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Keya’s Emotional Weight Loss Story

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I had to share Keya‘s moving story that she posted to our Facebook page.  She didn’t note how much she lost (you can see it in the photos) but I think the details of her story are far more important and inspiring.  Here is what she shared (Update Oct 2013: See her updated photo and more info below the original post):

Many people don’t believe me when I tell them I got to 200 lbs. I was at a place of hopelessness and despair. My husband was in prison, I was raising 3 children as a single mother all while working 40+ hours a week and maintaining a 4.0 average in college. I had no time to take care of me and I had no time to love me.  All the love that I could muster each day was distributed evenly amongst my 3 children. A life of pain including suicide attempts, miscarriages, infidelity, not being wanted by your mother, finding out at 26 that your biological father is in fact your mother’s step dad and SO much more…was a building volcano waiting to erupt.  I am finally at a place where I am getting back to the basics! I found my voice and no longer allowed those things to hold me bondage. I use them to help others and that allowed the chains to break free.

We often time live life as though we are invincible, well, I had a mini stroke back in 2009.. It was one of the many times I had a brush with death and I just kept praying that God would help me to live because I was not ready to die. Finally, once again, I AM LIVING Y’ALL! Get your health right, you only got ONE life! I changed my eating habits and I workout with a trainer 4 times per week including electrifying cardio and Zumba classes. I also walk/run 5 miles on the 5th day. I hope to inspire someone, as I know what it feels like to have no inspiration or motivation in life.  I love y’all to PEACES! ♥~Keya

Keya weight loss pictures

Update – Keya has lost 40 pounds: “I just wanted to share a more updated picture, I’m still losing pounds and inches and wanted to reshare my story in hopes of helping another.”

Keya weight loss photos

Lindsey lost 140 pounds

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Update: Lindsey has lost a total of 140 pounds and her loose skin removal surgery is being chronicled on a new show, Skin Tight, on the TLC network. (Jan 27th at 10pm EST). More info on the show.

lindsey before and after

July 2013: Today’s weight loss before and after story: Vlogger Lindsey M. Adams lost 126 pounds.  She realized God’s healthy plan for her life, left an abusive relationship and learned to eat right and exercise with programs like Weight Watchers.  Here is what she shared bout her weight loss journey…

Lindsey weight loss storyLuke 1:37 “ For with God nothing shall be impossible “ That is the foundation that transformed a 5’5″, 307 pound women into a healthy, whole and fit 181 pound woman today. After 126 lbs. lost and still losing; God has been my number one source, provider, intercessor, healer and motivator. I started my Journey in July 2011, after the Lord spoke to my spiritual accountability partner about the enemy’s plan to kill me with morbid obesity. I wore a size 22/24 and weighed over 300 pounds. Most importantly I had low self- value and esteem and was in abusive relationships for over 8 years. I found myself being the “other woman” or the “side-line” piece because I tried replacing my feelings of rejection with male attention. Between July 2011 and October 2011, I lost 26 pounds by walking 1 hour on my local track for 3 days a week. In October 2011, I joined Weight Watchers and a nutritional program called “Body Breakthru”. As a member of these programs, I learned lifestyle changes and ways to face my weight loss challenges. I also joined LA Fitness and became an avid group fitness participant. Over a total of 15 months, I lost my first 100 lbs. Today, I am a size 10/12 and 181 pounds. I am excited to reach my goal and I continue to add variety and intensity to my workouts. I also work diligently to stop over eating and emotional eating, as well as to practice better portion control and honest calories tracking. I have been a motivational speaker for the Weight Watchers’ Jennifer Hudson Center in Chicago.  I am also an online personality creating videos about my weight loss journey on LindseymAdams.com.

weight loss success photos

Brittney lost 40 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Brittney who lost 40 pounds in the last year.  She started walking and then jogging.  She also started juicing and worked to change her eating habits. Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Hi! I’ve been really serious about losing weight for the last year. After getting married, having 4 beautiful children receiving my Master’s of Education degree, I had gained 80 pounds. I got to the point where I got tired of buying clothes and having to return them because they were too small. I felt smaller on the inside, but it didn’t reflect on the outside? After setting my mind on being a better, healthier me I started to walk 3 miles, 3-4 times a week. Within 6 months, I started jogging a little, but increased my total workout to 4 miles. In the last 3 months, I have started jogging 3 miles and walking 1 of those miles. I even broke my treadmill from using it so much.

