5 Women Reveal How They Lost More Than 150 Pounds

Before: 388
After: 173

A Groupon for a boxing class inspired Desiree to give exercise a shot. After her first (superhard) class, she signed up for a membership. She began taking group classes 3 to 4 times a week. She also began eating a diet consisting of 40% protein, 30% fat, and 30% carbs, and learned how to cook.

Though it was annoying to keep a close eye on what she was prepping for the week, she got the hang of it. That's when the weight started to come off quickly. When Desiree hit a plateau, she started taking classes 5 to 6 times a week and added strength training to her routine. Two years later, she hit 173 pounds.

Learn more about her journey here. 

Before: 401
After: 204

While driving home from work one day, a light bulb went off in 22-year-old Annamarie's head. She decided she needed to get a gym membership and start working out. She began by walking each day and adding more distance until she reached 3 miles.

When it came to her eating habits, Annamarie swapped her 48-cans-a-week Diet Coke addiction for water and began grilling and baking lean protein and veggies. She also launched an Instagram account documenting her progress (@weightlosswithannamarie). Today she has more than 70,000 followers.

See the rest of her story here.

Before: 278
After: 127

Though she'd tried numerous carb-free diets, Pamela always ended up gaining back any weight she lost. But when she decided to get fit for good, she realized that whole grains, lean protein, and lots of veggies were all important parts of her diet. By adding 45 minutes of exercise (including 2 cardio days and 3 strength sessions) 5 days a week, she dropped 60 pounds in 6 months.

As she progressed, she increased her calorie intake to 1,800 calories a day, started working more protein into her diet, and began lifting heavier weights. Two years later, she hit 127 pounds.

Check out her whole story here.

Before: 373
After: 198

When Jennifer and her husband decided to adopt a baby, she knew she needed to get her health in check. She began by counting calories using an app to see how much she was typically eating. It turned out to be roughly 3,000 calories a day. That's when she stopped drinking soda, started snacking on fruits and veggies, and began doing Zumba on her Wii several times a week.

Eventually, that turned into jogging on the treadmill and cooking meals at home.

See her entire story here.

Before: 326 pounds
After: 172 pounds

Turning 30 made Jessica realize that she needed to get her health under control. Instead of taking drastic measures, Welch cut out soda and ended up losing 20 pounds. Next, she reduced the amount of junk food she ate and lost another 25 pounds within a year of setting out to get healthy. After that, she began cooking more meals at home and learning to eat mindfully.

After losing more than 50 pounds, Welch hit the weight room. She used strength training and total-body exercises to burn calories and build muscle 3 days a week. She also started hitting the road to train for a 5K. Her workouts habits seemed to stick.

Get more tips from her here.