Black Weight Loss Success

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Rikki lost 138 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Rikki.  She lost 138 pounds (115 of the pounds over the course of a year).  Here is what she shared with us:

Rikki weight loss photos

“I went to the doctor about 2 years ago and he called me the word “obese”. That word made me sick. I tipped the scale at 377 pounds. I decided that it was finally time for me to give up my candy and my chips. I started off with by walking 3 houses down, and every two days I increased by distance by 2 more houses. I cut out pork and red meat.  Then, I started to keep a food diary. Every time I looked at the scale it motivated me to continue. I am now 239 pounds and still have a ways to go. As long as I am blessed to be able to move my body, I will continue my everyday routine. If I can do this, anyone can. My next doctor’s appointment is to have my loose skin removed. After that, I will have a before picture and after picture of my body. I hope my story has helped someone out here who is going through the struggle of changing their eating habits and their daily routine to one that is more healthy.”

Brooke lost 100 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Brooke lost 100 pounds with the help of the Oxygen show “My Big Fat Revenge”.  She has provided a LOT of detail about her weight loss journey.  Here is what she shared:

Brooke weight loss story

What was your motivation?

“I had reached 287 lbs from poor eating habits and lack of exercising. As my husband and I decided we wanted to try to conceive. I felt convicted about raising children with no knowledge of how to eat, workout and worried about my own health if I gained more weight through pregnancy. I was blessed with an amazing opportunity to be apart of a hit weight loss reality
show from the creators if The Biggest Loser. The show aired on the Oxygen network and is called My Big Fat Revenge. They focused on teaching us how to loose weight healthily while confronting a bulky who tormented us about our weight. My main goal was to accomplish this for my future babies and telling one of my many horror stories was just a tool for addition help in this case. I relied on my faith in Christ to get me through the process as I discovered their were parts of myself I was unhappy with that I never confessed to anyone but God. Accepting that, believing God loved me anyway and would give me the strength to make it through helped me to step out on faith and conquer a fear I’ve had since childhood, loosing weight.”

How did you change your eating habits?

“The show explained to us how much eating affects of weight gain and loss. They had us take a look at what was in the food we were eating and recognize that a lot of empty calories were actually harder to burn off. We used free tools like an app called My Fitness Pal to keep track of our food intake and see a picture of how balanced our diet was. I ate unprocessed foods, such as cooked veggies, lean meats and protein shakes before and after morning workouts. I kept my calorie intake to 1200 calories 6 days a week and then carb loaded on healthy foods once a week up to 1500 calories. I also drank a gallon of water a day and coffee with a sugar free creamer sometimes for those mornings I felt sluggish.”

What did your workout routines look like?

“Oh my, I went IN! I woke up in the wee hours of the morning and did an hour on the stair mill and half our walking on the treadmill until I built up the endurance and confidence to jog. These activities were very boring to me so bringing music or watching movies / tv shows on Netflix helped me a GREAT deal. I also used a heart rate monitor to get an idea of how hard I needed to push myself.

In the afternoon I met with a trainer for about an hour fifteen minutes for strength training fused with cardio. We did things like climb hills with cement blocks, football drills, leg presses, arm presses, burpees (yea YouTube those smh) as well as jumping jacks to name a few.

In the evening I’d go back to the gym and take a couple of fun aerobics classes like hip hop, flirty girl fitness or even a home work out video like Insanity, in which I did at my own pace not at the level they did on the DVD. If they did 20 jump squats I prob only made it to 5 at first.”

What was your starting weight? “287 lbs”

What is your current weight? “My ending weight was 187 lbs
( I’m currently pregnant and had some complications where Im not able to work out and have been eating tons of carbs for nausea so I’m currently at 200 lbs)”

How long did your transformation take?
“A total of 7 months for my 100lb victory!”

What advice to you have for others who want to lose weight?

