Black Weight Loss Success

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Latese lost 134 pounds in 2 years

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Update May 2016: It’s been 2 1/2  yrs and Latese is still maintaining her success. She’s lost 162 pounds.

“I have learned self discipline and that we can be our own worst enemies. My children drive me and I will do anything to be around them as long as I can. Meal prep and planning is time consuming, but it keeps you accountable.” Her starting weight was 302 pounds and her current weight is 140 pounds (height? 5’5″)”

tete

September 2013 Update:  “It’s me checking in.  Since I last shared with you all I have lost 8 more pounds.  I have not gained back the weight in 2 years.  Overall, I’ve lost 134 pounds total.”

Original Post:

Latese lost 95 pounds.  She says, “I have been on my journey since about Dec of 2011 but kicked it into high gear during May of 2012.  I’m now down about 95 pounds.  I still have a ways to go, but I am sticking to keeping my protein on high and having little to no carbs.  I am strictly a water drinker and I am doing boot camp.  Five days per week,  I walk/run for 2-3 miles”

Latese’s Facebook page

weight loss before and after

Updated Photo:

Latese weight loss

Arlena lost 122 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Arlena lost 122 pounds with weight loss surgery (gastric bypass) and inspired her sixteen year old to lose 102 pounds without surgery while eating right and exercising with her.

Arlena lost 122 pounds

Here is what Arlena shared with us about her weight loss journey:

“Hi, my name is Arlena. I was overweight so long that I thought this was normal until I started getting older and I noticed that it was getting harder to carry all this extra weight around.  I tried every diet known to man until I considered weight loss surgery.  Some people think that this is the easy way out.  Trust me, it’s not.  You still have to be deligent about what goes in your mouth.  I am 122 pounds lighter in ten months.

I still have a ways to go but with eating right and working out.  I plan to get to my goal weight. I started working out 5x’s a week at least 30 minutes lifting weights twice a week eating lots of protein and veggies I took all the white carbs out my diet and even inspired my sixteen year old who lost 102 pounds without surgery by eating right and exercising with me.”

Gerlande lost 65 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Gerlande lost 65 pounds going from 235 lbs to 170 lbs.  Zumba was a big part of her weight loss success and she is now a Zumba instructor.

Gerlande lost 65 pounds

I asked her what she did in terms of eating and exercise and this is what she shared with me:

“I started July 20th 2011. An ad for Zumba on the television got me off the couch and in the gym. I did Zumba for 6 days a week, then worked with a trainer for about 3 months doing everything: cardio machines and exercise (running, jogging), core training ( using medicine balls, band) and also did weight lifting (using dumbbell, barbell, doing dead lift,presses, squats lunges and all).  I continue to do the same today. I’m currently a Zumba instructor in the 757 and still do a full body workout : cardio to warm up, cores & weight lifting besides zumba 6 days per week.  I had to eliminate alot of bad eating habits and closely select the best healthy food.  I eat breakfast, 2/3 hours later, snack on fresh fruits, eat lunch ( heavier portion, snack again 2/3 hours later.  One more snack before the gym and workout.  I try not to eat dinner after 9 pm.  I drink alot of water more than 2 liter a day.  That’s the story of my healthy weight loss journey.”

February Challenge – Clean Eating / Food Diary Challenge

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For the month of February the Black Women Losing Weight sisterhood will focus on and commit to 3 main GOALS:

  • We will commit to “Eating Clean”.
  • We will keep a food diary of EVERYTHING we eat for 3 WEEKS – Feb 4 – 24, 2013
  • We will commit to exercising 5 days per week for a minimum of 45 minutes per day.

february goalsThis month is all about really looking at the food we are putting in our mouths and being able to make food choices that work in favor of our weight loss and health goals, not against them.  People tell me all the time about how they are working out consistently and not losing weight.  They tell me about how they have added green smoothies and more fresh fruits/veggies to their diet but they have not dropped pounds.  Most of the time, the issue is that they have not stopped eating highly processed foods, sugary foods and food that is full of trans-fats.  This month we will work to clean up our eating habits and make sure that our exercise efforts are not hindered by our diet.

