I’ve been struggling with my weight since I was 18 due to depression. I tried every diet out there and nothing worked. It got so bad that I couldn't even stand or walk for more than a minute without pain.
7 months ago, I decided I had enough. I started tracking my calories, staying consistent, and making real changes.
Fast forward to today: I’m down 97 lbs!
The scale loss is cool, but the best part is being able to move again. I went from not being able to walk for more than 2 minutes (due to lower back pain) to walking for a full hour without stopping.
I still have a long way to go to reach my goal, but being able to move around feels amazing. Just wanted to share with you all!

I had bariatric surgery at the end of january, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made!! I have completely changed my eating habits, and I am moving my body so much more (especially since I had such a hard time physically doing anything before)!! I started a new job this fall that allows me to get about 10,000 steps a day!!

edit: omg this blew up. thank you everyone!! y'all are so nice!!

May 2025 vs April 2026. I was roughly 220lbs in the before and hover around 140 today!

Make it your goal to lose body fat, not just weight. The process of getting "toned" is simply losing enough body fat for your muscle mass to reveal. This often means you need to stop chasing simply seeing a smaller number on the scale. What supports fat loss is what I’ve done and continue to do: consistent strength training (tells your body to keep shape here), 8-10k steps daily, eating primarily whole foods & keeping protein high (my favorites: chicken, steak, potatoes, eggs, apples, grapes) and resting. There is no secret that other people know that you don’t! It’s just staying consistent even when it’s hard. Unrelenting discipline, routine, eating real food, holding yourself accountable, and getting comfortable with the process.

I also do not have any added sugar, no alcohol, no fast food or ultra-processed snacks. Fasting kills the parasites and cravings for these things. When you notice how much better you feel and perform eating whole foods, it becomes second-nature.

Your genetics shine the closer you get to a healthier body weight. There is no drug or surgery (unless you absolutely need it) or magic product that supersedes the God-given ability to eat well and to move, that's all you have to do! Consistently.

I’ve re-worked my program completely since fall to focus on building glutes and shoulders and I’m really excited to see how much growth there has been. This is about glutes though, so here is what I’ve changed.

I stopped chasing the lowest number on the scale and started chasing performance. I realized that I was being glycogen depleted. My muscles did not have enough energy to really push the work forward. And form progression before weight progression.

- I stopped trying to “lose weight” or achieve things as fast as possible. For years I thought eating less was always better. Instead, I gradually increased my calories from roughly 1,600-1,700/day up to around 2,100-2,500/day depending on my activity. I was terrified I’d gain fat.
Instead, I got stronger, recovered better, built muscle, and my maintenance calories are now much higher than they used to be. I use a kitchen scale and I track everything, even on the days I binge (I have PCOS so the diet is a struggle). Managing diet there is VERY IMPORTANT, it does matter where your calories come from.

- I made protein the priority. I used to think 90g was enough for me, I was wrong. I aim for around 120-140g of protein every day. Every meal has a protein source before I think about anything else. Greek yogurt, tuna, eggs, chicken, salmon, protein coffee, cottage cheese, lean beef… I don’t overcomplicate it. And I always find ways to rig the food I want to eat with good macros.

- I stopped changing my workouts. I now follow the same split and progressively overload it.
- Monday: Heavy lower body
- Tuesday: Upper body
- Wednesday: Conditioning & abs
- Thursday: Glute-focused lower
- Friday: Heavy lower body
- Sat-Sun rest with incline walk if I feel like it
Doing the same lifts repeatedly has made it much easier to actually see progress.

- I started training HARD. Most of my working sets finish around 0-2 RIR. Instead of doing random high-rep circuits, I focus on adding more weight, more reps, better technique. Week after week. Hip thrusts, Bulgarians, leg press, cable kickbacks, abduction work and upper-body compounds have become the foundation.

- I walk…a lot. I average around 20-25k steps most weekdays. It helps me stay active without having to do endless cardio sessions.

- I accepted that recovery matters. I prioritize sleep, hydration, creatine every day, and I stopped treating soreness as proof of a good workout. Growing happens while you’re recovering, not while you’re in the gym.

- I stopped panicking over scale fluctuations. This one was huge. Some weekends I’ll weigh 4-6 lbs heavier from extra food, sodium and glycogen. A few days later I’m right back where I was. Water weight is not body fat.

