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Update: Zoleka is now down 152 pounds

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Update: Zoleka lost 27 more pounds for a total of 152 lbs Gone!  Check out her update and then check out the original post about her story for more information on how she lost the weight.

Zoleka weight loss
152 pounds gone

“Hello! I would like to give you an update! I have lost an additional 27 pounds making my total weight loss 152 lbs! I adjusted my meal plan to replacing 2 meals a day with juicing/smoothies and the 3rd meal meatless 4 days a week. The other 3 days of 3rd meals being fish or chicken, plenty of water, and greek yogurt, dried cranberries, cherries and almonds as snacks. I also adjusted my workout plan to 5 days a week cardio/weight training with 3 of those days adding an extra evening cardio session.   The additional weight loss was also part of a 60 day challenge I set up for me and a couple of friends of mine. We committed to various monthly challenges for ourselves. I’ve also been using a supplement called ALOHA!

zoleka weight loss story
125 pounds down

Nataka lost 44 pounds

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Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Nataka has lost 44.5 pounds since the beginning of the year.  She was inspired by fitness and weight loss instagramers.  Counting macros and lifting heavy helped her to lose the weight.  Here is what she shared with us:

nataka
January 1, 2014 – July 31,2014

Hi, my name is Nataka. I am 36 years old and I’ve lost 44.5 pounds since the start of 2014.  My motivation came from following fitness pages on Instagram (@skipfitness, @taifitness, @anowaadjah, and @easybeingfat). Also, at our annual Christmas party last year I looked at a picture of myself and realized how much weight I had gained.  Holding my stomach made absolutely no difference in the picture.

My initial goal was to lose 20 lbs. I accomplished that goal. Then, I set another goal to get into a size 12 pants and I accomplished this one as well. I started following @skipfitness on Instagram last year around Thanksgiving. I ordered his nutritional and workout videos. The nutritional video really explained why I wasn’t losing weight no matter what I’d tried. He easily breaks down how to read food labels and how to count macros. The workout videos encouraged me to get my first gym membership. I had every excuse not to join a gym. His video told me exactly which machines to use.

I stopped eating fast food for lunch at work. I used to eat out everyday. I ordered Skip’s wife’s (BeBe) meal plan.  It was a four week plan that showed me how to count macros (carbs, fats, and proteins). Now, I measure all of my meals out. I eat 5 meals a day instead of two like I was doing before starting this journey.  I eat more vegetables (mostly as a snack). The biggest change is I stopped drinking sodas (sometimes 4-5 a day), juice, and alcohol.  I now drink at least a gallon of water a day.

My workout routine focuses mainly on lower body because I wanted to shape and tone my legs and thighs.  I started lifting weights at the gym.  In Skip’s workout video he says don’t be afraid to lift heavy.  I love the leg press, leg curls, squats, and leg lifts.  I just started doing cardio.  For the first six months, I lifted only. No cardio. Upper body workouts are my weak point.  I have been working on that as well, but just not nearly as much as lower body.   For days when I can not make it to the gym I have several workout videos that I complete at home.  My favorite at home video is Anowa’s full body curve down and powerhouse physiques.

My starting weight was 233 lbs.  My current weight is 188.5 lbs (5’9″). I really do not have a goal weight right now.  I just want to be healthy.   My advice to others wanting to lose weight is not to give up. Even if you have a bad day, the key is consistency. You didn’t gain it in a day, you won’t lose it all in a day.

Instagram: @Na_ta_ka

nataka before and after

In the picture, the first and third are my before pics. I was so embarrassed by the way I looked. The 2nd and 4th pictures were taken in July 2014. I am no longer embarrassed and I’m proud to post those pics.  My birthday was last month and I fell off track but I have quickly picked myself up and I’ve gotten back on track. It has not been easy but I keep on pushing.

Paula lost 110 pounds

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Success Story of the Day: Paula lost 110 pounds. She lost the weight and has kept it off for a few years with consistent exercise, portion control and low carb eating.  Check out the details that she shared with us about her journey.

Paula weight loss story

I’ve lost 110 lbs (5’5″), going from a size 18/2X down to a size 4/XS. I started working out of 1-2 hours Mon-Fri and completely changed my eating habits, using diets here and there strictly as motivation. I’m 27 years old, but I started my journey as a Junior in college in 2009. It took me almost a year to lose the weight and so far I’ve managed to keep it off. I don’t have any kids and was heavy my entire life. I just finally got serious about my life.