I have  cut back on my portion intake.  Instead of eating my entire meal when we dine out, I save half for lunch the next day or I choose healthier options of the menu. I juice regularly, drink a gallon of water a day and take full advantage of a fresh fruit salad everyday. I even participate in BWLW monthly exercise challenges. I have successfully lost 40+ pounds and I am working toward the next 40! Thank you for the motivation and encouragement.

Brittney weight loss pictures

Pebbles lost 54 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Pebbles lost 54 pounds.  Her weight loss and fitness journey was featured on the Dr. Oz Show (Dec 2012).  Now, she teaches others about mental as well as physical fitness.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi, I’m Pebbles Armwood.  I am just a regular woman who at times gets busy, overwhelmed, and engulfed in everyday life. Around this time last year, I weighted 234 pounds and my doctor told me I was borderline diabetic. I knew at that very moment that I needed a change in my life. It’s one thing to be born with a health condition, because you’re not in control of that. However, to allow myself to become sick from something that I have control over is different. At any cost, if I can avoid, stop, and prevent any type of disease that’s what I will do. I knew that exercising was a must, so I had fun doing different fitness routines. I used dancing, walking, weight training, intervals, group workouts, etc. The key is that I had fun with my mental, emotional, and physical fitness. It took me 10 months to lose over 54 pounds.  Today, I am 180 pounds and still working on it. My message is simple, “It’s about mental fitness.. the physical part will follow.” I believe perception is reality which can make things hard, impossible, and unachievable for ourselves. Once I stopped playing the victim role, the sky was limitless. I soon realized that losing weight was a lifestyle change and not a fad. It’s all about small easy steps that will create big change. I had no idea losing weight would turn into purpose. I was a guest on The “Dr. Oz” Show after sharing my story. I now help others reach their goals thorough my blog, radio interviews, and one on one sessions. I also inform people about juicing for health. I now have a business called Pebbles Armwood Presents Mental Fitness. I do speaking events sharing my 3 Easy Steps To Mental Fitness.

“I love to dance, so I would go to the gym just do a lot of cardio because there was a lot of fat I needed to burn,” Armwood said. “I did cardio, I did elliptical, I did intervals, I did weight lifting. I love lifting weights. I could probably bench-press more than a lot of men. I would dance at home. I would go running, I would go jogging. I would do my own little made-up boot camp. Armwood also made changes to her diet, working in more parsley and lemongrass green tea into her diet, and into smoothies each morning before hitting the gym, both tips she learned from the show.” – Patch.com

Pebbles weight loss story

Chavone lost 37 pounds

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Chavone wrote to us to share her 37 pound weight loss success story.  She started in January 2013 and has lost weight by changing her diet and working out 4-5 times per week.  Let’s show her some love.  Here is what she shared:

My names is Chavone. I’ve gone from 186 pounds to 149 pounds, losing 37lbs. My weight transformation began January 21, 2013. My motivation was family. At that time, my grandmother recently had a triple bypass surgery and never quite recovered. I don’t want to be unhealthy. I cut all red meat out of my diet. I made the decision to not eat any sugar and to only drink water. Cleaning up my eating habits and getting healthy has been a great decision. I workout 4 to 5 times a week.  I do really high impact cardio and weight training for 45 minutes per day.