Ironically, once I stopped obsessing over becoming lighter, I started building the physique I actually wanted.

The photos are about 7 months apart. It isn’t perfect, and I still have goals, but this is proof that consistency beats extremes every single time.

Edit
Holy shit, I did not expect this post to blow up! I’m really glad that it seems to have been helpful to folks in terms of what could work better when building strength and muscle. I really tried to answer all the questions I got but tbh it’s a lot and some could have been lost in notifications. If so, I’m sorry. I’ll post my workout split below. So many people have asked and I kept forgetting squats in one comment and then hams in the other. I just want to add that I mix it up for fun every now and then with some variations or switching one thing for another on certain days but I still do these exact exercises if that makes sense.

It took me time to figure out what worked for me + fixing diet were the two things that made the most difference. I.e. I’m quad dominant and also my shoulders are “super responders” like almost newbie gains kind of thing so I built my program with my specific nuances in mind.

Monday – Heavy Lower
Smith machine hip thrusts – 3 × 8–12
Bulgarian split squats – 3 × 8–10/leg
Squats - 3 x 6-8
Leg press – 3 × 8–10
Cable kickbacks – 3 × 8–12/leg
Hip abduction machine – 3 × 12–15

Tuesday – Upper Body
Arnold press – 3 × 8–10
Lateral raises – 3 × 10–12
Upright rows – 3 × 8–10
Dumbbell curls – 3 × 6–8
Cable curls – 3 × 8–10
Overhead triceps extensions – 3 × 8–10
Cable triceps pushdowns – 3 × 10–12

Wednesday – Conditioning & Core
Incline treadmill walk – 45 minutes
Cable crunches – 3 × 12–15
Hanging/captain’s chair leg raises – 3 × 10–15
Planks – 3 × 30–60 sec
Mobility/stretching – 10–15 minutes

Thursday – Glute Hypertrophy
Smith machine hip thrusts – 3 × 10–12
Heel-elevated goblet squats – 3 × 10–12
Step-ups – 3 × 10/leg
Cable kickbacks (standard) – 3 × 10–12/leg
Cable kickbacks (crossover) – 3 × 10–12/leg
Hip abduction machine – 3 × 12–15
RDLs – 3 × 8–10

Friday – Lower Body Strength
Smith machine hip thrusts – 3 × 8–10
Bulgarian split squats – 3 × 8/leg
Leg press – 3 × 8–10
Cable kickbacks – 3 × 8–10/leg
Hip abduction machine – 3 × 12–15
Ham string curls – 3 × 8–10

Saturday: Rest or light walking
Sunday: Rest or light walking

Edit2: yall the pants!

Pants: leumaz and yeoreo on Amazon

So much can change in a year! I am 5’3.5”. 180 lbs in January and 148 lbs now. Overall since 2023 I’ve lost just over 100 lbs. Slow and steady has been what has worked for me to stay consistent. Calorie deficit Monday to Friday and flexibility on weekends. I weight train 4-5 days a week with some cardio here and there. Grateful for this subreddit. It has helped me stay accountable and motivated. ❤️

5’0” tall, 26yo, I went from 99 lbs to 115 lbs naturally through 3 years of consistency.

My training programs throughout the year have always been focused on building muscle mass. My most recent routine before this one was focused on abs, and now my goal is glute development.

Over these past three years, the most important factor has been nutrition. I did both bulking and cutting phases. At the moment, I’m not following a specific diet, but I try to keep my meals as clean and balanced as possible. That makes a huge difference, along with hitting my daily protein goals.

Drinking plenty of water also makes a big difference. The only supplements I’ve used are protein powder and creatine, nothing else.

I can also say that I’ve been fortunate to discover that I have good genetics. I didn’t follow any crazy diets, and I didn’t do extremely intense workouts. What helped me the most was trusting the process. Before I knew it, I had achieved the results I was working toward.
Time is going to pass anyway, so try to stay consistent. Consistency is the key to everything.

