Black Weight Loss Success

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Kennetra lost 55 pounds

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Update 2016: “I am in competition with no-one. I run my own race. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone, in any way, shape or form. I just aim to improve, to be better than I was before. That’s me and I am free.” Facebook: Miss Curvy and Fit

kennetra weight loss

 

Update – March 2015: Kennetra lost 55 pounds and then experienced weight gain during pregnancy. She recently sent in an update to let us know how she lost the baby weight to get back to her pre-pregnancy size.  Check out her before and afters…

kennetra before and after pregnancy

Hi, You featured me after losing 55 pounds. I went from 230 pounds to 175 pounds. Shortly after, I became pregnant and gained 50+ lbs! I’m 5 month postpartum and I’m back down to 180 lbs! I’ve been breastfeeding, eating clean, and working out!
Instagram: @misscurvyandfit

Original Post – July 2013

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Kennetra lost 55 pounds with calorie counting and exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

What was your motivation?
I’ve been on many diets and I always failed. I wanted to prove to myself that I could lose the weight. I also wanted to get fit for the summer.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started counting calories with Myfitnesspal. This helped me learn portion control. Next, I incorporated more healthy choices in my diet. I slowly cut out soda, sugar, and carbs.

What did your workout routines look like? 
I started with only 1 hour of cardio. I began with walking and the elliptical. Now, I’m running, using the elliptical, and lifting weights.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight?
230 pounds to 175 pounds

How long did your transformation take? 5 months

Kennetra weight loss before and after

Lorraine lost 204 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  My Sigma Gamma Rho Soror Lorraine lost 204 pounds.  She has transformed her life and her health by eating clean, learning how to make the right food choices, walking and doing Zumba on her Wii.  Here is what she shared with us:

What was your motivation? My father died at 39 of a diabetic heart attack. I was in my late 20’s and 400+ pounds. I was completely uneducated about food. I thought I was eating well and because I am tall (6’0) I felt like I could carry ” a few extra pounds” Knowing that my little girl is learning how to care for her body and feed herself and one day her family keeps me going

How did you change your eating habits? I eat very clean. High protein low carb, low processed diet. I no longer eat dairy, red meat or pork. I learned that the western diet doesn’t give us what we need to be healthy. We eat more calories yet our bodies starve. So with a mix of healthy plant based eating and supplements my body is a fat burning machine. I learned to recook all of my favorite southern dishes in healthy ways. I LOVE the farmers market and I have worked hard to retrain my body that food is fuel and not my friend. This has been a revamping of everything I thought I knew about nutrition and cooking. Outside of seafood..Im a Florida girl I don’t eat anything that had parents. We will spend years learning our hair and have no clue how to feed our bodies.

What did your workout routines look like? As a single mom I don’t always have time for the gym. I walk an hour a day with our dog and I LOVE MY WII Zumba

What was your starting weight? 410.6lbs 
What is your current weight? 206.2

How long did your transformation take?
I lost the first 130 in about 8-9 months. I then became pregnant and started back about a year ago. So total just under two years. I was told I could never have children.  However, because of the the initial loss of 130 pounds, I was able to conceive.

Photos: Black hat 410 pounds, Black dress 260 pounds and  white dress 206 pounds….

Lorraine weight loss before and after

Constance lost 138 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Proud mom Constance is sharing her weight loss journey with us this morning.  Over the course of 6 years and having 2 children, she has brought her weight from 280 pounds down to 142 pounds, losing a total of 138 pounds.

I think her story is realistic, because many moms who have had more than one child face gaining more weight with each child.  Constance was able to lose weight over time and not retain a lot of baby weight while losing weight between pregnancies.  Here is what she shared with us:

I would love to share my story.  Over the past 6 years, I’ve lost a total of 138 pounds. I’m 5’4 and now weight 142!  My motivation was my child and being able to play with her at the park. My eating habits were transformed when I noticed that I was eating 3 snickers bars in one sitting, then McDonalds at night and still never felt full. I started out by walking a mile everyday before work, 5 days a week.  Then a friend got mw a membership to 24 hr fitness and I went everyday for a year. In total, in 2006 I delivered my 7 year old at 280 pounds. I had another baby in 2011 maxed out at 190 pounds.  Now, a total of 7 years later, I am 142 pounds and a size 6 when I was a size 26 in the past. It has been a complete lifestyle change.

