In the beginning of my weight-loss I was still trying to find cheat codes on how to lose weight while eating junk and blah blah. I found a few posts which said it’s all about calories in and calories out and while being in a deficit would still make you lose weight but it’ll also make you feel like absolute sh*t.

Now my mind did try to trick me to try that but I didn’t. I stayed real to myself and started an original plan that had the goodness of whole and natural foods.

Today I had a shift of diet due to eating one meal out which was around 600-800 calories. While, I was still in my deficit and thought, “will eat it and call it a day while still maintaining my deficit”

Well, well, well. The absolute hunger I felt right after 2 hours of eating that. If it had been a homecooked meal with all the right ingredients, it would’ve kept me satiated for about 4-5 hours.

Today I realised how it’s necessary to actually eat good most of the times because what might look like it can fill you up will only be able to give you the satisfaction while the taste lingers in your mouth.

Once the thrill of junk is out, your body will crave food, food that doesn’t make you feel like a walking corpse rather actually gives you the energy to roll through your day.

I have been losing weight in order to look nice for pictures for an upcoming wedding I am attending. I started at around 240 and I have been able to go down 50 pounds. It has been an amazing journey and I finally broke into the 180s this week. I weighed about 189 and this weekend we had a bridal party before the actual wedding. I felt pretty okay in my dress when I looked at my self in the mirror I was feeling confident! I was taking pictures all night and didn’t have a chance to look at them until the end of the day. And I look awful. I look exactly as if I were 240. I’m so shocked that that’s how I looked all night. The wedding is in a month and now my confidence has been knocked down to complete 0. I’m so upset. I lost 50 pounds but looking at those pictures it looks like I’m ( for lack of a better term) looking whalish. I’m so upset. I’m sorry I’m just venting .

In 2017, I was in bad shape. I hit 407 pounds, and at 6"4 I was still highly functional but everything hurt. After working on some depression issues, I dropped almost 100 pounds in only three months. I felt and looked so much better.

Over the years, my weight averaged somewhere in the low 300's. Three years ago, I bought a bicycle and began riding it to work. I started eating more greens and lean protein. My job can be very physical, so I stay on my feet a lot. The lowest I ever weighed in this period was 303. I want so badly to get back into the 200 club and no longer be a 300 pound guy.

I went to the doctor on December 31st of last year. My weight hit 340! I had slacked off so much and stopped caring after years of no improvement that I started going in the wrong direction. My insulin and glucose were high and I knew I had to get to work.

Three months later, I'm back at the doctor. I took off 10 pounds and my blood sugar levels were back to normal range. I decided this was it...I'm going to break through that 300 floor and keep going.

I joined a gym a few months back, and lately I have been going every day on my lunch break for half an hour. I'm also still commuting on bicycle. I eat around 1,500 calories per day, with my main intake being protein powder mixed with water and after my lunch workout I mix it with whole milk. Dinner is chicken or other protein and salad.

However, the scale is stuck at 321. Some days it's 325, some it's 319, but it always snaps back to 321 the next day no matter what I do. I just turned 50 so I don't have a young man's metabolism anymore, but surely there must be something that is keeping me at this weight. My chest is flatter and I know I am building muscle, but surely I cannot be replacing fat with muscle pound for pound.

Any tips will be appreciated.

Mine is “THERE ARE NO FREE FOODS.”

As in, if you’re baking brownies and you sneak a few licks of the spoon, those calories still need to be counted. Or if you grabbed a candy from the candy dish at work. Or if you speed chugged some milk out of the carton. Just do your best to estimate how much you ate. Err on the side of estimating too much rather than too little.

At the end of the day I’m shocked that altogether this type of snacking can total like 300 calories. That’s an entire meal’s worth of bites here and there. WTF.

