A few months ago, I received an email from a reader, asking me to help with a story. She told me she was trying to lose weight and asked if I could find her some stories of other people who had lost weight, to which I enthusiastically agreed. So here is the stories that I will be writing about. These men and women transformed their bodies through healthy eating and a dedication to fitness. They had been on the path to fat loss for months, years or even decades, but they still had more to lose. One man lost over 40 pounds, another shed his belly fat, and one woman who was a size 24 lost nearly half her body weight in four years. The best stories of weight loss are always the ones that show us we can change our lives and ourselves. But there are some real gems out there that prove weight loss isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. Here are 12 great weight loss success stories from all walks of life that show us just how transformative weight loss can be. I’ve created a comprehensive collection of inspirational weight loss success stories. They’re all carefully curated, and each story is accompanied by an original interview to give you insights into their experience and how they overcame their personal challenges to succeed at weight loss. I’m hoping that after reading this, you’ll feel motivated to take your health and your body into your own hands and start losing weight today. Stories of Weight Loss Transformation That Will Inspire You To Change Your Life Ann Wulff: Lost 207 Lbs. Wulff says she feels like pregnancy is "permission to just eat whatever I want." Through three pregnancies, she gained more than 100 pounds (and kept going from there, eventually hitting 360 lbs) at a time to stay motivated. With healthy dinner swaps and walks around her neighborhood, she lost 207 lbs. in just over two years. The best way to lose weight is by joining Weight Watchers. You can do it, you just have to commit to it. Just think of all those foods that you would like to eat but you can't anymore, the ones you can't even look at. With Weight Watchers you will find that it's possible to eat the foods you love without weighing yourself down. And as you get healthier and your body becomes stronger you can eat more and still lose weight. "I was in my mid-30s, and I realized that very quickly that there were going to be things that I absolutely could not do." Wulff joined WW, paying for a full year upfront, and focused on losing just 5 lbs. at a time to stay motivated. With healthy dinner swaps and walks around her neighborhood, she lost 207 lbs. in just over two years. "I feel so much lighter, and I don't mean physically," she continues. "I just have so much more energy, I'm more positive, I'm more likely to put myself out there. I'm a better teacher, a better wife, a better mother. A better everything." Kristen McLaughlin: Lost 133 Lbs. When McLaughlin "became sedentary" in college, she was "happy" and started dating a "larger guy." He would order in almost every meal — pizzas, burrito bowls, cheeseburgers and fries — and rarely cooked, which made McLaughlin "270 lbs." She joined Jenny Craig in 2016 to lose weight, and managed to drop 60 lbs. She felt guilty that her "larger boyfriend" had to fend for himself, and the weight went right back on. Then, in late 2017, five years into her relationship, his boyfriend began acting "distant," and said he had feelings for someone else. "That's when I was like, 'This is cheating, this is dumb, I can't do this anymore,' and I said I was leaving," she says. In December alone, she broke up with him, moved out of their apartment and happened to start a new job. It was overwhelming, but the clean slate she needed to lose weight for good. "I literally got rid of every excuse that I've ever had," she says. With Jenny Craig you can lose up to half of your body weight in less than two years. And it’s easier than you might think. Just order your personalized meal plan online, make healthier choices and join a supportive group of people who want to see you succeed. "I think I'm more myself now, funnily enough, than I ever was the previous 30 years," she says. "I say yes to things now, I'm more outgoing, I'm more likely to be social." Mary Jane O'Toole: Lost 135 Lbs. Their relationship hadn't been good for O'Toole's health when she got engaged in 2016, but she was thrilled to marry her boyfriend. She weighed 281 lbs. after six years of eating fast food and not exercising. At 25 years old, he was suffering from knee problems. Plus, O'Toole was dreading buying a wedding dress at her size. "I didn't want to buy a plus-size wedding dress, because they cost way more than straight sizes," she says. "I felt like I was paying this fat tax — I didn't have the ability to buy affordable clothes because I was bigger." Along with her fiancé, With the help of LoseIt!, O'Toole started tracking her calories and meals. There is an app for that. She dropped a large amount of weight. She started incorporating