Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for weight loss

weight loss

Lisa lost 59 pounds

by 6 Comments

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Lisa lost 59 pounds with programs like the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program and Weight Watchers.  She also embraced walking and jogging.  Read about how she lost the pounds and beat a diagnosis of pre-diabetes:

Lisa weight loss story

“The company I work for started a wellness program in March of 2012, which included wearing a pedometer and tracking your daily steps, as well as submitting blood work to check your glucose and cholesterol levels. I began the wellness program weighing in at 234 pounds. I was “moving”, but not losing, which was kind of discouraging. My blood work showed that I was in the pre-diabetes stage. My insurance company United Healthcare started sending me information on the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. I joined the 16 week Program on July 11, 2012. This program is offered nationwide and United Healthcare paid the enrollment fee. I weighed in at 226 pounds and I’m happy to report that I lost a total of 26 pounds and I am no longer pre-diabetic. Unfortunately, once the program ended in October 2012, I saw the scale creeping back up, and I gained 3 pounds. So, decided to join Weight Watchers in December 2012 to help me continue to lose and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I weighed 203.6 pounds at that time and my company joined another wellness program Virgin HealthMiles in January 2013. I have lost a total of 59 lbs. since March 2012, I currently weigh 175 pounds.

I have so much more energy, I hate that it has taken me 20+ years to “finally get it”. I was never a morning person, but now I’m proud to say I rise six days a week at 5:30 a.m. to meet my best friend Melinda Cheshier for an hour of walking. We even walk a nice casual stroll over lunch. I have even started jogging, using the app C25K (Couch to 5K). I am just beside myself and there is more for me to accomplish. I’m 3000 health miles from entering the final stage of the Virgin HealthMiles program. You earn cash for each stage (there are five stages). I’m in the lead of all my co-workers (there’s 23 on staff). It should normally take a person a year to complete all five stages, but I’m almost there in 9 months. My office nominated me in the Westin Hotel’s “Better Monday’s Wellness Program and I won. I was the first recipient for this new program. The Westin staff presented me with some cool prizes: I won a new pair of New Balance tennis shoes, a nice back pack, a Better Monday’s t-shirt and an overnight stay in a King Plaza Suite, which includes valet parking and breakfast at Shula’s Steakhouse.

Folks are constantly asking me “what are you doing”? My response is “ACTIVITY”, the key to better living is to become active and control your portions. If you watch what you eat and try to move most days of the week, you are on your way to better living and a healthy lifestyle. I have even gotten my husband exercising and eating healthy. He has lost 20 pounds; he’s walking at work on breaks and is now wearing a pedometer. He’s all set up with his own pedometer and IPod. When I see him accomplishing 12,000+ steps a day, it does my heart good.

I’m spreading the word everywhere I go on how getting up and moving does the body good. I wouldn’t walk a block before and haven’t ran since I was in my teens, now you CAN’T STOP ME!!!  Thank you so much for listening to my story

Aquonette lost 48 pounds

by 2 Comments

Let’s show some love to Aquonette.  She lost 48 pounds, going from a size 22 to a size 14.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Aquonette weight loss

What was your motivation? 

My names is Aquonette, for the last 20 years I’ve struggled with being overweight and the medical problems associated with obesity. After my third blood pressure tablet was added and I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, I knew it was time to make a change. For years my doctor told me that by changing my diet and adding exercise I could possibly come off some of the medication, improve my overall health and other medical problems associated with fibromyalgia.

