Black Weight Loss Success

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

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Charlie lost 70 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Charlie lost 70 pounds.  Knowing the health issues that her father is dealing with helped this mother of 2 make the changes necessary to release the weight.

Charlie weight loss

 

Here is what she had to say about her weight loss journey:

“Before 230 pounds after 160 pounds. I have had 2 kids.  [I did it by] eating & drinking healthy also working out everyday.Cardio 5-6 days a week.  Strength training, eating more veggies & fruit and no red meat.  All chicken&fish & drinking lots of water.  NO sugary drinks!  I started walking a hour a day outside & then I started jogging.  Now I do cardio for 30 mins, 6 days a week along with strength training @ the gym.  Also, a part of my change was knowing that my father has high blood pressure, diabetes & has suffered from a serious stroke.”

Deborah lost 20 pounds

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Today’s featured success story: Deborah lost 20 pounds.  She is a great example of why I tell people NOT to look down on their first 10, 20, or 30 pounds of weight loss.  A few pounds can make a difference. Celebrate every pound released.

Deborah weight loss

 

She says,

“I lost 20 pounds since march of 2012!!! Completely changed my eating habits, watching my portions sizes and working out to Zumba, p90x, walking and running!!!! I’m no where near done!! So much toning to do!!!! I’m just happy that I’m no where near where I use to be!”

Twyla lost 42 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Twyla lost 42 pounds.

twyla weight loss

Here is what she had to say about losing the weight:

“I’m 42 lbs. down at this point with more to go. I’ve had good days and bad days but by the grace of God I’m reaching my goal of health!!  I always looked at everyone else’s before & after pictures in amazement praying that one day I would have one of my own. After battling health issues for the last 6 years and I’m only 30 something had to give. I want to be here for my kids for a long time and not dead in my grave because of my own self negligence. Gluten free eating, minimal meats, water only, intense cardio, and strength training has helped me thus far. I’m going to keep praying and keep pushing for a healthier ME :)”

Shawn lost 30 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Shawn lost 30 pounds with Curves.

shawn weight loss

She said, “I lost 30 lbs on Curves! I increased my water intake, exercised 3-4 days/week (treadmill at home 1-2x/week) and did the Curves Complete Diet Plan. It has on-line support and meal plan assistance.  I’m still working on it! 20-30 more pounds to go! I went from size 18 to 14!  I actually wasn’t eating enough and was in “starvation mode.” My metabolism had shut completely DOWN! I went from 216 to 186.”

Letia lost 59 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Letia lost 59 pounds.

Letia weight loss

I am 25 years old, and after years and years of diets i just gave up.  High cholesterol and borderline diabetic, I couldn’t play with my kids and my knees hurt when I walked.  My husband loved me but I did not love myself.  Well, the way I looked anyway.  I had a stroke which was caused by my high cholesterol and many other things.  I’m sure by the grace of God I am here to see my kids but I knew that God gave me another chance and I needed to take full advantage.  How could I die from being overweight.  I felt it was selfish.  We are all human.  We are all people and we all can win this battle.  Nothing happened overnight, it took alot of praying and restraint and support and even if you don’t have a support system you and God is all you need.  I made myself a cut off time for food.  I stopped eating when I felt full.  I found alternatives to my fast food and snacks.  I never knew how much i enjoyed fruit and veggies.  I joined a gym.

I was a person that did not like breakfast but I realized I snacked a lot in between because I skipped breakfast.  I started including breakfast into a daily habit then I would have a snack.  I stopped eating out for lunch which saved money and calories.  I started drinking 64oz of water or more a day and making a cut off time of 8pm for dinner for snacks.  I had to figure out what I liked.  I used a website called hungrygirl.com which replaces your favorite fast food and makes it into a healthy meal.  That was a life saver because a lot of times on diets we cut everything out and then we become miserable.  I brought smaller plates for the house instead of the huge dinner plates I would pile food on.  I eat basically baked meats no beef no pork.  If I want flavor I will use crystal light.  When I eat my meals I drink water before.  I always eat my protein first then veggies then starch if I have any and when I feel full I stop.  I exercise 3-4 days a week weights are 2 of those days cardio are the others everyday.  I think about me having a stroke and it motivates me to push and never give up and go back to my old habits.  I have lost 59 pounds.

Heather lost 45 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Heather lost 45 pounds by eating clean and working out.  She also notes that MyFitnessPal was very important on her weight loss journey.

Heather weight loss

She said,

“I lost 45 lbs since January 2012 by working out and eating clean. I went from 168 to 122 lbs.  I started working out at the YMCA in January 4 days a week and eating a clean diet with lots of water. I cut out alcohol completely for about 6 months. It took me 10 months to reach my goal. What kept me going is my vision of what I wanted to be. I’m still working hard to maintain my new body. This is definitely a lifestyle change. The app MyFitnessPal has also been integral to my weightloss.”

