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Tanya lost 76 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Tanya lost 76 pounds and kept her curves.  She details for us her lifelong weight loss struggle and talks in detail about what it took for her to lose weight.  Here is her story:

Tanya weight loss story

“My starting weight was 319 pounds, my current weight is 243 pounds. My goal weight is 180 and below. I want to be a 9/10 but if need be squeeze into an 8 (honesty)!!! LOL

I can start this story from a lot of places so I will just let it flow. I have been overweight majority of all my life as far as I can remember. I was the shapeliest girl in grade school. I say shapeliest because my curves at that age were developed before I grew into them. In high school, my weight wasn’t my concern. As I got into my adult years when I would visit my family in Jamaica the first question they would ask me was “How did you get so big” like they didn’t know that food was the problem. I tried everything you can think of to lose weight; Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Jenny Craig!!! You name it and I was on that on that bandwagon. I can honestly say I was comfortable enough in my body to waste my money on all those things.

I have had a couple breaking points but I took none of them seriously! One stands out in particular though. I was at an amusement park and wanted to sit next to the people I came with on a rollercoater. I couldn’t because the row of seats didn’t have the “big” seat.This hurt but nonetheless I kept the same eating habits and never changed a thing.

Fast forward to present. I started January 1st of this year. I began going to the gym six days a week. I got really serious around the time I began waist training and I chose the easiest thing to do. I waited until the Lenten season and gave up rice and juice and red meat for 40 days. That how my weight really came off aside from waist training and exercising.
I was turning 30 and just wanted to “look different “. I wanted to cross off some of the “I have nevers” off my list!! Like I have never worn a two-piece. I could have but I chose not too. I also didn’t want to get diabetes and high blood pressure. Those are things I can prevent so that’s what I am doing. I have vain reasons why I want to lose weight also. I LOVE MY CURVES! Plain and simple! My current measurements are 36-32-51. My goal is 36-26-51! I have hips, butt, and breasts, all these things that people pay for I was given! Now, why would I want to hide all that with fat in my body? Cause let’s face it, I was plan ole fat! Not anymore though!! I am on a continuous journey to get to my goal size and weight.

Tanya before and afterAs I lose weight I really believe I can help others do the same. The two most important things I can tell you is to 1. NEVER give up and 2. Lose weight for no one but yourself. There is no right nor wrong way to do this. It’s not a diet, its a lifestyle change. If you need to incorporate supplements do it! Do what works for you. I do herbalife because sometimes I don’t feel like eating and I also wear a corset to help define the hourglass waist I have.

You can follow me on instagram at Seductively_Fabulous or shoot me an email at info@seductivelyfabulous.com and I will help you as best as I can. My aim is to help others who feel they are on this road alone and have no help! We can do this together!!!”

Tyneisha lost 41 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Instagram diva Tyneisha lost 41 pounds off of her 5 foot frame with Weight Watchers and by embracing regular exercise after years of yo-y0 dieting and trying different plans. Here is what she shared with us about her transformation:

Tyneisha weight loss

“Hello, my name is Tyneisha (Ty) and my instagram name is @tantalizing_ty. I am 24 years old and I’ve lost 41 pounds since Feb of this year. My motivation to lose weight for good this time came from seeing my family members struggle with their health because of their weight. All of my grandparents and several aunts and uncles had or have diabetes and take blood pressure medication. Both of my parents have also had weight loss surgery within the past few years and have been trying to change their lifestyle for the better.

I changed my eating habits by joining Weight Watchers. I track my points, drink my 90 to 120 ozs of water a day and try to limit my carbs. I typically workout 4 to 5 days a week taking classes like Step Abs, Zumba and Kickboxing. My starting weight was 238 pounds and currently I am 197 pounds. My transformation has taken about 11 months and I am hardly finished yet.