On January 1, 2013, I made the usual resolution to lose weight and started praying daily for the strength I needed to succeed. It wasn’t until February 18, 2013, that I woke up mentally ready for the challenge. I am blessed with supportive family members, friends and coworkers that keep me encouraged.  The Black Women Losing Weight success stories keep me inspired and focused on my goal and provide me with useful information. At the beginning of my journey, my sister encouraged me to use My Fitness Pal to keep a food and exercise diary to monitor my caloric intake and this site has provided invaluable support.
How did you change your eating habits? 
I changed my eating habits by using portion control and cutting out fried foods. I carry my lunch to work daily which consists of mostly spinach with grilled chicken or a homemade turkey burger with no bun and a piece of fruit. My dinner consists of combinations of fruits and vegetables, salads with colorful vegetables, brown rice, grilled or baked chicken, turkey, fish and shrimp. For snacks, I enjoy raw almonds and an occasional skinny cow ice cream bar.  At the start of my journey, I overcame a serious addiction to Sprite. I thought I’d need rehab to overcome my addition to soda but with God’s help I was able to beat it without rehab. Now, I drink a gallon of water daily.
What did your workout routines look like?  
My workout consists of exercising no less than 4 days per week. I started off by walking in my neighborhood and then added exercise DVDs that include Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds and Jillian Michaels’ 30 day Shred.  I recently started walking/jogging on the weekends and doing Shape Fit for strength training.
What was your starting weight?  
My highest weight was 242 pounds.  When I started my journey in February, I was 235 pounds, wearing a size 20-22.  After 6 months of lifestyle changes, my current weight is 194 pounds and I’m wearing a size 14. My doctor has taken me off all the blood pressure medication.  I am enjoying the transformation and feel that I am no longer existing but living my life.
I am thankful for this site and the inspiration it has provided to me and so many other women.

Free Clean Eating Meal Plan – Week 3

by 2 Comments

free clean eating meal plansIt’s time for  Week 3 of our Free Clean Eating Meal plan!   I’ve included nutrition counts for you.  The meals for week one are 1600-1725 calories.  I’m making the assumption that you are working out, so there needs to be enough nutrition to support that. If you want less calories, you can change the recipes or snacks to your needs.

If you see something that you don’t eat, like bread in a day’s meals, switch for something else.  A few romaine leaves are a great substitute for bread or whole wheat tortillas.  This plan is meant to work for most people, but I know it’s not ideal for all.  Modify to your needs!

Day 1

Breakfast -2 egg omelet with 1 tablespoon cheddar
1 slice whole wheat toast
1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Snack – 1 medium banana

Lunch – 2 cups Salad Nicoise (make recipe x 2)
4 ounces tuna steak
1 medium pear

Snack – 6 ounce Greek yogurt- frozen

Dinner – Grilled Onion Burger  (make 1/2 of recipe)
Whole Wheat Bun
1 slice tomato, large lettuce leaf, 2 slices onion
1 cup roasted green beans

1710 calories
56 g fat, 14 g sat fat
34 g fiber, 46 g sugar
76 g protein

 

Day 2

Breakfast – 3/4 cup whole grain cereal
1 cup skim milk or soy milk
1/2 sliced banana

Snack – 6 whole grain crackers

Lunch – Leftover grilled onion burger w/WW bun, tomato, lettuce, onion
1 cup raw baby carrots

Snack – Sliced apple
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Dinner – 1 cup Southern Bean Soup
1 cup leftover Salad Nicoise

1680 calories
59 g fat, 16 g sat fat
36 g fiber, 50 g sugar
84 g protein

 

Day 3

Breakfast – Nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh cherries
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Snack – 1 cup grapes

Lunch – PB&B: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 tablespoons PB, 1/2 sliced banana
1 cup celery sticks

Snack – 1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mango

Dinner – 4 ounces Grilled Chicken (make extra for Thurs lunch)
1 cup Whole Wheat Breaded Buffalo Cauliflower
1 cup roasted green beans

1670 calories
46 g fat, 13 g sat fat
41 g fiber, 55 g sugar
81 g protein

 

Day 4

Breakfast – Mango Protein Smoothie

Snack – 1 medium apple
1 ounce peanuts

Lunch – 1 cup leftover Southern Bean Soup
1 cup Fresh Vegetable Salad

Snack – 6 whole grain crackers
1/4 cup hummus

Dinner – 4 ounces Healthy Meatloaf- make 1/2 recipe
3/4 cup roasted potatoes
1 cup cooked cauliflower

1710 calories
57 g fat, 17 g sat fat
37 g fiber, 48 g sugar
78 g protein

 

Day 5

Breakfast – 1 serving Nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole grain cereal
1/2 cup fresh cherries

Snack – 1 cup strawberries
1 ounce dry roasted edamame

Lunch – 2 cups leftover Fresh Vegetable Salad
4 ounces cooked chicken
1 cup grapes