Chavone weight loss before and after

Sylvia lost 56 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Sylvia lost 56 pounds using My Fitness Pal as a calorie counter, running, aerobics and strength training.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Sylvia and I am from Atlanta, GA.  I have struggled with my weight for years. But during graduate school I was stressed and in an unhealthy relationship which started the weight gain spiral.  In 2009, my mother passed away and I lived across the country from my family. Needless to say getting and staying motivated was tough.

I had the goal of losing weight for years but this year something finally clicked. I weigh in every week and post my results on a door that I walk by everyday. I also created a “thinspiration” wall of quotes, pictures and weight count down chart; essentially its a vision board. I use the My Fitness Pal app to track my food and a calendar to track my workouts. In addition, once a month I post my weight loss progress on Facebook.  For me, all of these tools together have helped with my accountability.

Eating habits – I use a calorie counter (My Fitness Pal). I try to stick to a 1500 calorie diet. A food scale, measuring cups, sandwich and snack bags are your best friends. You will be amazed at what a “true portion” once you start using them. I did try juicing (one meal) for two weeks until I got to a point where I liked fruits and vegetables. I don’t believe in restricting foods because it makes you binge. Everything in moderation.

Exercise – I started running in 2010 but I became a runner in 2011. I joined Black Girls Run-Atlanta and they helped me train for races. I started with a 5k, got hooked, and now I run half marathons. I also like cardio kickboxing and step classes. Additionally, I lift weights at the gym. If you really want to see results, lift heavy weights and read body building articles. Strength training is what truly changes the shape of your body.

In 2009, I was 240 pounds. Now, I weigh 184 pound. A 56 pound weight loss over the course of four years. I try to encourage people not to worry about how long it takes. Just know that with time and hard work, you will achieve your goals.

Sylvia weight loss success

Jennifer lost 51 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight Love to Jennifer.  She has lost 51 pounds since April 2nd of this year and is striving to lose 49 pounds more!!  Here is what she shared with us: “I’d like to share my story.  I’ve lost 51 pounds since April 2, 2013.  How did I do it?  Just by stopping drinking soda, cutting out sweets and with an intense exercise regiment.  I also eat clean. I went from 386 pounds to 335 pounds.  My goal is to lose another 49 pounds and maintain my new lifestyle. My motivation was when my doctor told me that I could not have another child due to my weight.”

Jennifer weight loss before and after

Samentha lost 40 pounds

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Let’s show Samentha some love for achieving a loss of 40 pounds by changing her eating habits with Weight Watchers and working out regularly.  Here is what she shared with us:

My decision to lose weight was the best thing I could’ve made for myself. I gained self confidence, self respect, and learned to love and embrace myself all over again.

I have 2 children with Autism.  Accommodating my life and dedicating all of my time to them caused me to neglect myself. What I finally came to realize was, neglecting myself was just as bad as neglecting the kids. My son and daughter needed me at my best. So, I joined Weight Watchers in July 2012. I lost 30 pounds in the first 3 months. In July 2012, I was 204 lbs. Today, I am proud to say that I am 164 pounds and still losing!

I workout outdoors at least 4 times a week. My routine is mostly running and using weighted jump ropes. I also use free weights at home to tone my arms and squats to work my lower body; especially my buns

It was hard sometimes sticking to my regimen and sometimes I’ve lacked motivation and became discouraged. My friends and family are my backbone. I told EVERYONE I could about my goal. They all helped keep me accountable for my choices and actions concerning my health and lifestyle. I have learned that it does take a village.

I finally feel beautiful and liberated. Hopefully my story can help liberate others. Be happy and be healthy.

