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 women weight loss

women weight loss

Sonya lost 100 pounds

by 4 Comments

Featured weight loss success story of the day: Sonya lost 100 pounds.  Her son was her motivation, as well as fighting diabetes.  She started her health journey on the day she woke up with the revelation that it was time to lose weight and get healthy.  She ate right, worked out consistently and shed the pounds in 8 months.  Read her story:

On December 29, 2012 I started my weight loss journey that I NEVER imagined would bring me as far as I am today. If someone would have said Sonya you’re going to lose all that weight and your going to tell anybody that will listen about it. Let alone be anybodies inspiration. Let’s just say I would be a little skeptical.  Here I am today currently, at 100 pounds weight lost. When I first started my journey, I was afraid to tell anyone what I weighed. Now I am happy to say I started out at 305 pounds! I am now down to 205 pounds and my goal is to get down to 165 pounds. My first initial goal was to lose 100 pounds in a year and I was able to do that in 8 months! I am still in a state of shock but I am far from done.

Sonya weight loss
What was your motivation?

I would say my motivation is my Son and beating diabetes. My father passed away at the very young age of 42 due to heart complications bought on by having diabetes. I’m 27 and I want to live past that age and some. I want to see my son, who is 10 by the way, have kids when he’s 50 (LOL I’m kidding). I know I am being unreasonable, but that’s my baby I don’t want him having babies to soon like mommy. It’s hard out here.

How did you change your eating habits?

Funny you mentioned this. I woke up on Saturday December 29, 2013 at 6:37am and said God I can’t be this way anymore! I am not happy with my self. Yes, I smile but I am not happy inside. My own mother says I need lose weight. I can barley breath walking up stairs. This is not where I want to be in life. At that point, I gave up drinking my calories, started drinking water, eating lean meats, fresh veggies, and fruit. Don’t get me wrong I have my indulge meal not a cheat day but a meal. This is actually important to keep you on the right track and not deprive yourself moderation is key.

What did your workout routines look like?

I walk to and from work. I park farther away now just so I get an extra walk in. I live on the 3rd floor I sprint up the stairs and down at least 4-5 times a day. I try to take Zumba classes 4 times week and weights 3 times a week. If I can’t take a Zumba class I do intervals on the elliptical and weights after.

What advice would you give others who want to lose weight?

1. Have a partner – I was lucky enough that my fiancée comes with me to the gym. He is my biggest cheerleader! Having someone with you will keep you going.

2. Have accountability – Mine is myfitnesspal. I see what goes into my body. I always take pictures and when I feel like my eating is going too far I revert back to those horrible pictures of myself. It reminds me of where I started and why I don’t want to go back.

3. Understanding that you didn’t gain the weight over night so it will not fall off over night, so keep on pushing even through the dreadful plateau stage. It’s all apart of weight loss, so just don’t give up.

Chemese lost weight by juicing and going vegan

by 4 Comments

Update Dec 2015: It’s been a little over 2 years and Chemese is still going strong and maintaining her weight loss. Her starting weight was 305 lbs. She’s been a vegan for 3 years and no longer tracks her weight via a scale. Also, she let us know that she just started another 100 day smoothie/juicing cleanse and is chronicling her progress via video on Youtube.

cheese before and after

Hello again, My name is Chemese and I was featured on your website back in September of 2013. This has been an amazing learning journey about myself, fitness, and health. This journey has also taught me that changes possible and it’s okay to think outside the box. I became vegan and I did not even like vegetables. This year, I get to celebrate my 3rd year as a vegan and my weight lost anniversary on December 12. I’m so excited! I have had some ups and downs but I haven’t been out of cheese weight losscontrol. I’m loving the skin I’m in and I’m still not weighing myself. It’s been so freeing not getting on a scale. I remember how I use to beat myself up over the number on the scale. Now, I’m not about that life. That number isn’t important to me. I’m also still juicing and making smoothies. Over these past years I have successfully completed 30, 60 and 100 day juice/smoothie cleanses. Currently, I’m doing another 100 day juice/smoothie cleanse. If you take anything from my journey I hope that it’s “Change is Possible”. I know my journey doesn’t end here. I truly hope that my journey inspires others. Posting on social media has helped keep me accountable, so you can find me at:

