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Anyone who has just started a new sport or hobby will quickly realize that a few sessions is not enough. It can be pretty disheartening because the improvements are so incremental that it just takes a lot of time to notice any changes at all. So one trick is to check out other people documenting their own journey for inspiration.

So we’ve gathered some of the best and most wholesome examples of before and after pics folks shared on this dedicated internet group. Get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the ones that impressed you the most and be sure to share your own thoughts and stories in the comments down below.

#1 F/19/5’4″ [72lb < 125lb = 53lb] (5 Months) Eating Disorder Recovery

#2 F/36/5’5 [320lbs > 173 Lbs = 147 Lbs] (1.5 Year) Face Gains. More Lines On My Skin But Also More Happiness

#3 F/36/5’10” [324 > 212 = 112 Lbs] (44 Months) Happy Trans Day Of Visibility!

There is something deeply satisfying about watching someone go from barely able to finish a light jog to casually knocking out a 10k, and a huge part of that satisfaction comes down to how our brains process visual proof. The scale can lie to you constantly.

You might be dropping fat and building muscle at the same time while the number barely moves, which is exactly why so many coaches lean on photos instead of digits. As one trainer put it, the scale is deceitful because it cannot separate weight loss from muscle gain or a totally transformed body composition, even though the mirror clearly shows something different is happening.

#4 F/28/5’3 [435 > 300 = 135] (23 Months Since First Picture, 17 Months Since Start Of Weight Loss Journey) Feeling The Nsvs!!

#5 F/23/5ft 10 [200lbs > 130lbs =70lbs] 7 Months | Bed Recovery!

#6 F/34/1,74m [116kg>75kg=41kg] (16 Months) Unbigged My Back

Part of the appeal is that our own changes are almost invisible to us in real time. You see your own face and body every single day, so gradual shifts blend into the background. This is why reviewing old progress photos gives people undeniable proof of how far they have come, especially on days when motivation is running low. It turns an abstract feeling of “I think I’m getting fitter” into something concrete you can actually point at.

#7 F/34/5’5 [380lbs>160lbs=220lbs] (70-Ish Months) Reminiscing On What A Wild Ride This Has Been

#8 F/38/5’4” [325 Lbs> 172 =153lbs] 2 Years

I asked my bff to splice the two images together and edit my son’s face out…

#9 F/24/5’8” [196>136 = 50lbs] (2 Years)

There is also a strong element of storytelling. A good before and after pic is basically a mini narrative arc, struggle followed by payoff, and humans are wired to love that structure. Trainers who work with clients regularly point out that these photos create emotional connections to achievements and help people focus on long term transformation rather than short term fluctuations. Scrolling through someone else’s timeline lets you experience that same arc secondhand, which is oddly motivating even if you have never met the person.

#10 F/24/5’8 [225 > 135 = 90lbs] (~2 Years) Hand Gains!

#11 F/32/5’3” [270lbs > 120lbs = 150lbs] | 18 Months | Shopping Is Fun Now

#12 F/26/5’8” [245 To 145 Lbs] (4 Years) Losing 100 Lbs And Focusing On My Health Was The Best Thing I Could Do For Myself ✨

Social proof plays a role too. Watching a stranger go through the exact same slog you are currently stuck in makes the whole process feel less lonely and more achievable. Psychologically, seeing images of people who have hit similar goals acts as inspiration and gives you a way to gauge your own progress. It is the same reason gym forums and fitness subreddits are full of these posts.

#13 F/26/1,55 [70kg > 49kg = 21kg] (9 Months) First Time In My Life I’m Not Overweight

#14 F/19/5’2 [70ibs > 115ibs = 45ibs] (2yrs) From Severe Anorexia To Recovery

#15 F/33/5’7″ [205lbs > 135lbs = 70lbs] (7 Years) Maintenance Mode

Visualization matters here as well. Looking at someone else’s after photo can help you picture your own, which sounds small but actually has real psychological weight. Experts note that seeing an image of a goal makes it feel more attainable and real, almost like your brain treats the visual as a rough blueprint rather than just a nice picture to look at. That is a big reason these threads keep pulling people in even when they already know intellectually that fitness takes time.

#16 F/36/5’8″ [505lbs > 199lbs = 306lbs] (6 Years) Finally In Onederland

#17 F/23/5’7 [203lbs > 180lbs=23lbs] (3 Months) First Win!

#18 F/37/5’6” [307lbs > 162lbs =145lbs Lost] (17 Months)

Of course, before and after pics are not universally loved, and it is worth acknowledging why some people steer clear of them. Photos give zero context about someone’s life circumstances, and comparing your week one photo to a stranger’s month twelve photo is comparing apples to oranges, since the variables behind anyone’s results, from stress levels to time available to childcare, are basically endless.

