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weight loss journey

Myra lost 60 pounds with weight loss surgery, eating right and exercise

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Myra.  She lost 60 pounds with lab-band weight loss surgery.  Before the surgery, she started exercising and eating right to prepare.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hello my name is Myra, I started my weight loss journey in 2012. I decided I was tired of gaining weight rather than losing weight. After a lot of thought, I decided to have the lap-band weight loss surgery. To jumpstart the process while going through the insurance process, I decided to start my workout process and eating better! I lost weight during this process and then had the surgery!!! I’ve lost a combined total of 60lbs from eating better/working out/lap-band. I started at 270 pounds and I’m now weighing 210 pounds. I’m not where I want to be just yet, but I continue to work on more weight loss progress.  I’m no where near where I used to be!!!

I work out 5 days a week.  I do light weight lifting and cardio for an hour each day! As far as my diet, I’ve cut out eating a lot of carbs and starchy foods. My biggest downfall before I decided to change my life around, was eating one meal a day, of all fatty foods. So, I make it a habit having a light breakfast (fruit mainly), salad for lunch, and a healthy dinner, consisting of meat and vegetables! The lap band has really helped me with controlling my portions. I recently have started on the Paleo diet and that has been a great change in my diet.

Myra weight loss before & after

Latavia lost 150 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Latavia lost 150 pounds.  She went from a size 22 to a size 8/10 with Weight Watchers, seeing a nutritionist and working out 5 days a week or more.  Here is what she shared with us.

5 years ago, right before I graduated from college, Is when I began working out. I started by working out 3 days a week for a hour a day.  Gradually, I worked myself up to exercising 5 or more days a week for an hour a day. I joined Weight Watchers and started tracking everything I ate. Within a month I lost 10 pounds.  By the end of the first year I lost 100 pounds and I went from a size 22 to a size 14. In December 2012, I started seeing a nutritionist who helped me make better choices in terms of my eating habits. Since December, I have lost 50 pounds and currently wear a size 10 or 8. I have so much more energy, I feel healthier and I can shop anywhere I want!

Latavia weight loss story

Jasmen lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Jasmen lost 40 pounds by working out 4-5 days per week and eating 1200 calories per day.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi, my name is Jasmen and these are my before and after pictures and weight loss story. Before I changed my eating habits and started exercising, I weighed in at 191 pounds in January 2013. As of today, I have lost 40 pounds and can finally wear a bikini proudly. I have always been body conscious even at my lowest weight, which was 130 pounds, but not anymore. I feel better than ever! I now weigh 151 pounds and have about 10 more pounds to lose. I eat around 1200 calories per day and do lots of cardio and strength training, at least 4-5 days per week. Getting back to my high school size/weight was my motivation. I hope I can be someone else’s motivation!

Jasmen weight loss before and after

Lanea lost 54 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Lanea.  She lost 54 pounds going from 299 to 245 pounds by changing her eating habits and exercise.  She has a supportive spouse and wants to live a long life with her loved ones.  Here is what she shared with us:

I knew it was time for me start changing my life when I weighed myself and the scale read 299 lbs. I’ve never been small, but 299 pounds was unacceptable. I decided that my New Years resolution would be to lose weight and to stick with it. I wanted to be around to watch my son grow up, have more children and enjoy my life with my loved ones. Once the new year came, I cleaned out the fridge and started replacing foods with fresh fruit and vegetables. I started bringing my lunch to work, packing it with yogurt and eating fruit or Healthy Choice microwaveable meals-instead of processed lunch meat sandwiches and chips. I started replacing my snacks with 100 calorie snacks like granola bars and a lot of Special K products. Being that my job requires me to sit and take incoming calls, I started to incorporate walking more, and exercise videos available on on demand. Just recently, I started the apple cider vinegar detox regime, and honestly I’m feeling really good. At my largest size, I was wearing anywhere between a size 22-24 on pants. The first thing that I’ve purchased since I started my weight loss journey was the dress I’m wearing in my after shot and its a size 16! That last time I was in a size 16, I was in high school! So needless to say I’m very excited and even more motivated now to continue on this journey. My husband Nick has been my biggest supporter. He keeps me going on the days when I want to give in to bad food decisions. Even though he loved me when I was bigger. He has been my biggest fan and he makes me feel so good about my progress thus far. I’m weighing in at 245 pounds now and my ultimate goal is to get down to 160 lbs. I celebrate my 10 lbs milestones. Celebrating my 10lb milestones and keeping my overall goal in sight is what keeps my going!

