Black Weight Loss Success

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Before and After Photos

Success Story: Valerie lost 20 pounds

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Let’s show some BWLW love to Valerie.  She lost 20 pounds.  She was inspired to change her lifestyle after back surgery.  During a doctor’s visit she was moved by what she saw on the scale (so many of us can relate to that wake up call).  She shared her before and after photos and her story with us:

“My journey to healthy eating and weight loss occurred when I had to go for a minor surgery on my back. When I stepped on the scale during a related visit, I realized that I was out of control with my eating habits. My motivation was to, in the long run, be in control of my eating and still be fit enough to enjoy with my children. I began to change my eating habits by eliminating junk food, eating salads for lunch and dinner and having cereal for breakfast.  I also ate more fruits & vegetables. My workout routine consisted of walking for an hour each day in the park. On days when I did not walk, I worked out in the park with a personal trainer, and it was intense! I also worked out in the mornings on my Ab Lounge. My starting weight was 172 lbs. My current weight is now 152 lbs! My transformation took 4 to 5 months. My advice for others is to think long range when it comes to your health. Think about how you want to be in your latter years, and take baby steps to eating right and working out. It can be done! Just start it and try your best to stick to reaching healthy eating and weight loss goals.”

ValerieMay14blog

 

Nosayaba lost more than 110 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Blogger Nosayaba lost more than 110 pounds.  At 360 pounds she decided that it was time for a lifestyle change.  She embraced exercise and found low carb eating works for her.  Read her story below:

Nosayaba before and after

Hi my name is Nosayaba, and I would love to share my weight loss journey with you and the world.  I have lost over 110 pounds through diet and exercise. I tried so many diets, pills and weight loss regimes which were always temporary. Running from one quick fix to another and always ending up right where I started.  I decided in May 2013 to take absolute charge of my life and health as a whole.

I went on the Cambridge Weight Plan weight loss program to kick start my new lifestyle. At over 360 pounds, movement was very limited for me. I started slowly by walking on the threadmill for 30 minutess a day and taking aerobic classes.

By October, I had lost over 66 pounds and decided to dedicate myself to living a totally healthy lifestyle because I realized that this journey is not short term. It is a total overhaul and absolute lifestyle change.  As of today, I have lost a total of over 110 pounds and still have another 70 to loose to get to my goal. I am extremely proud of my accomplishments and I won’t stop.

I workout 5-6 times a week and I cut out most carbs (Rice Bread,Pasta) from my diet. I eat mainly protein meals (Fish, Chicken and Mats all types) with loads and loads of fruits and vegetables.

My advice to anyone who is trying to loose weight, is “Never give up.” It is very possible as long as you believe that you can do it. It is gonna be a long ride, but with consistency, dedication, discipline and hard work you will get there.

I have a blog where you can follow my journey: www.diaryofafoodiee.blogspot.com
My instagram is @nossybelle

Nosayaba weight loss story

Diedre lost 57 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Diedre lost 57 pounds.  This 5″5″ mother of 3 embraced healthy eating and committed to regular exercise to change her lifestyle.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

DiedreMay14

“My name is Diedre Wiggins. I’m a 41 year old mother of three. My weight loss journey started in October of 2010. My starting weight was 267 pounds and I am only 5 foot, 5 inches tall. When I begin my journey, I was only walking and counting calories. Later, I started working out with weights and going to exercise classes. I began clean eating and changing a lot of my eating habits. Now, I’m gluten free and dairy free.

It has been a long journey and I’m still going. My lowest weight was 185 pounds and my current weight is 210 pounds. My goal weight is 150 pounds.

I have lost and gained this weight several times in the past 4 years, but I finally think I found the right eating plan. I believe that I can stick to clean eating along with doing DVD workouts from Shaun T and Fitness Blender (on YouTube).  I work out on a regular basis, at least five to six times a week. I think I finally figured it out and hopefully this weight to stay off. I still have a ways to go and I will keep you updated.

You can find me on Instagram @diedre_goddess
YouTube: Diedregoddess
Facebook @diedre.reline.

DiedreMay142

Update: Muriel lost 70 pounds

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2014 – Muriel sent in a great update.  When we featured her story back in September 2013, she’d lost 36 pounds.  She has lost 34 more pounds since then.  Read about how she lost the weight and check out her before and after photos below.