Snack – 6 ounces Greek yogurt

Dinner – 1 1/2 cups Sausage, Potato and Kale Stew
1 slice whole wheat toast

1703 calories
51 g fat, 14 g sat fat
29 g fiber, 51 g sugar
81 g protein

 

Day 6

Breakfast – 1 egg on a whole wheat English muffin
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 small kiwi

Snack – 1 cup grapes
1/2 ounce pecans

Lunch – 1 1/2 cups leftover Sausage, Potato and Kale Stew
1/2 cup diced mango

Snack  – Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Dinner – 4 ounces cooked BBQ Pretzel Chicken
1 medium baked sweet potato
1 sliced tomato with Italian seasoning

1675 calories
54 g fat, 16 g sat fat
35 g fiber, 56 g sugar
87 g protein

 

Day 7

Breakfast – 4 Banana Protein Pancakes
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Snack – 1 ounce pecans
Medium apple

Lunch – 4 ounces cooked leftover BBQ pretzel chicken on salad
2 cups romaine lettuce, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 green pepper
2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1 slice whole wheat toast

Snack – 6 ounces frozen Greek yogurt

Dinner – 4 ounces leftover Healthy Meatloaf
1 medium baked potato
1 cup cooked kale

1720 calories
59 g fat, 17 g sat fat
34 g fiber, 60 g sugar
91 g protein

We are providing these meal plans for your personal use only. Do not distribute or use these plans commercially.

Disclaimer: Nutritional content will vary depending on the brands of food used. This meal plan does not take into account serious illness or specific nutrient ratios. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease diabetes or other medical issues, please talk with your doctor or dietitian/nutritionist before changing your diet significantly. These plans are meant to be examples of balanced eating, but we all have varied needs. Use this information as an example and take caution with regard to your own specific nutrition needs.

Lucinda lost 90 pounds

by 4 Comments

Lucinda lost 90 pounds with a medically supervised diet plan and by working out.  Her health was improved in a number of ways.  She is no longer diabetic or dealing with sleep apnea.  Here is what she shared with us:

weight loss success

I would like to share my weight loss journey.  Hopefully it will encourage someone somewhere to get up, get started and be motivated to transform into a new healthier and better looking person!! My journey started when I went to my annual exam on 12/24/12.  I’ve been plus size for a very long time, and on this day I weighed 306.5 pounds. On 12/28/12, my doctor called me with the lab results and began telling me I was in the diabetic range. When he said the “D” word that lifted my spirit to motivate me to do something about my weight! A really good friend of mine named Doretta had been loosing a lot of weight on the Optifast program.  I looked into it and even went for a consultation. I began changing my eating habit immediately. I also started preparing diabetic foods. During my consultation, Dr. Angela Tran was focused on what my health conditions were and how the plan could benefit me.

I had, asthma, sleep apnea, and was possibly diabetic by that time. I have also had two breast surgeries with one cancer positive cyst removal. I started the Optifast program on Jan. 9, 2013, which is a 22 week medically monitored weight loss program (liquid diet focus). I was encouraged stay dedicated to the program during the 22 weeks as it re-trains and shrinks your stomach back to the normal size. I was determined to loose the health issues I was dealing with, so I was very dedicated to the weight loss program. I would go to weigh in weekly and meet with Dr. Tran. At my appointments she would teach me all the things I didn’t know about weight loss, eating, etc. to help me when I graduate from the program. For example “listen to your body when it speaks” I know that may sound weird but when your body says “I’m full” you should listen and stop eating. That is very hard.

I also met with a personal trainer named Liz weekly.  She would teach me exercises and what areas I should work out. Working out could be a struggle, and often overwhelming. So, I would walk 6-8 miles a day at the beginning.  Now I’m up to walking 11 miles a day and doing about 200 squats. Working out has become the best habit I could of ever developed! I am not done with this journey and I have lost 90 pounds so far.  Along with losing the weight, in April my medical labs were pulled and I’m no longer in diabetic range. I have not had any asthma issues since.  Also, I retested for sleep apnea and that is no longer a problem!!  It’s no longer necessary for me to have a mammogram every three months!! I thank God for giving me strength daily to stay motivated and press on during this difficult journey and for placing a resource by way of a friend, Doretta, in my life to share with me. I hope if there’s anyone out there struggling with any types of health conditions, that you decide to make a change and begin your weight loss journey.

