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weight loss before & after

Kim lost 151 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Kim lost 151 pounds.  After years of yo-yo dieting, she found a healthy eating plan and an exercise routine that works for her.  She gave us the full details of her journey.  Check it out:

Kim weight loss story

:Hello, my name is Kim. My weight lost journey began back in  2010. I weighed 325 lbs and I was very uncomfortable. All my life my weight has fluctuated from me always going on fad diets and loosing 10 lbs, only to gain back 20 lbs! In 2010, I joined LA Weight Loss they showed me how to eat right, incorporate healthy foods (chicken, fish, turkey, and no salt). I also cut out junk foods. After going there for one year, I had lost 119 pounds the healthy way. I kept it off for over a year and then in 2012 I fell off the wagon and gained back 40 lbs.  I was very unhappy with myself because I had gone back to my old habits of eating fast foods and junk foods. Well, the 40 lbs I gained turned out to being over 50 lbs. It’s like I kept gaining.

In Jan 2013, I was tired and very uncomfortable. I didn’t want to keep gaining and gaining weight. One day I was on-line and I stumbled across a guy by the name of Terry Starks (aka. The Diet Doctor).  He has changed my life and taught me how to eat right. I started eating 5 small meals every 3 hours, mainly the same foods I ate when I went to LA weight loss.  I eat plenty of fish, turkey, chicken and lots of veggies, along with fresh fruit, no junk foods or soda. I don’t eat shell fish cause it’s loaded with sodium which makes me retain fluid. I started exercising twice a day, mainly doing cardio. I have a treadmill and elliptical at home. I do 30 min every morning and again at night. I go to the gym sometimes because I get bored at home. When I go to the gym, I get on the Arc trainer. I just recently started back working out with a personal trainer to tone more and to loose another 20 pounds. In Jan 2013, I was over 260 pounds. I now weight 174 pounds! My goal weight is to be 155 pounds.

Loosing weight is a mind thing, a life style change. If your mind is not made up, you won’t loose a single pound.  I struggle and pray that I won’t slip off and fall off the wagon ever again.  My advice to everyone is Don’t give up if you slip up and fall off the wagon, like I’ve done in the past. Just jump back on that wagon. Everyday starts a new journey!!! Be Blessed”

Taneeka lost 90 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story: Taneeka lost 90 pounds.  She embraced a plant-based, vegan diet.  Her story shows that you have to constantly make adjustments when you are trying to maintain your weight loss after reaching your goal.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey:

Taneeka weight loss

“Hey, I love your page. I lost 90 pounds last year and I’ve gone up and down for the last couple of months. I decided this month to shake up my diet by going back vegan.

I have been big my entire life. I was called all types of names in school, so My grandmother put me on the SlimFast diet when I was in the 5th grade, but it didn’t help. It made me a closet eater. So instead of losing weight, I gained weight. When I was 16, I went on a strict diet and walked a mile everyday. I lost a lot of weight but I gained it all back and more by the time I was 19 years old. When I was 23, I had an emergency hysterectomy and I became extremely depressed. Food became my friend. At age 32 I weighed 350 pounds. I knew I had to do something and quick.

In Dec 2012, I purchased Dr. Joel Furmans book “Eat To Live” and I went vegan. I went vegan for 6 weeks and started working out 4 days a week. I haven’t drank soda nor juice in over 10 years. I started eating meat only 3 days a week. I do not eat red meat. I lost 90 pounds by July 2013. My weight has fluctuated by about 5 lbs over the last 6 months. I decided this month to go back vegan and workout more vigorously. I will be incorporating more weights. I currently weigh 259 pounds.”

Taneeka weight loss Taneeka before and after

Tequilla lost 75 pounds

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Tequilla lost 75 pounds.  Since starting her journey in January 2013 she has embraced eating clean and put together a home workout routine that works for her.  She shared with us about her journey and provided a sample of her daily meals:

Tequilla before and after

“Hi, my name is Tequilla and I am a black woman losing weight. I decided to lose weight because I want to join the U.S. Navy and there is a weight requirement that must be met.  My starting weight was 247 lbs and I was wearing a size 48 men jeans. I’m now 172 pounds. I started my journey January 1, 2013.  My goal weight is 155 pounds and I’m hoping to reach there by the Summer of 2014.