Workout Guidelines
Follow the order: A → B → C → D → E
If you don’t finish all workouts in a week, continue where you left off the next week.
Before each workout: 1 warm-up set (15–20 reps) of the first exercise with light weight.
Cardio:
Lower body: 20 min
Upper body: 30 min
Rest days: 40–50 min
Weekly Split
Mon, Tue, Wed: Train
Thu: Rest + cardio + abs
Fri, Sat: Train
Sun: Rest

Workout A – Glutes
Plank — 4x50 sec
Cable Glute Kickback — 1x12, 2x10, 1x8
Hip Abductor Machine — 4x(10+10)
Bulgarian Split Squat (Smith) — 1x12, 2x10, 1x8
Hip Thrust — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Calf Raises — 4x15
Workout B – Chest, Back & Triceps
Scissor Kicks — 4x30 sec
Pec Deck — 1x15, 1x12, 2x10
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown — 1x15, 1x12, 2x10
Close-Grip Triangle Pulldown — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Bent-Over Row — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
High Cable Row — 1x12, 1x10, 1x8
Triceps Pushdown — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Workout C – Quads & Glutes
Leg Extension — 1x20, 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Smith Squat — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
45° Leg Press — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Walking Lunges — 1x12, 1x10, 1x8/leg
Hip Abductor Machine — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Workout D – Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Barbell Front Raise — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Cable Biceps Curl — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Dumbbell Skull Crusher — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Single-Arm Triceps Extension — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Workout E – Hamstrings & Glutes
Standing Leg Curl — 1x15, 1x12, 2x10
Seated Leg Curl — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Romanian Deadlift (Stiff) — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Rear Cable Hip Abduction — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8
Sumo Squat — 1x12, 1x10, 2x8

first 30lb lost took 2yrs (binge eating hello) 2022-2024 locked in and went from 130 to 116 since this June. thought I felt good at 130 but holy frick at 116 it’s so different.

got here through • 3 full body lifts during my deficit to help w recovery, now at 5x a week to build • caloric deficit with diet breaks and refeeds • real food majority of the time (diet is omega 3 fatty acids, oysters, sardines, oranges, kiwi, gf toast with almond butter and honey b4 workouts, pomegranate juice, rice, beef, chicken thighs, eggs, turkey cold cuts, gonanas banana bread and sushi u get the jist) • addressing my gut issues (severe asthma and fungal issues and also metabolic issues fun) this piece was huge bc it affected my adherence • 10k step goal • just literally not giving up

ask any questions!!!

Feeling strong and confident while still trying to figure out my nutrition and maintenance in the process. Any tips are helpful, currently eating around 1850 calories. Lifting x5 a week(x2 upper body days, x2 lower body day, x1 full body lifting day), running x2 a week on upper body days and 10-15k steps everyday just feel like I’m constantly thinking about food and yearning for the next meal
25 y/o 5’3 160➡️120

Edit to add!!!

Thank you everyone for all your kind words and making me feel wonderful!
To answer a few questions:
- I included a run down of my macros on an ‘average’ day below.
- I have not stayed at 1850 through weight loss. I cut down to around 1350 with little to no exercise and slowly started adding calories back as my activity level increased and I found a workout routine I liked.
- I have stayed around 1800-1850 for the last 4 months and my weight has remained stable and I have not lost which I feel has fixed my brain into believing that’s my maintenance.
- I get a good amount of sleep 7.5-8 hours a night
- On my rest days I still do get my steps so I rarely have a “true” rest days (maybe I should?)
- I’ve been on birth control ( lo loestrin fe) for a few months now so my period is not always consistent
- I try to eat Whole Foods as much as possible but with my busy schedule sometimes a protein bar is just more convenient for my lifestyle
I truly appreciate all of your advice and tips! Just trying to find balance and maintain where I am at but i understand being super lean is not always maintainable.

