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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Lyndsi lost 104 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Proud mom Lyndsi lost 104 pounds the old fashioned way, by reducing her calories and working out.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Lyndsi weight loss photo

“Hello, My name is Lyndsi Steel. I’m mixed, black and white. I’ve lost 104 pounds all naturally, just by eating 1200-1500 calories a day, drinking 8 bottles of water, and working out 6 days a week. Also, I cut out  red meat.

Motivation: My motivation is my kids and my mamma.  My mother died from diabetes and high blood pressure! I didnt want to be next and leave my kids on this earth without me.

Changing my eating habits: I only ate 1200-1500 calories a day! No red meat, just chicken and fish. Portion control played a big roll!! Nothing drank nothing but bottles of water all day and ate lots of green leaft veggies. I eat breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack and dinner. I trained my body to eat at certain times; 7am breakfast, 10am snack, 12 noon lunch, 3pm snack, 6:30 super and nothing after 7:00 pm.

My Workouts: I love to dance so i did Hip Hop abs and Zumba mainly. I work out for at least an hour a day, if not more, monday-saturday.

Weight: My starting weight was 320 pounds and my current weight is 216 pounds.

How long did it take?: 1 year. I was loosing 4-6 pounds a week at first than it slowed up.

My advice to others:  I advise people to keep on keeping on. Even if you have a rough day start fresh the next day. Allow yourself at least one cheat day. No matter how much you move, every little bit helps. When I first started I could only do 15-20 minute of a workout dvd!!  Also, look nice while you are working out.  Reward yourself with a new hot workout outfit!”

Rhonda lost 20 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Rhonda.  This Sigma Gamma Rho sista (my soror) lost 20 pounds and tightened up her midsection.  Check out what she had to say about her weight loss journey:

Rhonda weight loss photos

“Love and Light to BWLW!  My name is Rhonda Brown-Massey and I am a 33 year old mother of a 7 year old. These are my 8 month fitness progression photos and I am submitting them in hopes of inspiring those in the fight to gain control of their weight. I went from 188 pounds in February 2013 to 168 lbs in October 2013 and although I still have a ways to go, I am so happy with my progress so far. I am a living testimony of the concept that meeting your fitness goals is 30% what you do in the gym and 70% what you do in the kitchen. I’ve always been a gym rat that could run and weight train and be conceptually fit, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at me because I was eating fast food, and loads and loads of sugar everyday. I read an article one day titled “Are You Addicted to Sugar” that made me see the light. I realized that the sugar I was consuming was keeping me from looking the way I wanted to. Once I understood what I was doing to myself, I was able to combat it with better choices that eventually lead to a lifestyle change that yielded the results that you see in my after photo. Reducing my sugar (and carbs, which your body processes just like sugar) eating clean, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) changed my life. Now, I have more confidence, and am loving the body I have even more! I never thought that the skin on my belly would ever look good enough to show after being a “C- Section Victim”, but with hard work, faith in myself and most importantly, faith in God, I’ve been able to show my mid-section without being embarrassed. Follow me on instagram for fitness motivation: @massrhoyalty22

6 Tips to help you find the best personal trainer

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personal trainerHiring a personal trainer isn’t just for pro-athletes and celebrities. Everyone can benefit from even 6 sessions with one. The cost is worth it because you will benefit in two ways. For one, a trainer can show you the exercises and routines to perform to reach your goals and show you how to do them properly so you do not injure yourself. Secondly, having a personal trainer can be one of the best ways to motivate yourself to stick with exercise and makes it more fun to do.

If you think the cost of a personal trainer is too much, sit down and go through your expenses. Look at how much you spend on foods and wellness items as a result of ill health, catching a cold, loss of work due to sick days and general misbehavior on your free time. Chances are the cost of working out with a personal trainer will wind up saving you money because being fit reduces illness, gives you more energy and encourages healthier living choices that can benefit your budget.

