Black Weight Loss Success

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Joellé lost 79 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Joellé lost 79 pounds in about 8 months by leaving fast food alone, working out for 2 hours per session, and changing her way of thinking about things like food.  She was motivated by the loss of a dear friend.  Here is her story:

“Hello, My name is Joellé and I’ve recently lost 79 pounds since Febuary. After the loss of my close friend/roommate back in 2011, I was devasted & dug deep into a terrible state of depression. Food became my comfort, and nothing could stop me. I used make-up, clothing, shoes…. The works… Just to cover up how terrible I felt about myself. I would eat McDonalds almost everyday.  I would also Eat am ENTIRE pie of Little Caesars pizza by myself, and wouldn’t even feel guilty. It wasn’t until I weighed myself after seeing a unflattering picture of myself that I realized how big I’d actually got. Weighing in at 270 pounds my energy was at a zero. I could barely walk down the street without being out of breath and worst of all I was thoroughly unsatisfied with myself. Fed up with the way my life was heading, I took a vow to make a change in 2013. I changed my eating habits, exercised regularly & changed my way of thinking. I eliminated all processed food.  I only stick to chicken and fish.  I increased my water intake. I haven’t had fast food in 8 months and I’m so thankful I made that decision to change. My workout routine varies… however it’s usually 1hour cardio, 1hour weight training. If i’m unable to get to the gym, I use free workout videos on Youtube as a full body workout. My motivation comes from many things.  My biggest motivation however is my late friend Kayla. I do it all in her memory, knowing she would be so proud of me & my accomplishments. My motto is “Work hard, Stay humble… God will do the rest” I’m so grateful and thankful… He’s truly working on me!”

See more of her transformation photos on Instagram: JoJoeyJoe

Joelle weight loss photos

Brandy lost 175 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some love to Brandy.  She lost 175 pounds over the course of 2 years with weight reduction surgery and changing her lifestyle habits.  Here is what she shared with us about her journey to greater wellness:

Hello, my name Brandy.  I was 410 pounds at my heaviest weight.  I decided to have the gastric bypass on may 26, 2011.  I am now at 235 pounds. I have lost a total 0f 175 in two years.

I am a native of Mobile, Al where I currently reside. I decided to lose weight with my mother Mary McDonald in mind as my inspiration. My family medical history was a nightmare; diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, etc. I was 410 pounds after I had my second child and began to have pre-symptoms of diabetes (pre-diabetes). I watched my mother take insulin shots all my life, so I didn’t want to go down that road. Therefore, I decided to look into the gastric bypass surgery.  Several woman I worked with had the surgery done and where looking great.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done for myself!

I didn’t want to go through all the medical problems my mother had to go through. Unfortunately, I lost my mother to her 8th Heart attack on July 14th 2013. For anyone trying to loss weight, who is truly serious about a life change, I would say that for me the surgery was the best decision to me. Every aspect of your life has to change, from eating right to keeping up a with an exercise routine. I would not change my decision for nothing in the world!

Brandy weight loss surgery photos

Showna lost 134 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Showna lost 134 pounds.  This proud mom became a workout fanatic and is now studying to be personal trainer.  Here is her story and her before and after photos:

“Hi BWLW. I would like to say I love your page. I’m also a BWLW and I love it!! Just a little of my history. I started my weight loss journey about 22 months ago. Since then I’ve lost 134lbs. I love. I feel great my health is great which was my main reason for working out. I will start studying to get certified to become a professional trainer at the end of September. I’m very excited about that. Can wait to help & change others lives the way mine has been changed. I’m very grateful for my support.