exercise into her routine over a year ago. O'Toole had lost 135 lbs by the day of her wedding. She was able to purchase the dress of her dreams in a size 6. "The ideal dress that I had in my head was cleavage-baring with a dramatic accent, and then I went with a long-sleeved dress that went up to my neck with a bare back. I had never pictured something fitted, but I felt awesome in it because I had done it and lost the weight," she says. If O'Toole has lost her weight, it's because of her strict diet. She continues to eat as healthily as she can, but says that she feels frustrated with the loose skin she's now able to see under her clothes. "The biggest one is being able to shop out of my friends' closets — I had never been able to do that before," she says. "It's so cool, it's like I have double the closets, and what I had always dreamt about doing in high school!" Since high school, Migliaccio has felt like she was battling her weight. She started dieting at age 15, and for years afterwards she'd yo-yo back and forth - she estimates she's lost and gained a significant amount of weight at least 12 times. Her highest weight of 349 lbs., though, came at "the lowest point in my life, when my mom passed away." While caring for her mother, Migliaccio had gained 200 lbs., and after a fall in her bathroom she tore her ACL and meniscus in her right knee. "He did me the biggest favor of my life being blunt like that," she says. "It was what I needed to hear, and that's what turned me around." That 80/20 diet is helping her stay on track, along with her friends and her TOPS weight loss support group. In two years, Migliaccio has lost 189 pounds, and didn't even need knee surgery. "I'm finally starting to tap into what makes me happy," she says. Lexlee Hudson: Lost 187 Lbs College was a big adjustment for Hudson. She was stressed out, juggling multiple jobs, and she didn't know what she should be eating. That meant she was grabbing whatever was easy and convenient on a college budget, pizza and any food she could get during breaks from her waitressing job. And within about a year, she'd put on more than 180 pounds. She loves to ride horses, and has her whole life. She's a very outgoing person, and was always in the top of her class. However, she felt insecure, and was withdrawn, so she stopped going out with her friends. "For the first time in my life I was taking care of myself and being more mindful of what I ate," says Hudson. Her sister had been doing it for years but not her, so she started making small changes. She started setting alarms for every 2½-3 hours to remind herself to eat healthy snacks, and swapped out the pizza for ones with cauliflower crust or made Taco Tuesdays with lettuce wraps instead of tortillas. Over the next two and a half years, Hudson consistently lost weight, eventually dropping 187 lbs. She's now a health coach, and helps people "get healthy. Crystal Benes: Lost 201 Lbs. Benes was overweight the majority of her life. Benes was obese as a child, and by the time she was 25, she weighed in at 376 lbs. She dropped 100 lbs over the course of fifteen weeks. A personal trainer, nutrition coaching and regular boot camp classes are to be thanked. She says it was the hardest part when that ended and she had to do it on her own. Just 10 months later, Benes was down to 175 lbs., thanks to her daily workouts and nutrition plan. "My weight-loss journey came at a point in my life where my weight was something I faced every day," she said. "Through the struggle I encountered during my journey, I came to realize that the most difficult road had led to the most beautiful journey of my life." Marsha Parker: Lost 155 Lbs. It took a toll on Marsha Parker's health when she was the single mother of a newborn. The Bronx, N.Y.-based Parker had to take a lower-paying job with flexible hours so she could take care of her daughter, Kumari, and any money she made went to feeding Kumari healthy meals while she ate $1.25 fried chicken. I would buy foods that I knew were bad, but they gave me some solace at the time. By the time Kumari turned five, Marsha was up to 300 lbs., had high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic. Kumari pushed her mom to lose weight because she would have headaches from the food. I realized that my health was connected to her wellbeing when I started taking kickboxing classes and switched to a healthier diet, drinking green smoothie with Kumari and eating fish, chicken and eggs. That, along with a newfound love of lifting weights, led to the loss of 155 lbs. She juggles five-days-a-week workouts with her job as an online teacher. "Kumari saved my life", says the person. Lindy Cellucci: Lost 150 Lbs. After eight years of weighing nearly 300 lbs., Lindy Celluci reached her breaking point during a vacation with friends in 2014. "There's this place called Hopewell Rocks that goes down to the ocean floor, but you have to go down about 500 steps. I stood there and knew I couldn't do