Pamela lost 32 pounds

by 1 Comment

Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Pamela!  She lost 32 pounds.  She credits 22 pounds of her weight loss to following our monthly challenges.  Here is what she had to say about losing the weight:

In the before picture I was 202 pounds! I was losing weight slowly but it was when I started the Black Women Losing Weight challenges six months ago.  That allowed me to lose 22 of my 32 pounds. I did the exercise that was given to us in the challenges! I also go to the gym at least 3 times a week.  There, I do the treadmill for at least 45 minutes.  At the gym, I focus on a different body part each day, but I always do abs before starting my workout.

I changed my eating habits, cutting back on sodas, junk food and fried foods. Black Women Losing Weight has really been a blessing to me and I can’t wait to start the next challenge!!

What was your motivation:

I would always asked my doctor for weight loss pills because I wanted the easy way out.  Because of my high blood pressure she wouldn’t give me any.  I knew I didn’t wanna continue to take blood pressure pills, so I decided to do the next best thing which was walking going to the gym.  The weight was coming off slowly and then I ran across BWLW and that really got me motivated.  BWLW along with husband being their to support me and work out with me was the perfect combination!  Now, I have a lower dosage of blood pressure medicine.  I’m gonna continue the challenges, lose weight and get off the medicine completely!  My current weight is 170 pounds and my goal is 150 pounds.

Pamela weight loss photos

 

Kenyetta lost 47 pounds

by 6 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Kenyetta lost 47 pounds.  She was motivated by poor circulation and having to take blood pressure medication.  She changed her diet and did Zumba for exercise.  Check out what she had to share about losing the weight:

I would like to share my story with you. In 2011 my weight was 233 pounds. I was constantly complaining about my weight and I was the biggest size I had ever been in my life. My motivation was that I started having poor circulation in my hands and legs.  I also had to start to take blood pressure pills.  In November of 2011, I started taking ZUMBA classes, once a week in the beginning. Then I increased my classes to two times a week, then up’d it to 4 times a week!! LoL! However, I did not change my diet. I lost some weight but not enough. In June of this year, 2013,  I changed my eating habits. I started drinking more water. I increased my fruits and veggies I was eating and started eating only Turkey, chicken & seafood for my meats. My biggest obstacles that had to deal with were alcoholic beverages, candy and fried foods. I have not stopped drinking alcohol but I have limited my intake.  I chose to LIVE!!!!  Now, I have MILD hand problems but not like it used to be and I’m NOT on BLOOD PRESSURE PILLS!!! 🙂

Kenyetta weight loss photos

Chelsea lost 30 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Proud mom Chelsea lost weight with exercise, like Zumba, and Clean Eating.  Being active with her daughter was her motivation.  Check out what she shared about her journey thus far:

Hi my name is Chelsea.  This been a hard journey.  I started in late December 2012 by doing Zumba.  It was very fun.  At the same time, I started eating clean: Lean meats, veggies, no rice and no soda. I also have 100 calorie snack packs.  I’m from the country and i love to eat.  Wild hog, deer with rice…that was my idea of cheat meals, but I had limits.  I’m blessed to have a amazing husband, family and friends to support me.  I’m not finished yet.  I have 25-30 pounds more that I want to lose by December of this year, 2013, so I’m doing more Zumba and running 1.5 -2 miles when I dont do Zumba as my workout.  I’ve lost 30 pounds so far!

My motivation was my daughter. I wanted to be able to run a play with her.  She was 1 years old when I started, now she is 2.  Also, I got tired of buying bigger clothes in the Plus Size section at my age.

My starting weight was 215 pounds.  I gained weight after I got on birth control (gained about 35 pounds).  I’m not turning back. My weight was very depressing.