Rose lost 60 pounds

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Rose lost 60 pounds.  She was so kind as to share the story of her lifelong weight loss journey with us.  She is now studying for her PT and Group Fitness certifications.

Rose weight loss

Rose shared her story with us in depth:

“I would like to share my weight loss journey with you all.  There comes a time in life when you take off the mask and realize you are not the person you want to be. My “come to fit” moment happened in the summer of 2003, after seeing my wonderful mother lose weight.

See, I was big ALL my life. I was the bigger than my older brothers, classmates and friends. I was picked on for being big, but their taunting did not make me change….eating was my comfort. With hell going on around me, food was something I felt I could control. By the time I was 12 years old, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and weighed close to 145 pounds.

Fast forward to high school and college….I was still eating bad and not exercising. Folks who knew me thought I was happy in my own skin, but really I hated myself. Instead of making changes I continued to eat. By 2003 I had reached almost 230 pounds. I was unhappy….cry myself to sleep at night, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts unhappy.

The summer before my senior year of college I looked at myself in the mirror and came to terms that I was not seeing the REAL woman inside of me. I took my mask off for the first time and decided I would try this exercise thing out.

Within three months I lost about 23 pounds doing kickboxing and changing some of my eating habits. By the time I graduated, I was down to 190 pounds. From 2003-2005, I lost an additional 40 pounds.  In 2006, I got comfortable and reverted back to eating poorly and not working out. I gained 20 pounds back. I maintained 170 pounds until late 2010 after I found out I had cervical cancer and a heart condition.

It was then I knew I had to get back to me. So I made a LIFESTYLE change! No more dieting, but eating clean and working out. I also got me mental and spiritual health in order….it makes a world of difference.

My current regime is simple…eat clean 80-90% percent of the time, pray, and exercise. I dance, run, lift weight, anything to keep me active. I realized I have SO much to live for and I want to make sure I am in the best health possible while I do it. I’m also studying for my PT and Group Fitness certifications. Until I’m certified, I post workouts and motivational stuff on Blessed Body Fitness.”

Electra lost 30 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Electra lost 30 pounds and says that it has a lot to do with mindset.  I agree.

Electra weight loss

Here is what she had to say:

“After having a 7 & 4 yr old (yes long over due) I have done it! And next year I will do it again! Time to get leaner & tone up 2013! Full time working mom, wife, kid in modeling and acting, active in church activities (no excuses). I started 15mins a day and went to a half marathon this year…13.1 miles. WE can do this!!! I stuck to my New Years resolution for 2012! 🙂 #teamsexibodi

I tried MANY different diets and many failed because I fail them. I began working out 15mins a day right before I picked up my kids just to get into a routine. The kicked up my water content from 3 16.9 oz bottles to 1.5 liter.  Then I bought toddler sized plates and started eating off those because I was not strong enough to eat properly from regular plates. I worked out 1 day to now 3-4 times a day from 30mins to 1 hr.  I worked up from 1 mile to a half marathon (13.1 miles). My journey took 2 years because it took that long for me to change my mind. I lost the weight in 8 mos but I tell everyone 2 yrs bc it’s more important for one to see the journey than the lbs lost. As long as u do it, doesn’t matter if it takes 5 yrs. Once u change YOUR MINDSET u will change your body forever. Once u change your eating habits then regaining the weight is minimized. It starts with the mind.”

RamaziYah lost 37 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  RamaziYah lost 37 pounds.

RamaziYah lost 37 pounds

Here is what she had to say about her weight loss journey:

“I love the Facebook page and love seeing the success stories which continue to inspire me to keep doing what I’m doing.  I would love to present my before and after picture.  It started for me about 9 years ago.  I reached my highest at 195.  I was very unhappy with my weight and knew I needed to do something.  My weight started to increase after I had each one of my 3 kids.  Over the past years I have struggled with my weight.  I would lose a little and gained it back plus more.It wasn’t til after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer about 3 years ago I really started to rethink my life and wanted to really change my lifestyle cause I didn’t wanted to be plagued with any diseases that are plaguing our people today.  I started working out by joining a gym and trying to cut back on the foods that I eat.  I am proud today that I am now 158.  My weight goal is 150 then I will just maintain my weight and tone more.  I would like the females to know that no matter how slow the progress of losing weight is and the ups and down that comes with it, just continue to stick with it and it will take its advantages.  I am much older,wiser,slimmer,and happier and I owe it all to my Father Yah in heaven.  I pray I can be an inspiration to someone.  Thank you!!!”