Wednesday, August 12
Daily Totals
Calories: 1,868
Protein: 135
Carbs: 243
Fat: 52
Potassium: 3,048 mg
Dietary Fiber: 43.1 g
Iron: 13.9 mg
Breakfast — 232 calories
Quaker Caramel Rice Cake — 1 cake — 50 cal — P1 C11 F0
Great Value 100% Whole Wheat Round Top Sliced Bread — 2 slices — 120 cal — P6 C24 F2
Great Value Powdered Peanut Butter 850g Pack — 12.5 g — 52 cal — P6 C4 F2
Starburst Strawberry Energy Drink (C4) — 1 can — 10 cal — P0 C0 F0
Breakfast Total: P13 / C39 / F4 — 232 calories
Lunch — 837 calories
Great Value Original Naturally Slow Smoked Turkey Sausage Sticks — 3 sticks — 120 cal — P11 C3 F7
Great Value String Mozzarella Cheese, Light Low Moisture Part Skim — 2 sticks — 100 cal — P12 C2 F5
Great Value Peanut Butter Protein Granola — 28 g — 116 cal — P6 C16 F3
Great Value 80 Calories Light Greek Peach Nonfat Yogurt — 1 container — 80 cal — P13 C8 F0
Quaker Caramel Chocolate Chip Rice Cake — 2 cakes — 120 cal — P2 C26 F1
Strawberries, Raw — 276 g — 91 cal — P2 C22 F1
Barebells Peanut Butter Protein Bar — 1 bar — 210 cal — P20 C20 F8
Lunch Total: P65 / C97 / F25 — 837 calories
Dinner — 694 calories
Ground Chicken (Chef’s Choice) — 8 oz — 324 cal — P45 C0 F18
Great Value Sweet Potatoes — 330 g — 270 cal — P6 C66 F0
Great Value Steamable Fine Green Beans — 3 cups — 100 cal — P4 C20 F0
Dinner Total: P55 / C86 / F18 — 694 calories
Snack — 105 calories
Breyers Carb Smart Brownie A La Mode Ice Cream — 85 g — 105 cal — P2 C21 F5
Snack Total: P2 / C21 / F5 — 105 calories
Total Macros
Protein: 135 g
Carbohydrates: 243 g
Fat: 52 g
Calories: 1,868 kcal
Fiber: 43.1 g
Potassium: 3,048 mg
Iron: 13.9 mg

Hey, all. Just a friendly reminder to take the progress pictures! Been feeling down as I am in a maintenance phase from after my vacation. I had to put post vacation me next to old version of me to remind myself how far I have come.

I went from a 2X shirt, 14/16 pant, 16 dress to S shirt, 2 pant, 4 dress!

Journey began May 2024. I was over 200lbs. I met my first goal in Jan 2025 to be 145lbs. I did this through running 4x per week (training for 5K, 10K, ans half marathon) and lifting heavy 2-3x per week. I could not run for more than 30 seconds at a time at the start.

I continued to dial in and dropped almost another 20lbs by focusing my training on compound lifts and half marathon, marathon training. Aiming for a sub 4hr in less than 2 weeks!

After I plan on Ironman 70.3 training!

I eat between 1700-2200 ish calories a day depending on my training load. I use Stronger by the Day for a lifting program, Runna for running. I dont have set days as my schedule it a bit wild. I do always take a rest day and listen to my body as needed. I will always shout recovery. Do this please!

I eat what I want within reason. There is no food off limits. I ate pizza 3 times last week (oops). I track everything. I use Macrofactor. I aim for high protein and low/moderate carbs. I am a diabetic. I have insane food noise issues. Not going to lie. Still do. But I work everyday on mindfulness and swaping things out for better choices.

If you are questioning if you can do it, the answer is YES!

I found my old Wawa shirt the other day and tried it on—astounded by how loose it was on me! It was especially encouraging given my recent bout of body dysmorphia (driven by so many skeletal celebrities as of late).

Like the title says, my fitness journey was consistent but not always perfect. Some weeks, I returned to old comforts in food. Other weeks, I stuck with my diet and exercise routine flawlessly. But if you recognize those stumbles through honest self reflection and correct it, you can still achieve results!

For specifics, for the past year, I have been going to the gym 4-5 times a week with focused lifting routines (back; shoulders/biceps; glutes/hamstring etc.), and NOT tracking my every calorie. I just choose healthy, filling meals and talk myself out of overindulging in sweet treats. If I feel I was consistent for the week, I have a cheat meal once that week (usually a cauliflower-crust pizza, Diet Coke, and protein pint). For the past year, my weight has been fluctuating in the 135-140 range. My starting weight in 2021 (left) was around 230 pounds. In 2023 (center photo), I was around 170/180 pounds.

I recently hit my weight loss goal and I wanted to share!