My advice for others is to never give up, take a deep breath and keep pushing love. This is my third time on Weight Watchers and have yoyo dieted for the last 6 years. This time however I was determined that nothing was going to stop me and that this would be a lifestyle change. I also would advise others to be patient. Everyone’s body is different and therefore so will their weight loss journey.”

 

Valerie lost 57 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story of the day:  Instagram diva and proud mom Valerie (aka @fabchickgetsfit) wrote in to share with us how she lost 57 pounds.  She sought out a weight loss plan that worked for her and began her journey to her wellness goals.  Here is what she had to say:

Valerie weight loss story

What was your motivation?

“Christmas 2012 I saw some pictures of myself from my 30th birthday 2 months before and was in shock. I knew I had tried so many times before to lose weight but this time was different. I was 30, obese, a workaholic and I needed to do something for myself. I no longer wanted to be the fat one in my friends, wearing a 22 and a 2/3x. So losing 100lbs was my goal.

When I reached 50lbs down around July, I decided losing 100lbs was no longer good enough for me. So I decided to take the next year to focus on competing. I WILL compete next August in the bikini division.”

How did you change your eating habits?
“I did lots of research and I eat 99% clean. I started prepping my meals on Sunday. I had a structured meal plan made for me by my online coach that I follow. For me, I was ok with eating the same thing every week. Structured plans work best for me.”

What did your workout routines look like?
“Lots of heavy lifting and consistent cardio. The cardio had to make my heart rate go up but I didn’t want to be on a treadmill for an hour. So I do HIIT and I love the stairmaster. I also enjoy no traditional cardio like tire flips and rope turns. So, I do cardio 4-5x a week and I lift 2 muscle groups a day, 5x a week.”

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
“My starting weight was 265 pounds in January. Currently I am 208 pounds.”

How long did your transformation take?
“11 months.”

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?
“Research and consistency are most important to me. What works for one person might not work for another so next would be to learn your body. I don’t like being on a treadmill for an hour so I had to learn my body and figure out what I love to get the same results. Really take the time to research foods and use an online tool to log your food daily. You will be really surprised at the end of the day with how well you did when you are holding yourself accountable by what you put in your mouth.”

Valerie fabchickgetsfit

4 Reasons Why High Protein Diets Work

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It is hard to keep track of the latest diet trends. Every year there seems to be a new diet fad that promises fast weight loss with minimal effort, although some of the diets require more effort in their preparation than just finding the time to run a marathon every day. Your weight loss plan should never feel like a 2nd job.  However, one type of simplified diet plan that has remained popular is the high protein diet (also known as a high protein/very low carb diet). High protein diets have a lot of scientific proof of why they work and they are often recommended by physicians to help their patients lose weight. Here are 4 reasons why high protein diets work and why they might be the answer for you.

Reason #1 – Ketone Creation

high protein dietThe human body runs on glucose and there are two main furnaces that consume our glucose stores. The first is the body and the second is the brain. Surprisingly, the brain consumes over 80% of our fuel supply. This is why you can think yourself into exhaustion, working your brain will cause your body to manufacture as much glucose as possible to keep the brain in good supply. Our body structure is designed to create glucose from the carbohydrates that we consume. If we lower our carbohydrate consumption, then the body will eventually run out of that source and turn to our fuel reserves, the fat stored in the body. To consume the fat, the body creates something called ‘ketones’ which are fat transformed into a form that the glucose furnaces can use as fuel. A high protein diet promotes ketone creation which in turn allows for the faster consumption of fat stores which leads to weight loss.

Reason #2 – Protein helps endurance

One of the most popular myths about protein is that you need it for muscle growth. While you do need some protein for muscle growth, you don’t need that much and protein packing with shakes and bars isn’t going to turn you into Charles Atlas. What protein does help with is endurance. This can help you to keep going longer when you exercise and protein helps your muscles to pull in everything that they need for a good recovery. It is recommended that you have 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight that you have, not your target weight, but your current weight. Your protein needs will change as your work out, diet and redefine your weight index. Something to pay attention to is the type of protein you are consuming. It is not hard to add protein to your diet, but should you choose to use shakes, mixes or supplement bars – make sure the rest of the ingredients don’t undo the next main reason for why high protein diets work.