Not all personal trainers are going to be a good match for you and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training to guarantee results. It does take time and effort to find the best personal trainer for your goals. Here are 6 tips to save you time in finding the best one for you.

Tip # 1 – Make sure they are certified

They don’t have to have a full out degree in sports medicine or physical education, but the many trainers are certified by a nationally recognized agency. That said, you can also find highly qualified ones at your local gym who have completed that gym’s proprietary training program. The point is you want someone who is qualified and who has credentials you can verify. There can be a risk for injury in training and you don’t want to be someone’s learning experience.

Tip # 2 – Make sure they ask the right questions

Good trainers will ask about your fitness goals. The best personal trainers will ask you questions about your current fitness levels, past experience and involvements with sports and fitness routines, current goals and most importantly, your medical history past and present. Knowing your medical history is essential to being able to construct a fitness routine that builds your strength, stamina and overall health. If you aren’t asked about your history, don’t go any further with that trainer.

Tip # 3 – Ask for Recommendations

Ask your friends who they use as their trainer. You should also look around your local gym and find someone who is in the kind of shape you want to be and ask who they used. You will get a lot of good feedback, not just about local trainers, but often about working out and healthy living that you can start making part of your routine as you continue your search for a trainer.

Tip # 4 – Schedule an assessment

An assessment is very different from “trying out” a training session. During the assessment, the trainer should be asking you questions about your history and goals, and performing baseline fitness tests to measure your strength, endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular levels. Some trainers will charge for an assessment as they tend to last longer than a typical training session and some will not. Many gyms will offer them for free as a way of promoting the trainers associated with the facility. Even if you wind up not going with the trainer that performed the assessment, you will have that much more knowledge about your goals and fitness level to help your find a better match.

Tip # 5 – A trial period

Don’t sign on for life with a new trainer; arrange a trial period with them. Setting a time frame like 90-days is a good way to get used to the trainer, the routines and to see results. At the end of the 90-days, another assessment should be performed and the decision made then if you are going to continue on.  Don’t be pressured into signing up for some long term deal.

Tip # 6 – The blind leading the blind

This last tip is one of the most important. Take a look at the trainer and ask yourself if they live the life they are selling. If your trainer has chronic injuries or inflammation associated with over training, has bad habits and promotes them or is a walking poster child for steroids then you should consider these issues as you make your choice.  Ideally, you want to be trained by someone who has the type of health and fitness you want for yourself so that you have a synergy with them and you click.

Nikki lost 50 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Nikki lost 50 pounds, down from 250+.  She lost weight by eating clean, running and she will be doing her first 5k in Sept. 2013.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi my name is Nikki. I wanted to share my weight loss journey and hopefully encourage someone else deciding to change their life. I started my journey in Dec. 2011. However, before I get to the event that was the last straw, lets back up one month to Nov. 2011. A friend innocently tagged me in a picture on Facebook (picture in purple sweater) and when I saw it I was mortified at what I looked like. Dec. 2011, I took a beach trip with my husband and son and we decided to take a helicopter ride that required I sit in the front because I was to large for the back because I may hinder take off. (last straw). Who was this fat chick I kept seeing and hearing about? I couldn’t believe I’d allowed myself to get out of control to the tune of 250+ pounds. I started exercising and dieting in March of 2012 after I lost my job. After almost a year of exercising and dieting, I lost a disappointing 14lbs (oh yeah, I was on diet pills as well). In January of 2013, I stepped it up, I began to ramp up my exercising to jogging and training for a Black Girls Run 5k event. I began to eat clean; only lean meats, no dairy, no sugar, no carbs, only leafy veggies and protein shakes. I began to eat 4-5 small meals daily. I couldn’t believe this 40 year old body could do what it has done in a course of 5 months. I feel great, look great and I’m not even done yet. I replaced my obsession with fatty foods with jogging and eating well! This girl who could hinder take off will be doing her first 5k in Sept. 2013.  I’m 50 pounds lighter and healthier than ever. Thank God for perfect peace! Follow my progress on Facebook (nikmac).