My weight loss motivation was that I was tired of going to the doctor and hearing that I needed to loss weight. My knees hurt on a regular with the extra weight. Found out that every pound you lose is like 4 lbs off each knee.  That was like music to my ears. I’ve lost 134 pounds total in 22 months. I follow my meal plans to a T. All green veggies w/turkey chicken & fruits. I love working out. I work out everyday but Sunday, and some days I workout 2-3 times a day. I really enjoy bootcamp. I’m a hardcore workout type of girl. Lol. My starting weight was 303 lbs:(. Not happy about that. The advice I have for others is to never stop. Set your ultimate goal and don’t give up till u reach it. Make up in your mind this will be a life changing event. Not for a wedding or trip but to add years to your life. To be fit is a way of life and you have to stay determined everyday. If u fall off, jump right back on. Never quit!!!

Everyday is hard for me because I have a family and a child who needs more help than most kids do. It takes him awhile to get it. My health is very important to me because I want to be around for a long time for him. I make working out a part of my daily routine just like I get up everyday to work for someone else. I make sure I get up and workout for myself. I’m up at 4am for my classes so I take them serious. Working out helps me cope with day to day things since I work with the public. It’s the only thing I’m completely in control of. I determine what my weight will be no matter how hard I have to work at it. People told me “you will never be able to lose your butt”. haha! I have loss a lot of my butt and thighs.  Thanks once again. I totally appreciate your page. It always gives me hope and I hope I can help others.”

Showna weight loss photos

Baria lost 55 pounds

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55 pounds gone!  Baria wrote in to tell us how the Fitness Center founded by another sister we featured (Lakeishea) has helped her lose weight.  I love it when one person’s personal victory and ministry helps others to find greater health and wellness.  Sisters helping Sisters!

“I am Baria Jordan and I’m 27 years old.  Since joining Faith & Fitness Studios (Gastonia, NC) in January, I’ve not only lost 55 pounds and 8 inches,  but I have also gone down four pants sizes & gained a whole new lifestyle. Eating healthy has always been hard for me and I didn’t care about what I consumed or how it could affect my health. My diet was based on convenience and I was drinking over 72 oz of soda a day. That’s a whole six pack! Now, I’m very cautious of what goes into my body. I find that I’m able to run and play with my son, be active daily, even walk around my classroom and teach better since working out with with them because I’ve gained so much energy! I’ve also gained muscle definition in places I never had them before! Believe me hubby LOVES that!  I look forward to Mondays and Fridays not just to workout, but because to top all that off, you get a spiritual uplift from the prayer and music! Faith & Fitness has been such a blessing to my life in more ways than I can count!”

Baria Jordan weight loss

Shae lost 108 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Shae lost 108 pounds.  After battling a number of health issues and weight gain related to the birth control she was taking, this proud mom was able to find a way of eating and working out that worked for her.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Shae weight loss photos

I always was active growing up and never had a weight issue until about a year after my first pregnancy. At that point, I decided to go get on birth control. Well, it was my first time getting on birth control and that’s when the weight began to slowly creep up on me. With this increase in weight, I decided to try several different diets over the course of years and would lose the weight gained but as soon as I returned to eating “normal”, I gained all my weight back plus more. This recurring cycle took place for around 4-5 years. I also had a lot of issues going on within my life and would turn to food for comfort. While I thought it helped me at that moment, I would later realize that it only made life worst for me because I kept gaining more and more weight.

In 2010, I got pregnant with my second child while on birth control and stopped once I found out. Early in 2012, I weaned my second child off of breast feeding and decided to go get back on birth control but I wanted something that was more effective. At the doctor’s office I was told that with my weight being so high, a lot of birth control methods would begin to be less effective a well as leave me with a higher risk of side effects. Regardless of what they told me, I still wanted it. My weight in March 2012 at that doctor’s visit was at an all time high of 250 lbs. I don’t know how many days I cried not really understanding how I could go from being so active to carrying around so much weight on me. I also had arthritis which I had as a child and had under control but since I had gained so much weight, caring for it became much more complex. I thought of ways to lose the weight and discovered MyFitnessPal in which I begin to count calories. For the first couple of days before beginning a new diet, I wrote down what I ate to determine how many calories I was consuming each day. It was between 3000-5000 calories. So I then decided that I was only going to eat between 1800-2000. After counting calories for a week or so, I started to drop a little weight (16 lbs). In early April, I started having issues again in my marriage and started to revert back to old habits. On April 26th , I quit my job and said I’m not going to let this weight control me (I was 234 on this date). I started doing Zumba everyday and would still count my calories but was consuming around 2500 calories. I cut out soda, some sweets, fried foods and whenever I would eat out I would box up some of my food and save it for another day.