It’s truly enlightening when you account for every single calorie entering your body.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been lurking in this community for a while now, and I’ve decided it’s finally time to step out of the shadows and commit—really commit—to my goals. I’m writing this post not just to introduce myself, but to mark a turning point. This time, I’m not going to fade away after a few days or weeks. This time, I’m in it for the long haul. My biggest goal right now is to log in every single day, stay accountable, and keep checking in with you all, no matter what. I’ve realized I can’t do this alone, and I don’t want to. That’s why I’m here.

My ultimate goal is to get down to my ideal weight and finally reveal something I’ve dreamed about for years: six-pack abs. Not just because I want to look good (although, let’s be real, I do), but because I want to prove to myself that I can finish what I start. I want to show up for myself every day—not just when it’s convenient, not just when motivation is high, but even when I’m tired, stressed, bored, or tempted to give up. The idea of actually seeing definition in my midsection is something that’s kept me going more times than I can count. It’s not about vanity—it’s about victory.

I’ve had plenty of false starts in the past. I’ve downloaded every app, read every blog, and made every resolution. And yet, I always seemed to stall out somewhere along the way. What’s different now? Honestly, I’m done pretending I don’t care. I’m done minimizing how much this matters to me. I’ve finally accepted that this is a real goal, and it deserves real effort. Logging my food, tracking my progress, being mindful of my choices—it’s all part of it. And I want to share that journey here, out loud, where it counts.

This subreddit has so much positive energy, and I see people here lifting each other up every day. That’s what I’m looking for—motivation, encouragement, accountability, and even some tough love if I need it. I want to build real momentum. If you see me slipping, call me out. If you see me winning, celebrate with me. And if you’re in the same boat, I hope we can motivate each other and make this a shared victory.

So here I am: Day 1 of this chapter. I’m ready to log in daily, no matter what. I’m here to get lean, get strong, and most of all—get consistent. Six-pack abs may be the visual goal, but the real victory will be building the mindset that gets me there and keeps me there.

Thanks for reading this.

I never realized just how big of an impact sleep had on my life, I've always had low to mid levels of sleep success getting 8 hours of sleep once or twice a week, however, I've spent the last couple months really working on sleep with habits and lifestyle changes, and I've gotta say its one of the most impactful things I could have ever done, my energy is through the roof every day, and its super easy to go to sleep knowing when I wakeup I'm actually going to look forward to the next day... If you want I can share some things that've worked for me and some things that haven't but FIX YOUR SLEEP!!

https://imgur.com/a/QLvCSZw (before ~1 year ago and after- today).

This sub has been there for me from day 1, atp i share more with sub members here than anyone ik in irl. You guys are the best 🥹🥹🥹!!!! So here i wanna share this, i went for shopping today, and this was my FIRST EVER SHOPPING SPREE! So this is how it feels to walk into a store knowing you can fit into anything? I can't wait to be all the way to my gw now, this is SO AWESOME! Also stats, height- 5'3", sw ~100 kg(220 lbs), cw ~73 kg (160 lbs)

No real point here, just writing some thoughts.

Today I caved & broke my fast an hour early, then went over my calories by 200 cals. I spent a lot of the day all up in my head with food noise and restlessness. I’m just getting myself back on track this month & was really beating myself up after bombing today.

But did I really bomb?

No, I didn’t.

I’m letting perfectionism be the enemy of good. It is all or none thinking & I’m learning to recognize it. To counter it, I need to remind myself of what I DID accomplish today. I got in a 30-minute walk, some stretching, a 17-hour fast & kept my calories under 1700. It’s not perfect, but it’s still pretty darn good. We’re so hard on ourselves sometimes.

I am a petite female who at my last weigh in prior to a week ago, weighed 200 pounds according to the person who did the physical then, eight months ago.

A few days ago, I found that I had lost about 10 pounds due to changing the way I eat. I've pretty much spent a lifetime eating whatever was available, because my family and I did not have much money while I was growing up. So, I never learned to eat healthy, and not only that, I wasn't really that interested in doing so until a month ago.

Now, my meals consist of spinach, organic broccoli, fish, things like that. This is really new to me. Now, my question is, if I were to join a gym to lift weights at my current weight, what would other gym goers think about me? would they film me with their phones to post online and laugh?