The advice I would give to others is to look at it as a lifestyle change and not a diet. Also, what works for me is to simply eat more protein and less of everything else! I have better portion control now and I eat on smaller plates to make me visually feel as if I’m eating a large meal.When I feel hungry, I first drink 2 glasses of water and if I’m still hungry, then I’ll eat. This is a way I “test” myself to see if I’m truly hungry, or not. I did try several diets, and some worked…but I only did that as motivation because seeing the scale move made me feel accomplished!! I also would get rid of the clothes that were too big, because saving them was really a way of saying that one day I would gain the weight back and wear them again. Diet wise, I did SlimFast, Atkins, Weight Watchers and the Grapefruit Diet just to name a few.

Currently, I mainly watch my portions and I eat 5 small meals per day. I also don’t deprive myself when I have a craving. If I’m craving cookies, for example, I will grab a few (1-3) and break it into small pieces. Usually after eating a few pieces, I feel bad for eating unhealthy and I won’t even finish them. I’m a big snacker, so I snack on healthier foods like cheese strings, almonds, fresh fruit and etc.

Protein can cause you to gain weight, if you aren’t cutting back on everything else. Sometimes, I replace an entire meal with a protein shake. I use a medical grade protein made by Unjury because it has less sugar, calories and carbs. My breakfast is normally all protein (eggs and a breakfast meat). My lunch and dinner are normally about 6oz of a lean meat, 2 green leafy vegetables and if I have room I’ll have a starch. I don’t count carbs/calories but if an item has a sugar free or low sodium version, I’ll get it because that normally means less carbs/calories.

I used to do at least 5 days at the gym with 1 hour of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairclimber, Zumba, hip hop dance etc) and 1 hour of weights. With the weights, I’ll do squats, arm curls, leg press, chest press, and etc. I now try to workout 5  days a week for 30-45 min (cardio and weights still) because I don’t want to keep losing weight.

My Instagram name is @ReeziRee. I never show my old photos because it’s a hard reminder of a place I never want to revisit.  However, I just posted my picture on Instagram because I was inspired by someone you follow. Thanks for sharing my story and I hope to inspire more black women.

Paula before and after

Deborah lost 80 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Delta Sigma Theta soror Deborah lost 80 pounds since January.  Her weight loss coach, Wiltrina Jones (who has lost over 205 pounds), encouraged her to send in her story.  This single mom of 3 went from a size 3XL shirt to a small and from size 24 pants down to size 10.  Here is what she shared about her journey:

Deb weight loss story single mom

My name is Deborah Harvin. I’ve lost 80.9 pounds and I’m on my way to my goal of 100 lbs, GONE. I began my journey 1/24/14, weighing 280, wearing a 3XXL SHIRT, 24 tight pants. Today,  I am wearing a juniors small shirt and size 10 pants. I reached half my original size in 7 months.  I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Not physically sick but tired, run down and lethargic. As a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, I attended our Centennial Celebration in D.C, and I was uncomfortable at many of the events because of my size and limited choices in fashionable clothes. I’ve carried this extra weight over 25+ years and it got worse after each child, life event, etc.  However, I have no illnesses associated with being obese and I realized that was my blessing, but I needed to keep it that way for me and my children. I’ve been a single mother of three for nine years, I operate my own business, and have tried over the years EVERYTHING to lose weight. I’ve seemingly been on a perpetual diet.

I stumbled across Wiltrina Jones: I Use To Be U on FB  and watched her and her clients for about a year. My thinking was, “Wow, she looks like me, is shaped like me, she did it. It’s possible.”.  Well, on January 24, 2014, I finally decided to try her plans. In July 2014, I won $1000 in her 12 week body transformation contest.  Having customized meal plans has given me my life back. I eat real food that I buy, cook and enjoy. No shakes, pills, etc. I have learned how to meal prep, use portion control, understanding my body’s signals. I changed my eating habits by eating clean, measuring my food, no processed food, such as chips, fast food, ice cream, deserts.  I eat fish, chicken, ground turkey, fresh veggies, brown rice, all baked, no fried foods.

