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Odamise lost 80 pounds

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Transformation of the Day (Update): Odamise shares how she lost 80 pounds. (24 pounds since her last update) During her six-year wellness journey, she has built a new lifestyle and figured out what eating habits and workout routines work for her. 

Odamise before and after weight loss

Social Media:
Facebook/IG/Tiktok: @odamise

What is your current weight? How have you maintained your results and continued to get results? 
I have been on this weight loss journey for six years. It’s not easy, especially doing it completely natural. I started at approx 280+ pounds, and now I’m at 200 pounds. My weight has been up and down (nothing over 220 lbs). 

I paid attention to my body and lost 20 pounds within six months this year. I’ve been swimming for the summer and working out 3-4 days a week. I also started gardening. I eat two meals a day. I eat less and move more – No diets or restrictions. Just balance and lots of discipline.

Odamise before and after

Looking back on the lessons you’ve learned on your journey, which one stands out the most?
Looking back, what I’ve learned is how to take time out for myself and that proper rest is very important for the body. I have also learned I can eat whatever I want but in smaller portions. I snack less, and I’m very mindful of my daily activities.

Would you like to offer any new or different advice to women who want to lose weight?
My advice: Weight loss starts within through finding peace with yourself and finding your WHY!!! Working out and eating healthier will feel good. 😊 (No diets but a healthier lifestyle.)

Read more about Tina’s Transformation Journey. We’ve followed her journey since 2018. Here is a previous photo.
 

Sierra lost 179 pounds 

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Transformation of the Day: Sierra lost 179.5 pounds by eating clean, working out, and being consistent. With her children and her health in mind, she has transformed her lifestyle. Once she lost a significant amount of weight, she started working with a personal trainer to address her loose skin.

Sierra before and after

Hello, my name is Sierra, and I am 32 years old. My kids and my health are what motivated me to be a better person. 

How did you change your eating habits?
I had to change a lot of my eating habits. I cut out junk food, a lot of fried foods, and bread. I used a 30-day meal plan, which was focused on clean eating. I lost 26 pounds in 30 days just from that plan and working out. 

What did your workout routine consist of? How often did you workout?
I worked out 5-6 day’s a week with my trainer. He focused on different parts of the body every day but made it consistent every week. My workouts consisted of cardio, weight training, and swimming, which is a great cardio workout. I did squats, burpees, sit-ups, pushups, treadmill, spin bike, etc.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My start weight was 376.5 pounds, and I currently weigh 197 pounds. 

What is your height?
I am 5’8″. 

Sierra before and after

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take?
I started my journey on Oct 1, 2018, by just counting calories. I lost almost 50 pounds until Aug 2019, when I started working out with my trainer. My skin started to sag badly, so I had to start working out. July 2020 is when I reached my goal of weighing 200 pounds. As you can see, I am still striving for greatness. 

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
I had NO surgery. These results came from hard work and dedication!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
I learned that just because you are going thru a tough time in life, you can always come back from it. 

What advice would you like to share with women who want to lose weight?
My best advice is that you can do whatever you set your mind to. As I say, “Anything is possible!!!” 

Instagram: @sierra_moniequae

Sierra before and after

Latasha lost 148 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Latasha lost 148 pounds. Her turning point came when she had to stop to sit and rest after climbing two flights of stairs. She made fitness a priority by going to the YMCA and swimming daily. She also changed her eating habits and stopped eating after 7 pm.

Latasha before and after

My name is LaTasha, and I am 47 years old. I changed my life when one day when I got to the top of my 2nd floor stairs and literally had to sit down to rest. I decided that day, three years ago, that this was it. 

I started going to the YMCA and swimming. On the days that I didn’t want to swim, I threw in my earbuds and walked in the pool. The water provides great resistance. I didn’t see any results in terms of my weight for a long time, and I wanted to give up. “This journey is too hard.”, I said to myself. 

However, I kept going. Eventually, the inches came off, and the weight came off. When I started my weight loss journey, I tipped the scale at 298 pounds on a 5’3″ frame. Now, I weigh 150 pounds.

How did you change your eating habits?
I stopped eating so many fried foods, and I don’t eat after 7 pm. I did not use a specific plan or program. I just did what worked for me. 

Tell us more about your workout routine.
I went swimming almost every day for the first year. Then, I switched to 3-4 times per week. I also started walking to the corner store instead of driving. 

When did you start your journey?
I started my weight loss journey on March 10, 2017. It took me over three years to lose 150 pounds naturally. 

Is weight loss surgery part of your journey?
No weight loss surgery. I did mine naturally. I have a blood disease, so surgery is the last option for me. Now I need to have the extra skin removed, and I can’t.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
I learned to keep a positive attitude. I know I am not going back to fat without a fight.

What advice would you like to share with women who want to lose weight?
My best advice is to keep to a regimen and don’t give up. Always hold your head high.

Latasha before and after

Tiffany lost 55 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Tiffany lost 55 pounds in about 5 months. Facing PCOS, knee issues and a family history of serious illness, she decided to focus on what she was putting into her body and getting move movement. She sought out expert help, made up her mind and took action. Check out her story.

tiffany weight loss

My motivation is simply that I want to have an input on my longevity. Although none of us know the day nor the hour, I needed to know that I was adding to my life instead of taking away from it. Having been diagnosed with PCOS and coming from a family where all types of cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure run rampant; I decided that I needed to gain more control. I figured that I could do that by considering what I put into my body and making a conscious effort to move more.