I love working out at home. I workout 4 times a week.  My workouts consist of running stairs, high knees, burpees, jumping rope, 2 mile walk/run, and sprinting.  As far as my eating habits, I stopped eating fast food and cut back on processed foods. I currently eat 5 small meals a day (3 full meals and 2 snacks). For example;

  • breakfast: oatmeal, half grapefruit, and a cup of green tea
  • snack 1: greek yogurt
  • lunch: tuna salad with spinach
  • snack 2: serving of almonds
  • dinner: grilled chicken, broccoli, baked sweet potato and plenty of water.

To be successful you need to change your life. You need to take control of the bad habits you have turned into an unhealthy life. You need to be excited about it too. You also have to believe that you can do it. Dreams turn into reality very quickly when you work hard.”

Instagram: @Kash1224

Adia lost 40 pounds

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Featured Before and After of the Day: Poetic Diva Adia lost 40 pounds.  She expressed her feelings about her weight loss victory in poetic voice for us and I love it.  Powerful message in her words! Here is what she shared:

Adia before and after

“To others it was always “Adia you look so good” , “You were never fat” , or “Don’t get too skinny”. However, I never meant to please any of them or become what some may say “mini” . I only wanted to love myself because I always looked in the mirror & dreaded what I saw. I just wanted to discover a part of me that was lost through each & every flaw. 40 pounds lighter, yet 40 times brighter and on this path I was able to see…I was never fat, big, or ugly.

Despite these 40 pounds, I’ve discovered the true meaning of beauty. It does not lie in those guys that I let break me or those girls that I envied. It’s truly only skin deep despite the thoughts of many. I’d be a hypocrite to say I’m not happy I lost the weight because I am…because I constantly think of those depressed nights spent crying or those “Are you okay?” questions that extended my lying. See I am happier now then I ever could be because beneath the weight loss I discovered another part of ME. I am no longer succumbed to hiding behind girls because I secretly wanted to be pretty or being someones side-piece to fulfill some sort of love pity. I am no longer captive to not saying what’s on my mind or lowering my respect to let someone grab my behind.

I AM A WOMAN and that’s what my weight has shown me. I’ve seen changes I never thought I’d see. That 200lb. 10 year old who struggled to fit an extra large shirt is now flaunting her curves in high heels & mini club skirts. That girl who was out of breath on every flight of stairs can now take on 5 miles without any cares. I am no longer stressed and secretly in despair….I HONOR MY CURVES & SWING MY SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR. I NOW VOW TO LOVE MY BODY AND NEVER AGAIN LET MY SIZE DICTATE MY SELF-WORTH. I VOW TO BE AT “BODILY PEACE” HERE ON THIS EARTH. I RESPECT ALL OF MY CELLULITE & EACH & EVERY DIMPLE….I LOVE MY BODY FOR IT IS A TEMPLE  I only ask for everyone’s continuous support as I enter 2014…40 pounds down and people tell me I’ve already won but little does everyone know…IM STILL NOT DONE! (2014 Goal: lose 30 more pounds!)”

How did you change your eating habits and embrace exercise?

“To change my eating habits, I started using a journal and My Fitness Pal to record what I’m eating everyday. I aim for 1,940 calories a day. I also aim to eat a serving of fruit and veggies with EVERY meal and to drink a gallon of water each day at the most or at LEAST 35 oz. in terms of supporting exercise. I try to do 3 days a week of cardio activity (jogging, walking, & swimming) and 1-2 times a week of strength training (squats, lunges, wall sits, sit ups, etc).”

Sarah lost 48 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Sarah lost 48 pounds.  Along with exercise and eating right, she is a fan of green smoothies for weight loss.  Here is what she shared with us:

Sarah weight loss

“I urge you ladies to heed the advice of consuming green smoothies. I ate at least one just about every day in 2013 along with a BALANCED clean diet and exercise. The weight melted! I do cardio, free weights, DVD..whatever! Just as long as I am moving for a minimum of 60 min per day. I was like many of you just 13 months ago, wondering if I’d be smaller and healthier again and I want to tell you that results ARE typical if you stay persistent and never give up on yourself. Decide that the crap in those convenience stores and drive thrus won’t get you the healthy body you desire. You don’t need shakes and pills, just clean eating and hard work. It won’t be easy and quick but nothing GOOD for you ever is!!!!