Hey, so basically the title already says it.

I have been on a weightloss journey since July 2024. 162cm SW: 72.5kg CW: 57.3kg GW: 50-53kg

I have been trying to lose those last kgs since March and have barely made any progress because I started binging. A lot. Sometimes every day, sometimes every other day, ranging from 3000-5000+ cal a day (my maintenance is 2000) I binged just a few minutes ago and noticed that I "only" binged like 1000cal in one sitting, which might seem like a lot, but considering I also binged 3500+ in one sitting, it doesn't seem to bad

Any ideas on how to combat binging? Could it be that I'm slowly losing interest in binging? I really wanna achieve my goal by summer :>

Thank you for reading xx

(46F, SW= 210, GW= ?, CW= weigh day is tomorrow)

Just returned from an active vacation. I’m unhappy with my current weight as I’m plateaued at 5lbs higher than my previous high limit. So I was surprised that I felt good while on vacation. My year of going back to the gym has paid off as my physical stamina is the best it’s been in years. But then today I saw the pictures. They are a harsh reminder of my weight. I can no longer be content with the image of myself I have in my head. Also, I’m constantly comparing myself to others in any reflection surface. It’s not a vanity thing. I’m trying to compare how others look with their reflection so I can figure out how I look in real life. If that makes sense. How do others feel when they see pictures of themselves? Are you shocked and are you happy or sad? Thanks.

Hi, I'm 5'7, early 20s and I weigh 220 pounds. I want to lose about 80 pounds and I have no idea where to start really. I just got a membership and have watched videos on how to use the equipment, but I'm not sure what to use or where to even begin.

So far I've been doing cardio everyday, but weights seem quite intimidating for me. I've started a calorie deficit and have looked into fasting a little too. I can't afford a personal trainer and the more I research, the more I'm questioning whether I'm reading something reliable or not, does anyone have any advice or where I should start?

I know what one of my main triggers are now: tiredness and my work pissing me off. So for some it might not seem like a binge but for me it was because of the speed I ate it and the amount compared to what someone would typically eat. I feel so satiated and my wellbeing is great on my calorie deficit, I’m getting a range of foods, eating way more vegetables but also making healthier choices than fast foods. I’ve lost 8lbs in one month which I’m over the moon about. I couldn’t even eat my whole “binge” tonight and I’m only 400-odd over my calorie deficit which isn’t too bad (because I didn’t eat it all). I’m trying not to feel ashamed because it happens I guess and I’m looking forward to getting back to my diet. I don’t feel I’m really restricting myself much apart from the natural restriction needed in order to eat things in moderation. I guess I’m just frustrated in myself and I hadn’t planned it until an unexpected event occurred at my work, I was also exhausted and putting the two together just made me go “screw it”. But what’s good is I don’t hate myself for it, I guess that we all muck up at some point. I just need to work on finding a healthier way of de-stressing. It’s so hard though but at least it’s few and far between these days. And I’m only 5 weeks into calorie deficit anyway so it’s early days. If anyone has any reassuring words that would be nice. I feel so empowered and feel in control with my diet that it’s been doing wonders for my mental health, but feel a bit disheartened by my poor choice tonight.

Hey guys , 24F 183lbs , 5’7 I’ve been on this sub for awhile and this is my first post haha. I’m in my luteal phase and everything is just so ughhh!! I have not been that consistent with my workouts and staying in my deficit. Though, I still wasn’t that hard on myself. I’ve lose weight before but gained it all back ( thanks Bacardi) , this time I’m not sulking about overeating a bit. I eat about 1500 cal a day, and aim for 15k steps. But today I decided to go shopping for some jeans since I’m starting a job tomorrow, and I realized I’m not a size 16 anymore but a size 10! So it’s safe to say I’m not feeling too bad about myself. I can’t wait to just keep going and reach my goals.

https://imgur.com/a/Z8w9sd5

I recently got back into working out after a couple of years off. I used to be very active but fell out of the habit. I joined a new gym that mainly focuses on “circle” training—machines set up in a loop where you do one minute of exercise, 80 seconds rest, then move to the next. You can’t modify it for traditional sets like 4x8.