it," she tells FIERCE Training. "I could see them laughing and talking, and I'm up top and I said two words to myself: 'It's time.' " The mother of two began researching healthy recipes and tracking her steps with a Fitbit, and lost 82 lbs. in 16 months. That's when Celluci noticed a suspicious lump on her chest. She's lost weight every week for a full year. She's now at about 150 pounds. If she puts a bit on, which happens occasionally, she doesn't let it derail her. You're going to have ups and downs. Down in October, and credits her life to losing weight. "I never would have found that lump if I hadn't lost weight," she says. "It saved my life twice. It saved me from having a heart attack, and it saved me because I found that lump." Kimberly Brown: Lost 109 Lbs. Brown decided to make a change and lose weight in 2015. She was coming off of a tough year, which included suffering a miscarriage, losing her childhood pet and breaking her ankle. "It got the best of me," Brown says. Brown had high blood pressure and frequent migranes, and her doctor thought that she might be able to lose some of her weight. It would be beneficial. Brown dropped 10 lbs. on her first day as a member of Nutrisystem. In the first week, it was around 2.5 lbs. Every week after. Four years later, she's healthier and 109 lbs. lighter. "I currently weigh 130, I no longer have to take any medication for my blood pressure and I impress my doctor with my cholesterol and other levels every year on my physical!" she says. "I now have confidence in myself, courage to do anything, and pride in how far I have come!" Jennifer Riveira: Lost 76 Lbs She had trouble keeping up with her young son because she was always tired. She realized it was time to make a change after her doctor told her that her fast-food habit may have been to blame. It was fast, that's how fast it was. It was easy for Riveira to cut out the greasy food and substitute it with meal replacement shakes. She got more active as well. "The challenge is to feel better about yourself, to be the best version of yourself, whoever you are," Riveira says. Randi Vasquez: Lost 80 Lbs. Randi Vasquez was a "chubby" kid growing up, but it never bothered her — "I was always feeling myself," she says. That’s when she realized she needed to make some big changes in her life. She realized that unless she made some changes in her life, there was no chance she could succeed. "I was getting heavier and heavier," Vasquez, who eventually hit 240 lbs., says. "I started to notice that my confidence was going down, and I wasn't motivated to do anything. It started to click that if I didn't change my life that it would just get worse and worse." Vasquez had a major diet and lifestyle overhaul, but didn’t know it. She started small and in fall 2014 found a gym class at her local YMCA that she loved. Within a few months she dropped 18 to 20 lbs., and was inspired to continue going. From there, Vasquez started cooking healthier meals, and got serious about the Bikini Body Guide workout plan. "Year after year, month after month, I made small little goals and just kept going," she says. "I hit 80 lbs. down in fall 2017. That was such a big moment for me." Since then, Vasquez nailed another big goal. She has run a half marathon, and now focuses on maintaining her weight. "I don't feel like my weight can hold me back anymore," she says. "I was happy before but there was so much I was held back from that I didn't even realize." Alan Christiansen: Lost 317 Lbs. It's not healthy to weigh 538.8 lbs., and his typical lunch time meal included stopping at three fast-food restaurants to satisfy his cravings, totaling over 6,000 calories, and he struggled with everyday tasks. "I couldn't stand up in a shower for ten minutes," he tells FIERCE Training. "Even doing dishes and cooking required a chair." It took Chris Christiansen only 18 months to get into shape (he lost 221 pounds) after signing up for Optavia, a coach-based wellness program. Optavia is a program that teaches you how to get in shape without having to count calories or hit the gym. "I'm a better man, spouse, dad, employee, son, brother and friend to everyone around me," he says. "I truly feel free from my chains that bound me for so many years — free to live the best life and take advantage of what life has to offer." Shamirum Benjamin: Lost 151 Lbs. At nine years old, Shamirum Benjamin was obsessed with sneaking pieces of pound cake from the refrigerator. In college, the urge to hide food continued, so she would often order entire meals from two fast food restaurants at a time and eat them in her car. "I hid my worst eating habits — overeating or binging to the point of being in pain — so I couldn't be embarrassed about how I ate in front of others. But that doesn't mean I didn't feel shame," Benjamin tells FIERCE Training. At the age of 29, when she had a history of obesity, the customer success manager for a software company decided to sign up for WW. She hit her