If you’re like any of the women in these incredible weight-loss transformation stories, you’ve struggled with hitting walls while trying to drop pounds and, at least once or twice, felt the temptation to throw in the towel on the whole d*mn thing. That just means you're human.
It also means that you might benefit from a serious dose of inspo from ladies who have stuck out their journey long enough to see real success. Because let's face it: Losing weight is hard, and it's even harder for women than men, thanks to metabolic and hormonal differences, research shows.
Most of the weight-loss warriors here tried multiple avenues, from going vegan to intermittent fasting to at-home Pilates workouts, before finding the methods and eating regimes that worked with their lifestyles. And part of their success was being realistic about what was achievable in the long run. Take it from one wise woman: "I promised in the beginning that I wouldn’t want to eat or do anything while losing weight that I wouldn’t want to eat or do once I hit [my] goal, even if that meant it took a little bit longer," says @ashleys_officially_lost_it.
Finding a workout routine you love can also help keep you on track throughout the ups and downs. As one woman, @kaitlynesse, says, "Truly all of my weight loss came from working out to feel better and not to look a certain way. I just found this passion for it weightlifting I never had before," she says, noting that lifting helped her fight through a bout of depression after a breakup.
Together, these powerful women lost more than 4,000 pounds—and gained so much strength along the way—which you’ll see in these dramatic before-and-afters. Take them in as needed to stay focused, inspired, and invested in your journey toward achieving your own health goals. They did it—and so can you.
@kcantrell has lost 111 pounds since she started her journey in January 2019, and she credits Beachbody and 2B Mindset nutrition for her weight loss.
@jessmeetsthegym has lost over 130 pounds since July 2018 with consistent gym workouts and a new-found love for running.
By following a vegan diet and HIIT/circuit training, @iamrayysyymone has lost 100 pounds.
@jocelynthrivingfit has lost 166 pounds naturally following a "calories in, calories out" style of dieting and regular exercise.
@laurieforpresident is down 200 pounds after weight loss surgery in 2018. She keeps a food diary and tracks her macros.
Now a personal trainer, @jessmakesgains has lost over 150 pounds naturally by doing carb cycling and strength workouts.
@a.little.less.shannon is down 107 pounds naturally by following a "lazy" keto diet.
@tay_getting_fit has lost 114 pounds naturally thanks to running and using the fitness app Shreddy. She also cut out red meat.
@familytofunsize has lost an *incredible* 233 pounds after gastric bypass surgery in 2017 that kickstarted her transition to a low-carb, low-sugar diet.
@watchpeggyloseit has lost more than 150 pounds naturally in 13 months by getting in 5 a.m. HIIT classes at the gym and tracking her calories in the MyFitnessPal app.
@keto_allie has lost more than 100 pounds since 2017 after starting the keto diet and incorporating running into her fitness regime. She ran her first 10k in September 2019.
After reaching a place of recovery for binge eating disorder, @debiluv4health has lost over 80 pounds since she started WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and regular gym workouts.
@alicutsmyhair has lost over 105 pounds by combining intermittent fasting and keto.
After years of yo-yo dieting, @ketowithdanni weighed in at over 400 pounds. She learned how to count her macros after finding the keto diet and has lost 102 pounds in the process.
@chip0ltay described herself as a closet eater before joining WW (formerly Weight Watchers). Now, she's lost 109 pounds.
@jasminelosingit lost over 120 pounds after doing Jillian Michaels workouts and starting the 21-Day Meal Plan.
@thepaleopharmacist transformed her body after going on the paleo diet and eventually the carnivore diet. She's lost over 90 pounds.
After struggling with emotional eating for years, @alliedoesketo discovered the keto diet and added in 16:8 intermittent fasting. She's lost over 80 pounds.
@just_you_weight lost 106 pounds in just over a year naturally by using MyFitnessPal to 50 percent fruits and veggies, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent whole grains.
@kickinitwithlauren lost almost half of her body weight (a total of 120 pounds) in about two years with the help of a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery and a love of lifting weights.
@cake_2_5k used WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) to help her lose 90 pounds after struggling with postpartum depression after she went through a devastating miscarriage.
@regan_patterson lost 80 pounds by starting to count her macros and calories and getting back into strength training. Her fave workout now? Weight lifting.
@keeshnicoletv lost 94 pounds after she started meal prepping and doing light workouts, which turned into a serious passion for running.
