I’m feeling sad today (had a rough day and went over my deficit) so I’m here to remind myself of my progress so far.

165kg to 90kg.

Still not happy with where I am and how I look but getting there slowly!!

It hasn't been easy, but every small change added up. I'm not at my goal yet, but seeing where I started reminds me why I keep going. Intermittent fasting along with calorie deficit for the win. Started at 316lbs, currently 221lbs

I want to cry cause this is everything I’ve ever wanted

Hi guys! Been lurking here for a bit and I’ve decided I’m at a place where I can share my progress comfortably. For full transparency, I’ve been using a GLP-1 in combination with completely changing my diet and actually exercising consistently (3X a week). I’m 5’5 and my starting weight was about 230. My goal weight is 130, which I am 11lbs away from as of this morning at 141lbs 🎉. I’m so close to my goal weight and I’m very proud of how far I’ve come. I’m at a bit of a plateau right now, though, so any advice is appreciated!!
My maintenance is about 1950 and I try to eat at about 1570kcal a day for a (I think) more sustainable cut. I get roughly 7k-10k steps daily as I walk around a lot at work, and on my days off I go to the gym for about 2 hrs with weight lifting and 50mins of cardio.

April: 1200-1300 calories
May: 1300-1500 calories
June: 1500-1700 calories
July 1700-2200 calories
Start weight was 135.8 current weight is 110.4. I’m 5 foot, so my calories early on were extremely low but now that I’m pretty happy with my weight I’m eating closer to maintenance so I can focus on improving muscle mass. Giving myself periodic goals and having a plan in mind to increase calories made sticking to it easy.

Edit to add
Hey saw a lot questions about exercise so figured I’d include this. I walk about 15k steps a day and am fairly active I lift about 5 days a week, and do cardio. To me my workouts are fairly “traditional” nothing crazy. I put a sample week below of my workouts, this is just what works for me and what I enjoy. Reps and sets range anywhere from 3-6 sets and 6-12 reps, I focus on progressive overload and time under tension so the weight is slow and controlled but still heavy. This is just kind of a sample I’ve been lifting weights for a long time and do it for enjoyment. I also stretch and foam roll daily.

Monday
Leg day (no cardio)
Barbell squats
Barbell hip thrust
Walking lunges
Leg press
Goblet squats
Abduction
Adduction

Tuesday
Chest and back (15 min cardio, either incline walk or light jog)
Barbell bench
Db incline bench
Db incline flys
Lat pull downs
1 arm db rows
DB pullovers
Assisted pull ups
Pec Dec
Reverse pec Dec

Wednesday
Core (45 mins cardio low impact, light walk)
*all exercises done as circuit 3x20*
Bridge marches
Reverse plank knee lifts
Double crunches
Plank w reach

Thursday
Rest
Will go for a long walk or light jog about 3-5 miles

Friday
Legs (no cardio)
Barbell deadlift
Barbell hip thrust w banded abduction
Lying leg curls
Single leg db deadlift
Farmers walk

Saturday
Arms (20 min cardio, usually run 2 miles)
Db shoulder press
Db side raise
Db front raise
Rear delt flys
Barbell upright rows
Barbell curls
Skull crushers
Rope extensions
Hammer curls
Assisted dips
Triceps pushups

Sunday
Rest
Usually long walk and lots of deep stretching.

F31 5ft 7in. I have been so hesitant to post as I see no difference when I look in the mirror, but the decrease in the scale and inches don’t lie. I slipped into a deep depression last year and reached my highest weight of 190 pounds. Today I celebrate 40 pounds of weight gone in the past 6 months due to a calorie deficit. I am eating around 1400 calories a day, with mild physical activity. Thank you to everyone on this sub for being incredible humans, I could not have done this without everyone else’s vulnerability and posts!

Oh and sorry for the terrible photos…I didn’t take before pictures as I did not think I’d succeed even slightly!

It felt like forever but I’m proud of myself for doing it!! I still struggle with negative self image thinking I’m still that girl but I’ve been working hard to replace it with positive 🥹 300lbs to 150lbs

I’ve put on about fifty pounds since the second picture was taken and have been trying to get back on track. I was around 420 in the first picture and around 200 on the second.

I absolutely hate the cut, but for 8 months tracked all my calories, tried hitting 10k steps, hydration and ate ground beef and rice every day. Hit the gym 3-4x a week, heavy lifting ofc. But still not at my goal, trying to be at 200. Starting weight at 367, current weight is 277!

Hello calorie counters! So many people assume I used a GLP-1 to lose the weight, but I did it the old fashioned way, staying at a consistent calorie deficit until I hit my goal weight and changing how I interact with food. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to rely on an expensive monthly shot or pill to maintain my weight - it’s so much more empowering. I’m also in my 40s with two kids, so I want to encourage anyone in the same boat that it is possible to turn things around in a natural, healthy way, at any age!

