Everyone’s weight loss journey is a bit different. Like so many things related to our health, it can often be demotivating to not see progress immediately. For better or worse, changes in lifestyle take time to be reflected in our bodies.
So we’ve gathered some inspiring before and after pictures from people’s weight loss journeys. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorite stories, and be sure to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. If you want to see more weight loss success stories, check out our other article on this topic. We also got in touch with Tammy and Lyssie, the Nutrition Twins, to learn more.
#1 Started At 400 Lbs, Now I'm At 220 Lbs. Lost 180 Lbs In 10 Months And Reached My Goal
Image credits: iIIyanarasputin
#2 485 Lbs vs. 201 Lbs With Diet/Exercise And A Journey That Never Ends
Image credits: fatgirlfedup
#3 From 94 Kg To 53 Kg. 41 Kg Lost. Got Dumped Because Of My Weight, Lost Weight, Got Dumped Because Of Loose Skin. Two Times. Decided To Forget About Men And Focus On Myself Now
Image credits: annibannaannii
Bored Panda got in touch with Tammy and Lyssie, the Nutrition Twins, who are registered dietitian nutritionists and personal trainers, to learn more about weight loss. We were curious to hear their thoughts on before and after pictures as a motivational strategy.
“Although it depends on each individual, we’ve found that “before and after” pics can rate extremely high in terms of a motivational tool. Many people like to see what they’re aspiring for, and once they see a vision, they can keep referring to the physical photo, or even the memory of the photo. We’ve had clients in the past who have kept photos of what they want to look like on their refrigerator and it’s inspired them to stick to a healthy eating plan.”
#4 Today They Will Laugh At Your Dreams And Tomorrow They Will Ask You How You Achieved It. 407 Lbs In 2 Years Combined, Naturally Using Diet And Exercise
Image credits: fatgirlfedup
#5 255 Lbs To 150 Lbs. -105 Lbs In Total. Bridesmaid To Bride, 4 Years Maintaining
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#6 Hard Work Pays Off. From 525 Lbs To 225 Lbs
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Statistically, many people do actually fail their weight loss journey, at least on the first attempt, so we wanted to know what people get wrong about it. “One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss is that you have to starve yourself or always feel hungry or completely cut out your favorite foods. This doesn’t have to be the case at all! We really encourage our clients to fill up on nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods like vegetables, before eating the rest of their meals. This leaves a lot less room for the heavier, less healthy fare, but still allows people to get their fix and not feel deprived, which is one of the secrets to long-term sustainable weight loss,” they shared with Bored Panda.
#7 Lost 300 Lbs From 505 To 205 Lbs. 3,8 Year Transformation. Still Going Strong
Image credits: Jcooper121
#8 Made A Deal With This Little Guy. For Every Pound He Gained, I Lost One. I'm Down A Total Of About 85 Lbs
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#9 From 324 Lbs To 210 Lbs. Weight Loss Progress
Image credits: Narrow-Parking-3874
“Be careful not to fall prey to fad diets. If a diet is too restrictive and you lose weight too quickly, the diet will be too hard to maintain and you’ll end up gaining the weight (and more!) back as soon as you return to a normal eating plan. Overly restrictive diets set you up for cravings and binges, and if they’re too low in calories, they’ll ultimately slow your metabolism since you’ll wind up losing muscle as well as fat when you lose weight. If your body loses muscle, it’s counterproductive since it’s muscle tissue that keeps your metabolism speedy. Plus, yo-yo-ing with your weight makes weight sustainable weight loss more challenging both physically and mentally when you think you have to take drastic measures to get results.”
#10 Wife And I Are Down Almost 300 Pounds In The Last Year And A Half Without Surgery, Pills, Or Cutting Off Body Parts. Looking At This Picture Seems Like It's Someone Else's Life
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 Most Days, I Feel Better. I Was So Big For So Long That Some Joint Damage Remains, And Some Days I Have Pain. Still, It Is Much Better And Worth It
Height 5'5", start weight 353 Lbs, current weight 230 Lbs, a total of 123 Lbs down in one year.
Image credits: rpnda843
#12 I Feel So Much Better, Healthier, And Have Been More Energetic
Height 5'6", start weight 347 Lbs, current weight 166 Lbs, a total of 181 pounds down in 7 years of hard work.
