Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for weight loss advice

weight loss advice

6 Things That Bodybuilders Can Teach Us About Weight Loss

by Leave a Comment

bodybuilders bodybuildingLosing weight is a huge undertaking and it can be really intimidating to go through on your own. There are lots of things that you may feel like you need to learn in order to reach your goals in a reasonable amount of time. If you are trying to lose weight, I suggest that you get some advice from a source that you may not expect – bodybuilders. There are a number of things that we can learn about health, fitness, and weight loss from our bodybuilding friends, but we’re going to focus on six of them in this article.

1. We should do more to understand the role of macronutrients. Most people haven’t even heard of macronutrients, let alone understand their role in the weight loss puzzle. In general, macronutrients are the large categories of nutrients that we need in order to survive. The three macronutrients are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and each of them plays a different role in the vital functions of the body, such as the regulation of hormones and insulin. Some people make the mistake of eliminating one or more of the macronutrients in their weight loss program, when you actually need a certain amount of each in order to lose weight properly.  Here is more info from bodybuilding.com on using a 30/30/40 ratio of fats, proteins and carbs to lose fat and build muscle.

2. Muscle has the ability to burn fat. How does this work? Well, first, it has been proven that the natural amount of calories that the body burns to maintain muscle is more than the amount of calories needed to maintain fat. So, as the amount of muscle in your body increases, the more calories that your body is burning and the more fat goes away. Metabolism increases, and therefore, you have the ability to burn fat. However, unless you are focusing on eating right and exercising properly, the amount is negligible; it requires that you to put in some effort on your end.  If you are eating way too many calories and not working to maintain the muscle…you won’t see any benefits.

3. A deep, real commitment bears results. This is probably the most important thing that those who are trying to lose weight can learn from those who enjoy bodybuilding. People have very toned bodies and ripped abs only get to that point because they are committed to what they are doing. That’s how weight loss works too; it involves a commitment to drop the weight, and if that commitment is real and consistent, you will see results.

Continued on next page

Mia lost 58 pounds

by 1 Comment

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Mia lost 58 pounds. She created a Facebook page to keep herself accountable  by publicly documenting her weight loss journey.  Here is what she shared with us:

Mia weight loss photos

Hello, my name is Mia. My motivation for losing weight came in 2011 after I had fallen up concrete steps while walking to my car on campus. I was at my highest weight of 239lbs (first picture), and it was a struggle for me to get up off the ground. Needless to say, I was completely embarrassed because of the fall and because of my size. It was that day that I decided to do something about my weight. That evening, I walked for 30 minutes on the track at our local YMCA while my son was taking swimming lessons. I gradually incorporated other exercise workouts (Leslie Sansone, Jillian Michaels, Biggest Loser workouts) into my at-home regimen and changed the way I was eating by watching my portions. The weight slow came off. The majority of my weight loss took place this year when I made a commitment to hold myself accountable by creating a Facebook page documenting my journey and my efforts to eat clean the majority of the time. Along with clean eating, I challenged myself to train for a 5K and completely it successfully in June of 2013 while weighing over 200lbs. I was determined to prove to myself that even though I was overweight, I could still run. To avoid getting bored with my routine, I began doing P90X and swimming 5 days a week. Along with clean eating, the weight began to fall off at a steady pace.

I went from a size 20 to a size 10 and am down to 181lbs and still working hard to achieve a healthier weight. I document my progress by taking before/after pictures on a regular basis. I have been successful on my journey because of my strong faith in God, supportive family and friends, and determination! My advice to others who want to lose weight is to start small by setting realistic goals, change your eating habits, surround yourself with positive and supportive people, join a weight loss support group (either in your community or online), and track your progress so that you can visualize what works and what needs improvement. The main thing is to realize that you can do it! I have never felt this level of happiness and peace in my life!  On my Facebook page, I share recipes that I try weekly! Here’s the link: facebook.com/miasfitnessjourney

Mia weight loss story

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #31: Commit to Your Weight Loss Goals!

by Leave a Comment

This is the last tip in our Weight Loss on a Budget series – Tip #31: Commit to Your Weight Loss Goals!

commit goals weight lossYo-Yo dieting is expensive.  Buying into weight loss plans over and over again is expensive.  Gym memberships and personal trainers cost money.  Buying pills and supplements for fad diets is expensive. Time is money, and you will spend a lot of it on your weight loss efforts in terms of workouts, preparing meals, etc.  Knowing all of this, means that it is important to commit to your weight loss goals and do the work so that all of your effort doesn’t go to waste.