Please feel free to follow me on Instagram documenting my journey! I am too a work in progress: @desn2bee. I’m also on myfitnesspal. Be blessed and stay focused, ladies! Happy New Year!

Juanitta lost 45 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Juanitta lost 45 pounds.  She used on of my favorite web and mobile app tools to track her eating and calorie intake and it made the difference.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss victory:

Juanitta weight loss success story

“At the start of my journey, I weighed in at 205 pounds.  Currently, I am 160 pounds. I lost a total of 45 pounds using My Fitness Pal (it’s a website and app that helps you stay on track with your eating and goals) and watching my calorie intake.

What was my motivation? I always struggled with my weight. One day, I saw my picture and realized how much weight I’d gained.  I started using fitness pal in May of 2013.  It took me 7 months to loose the first 40 pounds.  I also dropped down 4 pants sizes.  I did this by watching my calorie intake and not exceeding 2000 calories a day.  For exercise, I  did a little bit of walking here and there.  The other thing that helped was that I stopped drinking regular pop and tried diet.  I had to cut down on restaurant food too.  My biggest support during this process was My Fitness Pal.  It works wonders and I was amazed how many calories I was exceeding in a day once I started tracking my food with it. My advice to others is to be patient and stay motivated.”

Tenisha lost 68 pounds

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Before and After of the Day: Tenisha lost 68 pounds after a divorce.  She has seen improvement in a number of health issues she suffered from.  This sister even grew her own food!  Now that is a lifestyle change!  Here is what she shared with us:

Tenisha weight loss story

“Hi my name is Tenisha Baker. I started my weight loss journey in January 2012.  I did it for health reasons and to look and feel better. I had just came out of a nineteen year marriage.  I found out that he cheated on me with a co-worker and didn’t want to be married anymore, but he wanted me to stay for financial reasons.  Needless to say I left with my six children and hoped for the better.

Before my transformation I had many health problems. I was severely asthmatic and always on steroids.  I was hyper allergic to almost everything.  I suffered with IBS, Alopecia areata, CHRONIC UTI, vitamin D deficiency, and more.

After leaving my husband, I started eating right.  I began growing my own vegetables in a garden and ate from it.  I grew cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, spinach and different types of lettuce. I also embraced exercising at home.  I spent $0.00 dollars at a gym because I could not afford it or find the time to get there and still be a mom. I also ran in my neighborhood.

I’m excited to say that I am 68 pounds lighter with all medical problems disappearing except the alopecia.  I’m happy, beautiful and healthy by my and my doctors standards. My doctor has also asked me to talk to her patients too.  Women should never give up on themselves.  Put all of your excuses away. [Btw, I’m now in love too…]”

Jessie lost 69 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Instagram Diva Jessie lost 69 pounds.  She posts her progress, workouts and photos of what she is eating on Instagram.  I love that because it can help keep you accountable and inspire others to do what you do.  Here is what she had to say about her weight loss transformation:

Jessie weight loss before and after

“I am a mother of three beautiful children, student and a newfound gym lover. I’d gotten to the point where I felt I could not lose weight because I had children. I ate whatever I wanted and didn’t work out at all after I had my kids. However, the reason I didn’t lose weight was because I found excuse after excuse not to do so. In May 2013, I was tired of being unhappy with myself so I began working out and eating clean. Since then, I’ve lost 69 pounds by just working out and eating clean.

I work out 5-6 times a week doing weightlifting and cardio. I never knew how much this would change my life. This has become a passion for me to help others find happiness through self love and taking care of their health. Obesity runs in my family, as well as diabetes. Now that I understand how important eating right and exercising is I have began to help my family and others by informing them of things to help them on a journey to better health. I started my journey at 244 pounds and I am currently 175 pounds! I’m not done yet!

This is not a quick fix it has become a lifestyle for me. To me its about so much more thank being skinny. It’s about being physically strong? Mental strong, lean and in overall good health. If I can do it with 3 kids, you can too! Just believe in yourself and keep in your mind that “Failure is not an option!”
Feel free to follow my journey on Instagram @creolebabii_fitness where I show you videos of some of my workouts, my meal preps, and pictures of my journey from start. Let’s motivate and support each other! We’ve got this!”