I work out 4-5 days a week and began going to the gym about a month into my journey. Once there, I immediately began lifting weights as I was fearful of having loose skin and my Coach always says, ‘Keep the weights in your hands’. My exercise routines also include walking, boot camps, jump roping, weighted ropes and the treadmill. No matter what method you use, discipline, prayer, hard work, sweat, a few tears, and focus have to be part of the journey. If I can do it, I believe anyone can, but you have to get out of your own way!

Instagram: @debduncanharvin

Deb before and after

Starr lost 68 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Starr lost 68 pounds by eating clean and working out regularly.  After a terrible car accident and loss of her brother, she didn’t know if she’d be able to accomplish many of her goals, but she’s put the pieces back together. She is a survivor! Here is what she shared with us…
starrsept14blog

I’m 33 years old. My journey started in January 2014 and I have lost 68 pounds. My lifestyle change continues…

What was your motivation?
My motivation was to accomplish the things that I thought I would never be able to accomplish due to the fact I was in a car accident in 2002. Were was hit head on by a drunk driver. The accident killed my brother and I broke everything but on my right side from my neck all the way down.

What inspired you?
It’s not what inspired me, its who inspired me; my two cousins from Saint Louis Missouri. They have always being my inspiration. Lady Eriqua & Kor’Ree Manson

How did you change your eating habits?
I changed my eating habits by eating more clean foods.  I don’t eat beef or pork. I also don’t eat rice, potatoes or pasta. Bread I only have 2 times a week. I only drink water and I started eating more fish, vegetables and fruits.

What did your workout routines look like?
I workout 6 days a week.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
My starting weight was 268 pounds. My current weight is 200 pounds. My height is 5’5″.

How long did your transformation take?
I have been working out since Jan of 2014.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
My advice is that it’s not easy but it’s worth it. Just imagine yourself 6 months from now and you’ll be motivated.

Instagram:  @Star_Struckent_

starr weight loss

Lesson 6: What I See in the Mirror

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mirror lesson weight lossLesson #6: Today’s weight loss lesson is super simple, but also very powerful. You will need a mirror for this challenge, preferably a full length mirror (use what you have if you don’t have a long one).  You’ll also need pen and paper.

Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5

Stand in front of your mirror and look at yourself for at least 60 seconds.  Take up to 3 minutes to really stare at what you see and take it all in.  Don’t censor your thoughts, just let the assumptions, thoughts and emotions flow.  Don’t judge what you are thinking or feeling.

Part 1 – Write down the answers to these questions. Write whatever comes to mind and is your truth.  No judgement.

  1. When I look at my face I feel ________, because ________.
  2. When I look at my body I feel ________, because ________.
  3. When I consider the shape of my body I feel _________, because________.
  4. I think that my body is _____________. (use 1-3 words to complete this sentence)

Part 2 – Consider what you like and don’t like about your body.  Write down 5 things you like and up to 5 things you would like to change.

Part 3 –  Ask yourself whether the things you would like to change realistic and why or why not?  I want you to have a dialogue with yourself about the reasons you want or need to change.  Are you being truthful.  Are you being hurtful to yourself.  Can you actually accept some of the things you want to change as good or unique.

Part 4 – How do you feel now?  Do you feel down and deflated?  Do you feel enlightened? Do you feel motivated?  Do you feel proud of yourself?  Do you feel healthy?  It is time to review your answers and decide on your next action.

  • Think about how you would like to feel about your body?
  • If you are feeling down about the way you look, you have to decide what the true source of those feelings are?  Did someone tell you that you’re too fat or not attractive, or is that feeling coming from you.  If you don’t like things about the way you look, and it’ can’t be changed how will you find happiness.
  • If you are happy with the way you look but know you could be healthier, what are your next steps?  What actions are you willing to take?
  • What positive action can you take today?  If you love your body, take actions that will make it healthier and keep it healthy.  If you want to change some things, start brainstorming about the actions you can take.

We have to be real with ourselves about how we feel about our bodies.  Our body is our temple and we have to show it love.  Love may be positive change.  Love may be accepting that you will not be a size 2.  Love may be leaving alcohol, soda and fast food alone.  Love could be walking for 20 minutes a day or training for a marathon. You have to find out what love is for you. 

