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Candince lost 75 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Candince lost 75 pounds.  She was at risk of being obese and suffering health problems related to weight so she made the decision to invest in her health.  Here is what she shared with us:

“I just wanted to share my story. My journey started back in 2012. After being told by my physician that I was obese, as well as in danger of diabetes and high blood pressure, I knew I needed to stop wishing for a healthier me and start working for it. It was a wakeup call at 238 pounds (size 18). I couldn’t fit anything in my closet and was in the worst shape.

I lost 75 pounds in less than a year by exercising 6 times a week.  I also hired a personal training for strength training 2 times a week. I used working out as a way to combat stress and made it a priority. Not even work prevented me from exercising because jobs come and go but I only have ONE ME!! I threw out all processed foods and learned to eat clean! Once I quit making excuses for myself the change happened. Best decision I could have ever made. At 163 pounds my body thanks me everyday!

My advice would be to throw away the scale, surround yourself with positive people who help keep you encouraged and understand that losing even one pound is a HUGE milestone!!”

Candince weight loss photos

Terkeisa lost 60 pounds

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Terkeisa lost 60 pounds by cutting out junk food and soda.  She embraced healthy eating and consistent exercise. Here is her weight loss story:

Terkeisa before and after weight loss

“My name is Terkeisa Brown and I’m 32 years of age. I have battled with my weight for my entire life. I’m 4’11” and at my highest weight I was 230 pounds. I decided to start losing weight in September of 2012 by cutting out sodas and McDonald’s. I started walking at least a mile a day and drinking plenty water. By November of 2012, I had dropped 25 pounds. In December of 2012, I found out I was pregnant. During my pregnancy, I wanted everything I ate to be healthy. I didn’t want to get back on the wrong track.  I had my third son on August 4,2013 and a week later I was back to walking two to three miles a day and making sure not to eat any processed foods or soda. I also ate plenty of fish and chicken.  I love the George Foreman grill so I grill everything. By my 6 week check up, I was down to 187 pounds and after that I started going to the gym 4 to 5 days a week. I started off doing nothing but cardio at the gym. Now I go 3 to 4 days a week and I still do a lot of cardio but I’m also lifting weights now, trying to tone my arms, thighs and legs. My current weight is 170 pounds.  Before and After photo: In the first pic I was 230 pounds.  In the second I was 205 pounds and the last is at my current weight of 170 pounds.

My advice to all my beautiful black women that are trying to lose weight is to start off slow and make sure that you’re mentally ready. You may fall off the wagon but you can get right back on. Make lifestyle changes! Start by taking things out of your diet that are bad for you, like fried foods, sweets and soda. Try challenging yourself to see how long you can stay on the treadmill or how many miles you can walk. Most importantly do it for you and love yourself ladies. I’m on Facebook: Terkeisa Brown and Instagram: @hellonheels81 if anyone wants to contact me!”

Fatimah lost 70 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Fatimah lost 70 pounds by eating a holistic, plant-based diet.  Now, she helps others as a health coach. Check out her transformation video and the details of her journey:

fatimah before and after

“Growing up both of Fatimah’s parents were vegetarian and she was raised on a plant based diet. At the age of 16, Fatimah went to Wisconsin to live with her older sister. This is when her life changed and her journey to wellness began. Fatimah stayed in Wisconsin, ” The dairy state”, for three years. Over the course of that period of time, she began to take on the eating habits of those in that environment. She began consuming a lot of processed foods, dairy, meat and alcohol. She was eating the SAD or “standard american diet “, which was a normal way of eating for those living in the dairy state. Unknowingly at the time, her health was rapidly declining. Growing up Fatimah was very athletic maintaining a healthy weight of 136 . This all changed when she moved to Wisconsin and took on this new SAD diet. It wasn’t until a routine check up at the doctors office in 2004 that the reality of her degenerating health sink in. She got on the scale at the doctors office and weighed in at 206 pounds. She was borderline diabetic and had high cholesterol. Fatimah knew she had to do something fast. She tried many quick fixes and fad diets but none of it worked. She spent several years yo-yo dieting and losing a few pounds just to gain it all right back. It wasn’t until she made the commitment in 2009 to make a complete holistic lifestyle change that she began to improve her health and heal herself. Going back to a plant based diet, Fatimah was able to loose 70 pounds and return back to her natural weight. Today Fatimah Shabazz works as a Certified Holistic Health Coach offering programs and workshops to educate people in how to use food as medicine and maintain optimal health through holistic living and plant based nutrition. www.fanashaa.com”

“In terms of what was my motivation, for me, I think of my son. I try to be the best role model in all or most areas of my life to set a good example.