@stellaisstriving lost 243 pounds—more than 42 percent of her starting body weight—by overhauling her eating habits with the keto diet and focusing on fat loss (not just losing pounds).
@_jens_journey_ started out doing keto but didn't feel that it worked for her, so she stuck with intermittent fasting, a sugar-free diet, and keeping her carbs down. She dropped more than 100 pounds—then gained back about 15 of those pounds to feel her healthiest, she previously told Women's Health.
It was WW that got @sweet_pea_leigh to a place of kicking her food addiction, which had been causing her to keep gaining weight as well as numerous body aches and pains. She's lost over 150 pounds.
The Couch to 5K app was hugely transformative for @lizzy_rockz—soon after hopping on the app, she started triathlon training and subsequently ran four marathons. Meal prepping with lots of protein and few carbs was huge for her, too, in her journey to lose about 150 pounds.
@rachellsharp93 went down a little more than 100 pounds, starting with her own version of alternate-day fasting, consuming small amounts of food in between days, and then segueing into another type of intermittent fasting.
Down about 220 pounds, @losing_for_health started out doing keto, then continued to count her macros with a free online calculator.
Originally through gastric bypass surgery, @kathleeng1112 shed 179 pounds, but she kept it up by eating tons of protein and few carbs. She stays active with Pilates, yoga, and at-home workouts.
@gessisfitnessjourney hit her goal of losing 124 pounds first by trying going vegan, then vegetarian, and low-carb, but she ultimately succeeded by tracking everything—calories, steps—on her Fitbit.
It was a combination of keto and intermittent fasting that helped @gritandgrace__ lose more than 50 pounds and her status as prediabetic. Once she cut out sugar, her PCOS symptoms were more manageable, too.
@hannah_day28's big turnaround came from BeachBody toning workouts. She also began practicing clean eating and portion control. She still eats buffalo chicken, but in a zucchini boat rather than fried.
She started out with VSG surgery, but @cam_bree_uhhh kept off 148 pounds by eating a vegan diet. She now belongs to two different gyms to stick with her love of weight lifting and doing circuits.
@carlywontquit lost 108 pounds with a strict policy of no added sugar, even in her coffee. She's also a cardio fanatic and can't get enough of Zumba or Total Body Pump.
Realizing the power of a nutritious home-cooked meal turned @_iwokeupinbeastmode;s nutrition around, helping her to lose a total of 130 pounds. She started out tracking every macro, but after hitting her goal, she stopped counting calories and focused on just eating clean instead.
@laurenlosing did VSG surgery in 2013 as a tool to change her lifestyle. She kept going with eating a high-protein diet, counting macros, and weight lifting.
A new-found love of lifting heavy was a major transforming factor for @kaitlynesse. She lost 80 pounds in about a year, focusing on squats and deadlifts, which she says made her feel strong and powerful. She also put on about 10 pounds of solid muscle in the process.
Keto and kickboxing were the power duo for @thestairlady. She went down 100 pounds in a year without giving up her favorite food, pizza.
@tashpointo's weight-loss journey started with VSG surgery. She continued to drop 150 pounds through the keto diet, and then a general low-carb eating plan. She also supplemented with a hot-yoga routine to help with her anxiety and started running and amping up her core workouts, too.
Struggling with symptoms of both PCOS and IBS, @get_moefit first cut carbs and started going beast mode in the gym, and then worked with a nutritionist to do an elimination diet. She cut out some cruciferous veggies that bothered her, as well as beef and pork (but kept other types of lean meat) to reduce GI issues and lose 80 pounds.
Starting with gastric-sleeve surgery, @gi_sciortino shed 120 pounds and kept it off with intense strength-training and HIIT workouts.
Counting calories with the My Fitness Pal app was a factor for @hayleysweightlossjourneyx to lose 70 pounds. "It was the simple science of tracking calories in vs. out, mixed with self-discipline and self belief," she says.
@wokeuplikedez dropped 150 pounds after having gastric-bypass surgery, and then continued the momentum with a high-protein diet. She kept consuming fewer calories and working out more consistently than she had in the past, too. And she's currently prepping for her second body building show.
In the beginning, @ashleys_officially_lost_it tried losing weight simply by counting calories, but she needed more accountability and support, she says. She jumped on the WW (formerly Weight Watchers) bandwagon and later became an ambassador in the midst of her 120-pound weight loss, which she's maintained for almost two years. Her transformation was mostly accomplished via healthier food swaps—she loves to make cleaner versions of favorite fast-food dishes, like a chipotle chicken avocado sandwich from Panera.