Instagram: @chemese
Twitter: @chemese
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/chemese/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheChemeseProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/thechemeseproject

Sept 2013 – Featured Weight Loss Story of the Day: Chemese lost weight by juicing, working out and going vegan.  Her starting weight was around 305, but she doesn’t know how much weight she lost because she doesn’t use the scale as a measurement anymore.  However, you can really SEE the difference in her photos.  Here is what she shared with us:

“My name is Chemese and I currently reside in Abilene, Texas. Some how, I really let myself go. I was obese, out of shape, very unhealthy (as you can see from my pictures on the left). I realized that I just had to change, because I love myself too much. The best way to do that was by becoming a Vegan. My journey began on December 15, 2012 when I decided that I was going to give it all that I could give and lose weight. I knew I didn’t want to try another fad diet. I needed to change my lifestyle for good, so thats exactly what I did.

I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables. I make smoothies and fresh juices. I also workout for 2 hours everyday. As for numbers, my starting weight was 305+ pounds . I don’t know how much weight I have lost though simply because that number isn’t important to me anymore. What is more important is that I have gained control over my health which is more than I wanted. I successfully completed a 60 day juice cleanse on July 4th.  If I had to give anyone advice, it would be to find something that work for them and be open to try new things. I became a vegan and I didn’t like vegetables before. Now, I love them.  One thing is for sure, I’m not exactly where I want to be but I’m so glad I’m not where I used to be. My journey doesn’t end here.

I share what I’m eating and doing on Instagram @chemese

Chemese Weight Loss
NOTE: Before pictures was taken on December 2012 and after pictures was taken on July 2013.

Chemese before and after photos Chemese weight loss success

Kia lost 50 pounds and her husband lost 67 pounds

by 6 Comments

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Kia and her husband lost the weight together and are now making healthier choices for them and their 7 children.  She lost 50 pounds and he lost 67 pounds.  Here is what they did to lose the weight (and before and after photos):

Kia weight loss

“Just wanted to share some of my story. I’ve lost 50 pounds so far. My blood pressure was way out of control for years. I never suffered from insecurities or anything like that. I’ve always been confident no matter what size.  However, a trip to the ER put my health in perspective. I started on Weight Watchers and then just changed my eating habits and controlled my portions. I joined a local health group called BodyWize solutions and learned how bad certain foods were for us and learned to make smarter choices. I work out at least 4 days a week and am striving to lose 50 more lbs. Seeing my “before” and “now” (since I’m far from finished) keeps me motivated to keep on keeping on. My blood pressure is now controlled and I’m striving to come off blood pressure medication altogether. My husband and I have gone on this journey together. He has lost 67 pounds and is more active than he’s been in years! Together we are becoming a picture of health.

Absolutely! In our BodyWize Solutions class we learned about making healthier food choices. We stopped eating fried foods and sweets. We eat more fruits and veggies, and whole grains. We did a 10-day juice fast where my husband lost 32 pounds and I lost 10. We now incorporate juicing into our daily life. We stopped eating beef and pork as well. We stopped drinking caffeine (he was hooked on sodas and I was hooked on coffee) and drink mostly water only. Our workouts vary from walking on a local bridge to water aerobics.  He coaches football and is always running around with his players. We have 7 children between us and they were picking up our bad habits. Together as a family, we teach them how to choose better food options and as a family we make sure to get out and move. We are only beginning our journey and look forward to this new way of living!”

Kia Husband's weight loss husband and wife weight loss

 

Updated: Helen lost 54 pounds

by 6 Comments

Update from Helen (posted Oct 2013): “I just want to share with you that I’m finally down to 64 pounds [down from 310] doing the same thing I was doing. Here’s a couple pictures so you can see the results.”

Helen weight loss success story

Original Post

Let’s show some love to Helen.  She lost 54 pounds down, from 310 pounds.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss transformation so far”

“Here is my weight loss journey. Since last September (2012), I’ve lost 54 lbs. My goal is to lose 46 more pounds by the end of this year.  My motivation to lose weight was because of my health.  It was time to take action. How I took action was by eating healthier, cutting out salt and not drinking soda pop.  I also drank more water. I workout for 30-45 minutes per session. I do the elliptical for 15-20 mins, then lift weights for about 5 mins, then I do the treadmill and the step aerobics machine for the remainder of time. My starting weight was 310 pounds now I’m currently at 256 pounds. My weight loss so far has taken about a year.”

