A before-and-after photo takes a second to look at and often years to make. The sixteen transformations below were shared by their owners on Reddit, mostly in the r/progresspics and r/pics communities, where people post side-by-side pictures along with their height, starting weight and current weight. Together they add up to well over 1,500 pounds lost, but the numbers are only part of the story. Several of these people also gave up alcohol, drugs or cigarettes, one is recovering from depression, and one is a father who followed his son's lead.
If you are here because you are thinking about your own health, here is the short version of what the evidence says. Weight that comes off at a steady pace, roughly one to two pounds a week according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is more likely to stay off. Even a 5% loss can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. And the people who keep weight off for years tend to share a handful of plain, repeatable habits rather than a secret diet. We cover those habits after the photos. One caution first: everyone's body and medical history are different, so talk to a doctor before starting a big change, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.
Each photo below is credited to the Reddit user who posted it, with a link to the original post.
Losing half their body weight: the biggest changes
1. From 300 lb to 150 lb
Reddit user JayneTrazom halved her weight, going from about 300 to 150 pounds, and celebrated with a joke about finally meeting her waistline. The striped dresses in both shots make the difference in her frame easy to see. A loss of this size usually takes well over a year of steady effort, and the confidence shows in the second picture.
2. More than 170 lb lost, with more to go
Posted by pkrevecki, this pair shows a loss of more than 170 pounds. What stands out is the honesty of the caption: the poster says there is still a way to go. Progress pictures are not only for finish lines, and many people find that posting a midway update keeps them accountable.
3. Half the woman she was a year earlier
BrookeBasketcase shared three photos taken over about a year and joked that she was half the woman she used to be. The thumbs-up in the first shot is a nice touch: she was smiling at the start too. Her description of feeling lighter by a hundred pounds is about mood as much as the scale, and that is a common theme in this collection.
4. 150 lb in 15 months, then a switch to maintenance
According to the title of her post, MorrisseysUnderbite was 21, 5'8" and went from 309 to 159 pounds in 15 months. After her doctor told her she was healthy across the board, she decided to stop actively losing and focus on maintaining. That is a smart move many people skip: knowing when to stop is part of a healthy plan. She also mentioned being happy to have her jawline back, which these close-up selfies show clearly.
© MorrisseysUnderbite / reddit
5. 170 lb lost in two years while living with endometriosis
LavaScotchGlass, 26 and 5'8", went from 340 to 170 pounds over two years, according to her post. At the time she was two months away from surgery for endometriosis, a painful condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body. She added a message of encouragement to other women dealing with the same pain. Chronic pain makes exercise harder, so this is an especially hard-won result.
6. 150 lb in two years: Fie Friedrichsen
This post, shared by NulloK, names the woman in the photos as Fie Friedrichsen and says she took two years to lose 150 pounds. The first picture shows her in jeans and a loose black top beside a car; the second is a mirror selfie in running gear. Two years is a realistic timeline for a change this large and fits the slow, steady pace health agencies recommend.
7. 141 lb in 16 months, and more than a number
Hellsing_37, 37 and 5'6", went from 334 to 193 pounds in 16 months, based on his post title. In the first shot he wears a tuxedo; in the second, a Batman T-shirt at the gym. His caption reminded himself that he is more than a number on the scale, a healthy mindset when the scale stalls, which it does for almost everyone at some point.
Doing it together: couples and families
8. A couple who got fit side by side
The post by captyoyogirl lists two sets of numbers: he went from 297 to 227 pounds and she went from 236 to 180. Losing weight as a couple has practical advantages. You shop and cook the same food, you can exercise together, and it is harder to skip a walk when someone is waiting at the door.
9. A son who inspired his father: 213 lb between them
Ten2sweep shared this beach photo and a newer one with his dad. According to the post title, the son, 24, went from 333 to 225 pounds, and his 59-year-old father went from 313 to 208. The son started first and the father followed, for a combined loss of 213 pounds. It is a good example of how one person's change can quietly shift a whole household's habits.