How do you join the challenge? – You are committing to actually DO what is outlined in the challenge goals above and to check-in on our online community (as a blog post or status message on your profile) or on our Facbook page EVERY WEEKEND.

  • WE do this to keep one another accountable to our collective commitment.  
  • We also do this to get support from others and give encouragement to those who are on this journey to health and wellness with us.

What is Eating Clean?

When you eat clean you will be eating unprocessed, whole foods that are prepared or cooked in ways that don’t add extra chemicals and toxins.  We are talking  about fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, meat substitutes like tofu, soy, whole grains, lots of water, healthy dairy and fresh juice.  We will avoid fried food, fast food, junk food, bleached white flour, artificial ingredients, soda, commercial juice and sugary drinks, processed sugar (white sugar, corn syrup), and foods with preservatives, toxins, dyes, saturated fat, and trans fat.  You will likely be cooking at lot of food at home, making green smoothies, eating salads, looking for healthy snack, and really realizing just how healthy you’ve really been eating.

Here are some resources to guide you on the challenge:

Food Diary – Feb 4-24, 2013

For 3 weeks you will record everything you eat.  You can keep a journal for the whole month if you like.

Why?  Food is 70-80% of the weight loss equation.  You have to eat a healthy diet and commit to doing so as a lifestyle change to lose the weight for good.  Starving yourself or using quick fix solutions will work in the short term, but they can cause health issues in the long run and/or will lead to the pounds coming right back.

How do you keep a food diary?:  You can buy a 3-8 inch notebook and keep it in your bag to record your eating.  You could also create an online food diary instead.  How you want to record your food is your choice.  The key is to be consistent.

FREE TOOL TO USE FOR THIS CHALLENGE: I suggest that you use myfitnesspal.com (or as a mobile app) to easily track your eating DAILY.  We have a large group on MFP for Black Women Losing Weight members where you can connect with other Ladies who use the program.

  • You will keep track of what you eat and the amount of calories, fat, carbs, and sugar in what you are eating so that you understand what is really going into your diet.
  • You can find calorie counts on free sites like myfitnesspal.com and calorieking.com.

Exercise – 5 Days per week for 45 min per day

Be consistent with your exercise 5 days per week for a minimum of 45 min each day.  If you want to push yourself and do more, that is great, but let this goal be your baseline amount of exercise during February.  What you decide to do for exercise is your choice.  Walk, run, take a zumba class, dance around the house…you should do what you feel comfortable doing.   I will post videos and workout suggestions here on the blog during the month.

We can do this!  Please post your questions below.

Blogger Blessed Love has lost 65 pounds of her 200 pound goal

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Blogger Blessed Love has lost 65 pounds.  She said, “I have lost approximately 65 pounds of my 200-pound goal by eating more mindfully and focusing on whole, clean foods majority of the time.”

Blessed love

Here is what she wrote to us about her weight loss journey:

“Your page inspires me so much.  I wanted to take a moment to share my progress.

I have lost approximately 65 pounds of my 200-pound goal by eating more mindfully and focusing on whole, clean foods majority of the time. I’ve also increased my water intake significantly. Surrounding myself with a great support system has helped me stay on track when I get discouraged. The most important piece of advice…it doesn’t matter how much you have to lose, just start somewhere…no matter how hard it gets DON’T GIVE UP!!!

My goals for 2013: lose another 100 pounds, complete at least three 5ks and start working towards my health coaching certification. You can read more of my story at www.curdsnweigh.com“

Linda lost 315 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Linda lost 315 pounds with weight loss surgery.

She says, “I am a biracial female that who’s highest weight recorded was 490.  I had gastric bypass September 3rd 2009.  My lowest weight was 175.   I got pregnant in February 2012 and delivered my baby weighing 222lbs on oct 23 and now I am 180.  I am dedicated to exercise and eating healthy.”

Linda lost 315 pounds

Linda lost 315 pounds

Stacey lost 72 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Stacey lost 72 pounds.