Helen weight loss

 

Are Breast Cancer and Being Overweight Linked?

by Leave a Comment

How is being overweight and breast cancer linked?

hope ribbon breast cancerIf you follow health news then you know that research has shown a link between being overweight and an increased risk breast cancer. The link is only just beginning to be understood by scientists and it is revealing some facts that should have a very positive influence on reducing the instances of breast cancer worldwide and obesity rates. The only way to reduce the risk of breast cancer related to obesity is to lose the weight and keep it off. Losing the weight doesn’t absolutely proof your body against breast cancer, as there can be many other factors that can raise your risk as well.  However, it is a factor that you can control (for most people, that is).

Overweight and obese women — defined as having a BMI (body mass index) over 25 — have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer compared to women who maintain a healthy weight, especially after menopause. Being overweight also can increase the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence) in women who have had the disease. – breastcancer.org

Being overweight is not linked to all breast cancers

To understand how weight and breast cancer are linked, it is easiest to begin with how they are not connected together. Scientists have found that the link exists in women after menopause, putting most of the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer that is connected to obesity in the 50s and above. There has been some evidence that being slightly overweight before menopause is not linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, and it may actually help to fight early breast cancer. So why does being overweight go from being something good to something bad?

Hormones, fat cells and breast cancer

Fat cells have a high level of estrogen receptor cells inside them. This means that they can store high levels of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is needed by the body in varying degrees throughout life for reproduction. Menopause is when a woman’s body changes, the reproductive cycle shuts down and estrogen ceases to be produced in the levels that would be needed to reproduce.  Fat cells that have stored excess estrogen keep an abnormally high level in the body. Many instances of breast cancer involve something called “hormone-positive-receptors.” This means the cancer cell needs the estrogen in order to grow. The presence of the estrogen laden fat cell in the body acts as a fuel source. Since the estrogen is not being used by any other system, it is all available for the use of the cancer cells.

The most dangerous areas to be overweight

Not all areas that hold fat will produce the same breast cancer risk. If you are fatty deposits around your thighs and hips, your risk for hormone positive receptor breast cancer is not as high as if the fat is located on your abdomen. While it is still uncertain why this particular type of fat cell locates on the abdominal area, it is known that this abdominal fat cell holds much higher amounts of estrogen than fat cells that will be located in any other area of the body.

How to lose weight and lower your risk

Some women will immediately run out to purchase that latest abdominal exerciser or focus their whole routines on sit-ups and crunches but that is not going to help you lose the weight that is putting you at risk for breast cancer. There is no way to “target” weight loss to a specific area of the body. Fat is lost when the body consumes it as fuel.  For most people, it begins with fat in the extremities and then moves inward, ending with the last reserves located in the abdominal area. It is not a linear progression, but the metabolism spreads out its consumption so a little is taken from everything at a time. This is the body’s way of protecting itself from starvation. It is also why it is harder and slower to lose belly fat than fat from your arms and legs.

The best way to lose weight is to do whole body exercises and to change your eating habits. To keep weight off you have to remain physically active and adopt healthy living practices. The number one reason why so many people regain the weight they have worked so hard to lose is that they adopt a temporary fitness routine, but never change the longstanding living habits. When their fitness goals are reached, they return to the way they were living before and regain the weight. To lessen your risk of weight gain related breast cancer, change your lifestyle and change your approach to fitness.