Reason #3 – Cleaner fuel

One of the hidden benefits of going on a high protein diet is it tends to remove refined and processed food from your diet. There are not that many high protein products, although there are more than there have been in the past, that would also qualify as “junk food.” When you adopt a high protein diet, you tend to also radically decrease foods that are high in sugars and empty calories. Protein is found in meats, fish, tofu, Seitan and many of the green vegetables; all food that is easier to buy and prepare than it is to purchase prepared. The added bonus is that because high protein diets tend to have more fresh meats and vegetables, they have less salts, sugars and preservatives which benefits blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Reason #4 – It’s easier to stick to a high protein diet

One of the reasons that high protein diets work better than others is that it is easier to stick to them. The types of foods emphasized in these diets are readily available, even on a fast food menu. There are no specialty stores or items needed to keep to a high protein diet. There is also much less special behavior to be learned and practiced as well. This ease in meeting your diet restrictions makes it easier to stick to the diet. Unlike other diets which may reduce your social activity because their restrictions may require you to bring your own meals to the table – high protein diets can be kept in any social circumstance without anyone around you knowing you are dieting.

Juhanna lost 60 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Juhanna lost 60 pounds and gained muscles.  She was motivated by a weight loss challenge at her job.  Now she motivates her loved ones and others to get healthy.  Here is more info on her weight loss journey:

“Hello My name is Juhanna (iamjuhanna on instagram). I have been on my weight loss/fitness journey since August 2012.

On December 4th 2009, I had my daughter. I went from a size 8 to 16/18. By the end of my pregnancy, I weighed 193 pounds. So, I decided to lose weight. I went down to 186 within a month but I wasn’t really motivated to lose anymore until last year.

There was a weightloss challenge at my job and I decided to join in with others to lose weight. When I started the challenge I was 186. By the end of the challenge I was 155. I felt so empowered. I was working out 5 days a week, counting my calories and drinking mostly water. I decided then that I would continue this healthy lifestyle. I set a goal of 135 and a under goal weight of 128. I am now 126 and I’m  working out 3-5 days a week with weight training to tone up and running. I still count my calories and drink mostly water.

I did Zumba on Xbox and Leslie Sansone “Walk Your Belly Flat” the first 5 months to drop weight (3-5 days a week, 45 minutes to an hour a day). Once I saw skin hanging, I started doing every old school workout that you can do in your own home. I don’t have a gym membership (love them, but expensive). Squats with weights, lunges with weights, planks, pushups, tricep dips, shoulder presses, tricep pull backs, reverse flys and wall sits. A lot of challenges with these exercises are on my instagram page. I follow Fit4life Sisters which motivated me a lot. I watch portion control with my eating, as well as cut out a lot of fried foods (my weakness). I cook only baked, boiled, steamed or sauteed at home. Only drink water and teas.

I have become a motivator to the love ones around me that it is possible and there aren’t any excuses but the ones you make. Diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and heart problems run strong in my family. I made the commitment last year to end that cycle. No excuses. So, make the choice today to live a healthy lifestyle.”

juhanna weight loss story

Karynthia lost 67 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Proud mom of 3 Karynthia lost 67 pounds this year.  She did it with the support of her boys and by creating a weight loss plan that works for her.  She shared with us in depth about what it took to lose the weight:

Karynthia weight loss

“Hi my name is Karynthia Irvin. I’m a 32 year old mom of 3. On March 18, 2013, I weighed in at 281lbs. I decided that yet again I would try and diet. I had tried this diet thing so many times before. Like a relationship, it was on again off again. But this time it was finally it!! This time it would be a lifestyle change instead of a diet. So, it began. I started simple, nothing major, just took away sodas and flavored drinks. Which was pretty easy since I wasn’t big on sodas. Then I had to slowly and gradually bring my sweet tooth food down completely. Yes, I had a melt down at one point. So, I decided not to deprive myself of things I loved to eat. In the past I tried cutting back cold turkey. Not such a good idea. It forced me to eat more because I was trying to satisfy my cravings for what I really wanted. Now I have limited my intake using portion control. I substitute my sweet tooth snacks with fruits, 100 calorie packs, and various light health snacks. Junk food? As a mother of 3 yes, I guess I can say that my pantry is junk food heaven. However, I have learned that if I don’t buy it I won’t eat it. Of course my boys weren’t trying to understand my method. So, I decided that my urges and temptations would settle.

Meal planning? Boy, was that a journey. What I learned was that it didn’t have to be as complicated as everyone made it seem. Dieting is very costly. And with a family, it’s hard to cook separate meals, even so to be tempted with food. So, I still cook my usual foods, just give and take on ingredients and cooking methods and substituting certain foods that I normally would not eat. And of coarse eating way smaller portions than normal. See, this keeps me from falling back or I guess for a lack of better words keep me from relapsing. I can finally say it works for me, so why stop doing what works.

Karynthia weight loss storyExercise/workout? Yes, yes, most certainly one of my biggest challenges yet. I remember when working out was a “feel like” sort of thing. If I felt like doing it then I did. And if I didn’t feel like it, well lets just say I was on the bandwagon of “not” feeling like it often. I think my biggest challenge was not enough motivation and encouragement. Sometimes you get people on board with you and when they give up, your speed falls right behind them. So, I guess when I realized that others were not as serious as I was, I had to take another approach. Now I have to workout alone and push myself to go the exta mile. I had to finally say that I can do it, even if it was alone. Through it all I must say I maintained pretty well. I workout mostly 4-5 days/wk, sometimes twice a day. I started out low intensity. Never really going overboard. Just some walking here and there. Then picked up some Zumba and workout DVDs. While on youtube searching for workouts, I came across one of Keaira Lashae’s dance workout, which I must say the bulk of my workouts consisted of team lashae!! Hey, it was good enough for me. I started to add various routines in my own daily workouts. I also started implimenting jogging into my walking time. Yes, jogging!! After many years of dieting and exercise I can never say that I even came close to a sprint. Not even power walking. So for me to jog, was a very big accomplishment to me. Also, I’m adding additional workouts and routines to make it more challenging and push me just a little bit harder.

Motivation and encouragement? Well, as I stated before, there was little motivation from others. I must say if anyone motivated me, it was most definitely my 3 boys. No one encouraged and motivated me as much as them. Even watching me and getting involved made me turn it up a notch. I have my own personal cheer team. They kept me on my toes and never fell short of reminding me that it was time to workout, or if something was healthy or unhealthy. I didn’t need a personal trainer nor a nutritionist. I had 3 of the best in the business. For every new level of accomplishments, they would say, “Yay! Good job mommy!”. When I thought I couldn’t do it they assured me, “Mommy, you can do it!”. That pushed me a little bit harder. I know that without them, this journey would have been quite unsuccessful. I have learned to push pass my boundaries and go pass my comfort zones. I am so blessed to have come such a long way. I have now transformed my life and I’m on a journey to a healthier better me. Now, weighing over 60lbs lighter I can say I may not be perfect, but this new lifestyle is perfect for me. And yes, I put in the work. No diet pills/fads, no surgeries, and no fly by night weight loss quickies. I am still a work in progress and I will continue this journey one step at time. I pray that my journey is a blessing to someone and that it encourages others to keep pushing. May your journey be successful and remember prayer is key to from start to finish. I may not be where I want to be, but I am definitely not where I use to be. From 281 pounds to 214 pounds!!”

