Before and After Inspirational Weight Loss Pics

Here's a video showing some inspirational before and after photos of a couple of dozen people who've lost a lot of weight. Hope you enjoy.

23 Pounds Lighter, A Few More to Go

Jennifer has lost 23 pounds since she started her weight loss blog about three months ago. Check out her fun and honest blog at Diary of an Even Fatter Girl.

Here's an intro from Jennifer:

I'm a 57-year-old clinical counselor and social worker who's been overweight since 1985. That was the year that I successful quit smoking and transferred my addiction to food! My highest weight since smoking was 255 ---- 125 pounds more than the morning I smoked my last cigarette! Of course, adding to that weight was having a child (now 25 years old but I PROMISE, I still carry my pregnancy fat), getting divorced, living life.


I've tried so many weight loss strategies in the last 26 years - once eating no solid food for three months, only Optifast shakes. I took doctor-prescribed diet medication for a year and gained a heart murmur, but lost no weight. I've tried it all.

But...... on September 19, 2011, I started a blog in order to keep myself focused, accountable, and conscious of who it is I want to become. Since that date, I've gone from 244 to 221! I've still got "miles to go before I sleep" but I feel that blogging is the most nurturing thing I've done for myself in years. Having a place to document my fears, my musings, my successes and failures has kept me more motivated on my weight loss journey than anything else. I feel like, after 57 years, I'm beginning to know myself and what makes me tick (and eat). I have begun to live my life transparently - and in the process, I've discovered that, though we all fight different battles, our "insides are the same". We are all brothers and sisters of the heart.


Diary Of An Even Fatter Girl is an honest, funny blog about losing weight and living life.

I've Kept the Weight Off

I thought it was time to give an update on my own weight loss situation. So here goes, it's a happy story over all...

I started this blog in November of 2005. I had my first (and only) baby at the age of 42 in January 2004 and had gained 65 pounds through the pregnancy. Just before my son was born i weighed 215. Soon  after the birth i weighed about 200 for a while and then got down to the high 170's within a few months without doing any kind of dieting or exercising. I was not focused on weight loss at this time and found motherhood all consuming and exhausting (even if pleasantly exhausting).

Two years after birth i had stabilized at about 165 pounds which put me near the top range of the 'normal bmi' for my height of 5'9  (maybe almost 5'10"). I stayed at this weight throughout 2007. In the spring of 2008, i decided to get fit and began walking much more. Later that spring i was down to 150 pounds. I've been walking regularly for about four years now and am thrilled to say that i am fitter and slimmer now than I was in my 30's. I've weighed about 145 pounds for a long time now and i think this is the ideal weight for me.

My son is sensitive to wheat and dairy so I've drastically reduced my bread and cheese consumption. This used to be my mainstay snack (with lots of butter,--  i've kept up the butter habit and added more good fats because i think this is important). Otherwise, i am usually very good at staying away from any processed foods and eating vegetables almost every (every other?) day. I'm also a big fan of beans (lentils, chili beans, etc.) and brown rice.

Walking has been my only exercise. In a typical week I usually walk about six or seven hours. So, this would average about one hour a day though my typical route now is 1.5 hours (about six miles of brisk walking) and I do that about four times a week.

I'm super happy with the benefits this regular walking has brought to my life. But I've been negligent about regularly replacing my walking shoes and I am starting to feel a bit of pain in my knees. So this has got me thinking i need to switch up the walking with at least one other alternative exercise.

I am not a gym person. I'm quite sure that if i bought a gym membership the money would be wasted. So i've been thinking about what else i could do.

A friend of mine bought a beautiful rowing machine about a year ago and uses it regularly. Rowing is supposed to be a fabulous all round exercise, not just for the legs but for the whole body. He did a lot of research before buying one, and he chose one of the more expensive models - the WaterRower {Amazon link}
This rower is really fun (almost soothing!) to use and it looks really aesthetically spectacular and folds up easily against the wall when not in use.

So it is very expensive, but I have been thinking this over for a while now and I've decided to take the plunge and buy one. I look forward to being able to exercise at home on rainy days and to listen to podcasts while i row.

Will let you know if this was a good idea in a couple of months or so.