Stacey lost 72 pounds

Here is what she wrote to us about her weight loss:

“I have lost a total of 67lbs in this pic but now i am down 5lbs more at this current time for a total of 72 pounds.  I exercise two hours a day, doing mostly cardio, strength training and abdominal exercises. My diet is consists of lean proteins, mainly chicken and fish, eating only vegetables, and water, water, water, and more water.  No oils, no rice, no breads of any kind nothing processed. I pray to God for discipline and determination to keep me pressing play every morning at 5am. This website is truely great and it really gives you encouragement to keep going as well.”

Veronica lost 50 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Veronica lost 50 pounds after having a baby.

Veronica weight loss

Here is what she had to say about losing the post-baby weight:

“Love your page here’s my story – I had a baby in 4/2010 & a year later as you can see, I still carried the baby weight.  Very frustrated, I would exercise then quit- scale wouldnt move.  Then I started exercising and eating like vegan for 14 days been clean ever since.  I trained for my first half marathon in Oct – consistency is key!  I have gone from 200lbs postpartum to 150lbs currently!

I made sure I had a source of protein in the morning- muscle milk or eggs with organic spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and other organic fruits as well as probiotics shakes like kefir.  I also added greek yogurts, and more green veggies and snacked on carrots and stopped eating out & cooked more!

Drank half my weight in oz of water daily- made sure I got 7 hrs of sleep!

Ran an average of 16–20miles/ week – Also joined a local running/ workout group that met twice a week called “Run this Town” in order to collaborate with others seeking a healthy lifestyle as well as motivation.

After a year postpartum and I didn’t see the scale moving I was really getting discouraged but I opened my own clinic Iman NP Center in Southfield, Mi and I specialize in natural weight loss because I have been there!  Instead of throwing meds at them I’m trying to get them off of the meds. We all need to be reminded that they can do it… Other black women need to up lift each other not tear each other down!”

Michelle lost 90 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story: Michelle lost 90 pounds by making simple changes.

Michelle weight loss

Here is what Michelle had to say about her weight loss journey on her BWLW community blog page:

“Down 90 pounds in less than two years. Making simple changes made a big difference in my life.  I’ve always been happy with myself and my size which I count as a true blessing. Even now, as I look at older and more recent pictures, I can definitely see the physical changes, but I still just see me. I never had an “A-ha” moment. I didn’t really have a drive to lose weight at all. I did realize that I had gained weight since college, but I just would buy a new outfit and that was that. A couple of years ago, I noticed that my younger sister was eating differently and working out more. I had seen her losing weight, but initially, I didn’t think too much of it. I inquired one day as to what she was doing and she simply said, “eating smaller meals and walking”. “Hmmm”, I thought, “that sounded simple enough” so I said “why not” and gave it a try. I limited my meals to breakfast, lunch and dinner each day at 400 calories each and eaten every 4 hours. I didn’t cut anything out of my diet, except for the extra calories. I also started walking EVERY day for just 15 minutes. And that was it! Simple.

As I became more comfortable, I increased my walking time to 30 mins a day and started being more selective of the foods I ate. I also started weighing myself once a week and keeping track of the progress. I was noticing 3 and 4 pounds coming off EVERY week and this was keeping me motivated! I eventually starting walking a total of an hour every day (rain or shine), lifting moderate weights and incorporating lots more vegetables with the help of “Meatless Mondays”. I started trying new foods and realizing that there were so many healthy choices to be made. I’ve lost a total of 90 pounds since November of 2010 and I am amazed on how those few small changes in my life made such a tremendous difference!”

Elena lost 44 pounds

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Today’s featured weight loss success story:  Elena lost 44 pounds.

Elena lost 44 pounds

Here is what Elena had to say about her weight loss journey:

“I used Weight Watchers to start. Although I have not followed to the letter probably since hurricane Sandy, there were some changes I made and stuck to that help like I gave up soda and liquid calories with the exception of a few social drinks during the holidays. I also added regular and increased fruits and vegetables to my diet. I have not totally deprived myself of anything In terms of food but have learn to cut back and do things in moderation. I plan to add exercise to my regimen in 2013. My original goal was 42 pounds by my 42 birthday in March but it seems that I will make my goal sooner. I will probably increase my goal. Thanks so much for the support. I check the page all the time for tips and inspiration.”