Samentha weight loss story

Kim lost 190 pounds

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Today’s weight loss before and after story: Kim lost 190 pounds. She sent us the details of her weight loss plan, tips on eating right and her meal plans.  She shared with us in great detail.  Here is what she had to say:

My name is Kim Archie.  I’m 43 years old, and I currently reside in Sumter, SC. I was overweight for the last past 7 years. My weight started effecting my health in 2009. I began to feel really tired and in a lot of pain. I went to see my family physician and he did a blood work up along with a lot of other tests. One test in particular was a Sed Rate (Erthrocyte Sedimentation Rate).  This is a test that determines inflammation in the body. My Sed Rate was extremely high and my physician referred me to a Rheumatoid doctor. It wasn’t Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in both knees. He prescribed me to take over counter supplements like Glucosamine, fish oil pills for my heart, and Aleve for arthritis. Since I was overweight, the arthritis was eating up cartilage around the bones in my knees. In other words, I needed to get the weight off so I could keep the cartilage around my bones. By 2011-2012 the arthritis had gotten worse. I developed shortness of breath really bad, I couldn’t stand or walk far due to the pain. My good cholesterol level was going bad which was leading up to all kinds of problems. The pain was so intense I couldn’t sleep at night if I would turn over it felt as if I was in a car wreck. I wanted to do gastric bypass my physician was like “absolutely not”. In May 2012, I was tired of being tired. June 11, 2012, I went to GOD in prayer and ask him to guide me along the way with my journey to lose weight.

My starting weight was 378 pounds and I needed to change my life. There was no turning back.  I was on a mission. The first week wasn’t even as hard as I thought it was going to be. The second week, I wanted to incorporate walking. My neighborhood is as large as a track and I made the initiative to try to start walking. It was so hard, but I made my first mile and came in rested and went back out and did it again. I walked one mile in morning and one mile in afternoon. I built my walking up as my body could tolerate it.  Now, I do 5 miles in morning and 5 in afternoon. By November 2012, I had lost a 100 pounds.  Then, I incorporated the gym. I planned my own menu’s and I stuck with it. I dodged a bullet. I’m not diabetic and I don’t have any health issues. My body is free from pain and inflammation because I’ve overcome with my weight lost and continuing to eat right. I have lost a total of 190 pounds. I’m currently working on 10 more pounds and I will be maintaining my weight loss instead of dieting. I made a guide so many people were in boxing me for my guide and help (below). There’s no turning back I’m moving forward to life coaching others with weight issues.

Kim weight loss before and after What I’ve had success with (Let add no surgery, no diet pills here’s my plan) – Make sure to get your BMI before you start and how many calories you need to intake****THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT****

• Remember to start with Prayer
• Commit to starting this journey
• Believe in yourself
• Write in a journal your start weight, your goal weight, your process, and what you plan to do once you have reached your goal.
• Everyday won’t be a good day but hang in and find that inner strength to continue.
• As you make progress you will want to do more.
• Find the right group of foods that work for you
• Remember there’s NO MAGIC PILL!!!!

*******GOING COLD TURKEY*******
Here are the steps that made me successful with my
Weight loss….
1. I cut off all sugar (SWEETS), breads, pastas, fried foods
2. Stopped eating red meats
3. Eating 5 portioned meals a day
4. Drinking only water over 80 ounces a day
5. Nothing to eat after 6:30-7:00pm at the latest
6. Drinking a glass of water before meals stops you from over-eating.
7. 2 to 4 cups of leafy veggies a day
8. LET THE SODAS GO BYE-BYE
9. The meats I’m eating are Fish (Tilapia), chicken (skinless breast), tuna, and salmon.

BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

Next, I’m listing what I ate and have had great results….
Veggies
1. Spinach
2. Green beans
3. Green leaf or Romaine lettuce
4. Broccoli
5. Brussels sprout
6. Collard greens
7. Tomatoes
8. Carrots
9. Purple onions
10. Cucumbers
11. Green bell pepper and colored bell peppers
12. Celery

Fruits
1. Watermelon
2. Blueberries
3. Strawberries
4. White grapes
5. Green apples
6. Pears
7. Bananas

Nuts
1. Almonds
2. Pistachios

Yogurts
1. Yoplait light my two favorite flavors are ( blueberry patch and red velvet cake)
2. McDonalds yogurt parfaits

Protein Shakes
Dole makes a protein shake in three different flavors.  My favorite is mixed berry you can use any juice but I only use MINUTE MADE (50% less the sugar)  Pour it up to the mark, place top back on and shake for 30 seconds and drink.

