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self esteem

Rachelle lost 27 pounds

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Breast Cancer Survivor Rachelle lost 27 pounds and 2 dress sizes by cutting calories, eating fat burning foods, using MyFitnessPal and walking.  Let’s show her some BWLW Love.  Here is what she shared with us:

First, I would like to say that I love your site and you are, in part, the reason I decided to start my weight loss journey. I am a Breast Cancer survivor.  After chemotherapy, I gained a lot of weight. This was mostly due to poor eating habits, but I also struggled with my self image. A week before my 36th birthday, I decided I was going to lose the 30 pounds I had put on once and for all. Everything was starting to fit tight and I refused to buy bigger clothes. I knew that dieting was not going to work.  I would have to make some life style changes if I wanted to shed the pounds and keep them off.  So, I said good bye to fast food, fried foods, sweets and soda. I did some research online and found 15 fat burning foods on Women’s Health Magazine’s site and incorporated them into my diet. I tried to include as many as possible in every meal and snack. I found that preparing my own food worked best for me because I knew exactly what I was eating. I cut my calorie intake to 1200 a day and started drinking 64 oz of water every day. I tracked my progress with the app MyFitnessPal. I did that for the first month and lost on average about 2 lbs. per week! I couldn’t believe it was really this simple. At the beginning of the 2nd month, I started walking twice a day on my 15 minute breaks at work. I walked a little under 2 miles per day. In 3 months I went from 220 lbs. to 193 lbs, down 27 lbs. and 2 pants sizes!

Rachelle weight loss story

Kori lost 83 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Delta Soror Kori lost 83 pounds by reducing her calories, eating healthier and being consistent with exercise.  Here is what she shared about her journey:

My name is Kori and I’m 31 years old. I have been overweight all my life coming from a family of full figured women.  I never had a problem with self esteem because I always had friends, was fairly popular in school and was rarely picked on. I never thought my weight was an issue. I knew I should eat right and exercise and I would go up and down in weight but no one thing ever stuck. It wasn’t until December of 2011 when I went to the doctor and I saw my weight had skyrocketed to 291 pounds that I began to get scared. My doctor told me I was “healthy” but if I keep gaining weight at this pace it would be difficult or impossible to have children in the future!  Being 31 and single I didn’t even know at the time if I wanted kids but hearing the actual words coming out of my doctor’s mouth gave me motivation to start a new healthier lifestyle. No one would tell me that weight would be the reason I can’t have kids!

On that day, I started my journey and never looked back. I began with cutting everything out of diet and I was very strict. No white stuff (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or sugar). Only water and green tea to drink and no processed foods. No fast foods and absolutely no fried foods. I quickly lost 30 within 2 months. I then began a heavy exercise routine of working out 5-6 days a week. Cardio on either the treadmill and or elliptical for 45 min to an hour and then on to weights for 30. I was burning at least 900 cals with each workout and consuming no more than 1300 cals a day. With this routine I was able to drop 70 lbs by October of 2012.

Once I got a routine down, I slowly started to incorporate things back into my diet.  If I was going make this a lifestyle change I realized that I can deprive myself of certain things that I once loved.  Now, if I have a craving for candy or cake I will have a piece in moderation and get right back on track. I also try different exercises now including Latin dance, kickboxing and I love spinning. I still maintain exercising 4-5 times a week. I am trying to limit my meat intake but still stick to fish and i have incorporated protein shakes in my diet. With the changes, I’ve made I’ve shed 83 lbs as of today. I still have 20 more to go and it’s slow but slow and steady wind the race!!   I hope this story can inspire someone!

Kori weight loss before and after

Tenisha lost 50 pounds

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

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

Tenisha weight loss before and after

Jonarra lost 61 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Jonarra who lost 61 pounds.  Here is what she shared with me:

My motivation to lose weight was my health.  I also got tired of not being able to dress nice.  I would go to my hometown and people I grew up with didn’t recognize me. I felt ugly.   Then, I saw the Insanity commercials on television and was very impressed with it. Got the DVDs and worked it out.  20 minutes warm up, 25 minutes pure cardio.  In term of my eating habits; I ate healthy Special K cereal, drank plenty of water, baked many foods, ate a lot of fruits, etc. The picture on the left I was 203 pounds. After insanity, I’m 142 pounds!!!!!

Jonarra weight loss before and after

Kellee lost 101 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some love to Kellee who lost 101 pounds.  This blogger and proud mom of 2 opted for weight loss surgery to end a lifelong battle with her weight.  Check out her blog.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Kellee, and this is my story! My life seems pretty happy….HAPPY not Perfect, but allow me to invite you on my journey and show you what it took me to get here.  Ok, here’s the kinda long version.  Just care with me!!!  All my life, I have struggled with being me.  To my friends and family I was Kellee, The Fun (and Chubby) Girl that was always cracking jokes, smiling and being outgo Kellee weight loss surgerying!  That was the person I appeared to be! I have always been very expressive and very different, but I have always felt like, well I couldn’t be ME.  Why, Because I wasn’t happy with the person I was. Even as a child, I remember being called fat by classmates and to this day I HATE that word with a passion! I couldn’t understand it. I tried to be nice to everyone, have fun with my friends, treat others the way I wanted to be treated, yet sometimes I was ridiculed for my size. I would go home, cry and ask God why he made me the way I was!  My weight, my lips, my teeth..I hated EVERYTHING ABOUT MY BODY! Ok, I’m getting depressed…NO! I’m Not (Bi-polar moment) ……Sooooooo Back to the journey.

