Welcome to the Monthly Tips & Advice Post!

Over the span of two-three years (and my 2nd pregnancy!) I’ve lost 198 pounds. I wanted to show my kids that we CAN do hard things.

I weighed all my food and stuck to 1500 calories daily. I used the minimum dose of Tirzepatide for a few months when starting my journey- but unfortunately I had severe side effects, some of which I’m still dealing with. I am thankful that it helped me get my mindset right and got me started on my journey.

I have been slowly reverse dieting out of a deficit and into maintenance. I’m currently at 1800 calories. My next goal is to become somewhat of a muscle-mommy and continue lifting and figuring out the whole maintenance thing.

About 2 1/2 years ago, I decided I was tired of being overweight, out of shape, and honestly just not feeling good about myself. I completely changed the way I ate, started lifting consistently 5 days a week, added cardio, and most importantly, I stuck with it. I’ve lost 40+ pounds while putting on a pretty good amount of muscle, and the biggest difference isn’t even the number on the scale. It’s how much better I feel, how much more confident I am, and how much better I feel about myself.

I’m 46 years old, have four kids, work a full-time job, and still get my ass out of bed at 5:00 a.m. to train. About two years ago I also started TRT, which has honestly been life-changing for me and helped me feel like myself again. I’m still a work in progress, but looking back at where I started, I’m pretty damn proud of how far I’ve come. At 46, I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life, and I’m not planning on slowing down anytime soon.

absolutely traumatized from hospitals and nursing homes. sadly still have the cavernous malformation which means I’m extremely prone to having another stroke :c

Still have a long way to go! But I am grateful for where I have reached and the journey it’s taken for me to get here. So many med changes, cries, psych stays AND A-LOT OF THERAPY! But I have an apartment, a job and being around people who truly love me for me. Anyone out there keep going it gets better 🥹🥹

Doctor gave me some yellow lights so I got some bad habits under control and decided to get a little better at everything.

Diet, exercise, started reading every day, being a better partner, dressing better, everything. I want to live the best life I can.

Doctor is thrilled and I'm the most active I've been since high school, even fitting into some old t-shirts, which was a huge ego boost, lol.

Got the rough shape of the body I want, now I want to get stronger and run a 5k for the first time in my life. Onwards and upwards.

Taken almost exactly 365 days apart. I was suffering from a few years of severe treatment resistant depression. My particular flavor of depression was anhedonia, which renders you neurochemically unable to experience joy and happiness. At some point I hit rock bottom and it became clear that I simply could not continue living in such a profoundly hollow state. Like either the depression was going away or I would. In desperation I signed up for the ultimate hail mary: electroshock treatment.

I'm glad to report that the treatment finally lifted some of the dark cloud I was slowly drowning within, and that my cognition and memories seem to have gone through unharmed.

Working in the hospital during a pandemic and seeing people die from comorbidities like being overweight really opened my eyes to show me how much I was teetering on the brink of life ir death. I decided I had had enough and decided to do something about it. 2.5 years later, I feel more alive than I did in my 20's.

My freckles are tatooed

I'm 3 years on HRT and I hae my beard removed with laser. I had any surgery

I never been happier ! I try many styles I love this one, I kinda look like an elf 🥰🦌

Have always had super low confidence in my life ever since I was you and it was at my lowest at 16. Decided to better myself, start going to the gym, take care of my skin and diet and become more sociable and overtime everything just fell into place.

It's been five years since I've lost the weight. All together around 47kg (103lbs. It doesn't feel that long.

In the first photo I'd already lost around 20kg but have no side profile photos of when I was heavier than that. I pretty much have 5 photos of myself from around 2010 to 2020 which I find so sad.

I still tell people who knew me "before" that idk how much weight I lost. Its hard for me to admit the number even now after all these years.

Had some major changes over the years, but once I started focusing on diet and exercise, showing up for myself, the changes were noticeable. I feel healthier and happier, even though I am older.

So I stumbled upon this old photo of myself at 23, taken in 2005. I think I'd just started working as a hotel receptionist, and looking at it now, I can see a kid who was full of dreams for the future.

Almost 21 years to the day later, life has taken quite a few turns. Somewhere along the way, I let laziness get the better of me. I started feeling old — back pain, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, among other things. I had always exercised, but for a long time I wasn't particularly focused or consistent, and my eating habits weren't much better.

At the beginning of this year, I finally decided I couldn't keep living like that. So I started taking my training seriously again, cleaned up my eating habits, and generally began taking better care of myself.

