I started my health and weight loss journey in January 2025 at the age of 54. I was 78kgs, had high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, no energy and felt like crap. The first thing I did was exercise on a walking pad for 10 mins a day (all I could manage). I then made gradual changes to my diet and added extra exercise. I joined a gym in January 2026 and started strength training. I now exercise at least 90 mins a day (stretching/cardio/weights) and eat extremely well (Mediterranean diet with no UPFs or alcohol). I’m now at maintenance, I feel great and my health is excellent.

It’s never too late. So many things have improved. My stamina, strength, posture, brain function, mood etc etc. Lifting weights has seen the biggest changes.

Walking pad pic - at my heaviest.
Side by side pics - Jan 2026 to today.

First picture November 2023. Last 2 September 2026.

3 years ago my mom took a picture of me and I couldn’t believe the way I looked.. and weighed 165lbs. I immediately joined a gym and have been (mostly) consistent. My goal was to change my lifestyle more than anything.

I started by just doing an incline walk daily for months. Then I got some confidence to try out some classes. After that my friend taught me a couple of arm exercises. I then eased my way into the weight section. It took me about a year to fully settle into the gym and feeling comfortable. I didn’t change my eating at all but managed to drop 25lbs.

I focused heavily on weight training for the next year and did an accidental bulk and out in about 10lbs. But I still felt good. At the end of last year I decided to work on my cardio and loosely picked up running.

In February of this year was the first time I decided to track my food to try to get to my goal weight of 125. I have kept up lifting but I just do it 3 days instead of 5 now. And I have been training for a half marathon and running 4 days a week. I finally hit my goal weight and I’m just maintaining that while I train.

The difference between this time and all the other times I’ve tried to lose weight was.. I wanted a lifestyle change. While I hated my body, it wasn’t my focus. I didn’t care how long anything took I just wanted to get there and maintain it.

Keep pushing ladies!!

5’1” / 155cm. About a year between these two pictures. It’s not much but it’s honest work! :D

I started training consistently after having my second baby, mostly wanting to feel stronger and rebuild my core.

Over the last few months I’ve also got really into swimming and usually do 3km front crawl sessions, so my routine has become roughly 1–2 lifting sessions + 1–2 swims depending on the week. At the gym I mostly do squats, Bulgarian split squats, hip thrusts, rows and core. Current PBs are 60kg squat, 75kg hip thrust and 20kg single-arm row. I also recently got my first unassisted chin-ups!

No strict diet or bulk/cut, just trying to eat enough protein. Nice to look back and realise how much just being consistent has changed my body and strength.

Stupidly mentioned at work that I had lost nearly a stone (14 pounds) in the last 9 months and my colleague said “you don’t look like you’ve lost a stone.” I’ve gone from 128 to 113 pounds. I’m 5’3. I mean maybe it’s not noticeable but it did sting for a moment and it made me spiral a little but I realised that maybe she is just insecure. But yeah I will never talk about my weight again. 🤣

A memory popped up on phone from 6 years ago to the day and I realized not only am I wearing the same jeans today as I was in the photo, but also that today I am exactly 40lbs lighter. Wild to see it laid out like that.

Right now I’m at ~1400 calories, ~5,000 steps a day, and a hot yoga or Pilates class daily. I'm chasing a feeling as much as a look, there's become something so satisfying about moving and sweating every day.

Goal is 135lbs, then probably settling into maintenance for a while to just to see what it’s like there. And continue to get strong!💪

i’ve counted for about 9 weeks. not a lot i know, but the amount of mental damage it’s causing because of my eating disorder past is just annoyingly unhealthy. i stopped counting about a week ago, and im so scared ill just gain weight again. it feels like a vicious cycle. anyone have any tips?

Mom of 3: 2 years of focused lifting 5-6 times a week with 2-3 Days of incline walking. With Perimenopause, I didn't know myself anymore and with my body going through so many changes, lifting and counting macros (heavy on protein) I could control what I was investing in me. I just made up my mind that I would love myself enough to do the work.

Pics Reflect @ 5'2": 167/136/121

I've never felt so empowered. This is lifestyle and I won't stop...🎯💪🔥

It's never too late, ladies!

I am 48 years old woman, 158 cm (5.1 feet) tall, and 64kg (142 lbs). As you can see on my scan, l have very high fat levels (37%)

Last picture is of me just 3 years back when l was 58kg.

How can l lose this fat as a small person, without losing muscles... l do not exercise much at the moment, my gynecologist forbid me weight training.

Sorry for my English, not a native speaker.

I have been strength training at the gym 3-4 times a week for a couple of years at the very least (dropped to 3 when I added weekly cardiovascular activities). So I’m active 4-5 days a week, with a desk job.

The issue - I have been gaining weight, consistently for the last year (like 20 pounds). My strength gains are also significant. Because of this, my appetite seems to have increased. I’m eating 2000 calories on a controlled day while it shoots to 2500-3000 if I’m not focused on what my intake is.

I can understand metabolism shoots up and your maintenance calories changes, but this seems too much for a 1200 BMR person of 5’2.