I usually stick to the free weights because I prefer customizing my workouts to target specific areas like legs or shoulders. But I’ve been struggling to put together solid sessions and often end up doing just 2–3 exercises, some cardio, and leaving. It feels unproductive, though I go 3–4 times a week.

Can I still make progress with these unstructured sessions, or would it be better to do the circle training for a few weeks?

I will change gyms as soon as I can, however I can’t for another two months.

All advice is appreciated :)

I went out yesterday with the intention of buying new clothes. I was happy and confident, since I needed to do that because my current clothes are now too big for me.

I looked in the mirror in the changing room and almost cried. I'm absolutely disgusting. At ~105kg I took comparison photos at that exact same room, and now at 80kg almost nothing about my appearance has changed. Side by side, overlayed on top of eachother, doesn't matter. I can see the fat hanging off of my arms and dripping off of my back, and caked onto my legs. I was scared to even go back outside, realising people would see me like that. I sat on the floor and dissociated for so long that it became nighttime.

I can't keep doing this. I just want to stay inside and eat nothing until I'm thin. I won't, I know I absolutely must to force myself to meet dietary needs or else face getting sick, but god it's hard. I hate thinking about food, my weight, being seen by other people, but it's all I can think about. I'm so tired.

This is a rant, but I’m sure many of you can understand where I’m coming from. I was always chubby. I tied my worth to my weight, my looks, and how well I was doing in school since I was a kid. I always felt like I had to have something special going for me to be seen as worthy of love.

I had this mint green mechanical scale that you could adjust the arrow on, and I would rewind it by 20kg and stand on it, fantasizing about how nice it would be if I were really that light. Later, I’d hide it in the attic because I couldn’t stand looking at it. (I was only 9)

This is the first time in my life I would genuinely be considered somewhat “skinny,” and it’s scary. I don’t know what to expect, and sometimes my brain latches onto the idea that maybe it’s not even possible. It’s scary, really, the thought of having a skinny body. I know I’d be pinching myself to make sure it’s not a dream.

(More a rant than anything.)

I feel so silly for letting FOOD have this much control over me. I just indulged in 2 Mexican pastries (my weakness) and all I want to do is go eat the rest of the bag, I want a pb sandwich at the same time, and some carrots, I'm wondering when I'll have my oats tomorrow, i am tired of this bs.

America is quite literally falling apart currently, i have problems going on, economics and politics are crazy- and this is my biggest problem?? Someone could be venting and pouring their heart out to me and I'd be thinking about what I'm gonna eat later and if i even should. (True events sadly🥲)

I've binged over 3 days straight and am fighting the urge so, SO bad to go stuff myself to oblivion. I just want a normal relationship with food

So I want to start working out again. Gonna start slow, just walking and doing some bodyweight stuff. However, I'd like to progress to lifting relatively quickly to tone up - as I'm losing weight I look flabby on my arms and chest.

My concern is not having enough calories a day. I'm T2 diabetic and working hard to keep my blood sugar in check with medication and good food choices. Recently I've been keeping my post meal levels solidly below 150, and post breakfast and lunch below 130. I'm eating a lot of lean meats to feel full longer. I definitely do not want to lose any muscle mass, and wouldn't mind putting on more in my chest and arms.

Any suggestions? Maybe a pre- or post-workout snack? I generally do not like to workout after eating anything substantial.

So I have started working out and eating healthier, but I have run into a bit of a problem. The last time I weighed myself I weighed 144 but I stepped back on a minutes later and weighed 149. I waited a little bit until weighing myself again and it still said 149. Today I weighed myself again because it has been a week, and it said I weighed 142. I stepped back on and it said 150. I can clearly see that I have lost weight there is a difference that not only I have seen but my significant other has seen as well. I don’t know what I should do, I don’t know if it’s me doing something wrong or it’s my scale. I’m really just looking for advice.