Image credits: AccountantLady
“Focus on getting plenty of fiber and lean protein at each meal to help with satisfaction and to stabilize blood sugar. This is ultra important because if your blood sugar swings, when it dips, it triggers energy crashes which sets you up for cravings for refined carbs, sugar, and caffeine as the body craves energy. It starts a vicious cycle of overeating sugar, then getting a sugar high, followed by a crash, and a craving for more sugar. Also, when blood sugar dips, cortisol (a.k.a. the belly fat hormone) spikes,” they added. You can find more on their website, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
#13 My Wife Finished A Triathlon Today, Exactly One Year From Her Very First Race
Image credits: UnicyclePete
#14 10 Months Ago I Decided I Was Done Being Overweight My Whole Life
Image credits: likmybunghole
#15 This Has Been A Crazy Journey. Height 5'7", Start Weight 298 Lbs, Current Weight 169 Lbs, A Total Of 129 Lbs Down
Image credits: suziecats
While it’s been common knowledge that obesity is on the rise, most folks likely don’t know just how common it is. For example, in the UK alone, one in three people could be classified as overweight, with almost 10% of the population reaching severe obesity. Some folks see this as a full-blown social issue, but as these examples here show, it is possible to make some changes.
#16 From 410 Lbs To 210 Lbs. 200 Lbs Lost. All I Want For Christmas Is Happiness, Health, And Gains! 3 Years Of Work And Still Going
Image credits: reddit.com
#17 From 475 To 190 Lbs In Two Years Through IF. Currently Going To The Gym 5 Days A Week To Tone My Lose Skin
Image credits: Thicnesss_
#18 From 840 Lbs To 480 Lbs. Lost 360 Lbs In 4 Years. My Weight Loss Journey Started With A Failed New Year's Resolution
Image credits: BigZ7337
The unfortunate truth is that food has never been more available worldwide and still is one of the main coping mechanisms we have with the difficulties in life. On top of that, food is a love language for many of us. Add in the more sedentary lifestyle most of us lead and it’s easier to see how this happens. So remember to get up and walk a bit every few hours if you work in an office.
#19 From 209 Lbs To 156 Lbs. 4 Years Of Breaking Bad Habits. Hope Everyone Smashes Their Goal This Year
Image credits: T_Ronix
#20 I Get Imposter Syndrome Sometimes And Feel Like I Haven’t Actually Lost Weight, Until I Look Back At My Old Photos
Height 5'3", start weight 220 Lbs, current weight 137, I've lost 83 pounds in 17 months.
Image credits: sunshineandhomicide
#21 Sometimes Change Is Good. Intermittent Fasting Definitely Changed My Life For The Better
Height 5'1, from 210 Lbs to 123 Lbs, a total of 87 pounds down in 4 years. 115 Lbs is my next goal.
I cannot believe how far I have come on my journey. It absolutely blows my mind. Every single setback was worth it to get to here.
Image credits: cinnamon_daydream
In theory, the vast majority of us know how to start losing weight if we need to. The real difficulty tends to be maintaining a lifestyle that allows you to get to the weight you want. After all, not eating something that isn’t good for you is easy enough for a few days, but do you have the discipline needed to stop yourself month after month? This is perhaps why making before and after pictures is more than just a way of immortalizing the action, it’s actually a motivational tool for others who are struggling.
#22 Slow And Steady Wins The Race. It Won’t All Be Done Tomorrow
Start weight 189 Kg, current weight 79 Kg.
I am 38 years old and a mom of two. Now I feel so much better in my own skin and for my family.
Image credits: bardsong1719
#23 Started At 305 Lbs, Now I'm At 175 Lbs. 130 Lbs - Total Amount Lost In 28 Months. Can’t Get Under The 175 Mark But I'm Trying
Image credits: Leximarie966
#24 17 Months With Intermittent Fasting, Low Carb, And Gym. Height 5'6". From 298 Lbs To 138 Lbs
Image credits: unassuming-passerby
One thing many folks might also notice is that the picture on the right can look almost like a completely new person. The truth is that weight gain will disproportionately affect certain parts of the body, so if and when that weight is lost, the person doesn’t exactly look like a “smaller” version of themselves. This is often pretty visible in the face.
#25 Same Dad, Same Boy, Just One Birthday Later
Image credits: Minnesotapolis
#26 Living Life 126 Pounds Lighter Is Giving Me 126 Times The Life Lessons. Your Body Truly Is Your Vehicle, Treat It Well. 266 Lbs To 140 Lbs. 15 Months To Lose, 8 Months Maintaining
Image credits: dietpineapples
#27 From 350 Lbs To 170 Lbs. Lost 180 Lbs In Total. Struggling Because I Am Still "Obese" But It Is Progress Nonetheless
Image credits: potatofactnatalia
There are other things one might do to stay on the right track. Specialists suggest that setting realistic, segmented goals is a great start. Most people on a weight loss journey do have a target weight, but the real trick is staying consistent, week after week, even when the changes are not yet visible.
