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Nikki lost 185 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Nikkie lost 185 pounds. She is a domestic violence survivor and ovarian cancer survivor who wants to share the good news of healthy living with others. Check out what she shared with us about her weight release journey.

nikkie before and after

My name is Nikkie B. I’m a 39 year old loving, health conscious wife and mother of two, but most importantly I’m a lover of Jesus Christ. I’m also a teacher, life coach, motivational speaker, health/fitness guru and subscriber to clean eating and fine cuisine. I believe in helping and educating people of all walks of life. My passion is teaching women and today’s youth that education is key, perception is everything and knowledge is power. What’s more, I’m also a domestic violence and ovarian cancer survivor. That is why I’m on a crusade to motivate and educate others about the benefits of maintaining a healthier lifestyle and how these benefits far outweigh any possible drawbacks, whether they be expense, time spent or otherwise.

What was your motivation?
My motivation to lose the weight was to be around to see my two sons grow up to be successful men. I was also inspired by a friend who was diagnosed with Diabetes at the age of 40. I’d also watched mom, sister and friends suffer from numerous health Issues, and I didn’t want to encounter and suffer that same fate.

How did you change your eating habits?
I drastically reduced my intake of Carbs. I eat lean meat, like fish, turkey and salmon. I only eat gluten-free products. I no longer consume red meat, white bread, rice or flour.

What did your workout routines look like?
I walk a lot around my neighborhood park. I walked at least five miles a day, 5 days a week, and recently joined a gym.

Starting Weight and Current Weight
My starting weight was 455 pounds and my current weight is 270 pounds. My height is 5’6″.

How long did your transformation take?
My transformation has taken me almost 3 years.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
My advice to others who want to lose weight: First, love the Skin that you’re in and Own every ounce of it. Then, accept the fact that you didn’t gain weight overnight and it wont come off that way either. Realize that the struggle is real, however the journey will be worth it.

Facebook: Nikkie’s Guide to a Healthier Lifestyle
Twitter: @Nikkies_Guide
YouTube: Nikkie’s Guide to a Healthier Lifestyle

nikkie weight loss story

Jacquetta lost 67 pounds

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Woman on a Fitness Mission: Jacquetta lost 67 pounds. With the encouragement of her brother, she decided to join his gym and seek out the help of a trainer. She’s done her research, embraced meal planning and pushed herself in the gym to get results. Check out what she shared about releasing the weight.
jacquetta before and after

In November 2014, after Thanksgiving, I had an epiphany after chatting with my brother about how crappy I felt. I’d given my self permission to eat way too much over the Thanksgiving holiday and I felt horrible! My tummy felt bad, my knees were hurting (and always were) and my blood pressure was high (I had headaches). Overall, I was not comfortable in the skin I was in. I was 5’4″ tall and weighed 261 pounds!!  I was trying to figure out how I got to that point, but that was the heaviest I’d ever been.

Being an emotional eater, I ballooned to this weight after a bad relationship and overall everyday life stresses. Food was my companion, my friend, my EVERYTHING! On that day, November 29, 2014, my brother suggested for the 10th time that I join the gym where he attended regularly and worked out with his personal trainer. Finally, I found the motivation within myself to just make the call an inquire. They had such a great special going that I decided to join right then and there, via telephone, which is crazy because I would never do anything like that.

My journey started off really slowly, with me going twice a week and just getting on the treadmill, but at least it was something. Then, I met with a sales consultant who worked to convince me that personal training may be a good option for me. I was hesitant because of the financial investment, but I’ve always put everyone else’s needs ahead of my own and decided that I was worth it. I needed the accountability and the push.

My first session with my trainer was on Dec 16, 2014 and I must admit that I was in bad shape, but we discussed my goals. I felt empowered to just go for it. I never knew that lifting weights and overall strength training would help increase metabolism beyond just cardio. I read a lot about nutrition and the biology behind how your body processes food, which pushed me to meet with a nutritionist as well. She suggested I sign up for My Fitness Pal to track my daily calorie intake and to reduce the consumption of processed foods and sugary foods (which are my weaknesses).

Food prep is a MUST and has become the major focal point of my weigh releasing success, especially since I was such a fast food junkie. It was so easy for me to pick up a burger and fries because of the ease of access this type of food. When my food is prepped and ready to go, I can just grab and run. I already know the calorie count and what I put into each dish.

Regarding meal prep, I pull a lot of recipes from the forums in the My Fitness Pal app and online. I cut back tremendously on processed foods, sugary and salty snacks and changed how I prepare my meals. For example, instead of frying an egg, I hardball it. I’m baking chicken instead of frying chicken. My diet consists of lean protein, including tofu and wild caught seafood, and lots of leafy greens, such as kale, chard, spinach, etc. I also quit drinking sodas. I haven’t had one in over a year! I do have an occasional cheat day, but I put in a lot of hard work at the gym beforehand to earn it.