From the end of April to August, I was following this same routine but I started having real bad migraines, dizziness, severe pains in my stomach, and a whole lot of health issues. At the end of August, I had only lost 22 lbs which I was happy with but started stressing because my health issues were getting worst. In September 2012, I was rushed to the hospital in severe pain and was told that I had several blood clots in my stomach, liver, and right leg. There also was evidence of a stroke. All this time I was in pain and having these issues, I never went to the ER. The culprit to these health issues was the birth control I was on, so the doctors told me they had to remove it. They had to go in and try to break up the clots but was unsuccessful and I was advised that I would have to be on blood thinners and have to go through so much more therapy. I was so upset with myself because I was told earlier this year about my weight and the birth control. I spent three weeks in the hospital and that was the worst time of my life at that point. The last day there, the doctor advised me of what my daily routine should be and how I really should watch my diet and exercise routine because I’m so young and don’t want to be on this medication long term.

Well, this was it. I was not going to let anything take me from my kids. If I didn’t start taking care of myself, there was no way I was going to be able to take care of my kids effectively. Since the time of release from the hospital, I drunk nothing but unsweet tea and water. I started eating healthier (cutting my portion size in half) and exercising two hours a day doing Zumba and other high intense cardio. What was different about this time was I started to drop weight much easier. I attribute that to not being on birth control. I have not been back on and have no plans to ever get back on it. My life has been so much easier as I don’t have the health issues I had before while on it. By the end of the year, I had dropped around 60 lbs. I kept this routine up and lost an additional 18 lbs earlier this year but have been maintaining my current weight of 142 lbs (+/- 2 or 3 lbs) for three or four months now. I now know that this is a lifestyle change and I know the steps to take to lose weight and keep it off. I am so glad I’m starting to get my happiness back. The advice that I have for others is to stop living for others and start living for you. There’s no way you can be there for someone else, if you’re not in your healthiest state.

Chemese lost weight by juicing and going vegan

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Update Dec 2015: It’s been a little over 2 years and Chemese is still going strong and maintaining her weight loss. Her starting weight was 305 lbs. She’s been a vegan for 3 years and no longer tracks her weight via a scale. Also, she let us know that she just started another 100 day smoothie/juicing cleanse and is chronicling her progress via video on Youtube.

cheese before and after

Hello again, My name is Chemese and I was featured on your website back in September of 2013. This has been an amazing learning journey about myself, fitness, and health. This journey has also taught me that changes possible and it’s okay to think outside the box. I became vegan and I did not even like vegetables. This year, I get to celebrate my 3rd year as a vegan and my weight lost anniversary on December 12. I’m so excited! I have had some ups and downs but I haven’t been out of cheese weight losscontrol. I’m loving the skin I’m in and I’m still not weighing myself. It’s been so freeing not getting on a scale. I remember how I use to beat myself up over the number on the scale. Now, I’m not about that life. That number isn’t important to me. I’m also still juicing and making smoothies. Over these past years I have successfully completed 30, 60 and 100 day juice/smoothie cleanses. Currently, I’m doing another 100 day juice/smoothie cleanse. If you take anything from my journey I hope that it’s “Change is Possible”. I know my journey doesn’t end here. I truly hope that my journey inspires others. Posting on social media has helped keep me accountable, so you can find me at:

Instagram: @chemese
Twitter: @chemese
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/chemese/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheChemeseProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/thechemeseproject