“Slow and steady wins the race! I was so discouraged by my 1 or 2 lb losses each week because I thought it wasn’t enough for the results I wanted as quick as I wanted them but it was a healthy speed for my body. Those pounds started adding up and I realized the number on the scale or measuring tape reflected the work I put in each week. How clean did I really eat? How sweaty did I get during a work out or did I not want to mess my hair up? When I was close to a milestone week I got extremely disciplined just hit my goal and it was those weeks I hit big numbers like a 10 or even 13 lb week. But I cried through my work out or cried when I wanted to eat certain foods yet kept myself disciplined. I went from NEVER running in my life, I mean straight up being embarrassed or complaining about it hurting to being able to run a 10k (6.2 miles) and possibly more because I haven’t pushed myself pass that yet. If someone as lazy, as defensive, as undisciplined, as addicted to food as I am lost weight. Anyone could do it! You are MORE than a conqueror!

I operate a small Facebook group called The New Me Project where we share tips, success stores, weak moments and motivate each other to consistently work on becoming the new version of themselves.”

Check out the video and more details from her episode of the show on the My Big Fat Revenge website.

Brooke lost 100 pounds

Lekeia lost 82 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Lekeia lost 82 pounds.  This proud army wife and mom learned how to count calories and exercised regularly to get results.  Here is what she shared about her weight loss journey:

Lekeia weight loss story

“Hi, my name is Lekeia Washington. I’m a 29 year old Army wife and mother of 2. I’m currently 5’1 tall and I weigh 128 pounds. I got tired of being overweight so I decided to do something about it. I went to a website called www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/ and I started counting calories. I’ve lost a total of 82 pounds.

I started my weight loss journey after I had my second child in 2009. At that time, I weighed a total of 210 pounds. I was able to lose 50 pounds in 3 months.  How? I only counted calories and exercised 5 days a week. Counting calories helped me to make better decisions about the foods I ate. After I lost the first 50 pounds and taught myself to eat healthy, I lost the rest of the weight over a period of 2 years. I maintain my weight of 128 lbs by working out and eating healthy. I no longer count calories. I  have changed my eating habits and I feel great. My motivation to lose weight was the fact that I didn’t like the way I looked and instead of complaining about it I changed it. The results I saw motivated me even more. My advice to other women who want to lose weight is to just do it. You will feel great afterwards. It’s amazing to look in the mirror with satisfaction.”

Lekeia before and after photos

Peita-Gaye lost more than 65 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Peita-Gaye of Jamaica lost more than 65 pounds.  This college student changed her diet and embraced regular exercise to lose the weight.  Her story shows that weight loss is an ongoing process.

Peita Gaye weight loss story

“At the age of 20, I was basically hypertensive (BP 150/90). With my paternal grandmother, father and sister having the disease, I decided it was time to change. My initial weight was 222 pounds at the height of 5’4 and I was morbidly obese. After the scare of hypertension, I started swimming and running at least three (3) times a week. I also drank lots of water and reduced my juice intake to only twice a month. Additionally, I snacked on fruits, vegetables and nuts instead of fries and crisps. Honestly, my weight has been a challenge since the age of 9 and I am in the process of defeating it. Currently, I am 157 pounds and was down to 139 pounds last year, this took a total of six (6) months. After an extremely rough semester at school, I gained around 10 lbs and lost 6 lbs in the summer. I’ve gained a total of 18 pounds since September due to weight training five (5) a week and increased protein proportion. I’m on the journey to lose 22 lbs and I would like to encourage anyone out there that weight loss is possible at all stages in life, it’s never too late or early. There will be hiccups. Weight gain will occur, plateaus will happen but just keep going. Don’t dwell on the bad and beat up yourself when these things take place. Just restructure your plan and keep loving yourself no matter what size you are and be journey happy rather than destination happy. In other words, enjoy the transformation.”

Girlz Moving Weight: 3 Friends Lose 200+ Pounds

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Natosha wrote in to share how she and two friends have lost 200+ pounds combined and wrote a book to inspire women to lose weight.  Check out their story.

“Girlz Moving Weight is comprised of three African American women, each over the age of 40 years of age. We were motivated by aching joints, impending medical issues and overall, being tired of the way in which we walked, breathed and viewed ourselves. We chronicle our success in our new book, Weight Broke the Wagon.  We see this weight loss journey as a movement to inspire other women who look just like us that they too can shed the unwanted weight.