I weigh in once per month with my trainer and meet with her once a week for my 30 minute training session. I do a lot of cardio and strength training using dumbells, my body weight and floor ropes. I also do plyometrics and HIIT exercises (jump squats, jacks, push ups, planks, etc) as well. It is very hard work, but its all worth it! I am in the gym 2-3 times weekly and attend Zumba twice a week. When I can’t make it to the gym or Zumba, I will always do some running and walking in my neighborhood. No excuses! My goal every is to get my butt up and moving at least 4-5 times weekly.

My goal was to be 60 pounds lighter before my 40th birthday, which was January 16th 2016. I not only met that goal on September 30th, 2015 (4 months ahead of schedule) but lost an additional 7 pounds to boot. I am working on getting more toned and I trained for a 10K that took place in December. I have a lot of hard work ahead, but cannot stop at this point as I am still a work in progress.

Finding the motivation within yourself to do this for Y-O-U is all you need to start the process of getting fit. It is a lot of hard work and each day is different, but seriously, if I can do this ANYONE can. Surround yourself with positive people. Learn all about your body and how it works. Always celebrate the non-scale victories, like taking the stairs without pain, fitting into a new jeans a size smaller, being able to run, etc. YOU CAN DO THIS!! I say that to myself often. I even write it on post-it notes and put them in places that I know I’ll see them. The journey continues.

You can follow me on Instragram at @Quettav123 or on Facebook at Jacquetta Vaughan.

 

Melissa lost 32 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Melissa lost 32 pounds. Finding out that she was borderline for high blood pressure gave her the motivation she needed to take action. She changed her eating habits and started walking for exercise. Now, her blood pressure is normal and she’s creating a new healthy lifestyle. Check out her story…

melissa weight loss story

My name is Melissa. I’m 45 years old and I’ve lost 32 pounds. In the beginning, I was weighing in at 226 pounds. My main reason for losing weight was that I wanted to be healthy and fit. I went to the doctors and was told I had boarderline high blood pressure. I was never told this before and at the time I was the heaviest I’ve ever been.

I changed my eating habits completely and did a lot of walking to lose the pounds. Discipline and prayer helped me to stay focused.

Eating Habits: I omitted processed food and fast food. I started eating more real, whole foods and drinking plenty of water.

Exercise: I walked at least 5 days a week, up to 2 hours a day. I would even walk on my 1/2 hour lunch break.

I currently weigh 194 pounds. My transformation took about 4 months. My plan is to continue with my life change and my goal is to lose 20 to 30 more pounds. This is a new lifestyle, not a diet. I feel great and my blood pressure is now normal. My advice for others who want to lose weight is to stay consistent and keep your eyes on the prize!

 

 

Karina lost 117 pounds

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Awesome Weight Loss Story: Our Brazilian sista Karina wrote in to share how she lost 117 pounds, down from 368 pounds. Great job!

karina before and after

karina brazil weight lossMy name is Karina Farias. My highest weight was 167 kilos (368 pounds) and currently weigh 114 kilos (251 pounds). I decided to change my life. I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be obese. That’s when I started to make an effort to learn more about nutrition, which helped me to drop 20 kilos (44 pounds) in six months.

I started eating more healthy food, like greens, cereals, skim milk. I also dark plenty of water. I did a one hour walk three times a week, which helped me a lot too. I passed from 134 kilos to 114 kilos. My goal is to reach 70 kilos (154 pounds) and I’m calling it. My motto is : I want to, I can, I can. I truly overcame and I’m very happy to share my story with others.

Lakesha lost 41 pounds

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Bride Transforms: Lakesha lost 41 pounds. This newlywed was so determined to lose the weight before her wedding that she ordered a smaller dress size. With the support of her then fiancé and her daughter she was able to release the weight. Check out what she shared with us about her journey.

lakesha before and after

Hello, my name is Lekesha D. and I have lost more than 40 pounds in the last 5 months. My inspiration came from my one year old daughter and also from my then upcoming wedding. My motivation was fitting into my dream wedding dress that I ordered in a smaller size on purpose.

I cut out as much fast food and junk food as possible. I really cut my food portions down to almost half of my usual intake. In addition to that, my daughter has a healthy appetite, so she was also helping me to eat less. Lol. I am a huge water drinker, so I cut out juice and soda almost completely.

My fiancé, now my husband, would help me by going on natural walks with me. I hate going to the gym and he knew that. We would go on walks about 3 times a week, until I got an early shift at work. I work at a daycare, so I would walk around the playground there as much a possible. Walking helped a lot.

lakesha weight lossI started this journey at about 225 pounds. My current weight is 184 pounds! I stand at 5 foot 3 inches tall. My advice for others who want to lose pounds would be to set a goal and give yourself time to reach it. Don’t rush the process and don’t give up. I have been trying for years to lose weight and it finally just happened when I set a clear goal.