My starting weight was 206 pounds. My current weight is 136 pounds. My total weight loss is 70  pounds. It took me 9 months to loose the weight.

My work out routine was doing yoga & breathing exercises 5 days a week at 7am for one hour each day.

My advice to others would be to love yourself enough to have patience, faith and be willing to make a lifestyle change while keeping in mind that nothing happens overnight.”

Fanashaa weight loss

Angela lost 132 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Angela.  She lost 132 pounds and she did it the old fashioned way, by changing her eating habits and exercising.  Here is what she shared with us about her amazing weight loss journey:

Angela lost 100 pounds

“Hello! I first want to wish everyone a prosperous New Year! I want to share my weight loss story. The picture on the left (below) was taken during my senior year in high in 2004. I was 332 pounds when I graduated. The picture on the right was from this past summer (2013). I have been blessed to lose 132 pounds since 2004. It took awhile to lose the weight and to be serious. I lost weight in college, but eventually put it back on after graduating. It took the death of a dear friend and the doctors telling me about the many health risks I was in store for within the next year for me to become serious about my weight loss. I had to change my lifestyle to one that was healthier. I decided to join Weight Watchers and join the gym. I also began to join Zumba classes. I eliminated fried & fast foods, as well as  sodas.  All of this contributed to me becoming a healthier me. I pray that my (and all of the ladies who have posted weight loss testimonies) will encourage and inspire those who are struggling with weight loss and health. 2014 is YOUR year!”

Angela before and after

What You Should Eat & When You Should Eat to Lose Pounds

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timing eating weight lossThe body has a rhythm to its metabolism that is circadian, that means it follows the daylight cycle. Your metabolism doesn’t just turn on to a set speed when you eat or exercise. Depending on what time of day it is the metabolism will act slower or faster naturally (for most people, that is. Health issues can affect this cycle). This is why learning what to eat and when you should eat it to get the most from your diet is essential. As science discovers more about how our bodies work, you will be surprised to find out that some age old advice about when to eat has always been right, and there are some new findings that may  turn the typical diet advice on its head. It is important to remember that your body is also going to adjust to your cycle, so you may have a different metabolic rhythm if you work nights than someone who works days and that needs to be considered when structuring you eating times.

How many times should you eat and what should be on your plate?

Most medical doctors, nutritionists and scientists are in agreement that you are better off eating six small meals a day rather than the traditional three. You should, however, make two of those meals slightly larger than the others to maximize your metabolism. Breakfast remains the single most important meal of the day, but lunch has also proven to be important. Of all of your meals, the lunch meal should be the largest. The rest of your meal times should be much smaller, especially your final meal before sleeping. Eating this frequently provides your body with a constant food source to prevent it going into starvation mode where it will hoard fat for fear of hunger and let you get your maximum nutrition when your body’s metabolism is at its speediest (during the day when you are burning calories and moving).

Recommended times for eating lots of carbs, protein, fats, drinking water,

One surprising essential for all meals is fiber and protein. Every meal you eat, no matter what the size or time, should be balanced more towards the inclusion of fruits and proteins. When to eat your carbs and fats, which are both essential for proper body function, is a bit trickier. More of your carbs should be taken in during breakfast and more fats during lunch. Make sure the carbs you are eating for breakfast don’t come loaded with things you don’t want, such as sugary pastries and donuts.  Make sure the fats you eat are good fats, such as the Omega 3s. This means yes to the oatmeal at breakfast and yes to fish at lunch, which can also provide you with protein as well. Don’t make the common mistake of “carb loading” before or after a workout. A reasonable portion of healthy carbs will give you a good energy source for your workout but you want your body to use the existing fat it already has stored during the workout to give it a constant and controlled supply of energy to promote weight loss. All meals should include water and water should also be consumed in-between meals. Drinking water 20 to 40 min before you eat to help you feel full and make sure you don’t confuse the feeling of being thirsty with being hungry.

Eating late

Eating late is both recommended and to be avoided. You should be eating a light meal an 2 hours or so before bed that does include some carbs, but not so much fat or protein. Carbohydrates digestion aids sleep, and it will also serve to make you feel slightly fuller in the morning to prevent overeating at breakfast. Don’t load up on a huge plate of pasta though because your metabolism is much slower when you sleep and you will be more apt to store fat than to use the carbs as fuel at night.