Constance weight loss before and after

Mika lost 39 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Mika lost 39 pounds with gastric sleeve weight loss surgery.  Let’s show her some love for sharing her journey with us.  She was inspired by another story we featured and found a mentor.  Here is what she had to say:

Hello, My name is Mika. I am a mom of eight children who has been struggling with my weight for many of years. My family struggles with a lot health issues and I have been blessed not to have to endure any.  I knew if I didn’t do anything about my weight I would soon find out what my family members are going through. This March, I opted for the Gastric Sleeve my procedure.  It was performed on 3/14/2013.  My weight prior to my procedure was 256 pounds and my current weight is 217 pounds. I can proudly say since the surgery, I have lost 39 pounds. I am on a strict calorie diet of 800 calories post surgery. I walk and exercise with Hip hop abs on daily basis. It felt phenomenal to go into a clothing store I haven’t been able to patronage in over 13 years. My children and husband are my motivation. I need to be here for them. I also want to thank Black Women Losing Weight as well, because I gained a mentor from a past story.  Thanks to Tamika Gale, I don’t feel alone in this journey. I love the fact that she has been through what I am going through and embraced me with open arms. Thank you BWLW YOU ROCK!!!!!

Mika weight loss surgery success

Kori lost 83 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Delta Soror Kori lost 83 pounds by reducing her calories, eating healthier and being consistent with exercise.  Here is what she shared about her journey:

My name is Kori and I’m 31 years old. I have been overweight all my life coming from a family of full figured women.  I never had a problem with self esteem because I always had friends, was fairly popular in school and was rarely picked on. I never thought my weight was an issue. I knew I should eat right and exercise and I would go up and down in weight but no one thing ever stuck. It wasn’t until December of 2011 when I went to the doctor and I saw my weight had skyrocketed to 291 pounds that I began to get scared. My doctor told me I was “healthy” but if I keep gaining weight at this pace it would be difficult or impossible to have children in the future!  Being 31 and single I didn’t even know at the time if I wanted kids but hearing the actual words coming out of my doctor’s mouth gave me motivation to start a new healthier lifestyle. No one would tell me that weight would be the reason I can’t have kids!

On that day, I started my journey and never looked back. I began with cutting everything out of diet and I was very strict. No white stuff (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or sugar). Only water and green tea to drink and no processed foods. No fast foods and absolutely no fried foods. I quickly lost 30 within 2 months. I then began a heavy exercise routine of working out 5-6 days a week. Cardio on either the treadmill and or elliptical for 45 min to an hour and then on to weights for 30. I was burning at least 900 cals with each workout and consuming no more than 1300 cals a day. With this routine I was able to drop 70 lbs by October of 2012.

Once I got a routine down, I slowly started to incorporate things back into my diet.  If I was going make this a lifestyle change I realized that I can deprive myself of certain things that I once loved.  Now, if I have a craving for candy or cake I will have a piece in moderation and get right back on track. I also try different exercises now including Latin dance, kickboxing and I love spinning. I still maintain exercising 4-5 times a week. I am trying to limit my meat intake but still stick to fish and i have incorporated protein shakes in my diet. With the changes, I’ve made I’ve shed 83 lbs as of today. I still have 20 more to go and it’s slow but slow and steady wind the race!!   I hope this story can inspire someone!

Kori weight loss before and after

Renee lost 147 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Renee weight loss before and afterLet’s show some BWLW love to Renee who lost 147 pounds with gastric bypass weight loss surgery.  This is what she shared with us:

Hi, just wanted to write to you about my journey. I was always a big girl and then through some years of just not caring, I managed to gain up to 400 pounds. Having just turned 40, I panicked and started getting very concerned about developing more serious health problems. As it was, walking a couple of blocks was difficult and forget about walking up and down stairs. I have tried almost every weight loss plan. I always managed to lose a little weight and then ultimately ended up gaining back more. Another obese friend of mine had weight loss surgery and as hard as it was for me to admit that I need surgical intervention, I got real and started looking into it.