Lanea weight loss before and after

Tenisha lost 50 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tenisha who lost 50 pounds by cutting out carbs.  Here is what she shared with us:

I lost 50 pounds cutting back on carbs.  I have tried everything in the world to lose weight and I finally found something that works. I have been counting carbs and I really haven’t had time to exercise because of school, work and maintaining a family! I just wanted to share my story with other busy women who want to be healthier but do not have time to exercise. My motivation: My health and my self esteem.  My weight loss journey has taken about six months.

Tenisha weight loss before and after

Ashley lost 50 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before & after: Ashley lost 50 pounds by eating clean, working out 5 to 6 times per week.  She now encourages others on facebook and instagram.  Here is what she shared with us:

Ashley weight loss storyI have been following this page all year and the before and after pics have helped me to stay on my path to better health. Thank you soooo much for your posts!! I wanted to share my before and after pics. The left pic is from 2011 & the right is now. I’ve been battling with my weight loss ever since I was 10 years old.  Finally, I’m putting an end to my obesity roller coaster. I started off doing at home videos because I couldn’t make it to the gym with my kids, nor could I afford a trainer. I lost weight by eating clean, (no processed foods & occasionally I would have cheat meals or cocktails), working out 5-6x a week and praying to God for continued strength. I do various challenges with myself every 6-8 weeks to shock my body and today I just finished the Insanity DVDs.  YAAAAY! Im so happy because insanity is literally INSANE!

For motivation, I joined My fitness pal last year to keep track of the quanity and types of food I eat. What motivated me the most was starting a instagram page. I started posting pictures of myself and it helped me to stay accountable and on track. I still have a good 30-35 lbs to lose & Ive learned that patience and consistency are key ! My goal is a size 6 jeans.

If others are interested in seeing my progress or more pics they can go to facebook.com/watchmemelt2.  I also run a contest on Instagram every 8 weeks to help motivate women & reach their overall goals.

God Bless!

Ashley weight loss before and after

Joyce lost 52 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Joyce.  This proud mom lost 52 pounds by eating right and working out regularly.  Currently, she is prepping to run a 5k obstacle course.  Here is what she shared with us:

I’ve lost 52 lbs by changing my eating habits and working out 3-4 times a week; 5 if I have a chance. I started out concentrating on tackling my eating because I knew that would be the hardest for me. I’m a true GRITS (Girl raised in the south)!  I lost 15 pounds alone just doing that. I moved on to Zumba for a few months which really built up my endurance.  Then I moved on to boot camp, which I now do now at least twice a week.

I was motivated by my toddler to change my life. He has WAY too much energy. I had him later in life (at 33) and wanted to be able to make the most of it.  That meant being able to run and play with him without gasping for every breath.  In May 2012, I was at my highest weight, 302 pounds. My doctor told my I was “toxic”. Today, I am at 250 pounds. I would like to get to under 200 pounds. It’s definitely been a battle. I have my good days and my bad days, but so does everyone and it’s okay!! I just remember tomorrow is a new day! I am currently now trying to get prepared for the Rugged Maniac 5k obstacle course; something I NEVER thought I could or would ever do. GOD is good!

Joyce weight loss

MrsTLovely lost 131 pounds with the Realize Band

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MrsTLovely wrote to us about her weight loss journey.  She lost 131.6 pounds with Realize Band weight loss surgery. Even though she had weight loss surgery, she credits her hard work, dedication to a lifestyle change, faith and perseverance as key to her weight loss.

Hi, I’ve lost 131.6 pounds to date. I used to weigh 378.8 pounds i now weigh 247.2 pounds. I had Realize Band weight loss surgery to help me with portion sizes on June 28th, 2011. However, I credit my weight loss more so to hard work, dedication, faith and perseverance. I work out 6-8 times per week. I started out by working out for 2-3 hours. Now, I exercise twice a day and I eat clean. I documented my full journey on Youtube.  I have inspired and motivated many to change their lives and have changed people’s minds in regards to weight loss surgery, especially the band.  The amount I have lost is far more then expected for the Realize Band.  The expectation was 60 pounds and I’ve lost 131 pounds.  I credit the change in lifestyle I’ve made. I have a facebook page where i share motivational words and recipes for effective weight loss.   Also, I am still active on youtube in hopes of helping as many  people as I can on their journeys as I’ve been doing for the last almost two years while chronicling mine.