Chelsea weight loss journey

6 Exercise Options for People with Bad Knees

by 5 Comments

kneesPeople have bad knees for a variety of reasons. It can be from overuse, under use, past injuries, being overweight, having arthritis or many other disorders that affect the joint. The new thinking on joints is that staying in motion is more beneficial to keeping your mobility than avoiding movement.  For many people, the benefits of exercising are also recognized as doing much more to help your mood and physical health as well. The golden rule to remember is that if you do any of them and your knees hurt, stop.

As you know, it’s always best to check in with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have health issues, chronic knee issues or a recent injury.  Check with a certified personal trainer as well, because the way you are doing the exercise may be wrong in terms of bad form or too much intensity for your level of fitness. For some, exercise if not beneficial.  You have to know where you stand. 

What you are trying to do

The goal to exercising is to raise your heart rate enough to be able to burn calories and to help your body transform fat to muscle. There is a side benefit to achieving this cardio target rate.  Exercise stimulates your lymphatic system. The lymphatic system doesn’t have a built in pump like the circulatory system has the heart. It is dependent on the contraction and expansion of your muscles to pump through the body. Moving the lymph is important because it helps to clean toxins and wastes from your body, boosting your immune system.  Detoxing and boosting your immune system are important to healing the body and weight loss.  Also, the affect that cardio has on your circulation also helps the body heal.  Here are some workout options for people with bad knees:

Bicycling

Bicycling has a very low impact on the knees and can elevate your heart rate into target ranges quickly. Many people with bad knees avoid cycling because they think it will strain the knee. The proper way of pedaling (seated) uses the knee joint correctly; its role is as a flexion point for the muscles in the calf and thigh. It is one of the best workout options for people with bad knees. Cycling is something you can choose to do at a gym, in a Spinning class, or on your own with a minimal investment.

Rowing

Rowing is another one that makes the list as a great workout option. Rowing not only raises your heart rate but it is considered a full body exercise. Like bicycling, the knee joint doesn’t have to bear significant weight but is put in motion, which can help bad knees.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the best overall exercises for people with bad knees, or bad anything. Your body is supported by the water so there is less to no load bearing on the joint. Using good form, your swimming style can work out the whole body with little strain. Even if you know how to swim, it can be a good idea to take a few refresher lessons to check your form and get some help building a varied and interesting lap routine.

Circuit Training

Moving from station to station on the weight machines not only will develop muscle mass but also elevates you into the right cardio target range. Many gyms now have a special area set up for this type of training so you can keep moving quickly enough to get the most benefit.   You don’t have to use machines which put stress on the knees and you can still get a good workout.

Elliptical

The Elliptical machine can be a good choice in workout options for people with bad knees because it is a full body exercising that emulates running, but is specifically designed as low impact to avoid putting weight on the knee. It is considered to be a low impact exercise, but you can achieve a high cardio rate quickly. Many gyms have them installed in groups in front of TV screens so exercising on them becomes more interesting.  To start, go slow in terms of pace.

Pilates, Yoga & Tai Chi

While there are certain moves in each that will prove too much for your knees at first; Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi have much to offer and may be a better way for you to keep a workout schedule. Each involves a great deal of stretching and motion, which is good for maintaining flexibility in your knees. They all can provide a deceptively intense workout as well. Your heart rate can easily reach the maximum range in certain advanced yoga and Pilates classes. Tai Chi is very deceptive. When you see it from a distance it looks slow and easy, but once you learn how to do it properly, you realize why it is considered one of the most difficult martial arts to master. As always, make sure to inform the instructor of your knee issues and your workout goals so they can guide you properly.

What are the Dangers of Gastric Weight Loss Surgery?

by 2 Comments

weight loss surgeryWeight loss surgery is not for everyone.  We celebrate the stories of black women who have used weight loss surgery as a tool on this site because we believe that it is a viable option for many people and that they are under a doctors care.  We also assume that they were aware of all of the risks and potential complications involved with weight reduction surgery.  For many, the risks out weight the benefits and they are blessed to have successful surgeries.  For others, that is not the case.  It is a very personal choice.

Anyone considering weight loss surgery of any kind should seek out ALL information available from their doctors and other medical professionals about the risks, including death.  I’m not a medical professional but I’m going to present in this article an overview of information that I’ve gathered to get you started.

