Before and After Weight Loss Success Photos: How’d she do it? Part II

I posted a story about a Indiana woman (Before and After Weight Loss Success Photos: How’d she do it?) who changed her life around and got incredible feedback. She recently entered a fitness competition the OCB and wanted to share her secrets to success.

I began by doing cardio 4 days/week for 30 minutes.  I bought an elliptical so that helped tremendously since I didn’t have a gym membership yet.  I also stopped eating processed food.  I stopped drinking soda pop.  Cut out all sugar and used substitues like Splenda or Stevia.  I made sure that I drank at least 8 glasses of water each day.  After about 4 months of this, I began to notice a huge difference.  I lost 30 lbs! Wow, I was excited!

I knew that I needed to lose more, but didn’t know exactly what to do, so I went and joined the gym up the road from my home.  I started working out every single day doing cardio for at least 45 minutes.  I still had not yet added weight training.  It wasn’t until one day I met a gentleman at the gym while I was mumbling to myself how I was frustrated with not “seeing” the results I wanted.  He told me he did some training on the side, and wondered if I’d like to give it a try.  At this point, I was desperate to get the rest of the weight off.  I was up for anything.  I was at 140 lbs. and holding…

Thus began my “newfound” calling.  I began training every Monday with the personal trainer.  He told me which machines to use, what to eat etc.  There were so many things that I didn’t know about the human body.  Ways to manipulate muscle and what cardio does in combination with the correct diet and weights!  It was a miracle.  The first 2 weeks of training I lost 6 lbs.  I was hooked.  I felt wonderful, like I hadn’t felt in years.  After training with him for 3 1/2 months, I lost about 32 more lbs.  I had the drive to compete, the drive to succeed, and continue to be successful in a healthy lifestyle and the tools I needed to do it.
I’m outlining what I do as a 5’0 106lbs. woman who weighed 170lbs to begin with.  Every individual is different.  I invested in a personal trainer, and it was worth every dollar, but more importantly every single pound.

**Cardio is essential (YOU MUST DO CARDIO AT LEAST 20 MINUTES/DAY)  You WILL NOT burn fat without cardio.  Weight training does burn fat and increases the metabolism, however, for women, it is a necessary evil!  Sorry ladies…cardio incinerates fat cells, along with the proper diet.   Also, with the help of gym staff you must calculate your BPM for your height and weight to be able to monitor where your heart rate should be in order to be actually “burning fat”.  None of that slow walking… or barely moving, you’ve got to get your butt moving!!!

Monday – Saturday
45 – 60 minutes of cardio (elliptical, AMT Cross Trainer, Treadmill, etc.)

Weight Training
Monday – Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves & Thighs)
Wednesdays – Upper Body (Back, Biceps, Triceps & Shoulders)
Friday – Abs, Abs, Abs… and Chest

My workouts consist of a mix of using the machines and free weights (dumbbells).  Ex.  The Smith-Machine is wonderful for squats and leg work for me.  For some, they may prefer to use a straight bar with weights.  You have to find what will work for you to get the results you need.

Diet -
I don’t view the “diet” as a diet.  I don’t look at the way I eat as being on a diet.  A diet is basically what you eat on a day to day basis.  So I just refer to what I eat as my meals.  When I hear the word diet, dread comes forth! LOL
5-6 small meals daily – it is essential to eat at least every 2 1/2 – 3 hours respectively.   You MUST feed your body in order for it to “let go” of that stored fat.  This does NOT mean that you eat whatever you want.  I eat protein and complex carbs with every meal.  I eat a bit more at breakfast and lunch.  In between meals are lighter like a protein shake with some dry oats for example.