Kaynthia weight loss photos

Lyndsi lost 104 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Proud mom Lyndsi lost 104 pounds the old fashioned way, by reducing her calories and working out.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Lyndsi weight loss photo

“Hello, My name is Lyndsi Steel. I’m mixed, black and white. I’ve lost 104 pounds all naturally, just by eating 1200-1500 calories a day, drinking 8 bottles of water, and working out 6 days a week. Also, I cut out  red meat.

Motivation: My motivation is my kids and my mamma.  My mother died from diabetes and high blood pressure! I didnt want to be next and leave my kids on this earth without me.

Changing my eating habits: I only ate 1200-1500 calories a day! No red meat, just chicken and fish. Portion control played a big roll!! Nothing drank nothing but bottles of water all day and ate lots of green leaft veggies. I eat breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack and dinner. I trained my body to eat at certain times; 7am breakfast, 10am snack, 12 noon lunch, 3pm snack, 6:30 super and nothing after 7:00 pm.

My Workouts: I love to dance so i did Hip Hop abs and Zumba mainly. I work out for at least an hour a day, if not more, monday-saturday.

Weight: My starting weight was 320 pounds and my current weight is 216 pounds.

How long did it take?: 1 year. I was loosing 4-6 pounds a week at first than it slowed up.

My advice to others:  I advise people to keep on keeping on. Even if you have a rough day start fresh the next day. Allow yourself at least one cheat day. No matter how much you move, every little bit helps. When I first started I could only do 15-20 minute of a workout dvd!!  Also, look nice while you are working out.  Reward yourself with a new hot workout outfit!”

Donesha lost 81 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Donesha lost 81 pounds.  She has shared a great amount of detail about her weight loss journey and talks about how family illness impacted her decision to get healthy.  Her is what she had to say:

Donesha weight loss photos

My name is Donesha Bolden and I am a 33 year old educator in Atlanta, Georgia. I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and later moved to Alabama where I finished high school. I attended Alabama State University for 1 &1/2 years and later transferred to Troy University (Dothan Campus) where I graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education.

I relocated to North Carolina and started my first teaching job. I was very comfortable living in North Carolina until my mother was diagnosed with cancer and was given a time frame to live. At the time I was attending North Carolina Central University working on my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction so I would travel over 600 miles back and forth to help my family care for my mother.

Life was hard but I was making the best of a bad situation. I had joined the local YMCA and started taking part in Zumba and high impact aerobic classes. I started gradually losing weight. I was weighing 220 pounds and I had gotten down to 190 pounds. Nutrition was not a part of my workout plan at the time and I was just kind of going through the motions. My plans were to finish school and move to Atlanta so that I could be closer to my mother but she didn’t live long enough for that to happen.

A year after my mother passed I made the move to Atlanta without a job or any prospects. I was living with my aunt in Alabama and spending nights with my best friend in Atlanta when I was able to search for a job. I was away from the gym all summer and didn’t take notice to the fact that I was gaining all of the weight I had worked so hard to get rid of. I would eat out most of the time because I wasn’t in one place long enough to try to prepare a meal. Life had gotten to me and it was getting the best of my health.

School had started in Atlanta and I still didn’t have a job but that didn’t stop me. I had a nephew to care for so there was no such thing as quitting! I had been raising Nehemiah since he was 5 years old. A week after school started I was asked to interview for a job in Bankhead and I was hired. At that point I was weighing 215 pounds and so much into fashion that I didn’t see my weight climbing out of control. I would dress for my size and never really paid much attention to how out of shape I was until my nephew wanted me to be active with him outside and I struggled with that task. I was wearing 5 inch heels daily to work and later had severe knee and back problems.

At the age of 37 my cousin was found dead in her bed one morning by her 3 children and two days later my grandfather lost his battle with prostate cancer. It was a year later that my aunt found out that her daughter had died from hypertension. When I was working on my undergraduate degree my uncle fell dead in church of a heart attack. Last year my cousin age 36 started her battle with breast cancer and WON but my aunt lost her battle to lung cancer. Several of my aunts have diabetes and or high blood pressure as well as my younger sister and at that point I decided that enough was enough!