#28 Hopefully, I Can Inspire Someone Out There. Height 6'0", Start Weight 390 Lbs, Current Weight 253 Lbs, A Total Of 137 Lbs Down In One Year
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#29 I Did The Thing
Image credits: BuckyOnline
#30 I'm Really Working On Recomping Now And Trying To Accept Some Of The Excess Skin. Height 5'5", Start Weight 255 Lbs, Current Weight 165 Lbs, A Total Of 90 Lbs Down
Image credits: nbnicholas
This is perhaps why, reportedly, 80% of people fail at least once when attempting to lose weight. Unfortunately, many people adopt an “all or nothing” approach, where they will allow themselves no rest days, cheat days, and have very strict deadlines and targets. It’s easy to commit to something, laying in bed late at night, but an entirely different ballgame when it comes to discipline week after week.
#31 308 Lbs To 187 Lbs In 5 Years
Image credits: Ok_Tax_4806
#32 4 Years And What A Difference
Start weight 308 Lbs, curent weight 170 Lbs, I've lost 138 pounds. I am hoping to lose another 16 pounds, then I will have lost half of myself.
Image credits: tiffwolf84
#33 Feel Better. Height 5'9", Start Weight 259 Lbs, Current Weight 152 Lbs, A Total Of 107 Lbs Down
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#34 3 Takeaways After 42 Lbs Lost
Image credits: Mundane-Stage1316
#35 Insane. It's Kind Of Weird To Look Back. Height 5'11", Start Weight 378 Lbs, Current Weight 152 Lbs, A Total Of 226 Lbs Down In 17 Months
Image credits: Zoxxy
#36 Celebrating Two Years Of Strength Training, One Year Of Weight Maintenance, 776 Days Of No Binge Eating, And A Skirt Suit Found
Height 5'7", from 278 Lbs to 165 Lbs, total weight lost 113 Lbs.
Image credits: Flourgirl85
#37 It's Been A Long Journey, But Finally Feeling Confident In My Own Skin Is Worth It
My starting weight was 253 Lbs, and my current weight is 153 Lbs. I lost 100 pounds in my two-year weight loss journey.
Image credits: theinfamousharvey
#38 Entering My Fourth Year Of Intermittent Fasting
Started at 224 Lbs - not sure about weight now as I stopped weighing and am all about those muscle gains.
Kept a tight window in the beginning, (one meal a day, alternate day fasting, mealless days), but now I have longer windows to get more nutrients in to support my lifting program.
Image credits: jellybelly326
#39 I Can't Believe How Far I've Come. One Year And One Hundred Pounds Later. Height 5'7", Start Weight 265 Kg, Current Weight 165 Kg, Goal Weight 155 Kg
Image credits: LeopardLuke
#40 Down From 434 Lbs To 215 Lbs In 1 Year And 10 Months
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#41 400 Lbs To 225 Lbs In 7 Years
Image credits: Logical_Variation301
#42 It's Been 3 Years Since I Started The Journey. Start Weight 330 Lbs, Current Weight 198 Lbs
Image credits: Guiness420
#43 It Took Me 4 Years. Height 5'8". From 246 Lbs To 134 Lbs, A Total Of 112 Lbs Were Lost
Image credits: DelectableBloom
#44 Lost 108 Lbs, 2021 vs. 2023
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#45 I Love Food More Than Life Itself, So If I Can Do It, Anyone Can. Almost 300 Lbs Down To Under 190 Lbs, All From Counting Calories And Exercising. Coming Up In 3 Years
Image credits: Brandononeil94
#46 I Still Wake Up And Shock Myself That I Really Did That. Start Weight 250 Lbs, Current Weight 137 Lbs
Image credits: Ok_Flamingo_3205
#47 I Just Ran My First Ever 5K Without Stopping And Needed To Tell Someone Other Than My Wife
Height 6'0", start weight 406 Lbs, current weight 290 Lbs, a total of 116 pounds down in 11 months.
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#48 4 Months Of Mostly Clean Keto, One Meal A Day. I Have No Idea About My Before And After Weight, But The Results Are Becoming Obvious. Just Try To Do It In A Sustainable Way
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#49 It Has Been An Amazing Change From Many Aspects And Points Of View. Height 5'10", Start Weight 550 Lbs, Current Weight 272 Lbs, A Total Of 278 Lbs Down In 18 Months
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#50 From 335 Lbs To 255 Lbs In 12 Months
Image credits: Fitness_ThrowawayX
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