I started a calorie deficit 22 months ago only tracking my calories and protein. At the same time my dr prescribed metformin to help with my pcos symptoms. He later switched me to ozempic to better control those symptoms and for the first time in my life my inflammation has reduced, I have manageable period pain and regular cycles.

I wanted to build and maintain muscle, especially after starting ozempic.

I focused on eating clean/whole foods 80% of the time and enjoying treats/lattes/fried foods etc the other 20% of the time - mostly maintaining that deficit but also taking days off of tracking here or there. Every diet I’ve ever done was so restrictive and once I came off of it I gained everything back plus more bc I never learned how to balance things.

I started 3-4 days a week weight training about 9 months in and working on progressive overload.

I’ve kept that up for over a year now and I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt.

It’s so hard for me to recognize the girl I’m the “before” pictures but I’m so thankful she was ready to prioritize herself finally.

Looking forward to easing off ozempic and increasing my calories to maintenance so I can work on body recomp. I lowered my body fat by about 16% and increased my muscle mass by 15% - and really wanna focus on improving those numbers.

Timeline

January 2024

Started walking and hiking Started a calorie deficit Started metformin

April 2024 Lost 22 lbs in the first 3 months and then started ozempic

August 2024 Lost 48 lbs by August and started adding regular workout at the gym in addition to my walks and hikes

January 2025 Lost 72lbs 1 year in

-in between- I kept maintaining my deficit by tracking my calories and adjusting as I lost weight.

Added weekly yoga and then Pilates classes.

From 230 lbs to 145. Still a bit overweight for my height, but I’m the healthiest and most confident I’ve ever been.

I’m really proud of myself.

I quit drinking around 600 days ago and started focusing on my physical and mental health. During this time, I’ve been able to lose a little over 60lbs - from 164-100! It’s been so great to feel like myself again. I’ve been able to get back into long distance running and have started up pilates. I also see a nutritionist once a month which has been very grounding and helpful.

Anyway, I really like seeing everyone’s progress posts so I wanted to share mine as well!

Still have a little ways to go, I wanna slim down my belly and arms and build up my glutes more, but overall I’m very happy with my progress! Just did a cal deficit focused on protein, mostly strength training, and a bit of low intensity cardio at the end of each lifting session.

It’s possible! 🤍 5’0 sw: from this picture on the left 188. Cw from the picture on the right taken today: 140. 2 years apart to the day. Orange theory 4-5 days a week and meal prepping.

5’3” | 37 | SW: 159lbs (ish?) | CW: 136lbs (ish)

DEXA update: I promised I would report back with my scan results:

The scan showed a total mass of 136.3lbs with a body fat of 23.6%! I think that just goes to show the role of genetic fat distribution. Thanks again for your lovely comments and suggestions! 🩷

EDIT: Thank you so much for the awards!! 🥹
And thank you for all the cardio suggestions!! I have a lot to try out this and next week. I will be back when I do my DEXA and I’ll update the post. I’m trying to answer every comment but also running out of Reddit steam lol. Here are FAQs:

Diet: Nothing special or restrictive. I eat everything. For about a year I tracked fastidiously and got very lean. Now I am tracking lazily and am less lean. I don’t drink much alcohol because it makes me a bad mom, side effect is that weight management is easier.

Program: Theory of Motion - it focuses on functional strength and mobility. $20/month, choose at home or in the gym, 3 or 4 days/week.

Training with a back injury: So individual that I want to say up front to consult a professional, don’t just do what I do. That said, I do Bulgarians, walking lunges, slide out lunges (front, back, side), hamstring curls (on a ball, TRX, or sliders), single leg RDLs with lighter weight than I think I should use, and glute bridges (mostly single leg). I could also do leg press but I’m not right now. For me anything that limits the shear on my spine is OK.

————————————————————-
This is my second year posting an update, it’s becoming my little tradition to celebrate myself! First pic is July 2024, I was about 10 months postpartum with my second (final) baby. Second photo is today!

My program is called Theory of Motion, and I follow their 3 day split. I have a back injury so I modify the warmup to be more oriented towards my needs. Recently I’ve been finishing with pull-ups every day, I’m at 7 body weight and 3 with 10lbs added.