7a – Oatmeal & Eggs w/ fruit
10a-  Protein Shake
1p -  Chicken Breast w/ salad and fruit or lowfat cottage cheese
3p -  Protein Shake or Protein bar w/ almonds or sunflower seeds
7p -  Talapia w/ brocoli or brown rice
9p -  Protein Shake (maybe if still a bit hungry) * I don’t normally eat after 8P

This is just a sample of what I eat on a daily basis.  It’s just a general outline.  My protein intake is very high, and I eat carbs, but in moderation and only fibrous complex carbs, but that’s because I am currenlty in training for an upcoming competition.  My fat intake is in limited moderation also daily.  Only “good” fats like in salmon for instance.  Or in olive oil.  Everything in moderation.  I also weight my food, but again, its becasue I’m in training.  Off season, I’m not as strict, but I do still maintain a high protein intake daily on or off season.  I also always limit my carb intake.  Bread, NO!  NO! NO!  and absolutely NO ALCOHOL!  Lots and lots of sugar and carbs in alcohol.  DON’T be fooled…

Mel B's Workout and Diet

I’ll start out by saying you can not spot reduce fat , DIET IS KING. So you can follow this plan all you want or even modify it…heck add it to what ever you’re doing now. It will not work if the diet is not right….

From motleyhealth.com

The Spice Girls tour may be well and truly over but there’s no stopping Mel B from flaunting her super-toned abs. From the singer landing a deal with lingerie label Ultimo to plans to release her very own fitness DVD, Star Style reveals the secrets behind the Spice Girl’s fabulous abs.

Getting Physical
Working out three times a week for 90 minutes at a time with her trainer Joey Kormier, Mel advises, “My workout is so intense, you only need to do it two to three times a week.” But thankfully you don’t need a personal trainer to get Mel’s enviable abs.

Incorporating strength training with high-impact cardio like Mel does will whittle down your waistline and boost your metabolism in just a few weeks. Aside from calorie-burning capoiera, the Spice Girl is also a fan of swimming, which is fantastic for an all-over body workout, and when she’s not taking a dip, she’s walking off any belly bulge – pounding the park pavements with her trainer or working the most complex of yoga positions to further sculpt those stomach muscles.

Mael’s Healthy Meals
Mel makes sure she eats three small meals plus two snacks a day. Eating little and often keeps hunger pangs at bay and also helps boost her metabolism and energy levels, thus helping to burn calories even when she’s not exercising.

According to her trainer, Mel follows strict portion rules, making sure that 30 per cent of her plate is made up of lean protein (such as chicken or fish), 40 per cent is wholewheat carbs or vegetables and the last 30 per cent consists of monosaturated fat. Protein-rich foods make your metabolism go into overdrive, making it become extra efficient in burning calories, whilst monosaturated fats, like those contained in olive oil, nuts and avocados help provide energy and burn carbs quickly – thus helping beat the battle against those unwanted inches.

Easy Exercises To Tighten Your Tum…
Crunch Time
Forget traditional sit-ups, the easy way to flatter abs is to lie on a fitness ball and do a set of stomach crunches placing your hands on your chest. The fitness ball forces your core back and stomach muscles to contract and also ensures you are doing the exercise correctly.

The Plank
Lie face down then lift yourself up on your toes and forearms, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Hold for 10 seconds and build up to 40 seconds. Repeat three times a day.

Toe Touch
Lie on the floor with arms and legs straight upwards, perpendicular to your body. Slowly curl your torso up and forward, raising your hands as close to your toes as possible, contract your abs and then reverse the direction, returning to the starting position.

Reverse Curl
Begin by lying back on the floor. With your hands at your sides, raise your butt as high as possible while keeping your upper back pressed to the floor. Contract your abs and then reverse the direction, returning to the starting position.

Want Washboard Abs Like Mel’s? Follow These Top Diet Tips
1. Reduce your salt intake. Instead of adding salt to food for added flavour, which instantly causes water retention, season your meal with herbs.

2. To help zap stomach fat, eat protein-rich oily fish like salmon and mackerel at least three times per week like Mel, and make sure to include flaxseed oil in your diet.

3. Swap fizzy drinks for mineral water, making sure to drink at least two litres per day to keep the belly bloat at bay.

4. Ditch refined foods like white bread and regular pasta as these can make you store fat. Instead, opt for low GI wholemeal varieties, making sure portion size is no bigger than your fist.

5. Make sure your main evening meal is packed with lean protein rather than heavy carbs, and try to eat before 8pm to avoid going to bed on a full stomach.

6. Mel B is a lover of protein shakes in the morning. They fire up your metabolism to help burn more fat, and are also essential for very active people as they fuel muscles and help repair and regrown muscle tissue after workouts.