  • Prepare your meals in advance and plan what you will eat daily.
  • Commit to regular exercise – 3-6 days per week.
  • Focus on lifestyle change, not dieting or short term goals. Your goal should be to never have to go through the same, long process of weight loss ever again.
  • Consider your health and how it is important.  Use your health and your desire for greater wellness as a primary motivating factor, even more than looking good.
  • Know that you will stumble and that you might have set backs, but you don’t have to stay in the place of being hindered or stalled by your actions.  One or two bad days doesn’t have to be the reason you got off the weight loss wagon for weeks and months.  RECOMMIT and get back on track if you have a bad day.
  • Write down/Record your goals, your meals and your habits.
  • Be accountable and don’t lie to yourself.  We must be honest in order to be free from our bad habits and food addictions.

When you commit to losing the weight for good and not having to repeat your efforts over and over again, you will ensure that you will save money and time in the long run.

Cawaynna lost 73 pounds with weight loss surgery

by 1 Comment

Cawaynna wrote to us to share her weight loss journey.  She’s lost 73 pounds with weight loss surgery and has provided a lot of details and a video gallery of her progress (below).

Cawaynna weight loss surgery

“I had the Gastric Sleeve surgery on October 24, 2012. On the day of the surgery, I was 277 pounds, but at my highest weight I was 293 pounds. I now weigh around 204 pounds. I was borderline diabetic and having problems keeping up with my toddler son.  I was also constantly getting depressed because of my weight and depressed about my overall appearance. I chose to have surgery after countless tries with other weight loss options, such as; Weight Watchers twice, Slim Fast multiple times, weight-loss pills, diet shakes and etc. The weight loss surgery is only a tool and it isn’t a permanent fix! It doesn’t work for some people because they believe it is a permanent fix and they don’t use it as a tool like they should. I still have to work out and there are foods that I’m unable to eat, but it’s all worth it because of the way I now feel and look. I went from a size 26 to now in between sizes 12 & 14.

Cawaynna weight loss storyThe picture where I’m in the green tank top with a pink head rap, was taken the October 23, 2012, a day before surgery.  The one where I’m in the flower printed dress is from June 8, 2013 (my birthday) and the one where I’m in a tube grey skirt are from September 26, 2013. The one where I’m in a white dress and jean jacket is from June 2, 2012.”

What was your motivation?

“My motivation for losing weight is and always have been my son. If your not going to change for yourself, at least try to change for the ones you love. I try to work out three to four times a week when I have the time. If I can’t get in a run outside for an hour or a walk, I do cross-training videos inside the house. You can find some on YouTube. I also use 5 lb weights for my arms and stomach exercises. I no longer eat red meat and have cut back on the pork products. I don’t eat bread unless it’s wheat and toasted. I have about 2 protein shakes a day, I use EAS. I don’t drink sodas and most high sugar drinks. This is all according to my surgery diet that I must follow.”

What is your advice to others trying to lose weight?

Cawaynna weight loss surgery“The advice that I want to give to those who are trying to lose weight is, do what you think you have to do to lose the weight. As long as it’s safe, do it. If I would have listened to those who didn’t want me to get the surgery, I still would be unhappy and struggling to lose the weight. I’m certain of that. And…you have to want to lose the weight for your health and not for others or how others may see you. Meaning, don’t lose weight because a man or woman might find you more attractive.  Those are extras that come with losing weight for yourself and for your own happiness. In the end, make sure your praying also, keeping yourself in the word and use God as your guide through your journey, because your going to need him.  My YouTube channel is Divadiordoll and Instagram @Divadiordoll”

Check out this video of her progress!