My coworker placed a flyer in my box that gave educators a special on joining her sister Tissilli Rogers IFBB Pro Boot Camp and that was the turning point of my life. I was located in Decatur at the time but I worked all day in Atlanta, drove home, cared for my nephew and then drove back to Atlanta to train with Tiss. My nephew was my motivation and support because he would attend all of the workout sessions with me weekly. I was HALFWAY determined to lose the weight but I was not fully committed to the lifestyle.

I was attending the workouts but I was not changing my lifestyle outside of the gym as Tiss had suggested. I would lose 3 pounds here and 5 pounds there but it wasn’t consistent. Thinking about the illnesses that had attacked my family and wanting to be around to raise my nephew I started to get serious about training with Tiss. In October 2011 I allowed Tiss to take the most embarrassing photos of me and place me on her detox. I felt bad when I saw the photos of how I looked when she was assessing me and knew that it was time to “Train 4 My LIFE!”

I gave Tiss 110% inside the gym and decided to start doing insanity outside of the gym. I completed the insanity 60 day program & worked with Tiss at the same time and I lost 30 pounds. I was really feeling great about myself but I had set a goal of 160 pounds and I wasn’t there just yet. Tiss set a weight goal of 150 for me, ten pounds lighter than my goal.

There were days that I wanted to give up but I focused on why I started and that kept me going. The only piece I was missing was the nutrition and I was stubborn and didn’t want to change my diet at all. I was working overtime on my cardio and I was getting results but I knew that if I wanted real results I had to change the way I was eating. I learned the hard way that you can’t out exercise a bad diet. I started following meal plans designed by Tiss especially for me and I started to see RESULTS!! My family as well as my coworkers was excited about my accomplishments.

I was still focused on the goal that I had set for myself so I kept working. In November of 2012 I reached my goal of 160 pounds & on March 6, 2013 I achieved my trainer’s goal for me of 150 pounds. Today I am 139 pounds and enjoying LIFE!! I have honestly never felt better and I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything in the world.

My newfound love is running and I look forward to participating in local races soon. I work out every morning Mon-Fri at 5:30 am, after work on Mon, Wed & Fri on my own. I train with Tiss’s Show Ready group on Tue/Thur. I am trying new healthy dishes every day and working to eat clean 90% of the time.

I truly LOVE working out & I love encouraging others though my Facebook & Instagram: @training4mylife People have really connected with me through instagram and want to know how I can help them start their journey. Obesity is a deadly disease on the rise and if I can prevent it by sharing my journey then I do that proudly. I don’t have time to exercise I MAKE time to exercise. It’s a pleasure to see people write me & say that I inspired them to make that healthy change! I figure this is just the beginning and I’m ready for the things to come. I hope my story inspires someone & encourages them to stay on track!

Kieba lost 42 pounds in 7 months

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Kieba.  She wrote in to let us know how she lost 42 pounds in 7 months time.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

“I lost 42 pounds in 7 months. My wake up call was looking in the mirror and seeing someone I hated after eating Wendy’s and Popeye’s in the same day. I lost all confidence and sex appeal.  2 years after the birth of my daughter I couldn’t say “I just had a baby” anymore. I was sick of being overweight and not being able to wear certain things. I got too dependent on girdles and was watching myself getting bigger and bigger. I decided to make a change.  I began working out at the gym 3 times a week, doing cardio machines for 1 hr and strength/weight training for a toner body for 30 minutes.  I also started eating healthier and using portion control (that is the key).  I would eat 3 boiled egg whites with 2 slices of baked turkey bacon for breakfast.  Fruits are a must all day; grapes,apples, plums, banana, etc I still eat what I love but in smaller controlled portions and I eat 3 main meals a day with snacks in between.