Folks that feel that weight loss surgery is a “quick fix” or “the easy way out” obviously have not gone through the process. Emotionally, psychologically, physically and medically, it is a lot to prepare for, a lot to go through, recover from and maintain. With the Lord’s grace, I had successful gastric bypass surgery back in 2004. I would have been happy to just lose 100 pounds. To just be under 300 pounds would have been a blessing. However, I developed ulcers (where I couldn’t eat hardly anything for weeks) and ended up going down to as low as 210 pounds but it was a false low. Once I got healthy again, I gained some weight back and settled at about 225 pounds for years. For a while, I started slipping again because even though weight loss surgery is a great tool, diet and exercise is crucial in order to KEEP the weight off. I ended up gaining back to 265 pounds and fought back. I went down to 245 pounds and now I am back up to 253 pounds and fighting back once again. The journey is endless. It’s a lifestyle issue, but when I see myself creeping back up, I keep fighting the good fight. It is difficult, I admit but I tell myself that NO FOOD tastes as good as feeling healthy feels. Thank you for reading my story. I just want others to know that this is no perfect science and even with WLS, it is possible to backslide. No matter what, it is not over and you can always get your focus back and recommit to health!

Renee weight loss story

How Peer Pressure Can Make You Fat: Dealing with Friends with Unhealthy Habits

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There’s no denying the power of peer pressure, especially among teens. Even adults are not immune. Peer pressure is everywhere – work, school, church and at home. You may think that you’re above the influence of others, but few people are completely. If you’re doubtful, just think about the last time someone commented negatively on your haircut, your man or the clothes you were wearing. Even about your weight. How did you handle it? If you stuck the clothes in the back of your closet, felt bad about your hair or felt a blow to your self esteem, you may have been influenced by peer pressure.

friendsPeer pressure works in much the same manner among all age groups regardless of the thoughts or actions being influenced. As humans, we all have an intense need to fit in. When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, we are apt to go along with what those around us choose to do. If our family and friends lead an unhealthy lifestyle, it’s very easy to follow suit.

I hear from women all the time who are dealing with negative comments from family members, boyfriends, friends, co-workers, etc.  They want to stay on the path of health and wellness, but they are dealing with the assumptions of others and being told things like:

  • You are losing too much weight.
  • Don’t lose your curves.
  • Why do you want to be thin.
  • Oh…I forgot…You don’t eat.
  • Why are you eating that?  Enjoy Yourself.

While it’s natural for people who love you to want the best for you, there is a difference between looking out for your interests and wanting to control you or having a problem with you losing the weight.  Sometimes you may feel as if your loved ones would prefer that you stayed overweight and if you bow to the pressure you just might.

Your Weight and Negative Peer Pressure

If your family and friends are overweight, sedentary and consume junk food, chances are, they will have something to say about you being on the path to health and wellness. It’s not always about jealousy, and you have to know that your actions may make them feel like they need to change.  That can be uncomfortable.  However, your friends and family can still affect your efforts negatively by:

  • Temptation – When you’re alone, it’s easier to choose items from the healthy menu. Put a couple of friends in the mix and things get tricky. Whether you’re at a restaurant or fixing a meal for your family, the food eaten by those around you often looks better, more satisfying than your own healthy choices. It’s very tempting to forgo the salad for a couple slices of pizza in these situations.
  • Lack of Motivation – Ever notice how active people hang out together and other groups of friends sit and play video games all day? If you’re around people who don’t move, chances are you won’t.
  • Changing Your Views – Once you’re around people who think it’s OK to live an unhealthy lifestyle, you might begin to think the same way. You might start thinking thinks such as “I’m still smaller than so and so” or “I’m a little heavy not gaining weight, so I’m fine.” These thoughts can devastate any movement toward a healthy lifestyle.  Don’t compare yourself to others or let them compare you.  You have to define your goals based on your health and lifestyle needs.

Positive Peer Pressure

Just as negative peer pressure can affect the way you eat and how much exercise you get, the opposite is also true. Surround yourself with active people and people who eat healthy and you will start to make healthy choices simply from their positive influence.  If your friends and loved ones aren’t living a healthy lifestyle, be encouraging and do what you can to help them.