Blacks are the Biggest Losers

The Biggest Loser has had a lot of winners here are some of our brothers and sisters after the show was over.

Before and After Weight Loss Success Photos: How'd she do it?

The beautiful thing about blogging is how huge a solid network of bloggers can be. From web surfing to active community bloggin, I have been fortunate to meet and work with a lot of people. One of those people being Elizabeth, a 37 years young (she might kill me for the age disclosure) sister from Indiana. One of the reasons I love working out, is not only does it change you physically but also mentally. Below is her story…please share it as an example.

In 1997 I began having severe pain and cramping… I found out that I had endometriosis. I had surgery, thus began my ongoing battle with this disease. Every two years I would have to have surgery to scrape down my uterus, and to try to contain the growth. This was unsuccessful time after time. In between these surgeries I was given different medications to combat the pain, to try to slow the growth of the disease. By the time it was all said and done, I was on 6 different medications, including medication for hypothyroidism. In September of 2007, I had one final surgery that was supposed to take care of the problem once and for all. That surgery was also unsuccessful because in February of 2008, I ended up in the emergency room with heavy bleeding and pain so severe I couldn’t walk in. My doctor informed me that we could no longer try to prolong a hysterectomy. I had emergency surgery that Thursday to remove my uterus and my right ovary. Luckily, he was able to save the left ovary. When I left the hospital, I weighed a whopping 170 lbs. A month later I found a lump in my left breast. I had to have an ultrasound and a mammogram, which showed nothing. However, the right breast was the one that showed the fibristic tissue and could be a problem the doctor said. He also added that if I lost at least 40 lbs. I could severely cut my chances of developing full blown breast cancer my more than half.

That was it, I decided that I didn’t want to be unhealthy anymore, and I could see my quality of life lessening more and more daily. I decided that I was not going to be unhealthy anymore. That I wanted to live a productive life, that I was too young to be sick. That I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. And that I didn’t want all the diseases passed on from generation to generation from my grandparents and their parents. That I would be the one to finally break the mold of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. My doctor released me to begin exercising in May of 2008. I bought an elliptical, and began doing cardio 4 times a week for 30 minutes. I cut out all pop, all sugar and all processed food. I also stopped eating anything that was dyed white. I started making sure that I got at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I also joined my local gym and began lifting weights. I read everything I could find about healthy eating, weight lifting, cardio, etc. By August of 2008 I had lost 30 lbs.

However, I was stuck. I couldn’t seem to lose that last 20lbs that I wanted. I still felt heavy at 5’0 tall, and still 140lbs. I ended up meeting a trainer at the gym who completely changed the rest of my life so far. I began training one day a week, and the other days he told me what to do for my exercise routine. He gave me an eating plan, and the guidelines for exercise. I started working out 6 days/ week. I started weight training 3 days/week. I began eating 5-6 small meals a day, which consisted of high protein and complex carbs at every session. I began ingesting at least 1 gram of protein per lb. of body weight. I changed my cardio from evenings to mornings. I began increasing my cardio from 30 minutes to 60 minutes / day. I started looking at life differently. I no longer lived to eat. I began eating to fuel my body to perform. To feed my muscle to continue to help it grow. The weight began falling off. I trained for 3 1/2 months, and am now currently at 107 lbs. with 11 % bodyfat. I never believed it could happen. I am healthier than I have been my whole life, even when I was younger. I am no longer on any medications whatsoever. I drink at least a gallon of water each day, get lots of green veggies. I started looking at working out differently. It no longer was a chore. It has become a way of life. I look forward to going to the gym and sweating all the toxins from the day out, and lifting weights to feel my body molding the way I want it to. To be able to manipulate the muscle, and to see the shape taking place.

I am a work in progress, just like we all are, but most of all, I want to be encouraging to others. Especially other black women. To let them know that they can succeed with their goals. They can change their bodies. They can be healthy and strong. That our genetic makeup does not “have” to predetermine the people that we are. WE are the ones to determine who we are, and what we will become. And that our daughters can look at us and be inspired to continue in our footsteps on the journey of life in a healthy and happy way.