Visual Motivation for Weight Loss

For any of you who have an iPhone, iPad or iTouch, check out these new updated apps on 'virtual weight loss'. They are a great way to track your weight loss progress and help inspire and motivate.

There is a male version and a female version. You can see your weight loss progress with a virtual model of your heaviest weight, your current weight and your ideal, goal weight (based on your height).

Too Fat for the Gym?

Meet Tiff. She started off her weight loss journey weighing 352 pounds. The top photo you see above is one she considers her 'wake up call'. In the last photo she weighs about 225. Though her plan for exercise initially was just to walk a lot, she decided to face her fear of joining a gym and went ahead and started working out regularly at her local community center. She's lost about 130 pounds so far! Check out her story at Project 365.

Obese at Age 29, Super Fit Now

Thanks much to Luis for sending in this story and for sending in these before and after pics;

Here is my weight loss story.

I was born and raised in México until the age of 12. I have always been a tall person, but I was a skinny and tall kid while growing up in México. Food did not come around as easy back then.

When we moved to the United States it became a whole different world. The first meal I had in the new country was a Big Mac at McDonalds. The meals kept coming in the form of pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, burritos. Everything you can possibly imagine. I started getting bigger and bigger. My weight did not register at that time because by the time I was an 8th grader I was 6'5'' and weighted 285 pounds. I never got picked on because of my size, instead I got idolized. They looked at me as the big football player. I kept eating and lifting weights. By the time I was 21 I was 6'8'' and weighed 370 pounds. I struggled to get in shape for football and my weight was holding me back from excelling in the sport I thought I was made for. Well, I played division two college football and got a career. After all was said and done I still had the weight. I did not need the weight anymore. I tried a bunch of different diets and exercise regimes and none of them worked. I thought I was an athlete and should have been able to shed the weight easily. Nothing was working and I just kept eating. Before I knew it I was 400 pounds and was on a second medication to control hypertension at age 29.

I felt like I was changing for the worst. I was losing my friends, my family, my loved ones. I was losing myself. That's when I decided to fix me. I started working out with a video game on the XBOX Kinect. I lost my first 50 pounds within 3 months. I was hooked. I played that game so much that I broke it. I must have scratched it or something. It forced me to look for something else.

I started doing research on Google and looking at fitness and diet videos on YouTube. I also started purchasing equipment. Before I knew it I had my own gym in my garage and friends joined in to workout with me. I have lost 140 pounds in 10 months and got my health back. I am not taking any pills anymore. My blood pressure is normal. I tell people that my physical change is about 10% of the change I have made. I tell them that the real change happened inside. I now love myself. That is where it all began.

Taking that First Step

This is not a success story. This is the story of a first step to weight loss. Here I only point you to one woman who has decided she really wants to lose weight and she is starting on her goal of losing 130 pounds now.

She weighs 260 pounds now, wants to lose 100 pounds over one year, and then 30 more pounds after that. See her initial thoughts about why she wants to lose weight and how she thinks sugar (including fake sugar) is the culprit. Check out her new start at The Journey of a 100lbs.

Help Motivate Diminishing Lucy

In 2008 Lucy made the decision to transform herself from an obese 275 pound goddess to "a lithe and supple goddess of healthier proportions". She has lost about 85 pounds so far and feels she has about 38 more to go.
She has a great blog at Diminishing Lucy. Please go visit and give encouragement.

AOL Success Stories - Submit Yours

I've just stumbled on a great selection of weight loss success stories at AOL's "That's Fit" website. Check it out at That's Fit: Success Stories. They have motivational stories from a diverse range of people of all age groups.

If you would like your weight loss story profiled at this AOL website, please contact Martha Edwards there. They have also put out the call to feature and link to bloggers who have weight loss success stories.

Weight Loss Success Stories on Reddit

Reddit.com is a great source of genuine weight loss success stories. The photos shown here were submitted by jxmac just seven hours ago and she has already received over 2,000 comments. She has lost 65 pounds. Check out her weight loss story and other people's comments here.

Western Food is Making the World Diabetic

Listen to this interesting 13 minute NPR audio on Diet and Diabetes, where one doctor discusses the differences he noticed between Afghan patients and the bodies of North American patients. He says;

"Typical Afghan civilians and soldiers would have been 140 pounds or so as adults. And when we operated on them, what we were aware of was the absence of any fat or any adipose tissue underneath the skin," Patterson says. "Of course, when we operated on Canadians or Americans or Europeans, what was normal was to have most of the organs encased in fat. It had a visceral potency to it when you could see it directly there."