“UPDATE: Hi everyone! I am so pleased to share my progress since I was last featured on BWLW. I have lost a total of 70 lbs. I continued with working out at home using Jillian Michaels DVDs and stuck to a healthy, lifestyle changing diet. I also received 2 responses from Jillian Michael’s on Twitter. That was the best feeling ever! In November 2013, I ran my first half marathon. Then on Feb 1st, I ran my first 15K. On April 5th, I ran my first 10K, in which I placed 2nd overall for the females and 1st in my age category. I am truly thankful and blessed beyond measure. The best advice that I can give to women trying and wanting to lose weight is, NEVER give up! Put God first in everything you do, and I will guarantee that you will be successful. Always trust and believe. God Bless”

Learn more about how she lost the weight in the original post about her journey from September.

Muriel weight loss Muriel weight loss

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 40 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Dawn lost 40 pounds.  She was inspired to lose weight and get health by the passing of her dear father.  This 5’3″ petite diva embraced the low carb lifestyle and exercise.  Read her story below to learn more:

DawnMay14

“I started the Atkins Diet many times before, but never had this much success.  I have lost 40 pounds…this diet works for me. My motivation was that my father died of cancer last April and I was on a mission to become healthy. I was 38 years old never did drugs a day in my life! My drug of choice was food. No smoking, no drinking. I could not understand why God would take the only person who ever loved me my whole life! My mother never raised me. She too had died years earlier from AIDS. She was a heroin addict.

I was on a mission. I started at my highest weight ever, 347 pounds at 5’3″ tall. I started working out every day. The first day was hell. I kept telling myself you can make it! I started out walking one mile a day for three days a week. My husband would walk with me every morning. Later, I started going to the gym and doing the treadmill.

Eating wise, I followed the Atkins plan.  I just had meat, eggs, salad and vegetables. Every morning. I take omega fish oil 3,000 mg. I have 3 pills every morning and 1 multi vitamin. I also drink lots of water. I’ve been on this weight loss journey for 1 year as of this April 2014. I started gaining weight back to the tune of 15 pounds. It’s been two weeks to this date, 4/9/14, that started again with the plan and I’ve I lost 11 pounds. My goal is to lose 100 pounds. Thank you for reading!”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Cheryl lost 48 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Cheryl lost 48 pounds.  Faced with high blood pressure, daily headaches and the possibility of diabetes, she decided it was time for a lifestyle change.  Read her story below to find out what to change her life and lose the pounds:

Cheryl weight loss story

“Hi my name is Cheryl Staton and I am 43 years old. I got married in 2012. I was also going through early menopause and I suffered from daily headaches. A doctor visit made me realize how I was slowly killing myself. I had high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic. At 248 lbs, I hit rock bottom. I stopped drinking pop, beer and eating mindlessly. I started walking and paying attention to the calories I consumed. I prayed because I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I bought a Nutribullet blender and prepared breakfast smoothies everyday. Ate lean meats and drank lots of water. The weight started coming off and I started feeling better. I now weight 200 pounds. My goal weight range is 160-170 pounds. I believe that once you decide that a healthier you is a happier you, making better choices is the answer. I want to be happy, healthy and feel comfortable in my own skin. With God and determination, I won’t stop. This is a lifestyle! Thank you & never give up!” Instagram: @mrssassy1212

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Khadijah lost 46 pounds. She changed her eating habits so that she could have more energy to exercise.  Then she kicked her workouts up to full speed and lost the pounds.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

KhadijahMay2

“When I started my journey I weighted 268 pounds. At this weight I began to notice a lack of energy and increased laziness. I was always the girl to love sports and weight lifting. However, I knew to be a little better than I was, some of the weight had to disappear. Being a better me and living longer than my mom and grandma served as great motivation for me. It also helps a lot that I have a super energetic one year old niece.

I went from eating junk and gunk to being a lean, mean, protein machine. From candy and fast food with lots of grease to eggs, chicken and tons of greens. It is safe to say lettuce is now my favorite food.  I knew with extra work on my nutrition that my energy levels would increase and I was back at the weights in no time. I also began running one to two miles every day and going to the gym 3x a week to lift weight and work on abs.

After all of this hard work (about 3 months worth), I can proudly say that I now weigh 222 pounds. 46 pounds gone and at least 30 lbs more to go.Never give up in yourself. If you do others will began to give up on you too. It’s not easy at first because it’s different, but we are made to overcome the challenges that are put in front of us. We determine our destiny. So, Come on ladies! Eat clean and start your transformation. And remember that abs are made in the kitchen. “

Brittany lost 42 pounds

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Weight Loss Story: Brittany lost 42 pounds.  This college student started and stopped her weight loss journey over the years, but she re-committed to losing the pounds in 2013.  She created her own weight loss plan and was consistent.  Read her story and find out what she did to achieve her goals:

Brittany weight loss

Hello, my name is Brittany and I am 22 years old. When I started college in 2010, I floated between accepting my body but wanting to lose weight. I started going to the gym and tried to eat healthy, but instead I decided to sleep in and eat junk food. In 2011, I went to Macy’s to buy some jeans and I couldn’t fit anything. Without paying my jeans size any mind, I had gotten up to a size 17/19 but I barely could fit those size jeans. All I could do is cry. I brought a scale that day and weighed myself. The number I got shocked me, I was 228 pounds. I never thought I would see a number that high on the scale. I started working out again, eating right and got down to 211 pounds, but fell right back into the same stage of sleeping all the time and eating junk food all day. I ended up gaining all the weight back. So, in January 2012, I decided to restart again and convinced myself this would be the last time. I ended up quitting in November 2012 after I had reached 198 pounds.