My life consisted of weight gain and weight lost! I went through so many phases of trying to be the Kellee I was yearning to be! After diets, starvation, and pills of course, I decided I’d had ENOUGH! Here I was 28 years, and almost 300 pounds! This was ridiculous! I had 2 small children.  I wanted to run with and LIVE for!  SOMETHING had to be done.. AND GUESS WHAT…..I did it Dammit!

After Lots of research, tears, fears and tons prayers I decided to Weight Loss Surgery (I opted for the Lap Band).  It has changed my life FOREVER! Weight loss Surgery is NOT a easy fix!  Sure, its a Boost, but you still have to work EXTREMELY Hard!!!  I had to change my food portions, exercise, and change my lifestyle for good!  I’m still a work in progress, but I’m well on my way!!!

Kellee wight loss before after

Updated: Avonna lost 115 pounds

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Updated Dec 2013: Avonna has lost a total of 115 pounds.  She wrote in to update blog post we did on her back in April.

“As of today I am 115 lbs down! I jog almost everyday, a strength train and I challenge myself to new challenges.! It’s been a thought year but I have come along way and I still have a long way to go. Follow my journey on IG @FabulousVonnie. This year shall be greater than last. My eating habits have changed drastically!  How I look and feel about food is completely different! It’s a mental process more than anything. Fruits and veggies are my bestfriend!  But it’s more so the feeling of knowing that I don’t want to be fat any more.”

Avonna before and after

Let’s show some life transformation love to Avonna who has released 60 pounds and transformed the way she feels about herself and her body.  She has given us a lot of detail from her weight loss journey.  She put together her own exercise plan through research and putting it to the test.   She also ate clean.

“Growing up being FAT was a struggle! I wasn’t popular, barely had friends and didn’t like myself. Everyone around me was skinny, petite and then there was me. I was always referred to as “Big Von” I was that sister figure to guys, not the attractive, “be my girlfriend” type. That was miserable.

I come from a fit strict family! For the longest time I was the biggest one and it became uncomfortable and it didn’t help me knowing that I was a disgrace! It caused me to fall into a depression and that caused me to eat, ultimately getting even heavier. Due to my weight and what I was going through, I had low self esteem! Practically no respect for myself, I didn’t care. I didn’t care to get dressed or anything! I was plain Jane.

Up until recently, I was in a 5 year relationship and was comfortable! I knew this was forever and was once again neglecting my body! My relationship ended in the beginning of the year and I decided I need to make changes. I wasn’t happy with my body, my personality or anything. I felt he continuously cheated because I wasn’t attractive. I was never approached by men! I felt disgusting. So in Feb 2012 I walked into a gym, LA Fitness. And decided to take control of my life. I have lost 60 pounds and I got into fashion more and I feel much better about myself. My head is held high and I feel beautiful. There are no more nights were I feel like I am in another body. I am a work in progress and I know it’s ultimately up to me to decide where I want my fate with my body and happiness. The my lack of confidence prevented me from shinning to my brightest potential! I had to realize that I can only be the person that God wants and made me to be. I am in LOVE with the woman I am today! My weight no longer defines me!!

324 was my starting weight. So embarrassing. I never really admitted that to any one before.  I created my exercise plan by doing research and putting my research to the test. I would create my own circuit workouts and rub drills. I would walk on the treadmill and gradually increase my speed and incline. As far as eating I clean eat. No fast food, processed foods, fried foods and eating in moderation was definitely important. I had to realize when I was hungry or when I was bored. I am an emotion eater. I eat when I’m happy, sad, mad, angry…whatever the emotion was I ate to it.  That’s sad to say.  Now, I eat more leafy veggies to keep me full longer. I cut out all sugary drinks and focused straight on water. Strictly water.”

Check out her blog: confessionsofafatchick.com

avonna weight loss story

Joanna lost 67 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Joanna.  She has lost 67 pounds and credits Water, Walking and Willpower as the keys to her success!

“Hi, I am a 35 year old mother of 3 teenagers. 10 months ago I decided to reclaim my life, literally one step at a time. My 3 W’s are what have gotten me here: Water, Walking and Willpower.  No diets, no surgery, no pills, just me learning to love me.  One pound at a time!  I’m down 67 pounds.  Still not at my goal but I’m not where I was, and to me that’s all that matters.

I stopped drinking soda and stopped over eating. I’ve struggled my entire life with being an emotional eater so when I decided to take my life back I exchanged my emotional eating with walking. When I’m upset or sad, I put my music on and walk until I feel better. Its been a struggle but its worth every pound lost and the self esteem I’ve gained. Walking is the only exercise I’ve done. No gym membership, no trainer.  Just me and a pair of Air Max, which I walked the tread off them in 5 months. Be blessed, Ladies!”

Updated  7/2013: Joanna is now down 75 pounds!  She wrote us to say, “Just a little update…75lbs down.  Got a little stuck lately, BUT I’M still pressing on….the finish line is so close I can taste it!”

Joanna weight loss before and after

Original photo:

joanna weight loss before and after

Toi has gone from 235 to 190!

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Much Love to BWLW online community member Toi T. She has gone from 235 to 190 with eating and exercise!

She says, “I started my weight loss journey feb 3, 2012 @ that time I weighed in at 235 pounds ! I am now at the current weight of 190 pounds and my goal weight is 150 or less by the summer of next year !!! My motivation for losing the weight is I got tired of other people talking about me and killing my self esteem in my face , asking me if I was pregnant and I haven’t had a baby in almost eight years and that was just the beginning !!! I take up to nine classes a week cardio combined with strength training, try to eat as heathy as possible , drink lots of water and snack on health treats !!! If I can do it anyone can do it and I am trying motivate everyone that reads this to try it and keep going until you succeed !!!! love you all” Much love to you too, Toi.