With the help of a weight loss specialist, Tanya Richardson, and her one of a kind program, Rapid Results; I finally learned how to eat to nourish and sustain my body without feeling like I was missing something (at the age of 41).  The biggest and most difficult change for me was cutting down on the refined sugar that I overly ingested on a daily basis. That meant I had to refrain from keeping all those empty calorie snacks (from my daily runs to Walgreens) in my desk that I would mindlessly shove into my mouth all day. This program gave me so many a-ha moments, that I was easily inspired to make life saving changes. I would say the biggest changes for me were learning to properly read food labels, and learning how to reset/bounce back when I have those moments of overindulgence.I ate more vegetables, some fruit (not a big fruit lover) and lean protein. Cutting back on dairy has made a world of difference as well.

When I wanted to give up, I just thought to myself “If you quit now, you’re eventually going to want to jump back on track. That means you’ll have to start all over and possibly from further behind of where you are now!” Who wants to do that? Not me! LOL. But seriously, I constantly prayed… sometimes all day! Praying for strength, commitment, stamina, and the ability to change my mind about how I’ve always looked at food; as my bff, my man, my comfort, my happy, my joy etc.

Having done boot camps and all that high cardio stuff in the past, when I was younger, I knew I didn’t really want to do that again, (and plus my knees wouldn’t let me!) I decided to stand by my constant go-to. WALKING! I love to walk my neighborhood. I’d see something new everyday and could switch up my route at any time. I began by walking a couple times a week. Now, I walk 4-5 times a week for anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. I also do water aerobics a couple days a week to replace two walking days. Not being a swimmer or having a water aerobics instructor, my weight loss specialist told me to simply walk back and forth in the pool, going as fast as I can for 30 minutes. This is a great change of pace and plus it gives my knees some relief.

My starting weight back in July 2016 was 283 pounds.  It took me 3 months to lose 48 pounds. After I graduated from the Rapid Results program, I lost an additional 7 lbs to come down to 228 pounds (Dec. to current). About 5 months all together. I am 5’4.5″

My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight is that it all starts in the mind. If you aren’t mentally prepared, then there’s no magic program, eating plan, exercise program, surgery, suppliment, etc., that will work for you. You have to have a made up mind that no one or nothing can turn you away from. No wedding, holiday, birthday, vacation, graduation funeral, tragedy can deter you from doing what it is you said you wanted to do. Having a little faith, patience and prayer goes a long way too!

Instagram: @teedubble03

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.

 

6 Exercise Options for People with Bad Knees

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kneesPeople have bad knees for a variety of reasons. It can be from overuse, under use, past injuries, being overweight, having arthritis or many other disorders that affect the joint. The new thinking on joints is that staying in motion is more beneficial to keeping your mobility than avoiding movement.  For many people, the benefits of exercising are also recognized as doing much more to help your mood and physical health as well. The golden rule to remember is that if you do any of them and your knees hurt, stop.

As you know, it’s always best to check in with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have health issues, chronic knee issues or a recent injury.  Check with a certified personal trainer as well, because the way you are doing the exercise may be wrong in terms of bad form or too much intensity for your level of fitness. For some, exercise if not beneficial.  You have to know where you stand. 

What you are trying to do

The goal to exercising is to raise your heart rate enough to be able to burn calories and to help your body transform fat to muscle. There is a side benefit to achieving this cardio target rate.  Exercise stimulates your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a built in pump like the circulatory system has the heart. It is dependent on the contraction and expansion of your muscles to pump through the body. Moving the lymph is important because it helps to clean toxins and wastes from your body, boosting your immune system.  Detoxing and boosting your immune system are important to healing the body and weight loss.  Also, the affect that cardio has on your circulation also helps the body heal.  Here are some workout options for people with bad knees:

Bicycling

Bicycling has a very low impact on the knees and can elevate your heart rate into target ranges quickly. Many people with bad knees avoid cycling because they think it will strain the knee. The proper way of pedaling (seated) uses the knee joint correctly; its role is as a flexion point for the muscles in the calf and thigh. It is one of the best workout options for people with bad knees. Cycling is something you can choose to do at a gym, in a Spinning class, or on your own with a minimal investment.

Rowing

Rowing is another one that makes the list as a great workout option. Rowing not only raises your heart rate but it is considered a full body exercise. Like bicycling, the knee joint doesn’t have to bear significant weight but is put in motion, which can help bad knees.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the best overall exercises for people with bad knees, or bad anything. Your body is supported by the water so there is less to no load bearing on the joint. Using good form, your swimming style can work out the whole body with little strain. Even if you know how to swim, it can be a good idea to take a few refresher lessons to check your form and get some help building a varied and interesting lap routine.

Circuit Training

Moving from station to station on the weight machines not only will develop muscle mass but also elevates you into the right cardio target range. Many gyms now have a special area set up for this type of training so you can keep moving quickly enough to get the most benefit.   You don’t have to use machines which put stress on the knees and you can still get a good workout.

Elliptical

The Elliptical machine can be a good choice in workout options for people with bad knees because it is a full body exercising that emulates running, but is specifically designed as low impact to avoid putting weight on the knee. It is considered to be a low impact exercise, but you can achieve a high cardio rate quickly. Many gyms have them installed in groups in front of TV screens so exercising on them becomes more interesting.  To start, go slow in terms of pace.

Pilates, Yoga & Tai Chi

While there are certain moves in each that will prove too much for your knees at first; Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi have much to offer and may be a better way for you to keep a workout schedule. Each involves a great deal of stretching and motion, which is good for maintaining flexibility in your knees. They all can provide a deceptively intense workout as well. Your heart rate can easily reach the maximum range in certain advanced yoga and Pilates classes. Tai Chi is very deceptive. When you see it from a distance it looks slow and easy, but once you learn how to do it properly, you realize why it is considered one of the most difficult martial arts to master. As always, make sure to inform the instructor of your knee issues and your workout goals so they can guide you properly.