Male Weight Loss Transformations

Check out this page, which has four inspiring stories of men losing weight. Here's an exerpt from Calle's story, he lost 136 pounds and was asked;

If someone reading this has repeatedly tried and failed to change their life for the better and they are considering giving up do you have any words of encouragement for them ?

I can only speak from my experience, I was a healthy morbidly obese person, but for how long? I used to hate pictures of myself, I was really mad when i looked myself in the mirror.

I´ve been alone for years, no girlfriend and not going out because i was ashamed of myself. If you identify with these things, well, you need to change. The best feeling in the world is when people see you on the street and make this big amazing surprised face because you are looking younger, great and healthier. Another great feeling is to fit in normal size modern clothes.

Are you demotivated? Find the reason! Take a picture of yourself every month so you will see the changes and be motivated every time. Know that you are eating to keep your body healthy and fine. Just think in long term, your body will thank you for that.

When you reach your goal, you will feel powerful, invincible, that you can achieve whatever you want in life. Let me tell you that this feeling leaves you speechless and so happy every second of your life. It will worth the fight and the sacrifices, just keep doing it and results will come.

Divorced Man Gets in Shape

Thanks much to Eli who sent in this inspiring weight loss story:

In March of 2008 I had been married for almost 18 years. For the last 5 or 6 years of my marriage, I had gained weight exponentially each year. Not only was I obese (6'1/2" 280 lbs), but I was also a heavy smoker. When I got separated from my ex-wife close to 3 years ago, I had an epiphany. I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't believe what I was looking at. How had I allowed myself to get like that? I wanted to live a longer life for my 3 children and I wanted to be happy with myself again. These things made me take the first step into my journey of weight loss which has now become a passion for fitness.

I had yo-yo dieted for many years and tried many of the fad diets. I was "successful" in losing weight those times, but I never kept it off because I was not making a lifestyle change.. The most important change that has lead to my success is knowing to take things one day at a time. When I started on my quest, I did not join a gym and I did not exert myself enough. What I did was ask myself, "What am I willing to do NOW which will help me continue to do it for the rest of my life?" My answer then was to walk for 15 minutes each night and I made small adjustments to my horrendous eating habits. Today, I can run up to 10 miles at a 10 minute per mile pace. I also weight train 5 days per week and my bad eating moments are most people's best eating habits! I am proud to say that today I have a body fat percentage of 12%!

As soon as I started to see the weight coming off, I was motivated to continue on this path. The most challenging thing for me was changing my bad eating habits. I saw results right away. I started to lose weight after the first week and it never stopped from there.

My life has changed in many ways! I am healthier physically, mentally and emotionally. My self esteem although never low, is at an all time high. I have been the inspiration of many to start their own quest of a healthy lifestyle change and I have finally found a real life passion!

Losing Weight Before the Wedding

Sparkly_81 has lost 80 pounds in 13 months. In a discussion forum she says;

Last Jan I was feeling really down about being overweight. I was also was getting married and being a bridesmaid for my sister. I was really not confident at all about looking good and decided I had to do something about it. So I set about calorie counting and getting into fitness. 13 months later I have lost 80lbs. This takes me into the normal BMI range (I know; don't listen to BMI, but as a fat, relatively unactive woman it was probably quite accurate and psychologically this is a big milestone for me). I am working out regularly. I am pretty close to the point I can do a few pull-ups and I can run without killing myself.

She's had 130 people comment on her progress. See her workout and fitness details here.

A Weight Loss Motivation App for the iPad

Thanks to Adriana for giving us 25 free copies to hand out. Here is the scoop;

This app helps you visualize your weight loss. It's great motivation for losing weight!

You begin personalizing the model by setting your current height and weight as well as your heaviest weight and your goal weight.

Keep a track record of your weight loss and visualize how you'll look when you reach your next lower weight goal.

Your model is based on BMI calculations so she will look different for women who weigh the same but are different heights.

See the Weight Loss Virtual Model on your iPad or iPhone.

Update: Dec 16th 2011. See the male version of the weight loss app here.