my health which is more than I wanted. I successfully completed a 60 day juice cleanse on July 4th.  If I had to give anyone advice, it would be to find something that work for them and be open to try new things. I became a vegan and I didn’t like vegetables before. Now, I love them.  One thing is for sure, I’m not exactly where I want to be but I’m so glad I’m not where I used to be. My journey doesn’t end here.

I share what I’m eating and doing on Instagram @chemese

Chemese Weight Loss
NOTE: Before pictures was taken on December 2012 and after pictures was taken on July 2013.

Chemese before and after photos Chemese weight loss success

Bre lost 45 pounds

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Our featured weight loss story of the day: Bre lost 45 pounds this year.  However, she wrote us to share a timeline of her whole weight loss journey.  It’s a reminder that weight loss takes time and that change doesn’t happen overnight.  Check it out.

Lets run down the last 5 years quickly.

– In 2007, I had a stressful job and though I was having a heart attack.

– In 2009, I l ost my job and didn’t recover at all due to the recession.

– From 2010 to 2012,  I had went from a 26 to a 22 but was stuck there weight wise.

– In 2013,  I just got pissed off.  Seriously, everything was piling on me.  Stress + Weight = disaster.

So, here is what happened to set me free. I watched a YouTube documentary with my husband who is a diabetic called “Simply Raw” about a group of diabetics going raw for 30 Days.  It talked about clean eating all the way on a raw vegan diet (aka. being a raw foodist).

Then, the next month, Black Women Losing Weight did the monthly challenge of Vegan/Vegetarian eating.  That was right up my ally. So,  I threw myself in nothing but fruits, veggies, lean meat (fish or chicken) and water/ 100 juices for the first 2 weeks. Then no meat or juice just water for 4 weeks. I went over the challenge time line. I was amazed to see 20 pounds gone in a month.  I wanted more but decided to add protein back (clean fish no catfish, crabs, shrimp, etc and chicken).  No short cuts. I dont eat BS until my cheat day which is between the 15-18 of the month.  On day I have a ice cream cone or a 25 cent bag of chips. Thats it.

My start weight in May 2013 was like 275 pounds.  I am now 230 pounds.  My heaviest weight, without pregnancy was 340 pounds.

I do the Beachbody Challege, which is better known for Insanity, P90X etc. I fell in love with another program, Les Mills Combat. It’s High Interval Training which burns fat and calories as well as adds weight for muscle tone and build. I routinely do this while running 10 miles a week. i just chose any day and say “Ok, do I have my 10?” I look at MapRun, which is a free app with Android and go running. I usually do this about 3 miles, 3 times a week.

Bre weight loss

Review…

  • My Motivation: Pissed off with Life (Too Stressed)
  • Routine : Les Mills Combat 5 times a week. Running 3 times a week (minimum of 10 miles a week)
  • Eating routine: Fruits , veggies, lean clean meats (selective – no bottom feeders *catfish, shrimp, etc*, fish and chicken), Water (add lemon, mint, fruit), 100% juices. One cheat day a month..mine is usually on the 18th.
  • Total time for full transformation : May 2013 – August 2013
  • Photos: Before photo is from 2009 and the after photo is from 2013.