Bev lost 79 pounds

by 4 Comments

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Bev lost 79 pounds and is now a Zumba instructor.  In 2 years, this proud mom of three has gone from a size 26 to a size 8.  Read her story and find out how she did it:

Bev weight loss story

“My name is Bev and I have lost 79 pounds! When I turned 37, God blessed me with another little Boy (my older children were 22 and 18 at the time). I was too big to chase after the little guy, once he started walking. I decided to change my eating habits, and start working out. It has been a slow process, as I have been on this weight loss journey for 2 years.I keep a watchful eye in my portions, and have banned sugar from my household. I love to experiment with fresh produce.

My workouts are hard…I make them that way because I love to sweat now..lol.  In the beginning, I started going to the gym with my sister. Now at first, I wanted to kill her, because my first class was a Spin Class. I think that I may have cursed her the entire class!  I then started going to Boot Camp classes; where I met some pretty amazing people! They encouraged me to keep working out and eating better. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Eventually, I became a Gym Rat, hitting the gym as much as 6 days a week. Sometimes, I would go twice a day.  My classes consisted of: Boot Camp, Weight Lifting, Kickboxing, spinning, and ZUMBA! I loved Zumba so much, that I became a Licensed Instructor. I don’t get to go to the gym too much any more, so I walk when I can. I usually walk 5 miles and do some type of strength training 4-5 days a week. My strength training consists of LOTS of planks, abs, and squats (my fave) And if its raining, I practice Zumba. I’m constantly moving!  My starting weight was 244 pounds and in a size 26. I am now 165 pounds and in a size 8.

Slow and steady wins the race. We must LEARN how to live a healthier lifestyle. Don’t give up, and don’t make excuses! I have a small group here on FB, and U encourage others to live as healthy as they possibly can. It’s called WE WALK, because not everybody can Zumba, or do Boot Camps…but we can walk, and just 10 mins a day does wonders!  If I could give ANY advice…it would be to learn about your body. Learn what obesity is doing to your body. Keep a great support system, and most of all; LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TO CHANGE YOUR HABITS! I loved myself back then…but I love myself enough to NEVER go back!”

LaShunda lost 102 pounds

by 1 Comment

Let’s show some love to LaShunda. She lost 102 pounds with weight reduction surgery, exercise and eating right.  I’m happy to share her weight loss story with you:

“Hello, this my story. I lost my Mom and without me knowing I gained over 95 lbs that took me over the 300 mark. Depression had sat in without me knowing it. I tried everything in the world and it did not work. My daughter  graduated in 2011 and after taking all the lovely pictures, I saw a different person. I went to True Results and got the Lap-Band® surgery . It is the best thing that I have done for myself in a long time.

Hit the gym 5 to 6 times a week along with zumba and eating right. Along with the assistance of the Lap-Band, I choose to cut soda’s, sugar drinks, bread, and most red meats. These items are the worst for me to digest. I also eat very small portions many times a day. Water is a very important part of my day. I try to drink half my body weight in just water. I now drink the cucumber, lime, lemon and mint detox, which is really good. My starting weight was 319 pounds and I am currently 217 pounds. I went from a size 28 to a size 12 . I have been serious for the last 2 years. I did not realize that I was that heavy. I went into a depression and did not know that I was there mourning the death of my mother. My advice to those that struggle is eat clean, move, drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest.”

LaShunda weight loss story

Crystal lost 30 pounds

by 6 Comments

Today’s featured weight loss story: Crystal lost 30 pounds.  Her photos show that you don’t have to lose 100 pounds to transform your body.  Working our regularly, building muscle and eating clean are key.  Here is her story:

Crystal weight loss photos

What was your motivation?

“At first I wanted to lose weight because I was tired going up in sizes and not being able to wear my old clothes. After researching the health benefits of weight loss, I started to do it for my health. There are a lot of obesity related diseases that are common in my family and I refuse to be the next victim.”