10. A mother of three, 70 lb lighter
imakebadpuns___ (her username says it all) went from 203 to 133 pounds, according to her first post on the subreddit. She is a mom of three, which means fitting meals, workouts and sleep around children. The two dresses tell the story without any numbers at all.
11. A single dad who went from the couch to bodybuilding
InTheShadows007, a 36-year-old single parent of three, lost 84 pounds in two years, going from 287 to 203. In his post he described being depressed and stuck on the couch before he decided he had had enough and took up bodybuilding. He wrote that every part of his life changed along the way. The same photo opens this article because few pictures show a change in posture and energy so clearly.
Quitting alcohol, drugs and cigarettes along the way
12. 70 lb down and three months sober
Farts-R-Us (yes, that is the username) was 26 when he went from 260 to 190 pounds in 12 months, and he was also three months free of drugs and alcohol. Alcohol carries a lot of calories and tends to lower willpower around food, so quitting often helps weight loss. More importantly, sobriety is a health win of its own.
13. 666 days sober, 100 lb lost and 1,450 miles run
aaronmj counted his progress in several ways at once: 666 days without a drink, 100 pounds lost, 1,450 miles of running and four weeks without a cigarette. Tracking more than one measure is a useful trick. When one number stalls, another is usually still moving, and that keeps motivation alive.
14. Leaving a drinking decade behind
rhapsodydash, 29, went from 200 to 126 pounds, a 74-pound loss. She wrote that she spent most of her twenties depressed and drinking and was looking forward to a happier, healthier thirties. Her post is a reminder that physical and mental health often improve together, and that asking for help with either one is a strength.
Steady progress: discipline, inches and patience
15. 75 lb through discipline, consistency and patience
Buzbyy, 25 and 5'10", went from 250 to 175 pounds and summed up her method in three words: discipline, consistency and patience. That is about as accurate a summary of the research as you will find. There is no single best diet; the one you can stick to is the one that works.
16. More than a foot off her waist in a year
dianasaurusrex001 measured her progress in inches rather than pounds and lost more than 12 inches from her waist in a year. Her three photos, taken in the same workout clothes, show the change step by step. She described it as surreal to watch herself shrink. Waist size is a useful measure because it tracks belly fat, which is closely linked to heart and metabolic health.
What people who keep the weight off have in common
Losing weight and keeping it off are two different skills. The best long-term data come from the National Weight Control Registry, a US research project founded by Dr. Rena Wing of Brown University and Dr. James Hill of the University of Colorado. It follows more than 10,000 adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year. Their common habits are refreshingly ordinary:
- Both food and movement changed. About 98% changed how they eat and 94% became more active. Very few succeeded with only one of the two.
- Daily activity is routine. Members average around an hour a day of moderate activity, such as brisk walking.
- They eat breakfast and weigh in regularly, most often once a week, so small gains are spotted early.
- They watch less television than the average American.
- There is more than one route. Roughly 45% lost weight on their own and 55% used a program.
The CDC adds a few practical steps for getting started: write down what you eat, drink and how you sleep for a few days to see your starting point; pick two or three specific goals at a time; find support from friends, family or a health professional; and reward milestones with something other than food.
Before-and-after photos: myths and a reality check
Myth: faster is better. Very rapid weight loss is harder to sustain and, for some people, carries health risks. A pace of one to two pounds a week is the usual guideline.
Myth: only huge losses count. For a 200-pound person, losing 10 pounds (5%) can already improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, according to the CDC.
Myth: the photo tells the whole story. Lighting, posture and camera angle can exaggerate a change. The people above posted honest, unfiltered selfies, but online ads often do not, so be wary of products that promise similar results.
Reality: mental health matters. Several of these posters mention depression or addiction. If emotional eating, drinking or low mood is part of your picture, a doctor or counselor can help with that side too, and it often makes the physical change easier.
The most useful thing about these sixteen stories is that none of them happened overnight. They were built from months of small, boring, repeatable choices, and that is good news, because small choices are something anyone can start today.
Sources: Photos and stories by the Reddit users credited under each image (r/progresspics and r/pics); CDC: Steps for Losing Weight; National Weight Control Registry (Wikipedia).
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