Today, our meals consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and homemade and innovate sugar-free snacks and breads. We’ve virtually eliminated sugar and now drink plenty of water. We’re also working out walking, jogging and free-weights. We believe that weight is NOT so much about the weight we carry on our thighs but the weight we carry on our souls. We hope to hear from you about your successful journey too.

Natosha began at 244 pounds and it took her 4 months to shed the first 30 pounds. She prides herself on eating lean chicken and fish, egg whites, lean turkey bacon, plenty of water and she jogs with her 11 year old daughter and with Black Girls Run. She currently weighs 175lbs and counting.

Gina began her weight loss journey weighing in at 322lbs. She prides herself on her of fresh fruits and vegetables with lots of water. She has shed over 60 pounds since April 2013. She power walks and plans to begin jogging one day.

Rayanne began at 260lbs and has lost a whopping 100lbs. Rayanne has eliminated meats from her diet and prides herself on making unique salads and vegetable dishes such as baked plantains and kale chips. Rayanne was previously a certified fitness instructor so she has returned to her roots of power walking and weight lifting.”

Each of the ladies partake in moderate exercise routines, daily. They have chronicled their weight loss journey in the book and provide tips and encourage on their Facebook page: Girlz Moving Weight.

Gina weight broke the wagon

Tosha weight loss photos

Rayanne before and after photos

 

 

Natasha lost 37 pounds in 6 months

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Natasha lost 37 pounds by using a weight release plan from her weight loss doctor and by working out. Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

Natasha weight loss photos

“I love your stories! I lost 30 pounds in 4 months by eating chicken seafood and certain veggies cheese and yogurt. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid disease AND Fibromyalgia!! I was 25 at the time.  I was also consistently in pain and could not lose weight no matter how much I worked out or ate organic food and fruits! I went to a weight loss doctor and got on their plan.  In the morning I eat yogurt and turkey sausage.  For lunch I would have one chicken breast baked with salad with lemon.  My dinner was fish or shrimp with mix vegetables everyday and for a snack cheese.

What did I do to workout: I work at a clinic so I constantly walked but on Sundays I did bike riding, hiked Stone Mountain (GA) or ran down Peachtree St. here in Atlanta. My starting weight was 238 pounds! I now weight 201 pounds. It took me 6 months to lose the weight. In September 2013, I didn’t even know that I lost so much weight because I wear scrubs to work! I finally realized that all of my clothes did not fit.  That’s when I knew I finally started the process of my weight loss story!”

Natasha weight loss photos

Tiffani lost more than 50 pounds

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Let’s show some love to Tiffany.  Like many sistas, she doesn’t have photos to share at her highest weight but she is sharing photos of the most recent 50 pounds she dropped.  Here is what she shared with us about losing the pounds:

Tiffani weight loss photos

“Hi, my name is Tiffani and I just wanted to share about how I lost 50 lbs. I was continuously on & off of Weight Watchers. At my biggest, I was 239 pounds (Unfortunately, I don’t have pics of me being that size). I’m 5’7″ and I was about 200 pounds in the picture to the left, the picture on the right is me at 150 pounds.  I loved soda, chips, fast food, any and everything that wasn’t healthy for me. I finally got tired of going to Weight Watchers when I felt like it was a waste of money. So, I started to count my calories. Eating 1250 calories a day is very hard, but its about making smarter choices. I’m so happy with me right now. It’s unbelievable!!! I NEVER would of thought I’d be where I am today. If it weren’t for God, I’d still be lost. Ladies you can do it, you just have to find what works for you!”