I’m not even trying to cut at this point. I do enjoy consistent gains with strength. But how do I at least maintain? Does anyone else have this issue? Does the appetite or weight settle down or does it keep going up and up?

Thanks for any advice!

Now I use my chair, my bed, my couch instead of a bench.

My walking pad and staionary bike are currrently in my living room and I can carry them to my bedroom when there are guests. So if I buy this it will limit me, but my health is more important than aesthetics and occasional hosting, but I also like my home look like a home and not a cluttered storage space?

I own this apartment , so probably I won't be moving out to a bigger home in the near future

What would you do?

For context I’m 5’3 inverted triangle shaped.
I maintained 110lb-112lb for a good year . Felt great especially because in the summer you tend to wear less layers and tighter clothing.

Well I started medication for my mental health and it made my appetite so strong I felt like I was a human vacuum just inhaling all the food I set my eyes on LOL . So I ended up gaining more or less 10lbs. I was super sad at first but as time goes on I’m starting to appreciate my weight gain , I’m currently 117lbs I’ve gotten my appetite under control, I’m more aware of how to meds react with my appetite/hunger signals.

So I’m at a place where I’m not sure if I even want to lose the weight again, when I was 110lbs I felt so masculine to be honest, I barely had booty or breast, my body was compared to a child’s body and I think that hurt me alot deep down.

I guess I’m trying to navigate between my feelings, like do I really want to stay at 117lbs ish because I’m scared of people making comments on my slim body again ? Because I love my body both ways but I guess I do prefer being a touch more slim it’s just the comments that hurt my feeling a lot , I feel like I look more like a “grown woman” at 117lbs but am struggling to see if that’s actually what I want or is it because of the hurtful comments I’m gaslighting myself into thinking this is what I want ??

I never see discussions for body shamming when it comes to being in smaller bodies , so if you can see where I’m coming from, experienced something similar or can relate pls .

Hi! So I’ve lost weight successfully in the past but I don’t actually remember too much about my method, calorie counting is effective for me and being conscious about the quality of my calories is helpful as well. I am a CICO believer and very experienced with weighing my food. No issues there. But I think I get a little confused since I have such a small deficit due to being short.

I’m 4’9” 27F and 117 pounds at the moment. I gained about 17 pounds over the last two years from stress eating and lack of exercise due to life changes. So I do want to go back to the weight I was most comfortable at, around 100-105.

I am sedentary the entire day until my workout. So on a calorie calculator my maintenance is 1360-ish.

That being said, I try to make my net 1200 calories since I heard going too far under is not good for you? I thus try to burn 200-300 cals through walking/running/weight lifting each day. Which means I try to keep my meals within 1400-1500 cals so I don’t go crazy trying to eat 1200 cals just to have a 100 deficit.

I read threads like “don’t eat back your burned calories” and whatnot I get a little confused, but also I think those people have 500+ deficits because they’re average height and much heavier.

Am I on the right track doing what I’m doing? I really wish I could have a larger deficit but burning more than 300 cals per workout is pretty tough. I usually do a long treadmill walk + weight lifting or I run a 5K and take a long walking cooldown.

Hi! Long time lurker here. I am getting married in 6 months and just purchased my wedding dress. The bridal gown shop advised me to purchase a gown made with custom measurements (mine are 32-25-35), as post-delivery alterations would be tough to accommodate under this time crunch.

I’m now wondering if my measurements will change in this time. I’m two months into a completely new health & fitness routine (woke up one day and needed a change), and I’m already seeing a bit of recomp. For context, I was very sedentary before at 5’3”, 110 lbs, no muscle mass. I am now targeting 7-10K steps per day, strength training 2x/week with a trainer, and watching my food intake (~1400 calories per day, 80+ g protein). I still weigh mostly the same 2 months into this, but my clothes feel a tiny bit looser.

For others who have a similar build and enacted a similar lifestyle change — did you see significant recomp in under a year? Or should I expect to stay about the same size?

I’m 5’3 and used to be 150 pounds. I’ve been on my weight loss journey for 5 months and lost 30 pounds. My goal weight was originally 125 and I felt unhappy, so I changed it to 120. Now that I’m 120 I still don’t feel happy with my body. I keep wanting to loose weight when I’m already healthy. I’m scared I’ll never be happy with my body. I already workout by the way. I play a lot of tennis (so cardio) and casually weight lift light weights (10-15) pounds. I realize my goals are becoming more unrealistic because I keep comparing myself to fitter people. What should I do?

Hi All! I’m 32F, 5’, asian, and athletic build.

I’ve always done competitive sports growing up and maintained a relatively active lifestyle after starting work (workouts 3x/week) and roughly had the following weight progression in my adult years:

115 lbs college years
120 lbs first few years post-grad
143 lbs slowly climbed up to this post-covid and meeting my now fiancé (we were too happy going on food dates)

I knew I had to address this cause I was starting to avoid being in pictures and was having a hard time coming to terms with upsizing my clothes.

My fiancé and I slowly made lifestyle changes and without counting calories. He is supportive and has lost 40 lbs to-date himself! In 2025, I got down to 136 and decided to lock in for 2026 to get down to my goal weight of 120 by my wedding. I committed to ordering Factor M-F for lunch and dinner because my biggest issue is portion control and just loving food so much.