There are extreme benefits to surgery.  There are also serious risks associated with weight loss surgery, and the dangers are very important to understand.  While the serious dangers of weight loss surgery do not necessarily have a high chance of occurring, when they do occur they can be debilitating and life threatening. There are also some risks that are not life threatening, but problematic and they are equally important to know.

I’m going to focus on the 2 most common procedures – The gastric sleeve and gastric bypass?

The two most common types of weight loss surgery are the gastric sleeve and the gastric bypass. With the sleeve (also known as sleeve gastrectomy), a portion of the stomach is removed to reduce its size. This will result in making you feel full faster to encourage weight loss. With gastric bypass surgery, a section of the stomach and sometimes the intestine are reshaped to change how food is processed through the body. Neither is without danger, and both are irreversible procedures, which are the reasons why there is much to consider before going ahead with weight loss surgery.

Potential Life-Threatening Dangers of Weight Loss Surgery

  • Surgical – The surgical dangers of weight loss surgery are the same for either type of procedure. There is the risk of infection, perforation, blood clots, and having a reaction to the anesthesia to name a few. There are a few rare cases of death occurring during bariatric surgery. There is also a high risk of lung and cardiac problems occurring, mostly due to the nature of the anesthesia.
  • Pulmonary and Cardiovascular – During and after surgery, there is a risk of lung collapse or the lungs filling with fluid. There is also a risk of a stroke caused by an embolism or blood clot along with blood clots forming elsewhere in the body. You can also experience a cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. The dangers of weight loss surgery also include an elevated risk for a heart attack.
  • Liver and Kidneys – Weight loss surgery also puts you at risk for kidney and liver failure, plus Hepatitis which can then go on to develop into cirrhosis.

Potential Complications of Weight Loss Surgery

There are several possible complications that can come from having weight loss surgery.  While these issues ma not be life threatening when they begin, can create complications that are.  Here are some examples:

  • Depression – Post surgical depression can be common after weight loss surgery.
  • Anorexia Nervosa/Bulimia – Post surgical patients may develop either of these eating disorders or both together. Without proper treatment, each of the disorders may be fatal.
  • Hypoglycemia – An erratic processing of insulin and blood sugar can also result as a permanent change to the body’s metabolism.
  • Reactive Hypoglycemia – If a situation called “dumping” occurs during surgery or directly after, in which food moves too quickly through the system, it is called dumping. This can lead to a condition called reactive hypoglycemia which is similar to hypoglycemia but includes an adrenal disorder as well.
  • Sleeve leakage, Internal leakage
  • Nausea
  • Chronic Pain
  • Digestive issues associated with the stomach and intestines
  • Infections
  • Hernia
  • Hemorrhage

Are the Dangers of Weight Loss Surgery worth it?

Every procedure comes with a set of worst case scenarios for how things can go wrong. Weight reduction surgery is no exception. That there are risks does not mean that it should be avoided all together. However, there are certain realities about weight loss surgery that should be considered before risking the possible dangers of having it done.

  1. Weight loss surgery is meant for people who are morbidly obese. This means they are in excess of 100 lbs. overweight and their weight is creating life threatening conditions. Anyone who is less than 100lbs overweight is generally discouraged from surgery as there are still other, less invasive and expensive interventions to try.  Exceptions are sometimes made for serious health issues, like diabetes and high blood pressure.
  2. Weight loss surgery by itself does not make you a healthy weight. You may lose significant weight with surgery, but not all of the weight.  You may lose too much weight and deal with “wasting”.  You may lose weight in the beginning  but then gain the weight back due to eating habits.  It is the start of a long journey to get to a healthy body that you have to commit to.
  3. Some people regain weight they have lost lost within one year of the surgery. They regain the weight because they never examined how they became overweight and made the necessary changes to their life style to keep the weight off.  No matter how good the plan is that your receive from your health care provider and surgeon…if you are not ready to follow that plan and change you lifestyle, it’s possible that you can experience weight gain.  Proper diet and adequate exercise are the only way to maintain a healthy weight, but you have to deal with emotional and situational issues, as well as your past.  Follow doctor’s orders and work to create a lifestyle that keeps you healthy and happy.

