Black Weight Loss Success

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Rachel lost 103 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Rachel lost 103 pounds going from 300 to 197 by changing her eating habits and exercising regularly.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hello, my name is Rachel and I started my weight loss journey/lifestyle change in March of 2010. My starting weight was 300 LBS. It just seemed like when I looked at food, I would gain a pound. The bigger I got, the worst I felt physically and mentally.  I realized it was me and I had an obsession with eating. One day, I decided that if I didn’t change my way of eating, that I would start to have serious health issues.  The thought was just uncomfortable since I had, at the time, a 4 year old daughter. I started out with eliminating pastries and other sweets, which was my biggest downfall. I focused on eating more fruits, vegetables, and smaller portions. It was too painful & exhausting for me at the beginning to workout. In 2011, after I had lost 50lbs, I started walking at work on my break and lunch time. Over time, my energy level had risen and in Jan. 2013 I started doing cardio daily and weights for body toning. I am still consistently exercising at least 5 days a week. As of June 2013, I am now at 197 pounds and still will forever continue living a healthy lifestyle, because this is my life. My family and friends give me the most encouragement & support which is very important and motivates me to keep going.

weight loss before and after photo

Latoya lost 72 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some BWLW lost to Latoya.  She lost 72 pounds with LapBand surgery.  Here is what she shared with us:

I love that we are here motivating one another, I wanted to share my story!! I have lost 72lbs. My motivation is my son. I made the decision to become a healthier me, so that I may watch him grow up!!  On January 28, 2013, I received the LapBand Surgery. To date, I still replace a meal with a protein shake, usually breakfast and I workout at least 5 days per week. I do not eat fried foods, candy or fast foods, nor do I drink soda. The last time I had soda or junk food was in December. I made the decision to have the surgery when my doctor threatened to put me on meds. I did not want that. My 4 yr old son Preston is my heart and my motivation! Getting the band only limits how much I can eat, what I intake is all on me!! Additionally, I use myfitnesspal as a calorie tracker!

Latoya weight loss before and after

Blanche lost 48 pounds

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Today’s weight loss before and after story: Blanche lost 48 pounds with My Fitness Pal, Zumba, Body Pump classes and running.  Here is what she shared with us:

I gained the a weight from being pregnant and it never came off! I was very sad about not being able to wear my former clothes. One day, I said only I can change it. I used My Fitness Pal and ran three times a week. I also took Zumba classes at Fitness Connection!  I’ve lost about 48 pounds and I don’t want to gain it back.

My motivation to lose weight came from the clothes in my closet that I could not wear anymore. It was very painful to see my size 10 jeans in the closet and wear a size 14. My emotions were all over the place!  Then, a friend told me about Black Girls RUN! I joined the group but was always to nervous to run with them. I worked at it a little on my own. I started running two miles on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Then, I’d run like four miles on Saturday. I would participate in Body Pump led by Chelle Thompson at Fitness Connection. My family and friends were very supportive! Now, I do group runs, 5Ks,and even completed my first half marathon! Diet wise, I started out using the My Fitness Pal app which was helpful. Now, I just follow portion control, stop when I feel full, and drink water. It has been an amazing journey. I’m now smaller than my pre pregnancy weight!
Blanche weight loss before and after

Renee lost 28 pounds

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Zumba Instructor Renee lost 28 pounds and has kept the weight off for 2 1/2 years.  Here is what she shared with us:

I’m Renee and married with 3 girls. I’m a Zumba instructor and took a look back at my photos from a decade ago and couldn’t believe the size I was. I lost 28 pounds and been maintaining for 2.5 years. It was important to be at a healthy weight because of the current diseases that are actively on the rise such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer due to the type of foods we eat. Diabetes also runs in my family with age. I had to take a stand to break that cycle.

McDonalds was banned from our household for over 8 years. I teach my children to incorporate vegetables with every meal (including breakfast – except cold/hot cereals…lol).

A little more detail about me: rallen.zumba.com/

Renee weight loss before and after

Beverly lost 110 pounds

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Let’s show some Black Women Losing Weight Love to Beverly.  She lost 110 pounds with low carb eating and exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

Hi, My name is Beverly and I started my journey a Year ago. I have lost 110 pounds and counting. I weighed 250 pounds and now I am down to 140 pounds.  I cannot believe it myself.  I have to pinch myself to see if it is me!  No weight loss surgery. My diet consists of a low carb diet, Naked smoothies and no sodas. I went from 4 or 5 diet Pepsi’s a day to no Sodas at all. I am a Social Worker here in New York and to get my exercise I go up and down Subway-stairs and do a lot of walking. I have not reached my ideal weight but I am pressing forward. I have battled my weight since my High School years and now I have entered into a Lifestyle change. I am loosing weight  to be totally free from all medicines. My inspiration came from My SIS Laura Whitaker (Teamfit page), and most of all checking out the stories and tips from Black Women Losing Weight! Thank You for The Page and Inspiration!