Jessie weight loss photos

 

LaNita lost 67 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story: LaNita lost 67 pounds by working out regularly, seeking the advice of a personal trainer and changing her eating habits.  Now, she leads weight loss challenges at work and gives advice to others.  Here is her weight loss story:

The picture on the left is from Oct 2012. The picture on the right is from Jan, 1 2014.

LaNita weight loss success story

I can remember the day I decided to change. It was June 30th 2012. My little brother was having a show on a hot and humid South Carolina summer. I was dancing, drinking, and having a ball with my friends. I walked passed a full mirror and I did not recognize myself. I was unhappy with the way I looked. I knew I was beautiful, intelligent, street savvy, a good mother, an excellent girlfriend, had a great career; but these things were not enough for me. “Why can’t I stay with a diet?” “Why can’t I stick with exercising?” I don’t want to die over something I had ultimate control over.

That night as we sat in a bar and I ate on hot wings and drank a beer, I looked to my friends and told them that this was the last day I was going to live like this. “I need motivation!” All they kept saying was you just got to push yourself and stay with it. Honestly I wanted to say, but you guys don’t! I didn’t, thank god, because maybe they are happy where they are. At that moment I realized that this was not going to be a team effort. If I wanted change, I had to do this on my own. I could not expect anyone to make this change with me. When I got home, I lay in bed with my beautiful daughter and started to think back on my pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes and ended up with pre-clampsia. I ate the healthiest while pregnant then any other time in my life. That’s when it hit me. Life was my motivation, living life and inspiring a balanced life. I thank my baby girl for reminding me of that.

The next day I got on the scale at 270 pounds. I wanted to cry and fallout, but I took it as the start and that next time, it will be less. I started working out on my own around the house and outside. I started jogging and did work out videos two to three times a week. I notice about 2 months in that I was starting to get bored. The following month, I barely exercised at all. I told myself that I was going to go to the gym and get a trainer. That’s exactly what I did. I started working out at Gold’s 4 days a week and meeting my trainer once every two weeks. He taught me how to eat. Eating is always the hard part, but I felt full all day as long as I followed the plan. I eat a low carb diet with lean meats of roughly 1250 calories. I have three full meals and two snacks. My exercises include two days of strength training, two days of RPM, and in between I do fun activities with my baby girl to keep her healthy. She loves jump roping and racing! December 14 2013, was the last day with my trainer. I slowly stepped on the scale and it read 203 lbs! I was very happy. It took a year and a half to get there. It was not easy at all but losing 67 lbs felt awesome. My work is not done. I want to lose another 30. I feel great and my baby girl lets mommy know all the time that she is proud of me. I do a lot of research on foods and health now. I even give people advice and do weight loss challenges with co-workers and friends all the time. Last year, my job lost 77 lbs all together due to a challenge I started. My greatest challenge is that with this lifestyle change, I could no longer be the party girl. It took people a long time to adjust; some people even stopped hanging out with me. In the end, all I got is this one body and this one life. The party aspect can change. The best advice someone gave me when for weight loss was, “take your time and have fun with it.” That was the best advice and I give people this advice all the time.”

Angel lost 114 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Angel.  This young lady lost 114 pounds and changed her health with the help of gastric sleeve weight reduction surgery.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

“Hello! My name is Angel. I am 25 years old and my life changed a year ago. After finding out that I was pre-diabetic, dealing with chronic back pain and hypertension, I made the choice to have the gastric sleeve (VSG) weight loss surgery. My highest weight was 279 pounds and as of today I weigh 165 pounds! It is life changing. I eat mostly baked fish or steamed shrimp.  I have mostly baked food like these and leafy greens. I eat lots and lots of vegetables. I also do a lot of cardio. I try to walk at least two to three times a week.  There are so many things I can do now that I couldn’t before! Things like painting my own toe nails, sitting Indian style or taking long walks without getting out of breath and having to have my inhaler on standby. Having this surgery has helped me with my health! I’m no longer pre diabetic or I don’t have hypertension! The back pain is gone too! I thank God everyday for it!”

Instagram: @team_shrink

Angel before and after weight loss surgery