Lanisha lost 40 pounds

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Success Story of the Day: Lanisha lost 40 pounds.  Like many in our community, she had high blood pressure and was put on medication for hypertension.  She decided to take action and change her lifestyle to lose weight and get healthy.  Here is what she shared about her journey:

Lanisha before and after photos

My motivation to lose weight was for health reasons. My doctor advised me to lose weight because of hypertension (high blood pressure). He put me on medication and I hated taking them everyday. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started to make healthier decisions instead of impulse eating. I was an emotional eater. Instead of chips, soda and fast food, I substituted those things for water, fruits and veggies. I honestly put myself on a restricted calorie diet. In the beginning of my weight loss journey ate 1000 calories a day. Then after I started to see results, I decided to up my calorie intake and began tracking it using My Fitness Pal so I could maintain my weight loss success.  Then I started to add walking and bicycling Monday thru Friday. While I was walking, I started to add a light jog. Jogging became my stress relief.

My transformation took about 8 months. I started at weight size of 190 pounds and I’m currently 150 pounds (My height is 5’4″). I would tell others to not think about dieting but about lifestyle change. I changed the way I live. I still eat some snacks when cravings kick in, but only in moderation. I live an active life that also keeps my weight balanced. In addition, I take my vitamins and eat small meals throughout the day. Losing weight is more about determination then anything else. If I commit to something I give it a 100% or nothing at all. Thanks for reading my story.

Instagram: @neegreen.

Marissa lost 76 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Marissa lost 76 pounds in 9 months. She credits the My Fitness Pal app as a major part of her success and encourages others to find people to partner with on this weight loss journey for encouragement.  Here is what she shared about how she lost the pounds…

Marissa before and after

My name is Marissa Preston. I’ve lost 76 pounds in 9 months by eating all natural, healthy food, using My Fitness Pal and working out. I have reached my weight loss goal, but I continue to eat healthy and workout as a lifestyle!

My motivations are my husband and two sons who are 2 and 7 years old. What also motivated me was the fact that I was 214 lbs and I didn’t even weigh that much when I was pregnant. I started my weight loss journey in November 2013 at 214 lbs and I am currently 136 lbs (height: 5’3″). I use an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal where I count my calories and track my exercise. My Fitness Pal calculates my calorie intake based on my height, age, weight, and personal profile. I watch my carbs, cutting out white breads, white rice, pasta and potatoes. I also don’t drink any sodas.  I’m watching my sugar intake, which means cutting out candy, cookies, etc. Drinking 10-12 cups of water a day has helped as well. Most importantly, I eat 4-6 small meals a day.  Exercise wise, I workout about 4 times a week and when I first began my weight loss journey I did a lot of cardio to get the weight off. Now, I’m trying to transition into doing more weight lifting and toning.

The advice that I give my to any one who is trying to lose weight is to find foods that are healthy but also taste good and are enjoyable. You can still go out to dinner because a lot of restaurants now have lighter menu choices. Also, get a workout partner, who could be your  husband, friend, co worker or child. You can also join a fitness group. Having a partner will make your workout easier. Don’t get discourage if every week when you weigh in you don’t lose weight, because there may be weeks when you don’t lose any weight.  I also suggest that you give My Fitness Pal a try. It’s very user friendly and you can add friends on the app so that you will be able to see your friend’s food diary, which can help you with your food choices.

Monique lost 80 pounds

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Success Story of the Day: Monique lost 80 pounds.  After years of dieting and bad eating habits, she decided that she wanted to prove those who doubted her wrong.  However, along the way her motivation turned inward and her journey became all about her feeling good and being healthy. Here is what she had to say…

Monique before and after

Instagram: @thatssomoe
Youtube: Thatssomoe

My name is Monique, and my journey started in 2012 at 280 pounds! My whole life, I was a heavy girl, so I really just came to the conclusion I would always be that way. I would try little diets and I knew how to workout, but my bad eating habits would always ruin my progress. One day I was talking to my then Ex-boyfriend about how I really wanted to go on a diet and change my life. He just said “You always say that. You’ve been on 20 diets already, just let it go”. While I don’t really think he knew how those words affected me! The journey started off trying to prove everyone wrong who had ever written me off, especially him, but a month into things it became more about me. It became more about how I was feeling and treating my body like a temple!

