Robin lost 85 pounds

Update April 2020: Robin lost 7 more pounds for a total of 92 pounds gone. She shared with us how she has worked hard to maintain her success.

I’m back! In my previous submission, I spoke about how I lost weight and why. Now, I want to share about the real hard part: MAINTAINING. My current weight is 158 pounds.

For the last year, I’ve been running. April 15th, 2019 was the first time I stepped off of a treadmill to hit the pavement. It was hard as heck for a while, but I was determined to participate in a 5k that I was invited to for someone’s birthday. Who does that?

I mapped out routes to take every day after work. I connected with other runners. I read books and watched YouTube videos as we. I also decided to become active in Black Girls Run. So, I surrounded myself with like-minded individuals. I run through inner-city neighborhoods speaking to folks about health and hoping to be an example.

My first 5k took me 36+ minutes to complete, but I did it. Since then, I’ve run many 5k’s and only do them for fun. I’ve also run two 15k‘s (9 miles), and three half marathons (13 miles). I ride my bike at least 10 to 12 miles once a week. I’m currently up to running 20 miles. I did this all within a year while training for a full marathon (26 miles).

I have to admit it’s pricey to buy the correct running gear, pay for races, going out of town, and buying a good bike that’s comfortable for me. However, I look at it as an investment in myself. Therefore I feel good about my purchases.

My primary purpose is to remind my Sistas that after the weight is gone, we STILL have to maintain, or it will come back. That’s why it is important to make this a lifestyle change and not a trend. I wish everyone a stress-free life filled with good health and happiness!

Transformation of the Day: Robin lost 85 pounds. For this grandmother of four, health is the number one priority. With a made up mind, she transformed her eating habits and made sure that her gym membership didn’t go to waste. This Glamma put in work. Check out her story.

I started my journey in February 2017, and I’ve come further than I ever imagined. My first step was to make up my mind. Once that was official, my body followed. I never gave up, even though I didn’t have a work out buddy or anyone to hold me accountable.

Motivation: Being 5’3″ and 250 lbs, I was fed up with being in denial about being overweight. I had become a Grandmother of 2 at the time, and I felt like one. When I looked in the mirror, I never connected with who I saw.

One night, while lying in bed, I prayed to GOD to show me how to find me. Shortly after, I couldn’t think about anything but my health and how to make it better. I constantly felt the need to become an example for my loved ones who were at high risk for hypertension, diabetes and other diseases associated with black women’s high mortality rate. Eventually, my sister/best friend and I decided to remove an obsession from our lives. Mine were chocolate turtles and losing ten pounds. Her’s were Mountain Dew and gaining some muscle.

Eating Habits and Exercise: Once I made up my mind to take my health seriously, I knew I had to change my eating habits and start exercising. So, I gifted myself a gym membership for Valentine’s Day 2017. Determined not to waste money, I went to the gym EVERY DAY, some days twice a day. I also removed fried foods, pasta, bread, and sugar from my diet. After several months of doing cardio and being dissatisfied with my results, I decided to tweak my eating habits once more and removed fruit from my diet. After 7 months, my results became visual. I began strength training and doing less cardio, which brought me to 165 pounds. Now I’m strong, and I love it. I use to wear workout gear for style NOW, and I wear it for a purpose.

I can now say that I honestly have a truthful body image about myself. After years of believing that I was “ big boned “ or “ thick,” I now can admit my perception wasn’t good for my longevity. I never had any medical issues on paper, but my body often ached from my neck to my feet. I was easily tired and had poor sleeping and eating habits. Now that I’m a Granny to 4 beautiful, brown children my health is my first priority.

Now, it’s 2019, and I’m approaching my 2nd year Fit anniversary. I’m visiting the gym 5 days a week, going out dancing twice a week, and doing yoga when I can fit it in. I’m also an assistant coach 3 days a week for a youth dance squad. All of this has become my normal way of life. I can now proudly and confidently say I’m living life and no longer letting life live me. I’ve learned to find happiness within myself and in new experiences vs. finding it in people and food. My sincere prayer is that EVERY BLACK WOMAN feels the daily euphoria that I feel, along with being fit and NOT to just losing weight.

You can find me on Instagram and Facebook at @GlammaFitness

 

 

 

 

 

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Half the size but twice the woman . #motivationmonday . I’m too busy for s long stat but “Hey Yawl!” #blessed #lifestylechange #noexcuses #balance #blackwomen #selfcare #workflow #women #weights #determination

A post shared by Glammafitness (@glammafitness) on Jan 28, 2019 at 4:49pm PST