How’d she do it? Leave a comment, email me or subscribe to BlackFitness and I’ll send you her personalized workout!

David Banner Interview with Men's Fitness

I’ve never been a real David Banner fan, but I do like his new outlook on life and his latest social conscience efforts. He took his celebrity status and did something with it! And for the very reason I will take some time to at least listen to the man.

In Men’s Fitness he discusses his favorite foods, his weight loss and how to drop five pounds in a week.

Rapper David Banner is originally from Mississippi (he’s got the state tattooed across his back), and he grew up eating lots of comfort foods. After ballooning to more than 255 lbs, his eating habits and (non-existent) workout routine had put his health at serious risk. We spoke Banner for our February 2009 issue, and learned a bit about how he decided to finally drop the weight.

We saw an old interview you did, where you explained that you tried to lose weight, not to get girls or to look better, but because you had health concerns. Can you talk a little about that?
I had high blood pressure, really high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and I was really close to diabetes. And the doctor was like, “that’s a deadly combination.” The doctor said, “you really gotta’ get it together.” I just took it as a challenge. After I did an interview with allhiphop.com, I had so many young black and Latino people come to me to say, “dude, I’m in the same situation.” So, I really took it as an initiative to help people get healthy. And that pushed me that much further, and motivated me to push that much farther.

That was a year and a half ago. To be honest with you, I had a motorcycle accident, and when I went into the emergency room, my blood pressure was so high that the doctor really didn’t treat any of the injuries from the accident. He’s like, “dude, you have a blood pressure problem that you need to handle.”

That’s pretty scary. Have those numbers significantly dropped?
The numbers have significantly dropped. The sleep apnea basically doesn’t exist anymore. The bad thing about the high blood pressure is that it’s genetic. The doctor said until I lost the weight, he wouldn’t be able to tell if it was genetic or not, but that’s still better, and the diabetes, we’re good.

You’re from Mississippi. What kinds of foods are hard for you to give up and what have you replaced them with?
Macaroni and cheese is probably the hardest thing for me, so is fried chicken, but what I tell people is this: once you submerge yourself into healthy eating, I am willing to bet any amount of money that you will find the same amount of healthy things that you like and dislike, that you would unhealthy things. I don’t like every unhealthy thing in the world. I don’t like fried catfish. There are certain things I don’t eat. But in the healthy world, there’s the same amount of things that I like and dislike, there’s certain things that I consider to be sweet. There’s a vegan smart cookie that they sell at Smoothie King that I love, and I really can’t taste the difference. There’s certain healthy salad dressings that taste as good as the unhealthy ones, but you just have to take the time out to submerge yourself in that world to find those things.

You’re on the road a lot. How hard is it to eat healthy when you’re away from home?
The exercise is harder than the diet thing. One thing I learned from LL Cool J: it’s just as easy to stop at a grocery store. I don’t know a city that doesn’t have a grocery store. We make excuses for both the positive things and the negative things that we want to do in life. There are excuses for anything. Health is just something that you have to agree on, that you’re serious about. You’ll find a way to make it happen.

Was anyone in the industry really supportive? Was anyone clowning on you for trying to change?
Surprisingly enough, I got more support than anything. T-Pain came up to me and said he lost 30 lbs because of me. My trainer, Scott Parker, has had his roster triple since me. I see artists being more health conscious, and the thing I figured out is you can use people’s envy and turn it into something positive. People hear what the general public is saying, so I was just taking it and turning it into something positive, and hopefully, motivate people to do bigger and better things, to feel better. I know I feel 100% better than I ever have.

Have you noticed a difference in day-to-day things? Going up a flight of stairs, stuff like that?
Man, I feel better than I did when I was 20. You know, I’m running 5, 6, 7 games of basketball again, I run the canyon a lot in LA, and I actually enjoy doing it. I set a goal for 215 pounds, and I really honestly didn’t think I was going to get to 215 pounds, and when I got to 215, I was like, “Well, I want to dunk a basketball one more time before I die. Let me see if I can get down to 205 pounds.” It’s like, when you’re able to set those goals for yourself, those goals are similar to life goals. We set ‘em and we knock ‘em down.