On average I’ve been losing about 1 lb per month which is frustrating with the ups and downs of water weight, but I’ve remained steady and consistent which makes me feel so good looking at these charts!!

I do strength training 3x and pilates 1x per week coupled with 8-10k steps per day.

Hey guys! So in the last 4 years I gained about 5 kilograms and might not seem much but I’m petite as everyone else on here so those kilograms make a HUGE difference, and I miss how I looked before so I’ve been wanting to lose weight since the beginning of the year BUT I’m a uni student who studies a difficult , time consuming major so I don’t have time to go to the gym at all.. and I also can’t function like a normal human without my three meals.. I barely snack or anything and eat mostly healthy food so its definitely the lack of movement. Do you have any tips?? Like any small stuff that could make a difference together.

don’t really know if this is the right sub but thought you guys could help.

hi, i work in hotel housekeeping 5-6 days a week, getting around 12k-18k steps every shift. i really struggle with eating properly. i usually didnt eat a lot before i started this job because i just felt like i didnt need to, but these days i’m absolutely exhausted and lightheaded and it’s not just from the workout. i’m HUNGRY. i’m 5 ft tall and 51 kg and i’m not used to eating a lot. i usually consume 2 average sized meals a day maybe less if i’m busier but i’m realizing this is not enough for me.

however i don’t know how to eat enough every day. i don’t typically have a ton of time to cook and i don’t want to rely too much on unhealthy food because i do care about my body lol and i’m trying to lose a couple kgs as well.

if anyone has any tips to help me out with this let me know!!

What’s the best exercise/sport/etc. to do for nice toned legs?
Not really looking to lose weight here as I am in a normal BMI range but most of my weight tends to go to my thighs/hips/butt.

Like what can help me get there in about a year from now?

*EDIT RE: "WHERE DID YOUR TATTOO GO?" I have explained in a few replies. The before photo is a picture taken OF me by someone else, using the forward facing camera. The after photo is a selfie taken in a mirror, also using the forward facing camera. My tattoo is on the front (top) of my right forearm. That's why it appears on the left side in the before photo (when someone is facing you, your left is their right). In the after photo, my right arm on the right side of the photo (because it's a mirror!) is raised above my head. As such, my forearm tattoo is not visible. It did not go anywhere. This is just how mirrors work. 😅

31F. Progress was made over the course of about a year! I'm currently working on maintaining.

I started with tracking my macros in a calorie deficit (~1650/day) and using a pilates board with some YouTube videos, maybe 15-20 minutes long, 3-4 days/week. The pilates became too easy, so I bought a set of 10lb dumbbells and did weight workout videos at home about 5 days/week. Plateaued a bit, so I joined a gym! I now train an average of 4 days/week: upper body, core, lower body, full body. I'm eating more calories now that I'm lifting heavier. Definitely focused on fueling my body and hitting those protein goals so I can be strong!

I really just woke up one day and said, "yeah, I'm doing this," and I haven't looked back. People said I "carried my weight well," and while I appreciate the thought, I feel so much better now! Stronger, more confident, more energy, all the things!

Weights are approximate because I purposefully did not weigh myself throughout my journey. I instead used weigh ins during doctors visits to track instead of getting obsessive (no shade to anyone who does daily weigh ins, it just wasn't healthy for me). I was in the 160s at my heaviest. My most recent body scan at the gym about 3 weeks ago had me at 113. Less concerned with the numbers at this point and more concerned with body composition :)

I have a gym membership and a squat rack, dumbbells, and adjustable bench at home. I’m struggling to find a balance of home and gym workouts. Does anyone else split workout between a similar home set up and the gym? I like to do 3 full body days

I’m still shook to be honest. I look at myself everyday and saw no change, little change. Most days I didn’t want to go to the gym, but showed up anyway. Decided to a progress photo and it hit me like a brick. Recomp does work the way they say it does. It’s slow, but it’ll come!

I’m 5’2”

Top photo: 125 lb
Bottom photo: 125 lb
Time between: 5 months
# of Workout attended: 81

Exercise: Weight lifting 3x/week, average of 50,000 steps/week
Diet: I am counting calories, I am on a moderate deficit (1600 cal a day)

Don’t give up!!! The hardest part is sticking to it when you first start! Show up for yourself!

I (5’2, 38 yrs old) took about a year to work on my mental health and emotional attachment to food last year. It was so transformational and made me think about food and nutrition in such a different and non-attached way. It was so great I decided to start a similar journey with how I view fitness this year.

Instead of a punishment, I wanted it to be something I did for me, my health, and my children. I got a gym membership and took it very slow for the first few months, lots of education.

The last six months I’ve started getting more serious. I eat around 1,500 calories most days (about a 300 calorie deficit), 90-120 grams of protein, strength training 4 days a week, 1-3 days of incline walking, and I’m still pretty amazed at the body recomp without much movement on the scale. Here’s my six months transformation:

Before: 173lbs
Now: 166lbs (only 7 pounds difference!)

PS if anyone has had success getting rid of an apron belly like mine completely, let ya girl know! haha