Beverly weight loss before and after

Tenisha lost 50 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tenisha who lost 50 pounds by cutting out carbs.  Here is what she shared with us:

I lost 50 pounds cutting back on carbs.  I have tried everything in the world to lose weight and I finally found something that works. I have been counting carbs and I really haven’t had time to exercise because of school, work and maintaining a family! I just wanted to share my story with other busy women who want to be healthier but do not have time to exercise. My motivation: My health and my self esteem.  My weight loss journey has taken about six months.

Tenisha weight loss before and after

Lauren lost 94 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story: Lauren lost 94 pounds.  She was scheduled for weight loss surgery but lost 50 pounds before her surgery date with Weight Watchers and changing her eating habits.  She went on to lose more after adding exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

My journey of ACTUAL weight loss started Labor Day weekend 2011 on a whim. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired AND fat. I, on that whim, joined Weight Watchers Online.

My journey mentally started before I joined Weight Watchers. I was all primed to have weight loss surgery. I had gone to all the initial appointments. I had been to the all of the pre surgery appointments (psychiatrist, sleep study, primary care to get a letter of medical necessity, blood work, cardiology, gastroenterology, nutritionist and radiology). In my mind, I was going to have gastric sleeve surgery January 2012.

I had no idea how I was going to make Weight Watchers and weight loss happen but I was going to try. I have always given everything 100%, even eating so I was going to give losing 100%, too. I slowly explored the website. By slowly, continuing to make the same food AND measuring WWs taught me to make better food choices. I began to see the weight come off. I ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, even making them fresh myself.

I had done all the pre surgery work for my gastric sleeve surgeon and gone back to set a date. He said you are doing well, let push your next appointment with me out 6 weeks which I did. By the time, that 6 weeks rolled around I cancelled that appointment, too. By January 2012, I had dropped 50lbs and was ready to start exercising. I joined LA Fitness and started with a personal trainer 1x weekly.

It is now April 2013; 17 months later; 94 lbs down. I have gone from a size 22/24 to a 12/14. My shoe size has even gone from a 9 ½-10 to an 8 ½-9. I have lost at least 25 inches as of December 2012. And I am not finished yet. I am 12 lbs from my original goal and may tack another 20lbs on to that. And I am doing the C25K program with Black Girls Run starting this spring and hope to run my first 5k in June. I am also trying to quit smoking. And the thing that I am most proud of is that I am an inspiration to others!!!! I move more than I ever thought I would!!!! I work out at work. I go to the gym. I go to a group workout session on Saturdays in Camden, NJ with a GREAT trainer called Team Poke. I have done Zumba. All I want to do is move!!!!! My next “moving” is paint balling and rock wall climbing!!!!! This has been such an adventure. I have learned so much about myself and I continue to learn!!!!!

So the developments since I originally wrote this. I have, as of June 1st , have given up meat. I am learning to cook without meat. It is very interesting and exciting. I am now on the ecigarette. I’m closer to 100 lbs but I have more energy. My skin is clearer (switched to all natural products)!!!! I’m enjoying this experience and it is soooo empowering.

Lauren weight loss before and after

Ashley lost 40 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after story:  Blogger Ashley lost 40 pounds with MyFitnessPal, clean eating, exercise and the Couch to 5K running program.  She says that she decided that if she made healthy choices for her body the weight loss would come naturally.  Here are the details of her weight loss journey that she shared with us:

I began my most recent weight loss attempt last September when the scale hit 184.6 pounds, but I have been trying to lose weight since I was little girl. My highest weight ever was 216.4 pounds when I was in middle school. I was obese and miserable.  the summer before high school I started going to Weight Watchers and got down to the 160s. My weight started to yo-yo after that. I would let my weight get up into the 180’s then decide I needed to go on a diet again and get back somewhere between 150 and 160. I never managed to make it to my goal weight, but I also never let myself leave Onederland again (the 100s).

Fast forward to my first year of law school. I was stressed out and eating badly but I let myself believe I hadn’t gained that much weight. I kept telling myself that fiction right up until I was too big for all my favorite dresses and I had to buy size 18 jeans because none of my old ones fit anymore. In late August I decided to find out how much damage I had done during my first year of law school so I ordered a bathroom scale for my apartment. When I stepped on it for the first time I was horrified. I was dangerously close to 190 pounds. I decided it was time to get to work and reach a healthy weight once and for all.

What was your motivation?
The first time I lost a large amount of weight, I did it because I wanted to be thin like the other girls in my school. This time when I decided to lose the weight, I did it for myself. I decided that I wanted to be healthy and fit. I wanted to live a better life than I had been living. I wanted to be happy.