highest weight ever and decided to sign up for WW, which was called Weight Watchers back then. "I changed my mindset," Benjamin says. She cut out junk food, went to the gym, and started walking every day. Four years later she lost 151 pounds. She now focuses on maintaining her weight by avoiding foods high on the WW point system, or limiting her portions. "I just seem to feel more alive in general," Benjamin says. "I get to be free and myself in a way I never thought I could when I was heavier." Jenna Leveille: Lost 140 Lbs. After becoming pregnant, Jenna Leveille, a global sales director at SpaFinder, gained weight. Because of this, she lost her athletic form and started to be overweight. "I started trying quick fixes and that's when the vicious crash diets really started," Leveille tells FIERCE Training. "A few of them worked but just for a minute. I would lose 20lbs and gain back double." Leveille thought about getting weight loss surgery when she reached 270 lbs., but she wanted to lose it naturally. She put on her sneakers after abandoning the sugar and low-fat diet. She got to her goal of 130 lbs. The Facebook community was created by her to inspire people's weight loss journeys and provide support. "The change for me has been more than I could ever dream of in this lifetime," she says. "It's never too late to change your life no matter how long you've been stuck." Janine Johnston: Lost 145 Lbs. When Janine Johnston tried on the wedding dress she had ordered online, she knew it was time for a change. "I wanted to cry because of how I looked," the 36-year-old tells FIERCE Training. "What was supposed to be a memorable, happy moment was depressing and embarrassing." In June of 2016 he set a goal to lose 100 lbs after weighing in at 299 lbs. Her wedding took place a year later. She set a daily step goal on her FitBit and started by making healthier meals. The health services worker lost weight quickly, and by joining a local kickboxing gym, supplemented her walking with high-intensity cardio classes. The day before her wedding, John met her goal. But she didn't stop there: after her wedding, she kept working out and dieting to lose weight to her current weight of 154 lbs. "I'm a much happier person now," Johnston says. "Buying clothes is fun, cooking is fun, and my health is at the best its ever been." Nicole Ferrigno: Lost 204 lbs. Nicole Ferrigno grew up thinking "that chips were a normal side dish, that pasta was a thrice weekly dinner staple, and that fresh bread was a must for both lunch and dinner." However, by the time she was able to make more autonomous food choices, she tells FIERCE she was a "habitual eater." "I would consume one Big Mac, one McChicken and one large order of French fries [for lunch]," she says, and would sometimes add another medium order of fries. At her heaviest, Ferrigno weighed 350 pounds. After unpacking and moving back home, she saw a Beachbody's "21 Day Fix" ad. It combines portion control with a workout of 30 minutes a day. Ferrigno decided to give it a shot, and in December 2017 she slimmed down to 146 pounds. Her diet mainly consists of vegetables, and she's allowed herself a bit of indulgence in snacks. "I try dresses on and cannot believe that it is me," she says of her new body. "I am so happy with my decision to take care of myself." Holly Wallis: Lost 162 Lbs. Hudson's life at college was not ideal. She was stressed, working two jobs, and didn't know what to eat. So she was grabbing fast food and anything else she could get while breaks from her waitressing job. Within one year, she had gained 180 pounds. "I started having a lot of health issues," she says. "My back was hurting all the time. I had PCOS and I was on the spectrum for pre-diabetes and high blood pressure. I love to ride horses — I have my entire life — and I couldn't anymore. I became super insecure and withdrawn, and I stopped going out with my friends." After completing high school, her mom and grandma were both following the weight loss program Optavia, and had lost 80 and 75 lbs., respectively. They had tried getting her on board for years, but in January 2018, after Hudson graduated from college, she finally agreed to join the program. Hudson started setting alarms for every 2½-3 hours to remind herself to eat healthy snacks, and switched out the pizza for ones with cauliflower crust or lettuce wraps instead of tortillas. There's no doubt that Hudson lost over 187 lbs. through a combination of exercise and dieting. She's now a health coach, helping people "get healthy". "I tell people that before I felt like I had a mental cloud over my head. I didn't always put me first," she says. "My whole life has changed." Scott Leopold: Lost 193 Lbs. Scott Leopold has been attempting to lose weight for years now. He's a father of two young boys. He tells GET FIERCE Training that he drinks more than he ever used to and always finishes the night off with a handful of chips or an entire pizza. But now that he has lost 