Before and after: my weight loss journey
March 2024 → October 2025 🩷
I’ve always struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I was on diets before I even hit middle school — for my 10th birthday, one of my grandparents’ friends gave me Dr. Oz weight loss books. From then on, my weight became this dark shadow that followed me everywhere — affecting my confidence, my mental health, and how I saw myself.
After COVID, stepping into college life felt like being thrown into another world. I went from seeing the same familiar faces every day to being in a new city surrounded by gorgeous, confident girls who seemed to have it all together. I felt like that same insecure 10-year-old all over again — just trapped in a college student’s body.
I started college as a dietetics major, fresh off straight A’s and dual enrollment credits, but I was completely burnt out. When I failed my first chemistry class, I felt like a total failure. I stopped going to class, slept all day, and my mental health tanked. During that time, my weight skyrocketed — but in my head, I couldn’t even see it happening.
Fast forward to March 2024 — I was 240 lbs, using old Tinder photos from 70 lbs ago (so yes, my poor boyfriend was a little catfished 😅). But honestly, I didn’t see the difference. He’s a gym guy, so I started pretending to love gym dates — until one day I realized I couldn’t keep pretending. I was out of breath, out of shape, and finally… out of excuses.
Around that time, everything else in my life was going right — I had a job I loved, supportive friends, an amazing boyfriend, and I was earning my master’s in hospitality. But physically, I didn’t feel like me. After talking to my doctor, I was diagnosed with PCOS — and suddenly everything made sense: the cravings, exhaustion, irregular cycles, unwanted hair growth. It was all connected.
I started treatment with a GLP-1, began weekly meal prep, and committed to daily gym time. Now, in October 2025, I’m 170 lbs. I’m not at my “goal weight,” but I’m proud, confident, and finally at peace with who I am — inside and out.
This journey isn’t over, but I’m learning to love every step of it. Care to join me? 💪✨