#19 F/31/5’5” [292>159=133lbs] 10 Year Anniversary

#20 F/26/5’7 [340>190] (1 Year) Face Gains!!

#21 F/43/5’8” [275lbs > 174lbs = 101lbs] Not Quite Done Yet But Celebrating My Progress

Some behavior specialists also warn that these images can be triggering for certain people, and suggest tracking things like how your clothes fit instead if photos feel like too much pressure. That is a fair point worth keeping in mind while you scroll through the ones below.

#22 F/29/5’9″ [267lbs > 165lbs = 102 Lbs] (2.3 Years) Face Progress

#23 F/37/6’ [250lbs > 170lbs = 80lbs Lost] (1 Year) Face Gains!

#24 M/47/6’2” [652 Lbs > 275 Lbs = 377 Lbs Lost] (47 Months) Changed My Life In Every Way!

Still, for a lot of folks, seeing that gap between the first photo and the last one is exactly the nudge they needed to keep showing up. So scroll through the pics below with that in mind. Some of these folks took months, others took years, and every single one of them started at the exact same point you might be at right now, which is the whole reason these threads keep going viral in the first place.

#25 F/36/5’1” [248>152=96 Pounds] (11 Months) Long Time Lurker

#26 F/31/5’2 [215lbs > 130 = 85] (8 Months) Celebrating Six Years Of Maintenance!

#27 F/28/5’3 [276 > 155 = 121 Down] (~30 Months) Happy To Have Hit The 120 Mark 🙂

#28 F/29/5’2 [248.8 > 138.8 = 110lbs] (3.5 Years) Same Style Of Dress, Different Type Of Body

#29 F/34/5’7” [329lbs>210lbs=119lbs] (16 Months) Face Gains

#30 F/34/6’2 [195>165=30] Same Outfit, 2.5 Years Apart

#31 F/26/5’4” [304.4lbs > 140lbs =164.4lbs] (4 Years) Make The Change Lifelong And You Never Have To Restart Again!

#32 F/35/5’6″ [320 > 150 = 170lbs] 10 Year Face Gains!

#33 F/36/5’11 [330lbs > 175lbs = 155lbs] Looking For Band Shirts And Came Across My Original Motivation Picture. Shirt Is Long Gone, But I Tried To Recreate The Pic Anyway

#34 F/26/5’6 [231lbs > 168lbs = 62lbs] (2 Years) Two Years On! 🎈

#35 F/31/5’5” [292>170=122lbs] (15 Months)

#36 F/58/5’8″ [332lbs > 179lbs = 153lbs] (19 Months) 13 Pounds To Goal

#37 F/34/5’6″ [239lbs > 139lbs = 100lbs] (17 Months) I’ve Never Been This Fit Before In My Life

#38 F/36/5’5 [320lbs > 175 Lbs = 145 Lbs] (1.5 Year) Woke Up To The Scale Reading My “Dream” Number

#39 F/41/5’9” [266lbs > 140lbs = 126lbs] (15 Mo. Losing, 4 Years In Maintenance) Never Looked Back!

#40 F/40/5’4″ [305 > 182 = 124lbs] (48 Months) One Day At A Time

#41 F/26/5’8” [130lbs > 176lbs = 46lbs] (4 Years) Same Dress But In A Way Better Place In Life

#42 F/36/5’7 [197>145 = 52 Lbs] (13 Months) Got Tired Of Being Tired

#43 F/28/5’4 [279lbs > 151lbs =128lbs] (20 Months) I Did It!

#44 F/39/4’11” [86kg > 52kg] (2 Years)

#45 F/21/5’5 [94kg>60kg= 34kg] (15 Months) Super Proud Of Myself!

#46 F/47/5’10” [168kg > 68kg =100kg Lost] (3 Years) Lost 60% Of Starting Weight

#47 F/42/5’1″ [274lbs > 119lbs = 155lbs] (5 Years) Weight Loss Progress

#48 F/29/5’5″ [420lbs > 150lbs = 270lbs] (21 Months) Changed My Entire Life!

#49 F/25/5’8 [226 > 153 = 73lbs] (2.5 Years) Turns Out Being Fit Is Fun

#50 F/24/5’8” [230 > 175 = 55lbs Lost] (2 Years)

#51 F/26/5’9[401lbs>248lbs=153lbs Lost] (15 Months)

#52 M/37/5’9 [311-225=86lbs] (6months) Face Gains

#53 F/29/5’4 [229>131= 98lbs] 2 Years. One Full Year Without The Weight!