I realized it was time to stop blaming others and accept that I was the reason that I kept failing. I restarted back at 228 pounds in September 2013 and now I’m down to 186 pounds. I have so much more energy in me. I went from a size 17/19 to where I am at now, which is a size 13/14. I’m so proud of myself and I feel that accepting my faults and keeping myself on track has helped me out so much. I track my food and exercises with My Fitness Pal and I plan eating better and exercising into my school and work schedule. I typically workout 3 to 5 days a week and that involves cardio and weight training. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy but this is my life.  I was tired of living with excuses.

I’m not perfect and I have some bad days but one thing I will not do is deprive and restrict myself from the things I want to eat. Consistency is my key and I believe that moderation is my best friend and it keeps me sane.  When you are ready to change, you will. You have to find what works for you! Stop looking at others for motivation and motivate yourself to do better.

Brittany before and after Brittany before and after

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Jamila lost 42 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Jamila lost 42 pounds.  This mother of 3 from Oakland, CA realized that after 2 years she still hadn’t lost the baby weight from her last pregnancy.  She got serious about exercise and changed her daily eating habits to reach her goals.  Read her story below to find out what steps she took to transform her body:

Jamila before and after

“Greetings! My name is Jamila and I am a 32 year old mother of three from Oakland, CA. I would like to submit my weight loss story to the page because there is a huge problem with obesity here in Oakland. I am so happy so see more and more Black women out here making changes for a healthier lifestyle. I was motivated to lose weight after giving birth to my last baby, whom weighed 11 pounds! After 2 years, I still could not lose the weight and finally I decided that enough was enough. Due to finances. I could only work out with a trainer two days a week. I recorded these workouts on my phone to help me remember the techniques and exercises. I also supplemented with kickboxing and yoga. I recently began with another trainer who introduced me to heavier lifting as well as interval sprints, which help so much. I alternate between heavy and light arm leg and core days. I also do lots of jumping rope, which has helped my endurance for the sprints.

My diet changed in many ways. I cut out all breads and processed foods and stuck to only oatmeal, fruit, egg whites, turkey patties, brown and black rice, wild fish, and any vegetables I wanted. If I had to have a ‘cheat’ ,meal, I made sure it only was a serving size of my daughters toddler bowls. I also drank my weight in ounces of water daily and green tea, which helped with my stubborn belly fat. My starting weight was 220 pounds and my current weight is 178 pounds. Each picture was taken 3 months apart over a nine month period.

My advice to others is to take charge today! Don’t wait another moment to get healthy. There are so many sistas battling food addictions and weight struggles and it is killing so many of us. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and as long as you have the support and are willing, Anything is possible! If you can think it, you can do it.  Hopefully my story can be used as a testimony to show that Black women are strong and resilient and can overcome and achieve anything. I see it everyday with the women featured on this page.”

Weight Loss Story of the Day: Rashard lost 93 pounds

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Weight Loss Story of the Day: Rashard lost 93 pounds. She fell in love with Zumba on her weight loss journey and is now an instructor in Pearland, TX.  Read her story below to find out the details of her journey.

Rashard before and after

“I was overweight all through high school and college. When my doctor told me that I had gained nine pounds in a matter of months, enough was enough. She gave me some diet pills, but they made me feel awful. I pitched them in the trash and bought a gym membership instead. I started with kickboxing, then moved on to step aerobics 5-6 days weekly. Then I started hearing about Zumba. I tried a class and immediately went home to sign up for the licensing workshop. I started eating smaller portions, drinking more water, and adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet. As time has passed, I’ve learned about meal prep and weight training. I am now a certified group fitness instructor teaching Zumba, BodyPump and Nightclub Cardio. I started at 248 pounds and am currently at 155 pounds. It took about two years to loose all of the weight. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m pleased with my results so far.

My advice would be to TRUST THE PROCESS! Don’t measure your success solely by the numbers on the scale. Your measurements and how your clothes fit are great indicators of progress. Also, don’t be afraid of the weights. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns, even at rest.”

FB: facebook.com/ZumbaWithRashard
Instagram: @boquifa