Was thinking about some clothes I kept around because I loved them too much to get rid of them, even if I thought I’d never fit into them again. But I’ve been on a simple calorie deficit, not much exercise, since august of last year, and the weight is finally coming off! So, I tried on a semi formal dress from 2017 on a whim, thinking I might be close to fitting into it, and it fit almost perfectly. If anything, it was a little loose on me. I’m so shocked and excited and proud of myself. I know I’m around the weight I was back then, but it was just crazy to think I would actually be able to fit into it. I have nowhere to wear it to, but I have this photo from back then of myself in it that I always look at wistfully, and it was so nice to feel that beautiful again.

It’s almost sad to think that it won’t fit me much longer—it’ll be too big! But I’m excited to continue my journey, so it’ll all be worth it. I’m sure I’ll find more pretty dresses! Just thought I’d share some positivity today. I’d love to hear about more non-scale victories anyone’s had recently in the comments!

Okay guys..here we go. I used to be seriously addicted to instant noodles...still am..like eating a whole pack of Indomie in one or two days. Eating Maggi, bulak noodles etc. It was my ultimate obsession/comfort food, but it left me feeling miserable, depressed, and anxious often. I missed out on life experiences because I wasn’t confident in my body, and it kept me from forming connections. I’ve spent so much time alone and feel like I wear a mask around others. Don't get me wrong though, I feel so much comfort in my own presence and so much at peace but people do treat you differently when you don’t look a certain way, especially in uni, and I want to feel prettier and healthier, even if I don’t get more friends.

So, I made a change. I wrote a letter, packed all my junk food away in a box, taped it up and shoved it under my bed. It’s been 8 days without chips, packaged snacks, or chocolate. I’ve had microwave popcorn and have ordered food and did overeat maybe, but that’s it. I did tore away the tape after 3 days but idk how didn't actually eat it and put it under my bed again. I think it's slowly getting better? When cravings hit, I try distracting myself—chatting with ChatGPT to keep me strong T-T or eating something healthy like Greek yogurt with honey (even if I don’t love it..I mostly hate it but it's okay after the first bite I guess) or microwave extra buttery popcorn (390 cal in 1 packet) or something else.

I get an Indian tiffin food service 4 days a week, so I don’t have to think about meals a lot as a REALLY busy uni student who is juggling with still burnout? and maybe depression and def anxiety, and I’m sticking to it. No weight loss yet, but I think feel freer, more confident, and just a bit lighter mentally. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to indulge without guilt, but for now, I’m treating myself to an iced latte or croissant when I need a little indulgence.

I almost gave up again today but I know I will 100% regret it..I think I'm just tired of the cycle and try to make myself believe that I'm not missing any major experiences..but making space for new and different ones.

Anyone else have any experiences with this? How long it took to see changes? Ik it's CICO but still taking one step at a time for now..

TL;DR: 8 days without instant noodles or junk food. Packed it away, sticking to healthier options, and feeling a little more confident. No weight loss yet, but maybe progress?

One of my knees is shot. I had been doing really well with low impact aerobics videos on YouTube, losing over 30 lbs. with calorie counting and prioritizing protein, but my knee crapped the bed on me. It swelled up, I went to the doctor, and they told me I need a knee replacement. This is something I cant do right now, and as long as I don't overdo it, I find I am able to get through my days with minimal pain, so I am going to keep the knee I currently have.

It's been quite some time since I quit exercising and I have gained back all I initially lost. I also have longstanding injuries in my neck and a shoulder.

I HATE going to the gym. I won't be swimming. I want to find routines I can do at home that don't depend on me putting my whole bodyweight on my knees.

Does anyone have suggestions for workouts I could find online? I am a broke, and what I loved about youtube workouts was the convenience, mostly, but also no need to feel self conscious at the gym. If I have to go anywhere or pay for my workouts, I know from past experience, I will quit pretty quickly.

Thanks for any advice.