Instagram: @mrs_smart1231

Mesha lost 135 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Mesha lost 135 pounds. At just 25 years old, she was suffering with sleeping issues, migraines, achy joints and was borderline for diabetes. At 300+ pounds, she made a promise to herself to join a gym and after committing to that first step she hasn’t turned back. She shared with us what she did to lose the pounds. Check out her story.

mesha before and after

My name is Mesha and I would like to share my weight loss story with all of you. In February 2013, I got to my highest recorded weight of 325 pounds at 5’9″. I was always overweight, even through childhood, and I was borderline diabetic. I had sleeping problems, chronic migraines and achy joints at 25 years old.

One day, I was riding by an Anytime Fitness gym and I noticed there were very few people in there, which I liked because of how self-conscious I was. I said to myself, “Next payday, I’m going to sign up.” I fulfilled that promise to myself, followed through and signed up at the gym. Ever since then, I’ve been on it.

I went to the gym 5-6 times a week and simply walked for 1 hour. As I got better, I pushed up the speed of my walk along with the incline to get a better burn. The most important and hardest thing I had to change was my diet. I basically took out all carbs, except whole grain or spinach wraps. I only  ate meat, veggies, eggs and fruit. I did eat a little cheese as well and drank lots of water. In the first month of my weight loss journey, I lost 15 pounds and I knew that I was on to something!

Within a year, I lost over 100 pounds and I now weigh 190 pounds at 5’9″ tall. After the first year of weight loss, that’s when I started adding in weight training along with a high protein diet. I am proud to say that my journey is 100% natural, no surgeries what so ever. Just good old fashioned hard work and consistency.

The advice I would give to others seeking to lose weight is to remember that weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise and 100% dedication. Even if you see no progress, if you’re doing what you’re suppose to be doing the weight loss and results will eventually show, trust me.

Instagram: @Mesha_fit

Carina lost 75 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: Carina lost 75 pounds. This young lady didn’t want her weight to hinder her early in life. Being overweight led to low self esteem and depression, which blinded her from her passions and purpose. She was able to embrace God as her trainer, nutritionist and coach and she gives God the glory for getting her through this journey. Here is what she shared with us about how she took action.

carina before and after

I started my weight loss journey simply because I am young and I have so much more life to live. The photo on the left is me at 19 years old and the photo on the right is me last Sunday at church at 21 years old. 75 pounds down and still going. Throughout my entire weight release journey, Jesus has been and is still my trainer. I couldn’t have done it without him and I mean that. Losing weight has changed my life and gave me a second chance to know how who I am and be what GOD has called me to be. Being overweight led to low self esteem. Low self esteem comes with a lot, so let’s just say I had NO IDEA what I was supposed to be doing. I was so blind, depressed, and miserable that I didn’t even have time to hear the voice of GOD, better yet spend time with him to even recognize his voice. I was to busy trying to feel accepted and wanted. I am forever grateful that The Lord agreed to be my workout partner. He has changed my life for good. No, it’s not easy, but nothing is impossible. It’s all about Dedication,  Determination, and Discipline! Today, I am the happiest I have ever been and I give all the glory to GOD for it! Now, I just want to encourage someone and tell them, “Don’t give up.”

Eating Habits: I had a tendency of eating out a lot. Eating fried foods, eating at every hour of the night and eating huge portions. When I started my journey, I stopped eating past 8pm. Everything became organic and whole grain (rice, bread, pastas, tortillas, etc.). I cut out most fried foods and anything that needed to be fried was cooked in olive oil (only if I didn’t grill or bake it). I love fruit, so I eat that often and I had to fall in love with veggies because I didn’t eat a lot of them before.

Workout Routine: For the first 6 months, my workouts consisted of walking in my neighborhood at night, 5 to 6 times a week for about 2 to 3 miles a night. Once I dropped the first 60 pounds then I started going to the gym to start working on toning up.

My starting weight was 295 pounds and now I weigh 220 pounds. My transformation took about a year and my height is 5’10”. The advice that I would give to others is to be patient with your weight loss and don’t give up because you won’t see results in one day. Don’t try to make anyone else’s workout story yours! Make your own story. Jesus is my workout partner and nutritionist, so I advise you to make him yours as well. I assure you that you he won’t let you down!

Instagram: @styledbyc

carina weight loss story

Lindsey lost 34 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Lindsey lost 34 pounds. Her weight had been an issue since childhood. She used eating for comfort and ate to sooth her emotions, depression and boredom. Here is what she shared with us about the actions she took to change her life…

lindsey before and after
The photo top is of a younger me. I’ve always been heavy until I decided to change for myself.