#54 F/38/5’6” [350lbs > 290lbs = 60lbs] (2 Years) When The Scale Isn’t The Only Thing That Changes… My Face Transformation

#55 F/35/5’3” [215lbs > 124lbs = 91lbs] (18 Months) Feeling So Much Better! 🤩

#56 F/24/5’8″ [300 > 220 = 80] (2 Years) Facial Progress

#57 F/37/5’6” [350lbs > 275lbs] (2 Years) The Post Divorce Glow ✨

#58 F/30/60” [189 > 111 = 78] (Year And A Half) Finally Hit My Goal Weight After A Rough Pregnancy 🙂

#59 F/33/5’3 [243lbs>144lbs= 99lbs] (6 Years)

#60 F/34/175 [308>168 = 140 Lost] (58 Months Approx)

#61 F/30/5’8 [257>176 =81 Lbs] (13 Months) Gained Some Back, Still Healing, Still Unlearning Bad Habits. Still Showing Up 💪

#62 F/29/6′ [430lbs > 299lbs = 131lbs] (28 Months) Haven’t Seen A 2 On The Scale Since 2018. It Feels Like A Miracle To Finally Be On The Second Half Of My Weight Loss Journey

#63 F/28/5’2” [222>142 = 80lbs] (15 Months) Some Days I Still Don’t See A Difference

#64 F/28/5’5 [185lbs>145lbs=40lbs] 72 Months. 6 Year Difference Between Photos. 4 Years Sober From Alcohol And Binge Eating. 3 Years Of Weight Lifting And Whole Foods. Accutane. Therapy

#65 F/36/5’6” [305lbs > 115lbs = 190lbs] (4 Years) Progress!

#66 F/40/5’5″ [415lbs > 290lbs = 125lbs] (11 Months) Weight Loss Progress

#67 F/36/5’5 [320lbs > 170 Lbs = 150 Lbs] (~2 Years) 36 Years Into This Life And I Finally Feel Comfortable In My Own Skin…

#68 F/37/5,4 [205lbs>127lbs = 77lbs] (2 Years) Diet, Exercise And Mounjaro

#69 F/26/5’3 [300+ Lbs > 158.9 Lbs = 141.1 Lbs] (About 3 Years) Got Like 30-40 Lbs To Go But Very Proud/Happy With My Progress So Far!

#70 F/35/5’6″ [235 > 145 = 90lbs] (6 Years). Many Periods Of Regain And Refocus. Be Patient With Yourself

#71 F/29/5’2” [223lbs > 134lbs = 89lbs] (3 Years) Realizing That Body Dysmorphia Is A Liar

#72 F/28/5’3 [230lbs>155lbs] Proud To Say I Did That 🥹

#73 F/30/5’4 [289lbs > 154lbs = 135lbs] (19 Months)

#74 F/29/5’7 [230lbs > 160lbs = 70lbs] (2.5 Years) Size 14 To Size 6

#75 F/31/5’4″ [190lbs>145lbs = 45lbs] (10 Months) I Don’t Hate Pictures Of Myself Anymore 😊 🎉 (10 More Lbs To Go!)

#76 F/29/5’9″ [267lbs > 163lbs = 104 Lbs] (2 Years) Slow And Steady, Wins The Race

#77 F/26/170 Cm [90 Kg > 65 Kg = 25 Kg] (8 Months) I Like Taking Picture Of Me Now

#78 F/24/5’3 [107kg > 64kg = 43kg] (3 Years) My Fam/Friends Are Sick Of Me Sending Progress Pics To Them 😂

#79 F/30/5’3 [259>115 = 144lbs Lost] (5 Years) What A Ride It’s Been!

#80 F/28/5’3 [210lbs>150lbs =60lbs] I Made It Guys 🥹

#81 F/36/5’10 [350lbs > 199lbs = 151lbs] (4 Years) From Shame To Pride

#82 F/37/5’11 [245lbs > 165lbs = 80lbs](20 Years) Found A Very Old Pic From High School And Revelling In The Glow Up

#83 F/30/5’7 [408lbs > 152lbs=256lbs Lost] (3 Years) 2025 Progress Wrapped

#84 F/24/5’3 [285> 211 = 74lbs] (1 Ans Half Years) Embarrassing To Post My Biggest Weight But It’s Crazy To See The Difference

#85 F/35/5’2” [166lbs > 140lbs = 26lbs] (1 Year, Nye 2024 To Nye 2025)

#86 F/29/5’9 [245lbs > 165lbs = 80lbs] (4 Years) Maintaining My Body Has Been A Wild Ride

#87 F/28/5’7 [175 > 135 = 40lbs] Lost Some Face, Gained Some Dimples

#88 F/32/5’4” [267lbs > 138lbs = 129lbs] (6 Years) I Did It Y’all!!!

#89 F/49/5’4” [235 Lbs > 130 Lbs = 105 Lbs](August 2019-December 2025)still Got That Hand On My Hip. I Swear These Two Pics Are Both Me

#90 F/30/5’11” [312 > 230 = 82 Lbs Lost] (24 Months) Took Too Much Time Off And Have A Ways To Go.. But My Thyroid Levels Are Finally Normal!

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