This is What Real People Look Like After Losing 20 Pounds
Losing weight can be intimidating. It requires major dedication in the form of extra hours at the gym and a diet overhaul; not to mention, some serious soul searching. But once you start working towards your goals and actually crushing them, weight loss journeys become success stories, and that's what so many of us dream of.
But many glossy, photoshopped images of models in magazines can be misleading and cause a dieter to lose hope, or even worse, develop body dysmorphic disorder. That's why we've rounded up a list of ten real people with real Instagram accounts and real (incredible) transformations. Scroll through to see how these everyday people shed 20+ pounds.
Jessica
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@jesssilvxo
"Transformation Sunday ! ( if that's even a thing ) -20 lbs in 6 months! Photo on the left was last summer and photo on the right is current! Still have 5 more pounds to go to reach my goal 🙂 not only do I feel great but health and fitness has become a lifestyle I've learned to love ❤ #transformationsunday #weightloss #chubbytofit #20poundsdown #goodlifefitness"
Jessica's outlook on losing weight focuses on the silver lining: hard work pays off when you look and feel great. That's why Jess has adapted her success into a lifestyle, by making workouts enjoyable as well as whipping up healthy protein-packed snacks like Greek yogurt with cottage cheese, sunbutter, and seeds. Sounds delish! Not to mention, her Insta is scattered with selfies with her adorable Golden Retriever (psst, your dog can actually make you healthier!).
Marie
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@marie_michellev
"I guess we could say I lost a little bit of weight 💁🏻this year keeping my weight off will be the goal! #20poundsdown #bodybydrumcorps #cbccg #cadets2016"
This Montreal-based traveler is proud to admit that she's crushed one goal: dropping 20 pounds. Her next goal is to keep the lbs off—and we're so rooting for her. Marie credits her inspiring transformation to being a member of the Cadets Color Guard, where she performs cool stunts that melt the calories away without hitting the gym.
Sterling
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@the_hoff15
"Transformation Tuesday coming at y'all. I really HATE the picture on the left due to the fact I really wasn't happy with how I looked or who I was, but make no apologies for who you used to be because it makes you who you are today. Striving to be the best I can be for me. #20poundsdown #anotherannoyingfitnesspost #motivate"
Sterling learned to love her body by making gains at her gym and even putting in work late at night! And she keeps her inspiration high by regularly posting before and after pics whether they're of her superb leg gains or bicep bumps.
Toni
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@tonithedread
This fit and fab self-proclaimed selfie queen is killing the 'gram with her incredible transformation that bumped her down from 202 pounds to 175! She keeps her body lean by doing a lot of cardio as well as grilling up chicken wings or throwing together a scrumptious-looking curry shrimp salad with spinach—some of our best proteins for weight loss.
Javier
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@fiercejavy
"My first #transformationtuesday post. Over the past 6 months, I decided to work on myself and to just do what makes me happy. I found a deep love for working out. It has become my form of therapy and my safe haven. I love to run, swim, do yoga, hike, lift weights. I diet as well but I do allow myself to enjoy my guilty pleasures every now and then. I have lost over 20 pounds so far and I feel so close to what I want my ideal goal to be. But I just wanted to share my journey so far since I'm kinda proud of myself 😎"
Wow, and we are impressed! Javy's understanding of balance helps him stay lean, slim, and sane—which happens to be some of a healthy lifestyle's wonderful side effects. We're sure his insane aerial dance skills have something to do with his fit physique, too! Keep it up, Javy!
Chip
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@chipdean
"So me and my Mrs been hitting it hard in the gym, eating healthy, and counting calories. I'm so thankful for God's grace of discipline and His blessing. The Before and After pic is just over 3 months difference. #20poundsdown #notdoneyet #fitfam #shewasalreadyfit @michellemdean"
Can we just take a moment to appreciate these two repping the definition of #CoupleGoals?! This fantastically fit duo consistently works out, eats clean, and logs cals in order to keep track of their diets. Something else they do on the reg? Walk. In fact, engineering researchers at Ohio State University discovered that walking at varying speeds can fry up to 20 percent more calories compared to walking at a steady pace. So grab your running sneakers and get going like Chip!
Lauren
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@losinglauren_vsg
"Can't get enough of the progress pics. I can never see a difference unless I put them side by side. So thankful. #20poundsdown #justthebeginning #weightlossjourney #weightloss #weightlosscommunity #wls #wlscommunity #weightlosssurgery #vsg #vsgcommunity #vsginstacrew #progresspic #beforeandafterweightloss #beforeandafter #lotsofhashtags #thankful"
You can instantly tell that Lauren is totally on her A-game, as she dedicated her entire Instagram page to her jaw-dropping weight loss journey. This "wife, food lover, and wannabe rockstar" has trimmed down her waist by keeping her portions in check and filling up on low-carb and high-protein snacks like ham, egg, spinach and cheese scrambles as well as shrimp scampi with roasted broccoli. "Partitioning food prevents you from eating larger portions because stopping to open another package forces you to pay attention to how much you're actually consuming," says portion control researcher Amar Cheema.
BBG Girl
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@bbgmommyof4
"This is just a follow-up to my last post. I've learned a lot about my body through doing this keto diet. As you can see my shape has changed dramatically, I am Tighter and Slimmer, but what I'd like to add is that I am eating more now then I was back in the winter when I gained all my weight. The only difference is taking those (mostly "simple") carbs out. #weightloss #ketogirl #keto #ketogenic #ketogenicdiet #lowcarb #eatfatgetthin #transformation #weightlossprogress #20poundsdown #beforeandafter #fitmoms #fitness #getfit #lowcarb #fitfriday #momswhoworkout #momscanbefit #bbgmoms #bbgfamily #bbggirl #bbg"
This mom-of-four follows a strict ketogenic diet, which involves consuming 75 percent of your daily calories from fat, 20 percent from protein, and only 5 percent from carbs, which essentially "forces the body to use lipids as fuel instead of carbohydrates," explains Maria A. Bella, MS, RD, CDNA. Although this mommy looks great, "this diet is not beneficial for weight loss as it is high fat and may only be heart-protective if fat is limited to unsaturated fatty acids and omega-3s. Exercise should also be part of a healthy lifestyle and the Ketogenic diets often leave people too tired and cranky." Good thing BBG Girl pairs her complex carbs with Insta-sensation Kayla Itsines' popular workout plan.
Keirra
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@kjsaffs
"Left photo a few months ago when I was at my heaviest. Right photo is what I'm at now. It hasn't always been easy, but I know I am much happier with myself and feel a lot better. Still going to get even stronger and leaner! #lost20pounds #weightlossjourney #losingthepounds #fromheavytohappy #fromheavytohealthy #fitness #fitnessmotivation #icandothis #progresspic #feelinghappy #eatright #beactive #journey #lifting"
Keirra hits the gym consistently, bakes her own protein bars, and starts her day with a delicious protein-packed shake, like many of those in Zero Belly Smoothies!
Kim
Photo courtesy of Instagram/@xillhypnotizeux
"#weightloss #selfie #lost20pounds #thinner #happy #excited #perfect #confident #pretty #beautiful i can't believe I weighed 145 a year ago and I am now down to 125. It feels amazing to be this small again. Eating right and portion control did it for me! #mindovermatter"
Kim attributes her stellar lifestyle and body transformation to eating clean, portioned meals. She's lost over 20 pounds and feels better than ever. Judging by her ample selfies, she's lookin' great too!