Sept 2013 – Featured Weight Loss Story of the Day: Chemese lost weight by juicing, working out and going vegan.  Her starting weight was around 305, but she doesn’t know how much weight she lost because she doesn’t use the scale as a measurement anymore.  However, you can really SEE the difference in her photos.  Here is what she shared with us:

“My name is Chemese and I currently reside in Abilene, Texas. Some how, I really let myself go. I was obese, out of shape, very unhealthy (as you can see from my pictures on the left). I realized that I just had to change, because I love myself too much. The best way to do that was by becoming a Vegan. My journey began on December 15, 2012 when I decided that I was going to give it all that I could give and lose weight. I knew I didn’t want to try another fad diet. I needed to change my lifestyle for good, so thats exactly what I did.

I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables. I make smoothies and fresh juices. I also workout for 2 hours everyday. As for numbers, my starting weight was 305+ pounds . I don’t know how much weight I have lost though simply because that number isn’t important to me anymore. What is more important is that I have gained control over my health which is more than I wanted. I successfully completed a 60 day juice cleanse on July 4th.  If I had to give anyone advice, it would be to find something that work for them and be open to try new things. I became a vegan and I didn’t like vegetables before. Now, I love them.  One thing is for sure, I’m not exactly where I want to be but I’m so glad I’m not where I used to be. My journey doesn’t end here.

I share what I’m eating and doing on Instagram @chemese

Chemese Weight Loss
NOTE: Before pictures was taken on December 2012 and after pictures was taken on July 2013.

Chemese before and after photos Chemese weight loss success

Kia lost 50 pounds and her husband lost 67 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Kia and her husband lost the weight together and are now making healthier choices for them and their 7 children.  She lost 50 pounds and he lost 67 pounds.  Here is what they did to lose the weight (and before and after photos):

Kia weight loss

“Just wanted to share some of my story. I’ve lost 50 pounds so far. My blood pressure was way out of control for years. I never suffered from insecurities or anything like that. I’ve always been confident no matter what size.  However, a trip to the ER put my health in perspective. I started on Weight Watchers and then just changed my eating habits and controlled my portions. I joined a local health group called BodyWize solutions and learned how bad certain foods were for us and learned to make smarter choices. I work out at least 4 days a week and am striving to lose 50 more lbs. Seeing my “before” and “now” (since I’m far from finished) keeps me motivated to keep on keeping on. My blood pressure is now controlled and I’m striving to come off blood pressure medication altogether. My husband and I have gone on this journey together. He has lost 67 pounds and is more active than he’s been in years! Together we are becoming a picture of health.

Absolutely! In our BodyWize Solutions class we learned about making healthier food choices. We stopped eating fried foods and sweets. We eat more fruits and veggies, and whole grains. We did a 10-day juice fast where my husband lost 32 pounds and I lost 10. We now incorporate juicing into our daily life. We stopped eating beef and pork as well. We stopped drinking caffeine (he was hooked on sodas and I was hooked on coffee) and drink mostly water only. Our workouts vary from walking on a local bridge to water aerobics.  He coaches football and is always running around with his players. We have 7 children between us and they were picking up our bad habits. Together as a family, we teach them how to choose better food options and as a family we make sure to get out and move. We are only beginning our journey and look forward to this new way of living!”

Kia Husband's weight loss husband and wife weight loss

 

Unconditional Love: Diamond lost 55 pounds

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Weight loss story of the Day: Diamond lost 55 pounds after the loss of her beloved husband.  Found herself dealing a number of health issues and weight gain while being a caregiver to her spouse.  She was able to fall in love with exercise, change her eating habits and lose weight. Here is her story:

“I started gaining a lot of weight taking care of my 28 year old husband who was battling stage four Cancer. I would eat whatever I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, my husband lost his battle with cancer and passed away. I felt as if my life ended with his.