Nikki weight loss success story

Nadira lost 30 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Nadira.  She lost 30 pounds since the birth of her son with Crossfit training and distance running.  Here is what she shared with us:

I’ve lost 30 lbs since having my son.  I attribute my weight loss to Crossfit training 3-4 times per week and distance running at least 1 – 2 days per week.  I also prayed while I ran and I removed negativity from my life. In terms of my eating habits, every 2-3 weeks I didn’t eat any processed carbs for 3 consecutive days.  I also used this time to only eat protein, fresh veggies, fruit, and drink lots of water. Other than that, I kept a 1500 calorie per day diet and ate foods that nourished me so I was not hungry.  Whenever I think about eating something, I always ask myself, “what is it doing for me?”.  If it doesn’t do something positive, then I typically pass on it. When I get off track, then I implement my 3 day no carbs challenge.

Nadira weight loss before after

DeAngela lost 76 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: DeAngela lost 76 pounds going from 215 to 139 by changing her eating habits and exercising.

DeAngela weight loss

 

Here is what she said about her weight loss journey:

“If I can do it, you can do it too!!! From 215 lbs in April 2010 to 139 lbs now. Hey, with God ALL things are possible. No pills, no surgery, just pure change of eating habits & exercise.  I started with small changes transitioning from fried to “mostly” baked & grilled foods & decreasing my intake of carbs. From there, I did a strict 6-month regimen of only seafood & veggies. During that time, I not only saw the weight coming off, but as I increased my cardio & added weights, I became leaner, decreasing my body fat percentage from 33 to 19.8%. Today, I still do some high intensity interval training, Zumba + other cardio (rope jumping, arc trainer, & some walking/jogging, & weights for lean muscle building. MyFitnessPal.com is a phenomenal tool to help u keep track of such things as calories, fat, sugar, protein, & carbs. I’ve been logging my food & exercise on that tool since March 1. As they say, “steady wins the race”, but ya gotta keep pushing….pushing beyond fear of failure, pushing past comfort zones, & pushing in spite of plateaus. With God ANYTHING & ALL THINGS are possible!”

Tiffany has lost 55 pounds

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Let’s show Tiffany some BWLW love for sharing her 55 pound weight loss journey with us!!

She says, “Exactly one year ago in September, I began my healthier living journey. My breaking point was a photo posted to Facebook by a friend. Was that really me?! I kindly asked the friend to remove the photo and send it to me. That became my motivation! Also, because I am a doctoral student in Aging Research, it became quite clear to me that I couldn’t be very convincing preaching about “healthy aging” if I didn’t look the part. Most importantly, I decided that taking better care of my temple should be a priority. I believed that the same God who created the universe would help me conquer unhealthy habits. With that said, I joined a gym, downloaded the MyFitnessPal smartphone app, and got to work! One year later, I am 55 pounds lighter, I eat cleaner, and I exercise regularly. I enjoy preparing my meals in advance, reading nutrition labels, and purchasing my weekly produce from the Farmer’s Market. My favorite exercises are outdoor cycling, kettlebell pump, and running. I started training for my first 5K six weeks ago and I’ve already surpassed 5K distance in nonstop/continuous runs! People tell me I am an inspiration. I think to myself, “Me? An inspiration? Imagine that!” I’m frequently asked about the details of my “diet”, and I am quick to inform people that I am NOT on a diet. A diet implies a definitive end; it implies that I will get to a magic number and just toss my new habits to the wind. Quite the contrary! I changed my behaviors and beliefs about food and exercise for life. My body will decide my set point. With more weight loss ahead of me in Year 2, I am excited about getting into a 2-piece bathing suit on my 35th birthday! I’ll see you at the beach!” www.facebook.com/unc2000

Tiffany, Thank you for sharing your amazing transformation!!!