Wouldn’t you know, around this time last year I was in a depression. During this time, all I did was eat my feelings. I ate because I was bored. I ate because I was lonely and ate just because eating filled all the voids in my life. Soon, I found myself so unhappy and disgusted with myself.

I wanted to take my tax money and have my best friend @bjhughes31 and my brother @mfisher1008 go with me to have liposuction in Missouri. However, I googled about the procedure and scared myself out of it. Then, I went as far as wanting to try powder (as in cocaine) to loose the weight. Once again, Jill and Marcus talked me out of it and said that it was the dumbest move I ever could have considered making.

So, I decided to start walking and that was going great, except for fact that I was still eating like a pig! Finally, I decided that the only thing that was going to help me lose weight was EATING RIGHT AND EXERCISING. Little by little, I began noticing small changes that would led to my breakthrough.

I have gone from 229 pounds to 195 pounds in 6 months by eating Weight Watchers meals through the week, and whatever I wanted through the weekend. I have cut all soda pop out and drink water faithfully throughout the day. The only exercising I do is walking. Eventually, I need to tone, but walking has got me this far. I have earned this victory fair and square and I am so damn proud of myself. Thank you Jesus for being the wind beneath my wings. #BLESSED

Instagram: @4pagel3tt3r

Ashley lost 63 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Ashley T. lost 63 pounds. After struggling with her weight since childhood, a wake up call at the doctor’s office motivated her to commit to healthy lifestyle change. She shared with us about the actions she took and how she fell in love with healthier living.

ashley before and after

I have always struggled with my weight since I was young. I was the big girl with a pretty face or the funny girl. I would tell myself all the time that I would start my diet tomorrow, next week, next year, etc. However, I never followed through. I hit rick bottom when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical and was nearly topping the scale at 260 pounds. I couldn’t believe this. How did I let myself get this big? I was overweight and my self esteem was always at a low. I had put my health at risk and I knew then that it was time I make a change and follow through.

I started out slow. That way I wouldn’t shock my body completely. First, I decided to stop eating fried foods, junk, sweets and soda. For exercise, I started out just walking the track at my college a couple times a week. I even walked with my grandma some days. I built my way up to 3 miles. Then worked my way up to jogging and later added weights to my routine. The weight started falling off, I started seeing a new me and I loved the way my body was looking.

Now, I’m at my lowest weight since middle school at 197 pounds and I’m loving it. I am 5’10” tall, so I can hold some weight on my body. Now, I do HIIT workouts, strengthen training and I’ve fallen in love with a living a healthy lifestyle.

My advice to others is to just start out slow and work your way up. Use the words “living a healthy lifestyle” because diets are just too much of a commitment. Motivate yourself and have determination. Be your own biggest supporter. Always bring 100% to your workouts, because you only cheat yourself when you slack off. Your body is a canvas, so make your creation!

August lost 85 pounds

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Transformation of the Day: August lost 85 pounds and went from a size 26 to a size 14. She took some time to really look at herself and saw the negative, emotional toll that love relationships and depression had taken on her body. She found an exercise program that really motivated her and worked to change her eating habits. Here is what she shared about her transformation…

august before and after

In February of 2013, while stuck inside due to ice and snow, I was finally still enough to look at myself in the mirror.

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I was always a BIG GIRL, so there wasn’t a shock to that realization. However, over the course of three years, I found myself attempting to recover from two very emotionally scaring, love relationships. I hadn’t stopped to noticed the affects that the stress was having on my body, essentially from the inside out. The now severely depressed, unrecognizable me in the before photo was now 316 pounds, a size 26 and in danger. My eyes appeared to scream for help and only I could answer. At that very moment, I knew it was time to make a change. This motivated me to say enough and I want to live so that i could be around to see my daughter grow-up.

I started by doing the Leslie Sanome Walk at Home routines from YouTube. When I first began, I did the 15 minute workouts daily for the first five days. As I did more research about Leslie’s program, I became more motivated and to get on a schedule, I purchased the 30 DAY Challenge kit and committed to the schedule. After the first thirty days, results became evident, I continued the 30 day challenge schedule for three month. I worked out six days a week. I also ate more fruits, vegetables and lean meats, focusing on meals with snacks, portion control and drinking lots of water. I also, eliminated all sugary drinks and often did rotations of weeks without meat, only vegetables and fruits.

Today, I am down 85 pounds and counting. I continue to workout six days a week. Starting with the man in the mirror for motivation, anyone can make the lifestyle change toward healthy living. In order to do so, you must find a program that works for you and believe in the journey without just focusing on the destination. Set realistic goals with positive rewards. Expect to gain more than physical changes.

Instagram: @pricelessdestiny_smith

Facebook: Thick and FIT

august weight loss