Cardio really helped drastically drop the weight. Once I got to a certain weight I incorporated weights to tone!

When I first started out I kept a strict protein/veggie/fruit diet. I also drank lots of water. No fried foods and no salt in order to lower my blood pressure because it was high! I did not eat very many starches! For snacks, I ate a variety of nuts, protein bars, and dried fruits if I wanted something similar to candy. I really just had my mind made up about eating better. I knew had to get a control on things before they got worse, and I believe that’s how I stayed faithful to my diet! When I started working out I focused on cardio and that really helped drastically drop the weight.. Brisk walking helped build my endurance. Once I was able to run I would do interval training, walk for 2 min run for 1 min. That’s what helped with dropping the weight all over! Now to tone I still do interval training, but now I also weight train.

I’ve lost 80 lbs so far (Height 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches”)!I would tell anyone who is about to embark on a journey, have your mind set and made up! You will not change your body until you have changed your mind! Of course I’ve detoured on my journey a bit but I’m not giving up!

Monique weight loss story

Tiffani lost 54 pounds

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Update Oct 2016 – Tiffani has maintained her love of fitness and her weight loss for 2 years.

tiffani before and after“Since my last submission a few things have changed. I’m so excited to share them with you! I am now a certified personal trainer and healthy living coach. I’ve competed in 5 Bikini Competitions. In my most recent competition, I placed 2nd overall. I’ve also managed to get my body fat % down to 14%. The thing that changed the most is that I am now vegan/pescatarian. I say “pescatarian” because I only eat seafood and “vegan” because I don’t consume any eggs or dairy products. I love the difference my new lifestyle change has made in my life! And I can’t want to share my next progress picture with you all.”

tiffani

September 2014 – Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Tiffani lost 54 pounds.  This strong petite diva gained 60 pounds during pregnancy and shared with us what she had to do to get rid of the pounds.  She recently competed in her first bikini competition in Aug and  wants to now be in the fitness business.

Tiffani before and after

In June 2012, I had my son. I gained 60lbs during my pregnancy. After having my 9 lbs 1 oz son via c-section, my body was stretched everywhere and I was still carrying a lot of fat. I am 5´4 and I weighed 170 lbs after delivery. I participated in my first 5k race the month after I had my son and I loved it! From there, I started training for my first full marathon. I started walking a lot more and running a little. I lost a little weight but I was still far from where I wanted to be. In February 2013, I ran/walked the full marathon (26 miles). After completing the marathon I felt like I could do anything and so I decided to change my lifestyle completely.

I started eating more often and smaller portions. I downloaded the my fitness pal app and started watching my daily calories. I began doing Zumba class and running much more. I got down to 148 pounds. In June 2013, I lost my grandmother and all discipline went out the window. I began eating and drinking everything in sight. I got back up to 156 lbs. On August 28, 2013, I decided enough is enough! I was ready to change my life and health for good! I started prepping my meals for the week so that I never got hungry enough to eat badly. I went back to using my fitness pal to track my caloric intake versus how many calories I burn exercising. I met lots of people who were on the same path as I am who could keep me accountable and I could do the same for them. This helped a lot!!

I stopped eating red meat and almost all processed foods (no white anything i.e. bread, pasta, rice, etc). I also cut high calorie drinks from my diet. No Starbucks, no soda, no sugary juices. I started drinking at least a gallon of water a day, 100% fruit juices, or black coffee with almond milk instead of cream and no sugar. I began working out between 5-7 days a week. I would do at least an hour of cardio before weight training. After every workout, I would consume a high protein meal or shake to help feed my muscles. I got a workout partner who wouldn’t allow me to show weakness or give up. In May 2014, I started training for my first bikini competition. My diet became much more strict, I had to train much harder, and I had to use much more discipline when it came to how often I ate and the portion size. The day of my competition on August 23, 2014 I weighed 116lbs and I took 4th place! I’ve never been more proud of my determination and drive to complete such a hard task! In the process of just trying to “lose some weight” I fell madly in love with fitness! I’ve changed my major from nursing to physical therapy, I have started the process to starting my own health, fitness, and nutrition company. I’m also training to become a personal trainer!

Instagram: @MISSTNT_FLYYNFITT

Tiffani weight loss story