Krystina lost 103 pounds

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Update June 2015: Hi, Just wanted to update you all! I’ve lost 15 lbs since you shared my story back in November 2013. I’ve been working on gaining muscle now, so hopefully I’ll have a six pack by continuing my weight training. This was all done with no surgeries. To be honest I did reach a standstill where I didn’t think I could lose anymore weight or gain muscle and I became frustrated. Then I asked myself, “Are you really doing everything that you could possibly do? Are you really pushing yourself to the max?” So, I’ve joined a gym and I treat the gym like my second home. I starting lifting along with cardio workouts. I’m there 5 days a week. When they say that this journey is not just a diet, it it’s a lifestyle change…that true. It’s all mind over matter

krystina weight loss update

Today’s featured weight loss success story: Krystina lost 103 pounds.  This weight loss dynamo chronicles her weight loss journey on Instagram and it is IMPRESSIVE.  Here is what she shared with us:

Krystina weight loss photos

I’ve gone from 265 pounds to 142 pounds without surgery!  I’ve been overweight ever since I can remember. It’s always been a struggle. One time my mother bought me Slim Fast for a birthday gift. On November 30 2012, I looked in the mirror and just cried.  I cried like a little baby because I wasn’t happy with the person that I saw. That’s the moment I decided to finally lose weight. I started eating lean meat, fruits, and veggies. I also started and completed one round of the insanity workout. Believe it or not, I started noticing results the first week. It’s been one hell of a roller coaster experience, but it’s worth every bit of the frustration, tears, and sweat. You can see my weight loss journey on my instagram: @together_wecan

Krystina weight loss story

Sky lost 36 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss story: Sky lost 36 pounds.  She was suffering from psoriasis and had just been diagnosed with diabetes when she began her journey. Here is what she shared with us:

Sky weight loss photos

“Okay, here is my story: After giving birth to my son three years ago, I could not get my weight below 250 pounds to save my life. I was diagnosed with psoriasis (a deficiency that causes scaly dry skin on my arms and legs). I think the psoriasis came from the Mirena IUD, but that’s another story. At any rate the doctor ran some test and found that I also suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Most family on my Dad’s side has gone blind, lost limbs, and even died from Diabetes. After that visit I had to get serious about losing this weight.  From 2012 to 2013, I went from 250 to 214 pounds.

How am I doing it? Well, I have a regiment that I follow. I have replaced most of my meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. I drink a warm glass of water with fresh squeezed lemon EVERY MORNING. In the afternoon I eat light and take a couple of shots of Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother.  I try to stay away from sugary stuff..I make my own juice and eat fruit most of the time. I rotate my workouts between Dancing with the Stars Latina Version (great for the core and cardio) and the ab challenge.

I have to thank my girls in @Southern Girls Lose Weight Too for their support and motivation! Taniqua NeNe Howard, Tanesha Johnson, Rashaunda Jarmon, Kea Bradshaw…love you ladies!”

Shawana lost 40 and and kept the weight off

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Today’s featured weight loss story: Shawana lost 40 pounds in 2012 and kept the weight off even after having a baby girl earlier this year.  This proud and busy mom of 7 ate healthy and did not go overboard with pregnancy pounds.  Read her story:

shawana weight loss success

“Greetings!! My name is Shawana Livingston and I have been inspired to share my story. I am a 35 year old wife, mother of seven, student and Minister who has had success in losing weight, although I still have a ways to go. I began my transformation in 2011 after weighing in a 280 (the first picture). In the second picture, taken in March 2012, I lost about 40 pounds due to exercise and healthy eating.  I really worked hard, with nothing but exercise and changing my  eating habits. I stopped eating pork and beef and I now enjoy working out, and feeling great. One month after the 2nd picture, we went on family vacation to the beach and we got pregnant on April 1st 2012, coincidentally April Fool’s day!! (God has a great sense of humor:) Instead of over-eating during my pregnancy, I still maintained a healthy routine and only gained six pounds the entire time. I gave birth on January 8th, 2013 to our last little baby girl. I took the third picture about 3 weeks ago to track my progress.

If I could say anything to your followers it would be to stay motivated, despite anything you may come against. I have a busy schedule but always try and make time to do some kind of workout. I am not where I want to be physically, but I can thank God because I am not where I used to be. There has been progress and it is important to celebrate your success, no matter how small. The weight will come off if you stay persistent but you are the only one that can do something about it. Find your inner strength and go for it!!”