How did you change your eating habits?
I started by counting calories and tracking what I ate in MyFitnessPal. At first I ate a lot of Lean Cuisine and other diet foods, but as I started doing more research about weight loss and eating healthy.  I realized that eating primarily frozen and processed meals wasn’t a healthy way to lose weight even if I was staying within my calorie budget. I slowly started to ease into clean eating. First, I gave up soda and learned to like water. I started trying new fruits and vegetables. I started cooking more. Eventually, I found clean replacements for the processed foods I loved. I started eating Peanut Butter Cookie Larabars instead of the peanut butter cookies I used to get at Subway as a treat. I started making my own pizzas with healthy ingredients instead of buying Lean Cuisine ones. I started doing most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s where I could find healthier, less processed foods than I could get at a regular store. As I made these changes, I started to feel better. I started focusing more on getting healthy than losing weight. Somewhere along the way I decided that if I made healthy choices for my body the weight loss would come naturally. So far, that approach has worked fairly well.

What did your workout routines look like?
When I started losing weight, I was really out of shape. My first forays into the gym involved setting the treadmill at an incline and walking for an hour at a time five or six times per week. I would see the other gym-goers running on the treadmills next to me and wish I could be like them, but at that point I didn’t think I would ever be able to run. Sometime in October, I came across the Couch to 5k program online. It was supposed to help you ease into running with interval training where you run for a minute or so then recover by walking for a couple of minutes. Eventually the running intervals get longer and the walking intervals get shorter until you are either running thirty minutes at a time or 5k (3.1 miles). I didn’t follow the program exactly, but I was able to run for twenty to thirty minutes at a time by the end of December and was running 3 miles several times a week by the end of January. The more active I became, the more active I wanted to be.  I started venturing to local parks and greenways and found that I love hiking.

What is your current weight? How long did your transformation take?
At my last weigh-in my weight was 145.4, but I’m not done losing weight. My current goal is to weigh between 130 and 135, but I mainly want to get toned up. My transformation up to this point has taken 10 months. I am still a work in progress, so you will have to read the rest of my journey on my blog: downsizingashley.blogspot.com/.

ashley weight loss before and after

Andrea lost 32 pounds

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Check out Andrea’s weight loss story.  She lost weight with Weight Watchers and regular exercise.  I think her story is a good example that it’s hard to keep the weight off after you’ve lost it.  Sometimes, you have to revisit and recommit to your overall health goals for the long haul to maintain weight loss for good.  Here is what she shared with us:

Most of my life the journey to a healthier lifestyle has always been a challenge. I am a petite 4’11 inch At at this point I realize that this is a real journey. This battle is more mental than physical. I didn’t do surgery. Everything is self discipline. Now that I have gained back almost half of the weight that I lost, I want to catch my self before I go all the way back. So please be encouraged ladies we are in this together.

Most of my life I have been a plump girl. I always maintain a size 12 to 14 for most of my life. After having two children and the stress of owning a business in the recession of 2009 I went up to a size 20. I am a petite (4’11”) woman, so obviously that is too much weight. Because of the stress I was under, I turned to food for comfort. However, I really want to be an example to my children. I want to be a healthy mom.

I decided to join Weight Watchers online. I like the fact that it teaches you healthier options and portion control. My parents are from Alabama, so I love my soul food one and a while. I have tried diet pills in the past and other fad diets but Weight Watchers works for me. It’s truly a lifestyle.

I exercise 3-5 says a week by doing Taebo, Turbo Jam, Jillian Michaels, Zumba, and moderate weight lifting. Let’s just say I love to dance and kick!

In December 2009, I was 205 pounds.  By December 2011, I was 137 pounds. Today, I weigh 173 pounds do to lack of dicipline and exercise. I am determined to conquer this battle with my weight once and for all so that I can motivate some other women to do the same.

Andrea weight loss before and after

Shelby lost 100 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss before and after:  My Sigma Gamma Rho soror Shelby lost 100 pounds with a low carb lifestyle and consistent exercise.  Here is what she shared with us:

Ladies, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all how inspiring you all are to me and to share my story! Over the years, I gained and lost A LOT of weight but, on 12/27/2002, I decided to try my hand at a low carb lifestyle and CONSISTENT exercise.  Thank God, those were the changes that allowed me to change FOR GOOD! I’ve been able to keep the excess weight off (pic on the left was taken in the summer of ’02 and the one on the right was at a sorority (ΣΓΡ) conference in April of this year) through continued commitment to my low carb lifestyle and MOVING MY BODY. Many of us are proof that we can do this for life, not just as a “quick fix” or for a special occasion.  I thank you all for being next to me on this journey!!

I lost 100 lbs (120 total but gained 20 after having thyroid surgery…boooo!) and my motivation was to improve my health and no longer feel like a prisoner in my body! High blood pressure, insulin resistance/pre-diabetes and asthma were controlling my life and I felt like someone much older than my actual age! For exercise, I’ve done everything from aerobics classes to Zumba to every DVD program you can imagine. At the moment, I’ll be wrapping up my first round of Insanity next week and I plan to start Les Mills Combat on June 2nd!!

Shelby weight loss before and after