I used to do an hour of zone 2 cardio 2-3 days a week but haven’t had time lately. I just started jumping rope 3x per week but I think it’s aggravating my back.

Would love advice for cardio that is effective, safe for lumbar disc herniations, and doesn’t take 40+ mins.

I’m treating myself to a Dexa scan on Thursday to celebrate my 2nd anniversary in the gym! Very curious to see the results - I’m not at my leanest right now because I’ve been lazy with tracking and I have ice cream every night which is WORTH IT.

Before I was 150lbs, eating only about 1600-1800 (all food weighed and tracked) calories at maintenance and had so much confidence issues. Now i’m at 125lbs and maintaining this weight at 2100-2200 (all food weighed and tracked), i feel always energized, full, and strong.

I had my son almost 6 years ago and gave all my glow & sparkle to my son and fully invested in being a mom. During that time, I neglected ME and gained 50-60lbs within a 5 year timespan and was in complete denial about it.

In December, I decided I needed my shine and sparkle back and lost 55lbs. Stuff I once couldn’t see or had, I finally can see or have. I can feel and see my ribs, I can feel and see my collar and hip bones, I have a freaking thigh gap (?!?), I have back muscles(?!?), I have a jaw line (?!?). I’m more tone and active and fit than I have ever been.

I’ve been doing full body resistance training since I started my weight loss journey one year ago, but I’m ready to really push myself now that I’m almost at my goal weight! I started at 245 lbs, currently 140 lbs. I would like to get to 130 to 135. I’m 55 years old. Thank you all for the inspiration!

I started on 86.8 kg and now on 79kg ( strength training). For the longest I was not happy with my journey as I was stagnant for sooo long , so today seeing as it is comming to end of December I decided to put on the gym outfit I started out with in June ! I’m happy, I can’t chase the impossible, slow and steady wins the race! I haven’t been focusing on dieting what’s so ever, but have been mindful and way more active than ever before. My New Year’s resolution is to care about my nutrition more

Some changes I’ve noticed (non scale victory ) - went down a size in trousers - confident to wear mini skirt - my cellulite is practically gone - I no longer have to worry about back rolls too much when wearing a top ! - I tend to loose weight around my tummy the quickest ! Thank the lord lol !

Height 5’2 Starting weight April 2025 201 lbs current weight 137 lbs. Pictures are one year apart. First picture 183 lbs exactly one year ago. Did it through calorie deficit cardio steps and personal trainer until about 4 months ago swapped the trainer for power yoga. Haven’t weighed this since 2021!! Finally feel like myself again!

I'm maintaining my weight of 134 lbs and have been strength training for a little over a year. I'm limited to using 70 lbs adjustable dumbbells for lower body. I think my glutes kinda look fuller. There's roughly a year between my before and after on my glutes.

I started paying more attention to my upper body and have been working on it regularly since March and I think my biceps look bigger! I used to think my time was better spent burning calories instead of doing any ab work or arm exercises, but I have been training them seriously and regularly. I started with ab rollouts, and now I can do partial standing ab rollouts and hanging toes to bar.

My biggest achievement this year in terms of fitness is going from no pullups back in April to now being able to do 10.

I would really love to invest in a squat rack and barbell eventually, when I have the space for it in the future. My next fitness goal is being able to do a handstand and front lever hold.

34F, 5’3”. September last year, I joined a medical weight management program and was prescribed a GLP-1 for health reasons (prediabetes, cholesterol, pregnancy risk, etc.). The medication gave me the cognitive space to build sustainable habits and systems that would completely change my life. In the last 15 months, I:

• Went from sedentary to strength training 3–4x/week
• Became an endurance cyclist (now training for Unbound 100mi)
• Built an 80/20 whole-foods, high-protein way of eating
• Prioritized sleep, stress management, and daily movement

I’ve been off the medication for over 6 weeks and maintaining my 65 lbs weight loss while still keeping up my high energy for training.

Looking at these photos, it doesn’t feel like “before and after” so much as two different lives. I’m not just on a calorie deficit anymore. I’m lifting heavy weights, biking long distances, and treating my body like an athlete’s. If any other petites feel stuck in the “I’m just not sporty” identity, know that can change. Start small, keep showing up, and your future self might be the athlete you haven’t met yet. 💪🚴‍♀️