Because it doesn’t really end, there’s no finish line where you’re done working out. So what are you trying to do now, put some muscle on, or just keep it steady?
I’m trying to put a little bit of muscle back on. I think I lost just a little bit too much weight. But now, I can sculpt myself up. With the programs that Scott has implemented for me, I know how not to — and this is strange, he said he’s never seen this before — but I can knock off five pounds in a week. I know exactly what to do. I know how to run, how to set my own plans, just based on my body chemistry and my body makeup. I know what to eat, I know how many times a day to run, I know how much water to drink in order to really control my bodyweight. So now I’m in a position where I know my body.

How do you feel after making your transition?
I’m going to be honest with you — it’s an honor, because it was hard. We, as entertainers, not just rappers, have a tendency to influence people to drink Crystal and buy high-priced cars, to do so many other things, but we’re in a position to help save people’s lives. I honestly believe this, and I know there’s no way to quantify it and really prove it, but I really believe that I put 10 years on my life. I can look at my skin, I can look at my face, I can look at my body, I know I’ve put 10 years on my life.

The A.M. Workout!

This mourning at 5:30a.m. I was at the gym. I’m switching to the A.M. workout so I can be more productive during the evening. A lot of my friends,family and clients are asking me what do I think about the A.M. workout. For beginners there are some pluses and minuses, it might not be for everyone.

Why I love the A.M. workout:

• I feel fully rested and my testosterone is at its highest.
• It gives me an instant boost in metabolism
• Fasted workout hopefully targets fat for fuel instead of any stored carbs
• Not to many times where I can say I started the day doing something for myself (not my boss,family or neighbor)
• After waking up early and working hard …I’m a little more commited to eating clean and geared to having a productive day.

A couple of reasons why I don’t like it:

• I’m a little rushed and off by the time I get to work.
• I usually do get going until my 3rd or 4th set.
• Works up a little appetite.
• I love my sleep.

Overall, I tell people the best time to workout is when you can!

I’m doing this so I can lose 15-20lbs, getting me down to 9% bodyfat…can we say hello beach? It will take me some time getting use to the new schedule but they say “…3 straight weeks and you got a habit.” I also have a workout partner, so the commitment is a no brainer. Finally, I can squeeze in some cardio and improve my fitness before I hit the sack.

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Ernestine Shepherd 72 Years Young:Need Inspiration?

I am not going to even comment on this…You can read the article yourself. After your done you can decide if you really want to make a difference or be a victim. Be a victim or get your black fitness on?!

Trainer, 71, is inspiration to clients
By Ericka Blount Danois | Special to The Sun

On this rainy day, only the resolute are in Energy Fitness Center on Liberty Road in Randallstown , getting in their evening workout.

It would all seem pretty dreary — the rain, the routine of weightlifting — if it weren’t for the fact that Shepherd, at age 71, is so dazzling to watch. Wearing red sweat pants, a red-and-white sports bra and a baseball cap that reads, ‘Determined, dedicated, disciplined to be fit,’ she is a unique figure in the world of fitness.

Shepherd’s attitude lends credence to the adage ‘age ain’t nothing but a number.’ Five days a week, she trains women of all ages — three days at Energy gym and two days at her church, Union Memorial United Methodist Church , 2500 Harlem Ave. , where she has a class of 25.

ERNESTINE SHEPHERD

Training grub: She drinks 16 ounces of water and eats a light snack that includes a bagel with peanut butter or two hard-boiled eggs before starting her workout.

On the run: SusanG. Komen Breast Cancer, Turkey Trot, Women’s Classic in Baltimore, Resolution Run at Patterson Park, Race for the Kids, the Dreaded Druid Hills at Druid Hill Park, Baltimore Marathon.

Other acclaim: Has appeared in Essence (1991 and 2003); The Baltimore Times (2002); and the book Self Seduction, Ultimate Path to Inner and Outer Beauty (2003); has appeared on The View (2001); in a Carmax commercial (2004); and in the Miss America Senior Pageant (2004). She models for Nova Models in Baltimore.

Status: Married to Collin Shepherd, 77, for 52 years. They have a son and a grandson.