Other Tips:
Planters has a new nutritional peanut energy mix in three different flavors. I place it on apples, bananas and celery it’s really filling.

I add Oscar Myers bacon bits to my salad, it’s the best for dieting; I use Wishbone ranch dressing low fat dressings make me sick. I only use a little to flavor salad. I also use a little cheese
SAMPLE MENU OF MY DAY

BREAKFAST at 8:30am or 9:00am
• Cup of sliced watermelon
• Banana with peanut butter recommended 2tbsps
• 1 cup of Yoplait yogurt
• 20 oz’s of water or more
• I change the yogurt out to protein shake too
• Find what works best for you……

MID-MORNING SNACK at 11:00am
• ¼ cup of pistachios or almonds
• ½ of a apple or ½ cup of grapes
• Or 1 Kellogg’s red berry bar
• 20 oz’s of water or more

LUNCH at 1:00pm or 1:30pm
• 1 can of green beans washed and heated
• With sautéed tilapia or boneless chicken breast on side
• Or a bowel of vegetable soup…
• 20 oz’s of water or more

AFTERNOON SNACK at 3:00pm or 3:30pm
• ½ cup of blueberries and ½ cup of strawberries
• Or celery sticks(4-5) and ½ cup of baby carrots
• 20 oz’s of water or more

LAST MEAL OF THE DAY
• Salad with green leaf of romaine lettuce, spinach, green bell peppers, purple onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and 2 boiled eggs, strawberries, white grapes, OF COURSE I MAKE A BIG CONTAINER FULL.
• Also I top with less than ¼ of cheese and a few of Oscar Myers bacon bits the best for a diet.
• I use wishbone regular ranch just enough to flavor my salad low fat dressings make me throw up its called portion control….
• I normally sauté me two small pieces of tilapia or boneless chicken breast colorful bell peppers.
• OR I could make me a spinach or multi-grain flat wrap with green leaf lettuce of romaine, spinach, purple onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, little sprinkle of cheese, and small sprinkle of bacon bits, sautéed chicken breast(diced up), and little ranch dressing and roll it up it’s really good
• Or a protein shake
• 20 oz’s of water or more
****I used virgin olive oil to marinate my fish and chicken and Pam olive oil spray to place in my skillet to sauté tilapia (fish) or boneless chicken breast and bell peppers

LADIES YOU GOTTA EXERCISE DON’T OVER DO WHAT YOUR BODY CAN TOLERATE…….I STARTED WALKING ONLY 2 MILES A DAY ONE IN MORNING AND ONE IN AFTERNOON AS MY BODY COULD TOLERATE MORE I PICKED UP THE PACE. I CAN DO 5 OR MORE IN MORNING AND AFTERNOON. I INCORPORATED THE GYM AFTER LOSING OVER A 100 POUNDS. I’M STILL LOSING WILL START TONING IN MAY 2013……JUST SOME TIPS TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE YOU ALL I STARTED AT 378 POUNDS SO YOU ALL CAN DO IT I’M HERE FOR YOU!!!

How Do You Know How Many Calories You Need to Eat to Lose Weight?

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How much to eat to lose weightNo matter how many different ways people try to lose weight – from drinking gallons of ice water to wrapping themselves in plastic wrap – success comes down to two factors: calories consumed and calories burned. In order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than your body uses each day to shave off a little bit of weight each week.  Sure, there are other factors like your health, exercise, etc, but when it comes to food…this is the KEY!  It’s not rocket science. In fact, the concept is quite simple. However, individuals have different calorie requirements, which can make it tricky to figure out your magic number for weight loss.