How did you change your eating habits?

“At first I thought I could keep the same diet and just exercise…NOT TRUE. I had to cut out sugar, fast food, fried food, and learn how to eat clean. Now, I only eat lean protein, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, and I drink a gallon of water a day. I try to eat about 5 small meals of day without snacking in between. I’ve been drinking Shakeology for about a year now, and that really helps me fight cravings for junk food and desserts. I’m also a green tea lover so I drink about 2 cups of tea a day.”

What did your workout routines look like?

“I get bored with workouts very easily so I like to switch up my routine. I lift weights 5 days a week, do cardio 2-3 days a week, and I rest one day week. I do home workout DVDs due to my busy schedule, but I also run outdoors to change the scenery from time to time.”

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
“I started out at 165 lbs and I’m currently 135 lbs.”

How long did your transformation take?
“My transformation took about 7 months. It could have taken less time if I would have changed my diet in the beginning. The first 2 months were mostly trial and error.”

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?
Be patient. The results will come as long as you put in the hard work. It’s also important to challenge yourself. I always try to push myself to go a littler harder, to lift a litter heavier, to not take so many breaks when jogging. It will pay off in the end. Trust me!

Crystal weight loss story

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money

by Leave a Comment

family healthy food save moneyToday’s tip for weight loss on a budget: Tip #28: Feed Your Family Healthy Food and Save Money. One of the main issues I hear from mothers is that they have to be able to feed their whole families while changing to healthier eating habits.  Many people think that eating quality food has to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you are strategic and do your research about deals, sales and pricing.

Here are my tips:

  • Focus on Healthy Staples in Bulk: Whole wheat pasta, healthy low-sugar cereal, oatmeal, beans, whole grain rice, chicken breast and yogurt.  These are just some of the foods that you can buy in bulk.  Focus on things that you know your family eats a lot of that will not spoil quickly and can be stored in bulk.
  • Create Family Staple Foods: Think about what cheap things you can use as the base for meals.  Example: Canned tuna, beans, rice, sweet potatoes, romaine lettuce, lean pork, ground turkey.  You want to look for cheap, healthy ingredients that have a lot of versatility and can be used in a variety of ways in terms of the recipes you make for your family.
  • Sacrifice Variety for Health and Cost: Create a set of 10-15 dinner meals that you know your family will eat (meals your kids will eat, especially) and cook those meals regularly.  Make this list the basis of most of your dinners. Prepare a new or different healthy meal selection, that’s not on the list, at least 4 times a month.  This will help you to control cost, save time and know exactly what nutrition your family is getting.  You can do the same with other meals, like breakfast.
  • Don’t Buy Junk Food – NO brainer.  Junk food that is full of empty calories and has little nutritional value is not worth the money or inches on your waistline.  In addition, your kids need quality food for their health and development.
  • Freeze Leftovers –  Leftover meals and portions should be saved for later.  If you think that you may not get to the food for a few days, freeze it to avoid spoilage.
  • Make a Grocery List and Stick to IT – When you are shopping with kids, you can end up with a lot of unplanned items in your cart.  If you go to the grocery store while you are hungry or craving junk, you could also end up with some unplanned items.  A shopping list can help serve as a reminder of what you committed to buying and of what you have allotted in your budget for groceries.  It’s not a guarantee, but it’s better than not having a plan.

Crystal lost 35 pounds

by 1 Comment

Crystal wrote to us to share that she’s lost 35 pounds.  This proud mom of 3 lost the weight after being a food addict as a result of dealing with very hard and painful things in her past.  Here is her weight loss story:

Crystal weight loss photos

“I have been plus size (size 16W-18W) for a while now.  I have even advocated to ladies in my area to love themselves, no matter what size they are. I was in denial about my own size and even though my self esteem was always high, I just felt like crap physically.