Kimberly lost 110 pounds

by 14 Comments

Featured weight loss success story of the day: Kimberly lost 110 pounds in a little over 8 months.  She primarily credits the changes she made to her eating habits.  Here is what she had to say about losing the weight:

“I lost 110 pounds over 8 months primarily by changing how I ate.  The dietary changes began mentally. I DECIDED NOT to die or have complications from diabetes. I began to pray.  I was asking GOD for answers to why I had so many bouts of 30 day constipation and blood sugars levels of 350 plus all the time!!! I was enlightened and found that meat was my issue. Eating it with every meal, every day was killing my body. Immediately after cutting just meat out of my daily consumption, I lost 20 pounds in 30 days (no exercise yet). After seeing that, I decided to see what wound happen if I didn’t put ANYTHING in my mouth that was bad.  That’s right, I ate NOTHING but fruits, veggies, whole grains and water for a solid year and was exercising for  half of that time.  After losing about 50 pounds, I starting doing a standing ab routine for about 5 days a week for 30 minutes per session. Because I had changed my mind about food, it seemed like I woke up skinny!!! I went from 280 pounds to 170 pounds in one year.  Now, I am a comfortable at 180 pounds and 5’6” tall! I have put some “treats” back in every now and then, but am still enjoying a healthy lifestyle!!”

Kimberly 100 pound weight loss

Kimberly lost 45 pounds

by Leave a Comment

Let’s show some BWLW love to Kimberly.  She lost 45 pounds by working out and following the Weight Watchers plan.  Here is what she shared about losing the weight and keeping it off:

First off, I wanted to thank you for this page ! Its so inspiring to see so many sisters doing their thing, and taking their health seriously.

Secondly, I want to share my weightless journey with you. I’ve lost 45 pounds in total since January of 2008 and have managed to keep it off . I exercise moderately and continue to follow the Weight Watchers weight loss program on my own to maintain my weight loss.

What was your motivation?

When I reached my highest weight of a size 20/22 , I realized I was a lot heavier than I thought. Shopping became a chore and it’s not supposed to be feel like a chore.

How did you change your eating habits?

I joined Weight Watchers and learned how to properly eat my food. I learned about proper portion sizes and how important exercise really is.

What did your workout routines look like?

I started taking the stairs more and eventually found the courage to join a gym and workout there.

What was your starting weight? 225 pounds

What is your current weight? 180 pounds

How long did your transformation take?  My transformation started in 2008 and I’ve kept the weight off.

Kimberly weight loss success story

Aundra lost 45 pounds

by 2 Comments

Weight Loss Success Story of the Day: Aundra lost 45 pounds by working out and eating clean.  She went from being afraid to sweat her hair out to loving a tough workout where she is pouring sweat.  Here is what she shared about her weight release journey:

“I stepped on the scale one day and saw the number 206.5. It was then that I decided I really needed to straighten up and fly right about making a lifestyle change. I had tried tons of “diets” and meal delivery plans to lose weight quickly. I’d always lose 10 lbs and gain it right back plus some. I soon realized that I had to change my overall thinking about fitness and eating. I was the girl who hated gyms and exercise. I worried about sweating out my hair not realizing that the key to helping you burn calories is to SWEAT. I set a goal last year (2012) to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday and let almost EVERYONE know so that I would be held accountable. I’ve since lost an overall total of 45 lbs, now weighing in at 161 since beginning my weight loss journey through clean eating and lots of exercise. Clean eating isn’t as difficult as it first appears and now that my body has adjusted. I no longer crave the artificial things that I consumed before. It took me a year and half to achieve this progress. I have a personal trainer that I work out with 3 times a week. The focus with him is full body, abs, endurance and resistance training. I’ve also incorporated boxing and hip hop dance into my workout routine. You have to find what you love and run with it. As of now, I don’t feel like I’ve worked out if I’m not drenched in sweat at the end. I’ve eliminated the word “diet” from my vocabulary because this is truly a lifetime effort. In the end, I feel as though I’m just a regular girl who finally decided to get serious about fitness with the focus on being lifetime fine,

Could you tell us more about what you did to change your eating habits?

As far as clean eating, I eliminated all processed and fast foods as well as sodas and juice. I drank half my body weight in water daily. My diet consisted mainly of broiled, baked or grilled fish, chicken or turkey. I ate lots of green vegetables such as spinach (raw and cooked), kale, broccoli and asparagus. I incorporated protein as often as possible to give me a feeling of fullness by eating foods such as greek yogurt, almonds (which I included in snack packs of apples and carrots), string cheese and boiled eggs for breakfast. I learned to eat 5 small meals a day which kept me from feeling hungry or eating just because I was bored.
How long did your transformation take?
I started my weight loss journey in May 2012 and reached my goal weight in July 2013.
Aundra weight loss

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