Step 1 – How to Calculate Calories for Weight Loss

One way to figure out how many calories you need to consume for successful weight loss, use the Percent Rule. Figure out how many calories you currently consume each day – be honest. Use a site like Calorie King or My Fitness Pal and look up the calorie counts.  Take that number and multiply it by 10% – 20% to find out how many calories to shave from your diet daily (the percentage would depend on your needs). For example, if you consume 1,800 calories a day and you use 20%, you would need to eat 360 fewer calories each day or 1,440 fewer calories per week.

You need to know your calorie maintenance number (how many calories are keeping you at your current weight) and your calorie deficit goal (your maintenance number – 20%). If you keep eating the amount of calories that it takes to maintain your weight…how will you lose weight?

As you lose weight, you can re-adjust this number because the maintenance number will be smaller.   Slowly you can reduce or change your calorie intake. I suggest you adjust for every 5-10 pounds of weight loss as well as goals like muscle gain.

There are 3,500 calories in each pound of fat, meaning you must lose 3,500 through exercise or cutting calories in order to lose a pound. As you can see from the above equation, it’s very difficult to lose a pound a week through diet alone. For this reason, a combination of diet and exercise works best.

“Why a Percentage Based Deficit Makes The Most Sense”
This table info is quoted from acaloriecounter.com
Sample Calorie Maintenance Levels 20% Caloric Deficit
2000 calories per day 400 calories below maintenance.
(1600 calories per day)
3000 calories per day 600 calories below maintenance.
(2400 calories per day)
4000 calories per day 800 calories below maintenance.
(3200 calories per day)

There are other methods of determining who much you should eat per day, like counting macros or Weight Watchers’ point system, but starting with calories is the easiest for most people.

Step 2 – Don’t forget Carbs, Fats and Protein

For better results, you should also have a goal in mind in terms of carbs, fats and protein.  You may also want to think about how many sugar or fiber carbs you eat as well.  Here are some sites with calculators that can help you make some decisions.
www.freedieting.com
www.myfitnesspal.com
www.sparkpeople.com

Examples of nutrient splits: these are just examples…
Very Common: 30-50% carbs 25-35% protein 25-35% fat
High carb: 50% carbs 35% protein 15% fat
Low Carb: 20% carbs 35% fat 45% protein
High Fat Low Carb/Keto: 15% carb 55% fat 30% protein

How Many Calories for Weight Maintenance?

Let’s say you’ve already met your weight-loss goal or you merely want to change your lifestyle and eating habits in order to prevent future weight gain. How many calories should you eat? While there are numerous complicated calculators and formulas that will help you arrive at the perfect number of calories for weight maintenance, it’s impossible for a mathematic equation to factor in all of your individual traits and factors that affect the amount of calories you need to consume. The best way to find your maintenance number is to pay attention and track your calories (food journal). Strive to eat the same amount of calories each day and weigh yourself each week. If the number on the scale changes, adjust your calories accordingly.  Be honest with yourself.  If you are willing to own up to cheat meals and off the mark eating, your will easily see how eating badly can affect you being able to maintain weight loss.

Calories: How Low Is Too Low? 

If you eat too few calories, you metabolic processes could slow down, resulting in a sluggish or slow metabolism and less energy.  Most adult women should never consume fewer than 1,100 calories per day, unless they are under a doctor’s care. Even 1200 is too few calories for many people, especially if they are exercising. Doing so can wreak havoc on your body and will result in significant weight gain once you lift the caloric restriction.

To lose weight, focus on consuming fewer calories than your body burns and eating a balanced diet. You can do this through a combination of eating fewer calories and increasing your activity level in an effort to burn more calories. Pay attention to what you are eating so that you’re not getting all carbs and no protein or all protein and no healthy fats. Be smart about any changes you make and talk with you doctor and/or a nutritionist to make sure that your choices are truly healthy. Don’t make huge, sudden drastic changes and huge cuts to the amount of food you’re eating in an effort to starve off the pounds. Balance is key to healthy and successful weight loss.