Christina lost 42 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Christina.  She lost 42 pounds with Weight Watchers, changing her eating habits and exercising.  Here is what she shared with us:

Christina weight loss story

“Hi, I just wanted to share a weight loss story. Back in March of 2012 I found out I was pregnant. I gained 65 pounds with the pregnancy and my baby boy was born December 5, 2012.  I reached my highest weight in April 2013. I was at 303 pounds. Since then, I have gotten down to 261 pounds. I’m not done yet, but I’m excited that I have lost 42 lbs.  It has been a struggle, but I’m excited. I have about 20 or so pounds to go but I know now what my faults are and I’m working on changing those.

I’ve done Weight Watchers, but mostly I’ve changed my eating habits and exercised like crazy. Instead of reaching for chips and cookies, I replaced them with almonds and yogurts (not all the time, but enough to make a difference). I also started eating lighter at dinner instead of heavy meals. I also found out when I was eating right and my weight was stalling, I would have a dr. pepper a few times a week. Once I stopped drinking soda for a week I dropped pounds. For exercise, I did Zumba on Xbox Kinetic, walking videos by Leslie Sansone and a variety of videos on Comcast on Demand. Also, I started exercising for an hour to an hour and a half some days.  I still have some work to do but at 42 lbs down I’m excited. This page has helped me a whole lot. Thank you!” – Christina

Video: Jade lost 45 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story: Jade lost 45 pounds in 2013 by realizing that she was self-medicating her emotions with food.  She was motivated by the success stories of others and now she is able to share her story to help someone else.  Here is her story and a great video showing her transformation in detail.

“Hey! My name is Jade & I wanted to share my weight loss journey with you all.  In 2012, I went through a lot personally & I began to lean on food as a crutch. It was simple, whenever I felt sad, I ate. It was a temporary fix, that was truly causing damage on my health.

Before you know it, I had gained over 35 pounds and I started to suffer from intense knee pains whenever I performed any level of cardio. Along with my knee pains, I suffered from shortness of breath and I was only 24.
Now, I don’t know what exactly hit me, but one day I woke up and I desired a change. I no longer wanted to look in the mirror and hate what I saw staring back at me. So, I simply started working out, drinking tons of water and eating healthier foods. It wasn’t easy, but in my first week of my weight loss journey I lost 7 pounds.

After the first week, I started watching and reading weight loss success stories because they motived me to stay focused on my goal. I cooked more meals at home & vegetables, fruit & water became my best friend. Each week, I felt better and better. My confidence was growing & I was eventually able to replace my need and want for food with the gym.

Losing weight has been an amazing, yet tough journey for me.  I’m not where I want to be, but I am certainly much happier. In 2013, I was able to lose 45 pounds, and I gained my confidence back. I created a video that shows my year transformation in pictures. I hope it inspires someone to start their journey today, because If I can lose weight, so can you.” -Jade

Jade weight loss story

Bianca lost 35 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Bianca lost 35 pounds in about 6 months after dealing with divorce and the death of her beloved mother.  Her motivation was her son and wanting to be healthier.  The great thing about her story is that she missed the mark at times but didn’t beat herself up.  She never gave up and that is Awesome. Here is her weight loss story:

Bianca weight loss

“After going through a divorce and losing my mom tragically, I couldn’t help myself. Food became my best friend. By the time I came to myself, I was 215 pounds. After a year of my mom’s passing I realized that it was time for a change. After all, no matter what losses I suffered I was still a single mother and my son (age 3 ) needed me, not just there, but in a healthy state as well. I began with the hardest thing: eating right!! I was a person who had never ate a salad in my life. Needless to say, I didn’t eat anything else green either. I knew that if I wanted this to happen then I would have to learn to like it and that’s just what I did. I didn’t give up the things that I loved but I had them in moderation. I also substituted most of things I ate (especially snacks…no chips…popcorn instead) for other healthy options. As for working out, sometimes I worked out 4 to 6 times a week and sometimes I didn’t get it in at all. Lol. Because of my playfulness, it took me about 5-6 months to go from 215 to 180. I fell off many times during my journey but I never quit. I just kept on getting back on the saddle and though I have reached my half way mark, I must say that my journey is still happening. I just want to encourage you beautiful ladies to never give up on you and to not be so hard on yourself. The thing above all that I think made my weight loss work was that I gave myself permission to be imperfect. I understand that I will fall off sometimes and that it’s ok to do so.  Just because I fall off doesn’t mean that I am not successful. Trust GOD AND YOU CANT FAIL ! Stay tune , its not over….THANK YOU 🙂 Bianca weight loss photos Bianca before and after
“

 

 

Michelle lost 163 pounds

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Before and After Transformation of the Day: Michelle lost 163 pounds, going from a size 28 to a size 12.  She took action by walking and changing her eating habits.  Eventually she found a helpful gym and weight loss plan that helped her lose the pounds.  Here are what she shared about her journey:

Michelle before and after photos

“Hello, I’d like to share my weight loss story with your page. I was 347 pounds and I currently weigh 184 pounds. I was told by my primary doctor, that I was healthy but overweight. I took time to think about this, and as time went on and I could accept that I was overweight. I decided that I was the only one that could really help me. I took the first step and located a trail near my place of residence. I started walking 1 mile a day for about 5 weeks. Then my husband began going with me. One morning he said, “Let’s challenge ourselves.” and we got started. Well, I went from walking 1 mile a day to 3 miles a day. Not long after, around 2 weeks later, he fell off. That’s when I spoke to myself and decided to challenge myself and keep going. I continued to walk 3 miles a day.  I also incorporated a little jogging, which in the beginning I thought I couldn’t do. I told myself, “I can so all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I pressed on. As time went on I jogged each day and I just didn’t feel as if my workout was any benefit to me if I didn’t jog.

In a little over a year, I lost 54 pounds by walking/jogging just 3 miles a day. I started looking for more than just weight loss, so I joined a gym here in Winter Haven Fl. called TigersWorld. This gym, the owner Mr. Berto, and the trainers forever changed my life. They taught me so much discipline. I thought I was eating healthy, but once I started at TigersWorld, they taught me what healthy eating really was. I did 1 hour cardio workouts at the gym. When I first started, I could only last for about 27 minutes of the 1 hour workout, but I made up in my mind that I would not quit.  I live by the word of God and again told myself “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengths me.” I endured and I continued to press. It wasn’t long before I was doing the whole 1 hour class and leaving the gym for a walk afterwards. I was bound and determined to live a healthy life.

Prior to joining TigersWorld, I looked for help from another local gym in the WinterHaven area, and a few of there trainers, said to me that they didn’t recommend me joining a gym.  They said that I first need to lose some weight. I thought to myself, “That’s what going to a gym and working out will help you do.” My question to them was what do you recommend? A lady trainer, weighing no more than 105lbs, said “They got a pill called…”. I halted her sentence, because prior to me trying to do it the right way I tried 3 different diet regiments. They were only temporary and I wanted to make a lifestyle change. The gentleman trainer that was there said, “Ma’am you gotta start somewhere.”  I chose to move on and start at another, more helpful gym.

In the beginning, I basically cut out sweets and cut back on my carbs, eating no bread at all. Changed from white rice to only brown rice, which I had 1 cup at a time and only two times a week.  I also cut out all fried foods. After I joined TigersWorld, I followed their eating plan, which was very strict. I ate fish 7 days a week, sometimes 2 times a day. No salt at all. I purchase several Mrs. Dash seasoning mixes and mix them together to have some type of seasoning to work with. I eat turkey from time to time and chicken breast. I also eat lots of green vegetables. In the morning when I wake up, I drink warm water with 2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice and have a bowl of instant oatmeal. I eat 5 small meals a day. For a snack, I’ll either have a piece of fruit, almonds, nuts or cashews. I eat salads, but I only eat dark greens. Most of the time, I eat my salad with a dry salad sprinkler on it with a little olive oil and no other dressings. I use olive oil to base my foods, no crisco. I only drink water, of course. I was never a big soda nor juice drinker. Also, I only eat dark fruits, as blueberries, cherries, strawberries, plums, kiwi, etc. and only fresh fruit. The canned fruit contains too much syrup and other additives, in my opinion.

I could write a book on my story, which I am in the process of doing. I went from a 26 to a size 12 and I’m not done YET. I have a passion for fitness.  My overall weight loss at this time is 163 pounds. My ideal goal would be that by June 2014 I will weigh 145-150 pounds. Blessings”

Michelle lost weight

 

Chaunte lost 72 pounds

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Chaunte lost 72 pounds and is no longer dealing with high blood pressure.  She went from 289 pounds to 217 pounds. Find out how she lost weight and improved her health:

“Hi my name is Chaunte Henderson and I am 27 years old. In January of this year my 31 year old sister died of a massive heart attack. I told my self I had to change. I weighed 289 pounds and had high blood pressure. I started walking around the neighborhood and I cut out fried foods, sodas, and sweets.. I wouldn’t eat after 830 at night and learned to control my portions. I did basic exercising, like walking in my neighborhood and Zumba classes twice a week. Today, I weigh 217 pounds and no longer suffer from high blood pressure!!! My advice to others is to stay encouraged and slow is steady. I wasn’t in a rush and the weight has stayed off.”

Chaunte before and after Chaunte weight loss