I now go to the gym 5 times a week and continue my eating routine. It is definitely a journey which takes discipline and dedication but it will all pay off in the end. I still have 10-15 pounds to go to have my dream body but I will continue to work hard until I reach my goal. I started at 215 pounds and now I’m 173 pounds.”

Keiba weight loss photo

 

Catrice lost over 120 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story: Catrice lost over 120 pounds and now she helps other to reach their fitness and weight loss goals.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss story:

catrice weight loss photos

“Catrice’s weight battle began at the early part of life and continued until her teenage years. Food was and has always been a very intricate part of her upbringing and overall culture. Although growing up in a community where diversity was a part of everyday life, Catrice still managed to adopt the culture of overindulging in food due to lack of knowledge and resources in her home.

Celebrations that most Americans participate in became excuses for family and friends to over indulge in unhealthy and fatty foods. With a mixture of family celebrations, birthday parties get together and church functions, the pounds packed on, and the self-esteem and self-confidence and Catrice’s overall self-identity declined. The battle of weight loss began during the early teenage years, the on again off again workouts and the desperate challenge of attempting to lose weight became the norm. After high school and no success of weight loss in sight, Catrice often found herself giving into temptation and the pounds packed on in a major way.

Like most overweight individuals, Catrice attempted different ways to lose weight; some methods that she used would be considered life threatening by health professionals past and present day. As a teenager, Catrice did everything from borderline starvation, utilizing women’s laxatives from the dollar store to even bulimia. From time to time, a workout was thrown in by wearing sweats and a trash bag to sweat the fat off of her body; “this method will surely work because effort was put in to this workout” she often hoped. It seemed like all hope was diminished as she found herself embracing her new found size and weight. At the age of 17, Catrice graduated from High School and weighed 235 pounds. Soon Catrice found herself drinking, partying, smoking cigarettes and over indulging in extremely fatty foods. Because of the area that she hung out in, the newly legal young lady found herself in a bottomless pit of being well overweight and dangerously depressed. The pounds packed on.

Her need for a positive change was apparent in her behavior and was needed to even save her life. While working as a supervisor of an Assisted Living Community, one of Catrice’s co-workers suggested that she attend a local gym with her before work one day. Fascinated of the idea, Catrice obliged only to hit the scale to discover that her weight went from a manageable 238 to a whopping 310. Depressed at the mere thought of this weight, Catrice began to join and attend the gym a few days a week and change her diet (Which would be the biggest challenge of them all). By tackling this task she would have to change her diet, count calories and adopt a new workout routine; all of this is was completely new for her because of never playing any sports in school.  Her initial goal; lose 15 pounds.  Catrice stuck with her workouts, eating schedule and regimen and in the first few months of working out she lost 20 pounds. Present day, Catrice has lost over 120 pounds! Catrice has become your average Gym Rat with no plans of stopping in sight. In addition, she is the Founder and CEO of The Fitness Matchmaker and the Weekend Workout Mentoring Program, this program assist newcomers of the fitness & weight loss scene to feel free and comfortable about the weight loss process. Catrice prides herself on being a enthusiasts of fitness and one who enjoys seeing others achieved their desired fitness goals.

With her network of fitness professionals, gym affiliates and amazing personal trainers, Catrice is dedicated to assisting those who are looking for the perfect “Fitness match” for you! The Weekend Workout Mentoring Program also is a grassroots program that encourages one to get started in the process,  empowers those who are determined to stick with it and uplift those who may have fallen away to get back on track. Catrice works as an avid fitness enthusiast in and outside of her  gym to assist newcomers to weight loss in staying focused on their desired fitness endeavors and not to lose sight even if they don’t see tangible weight loss within their desired time frame.

Although she has lost over 120 pounds, Catrice is currently working on losing additional weight and building lean muscle. Look out for progression pictures in the future!!!”

Email: Fitnessmatchmaker@gmail.com

Website: http://fitnessmatchmaker.wix.com/fitnessmatchmaker