If you are considering the dangers of weight loss surgery, talk to your doctor about how real the risks are for you.  Make the most informed decision you can.

Why is Junk Food so Addictive? – Sugar, Fat and Salt

by Leave a Comment

Fries, funnel cakes, cheeseburgers, and candy, why are they so addictive? If you have ever craved these foods you may wonder just that when you try to stop eating it.  Some people do not consider junk food as something that you can be addicted to, but the truth is that many people do crave junk food like others crave cigarettes or cocaine.  After a while, the habitual eating of sugary, salty, fat filled junk food can be quite addictive.  Sugar, fat and salt are the tri-fecta of why it’s so hard to let the “good” stuff go and stop eating junk food all together.  There are studies on the subject as well:

“This exciting new study was funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since drug addiction and obesity are major national problems, researchers set out to see if brain changes that take place in drug addiction were present in the obese. Prior studies have shown that both drug addiction and obesity were associated with a dysfunction in the brain’s reward system. The more you indulge in drugs or sugary-fatty foods, the higher your reward threshold and the more you want. It becomes an vicious cycle of trying to curb a craving that can never be fully satisfied.” – WebMd

Sugar

Sugar can be just like a drug for many people.  It’s a concentrated chemical substance that is refined in a similar way that cocaine and other drugs are refined.  Like other known drugs, sugar helps to increase the dopamine found in the brain. This is the feel good chemical that hits brain receptors and will make you feel good.   Thus, the “sugar high” effect is a real chemical reaction in the body that affects not only the brain but also your blood sugar.  Often times, just like regular drugs, to get the next high you will have to eat more sugar as the brain gets used to the same amount of sugar and the high is less. High sugar consumption in a person can mimic the brain’s opiate system. Each human has a natural opiate system that can be triggered with high amounts of sugar or with drugs such as morphine and heroin. This trigger creates pleasure which in turn can lead to addiction and even sugar withdrawals. Limiting the sugar that you eat and switching natural sugars like fruit is highly important to avoid any type of addiction to sugar.   Breaking existing addiction to sugar can be hard but it’s possible.

Fat

Fat is something that you wouldn’t think that people would get addicted to when you first hear the word.   However, fat in foods can be just as addictive as sugar and salt and can lead to many problems. Fat addiction is much like sugar addiction in the way that the brain reacts to fat. Eating high fat foods over stimulates the brain receptors that are responsible for releasing dopamine. This dopamine release triggers a feeling of goodness or a high such that people want to eat it more.  We are talking about saturated fat and trans-fat in things like chips, fried foods, foods with butter added, fast food, prepackaged meals, baked goods (used to keep them moist), microwave popcorn and cheese.

Salt

Salt is important in the human body but over-consumption of salt can lead to many problems. Salt can be highly addictive and anyone who sits down at the table can find themselves reaching for the salt shaker in order to salt their food.  It’s very accessible and many just think of it as a harmless seasoning.  That is until they get a diagnosis of high blood pressure or hypertension (both very common in the Black community).  Salt does the same thing to the dopamine receptors in the brain. There are even studies out there that have shown that salt in a small form can help to cure depression due to this release of feel good chemicals.  However, having too much salt can lead to a very bad addiction as well as many health problems.  Finding alternatives for flavor is key to letting go of salt.  Food can taste very bland to many people without salt so you’ll need to find other herbs and salt-free seasonings to take its place.

Many junk foods have all three ingredients in them, salt, fat and sugar. Combined together this makes for one very addictive class of food that you want to avoid.

By eating junk food you put yourself at risk for many different health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, heart problems, and neurological disorders. If you find yourself addicted to junk foods, do your research and work to get free of the compelling need to eat these foods.  Like any other addiction, it will take time for your body to get accustomed to eating a different diet and you have to WANT to change.

Breaking up with an addictive junk food menu can be hard and many people find that they will feel bad for the first few days, much like an addiction to anything else. Switching to healthy foods and steering clear of all the bad foods will help ease this process. It will be well worth it in the end. You will be healthier and have a less risk for common, food-related health problems that affect so many people.