100 pounds, he's feeling happier and healthier, and is ready to celebrate with his family and friends. "I ate at least eight plates full of fried shrimp, crab legs, and hush puppies," he says. "It seemed reasonable at the time." The 46-year-old says he gradually put the weight back on and reached a weight of over 300 lbs. When he couldn't catch up with his toddler, he decided to make a lifestyle change, but he always considered diet again. "I tried to run after her but couldn't get above a moderate walk," Leopold says. "All I could do was watch her." In order to be more active in his children's lives, Leopold discovered Real Appeal, a digital weight loss program that provides you with coaches, support groups and helps set daily goals for diet and exercise. He was on a strict 800-900 calories diet and went running or walking every day. Now, at 170 lbs., Leopold is able to run 5Ks with his daughters and go on hikes. "I'm happier, healthier, more energetic and far more active," he says. "I can keep up with my girls and be there for them in a way I never could before." Kara Cline: Lost 95 Lbs. After having her second child, 32-year-old Kara Cline began to experience panic attacks and knew she needed to make a major life change to be better for her family. She told FIERCE Training that when she went away to college her routine changed because she worked out so much in high school. "I became complacent and the weight just kept piling on," the certified public accountant says. "I didn't really work out, didn't go for walks and I just hung out with my friends and ate a lot of food I shouldn't have eaten." In September 2016, after spending a few months trying to lose weight, Cline decided to start using Daily Burn. Daily Burn helps you get more exercise, and also provides workout videos and nutrition guidance. "They've got a bunch of different programs you can choose, but then they also have the Daily 365 workout," Cline explains. "It's a 30-minute streaming workout that changes every single day. I really liked that it kept me intrigued and I didn't get bored." Her workouts took place in her living room three to four times a week, while her kids, ages 5 and 2, were nearby. "Since they were quick workouts, I fit them in whenever I had time with little ones running around," she says. "I focused on interval training as well as cardio and body-weight exercises. The trainers always offered modifications, so it felt more personable." After losing more than 100 lbs., she is now proud of her 185-lb figure. "That time was an emotional roller coaster. I moved to a new city. I kind of completely redid my whole entire life, but all for the better. I feel great and am no longer ashamed by my weight," she says. "It really boosted my confidence and my comfort level to just try everything and live a more active, healthy lifestyle." Dr. Kevin Gendreau: Lost 125 Lbs. Dr. Kevin Gendreau's motivation for losing weight was rooted in tradgey. "When my sister was diagnosed with an aggressive, rare form of cancer, I decided to change my life," Dr. Gendreau, who had reached 300 lbs. by consuming "a diet full of bread, pasta and chips," told FIERCE. "For me, being obese was a choice. How could I literally eat myself to death while my poor sister was fighting for her life?" The primary care physician began on a high fat, low carb diet and tracked his progress through MyFitnessPal. "As my sister's condition worsened, I became more motivated than ever to eat healthfully because I knew my niece [Sophia, now 7] and nephew [Henry, now 3] would need me to be at my best," said Dr. Gendreau. Sadly, his sister passed away in June 2017. On his new whole food diet, he saw "astonishing" results by eliminating processed carbs and eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and non caloric spices and seasoning. After his weight hit a plateau, he turned to intermittent fasting. It helped him shed the last 50 lbs. of the 125 lbs. he lost. Now, he has his own diet plan that allows him to eat from noon to 8 PM every day. Outside of that window he allows himself black tea, black coffee, and water. He even began recommending his routine to patients. "Intermittent fasting has been life changing for many of my pre-diabetic and diabetic patients," Dr. Gendreau said. But he cautioned, "Intermittent fasting is safe for most people, but not everyone. You should definitely talk to your own doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan." Brianna Bernard: Lost 107 Lbs. When Brianna Bernard got pregnant she used it as an excuse to indulge in comfort foods. "In reality, you're only supposed to eat a couple hundred extra calories a day, but I was eating 1,000 extra," Bernard, 32, tells FIERCE Training. "I assumed it would all fall off pretty easily after the baby was born." She said that after giving birth to her son, Bernard continued her poor eating habits and didn't take the time for self care. After a couple years of taking the same approach to fitness, Bernard