Down 80 pounds from clean eating and at-home workouts, @beast_girl_22 toned up using BeachBody Body Beast. She also made a major change in her eating routine: switching from eating three healthy meals a day to eating smaller healthy meals every two to three hours, with lots of water.
After dealing with postpartum anxiety, @getfitwithmeliss discovered Andy Frisella's 75 Hard mental toughness program and lost 20 pounds. In total, with the help of calorie counting, she lost 64 pounds.
@thisiswhitneyburk struggled with my weight my whole life until she started following a pescatarian diet and doing Beachbody workout programs and lost 66 pounds.
@rose_vibes19 followed the keto diet and cut out sugar and alcohol for weight loss and lost over 60 pounds.
@shrinkingbyfaith committed to eating a plant-based keto diet and got into Peloton and Rebounder workouts to lose 60 pounds.
@shiannesmithfit used Beachbody workouts and the portion control-focused eating plan and calorie counting to undo pregnancy weight gain and lost 100 pounds.
After struggling with her weight my entire life, @nishafitness learned how to make my favorite meals using healthier ingredients and started doing HIIT cardio and strength training and lost 103 pounds.
@justdreampaige struggled with her weight for her whole life until she cut out junk food, starting following a Mediterranean diet, and began running and doing Zumba workouts and lost 105 pounds.
After a back injury, @bl11hannah gained weight rapidly. She went on The Biggest Loser and started eating a low-carb, low-sugar PCOS diet and walking for weight loss, as well as incorporated strength training and HIIT, to reach a healthy weight.
@dmarie_rochelle practiced portion control and did low-impact cardio, like walking and hiking, for weight loss after her C-section and lost 72 pounds.
@megans.mission tried Weight Watchers, followed by intuitive eating, and Orangetheory Fitness workouts to lose 100 pounds and keep it off.
@beginwithbri tried intermittent fasting and YouTube Workouts and lost 120 pounds during the pandemic.
@kaila_a_duncan struggled with her weight until she decided to get in shape for her wedding by meal prepping, doing Tone It Up! workouts, and indoor cycling, and lost 85 pounds.
@kayfit_rusiecki stopped drinking and started keeping a food journal to develop a better relationship with food, lifted weights, and lost 70 pounds.
@findingabs11 struggled with her weight her whole life until she started Weight Watchers (WW) and food tracking with iTrackBites, and began to understand portion sizes. She lost 80 pounds with her new eating style and indoor cycling at CycleBar.
@sim_on_ww used WW and walking for weight loss 5 days and lost 123 pounds in 18 months.
After years of yo-yo dieting, @imjustshica tried 16:8 intermittent fasting and began walking for weight loss and lost 102 pounds.
@so_damthicknbad cut out processed foods and did sprinting workouts and fitness boot camps to lose 85 pounds.
By using WW and the iTrackBites app and working out with an elliptical and Les Mills classes, @nomo.yoyo has been able to lose 80 pounds.
@vickinosecrets started eating a low-carb, high-protein diet and walking and doing YouTube workouts to lose weight and manage PCOS symptoms.
After gaining weight in high school, @hopebby_fit started a vegan diet and started lifting weights and doing cardio to lose 50 pounds.
By going keto, then switching to a less restrictive low-carb diet, and lifting weights, @_jerrseyyy lost 80 pounds in 10 months.
Mara Santilli
Mara is a freelance writer and editor specializing in culture, politics, wellness, and the intersection between them, whose print and digital work has appeared in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Airbnb Mag, Prevention, and more. She’s a Fordham University graduate who also has a degree in Italian Studies, so naturally she’s always daydreaming about focaccia.
Emily Shiffer
Freelance Writer
Emily Shiffer has worked as a writer for over 10 years, covering everything from health and wellness to entertainment and celebrities. She previously was on staff at SUCCESS, Men's Health, and Prevention magazines. Her freelance writing has been featured in Women's Health, Runner's World, PEOPLE, and more. Emily is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she majored in magazine journalism at the Medill School of Journalism and minored in musicology. Currently residing in Charleston, South Carolina, Emily enjoys instructing barre, surfing, and long walks on the beach with her miniature Dachshund, Gertrude.