MrsTLovely weight loss surgery

Stacey lost over 180 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Stacey lost over 180 pounds by exercising and calorie counting.  She started her weight loss journey at 384 pounds.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Stacey Yvonne and I started my journey back in 2005. I was working at Flowers Bakery and we were video taping each other and acting silly at work. I saw myself on that tape and had no idea I had gotten so large. No one ever warned me or said anything and I truly didn’t know! My highest weight to chart was 384 pounds. I have tried any and everything to lose weight. People are very judgmental, so some things I share and some I do not. The healthiest thing I ever did and the only thing that has helped me to keep the weight off is exercising and calorie counting. I got down to 187 but I currently weigh 202. I have a degree in fitness and exercise and I almost done with my personal training certification. I plan to get my degree in nutrition and business. Also, I hope to open a wellness center in the next seven years. I want to help everyone I can. If you need my help or motivation or if you just to follow me on my journey, I am Stacey Yvonne on Facebook.  You can like my fan page “KWU’s Health and Wellness” on Facebook. Instagram and Twitter: @ kwus_creator and YouTube: kwuscreator.

Stacey weight loss before and after

Emicia lost 160 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Emicia lost 160 pounds with gastric bypass weight loss surgery, changing her diet and by facing the reality of her health issues.  She started at 404 pounds and was deeply moved by a neighbor who tried to reach out to her about health concerns and obesity.  I truly appreciate her openness and transparency.  Here is what she shared with us:

I’ll never forget walking my neighbor Ms.Barbara to my door that day. As usual, we had a long conversation, but this time when I gave her a hug good-bye, she held on for a bit longer. When we parted, she was crying, which she *didn’t* do. I was concerned, and apparently, so was she. “Emicia”, she began, “I love you, but you have to do something about your weight. I suffer so much [due to my weight] and I don’t want you to suffer like I do”. I was confused. The confusion would be cleared up on my way to work one day when I ran into 2 policewomen in the hallway. Assuming someone was robbed, I asked what was wrong. They pointed into Ms.Barbara’s apartment, where she lay…dead. I broke down. But as cruel as it felt for God to allow me to witness that, the lightbulb finally went off. “I don’t want you to suffer like I do!” now had an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.

At that moment, there was no BBW rallying cry that could drown out reality. It wasn’t about being “big and beautiful”, or whether Lane Bryant also made cute clothing. I saw weight for what it really was, a life or death situation. Ms.Barbara’s death made me decide to chose life. I didn’t understand why stress made my body react so oddly. After watching both my [adoptive] parents die in hospitals, I could not bring myself to see a doctor. However, the week Ms.Barbara died, I gained 7lbs without any lifestyle change, which baffled me. That brought my weight up to an astonishing 404 pounds!!??!! I had to see a doctor. It took awhile of testing and exams to determine the cause, but I was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s, which explained the whole host of symptoms associated with my body attacking itself. One of the other symptoms, hypermenorrhea, had nearly killed me.

After being placed on medication, I found a nutritionist, a walking partner, and created a food journal. I also limited carb and sugar intake, ate more fresh vegetables and fish, and less beef and pork and I lost 30lbs. I needed to amplify my efforts and I wanted a tool that would give me portion control. On May 23, 2011, I had Gastric Bypass surgery. I’m not sure why it’s said to be the “easy way out” because it’s actually been quite difficult. I fought on, changed my diet, and continued walking. Now I stand here 2 years later and 160lbs lighter. I still have a way to go, but I’m on my way. I’m not sharing this to perpetuate the myth that big women are self-loathing, lazy or worthless. Quite the opposite!!! Many of the big women in my circle are the best mothers, grandmothers, everybody’s mothers, community leaders, businesswomen and worldchangers that I know. They’re the women who keep us healthy, so why not keep them healthy??? Ladies, I am on this journey with you and we will get there together. If you need any encouragement, advice or support, you know where to find me :o).

“I call heaven and earth to record this day … that I have set before you life and death … therefore choose life” -Deut 30:19

Emicia weight loss before and after