finally signed up for a personal trainer at the gym, and she started working out twice a week. She was determined to make a change from her old habits of consuming too many carbs and eating a lot of processed foods. She had dropped 100 lbs. a year after. commenced power lifting competitively. She became a trainer at the gym, which helped her lose weight. "I feel like a completely different person, and I am in so many ways," she says. "Not just physically — that's obvious — but the way I feel in my mind. It's hard to even look back. It feels like a lifetime ago. Now I feel like there's nothing I can't do. If I can lose 100 lbs., I can do anything." Rachel Saintfort: Lost 121 Lbs. Rachel Saintfort did not allow her weight to be a source of stress. "In high school I hit 200 lbs., but I was blessed to be a confident person," the Lakeland, Florida native says However, her weight reached its highest, 291 lbs., after the birth of her daughter in 2007. For the first time in her life, Saintfort decided to try dieting. But nothing stuck until January 2017. Then her daughter, now 10 years old, told her a classmate had called her "fat." "She looked so sad, and she's trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. At that moment it hit me that she's suffering, and she's being picked on or laughed at because of my laziness or my unhealthy choices," Saintfort says. "That definitely inspired me to get it together, because I didn't want her to feel that way." The case manager, 32, decided to cut out fast food and soda, and started walking every day around the lake in her town. She started documenting her weight loss journey on her Instagram account, @Ms100Lbs, and set a goal to lose 100 pounds. Less than 12 months later, she reached her goal. "I cried," she says. "It was an amazing feeling." Gwilym Pugh: Lost 93 Lbs. Gwen Pugh weighed 280 pounds, was out of shape and lived a sedentary lifestyle. After a "5 to 7 year" weight loss journey, which included a lot of trial and error, Pugh, 33, lost 93 lbs., and he's now found a new career. Now, a top model and an ambassador for David Beckham's grooming brand House 99, Pugh, tells FIERCE he focuses on a diet of micronutrients and good fats, and managable exercise. "Due to injuries, I've struggled with high-intensity work, but I've found low-intensity cardio pre-breakfast has been great," says Pugh, who now sees an osteopath and a trainer, and aims for 20,000 steps per day. As for life as an in-demand model and social media influencer: "This life is something I had never even thought to dream of," says the London-based Pugh. "Every aspect of my life has improved, from physical and mental health to personal and professional relationships." Mariah Stolfi: Lost 84 Lbs. Mariah Stolfi said that she was "a binge eater" by the 5th grade, and she eventually reached 150 lbs. The Wisconsin native was also struggling with health issues. She had PCOS when she was young, and she had sleep apnea. "It is extremely difficult to lose weight and maintain weight loss with PCOS," says Stolfi. "And the lack of good sleep caused me to be lethargic, which meant I didn't have the energy to work out. In July 2017, Stolfi decided to undergo vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery. She's down 84 lbs and hopes to lose an additional 60-70 lbs. She's sharing her journey on social media. "Once I discovered the weight loss surgery Instagram community I knew I had to be a part of it," says Stolfi, Who has garnered her more than 14,000 followers on Instagram and YouTube combined. Her best advice to anyone struggling with their weight is this: "This journey is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. If you don't fix your mindset you will not succeed on your weight loss journey." Kathleen Golding: Lost 178 Lbs. Growing up, Kathleen Golding had always been overweight. By 21, she had turned to food as a "coping mechanism" while wrestling with anxiety and depression. "I was stuck in a constant cycle of daily binging," the New Bern, North Carolina resident, whose highest weight was 331 lbs., tells FIERCE. "I was eating fast food for every meal and enormous quantities each time." She finally decided to make a change and turned to gastric bypass surgery, which she underwent in June 2016. "For some reason, weight loss surgery is seen as 'cheating' or being weak, but for me, I found strength in being able to say 'I can't do this on my own. I want to be healthy, but I need help,'" says Golding, now 26. After the surgery, the weight began to "melt off," says Golding, who eventually dropped 178 lbs. by making healthy dietary changes and exercising. Now, Golding says she is finally at peace with her body. "I have some loose skin and it definitely has its imperfections, but I worked hard for this body," says Golding, who also documented her weight loss journey on Instagram. "I spent so much time hating it but I've realized that this is the only body I've got and I'm going to take care of it."