The key is to increase positive peer pressure and to decrease negative peer pressure. While you can remove a great deal of negative influence from your life, you might not be able to stop associating with all of the people who influence you negatively, like family or a spouse. Therefore, it’s important to have a clear plan of action when encountering situations involving negative peer pressure.  The most important thing you can do is be very clear on WHY you are losing the weight in terms of what your motivation is.   That why is the truth you have to hold on to.

Faren lost 80 pounds

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Today’s weight loss before and after story: Faren lost 80 pounds by exercising (sometimes with Zumba for her Wii) and low carb eating.  Here is more information about her weight loss journey:

Hello, my name is Faren and I started my weight loss journey July 1, 2012. I  reached the highest weight I had ever been at 312 pounds. I tried to fool myself daily saying my weight was not out of control but it definitely was.  I needed that aha moment. One night, I was having dinner with my sister who, at the time, weighted half of what I did. I asked her if she wanted to share a calorie filled appetizer to which she declined, saying she was watching what she was eating because she wanted to lose weight. Sitting there twice her size, was the moment that I knew it was time to make a change. I credit that night and my sister’s positive example and motivation to the success I have had this time with weight loss.

The next day, I went to the store and purchased a Wii and Zumba game and began to work out consistently. I did Zumba at least 4 times a week in the beginning months. I tried to switch up my exercises when I began to plateau by joining Planet Fitness and working twice a week with a personal trainer. I also began a low carb lifestyle and limited my carb intake to 50 grams per day.  I also limited the amount of red meat I would eat. Using MyFitnessPal also helped me a lot in tracking my food intake and showing the nutritional information of the food I planned to eat.  I have lost 81 pounds thus far and currently weigh 231. My goal is to be in “One-derland”, aka in the 100’s. I haven’t been under 200 pounds since middle school. I still have a ways to go but this site has really inspired me and I hope my story can do so to others as well.

Faren weight loss before and after

Brandi lost 44 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight love to Brandi who has lost 44 pounds.  She was motivated by being borderline hypertensive and as an EMS it is hard for her to eat right, but she is DOING it!  Here is what she shared with us:

I was 194 pounds and now I’m 150 pounds. I lost weight by changing my diet and switching from regular soft drinks to water and diet drinks. The picture where I’m in the uniform was taken 2/12, the one on the right was on June 5, 2013…44 pounds lighter. I work in EMS so it’s very hard to eat sensibly…but I did it and am maintaining my 150 pounds proudly.

My motivation was being borderline hypertensive and wanting to feel and see a healthier me. I stepped on the scale one day and was devastated that I was only 5 pounds lighter than I was when I was 9 months pregnant with my son.  That was 14 years ago!!! I had to make a change. So, I decided to start drinking water first and weened myself off the Mountain Dews. I switched to drinking Diet Mountain Dew and limited myself to 2 soft drinks a day. Then, there was my eating habits. I stopped eating fast foods and started eating subs and salads for lunch. I was snacking healthy and watching my calorie intake. I gradually noticed that my uniforms were getting larger to the point that I could slide my pants straight down from a fastened position. I went from a size 16 uniform to a size 10.

Brandi weight loss before and after

Vikki lost 38 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Vikki lost 38 pounds in 5 months with exercise and healthy changes to her eating habits. Here is what she shared with us:

I just wanted to share my story with the page. I have a VERY long way to go, but you never know who it may help motivate if they’re having trouble getting started.  The picture on the left was taken on January 19th, and the one on the right was taken 2 weeks agao…5 months and 38 pounds later. My goal is to lose a total of 125 pounds.

I workout 5 days a week for a minimum of 20 minutes of cardio, and a maximum of 1 hour during the day. After work, I strength train for 1/2 hours, 3 days a week. I’m doing it all on my own, without a personal trainer or classes.

I don’t diet. I merely changed my eating habits by eliminating soda completely, sweets, and I incorporate whole wheat whenever I can. I also drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, and eat oatmeal for breakfast 5 days a week.  I’m a HUGE snacker, so I always make sure to have fresh fruit, pistachios, and trail mix on hand.

Thank you for your time, and as I said before I just hope it helps someone by getting the idea of “fast” out of their head.

Vikki weight loss before and after