Couple months after he passed, I went to a friends birthday dinner. She posted the photos from dinner on Facebook and I could not believe that was me in the pictures.  So, I decided enough is enough I have to get myself together mentally & physically. I went to gym but felt uncomfortable due to my weight. Late one night I was watching TV and I saw commercial for the Turbo Fire exercise DVD program. I became excited and ordered it.

Once I received Turbo Fire in the mail, I started working out with it that day. Within 7 days, I lost 12 pounds. I became obsessed.  I workout out 6 days a week sometimes twice a day. I gained the confidence to go to the gym and love to RUN. I started to feel alive again, laughing more, feeling great on the inside and looking fabulous on the outside.  Also, I changed my eating habits completely.  I stopped eating fried food, fast food, and start reading labels and counting calories.   I educated myself by purchasing cook books that taught me how to grocery shop, eat on a go, and cook dinner for my family healthy.  Eating clean over time became a habit. No longer have the desire to eat crappy food. My body actually reject it. I was over at my grandmother’s house and tried to eat one fried chicken leg and I instantly got sick and had to vomit. Lol

At my heaviest, I weighted 210 pounds. I’m now 155 pounds. I lost 55lbs within 6 months. I had high blood pressure, borderline diabetes, and other hormonal problems due to my weight. After I lost weight, all my medical problems went away.

My husband loved me unconditionally, and it was time I loved myself enough to be healthy.  That’s what motivated me on the days I didn’t feel like working out or when I was wanting to overindulge in unhealthy food.  My advice to others: We all know what to do.  We just have to do it. Excising one hour a day can change your entire life.

2 1/2 years later, I’m still in great shape, Loving Life and all the beautiful joy it has to offer.  Thanks for allowing me for the first time to tell it publicly. Hopefully it will encourage others.

Diamond weight loss story

Updated: Helen lost 54 pounds

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Update from Helen (posted Oct 2013): “I just want to share with you that I’m finally down to 64 pounds [down from 310] doing the same thing I was doing. Here’s a couple pictures so you can see the results.”

Helen weight loss success story

Original Post

Let’s show some love to Helen.  She lost 54 pounds down, from 310 pounds.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss transformation so far”

“Here is my weight loss journey. Since last September (2012), I’ve lost 54 lbs. My goal is to lose 46 more pounds by the end of this year.  My motivation to lose weight was because of my health.  It was time to take action. How I took action was by eating healthier, cutting out salt and not drinking soda pop.  I also drank more water. I workout for 30-45 minutes per session. I do the elliptical for 15-20 mins, then lift weights for about 5 mins, then I do the treadmill and the step aerobics machine for the remainder of time. My starting weight was 310 pounds now I’m currently at 256 pounds. My weight loss so far has taken about a year.”

Helen weight loss

 

Kimberly lost 110 pounds

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Featured weight loss success story of the day: Kimberly lost 110 pounds in a little over 8 months.  She primarily credits the changes she made to her eating habits.  Here is what she had to say about losing the weight:

“I lost 110 pounds over 8 months primarily by changing how I ate.  The dietary changes began mentally. I DECIDED NOT to die or have complications from diabetes. I began to pray.  I was asking GOD for answers to why I had so many bouts of 30 day constipation and blood sugars levels of 350 plus all the time!!! I was enlightened and found that meat was my issue. Eating it with every meal, every day was killing my body. Immediately after cutting just meat out of my daily consumption, I lost 20 pounds in 30 days (no exercise yet). After seeing that, I decided to see what wound happen if I didn’t put ANYTHING in my mouth that was bad.  That’s right, I ate NOTHING but fruits, veggies, whole grains and water for a solid year and was exercising for  half of that time.  After losing about 50 pounds, I starting doing a standing ab routine for about 5 days a week for 30 minutes per session. Because I had changed my mind about food, it seemed like I woke up skinny!!! I went from 280 pounds to 170 pounds in one year.  Now, I am a comfortable at 180 pounds and 5’6” tall! I have put some “treats” back in every now and then, but am still enjoying a healthy lifestyle!!”

Kimberly 100 pound weight loss