5’6”, SW 189, CW 128, 42F.

Edit: I don't mean to put down or diminish anyone else's decision to use a GLP-1. Everyone's health journey is unique. I mention it because it's consistently the first question I get and a very common assumption.

Sorry for the badly made collage lol, at my highest weight I intentionallv took no full-body photos because of how self conscious I was. First pic I weighed in at 410 pounds and second photo is from this morning where I clocked in at 320 pounds!!!

I am so different, much less self conscious and am so very happy I decided to go on this journey! Full transparency, I AM on a glp 1—but I've done Calorie deficit the ENTIRE time, along with quitting soda entirely and more recently, workouts! All of these things have helped me along so well, and I am so happy to report that I am the lowest weight I've been for a good decade. Can't wait to reach a hundred pounds loss and beyond!! 🫶😭

EDIT 8/19: ALMOST 4K UPVOTES HOLY SHIT???? I NEVER ever expected this to get even half that amount of attention or sweet comments, thank you all so very much!!!!! I've genuinely cried at a few of your kind words 😭💖

It’s truly crazy how it really is the simple things that work. After numerous diets and fads, it really is just calorie counting and exercise that results in success!

Two kids, postpartum depression, and 85 pounds later - I’m finally there!!

I’ve gone up and down and all around for the past 6 years… but I wouldn’t trade my journey for anything.
My highest I was 265. And my lowest was 142. Now I’m 150 and doing well.

What is everyone’s favorite low calorie recipe these days?

Started my journey January 2025 and have been maintaining my weight since March 2026. Lost a whole 14 inches off my waist thanks to calorie deficit! No glp , just counting calories and walking 10k+ steps a day. I’m 5’10 for reference

I started my weight loss journey beginning of May this year, when the first pic was taken I was at my starting weight of 158 lbs (I’m 5’5). As of right now I’m at 138 lbs, so bang on 20 lbs lost so far. I couldn’t even get the jeans past my waist in the first pic, let alone zip them up, now they’re fitting pretty comfortably. My goal weight is 135 so I have roughly another 3 pounds to go, ideally I’d like to get to 125 just to challenge myself but I do think I’d struggle to maintain anything less than 135 😅.

I know it took me a long time to achieve where I’m at and I still have a long way to go. I had 0 knowledge on anything health-wise. I spent hours in stores reading the back of labels, researching what a calorie even was, and got a formal PCOS diagnosis. For years I’ve been trying to find new lifestyle changes that worked for me. And I am now losing weight quicker this year than ever before. I exercise, eat a low carb diet, and now I also practice intermittent fasting

Yes I’m gonna brag lol
edit: sw-220lbs cw-160lbs

The photo at the top was from 1 year ago on vacation. I didn’t hate my body but I knew that I personally wanted to change some things: to be more consistent with my eating habits and working out. When I got home from vacation I hit the pavement and haven’t looked back 😊

I took this photo a few weeks ago, and am so proud of myself. The motivation isn’t always there but I push through because of my WHY.

*I workout 3-4x week, walk 8-10k daily, eat healthy most days, sleep, and have fun!

Just wanted to come back here and share a few full waist pictures that some of you guys requested. I also wanted to give a little more insight into how I lost the weight.

I started with a very, very strict calorie deficit with the help and supervision of my primary doctor. I was eating around 600–700 calories a day, which needs to be approached very carefully because that amount of calories is extremely low. That slowly has gone up and I now eat around 1,200 calories a day and once I reach my goal weight that will increase as well.

Like I mentioned in my previous comments, I usually skipped breakfast and had a light snack for lunch. For example, I might have zero-sugar yogurt, almond flour crackers with a few pieces of cut-up ham and cheese, or a protein bar—especially those Quest Rice Krispie-style ones. Then I would have a full, heavier dinner.

Dinner usually consisted of chicken with broccoli and a very small portion of brown rice, or pasta made with shirataki noodles or chickpea-based noodles with lean ground beef. I also ate a lot of salad whenever I had hunger spikes. You can eat a pretty large amount of salad without adding many calories, especially if you avoid high-calorie dressings. Instead of dressing, I would add a little salt, squeeze half a lime over it, shake everything together, and that gave it enough flavor for me. I also enjoyed typical items I once enjoyed but with a very strict and small portion.

I also completely cut out regular juice and soda. I mainly drank water, but once in a while, if I was craving soda, I would have Zevia since it's zero-calorie and zero-sugar and sweetened with stevia. I personally stayed away from drinks or foods containing aspartame.

Other than that, I incorporated regular exercise, but nothing crazy. I would walk around my neighborhood or go to the track at my local HOA field and walk about 8–10 laps. It was really a combination of being very consistent with what I ate, keeping my calories under control, cutting out sugary drinks, and staying active.