What her husband says: ‘She is a very determined person and she is not only in this for herself, she is interested in helping other people, including myself,’ he says. ‘We exercise at home. She is an inspiration tome; sometimes I get lazy, but she gets on me. I learned you are never too old to exercise.’
‘I usually start off with about 15 minutes of cardio, running in place, then we do floor exercises working on the abs, legs, upper and lower obliques, and then we proceed with the weights,’ she says about her training sessions that last about an hour. Wendy Barry, 38, started training with Shepherd six months ago. After her weight went up to 241 pounds, she started working with a nutritionist and lost 50 pounds.

When she started working with Shepherd, she lost another 20 pounds and traded her size 22 dress for a size 8. Some days she walks 10 miles with Shepherd before she goes to work at the Department of Social Services in Baltimore.

With 10 percent body fat, Shepherd is 5-foot-5 and about 130 pounds of inspiration to her clients, many of whom she includes in her routine of walking or running, which begins at 4 a.m. At Druid Hill Park.

Sharron Woods, 60, and her mother, 85-year-old Eva Miller, attend Shepherd’s Saturday class at the church. Both are former body builders who have successfully competed in weightlifting competitions.

When Miller was 70, at 5 feet 3 inches tall and 150 pounds, she could bench press 175 pounds. So she and her daughter were skeptical when they began Shepherd’s first class and were instructed to run in place.

‘I looked at my mother and said, ‘This is not going to get it; we are used to vigorous exercise,’ ‘ Woods says. ‘Well, then she pulled out some exercises I had never seen. Before we left, I was begging for more.’

Some of the exercises, Woods recalls, included trunk twists while holding a pole– right, and then left, before going down and doing squats still holding the pole.

Still, Woods wasn’t convinced. When Shepherd asked her to run with her in the morning, her first thought was, ‘She’s 70, I can keep up with her.’ ‘That woman was a road runner!’ remembers Woods. ‘I am really energized working out with her.’

Her mother was equally humbled: ‘She didn’t go easy on me because of my age,’ says Miller, who works part time as a teacher’s aide in the Baltimore school system. ‘She works me just like she works everybody else.’

In deed, she even works hard enough that her former trainer, Raymond Day, can’t keep up with her.

Though he runs with her some mornings, he is reluctant to take her up on offers to participate in the marathons she runs in. In addition to her regular workout routine and training others, Shepherd has participated in numerous 5K and 10K races and marathons.

But Shepherd hasn’t always had a focus on fitness in her life. In fact, in her younger days she was a ‘prissy’ girl, with little athletic interests.

It wasn’t until she turned 56 that she began to exercise with the aid of her sister.

They were both spurred on to join a gym after shopping for bathing suits and not liking what they saw in the mirror.

Day trained them both at a gym on U.S. 40 and remembers that Shepherd was in good shape, but had a lot of body fat and didn’t know how to lift weights. Her sister, a year older, acclimated her body quickly to the routines.

Then one day in 1992, her sister came into the gym complaining of a ringing in her ears. ‘A few days later, she passed away,’ remembers Day. ‘She had a brain aneurysm that burst in her head. They were really close, they did everything together.’ ‘When she died, I said I didn’t want to do anything,’ says Shepherd, a retired Baltimore schools secretary. ‘A friend of mine said, ‘You know your sister wouldn’t want you to do that.’ ‘

Day says that when she decided to come back to the gym, she came back with a new vigor and dedication. Before long, people would compliment her on how she looked. ‘She was the most dedicated person I have ever trained,’ says Day, who worked with her for 15 years.

Nowadays, she works with nutritionist Todd Swinney. She keeps busy by modeling in magazines and commercials and recently participated in the Senior Miss America a pageant in Baltimore .

But mostly she inspires others.

‘She is a people person,’ says Woods. ‘She is constantly asking, ‘How do you feel about this? Are you feeling OK?’ Most people just follow a routine and they don’t pay attention to how you feel. With Ernestine, every day is different.

‘So that means, it not only keeps you thinking, it keeps your body thinking and challenges your body,’ she says. Miller agrees.

‘She is amazing,’ she says. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever look like that, but I am working on it!’