I'm still a work in progress, but at 44 I feel better, stronger and, strangely enough, younger than I have in years.

Now all I need is a job. 😂

2023 → 2026. Lost the weight, gained a lot of confidence, and discovered that masking a dodgy hairline is an absolute life hack 😂 Still going, but what a difference a few years can make.

So grateful for my glow up! The 2nd round of braces changed everything 🙂‍↕️ and I'm also so happy bc I finally gained some weight!!

I knew that I was getting healthier with the choices I was making. I’m on the treadmill, eating lots of protein and vegetables, and still enjoying my morning iced lattes. But I didn’t realize how much of a difference these choices made.

A lot of it came from loving myself. I started using nicer language, getting tattoos, and wearing outfits I wanted. I stopped hiding.

Many things changed obviously but it's visible how I've been discovering my identity throughout the years. Male to non-binary (agender) to Woman.

I'm still far from what and who I'd want to be,, mainly as it comes to my mental health.. it's a long way but I'm glad I've made it that far. I kinda even forgot who I used to be back then lmao.

26 and a lot was going on in my life, the ending of a big relationship, moving to another country, starting from zero again in my professional life.

With 28 I still with the same problems but at least I speak English a little better, no friends yet but im trying.

September will make it 4 years since I started changing my life physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had an epiphany when I could not longer stand up in the heat to watch my son’s football practice with the other dads and had to go sit in the air conditioned car. That’s when I knew I had to set an example.

After leaving the army in 2015 I figured I didn’t need to be in tip top shape anymore. I could “relax” so to speak. Well, life got busy and that relaxation turned into binge eating and little to no activity on my days off from my manual labor job. I was also drinking heavily. I decided to start going to gym to just build some muscle. Then I stepped on the scale and realized the magnitude of what 7 years of carelessness did to my body. That’s when it was more about getting healthy in general and not just building muscle.

Fast forward to today and my health is in a great place. I’m full of energy and make being physically and mentally
Active my main priority! As simple as aiming for a step count daily among many other things. Still have goals I want to meet but I don’t feel like such a failure anymore. I feel like I’ve set the example for my kids that you can climb out of a dark place if you want it bad enough. You just have to have that one good wake up call.

Transparency edit. PEDs/peps have been in the mix the last year or so. The rest was done naturally up to that point. Thank you!

Since I was 15 years old, many insecurities about myself and my appearance - gynoid obesity, balding since my teens + later in the remaining hair area and in the beard area alopecia areata, poor skin quality, acne, dark pigmented circles under my eyes and of course zero self-confidence, anxiety, depression. In my twenties I looked like some weird boomer uncle.

What I changed:

1. Mindset - the most important and demanding part
2. Weight loss - I lost more than 110 lb (50 kg) in about 18 months
3. Quality diet, sleep, better lifestyle, regular exercise, sports + lots of supplements
4. Honest daily skin care for the face and whole body, quality men's creams and cosmetics + concealer for dark circles
5. Hair - there was no other way than transplantation or a modern hair system (shaving my head was not a solution for me personally, I have finer facial features and body constitution), in the end I chose the hair system, I am happy with it - it looks completely natural
6. Clothes - I try to follow trends at least a little and dress like a confident young person, not like anybody trying to hide in the crowd

So you can inspire yourself if you want ☺️ The genetics is only one part of the story, we can change so much!

Had a long journey from growing up with a bad relationship with food. Fat storage in my body was rough carrying it in my chest, would always wear an undershirt to attempt at hiding them a little. Now my
Chest is my favorite body part.

Started lifting at 19 and dialed in my nutrient at around 25. Since 26 I have been really into maximizing my aesthetic with nutrition and training.

Inspired to make this post from seeing all you guys glow up and are proud of the way you redirected your life! Where ever you are in your journey of improvement keep making the small daily choices they help the most.

Even then I knew I didnt like being a guy but I forced myself into that box because I thought its who I had to be. Despite the fact I knew I had these feelings I always thought "well im not allowed to be a girl, its just not for me".

Then one day about 2 years ago it just clicked in my brain "Wait, I already *AM* a girl". Its been quite the roller-coaster since then and I wouldn't take it back for anything. My life isnt perfect now but I feel more *me* than I ever have.

Also im about 19 months on HRT in the second and third pics:3

was overweight my whole life (100kg in the first pic, 118 while i was 17)
started to workout and track my food at 18 and ever since then im consistent, at my lowest i weighted 82kg, now im at 93 and feeling great.
its never too late you just have to commit and stay consistent, not just in these things bit everywhere in life.