This year, I was involved in a car accident, that left me with injuries to my back and my legs were constantly feeling numb. I accepted the fact that I am overweight, and tired of being sick and tired. That was when I decided I would do something about it after healing from the injuries.

After the accident, I had to do some deep soul searching, and in the meantime I read some really helpful material on how to deal with a painful past, and forgiving others. It was then that I realized that I had a food addiction, and I turned to food after dealing with a very hard situation in my life as a child.

Food was my drug of choice and I ate constantly, any and everything.

I have been so busy changing my lifestyle by eating healthy foods, and exercising, that I decided not to publish my online newspaper anymore (Cincinnati Defender). It took up too much of my time. I am a mother to three children ages 17, 8, and 7, plus I work a normal job in addition to being a publisher I had to decide between catering to the community, and catering to my health.

In three months, I lost 35lbs, no weight loss surgery. I changed what I ate and the portions I ate. I made better food choices, and increased my water intake from maybe 6 glasses a day to 2 gallons a day.  I exercised 4-5 times a week. I am still on this journey, and now encouraging others to do the same thing. Now, I have a total of about 45 more pounds to lose.”

Terri lost 58 pounds

by 30 Comments

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Terri lost 58 pounds.  This petite 5’2″ sista was able to improve her health after being diagnosed with kidney disease with the help of a supportive Facebook community.  She committed herself to wellness and weight loss!  Here is what she shared with us about her journey:

Terri weight loss photos

“Hello, I’m Terri Little, I am 48 years old. I am married with 2 grown sons and 1 daughter-in-law. I was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 32. At that time my Renal doctor told me that I would most likely have kidney failure in 10 years because both kidneys were affected. He also told me if I lose weight that it would help my kidneys. I tried every fad diet out there, I lost a few pounds here and there but always gained it back. My doctor prescribed steroids that I took for about 6 months. The weight gain and side effects were unbelievable! I gained 15 pounds. I gave up trying to lose weight.

In 2011, I made my usual New Years Resolution to lose weight. Surprisingly I lost 20 pounds. I was at my largest at that time, 190 pounds and I stand at 5’2. In April 2012, (weight 172 size 10), a friend of mine added me to a lifestyle weight loss group on Facebook, that was founded by a personal trainer on the east coast. At that same time my labs for my kidney test were not good, so I said to myself, I’m going to try the group out and see if I could really lose the weight naturally and really stick with it to improve my health. As being part of the group we were to post our meals and workouts and he would give us advice on eating healthy and different kinds of exercises. That is when my journey began. The group was so motivating! I would see others overweight/obese like myself working out, posting their healthy meals, pictures and videos. He would also give us challenges. One challenge in particular I enjoyed was July 2012 was to purchase in the dress size we wanted to be. I purchased a size 4. By the end of the challenge I was able to fit that dress!

How I lost the weight: First, I stopped eating processed foods, white flour, white sugar, white rice, no fried foods of any kind. I use agave nectar as my sweetener, I bake, grill, boiling, broiled and steam my meat and veggies. I gave up all red meat. I drink half my body weight in spring water daily and cups of organic green tea. I make all sort of smoothies. I love to cook and have been told I’m a great cook  I enjoy making over my dishes so they can be healthy. I workout at the gym and at home 5-6 times a week. I love my 3 pound hula hoop, it’s really helped trim my waistline. I do strength training, free weights, cables and band. Interval cardio training on elliptical and stationary bike (something I learned from personal training in lifestyle group).

By November 2012, I reached my goal of 132 lbs. I now weight 135-138 and I have lost over 50 lbs since 2011. I wear a 4 size, sml and extra sml. I am within normal weight range for my age and height. I’m happy to say my Renal doctor was right! I lost the weight my kidney function is normal! I no longer take any medications. I now see my Renal doctor once a year. For years, I saw him every 3 months. I am overjoyed for what I accomplished! With A LOT of Prayer, Self determination and motivations from others I reached my goal! I get emotional just thinking about it. Thankful!! I’m eating for Life literally! I always say it possible.”

Terri weight loss journey Terri weight loss story